Breakthrough on the Gridiron: Montgomery Football Earns First Win as Girls Soccer Falls to Bridgewater-Raritan
Nicholas Mistretta
MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent
MONTGOMERY, NJ — It was a split result for Montgomery High School athletics, with the Cougar football team breaking into the win column with a 32-14 victory over Watchung Hills, while the girls soccer team saw its two-game winning streak come to an end in a 4-1 loss to Bridgewater-Raritan.
Harrigan, Mutton Power Cougars to First Football Win
After opening the season with two losses, Montgomery put together its most complete performance of the young campaign, defeating Watchung Hills 32-14 to improve to 1-2.
The teams played a scoreless first quarter before Montgomery’s ground game took over.
Senior Xavier Harrigan opened the scoring with a 39-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, giving the Cougars a 6-0 advantage. Watchung Hills answered on a 45-yard touchdown run by Evan Williams, but Montgomery regained the lead before halftime when Zach Mutton scored from five yards out and added the extra point.
The Cougars took a 13-6 lead into halftime and continued to build on it after the break.
Mutton opened the third-quarter scoring with a 23-yard field goal, and Harrigan followed with his second big-play touchdown of the night, breaking loose for a 47-yard scoring run to extend the lead to 22-6.
Montgomery continued to pull away in the fourth. Mutton scored his second rushing touchdown on a one-yard run and later connected on a 31-yard field goal, giving the Cougars a commanding 32-6 advantage.
Watchung Hills added a late touchdown and two-point conversion to account for the final margin.
Harrigan and Mutton formed a potent one-two combination on the ground. Harrigan carried eight times for 105 yards and two touchdowns, averaging better than 13 yards per attempt. Mutton added 104 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns, giving the pair 209 rushing yards and four scores. Montgomery finished with 187 net rushing yards as a team and added 69 yards through the air.
The win gives Montgomery its first victory of the season and sends the Cougars into their next contest with some much-needed momentum after an 0-2 start.
Bridgewater-Raritan Hands Girls Soccer Second Loss
On the soccer field, Montgomery ran into an unbeaten Bridgewater-Raritan squad that used two goals in each half to earn a 4-1 victory.
The loss dropped the Cougars to 2-2, while Bridgewater-Raritan improved to 2-0-2.
Bridgewater-Raritan struck twice in the opening half. Summer Winchock opened the scoring off an assist from Juliet Casamento before Arianna Pinto made it 2-0, with Winchock assisting on the second goal.
The Panthers extended the lead to 3-0 after halftime when Sofia Casamento scored off Juliet Casamento’s second assist of the match.
Montgomery answered through Emma Seamon, who found the net in the second half to cut the deficit to 3-1. Quinn Donahue recorded the assist.
Bridgewater-Raritan responded with the final goal of the match as Shiloh Leung scored with an assist from Sophia Koroneos to make it 4-1.
The Panthers held a 15-5 advantage in shots on goal, while Montgomery goalkeeper Ellie Andes finished with six saves.
Seamon’s goal continued her productive start to the season. She has now scored in each of Montgomery’s first four games, including a hat trick in the Cougars’ overtime victory over North Hunterdon.
The loss snapped a two-game Montgomery winning streak that included consecutive overtime victories over North Hunterdon and Phillipsburg.
For the Cougars, the day ultimately brought contrasting results: a difficult soccer setback against an unbeaten opponent, but a significant step forward on the football field as Montgomery broke through for its first win of the season.
Photo Credit: Nick Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomry.com