Wayne Valley wins, sets sights on Met Life by Darren Cooper of The Record
WAYNE – One half of the Battle of Wayne is set.
Wayne Valley punched its ticket Friday night to MetLife Stadium, downing Randolph, 43-24, in the North 1, Group 4 state semifinals by forcing seven turnovers and getting five touchdown passes from senior quarterback Grant Ferrauilo.
The contest was marred by a fourth-quarter fight after a kickoff that resulted in players from both sides ejected. Both teams were flagged over a dozen times and the referees prevented the teams from shaking hands at the final whistle.
That incident did little to dampen the enthusiasm on the Wayne Valley sideline and talk of the obvious story line. Wayne Valley awaits the winner of today’s Wayne Hills/West Morris contest in next Sunday night’s sectional final. And there is no doubt who they would like to see on the opposing sideline.
That would be the Patriots, who have won eight sectional titles since Wayne Valley last won in 1991, including beating the Indians 27-7 in the 2007 sectional final. The Patriots cast a large shadow over the town, and especially over the Indians.
Wayne is a passionate sports town, and that’s a good thing. But the rivalry between the schools runs hot. It added an extra chapter in the past month as Wayne Hills was briefly ruled out of the state playoffs for using ineligible players, only to win its way back in on appeal to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Ask a Wayne Hills supporter and they would probably tell you the root of those allegations came from the other side of town – the side that wears navy blue.
That story has lingered over North Jersey and Wayne and caused the NJSIAA to push back the North 1, Group 4 playoffs a week. That meant that Wayne Valley had the entire New Jersey high school football audience to itself Friday. And the game had a rather odd post-Thanksgiving vibe. Like them or not, Thanksgiving Day games don’t usually have significant meaning when it comes to who won. This game was important, but it almost seemed like both teams were trying too hard and play eventually grew chippy, especially as the Indians built their lead.
The Indians were at times brilliant, Ferrauilo avoided pressure in the backfield and has a contingent of wide receivers led by Joe Scancarella and Jordan Montero to connect with. Running back Nick Gould is quick and does not go down easily. The final score was not indicative of the play, the Indians led 36-3 midway through the third quarter and had subs in for a while in the fourth.
There are also times where it looks like the Indians can’t get out of their own way. Pre-snap penalties and a missed extra point almost cost them against the Rams.
It seemed even before the the eligibility matter happened that Wayne Hills and Wayne Valley were destined to meet again at MetLife Stadium in the final. Randolph cleared perhaps the biggest obstacle when it upset second-seeded Irvington in the first round.
If it should win today, Wayne Hills will be the clear favorite. It has the most talent of any team in the section, and maybe of any public school team in North Jersey. But of all teams for it to face, Wayne Valley will certainly not be intimidated. Familiarity breeds contempt (in this case), but it also produces respect. The Indians will look across the line and see their neighbors and a lot of players it knows intimately. There will be no secrets.
When the teams met at the end of the regular season, Wayne Valley gave the Patriots one of its toughest tests, before losing 25-24 on a late touchdown pass. The Indians gambled a lot in that game, scoring three touchdowns on fourth down plays. That was what Indians coach Roger Kotlarz and company felt they probably needed to do to keep it close.
Coming at 7 p.m. Dec. 4, this Battle of Wayne will be the last game of the New Jersey high school football season, but the rivalry in the town is never-ending.