Mendham - Morris Hills Debate

The Showdown -- Morris Hills at Mendham

A point -- counter-point debate between two of Morris County's HS Sports Media specialists who are quite familiar with each team.

The newly made “Match Up Of the Year” is here in the Iron Hills Conference! The 6-1 Morris Hills Scarlet Knights travel to the south west in Morris to face the 6-1 Mendham Minutemen. The Conference Championship is up for grabs between these two teams and the also 6-1 West Essex Scarlet Knights who are facing a ravenous Par Hills team (who was handed a loss by Mendham last week).So with that said two of Morris County HS sports people go at it in a show down of predictions of who will come out victorious. MCHSS.net's football specialaist and ’90 Morris Hills grad, The Coach weighs in against Iron Hills Sports, and Mendham football fan Unruly Jets Fan. Who will win? Let's here what these two biased srumpy ole men have to say.

From the desk of The Coach: So it’s time. I’m picking Morris Hills ala Dave Blezow! I still say that Chris Shaw had no clue when he picked against The Scarlet Knights in ’89, but unlike Blezow … my prediction will hold! (* I know some of you have no idea what I am talking about! *) And for the record, I want to apologize to Ms. Carboy – It’s not her fault I am such a poor writer... that honor belongs to Kevin Rosenberg who kept me distracted with the top 5 list’s we used to do in that class … How was I to learn!?

Here’s why the Scarlet Knights will win:

• They are flashy and aggressive. Coach Sabo and the Knights have a ton of weapons and now that Justin Doniloski is back, the Hills’ offense is back to form. This opens the field up for Dan Kellner and gives the consistent senior throwing lanes. Colin Be will be free’d up as Mendham is forced not only to key on Doniloski, but also respect the pass. I was at Jefferson when Mendham and Jefferson scrimmaged and I know want a multiple offense can do to Mendham’s Defense.
• Mendham is very straight forward, hard working and “this is what we do and we so it well.” They’re like Rocky and Hills is Apollo Creed! Do you not remember the silk star-spangled jumpers … come on that’s at least 3 points for Morris Hills.
  Morris Hills really controlled Par Hills for all but one or two drives, Mendham was controlled by Par Hills in the 1st half, but then refocused in the second (a job well done by the way – don’t think I’ve said). So 48 minutes of football is a must and you can bet that Morris Hills will be focused here for all 48.
• Sure it’s Homecoming, Senior Day, Bring your kid to the game day, Let’s get Turf day and about 6 other “days” at Mendham this Saturday … Do you not know Coach Sabo, you give time an extended halftime and he may just translate the Wing-T textbook into Mongolian … not only that each kid will be able to recite it backwards. Do not give him an extended halftime!
• I was at the Mendham-WMC MCT Volleyball game and about 20 football players came to support the volleyball team after their big win over Par Hills. The problem was that a few of them had the same clothes they wore under their uniforms … great kids, fun to sit by, but a little stinky.
• Coach Sabo has been saving the “Mike Tice Special” for years and this game maybe the time. Sorry, but only a select few know that play.
• If Ben Guyre is not announcing the game, Mendham does not stand a chance. You had no idea that these little things impact a game … did you?
• Chatham had Mendam beat ... oh wait Chatham had Morris Hills beat ... just ask any Chatham fan ... strach this one!
• If it comes down to it, Morris Hills has a sophomore kicker that is pretty darn good. A field goal maybe just what Dr. Sabo ordered.
• Final Score: Morris Hills 17, Mendham 14.

The Unruly Jets Fan, a Mendham Sports beat writer and founder of the IHC blog, is all over the Minutemen:

First off, I would like to thank The Coach for all his insight and banter about this game. The Minutemen are looking forward to this game as much as anyone. In fact, the team considers this as a nice warm up for the playoffs. I heard Coach Kirk will actually play his starters for the first half just to keep them in football shape for the upcoming games that actually mean something. And he also promised that he will not run up the score with his second stringers, although sometimes they cannot help it.Of course I am just kidding, and Coach Kirk didn’t actually say that. And The Coach does make some very valid points. But I think this is a severely under rated Mendham team. The Daily Record’s Joe Hofman is giving Mendham no respect in the press, probably because they are a young team. But, although they are young, the their depth is one of their biggest assets.

Here are some of the things that needed to be considered about this Minutemen team:

• They are flashy and aggressive. But in a New England Patriots kind of way. Quarterback Colin Schermerhorn is very Tom Brady like. He is very cool and makes very few mistakes.
• Secondly, look at Mendham's mascot at the top of this blog. He just looks like he is going to rip the Scarlet Knights mask off. Your mascot looks like he is affraid to get dirty.
• Coach Kirk. He is very much like Belechick (without the mad scientist persona). He has been the understudy of Carplunk (Parcells) for years and has a lot of post season experience. Including take the team to the playoffs his first year as the head man. He is also gutsy calling an early season fake FG against Summit and going for two this weekend against Par Hills.
• Mendham does what they do well. They may not be the most multi dimensional but they don’t need to be. They run the ball very well. The fullback Joe Riposta is big at 6’ and 195 lbs and actually has faster in the open field than the halfback Mike Salerno. But Salerno actually carriers much of the work load, grinding out most of the hard to get yardage. He is one of the best second effort backs I have seen in at the HS level in a long time.
• The Coach made a good analogy of liking Mendham to Rocky and MoHills like Apollo. Mendham is not flashy, but tough and gritty (and apparently smelly) and MoHills definaly has a lot of flare and fanfare. But do I need to remind The Coach who won in the Rocky movie?
• What is this with the “Mike Tice Play”? Mendham has a trick play too. It is called the “Run Riposta and Salerno down your throat all day” play.
  The last time I looked at the Mendham roster announcer Ben Guyre was not on it. Hey, Mendham likes when he calls their games. He’s great. He gets all the names right (even though he called Colin Schermerhorn Coleen last week). But Guyre doesn’t put the pads on. Hearing some Mendham father say, “Puglisi gets his 4th sack of the game!” will sound just as sweet as hearing Guyre say it!
• Kicking: The Coach has me there. But kick returning is a much different story. Mendham has a little known secret that returns the kicks. I don’t want to give his name away because I don’t want MoHills to kick away from him. But Val Halla knows exactly who I am talking about.
• And the number one reason Mendham will win this game? Mendham’s defense. This group is seriously getting better each week. They have held opponents to an average of 11 points per game. This is more than enough points to let Mendham’s offense win games. Their front four creates opportunities for LB’s Riposta, Byrne and Mindnich to reek havoc. Sheridan, Puglisi and Cutalo really do a great job of covering and tackling. And the biggest defensive stud is Anthony Santomo who is a linebacker who plays safety. This guy ended up with 21 total tackles last week vs. Par Hills. He is literally in on every tackle and has 4-5 picks to boot.
• Final Score: Mendham 25, Morris Hills 17

The Coach responds -- I need to answer a few of these arguments:

• Mendham is consistent, steady and determined, but not flashy .. Coach Panfile, maybe flasht, but not the football team.
• Every year Morris Hills hosts jelly wrestling. MCHSS.net will sponsor a grudge match between the Scarlet Knight and the Minuteman from Mendham. Only catch – Brett Raimondo cannot be in the Minuteman costume!
  
• Salerno & Raposta are both very good, but wait till you see the ton of athletes that Hills has coming out of their backfield. Also, Hayek is the only back to run all over Mo. Hills, sorry, they’re good, but Hayek was a man amongst boys that night.
• I guess I only remember Rocky II …\
• Can’t tell you about the “Mike Tice Play” … then it would not be a surprise!
• Guyre’s the man … MCHSS.net already named him 1^st team all-state! Although the guy last year did buy me hot chocolate!! That’s a good man. I actually had the flu, I was all sorts of beat up. After the game, I made that left going back towards Randolph (in the center of Mendham). I was behind the busses, the light was changing and I, like an idiot continued on – with Mendham’s finest sitting right there. Of course I got a ticket. The cop was very nice, but could not find it in his heart to let a sickly statistician go with a warning. So, yeah, go Morris Hills!