“Underdog mentality?” It works for Phillipsburg, as Stateliners head into North 2, Group 4 title game against Northern Highlands

The Phillipsburg football team is 10-1, the top seed in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4. Northern Highlands is 6-4, the third seed in the section.

Are the Stateliners underdogs?

Maybe, maybe not. Phillipsburg has played a challenging schedule all year long, but so has Northern Highlands, which knocked off unbeaten Woodbridge last week in the sectional semifinals.

But P’burg junior runningback Sam Dech says his team has an underdog mentality, and has had it since Day One this season.

Hey, whatever works.

Either way, the two teams will lace it up Friday night for a state sectional title, 7 pm at Maloney Stadium in Phillipsburg. (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates.)

The Stateliners will be seeking their ninth title in the playoff era, and their first since 2018, in their third straight trip to a championship game.

They lost to West Orange in the North 2, Group 5 game in 2022, and Union City in the same game last year, before moving down to Group 4 for 2024. Both years, they were the No. 1 seed. So, is the third time the charm this year?

Phillipsburg has had a business-like air about it all season long, and that clearly hasn’t changed for Friday night.

Meanwhile, Dech has been critical to the team’s success. He’s the team leader in rushing yards with 661 and eight touchdowns, coming off a nine-caarry, 128-yard, one-touchdown performance against Chatham in the sectional semifinals, the fourth 100-plus yard rushing game of his career.

Click below to hear Phillipsburg junior runningback Sam Dech talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: