Tag: Derek Vaddis

by Mike Pavlichko

North Hunterdon’s Vaddis excelled at WR/LB, is named CJSR Two-Way Player of the Year

A year ago, Derek Vaddis wasn’t nearly the first option at receiver for the North Hunterdon football team.

Again this year, quarterback Luke Martini had multiple guys he could throw to, and even more he could hand off to.

Still, Vaddis was able to accumulate over 1,000 yards receiving on a team that also had a pair of thousand-yard rushers. Specifically, he made 55 catches to lead the Lions with 1,054 yards and 11 touchdowns.

But he also contributed significantly on the other side of the ball. Though he “only” logged 46 tackles – at safety with a great group in front of him that didn’t require him to make many stops – he made his minutes count, snatching eight interceptions on the season, third highest individual total in the state. (Adam Meiner of Ridge led New Jersey with ten picks.)

For his efforts, Vaddis has been named the Big Central’s 2022 Two-Way Player of the Year by Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with North Hunterdon WR/S Derek Vaddis:

Honorable Mentions:

Vaddis is probably the only person Alex Uryniak of North Hunterdon wouldn’t mind losing out to. But Uryniak also excelled on both sides of the ball. As part of a two-headed monster – not by design, but by necessity – Uryniak carried for 1,012 yards and 13 touchdowns, filling in quite well when Kente Edwards missed the better part of four games, two of them entirely. At linebacker, he led the Lions with 180 tackles, registering 22 TFLs and seven sacks, along with an interception.

Malcolm Stansbury of Edison may follow his brother to New Hampshire and play defense, or could end up at other places where he has offers, like Maine or Monmouth. The senior WR/DB had 52 catches on offense for 652 yards and four touchdowns, and was a shutdown corner on defense as well, with 59 tackles, 2 TFLs and a pair of interceptions. A four-year starter, Stansbury also is a two-year captain.

Hunter Seubert of Watchung Hills is the coach’s son, so Rich Suebert may have prepped him early on to play on the line. Indeed, he was a rare four-year starter on both the offensive and defensive lines, a rare feat at any level. This year’s Warrior O-line didn’t surrender a single sack, paving the way for 145 rushing yards per game, and 24 scores on the ground. On defense, Suebert had 63 tackles, a pick, three sacks, nine tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

by Mike Pavlichko

Highlight Reel! Listen back to all the highlights of North Hunterdon’s 49-35 win over Randolph for the North 2, Group 4 title

The two teams combined for 84 points, 49 of which came in the final quarter.

But don’t worry if you missed any of it! We have all the highlights right here!

Senior quarterback Luke Martini threw for 389 yards unofficially – by far a career high – and tossed a career best five touchdown passes, as well, in the win.

Now 11-1, the Lions face Northern Highlands, the North 1, Group 4 champion, in next week’s semifinals at Franklin High School, Somerset County.

Click below to for full game highlights:

by Mike Pavlichko

North Hunterdon wins 4th quarter shootout over Randolph on career day from Martini, as Lions claim North 2 Group 4 trophy

Top-seed North Hunterdon jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title game Saturday afternoon in Annandale, but by late in the third quarter found itself tied at 14-14. And it looked like the next possession might win the game, the way things were going.

But the teams exploded for 49 combined points in the fourth quarter. Happily for the Lions, they scored more of them than the Rams did, and claimed a state championship for the second time in six seasons, thanks to a 49-35 win heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Senior quarterback Luke Martini had a career-best game on the big stage: unofficially 389 passing yards and five touchdown passes, both career highs. Two long bombs got the Lions the early lead: a 49-yard TD pass to Derek Vaddis, and an 81-yard TD pass to Danny DeLusant.

Vaddis also had a 20-yard TD reception, and DeLusant had another for 25, before Kente Edwards and Alex Uryniak punched in short runs from two and three yards respectively.

After losing the two-score lead, North Hunterdon got the next two scores to go up 28-14. Randolph got within in score, but North Hunterdon got it right back. And that happened twice more, with Edwards’ and Uryniak’s scores providing the insurance.

It was North Hnterdon’s third state title overall, to go along with the 2017 championship – which came over Phillipsburg at MetLife Stadium after a regular season loss to the Stateliners – and their first in 1976. The Lions are 3-1 now in finals, all-time.

With an 11-1 record – matching the 2017 mark – North Hunterdon now goes on the face North 1 Group 4 champ Northern Highlands in the Group 4 semifinals, to be played at Franklin High School next Saturday and Sunday. Game times and dates should be announced this weekend by the NJSIAA.

Click below to for postgame reaction with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Senior QB Luke Martini
North Hunterdon QB Luke Martini (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Senior WR/CB Derek Vaddis
Senior RB/S Kente Edwards
by Mike Pavlichko

Randolph is hungry as Rams visit North Hunterdon in North 2, Group 4 title game

Admittedly a young team with a lot of junior starters, they came in as a four-seed, and would host 5th-seed Colonia in the opening round. But the Patriots – mostly on the fleet feet of dual-threat quarterback Josh Uluremi – rolled up over 300 yards on the ground, en route to a 32-21 win.

And just like that, the 7-2 season became a disappointing 7-3 campaign for the Rams.

Head coach Will Nahan, when asked about it in the 2022 preseason, told Morris Sussex Sports, “It was a good year, but did we reach our ultimate goal?”

That answer being no, this year’s team is hungry.

Saturday afternoon, 2nd seed Randolph (9-1) will visit top-seed North Hunterdon (10-1) for the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title, and Central Jersey Sports Radio will have all the coverage live from Singley Field in Annandale, NJ. Kickoff is at 12 noon, pregame at approximately 11:40 am. Click here to listen to the broadcast.

The game was moved from its original 7 pm start time Friday due to heavy rain, gusty winds and thunderstorms in the forecast from the remnants of Hurricane Nicole.

Randolph’s lone loss this season came October 15th to West Morris, one of the two teams they lost to last year, and the 2021 North Group 4 regional champ. The Wolfpack also have won 16 straight dating back to last season.

Other than that, it’s been a near flawless 2022, with much of the same cast of characters.

Senor quarterback Sean Clark has thrown for 2,004 yards and 23 touchdowns, and he distributes the ball through the air well, finding seven different receivers for no fewer than 6 catches and 101 yards, with the top two targets being Jesse Wilfong (28 for 517 yards and four TDs) and James Fusco (28 for 464 yards and 5 TDs).

On the ground, Stephen Petruzziello has 918 yards rushing and ten touchdowns, plus 11 catches for 180 yards and two scores.

That aerial attack could be grounded a bit, though, Friday night, with weather expected to be rainy – possibly heavy at times – with winds from side to side across the football field at 10-15 mph with higher wind gusts possible, thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Randolph head coach Will Nahan:

by Mike Pavlichko

Lions roar as North Hunterdon scores 25 unanswered to come from behind, beat Morris Knolls, and secure bid in North 2, Group 4 final

After trading three-and-outs to start the game, by the end of the first quarter things weren’t looking good for North Hunterdon.

The top-seeded Lions were down 14-0 after Morris Knolls opened the scoring with a 17-play drive, then scored quickly again after recovering an onside kick that took North by surprise.

Penalties and a fumble didn’t help the cause either, and things were in danger of getting late early in Annandale.

That is until head coach Kevin Kley called “The Timeout.” It followed a fumble by Alex Uryniak, then a big first down gain of 35 yards by Dom DellaMonache. Kley decided it was time to click Reboot.

And reboot, they did.

DellaMonache had 90 yards on 13 carries at that point, but only had 42 the rest of the way as the Lions’ defense hunkered down, kept the Golden Eagles off the scorebaord, and let Luke Martini and Derek Vaddis do their thing.

The pair hooked up for touchdowns of 46 yards and 63 yards in the second quarter – with 5:59 and 2:41 to go – but the Lions still trailed 14-12 going into the locker room, after having the extra point blocked on the first TD, and the two-point conversion fail on the second.

In the third quarter, after several momentum swings but no other scores, quarterback Luke Martini ran one in from 15 yards with 8:17 left to put North up 18-12, again missing on the two-point try. Then, with under two minutes to go, the icing on the cake: Kente Edwards – who had missed two games and was limited in two others after a suffering a lower body injury against Colonia – capped the game with a three-yard touchdown run.

The win puts North Hunterdon (9-1) in the North 2, Group 4 Championship game at home next week against second-seed Randolph, which beat third-seed Wayne Valley 31-28 Friday night. The game will be in Annandale Friday night at 7:00.

It’s North’s first trip to the finals since they won the North 2, Group 4 title in 2017, beating Phillipsburg 21-20 at MetLife Stadium after losing to the Stateliners in the regular season. That team finished 11-1, and this one will as well, if they win the title next week.

Click below to for postgame reaction with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

QB Luke Martini and WR Derek Vaddis
Head Coach Kevin Kley