Fourth-seeded Passaic Tech downs third-seeded Phillipsburg for second straight North 2, Group 5 crown

“Winning football.”

That’s how Passaic Tech’s 15th-year head coach Matt Demarest described Friday night’s North Jersey Section 2, Group 5 final between the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (9-3) and third-seeded Phillipsburg at Maloney Field.

And he meant both teams.

In a physical, twisting-and-turning slugfest, Passaic Tech outlasted the Stateliners (8-3) 21-10, lifting the sectional crown for the second straight year.

The Bulldogs will advance to face the winner of Saturday’s North 1, Group 5 final matchup between Piscataway and Irvington (which you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio) next weekend.

Both teams’ run game ruled the evening, as Passaic Tech got 254 yards and a score on 23 carries from senior running back Randy Lewis, including a 79-yard scamper with under four minutes to play to put the Bulldogs up two scores.

For Phillipsburg, senior running back Shane Moore added 79 yards on 17 carries, and sophomore Markus Jordan scored the Stateliners’ lone touchdown from 20 yards out.

Passaic Tech took the ball first and marched down the field, aided by chunk plays from Lewis and junior quarterback Bryce Longo. But in the red zone, the Stateliners stood tall, forcing a fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line. Longo’s pass sailed wide of his intended target for an opening goal-line stand.

Phillipsburg escaped the shadow of its own end zone and punted on its first offensive drive, after a third-down conversion from junior quarterback Dominic Bracco to junior wideout David Pacewicz.

On the ensuing drive, the Bulldogs remained efficient. They scored in just four plays, on a 35-yard score from Longo to senior receiver Tyson Watkins on a hitch route. Watkins broke one tackle and sprinted down the sideline to open the scoring.

The Stateliners worked another methodical drive into Passaic Tech territory, but the drive stalled, and a 50-yard field goal attempt fell just short.

As the Bulldogs approached the red zone once again, it appeared they could be on the verge of breaking another game open, just as they did in back-to-back 35-0 wins over tough Big Central opponents Bridgewater-Raritan and Elizabeth.

But Phillipsburg responded.

Sophomore defensive back Jaxon Matos found the ball in his hands after an apparent miscommunication between Longo and his intended receiver, and Matos weaved between tacklers to return the interception all the way to the opposite 20-yard line. Jordan burst through the middle one play later for the tying score, keeping the game deadlocked at 7-7 at halftime.

The defensive battle continued into the second half, with the two teams trading scoreless drives, and remaining knotted up 7-7 at the end of the third quarter.

But Phillipsburg struck again on the first play of the fourth, on a 33-yard field goal to take the lead for the first time.

Once again, though, Passaic Tech worked its way down the field, led by Lewis, before senior wideout and UCF commit Ian McDuffie carried in a five-yard touchdown to take the lead.

The Bulldogs’ defense then stood tall forcing a three-and-out and punt, as the Stateliners relied on their defense for one more stop.

It never came.

On the third play of the ensuing drive, a third-and-one deep inside Passaic Tech territory, Lewis burst up the middle, bounced out to the sideline, and sprinted the distance for the 79-yard score to build the first two-score lead of the night for either side.

Phillipsburg worked its way down the field in the final minutes, but missed a field goal that would have cut the deficit to one score with under two minutes to play.

The Bulldogs came away victorious, and will continue their tour to avenge last year’s state final loss, heading back to the semifinals.

For the Stateliners, though, their season isn’t over yet. The most important game remains on the schedule, with a Thanksgiving Day date with arch-rival Easton in Pennsylvania.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from both head coaches with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen: