RAHWAY, NJ — There are several different manners in which a football team can qualify for the playoffs in New Jersey.
Case in point: the Rahway Indians.
Last year, a really young varsity squad began the season promising at 3-1 and then lost its final five regular season games.
Still, Rahway High School was able to qualify out of North, Group 4 with a record of 3-6 that produced a high enough United Power Ranking.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association then placed the Indians in North 1, Group 4 as the eighth and final seed, going up against an 8-0 Ramapo High School squad full of recent state championships.
To no one’s surprise, Rahway was defeated, 42-7, thus ending 2023 at 3-7 and on a six-game losing streak.
“We played a lot of freshmen and sophomores last year who got a lot of reps,” Rahway head coach Brian Russo said. “We’re counting on that experience to help us this year.”
Russo has guided Rahway to a playoff berth every season he’s been at the helm of the Indians. Rahway twice made it with just three wins: 2015, his first year, and 2023, and twice with just four: 2021 and 2022.
Rahway even fashioned a fine 5-1 record in the 2020 COVID-shortened season, where there were no playoffs.
Russo’s best squad was his 2018 team that fell at Summit High School in the North 2, Group 3 sectional state championship game, 36-14, but then rebounded to win at Arthur L. Johnson High School, 34-13, on Thanksgiving to finish with a fine 10-2 final mark.
The last two years were season-ending playoff losses at schools that began with the letter R and by the same score of 42-7 on the road: 2022, Randolph High School, and 2023, Ramapo High School.
On the 40th anniversary of Rahway’s last sectional state championship team, the 1984 squad that captured North 2, Group 3 for the third time in the playoff era, the Indians don’t want to go out again the same way they did the past couple of seasons.
With a 4-1 record, Rahway was edged at home at Rahway River Park by Union County rival Cranford High School, 14-13, two weeks ago.
While Rahway has made the playoffs every year since 2015, Cranford has made the grade every year since 2011 and also had a pretty good record in 2020, finishing at 6-2.
What followed after Cranford for the Indians was a tough Watchung Hills Regional High School team on the road, one that was 5-1 and had only lost to Woodbridge High School, which is still undefeated at 7-0. Watchung Hills Regional won four straight since falling at Woodbridge by a field goal at 13-10.
No one scored in the first half. Watchung Hills Regional took a 3-0 lead heading into the final 12 minutes.
For Rahway to win the fourth quarter on the road against a quality opponent and win it enough to get out of there with a hard-fought victory says it all about the ways the Indians are maturing this year.
First came a 30-yard touchdown pass from junior Ziare Fields to Synceir Toussaint and the extra point by Anthony Lopez to give Rahway its first lead at 10-7. After Watchung Hills Regional took the lead back on a short rushing touchdown, Rahway struck again just before the final whistle when junior running back Andrew Avent scored on a seven-yard run. Lopez added his second extra point and then Rahway celebrated one of its best road wins in some time, a 14-10 triumph against a very good 5-1 Watchung Hills Regional squad that was on a four-game winning streak.
As a result, Rahway will not enter the playoffs in the same manner it did a year ago. The 5-2 Indians, presently No. 9 in the North, Group 4 rankings, can really boost their playoff positioning by closing the regular season with victories against New Brunswick High School (0-7) at home this weekend and at Montgomery High School (0-7) next.
Sparked by the running of Avent, who led all rushers with 76 yards on 16 carries and his one touchdown vs. Watchung Hills Regional, Rahway is projected to be 7-2 heading into the playoffs and could see a seed as high as No. 4 when North, Group 4 gets broken down into two eight-team sections: North 2, Group 4 and North 1, Group 4.
The only pass Fields threw was the one for the touchdown and Rahway’s first points. Also rushing for Rahway were sophomores Jaquan Robinson, 10-39; Allen Davorson, 3-31; and Jyvon Cooper, 5-22. Fields also carried the ball twice for five yards.
Robinson completed seven-of-15 passes for 77 yards, no touchdowns and, more importantly, no interceptions.
Excelling on defense for the Indians were Avent with nine total tackles, senior Donea Fish and senior Kevin Taylor with seven each, and freshman Jason Louis and sophomore Jaylen Eastman both with five.
Right now, Rahway is one of 10 teams from Union County that would be in the playoffs if the playoffs began this weekend. There are still two more weekends to go.
Rahway seems to be on the right track and this time could be a favorite at home when the playoffs commence, instead of a big underdog away from Rahway River Park.
Union County teams in the playoffs
at the moment with two weekends to go
North, Group 5: 8-Elizabeth (3-4), 14-Plainfield (4-2), 15-Linden (3-4).
North, Group 4: 9-Rahway (5-2), 15-Westfield (3-3).
North, Group 3: 8-Summit (4-2), 11-Cranford (4-2).
North, Group 1: 4-New Providence (5-2).
South, Group 2: 6-Arthur L. Johnson (5-1), 11-Hillside (4-3).
Photo by JR Parachini