Mainland’s Jake Franchini finds Jake Blum in the end zone for a two-point conversion to top Somerville, 36-35, in overtime in the Group 3 semifinals at Brooks Field on November 22, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Somerville didn’t lead all night until overtime, and it looked like the Pioneers and visiting Mainland were headed for a second OT period, as the Mustangs pulled within one on a seven-yard touchdown run by Rocco DiBiaso, and lined up for the PAT.
But Chuck Smith called timeout, and set up for two. Quarterback John Franchini found top receiver Jake Blum just across the goal line near the pylon for two, setting off a raucous celebration, and leaving Somerville’s players emotionally spent on the turf.
In the end, it was a 36-35 loss for the Pioneers as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio that ended what otherwise was an amazing season: 12-0 after winning the Central Jersey Group 3 title over Delsea last week, and the first Somerset County team to reach the group semifinals since the playoffs expanded to play down to group champions for the first time in 2022.
Somerville’s season ends at 12-1 – with a lot to look back on – after the sting from this one dissipates.
Mainland – last year’s Group 4 champion, now playing in Group 3 – improves to 10-3 and will get a crack at back-to-back state titles next weekend when they play Old Tappan, a 43-14 winner Friday night in the other semifinal. That game likely would be either Black Friday at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, or Sunday, December first at Rutgers. The NJSIAA will announce dates and times after all this weekend’s games are complete.
Somerville played catchup all game, but was right in the thick of a back-and-forth game with a lot of momentum swings. Rocco DiBiaso led off the scoring on Mainland’s first possession, after they held Somerville on the Pioneers’ first.
With a 7-0 lead heading into the second, both offenses heated up on a night where the temperature hovered around 37 the entire evening, with snow falling before kickoff and well into the first half.
Josh Rodriguez scored on a three-yard run out of the wildcat less than two minutes into the second quarter to knot the game at seven. Mainland answered with a touchdown run by Franchini, but Rodriguez caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Brenden Pacheco to tie it at 14-14. Franchini then found Blum for a 42-yard touchdown strike 2:18 before the half, and the teams went into the break with Mainland up 21-14.
They would strike again early in the fourth, after a scoreless third quarter. Rocco DiBiaso scored from 14 yards out to make it 28-14 with 10:46 to play, but Somerville came back.
Terrell Mitchell capped a five-play, 56-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown run, and Max Nuzzi caught a ten-yard TD pass from Pacheco with 1:36 to go to tie it at 28.
They tried a squib kick that was recovered by Mainland, but there was a penalty on the play, and they kicked again. But eventually, the clock ran out on the Mustangs, and they headed to overtime.
Somerville struck first, taking just four plays to get a four-yard touchdown run by Pacheco, giving the Pioneers their first lead of the game. Spencer Carran – 4-for-4 on PATs – missed the extra point, but he got another chance after a roughing the kicker penalty, and made good, to make it 35-28.
It took only three plays for Rocco DiBiaso to score from seven yards out, setting up the heroics from Franchini and Blum to win the game.
Somerville quarterback Brendan Pacheco played a stellar game, throwing for 202 yards and three scores
Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko of Central Jersey Sports Radio with Somerville head coach Matt Bloom:
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