Liners-Warriors

Congratulations to Franklin's Warriors, who ended Phillipsburg's 30 game winning streak against Skyland Conference opponents that dated back to 2002. (P'Burg beat North Hunterdon twice last year in the league and in the North 2, Group IV playoffs).

Franklin won 24-17 in double overtime. I wouldn't classify this as a "classic" game. But you think the Warriors care?

Franklin won it with big plays and a very workmanlike second overtime that resulted in their milestone victory. The Warriors are 2-0.

Senior Brian Thompson was the Warriors' star of the game. Of the 15 plays in overtime, Thompson ran the ball 11 times and caught a pass for six yards on another. Thompson scored what turned out to be the game winning TD from two yards out.

Phillipsburg, which had the ball first in the first overtime, was then stopped cold in its second try. Senior quarterback Mike Crossley threw an incompletion before Enrique Rios and Ronald Macauley dropped Crossley for losses on consecutive plays before Crossley was intercepted by Ike Onyejiaka on the last play of the game. Onyejiaka also picked off a pass in the end zone after Phillipsburg had set up with a first-and-10 from the Franklin 28 on the first series of the game.

Couple of thoughts on the game.

I was excited about it -- yes, I admit -- I had an outburst in the wonderful P'Burg pressbox as I pointed out how Franklin makes big plays. Senior defensive back Richard Hemingway took Alex Toma's blocked field goal attempt 80 yards to the house with 11 seconds left in the half to give Franklin a 14-6 lead.

I thought that was it -- but to P'Burg's credit the Liners rallied

Franklin was stunned right from the gate when Phillipsburg lined up with three wide receivers and receiver Jack Buckley split just behind on the first play of the game. Crossley laterelled to Buckley who then threw a pass to a wide open Crossley for a 20 yard gain. Some P'Burg fans felt Crossley should have scored. But Franklin's secondary was able to pull him down.

Franklin led 14-6 at the half, but consider: Phillipsburg had 36 plays in the first half. Franklin had 17. Phillipsburg had 11 first downs; Franklin 3.

A 63-yard pass from Crossley to Buckley set Phillipsburg up at the Franklin 4 late in the fourth. Franklin stopped Eric Deery for a 2-yard gain, Jimmy Ray Ragland then dropped Deery for a two yard loss before the Warriors recovered a fumble, then waited for for overtime.