Establishing a starting quarterback got thrown off course from the start for the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School football team. Once senior starting quarterback Jacob Handy was injured in the opener against Monroe, the Raiders had to juggle their offensive tactics, stuck almost exclusively to a running game and finished with a 3-7 record.
In their opener against Monroe, they were stung by the Ravens, 3130. The following week, the Rahway Indians rattled the Raiders, 34-7. A week later, the Raiders were all over New Brunswick in a 42-0 thrashing but a tough Hillside Comet squad handed them a 28-10 defeat. Next, the Raiders ran into a bumpy road in a 37-7 setback to the Carteret Ramblers.
The Raiders regrouped to corral the Iselin-Kennedy Mustangs, 30-7, for their second win of the season.
The Cranford Cougars were too much for the Raiders in 45-13 loss. A 24-13 win over Perth Amboy put the Raiders’ record at 3-5 but in their regularseason finale, the Summit Hilltoppers were all over them, 44-7. The post season consolation game was not much better in a 24-14 loss to the Governor Livingston Highlanders.
For the first seven games, the Raiders had minimal passing yardage with juniors Logan Weiss and Collum Fynes, who shifted from wide receiver, behind center. Weiss completed just one of six passes for six yards and Fynes completed three of 12 passes for 17 yards. Handy returned as the quarterback in the Perth Amboy game and finished the season completing seven of 19 passes for 177 yards, which included 137 yards against the Summit Hilltoppers.
Fynes finished with three receptions for 145 yards. Senior Matteo Barcellona had four receptions for 19 yards, senior Jaden Richards had three for 31 yards and sophomore Jayden Sanders had a six-yard reception.
But the running game was the Raiders’ bread and butter and Richards ate up 905 yards, including eight touchdowns (TD), on 133 carries. Senior TJ Rasberry carried 70 times for 452 yards and five TDs. Fynes carried 15 times for 112 yards and three TDs. Sophomore Jaliyah Richards carried 14 times for 148 yards, which included a 70-yard TD against Cranford.
On short yardage situations, senior John Boyle carried 29 times for 113 yards, including two TDs. Senior Zacharie Desrosier carried 26 times for 193 yards, including a TD against Cranford. Handy carried 16 times for 80 yards, including three TDs. Barcellona carried 18 times for 186 yards, including a TD.
Defensively, Fynes recorded 70 tackles including three throws for losses (TFL), two forced fumbles and an interception. Junior lineman Tom Dowling had 48 tackles (8 TFLs) and a fumble recovery. Junior Paul Boyle went big with 34 tackles (3 sacks, 7 TFLs), two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. Barcellona recorded 31 tackles (2 sacks, TFL), two forced fumbles and three interceptions. John Boyle had 32 tackles (2 sacks, 4 TFL). Senior Ben Filler had 29 tackles (TFL) and an interception. Rasberry had 22 tackles (sack, 3 TFL), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Senior Xavier Vega recorded 20 tackles and two interceptions. Sophomore Nick Marranca had 22 tackles (2 sacks, 5 TFL) and a fumble recovery. Co-captain Jeremiah Mundle had 16 tackles and three sacks. Senior Derek Vazquez had 19 tackles (7 TFL) and a forced fumble. Senior Chris Harris had 16 tackles and a fumble recovery. Desrosier had 15 tackles (TFL) and a fumble recovery. Senior Antonio Diaco had 20 tackles (TFL) and a forced fumble.
For the special teams, sophomore Andrew Lourenco nailed 11 of 12 points after and was 1-for-1 in field goals. Sophomore Jackson Murphy was 1-for-1 in field goals and freshman Colby Martin hit five of six PATs. Fynes, Filler, Handy and Rasberry all had a two-point conversion.
In the game against Monroe, Rasberry ran for 152 yards and a pair of TDs, and Richards had 122 yards and a TD. Richards ran for 108 yards and a TD against Rahway. In the rout of New Brunswick, Richards had 191 yards and two TDs, and Rasberry had two TDs. Fynes had a TD and Lourenco kicked a field goal against Hillside. Richards had a TD against Carteret.
In the win over JFK-Iselin, Fynes had two TDs, Richards had 159 yards and a TD, and John Boyle had a TD. Against Perth Amboy, Richards had 134 yards and a TD, Handy had a TD and Rasberry had 100 yards and a TD. Handy had his 137-yard passing game against Summit and Barcellona ran for a TD. In the final game against Governor Livingston, Richards and Handy each had a TD.
The Raiders experimented with a number of personnel changes this season, which could work out well for next year.
