Sunday, September 21, 2014

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

Jeremy Zaukas scored from 8 yards out with 5:15 to play to give Waldwick/Midland Park the TD it needed to top Elmwood Park, 21-14, on Saturday.

ELMWOOD PARK - High school football games are technically decided over 48 minutes of play between the sidelines. But what makes a particular football player successful when the light go on in game days is the mentally grueling part of off-season preparation. Sprint work, weightlifting, long-distance running are all activities that are done by players not for the fun of it, but because that conditioning will eventually pay off in the fourth quarter of a big game. Waldwick/Midland Park got to see all of its hard work pay off on Friday night.

Having lost all the momentum as Elmwood Park tied the score early in the fourth quarter, the Warriors had every reason to be concerned, but there was no panic. With a fit offensive line and a bevy of running backs that had fresh legs, the Warriors faced adversity head-on and simply went back to work behind their senior leaders.

Tyree Lee ran for huge third and fourth-down conversions on the ensuing drive. Jeremy Zaukas capped the 10-play, 64-yard march with an eight-yard touchdown with 5:15 to play to lift Waldwick/Midland Park past the pesky Crusaders, 21-14, at Elmwood Park High School.

“This is a good win for us and we knew it was going to be a battle,” said Zaukas. “We
want to show that getting to a state final last year wasn’t a fluke. Winning tough games like this on the road gives us a lot of confidence for when we get in that situation again.”

Senior Sean Violanted scored both of Elmwood Park's touchdowns.

Elmwood Park pulled off one of the biggest victories in its history last week by shocking three-time defending section champion Pompton Lakes, 34-7, and carried that momentum over into its home opener. Sean Violante had a huge day on the ground last week and showed his nose for the end zone again yesterday. He hit a hole up the middle, then made a cut
and went untouched for a 25-yard touchdown just 23 seconds into the second quarter for a 7-0 lead.

A long kickoff return from Lee gave the Warriors good field position just beyond the 50-yard line. Ron Kruis busted a 19-yard run to get the Warriors into striking distance. With the Crusaders packing the box to defend the run, Ryan Moore waggled out to his right on a playaction pass and floated it to the corner where Charlie Chaparian hauled it in for a six-yard score to tie the game at 7.

Moore threw just six passes on the afternoon, but made the key throws when it mattered. On the Warriors’ next drive after the tying touchdown, he converted a third-down by hitting Kruis on a skinny post for a 29-yard completion down to the Crusaders’ 20-yard line. Two plays later, Nick Dragonetti bulled his way up the middle from five yards out that gave Waldwick/Midland Park a 14-7 lead at the half.

Rutgers-bound quarterback Michael Dare made two big plays on a second-half drive that led to Elmwood Park's tying TD. On a fourth-and-one from their own 31 and with a defensive end right in his face, Dare dropped off a swing pass for Violante, who rumbled 32 yards into Warrior territory. Then on a third-and-10 from the Warrior 28, Dare sidestepped a defender and dove for a first-down. On the play, he had the wind knocked out of him and had to come out for a play. Violante filled in more than admirably by lining up in the Wildcat formation, then floated a fade pass up the left side. Brandon Ricketts outleaped a defender and was able to haul it in for a 17-yard touchdown catch. Richie DeSiervo tacked on the PAT to knot the score at 14 with 10:43 remaining.

Ron Kruis piled up 92 yards of total offense for Waldwick/Midland Park, which improved to 2-0 on the season.

Although not the ideal situation for most teams, Elmwood Park tying the score seemed to light fire under the offensive line of Waldwick/Midland Park. Having gained just one first down in the second half up until that point, the Warriors relied on their line to raise their level of play.

On a third-and-two from the 44, they opened up a big hole for Lee, whose seven-yard jaunt kept the drive alive. Then, on a fourth-and-four from the 32, they came through again with Lee hitting the hole then falling forward for a five-yard gain. On the next play, Kruis busted through a big hole for a 19-yard gain before the go-ahead score.

The Warriors ran a jet sweep with Zaukas getting the ball. Left tackle Peter Bernhard made a textbook seal block to open up the entire left side. DeSiervo sprinted towards the sideline to try and cut off the senior tailback, but he cut back inside and walked into the end zone from eight yards out with Kruis tacking on the extra-point for a 21-14 lead with 5:15 to play.

“Our O-line worked hard all off-season and we knew they would do a great job on that drive,” said Zaukas. “Having so many guys that can run ball is a big advantage It keeps the defense off-balance. We feel like we’re always going to be fresh and energized going into the fourth quarter. We felt like they were a little tired and this was our one shot to take advantage of it.”

Dare gave the Crusaders one last chance, marching them to the Waldwick 37 with just over two minutes to play. But a Dragonetti sack followed by two incompletions stalled the drive and the Warriors were able to run out the clock.

Elmwood Park's Rutgers-bound QB Michael Dare threw for 225 yards.

Sean Billies and Kruis both had strong games on both sides of the ball for Waldwick/Midland Park (2-0). Billies anchored the offensive line along with having eight tackles and a sack. Kruis added 92 yards of offense, six tackles, two pass breakups, and averaged over 40 yards per punt.

Dare completed 19 of 37 passes for 225 yards for Elmwood Park (1-1). Violante battled through cramps all afternoon to have another solid all-purpose game. The senior accounted for both touchdowns and finishing with 175 yards of total offense (92 receiving, 65 rushing, and 17 passing). Ricketts finished with a career-best nine catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.

After winning two games on the road to start the season, the Warriors are excited to play in their home opener. They know now that they are no longer the plucky underdog that everyone is rooting for. Now they are the team that others are circling on their schedules.

“This is where we’ve wanted to be and now we’re here,” said Waldwick/Midland Park head coach Greg Gruzdis. “How you respond to that pressure shows what kind of character your team has. I always talk about how our conditioning is going to be the difference in close games and we pulled through today. We knew Elmwood Park was going to be a dangerous team and they could get a big play at any time. I thought we weathered the storm and kept our composure. To be a championship team, that’s what you have to do; weather the storm and stay calm until you can find your way.”

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