Eastside football hits big play to advance in postseason

CAMDEN – The instruction from the sideline sounded like a premonition.

“They're giving you another play to pick it off and take it to the crib,” the assistant coach yelled to his secondary.

Montel Anderson certainly was listening.

For an Eastside High School football team that has built a reputation on delivering clutch plays at big moments, the junior defensive back recorded his first career pick-6, returning the football 90 yards for a score.

The key defensive play also put the Tigers in a familiar position, a return trip to the sectional semifinals.

More: Football 2023: Check out all our content for the South Jersey high school season

Second-seeded Eastside dispatched Highland, 33-13, in the South Jersey Group 3 playoffs, earning the Tigers (6-3) a sixth consecutive trip to the semifinal round. They will host third-seeded Seneca (8-1) on Saturday.

“We expect to be here,” Anderson said about the trip to the next round. “At Eastside, and before that Woodrow Wilson, those teams set the standard that we’re trying to reach, but we want to take it even farther. We want to win that state championship.”

On an unseasonable warm late October afternoon, Eastside took a 13-7 lead, but watched Highland drive deep into Tiger territory late in the first half. With just seconds left, the Tartans took one last shot at cutting into the deficit.

Instead, Anderson made Highland pay with his pick-6 and, after receiving the second-half kickoff, the Tigers marched down to the field for another score and a commanding 25-7 lead.

Anderson said he saw plenty of blockers in front of him and after cutting back across the field to find even more space, there was only one thing left to do.

“I couldn’t wait to join my teammates in the end zone, there was going to be a party in there,” he said. “It was just a play I needed to make as a leader on this team.”

Eastside head coach Melik Brown said the play helped settle things down as the team was prepared to go into he intermission.

“We’re just trying to figure it out and not give up points in that situation. That pick-6, that turned it all around. It was a big pickup going into the half. Emotions were high, there’s a lot of things going on, but to get points right there, it just settled everything down."

Eastside had some frustrating penalties in the game, but the Tigers played with plenty of poise, something that Brown preached to his players.

“I always tell the kids, there will be ebbs and flows to the game,” he said. “There will be things that go against us and there will be things that go for us, but we have to maintain our composure and our shots are going to come.”

Game balls

Eastside quarterback Nazir Flack continued to show his development, completing 9-of-13 passes for 134 yards and a pair of scores.

The senior connected with William Love on a 30-yard TD throw off a fourth-down call and worked a 24-yard scoring strike to Scott Freeman as Eastside converted TDs on each of its first two possessions. Flack also ran for a third score, showing off a spin move on his way to the end zone.

“It was definitely exciting, my first playoff game and getting the win,” Flack said. “It shows the hard work and dedication that I’ve put into the game. There’s always room for improvement, but I’m just trying to get better every day.”

Brown certainly has been pleased with his first-year QB.

“His development has been awesome,” the head coach said. “Every week he’s getting better and understanding things a lot more. He’s able to slow things down. He’s also been able to put more attention into the preparation of his game.”

Senior Julius Dominguez put together a solid all-around game for the Tigers, but it was two plays on special teams that shined brightest.

Dominguez showed off some nifty moves as he returned a punt 70 yards to set up Eastside’s second touchdown.

In the third quarter, Dominguez, who punts for the Tigers, had a snap go over his head deep in his own territory. He never panicked and, despite three defenders charging hard at him, somehow managed to get the punt away, a kick that traveled over 40 yards.

“He’s a senior, he’s played a lot of football and we expect a lot from him,” Brown said about Dominguez. “He didn’t panic and he made a play when we needed him to.”

Highland’s Nehemiah Butler-Mayhew rushed 32 times for 92 yards and a touchdown. The Tartans took the opening kickoff and chewed up 7:30 off the clock with a 15-play scoring drive culminated by a touchdown pass from Connor Leary to Matt Tuttle. Butler-Mayhew ran 13 times on the opening drive.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Eastside football earns a berth in South Jersey Group 3 semifinal