New Milford football absolutely crushed Hawthorne on October 9, taking a massive 47-14 victory, but in a gut punch nobody saw coming, they still missed out on the NJIC Championship playoffs. It’s a brutal way to end your championship hopes after putting up such a dominant performance on the field. Hasbrouck Heights will now represent the Meadowlands Division in the playoffs instead.
St. Hilaire Went Off, But It Wasn’t Enough
Senior Kobe St. Hilaire was an absolute monster out there, doing everything he could to power New Milford to a win. The dude ran for five touchdowns and blew past 400 yards rushing on the night. Seriously, what a performance! His 68-yard run in the first half helped put New Milford up 14-0 at halftime, and he added second-half scores from 52, 34, 50, and 31 yards out. His final TD gave New Milford that commanding 47-14 lead with 3:35 left, even triggering the mandatory running clock because of the huge margin. New Milford finished the regular season strong at 5-2, and even though they share the Meadowlands title, it just stings knowing they can’t chase the championship.
The Brutal Reality of the “Fewer Points” Tiebreaker
Here’s the kicker, the rule that made this win so agonizing. New Milford didn’t just need to win, they also had to hold Hawthorne to less than 10 points. That was a tall order against a Hawthorne team (3-3) with a quality offense that had already put up at least 16 points in each of its previous five games. Hawthorne scored both of their touchdowns in the second half, with Kenny Callaghan hitting Peter Williamson for a 9-yard TD pass early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 28-14. Ultimately, giving up 14 points meant New Milford lost that crucial “fewer points” tiebreaker. It’s a tough pill to swallow after playing your heart out like that.
It’s just an incredibly frustrating end to a season where New Milford clearly had the talent and the fight. You win big, you get a share of the division title, and still, you’re left on the outside looking in because of a tiebreaker rule. Sometimes sports just hit different, you know? It’s a hard lesson, but you know these guys will be back next season looking to rewrite the script and ensure there’s no doubt about their playoff spot.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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