Mountain Lakes, Madison rematch leads NJSIAA playoff weekend

Traditional rivals Madison and Mountain Lakes kicked off the high school season on Sept. 6. The two programs had dominated the NJSIAA North 2 Group II bracket for the last five years, with Madison winning three straight state sectional titles from 2010 through 2012, and Mountain Lakes claiming the same section the last two years.

Everything pointed toward the game being a Morris County classic. Instead, it turned into a lopsided rout, with the Dodgers stomping out the Herd’s 24-game win streak in demonstrative fashion, 33-6.

Now, head coach Darrell Fusco and Mountain Lakes get a chance to turn things around. The Herd will uncharacteristically take their state playoff routine on the road, traveling to Madison’s Ted Monica Stadium, for a reunion of sorts in the opening round of this year’s North 2 Group II playoffs Saturday at 1 p.m.

“We talked about playing Madison,” said Fusco, whose team owns a 6-3 record heading into the showdown. “They know us pretty good and we know them. There won’t be a lot of surprises taking place Going into a game like this, it’s more about where we’re at as a team. I thought we played well at points in the first game, but the concern was the matter of just falling apart at the end. That upset me more.”

Defensively, look for players like Jake Spagnola, Mike Aiello, Hunter Batesko and Jack Wyciskala to lead the way for the Herd.

Offensively, Herd quarterback Griffin Baker likes to spread the ball all over the field, to running backs Gottesman and Spagnola and receivers like Jimmy Schicke.

"This is going to be a different game because we’re a different team than when we played them," Fusco said. "We’ve changed some things around and we’re playing better. The first time, they beat us with big plays. They had six plays of 40 or more yards. You’re not beating anybody with those numbers. The big plays are certainly a focus for us. We also have to win the turnover battle.”

Madison head coach Chris Kubik knows that he doesn’t have to bring out Vince Lombardi records to motivate the Dodgers. The Herd does that well on its own.

“When you play Mountain Lakes three times over the last two years, you don’t need to give advice to anybody,” Kubik said. “I think offensively, they’ve been good all year. I expect it to be a typical, fast-paced game. You can’t play a team like this afraid to lose. These are the playoffs. It’s now do-or-die. We’re going to play our game. We’ve absolutely gotten better each week. It’s going to be a battle. We have to be able to run, throw, play Madison football.”

The Dodgers started off the season slowly. After downing the Herd, the Dodgers lost to Lenape Valley and Butler in consecutive weeks, then haven’t lost again since.

Kubik will also look to spread the ball all over the field, using quality backs like Joe Mobley, Zack Shupe, Dominick Luppino and the Dalena cousins, Mike and Justin, all over the field in different formations.

“We’re 100 percent ready to go,” Kubik said. “The tougher the opponent, the better it is. We’ve gotten better each week because the kids all believe in each other and trust each other. ... It’s the playoffs, the second season. Our goal is to win three straight. The kids are excited and ready to roll.”

Here’s a look at the other NJSIAA playoff games involving Morris County teams this weekend:

Saddle Brook (6-3) at Boonton (8-1), North 1 Group I: It’s the first home playoff game for the Bombers since 2003, so head coach Bryan Gallagher can savor it right until kickoff. Then QB Gage Cabalar and RB Quinn Sweeney take over. Saddle Brook lost last week to a Queen of Peace team that has limited kids and talent. Boonton should move on.

Westwood (6-3) at Pequannock (8-1), North 1 Group II: The Golden Panthers, led by QB Tommy Crooks and standout two-way lineman Jake Foukas in their first home state playoff game since 1989.

Indian Hills (7-2) at West Morris (7-2), North 1 Group IV: There’s a predominant thought in Morris County that the Wolfpack has such a tremendous home field advantage, with the fog, the mist, the green thick grass, everything. The Wolfpack also have an excellent ball control offense that will smother the Bergen County invaders.

Wayne Hills (7-2) at Roxbury (8-1), North 1 Group IV: This is not the same Wayne Hills that terrorized the state when Chris Olsen was the coach. He’s in North Carolina, babysitting his grandchildren.  Veteran coach Wayne Demikoff took over the Patriots this year, but they didn’t face a quarterback like Grant Dixon and his cast of capable offensive performers.

Caldwell (3-5) at Hanover Park (8-1), North 2 Group II: Everything was perfect for Hanover Park until last week, when Madison ending the undefeated run. The Hornets have talent in QB Donato Casolaro.

Chatham (7-2) at Barringer (8-0), North 2 Group III: Fresh off his 410-yard, four-touchdown performance last week, Alex Sands leads the Cougars to their first playoff appearance in five years. Facing the undefeated Blue Bears at Newark Schools Stadium makes the hope of advancing more perilous for the Cougars.

Bishop Eustace (5-3) at Delbarton (7-2), Non-Public Group 3: The Crusaders actually sat Luca Tria and Andrew Sanders last week and still managed to come away with a win over Poly Prep.

Wayne Valley (8-1) at Morris Knolls (7-2) North 1 Group IV: Wayne Valley, coached by former Dover head coach Roger Kotlarz, had exactly six days to get ready to face the Golden Eagles’ Veer option offense. Jayson Parisi is a workhorse back for the Eagles.