SUMMIT – The Summit football team, which concluded last year with a rare back-to-back losses sequence at Tatlock Field to finish 6-4, was anything but beatable in Saturday’s home-opener.
The Hilltoppers, who return nine starters on offense and seven on defense, defeated visiting Warren Hills 45-8 in Mid-State 36 Conference-Raritan Division play.
Summit, which improved to 2-0, blocked a punt for its first touchdown and then went on to lead Warren Hills 30-0 before the Blue Streaks scored late in the second quarter to make the score 30-8 at intermission.
Summit was led on the ground in the first half by 6-foot-2 senior running backs Max Jackson and Jackson Tyler, two of Summit’s captains. Jackson had 61 yards on 12 carries and one TD, while Tyler gained 25 on four and had one touchdown reception.
Summit almost blocked the first Warren Hills punt. After the Hilltoppers saw their first drive halted on an incomplete pass in the left corner of the end zone, Summit came right back and stuffed Warren Hills (0-3) again on a second straight three-and-out.
This time the Hilltoppers got to the Warren Hills punter. Matty Goldblatt cleanly blocked the punt, with sophomore Austin Groce picking it up and running the ball in from five yards away. A pass from senior quarterback Skylar Schluter to Tyler put Summit up 8-0.
Summit scored again on its next possession, with Schluter throwing the ball over the middle to Tyler, who then ran right for a 34-yard touchdown reception. Jackson ran in the conversion to give Summit a 16-0 advantage.
Tyler had a 30-yard touchdown run on Summit’s first possession wiped away because of a Hilltopper holding penalty.
Summit increased its lead to 22-0 in the second quarter when on fourth-and-20 from the Warren Hills 33 Schluter threw a perfect over-the-shoulder pass to senior Tyrone Hines, who caught the ball at the one – beating single coverage – and then reached the left corner of the end zone. The ensuing two-point pass failed.
Summit made it 30-0 on its next possession when Jackson scored from the one. Tyler ran in the two-point conversion.
Warren Hills scored on its final possession of the second quarter. On fourth-and-five from the Summit 41 senior quarterback Garrett Koch hit senior running back Zach Hamilton open on the left side. Hamilton then found room down the sideline enough to reach the end zone for his team’s first points. Koch ran right and into the end zone for two more points to make the score 30-8.
Summit got the ball back for one more possession – reaching its own 46 – but consecutive holding penalties forced the Hilltoppers to take a knee.
Summit outscored Warren Hills 15-0 in the second half.