By Andy Loigu

The Hackettstown Tigers and Jefferson Township were tied at 13-13 with 3:22 remaining in the first half at Morrison Field, but the visiting Falcons scored four unanswered touchdowns over the next 15 minutes of play and pulled away to a 40-26 win in Friday evening’s opener for both teams.

It was the Tigers’ first football loss in an opener since 2014.

They will not see many quarterbacks like 6-4, 190-pound Matt Johnson, who threw five touchdown passes and gained 246 yards through the air to lead the flying Falcons. Jefferson’s spread pro-style no-huddle offense also included a ground game, as Mike Gould gained 119 rushing yards.

A run-first Wing-T program for many years, Jefferson has revamped its offensive system to take advantage of Johnson’s talents. An old timer like me would call them Jefferson Airplane.  In their practices, the Tigers could not simulate Jefferson’s speedy execution. Working from a shotgun formation with three wideouts lined up to one side and one back alongside Johnson, Jefferson answered quickly after the Tigers scored the game’s first touchdown.

With a game plan of maintaining ball security with their triple-option offense, Hackettstown quarterback Nick Gagliardi, taking his snaps under center, aimed at keeping Air Jefferson off the field as much as possible. The Tigers moved the ball effectively with speedy backs running around the edge on their opening drive. Their march was finished with Jason Kuehner scoring a 20-yard rushing touchdown, opened up by a big hole.

Down 13-6 in the second quarter, Gagliardi intercepted a pass and then, as the quarterback, made a 50-yard run on a keeper play, to the Jefferson 19 yard line. The Tigers lost the ball on downs on that drive and missed a great opportunity, but the defense, swarming to the ball, forced a punt. With 3:22 left in the half, Kuehner’s six-yard run to the right side escorted by the pulling guards, tied the score.

Amazingly, Jefferson scored twice before halftime for a 27-13 lead. After Johnson threw a 65-yard touchdown pass, the Falcons put nine defenders on the line to force the Tigers, who rarely pass, to punt the ball away.
Bang, zoom, there was Johnson throwing another TD pass, this one 40 yards, just a few seconds before the end of the half. Are you kidding me? That’s the kind of stuff one sees from Tom Brady on television, not what you expect to see in a high school game, where coaches usually are content to have the quarterback take a knee and head into the locker room to prepare for the second half.

After falling further behind by 40-13 late in the third period, the Tigers scored two late touchdowns. Gagliardi plowed in for a one-yard score and Kuehner scored with 1:03 left in the game.

It does not get much easier for the Tigers, as they visit nemesis Lenape Valley, a traditionally well-coached program under veteran Wing-T wizard Don Smolyn, on Friday evening in Stanhope.

Meanwhile, Warren Hills was emulsified  54-0 by Phillipsburg on Friday evening in Washington on opening night.

The inexperienced Blue Streaks did have a few bright spots. Sophomore Jon Lainez, seeing his first varsity action like most of his teammates, played a creditable game at running back and senior Logan Wilkenson blocked an extra point attempt and caught and returned kicks. Catching kickoffs coming down from the lights is not as easy as good returners make it look, particularly when you have a bunch of hostile Stateliners thundering toward you, intent on mayhem.

The Blue Streaks hope to fare better in their next outing on Saturday afternoon in Union County against Governor Livingston.

At least there is good news in boys soccer

The Tigers, the defending Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex and North 2 Group 2 champions, won their opening game against visiting High Point by a 7-1 score on September 5. You can’t win them all if you don’t win the first one.

Tyler Gorczyca scored three goals and Ben Smith scored twice. Defensively, midfielders Carlton Prant, Isaac Javier and Chase Reardon, along with backline defenders Dominick O’Melia, Kevin Colorado and Eleazer Diaz put the clamps on the High Point offense.

…..Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.