Nutley makes NJSIAA state playoffs; Harrison earns first victory
By Jim Hague
Observer Sports Writer
There is good news to report this week for two local high school football teams.
First, Nutley defeated Weequahic, 28-18, to improve to 6-2 on the season. It was the Maroon Raiders’ third straight victory.
More importantly, the Maroon Raiders have qualified for the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group IV state playoffs, the first state playoff appearance since 2011.
“It is very rewarding,” Nutley head coach Tom Basile said. “The kids were excited. The locker room was electric. It was like a weight was lifted off their shoulders.”
Basile said that he always believed that the Maroon Raiders were going to have a successful season.
“I absolutely felt that this team was going to be special,” Basile said. “The expectations were pretty high. This is a group that has been together for three years. The last three weeks, we were in do-or-die situations and we won all three. Having three and four-year players really is paying off. We tried to build this program for the last three years.”
Harrison is another local team that enjoyed success over the weekend, but it wasn’t in the same proportion as Nutley. The Blue Tide won for the first time in 2014, defeating Hawthorne, 27-26, giving Harrison its first win of the season.
“When you’re having a season like we’re having, a lot of kids would have thrown in the towel,” said Harrison head coach Matt Gallo, whose team improved to 1-7. “The commitment of the kids has been consistent. They have been working so hard for that first win and they finally got it.”
The Blue Tide actually trailed Hawthorne, 20-0, in the first half and later trailed 26-14 before making the dramatic comeback.
Quarterback Mike O’Donnell was the Harrison standout, rushing for 155 yards on 10 carries and scoring both fourth quarter touchdowns that gave the Blue Tide the win. Sophomore O’Donnell also completed three passes, including a 55-yard touchdown to Jason Sheppard, for 80 yards.
“Trailing 20-0 and being able to come back is a testament to the character of this team,” Gallo said. “They were not giving up on the season. They fought hard in the fourth quarter, regardless of what the score was.”
Gallo was impressed with the way O’Donnell played down the stetch.
“He just took over in the fourth quarter,” Gallo said. “He was the guy who was not going to lose that game. He did everything he could to make sure we were not going to lose. He was throwing and running like he’s an upperclassman. We know we have a very young team, but Mike has been phenomenal. The mission has been to improve every year. We have a bunch of young players who are going to get better.”
Jerry Rodriguez also had a big fumble recovery for the Blue Tide. He’s another sophomore.
“After a while, as the season goes by and you’re playing without a win, it’s easy to get discouraged,” Gallo said. “But nothing has been compromised. Our practice structure has been the same way every week. They’ve all stayed the course.”
The Maroon Raiders once again got a huge performance from junior running back Craig Merkle, who rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns. He also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season with his performance.
Pete Russo had a big game, collecting two huge receptions as well his fifth interception on defense.
Rob Melillo was solid at quarterback, completing five passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.
“Offensively, when people focus on Craig, it opens up things for everyone else,” Basile said. “Craig makes everyone else around him better. Rob was our JV (junior varsity) quarterback the last two years and he works so hard at it. He’s gone to the (Peyton and Eli) Manning camp to get better. He knows the offense and knows it well.”
Frank Malanga made 19 tackles on defense, including an interception. Andrew Aiello also had an interception.
“Russo has hands of gold and is always making big catches,” Basile said. “Malanga is always around the football every play”
Needless to say, it was a solid team effort.
The win also put Nutley in position this weekend to play for a Super Essex Conference- Liberty Division championship against Caldwell.
“We talked to the kids about what they had to play for,” Basile said. “We asked them to imagine what it would be like to play Caldwell in a game that didn’t matter and then play in a consolation game instead of the state playoffs. They definitely responded. They all chose to play playoff football. There’s nothing like that atmosphere of a state playoff game.”
So both local teams head to their respective practices this week with something to play for.
“It’s very exciting,” Basile said. “We’re now preparing for the big games ahead.”
After facing Caldwell for the SEC-Liberty crown, the Maroon Raiders appear headed to face No. 3 seed Paramus in the first round of the state playoffs in two weeks.
“We’ve waited 10 weeks for the chance to play these big games,” Basile said. “Now, it’s here. We were talking about it. Now it’s here in front of us.”
Let the big games begin.
