By: Darren Cooper / Local Sports Columnist, @VarsityAces
EMERSON – The cold and Frank Negrini were unrelenting.
Negrini, the Pompton Lakes junior running back, ran for a career-high 294 yards and four touchdowns to lift the sixth-seeded Cardinals over Emerson, 34-19, on a frigid Friday night.
“I figured, I don’t really want to get hit, it’s cold, and they don’t want to tackle me because it’s cold,” said Negrini. “So I figured just keep running right through them, they’ll want it less than me.”
“He’s been carrying us all year and when you get down to crunch time, you have to get the ball in your best player’s hand and we did,” coach Scott Mahoney said. “The wind and the cold took away some of the passing. You couldn’t get a grip on the ball. We have a big line and we moved the ball.”
The chill made passing the ball difficult to grip and control, so both teams relied on their power running games, but in the second half it was Negrini and Pompton Lakes that took control.
After being tied at 13 at the break, the Cardinals got a great 50-yard punt from Negrini that pinned the Cavos back at their own 3. Emerson would eventually punt, and hand the Cardinals great field position at their 36. Negrini needed just two plays to hit the end zone and give the Cardinals the lead for good.
“I feel that we break down the defense with our offensive line,” said Negrini. “They just take over. They open up the holes. I follow them.”
Negrini would add a 14-yard run in the fourth quarter to make it 27-13 and a two-yard run with under two minutes left to make it 34-13.
The Cardinals advance to the North 1, Group 1 semifinals where they will face Wallington. The Panthers held off a challenge from Wallington to advance.
“They have some speed on the outside,” said Mahoney. “You have to play good football. The good thing is we learned from last year and we learned from tonight and we’re getting our experience.”
Coming back stronger: Two weeks ago Pompton Lakes lost a big lead and succumbed to Manchester, 28-26. That seemed to serve as a wake-up call for the Cardinals, who have responded with wins over Waldwic/Midland Park and now Emerson.
“We had a great first quarter and then my kids said, ‘oh, we got this one,’” said Mahoney. “Manchester is a good team and they kept plugging along and next thing you know we are in a dogfight. It was what it was.”
Key play: It’s not often you say a punt was a decisive play, but in this case, it may have been. Emerson had just stopped Pompton Lakes at midfield with the score tied at 13 when Negrini launched a 50-yard punt that rolled out of bounds at the three. Emerson eventually would punt and the Cardinals would take the lead for good.
Red, white and blue: Pompton Lakes was sporting special red, white and blue Cardinal decals on their helmets. Mahoney said the team would continue to wear them for the playoffs.
