TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—The No. 1-seeded Westwood Regional High School Cardinals couldn’t overcome brisk winds and a determined No. 5 Malcolm X Shabazz High School Bulldogs team, losing 14-6 in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 2 semifinal on Friday, Nov. 8.
The Bulldogs struck first in the opening quarter when senior quarterback Romelo Tables connected with senior wide receiver Ian Adrien for a 15-yard touchdown. The Cardinals stopped their two-point conversion attempt, holding the score at 6-0. In the second quarter, Westwood’s defense stepped up, halting the Bulldogs on fourth down inside the 5-yard line.
With two seconds left in the half, senior kicker Sean Morrison put the Cardinals on the board with a 22-yard field goal, cutting Shabazz’s lead to 6-3.
The wind picked up significantly in the second half, forcing referees to hold the football steady between plays. Morrison battled the elements to tie the game with a 24-yard field goal at 6:57 in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs regained momentum later in the third quarter. Tables broke free on a 37-yard run down the sideline, dodging tackles to score. Shabazz converted their two-point attempt, widening the lead to 14-6.
Westwood mounted a final drive late in the fourth quarter, taking possession with 2:11 remaining. However, Morrison, playing quarterback, was sacked on fourth down at the Cardinals’ 35-yard line with 14 seconds left, sealing their fate.
After the game, Cardinals head coach Bobby Guy reflected, “I guess, when we get over this loss, we’ll look back and see we had a good season. All we want to do is win the last game we play, but it just didn’t happen this season.”
The Cardinals closed the season at 8-2, extending their streak of 30 years without a losing record. They earned their third straight Super Football Conference American Red Division title and the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Junior running back Steven Klein stood out this season, rushing for 1,122 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns.