By Jim Hague
When high school football teams begin practice in earnest in the lazy, hazy days of August, they all have one goal, one idea, one predominant thought in mind – namely qualifying for the NJSIAA state playoffs.
Even after the state association extended the playoff brackets from four to eight teams a decade ago, earning a place in the state postseason playoffs has been extremely difficult.
Programs like Lyndhurst and Queen of Peace have been trying to get to the playoffs for quite some time now. Queen of Peace hasn’t appeared in the playoffs since 2005. Lyndhurst made its last appearance a year earlier.
But after wins over the weekend, both the Golden Bears and Golden Griffins are indeed golden. Lyndhurst’s thrilling 25-22 come-from-behind win over tough NJIC foe Hasbrouck Heights enabled the Golden Bears to improve to 6-1 and for all intents and purposes, they clinched a berth in the upcoming NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group I playoffs.
The Golden Bears won their third straight game by knocking off the Aviators in a game where they trailed, 22-10. The win gave Lyndhurst 85 power points, placing them fifth in the current standings.
If the Golden Bears defeat Manchester Regional this weekend, the Golden Bears could actually move into fourth place and earn a home game in the first round of the Group I state playoffs.
If the Bears somehow lose, they would need a host of different scenarios to happen, too many to count, list or fathom, to knock them out.
“I want to say that it’s more than likely that we’re in,” said Lyndhurst head coach Scott Rubinetti, who returned to his high school alma mater three years ago and now appears headed to the state playoffs, where he performed as a player for Lyndhurst.
“We’re all into it now and that helps you win games,” Rubinetti said. “We addressed a lot of issues and we’re a different team than we were last year and we’re even different than we were at the beginning of this year. It’s been a great turnaround.”
The Golden Bears have gradually improved in Rubinetti’s three seasons, going from 2-8 in 2009, 4-6 last year to 6-1 this season.
“It’s been a great thing to watch,” Rubinetti said. “And it’s also been the way we’ve won, coming from behind, overcoming injuries. The kids have learned to win games. I think we’ve all learned a lot about ourselves in this process. They endured some tough losses in the past and survived. We’ve learned personal lessons and team lessons along the way and remained focused.”
Once again, junior quarterback Danny Kesack had a phenomenal all-around game, leading the comeback. Kesack threw second half touchdown passes to Marcus Brandon and Jeremy Schaefer to bring the Golden Bears all the way back.
Kesack completed 12-of-17 passes for 216 yards and the two touchdowns. He also rushed for 110 yards and scored a touchdown on the ground. He also added a crucial two-point conversion run on the final touchdown and set up the last score by making an interception on defense, where he also had six tackles.
“There’s no doubt about it,” Rubinetti said. “Danny gives our team a double threat, both running and passing, and we are piecing everything around him. He’s really come into his own throwing the ball. We need a play and he makes the play.”
Thomas Hayes has also come up big for the Golden Bears. The defensive end now has nine sacks, 17 tackles for losses and three forced fumbles. Hayes has become a defensive demon for the Golden Bears.
Queen of Peace lost its first three games of the season and prospects of making the state playoffs looked bleak.
“We were the better team in two of those three losses, if not all three,” said QP head coach Steve Romano. “I asked, `What more could we do to get a win?’ But they just kept playing and made less and less mistakes.”
The Golden Griffins faced the crossroads of their entire season when they trailed Bogota at halftime of their fourth game. Another loss would have meant playing for pride alone.
“I clearly told them at halftime of the Bogota game that it was now or never,” Romano said. “They responded.”
The Golden Griffins have earned four straight victories, including Saturday night’s 38-16 win over Mastery Charter of Pennyslvania in a game held at Passaic Tech in Wayne. The win enabled the Golden Griffins to clinch a berth in the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 1 playoffs.
“We’re definitely in,” Romano said. “It’s a great thing for the school, for the kids and also on a personal level. I saw Mastery on film and wondered if we were in over our heads. But the kids were well-prepared and focused. It’s amazing how winning can do some amazing things. It makes everything better.”
Each week, the Golden Griffins seem to have a new hero and Saturday night, it was senior Brian Webster, who scored two touchdowns, one on a pass from Anthony Villano and the other on a fumble recovery.
“If there’s one kid I couldn’t be happier for, it’s Brian Webster,” Romano said. “That kid has been through a really rough road.”
Webster first attended Paterson Catholic and when that school closed, he headed to Paramus Catholic, but things didn’t go well there. So he transferred to Queen of Peace, but had to sit out four weeks at the beginning of this season.
“He basically hasn’t played in a year and a half,” Romano said. “He waited for his turn on the field and has done great things for us since he’s been able. If colleges saw him play, there would be a lot of interest in him. He’s playing linebacker, defensive end and wide receiver for us. He’s very diversified.”
Romano said that the Golden Griffins have to keep it up this weekend against Elmwood Park, which has yet to win a game this season.
“We have two regular season games left and the playoffs and we’re going with the approach that each one should be played like it’s our last game,” Romano said. “It’s important for us and for the school to have a winning season.”
Just like it’s important to get into the state playoffs, which both Lyndhurst and Queen of Peace have done for the first time in years.
