As Unrelenting Knights Roar By Lakeland
By Bob Anthony
For sidelinechatter.com
NORTH CALDWELL- After an emotional overtime win over rival Caldwell a week ago, the West Essex Knights were looking to avoid a letdown heading into Friday night’s home tilt against Lakeland.
No letdown, no problem.
Junior QB Jake Long was 7-9 for 165 yards and 3TDs and the defense forced three turnovers to lead the Knights to a 40-7 win in a SFC crossover contest on a scenic Friday night at Raymond M. Travis Field.
The West Essex defense set the tone on the first series when senior LB Mikey Cerisano picked off a Lakeland pass and returned it to the Lancer 14. Two plays later, Long found Justin Perini for a 10-yard TD and the Knights were off and running, as they would score on each of their first five possessions.
After forcing a Lakeland punt on the next series, the Knights struck quickly. Facing a 3rd-and-5 from their 39, Long found Anthony Drago on an out pattern. The senior shook off one tackler, dodged another, and raced to the house for a 61-yard TD and it was 13-0 midway through the first quarter.
West Essex would get another short field when they foiled a fake punt at the Lakeland 26, and this time they needed four plays to reach the endzone. After a holding penalty, Drago rambled for 22 yards with an inside screen pass to move the ball to the 14. On 3rd-and-6 from the 10, Nicholas Sangillio took the ball on a jet sweep and found paydirt to make it 20-0 with 2:29 left in the first.
The Knights started another drive in Lakeland territory after forcing a punt, which was downed at the 47. This time, West Essex would have to overcome a pair of holding penalties. An 11-yard burst by Michael Lozito gave the Knights a first down at the 28. After the first penalty, Long found Perini for 11 yards and an 8-yard scamper by Max Garcia moved the ball to the 16 for a first down. The second penalty brought the ball back to the 26. Undaunted, Long found Drago (4 catches, 136 yards, 2 TD) over the middle for 22 yards and a first down at the 4. Two plays later, Lozito blasted in from inches out for a 27-0 lead.
Sangillo then recovered a Lakeland fumble in the final minute of the half and West Essex would finish things off with a bang. On the final play of the half, Long found Drago in the right corner of the endzone for a 29-yard score and a 33-0 halftime lead, ensuring a running clock in the second half.
After an opening night loss to Old Tappan in Week Zero, West Essex has reeled off three wins in a row, and could be a force in North, Group 3. A year ago, the Knights overcame a 2-3 start to reach the state championship game against Delsea. Last year, Lakeland shocked Caldwell in the sectional semifinal before falling to Bernards in the final.
West Essex travels to Nutley next week for a Saturday afternoon matchup while Lakeland entertains Dover on Friday night.
They said it:
“I love our defense but I have to give credit to the offensive line tonight and my receivers because they really made all the plays and I’m just here to support them.
“Me and Anthony are very close. I told him before the game we had a feeling we were gonna play great and it just happened. Playmakers make plays.
“We knew we had a tough week zero opponent against Old Tappan but we were confident we could come back and play great so we did just that at Wayne Hills and got the winning streak going.
West Essex QB Jake Long
“No letdown. We tried to make that a point of emphasis this week in practice not to have a trap game where we had a bunch of energy last game and not as much energy this game but we stayed focused and handled business.
“It’s awesome. Jake’s one of my best friends. It was interesting playing with his brother last year and it’s interesting playing with him. They throw the same but they have a different weight to them but they’re both great.
West Essex WR/DB Anthony Drago
“That’s a pretty good team over there that we made look less than they are and I give credit to our kids for playing hard.
“We wanted to make them throw the ball and we knew they’re a big time running team with the fullback and quarterback, and so you get any... Click here to read full article
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