No controversy this time as Westwood football topples Rutherford for sectional title
TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON – No doubt on this one.
Westwood quarterback Robbie Carcich threw three touchdown passes, all on fourth downs, as the Cardinals got by Rutherford, 20-7, Friday night in a battle of unbeaten teams for the North 1, Group 2 title.
Westwood (11-0) intercepted a pass on the second play of the game and jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and limited the Bulldogs offense.
“We just wanted to get a ring,” Carcich said. “We didn’t care how it was done.”
The same two teams met in the sectional final last year with Westwood winning 21-20 in a game decided on the final play, a disputed two-point try by Rutherford stopped at the goal line.
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What it means
Westwood will host Bernards (12-0) in the Group 2 state semifinals next Friday night. The Mountaineers beat Lakeland, 23-17 in overtime, in the North 2, Group 2 sectional final.
The Cardinals lost in the Group 2 semifinals last year to Caldwell.
“Last year ended the way we didn’t want it to, and our overall goal is to be the best team in Group 2, but we take it one week at a time, as boring as that sounds, that’s our mentality,” first-year Westwood coach Bobby Guy said. “We focus on our opponent, we don’t look ahead. We don’t look behind. Our guys did a tremendous job of preparing for this week.”
Rutherford won the NJIC title for a record third straight year and ends the season at 10-1.
Pleading the fourth
Steve Klein intercepted the first Rutherford pass of the game, but the Cardinals initially struggled to move the ball, facing a fourth-and-17 at their own 37-yard line. It was too far to kick a field goal, so Westwood went for it and Carcich launched a perfect pass to Joe Klein in the back of the end zone for the first score.
Later in the first quarter, the Cardinals faced a similar situation. Facing a fourth-and-7 at the Bulldogs' 25-yard line, Carcich connected with Thomas Bussanich for the score.
Those two scores were enough.
“It just happened to be this week, it was the Klein brothers, next week it could Bussanich, we have so many guys that we have trust in,” Carcich said. “That’s what happens when you have faith in every guy in red − or black in this case − to do their job Friday night, we will be one successful team.”
Carcich connected with Michael Rinaldi for a 5-yard TD pass late in the third quarter, also on fourth down, to make it 20-0.
I Spy
Rutherford kept Carcich in check running the ball, leaving their linebackers and standout Ryan Ward to watch him in the pocket.
“First play, I dropped back to pass and [Ward] wasn’t even rushing, he was giving me one of those death stares, like don’t come over here,” Carcich laughed. “He’s a great player, our defense did a great job shutting them down today. Rutherford is definitely the best team we played this year. We are just so happy to be on the winning side of this.”
Carcich’s longest run of the night went for 12 yards. He completed 18 of 28 passes for 217 yards.
They said it
“Coach Hard did me a favor and left me a really good football team,” said Guy, talking about former Cardinals coach Dennis Hard, who stepped down after last season. “I can’t thank him enough for all the mentorship he has given me. I was with him for nine years and I learned a lot. Its really all about toughness, play hard, play tough, play physical and those things still resonate."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Westwood NJ football topples Rutherford for sectional title
