Hopewell Valley Pulls Away in Second Half, Spoils Montgomery Football Opener
Nicholas Mistretta
MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent
MONTGOMERY, NJ — Montgomery battled Hopewell Valley through a scoreless opening quarter Friday night, but the Bulldogs broke through before halftime and used a dominant third quarter to pull away for a 34-0 victory over the Cougars in Montgomery’s season and home opener at Cougar Stadium.
The loss dropped Montgomery to 0-1, while Hopewell Valley opened its season at 1-0.
Neither offense found the end zone in the first quarter, with the Cougars keeping the Bulldogs off the scoreboard through the opening 12 minutes.
Hopewell Valley finally broke through in the second quarter when quarterback Jeremy English connected with Ben Franco on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Alden Levy added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Running back Ethan Valenza then scored on a 15-yard run later in the quarter, sending the Bulldogs into halftime with a 14-0 advantage.
Valenza Breaks Game Open
The game turned decisively in the third quarter, when Valenza delivered two explosive touchdown runs.
He broke free for a 73-yard score to extend Hopewell Valley’s lead to 21-0 and later struck again from 63 yards out, pushing the margin to 28-0.
Valenza finished the night with a game-high 266 rushing yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns, providing the centerpiece of a Hopewell Valley ground attack that totaled 310 yards on 27 carries.
Austin Yasher completed the scoring with a 16-yard touchdown run later in the third quarter. The extra-point attempt failed, leaving the Bulldogs with their final 34-0 margin.
Hopewell Valley did not score in the fourth quarter.
Turnovers Slow Montgomery Offense
Montgomery found some success moving the ball but was unable to turn those possessions into points.
Quarterback Kyle Goldstein completed 6 of 18 passes for 46 yards, while Hopewell Valley intercepted three passes. The Cougars also lost two fumbles, giving Montgomery five turnovers on the night.
On the ground, Zach Mutton led the Cougars with 61 yards on 14 carries, including a 15-yard run. Samuel Sokoloff added 31 yards on nine carries.
In the passing game, Miles Dawson caught two passes for 19 yards, while Jack Finnegan finished with two receptions for 15 yards. Samuel Hawkins added a seven-yard reception and Mutton caught one pass for five yards.
Hopewell Valley’s defense came away with all three Montgomery interceptions, including two by Ben Franco and another by Gavin Barker.
Cougars Hold Bulldogs Scoreless in Two Quarters
Despite the final margin, Montgomery’s defense held Hopewell Valley without a point in both the first and fourth quarters.
Miles Dawson was credited with six solo tackles and two assisted tackles, while Zach Furey recorded three solo tackles and one assist. Roman Mondillo finished with two solo tackles and two assists.
David Tanious and Vincent Cefarello each recorded a tackle for loss.
Hopewell Valley relied overwhelmingly on its running game, finishing with just 33 passing yards. English completed three of seven passes for 26 yards and one touchdown, while John Rowe completed one of four attempts for seven yards.
Montgomery will now look to regroup from the opening-night loss as the Cougars turn their attention to the next game on their schedule.
The opener offered a difficult early test, with Hopewell Valley’s explosive rushing attack and Montgomery’s turnovers ultimately proving decisive after a competitive, scoreless first quarter.
Photo Credit: Nick Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomry.com