Westwood football dispatches Bernards, punches ticket to Group 2 state championship game
TWP. OF WASHINGTON − The shootout never materialized, but the shutout stayed intact.
Westwood advanced to the NJSIAA Group 2 football final with Friday’s 17-0 victory over Bernards. The teams went in averaging 35.1 and 38.4 points per game, respectively, but traded punts until midway through the second quarter.
That's when senior Tommy Bussanich caught a 32-yard pass from Robbie Carcich to get the Cardinals (12-0) going on a drive that ended with Sean Morrison's 22-yard field goal.
"We were just waiting for a big play," Bussanich said. "It didn't happen for a quarter-and-a-half, but when we called that play, I just knew I had to make it happen."
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Carcich then threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Joe Klein with 15 seconds left in the first half, and that was more than enough for the Westwood defense.
The Cardinals (12-0) preserved their fifth shutout of the season by stopping Bernards at the 1-yard line as time expired.
What it means
Westwood will face Rumson-Fair Haven in the final on Nov. 27 at Rutgers' SHI Stadium.
In the 2022 Group 2 semis, played at Franklin High School in Somerset County, the Cardinals fell to Caldwell in coach Dennis Hard's final game. This year, with semifinal sites based on United Power Rankings, that allowed Westwood to host and gain an edge.
"That played into our hand, definitely," first-year coach Bob Guy said. "Bernards is a great program, they had an incredible season. We definitely made enough plays [Friday] to win, so it was a great job by all facets of our team."
The Mountaineers finished their winningest season in school history at 12-1.
Key stops
Bernards junior Max Austin ended Westwood's opening drive of the second half with an interception, but the home team responded by forcing a three-and-out.
The Mountaineers then drove into Westwood territory late in the third quarter, but on fourth-and-1 from the 30-yard line, nose tackle RJ Ussher led the charge to stack up QB Connor Laverty for no gain.
After sophomore Steve Klein padded the lead to 17 with a 2-yard TD run – which capped a 14-play, 70-yard drive – Bussanich dove on a bad snap to short-circuit Bernards' next drive and keep things out of reach.
"A shutout in the semifinals is a remarkable thing to do," Guy said. "But again, just a full team effort for sure."
Game balls
► The Carcich twins both made an impact: QB Robbie completed 6-of-10 passes for 65 yards and ran 13 times for 35 yards, while two-way lineman Mike made nine tackles on defense.
► Westwood's Aidan Dugan rushed 16 times for 95 yards to lead all ballcarriers.
► The lefty Laverty completed 13 of 20 passes for 122 yards, and ran 11 times for 41 yards, while Terrence Hanratty led the Bernards defense with nine tackles and a sack.
They said it
"There's a lot of work to be done. We're going to watch film [Saturday], celebrate this one on the weekend, and then it's back to work. It's pretty cool how Westwood's going to a stage [where] it's never been before. It's very exciting for us." − Steve Klein
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Westwood NJ football punches ticket to Group 2 state championship game
