Phillipsburg falls in Group 4 final to Winslow, 35-5, as Eagles offense spreads the wealth

Though it was a memorable season in so many respects, Phillipsburg’s first trip to the state finals – and the Big Central Conference’s first team to make it there – didn’t go nearly according to plan.

Two first-half Stateliner interceptions led indirectly to Winslow Twp. touchdowns, as the Eagles built up a 28-0 lead after the first 24 minutes, and topped the Stateliners 35-0 in the NJSIAA Group 4 final at Rutgers Univeristy’s SHI Stadium in Piscataway, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Winslow has several players – not all of them seniors, by the way – with offers from major Division 1 college programs. Several have offers to Syracuse, and receiver Marcus Upton signed his Letter of Intent to Boston College earlier in the day.

What was remarkable about it was that none of them truly “went off” Wednesday night; Winslow simply played solid football, exploiting its speed and athleticism.

They broke tackles, jumped routes, and got in the backfield, registering seven sacks and nine tackles for loss.

And they spread the ball around: seven different players caught passes, but none hauled in more than four or had more than 67 yards through the air. Likewise, four different players rushed the football, and none ran for more than 50 yards, or had more than eleven carries.

Sophomore quarterback Jalen Parker had an outstanding effort, going 17 of 22 for 238 yards and two touchdown passes.

Winslow took the ball first, and both teams punted on their first possessions. But the Eagles got on the board on their second possession, on the second play of the drive with a 26-yard pass from Parker to Cam Miller with 6:26 to go in the first quarter.

Phillipsburg quickly found themselves down 14-0 with 2:01 remaining when QB Jett Genovese threw a pick on the next drive that was returned 67-yards for a score by junior Nyqir Helton.

Winslow would score twice more in the second quarter, when another Helton interception gave them the ball at the Stateliner 44. Five plays later, junior NaKeem Powell ran in a touchdown from two yards out to make it 21-0 with 4:29 to go before the half, and Parker found Miller again from 15 yards out to make it 28-0 at the break.

Things got worse in the second half for Phillipsburg when senior wide receiver Felix Matos went down with what appeared to be a lower leg injury, and soon after, Genovese got banged up too, though he returned.

Winslow outgained Phillipsburg 318 to 66 in the game, with the Stateliners held to just nine rushing yards, both easily their lowest outputs of the season. It was also the first time they’d been shut out since a 7-0 loss to Wayne Valley in the second round of the playoffs in 2019.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden on the field with Phillipsburg senior WR Matthew Scerbo, Jr., who will graduate as the top receiver in school history in several statistical categories: