On Friday, October 26, Colonia took home a huge win against Woodbridge High School with a score of 27-12. The Woodbridge vs. Colonia game has been the biggest rivalry of the season for years. Being that both schools are in the same district, the players are very familiar with each other which makes it just that more competitive going into their last game before the start of the playoff season.
In the first quarter, the Patriots started off strong, showing off what they’ve been preparing for throughout the football season. Quarterback, Eric Hamilton, threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver, Kenny Shinski. Shinski also caught a 65-yard touchdown, scoring the first of many for the Colonia Patriots. Shinski stated, “as the season continued, I patiently waited and showed it at the biggest game of the season against Woodbridge.”
In the beginning of the second quarter, running back, Matt Croteau had a 5-yard rushing touchdown. Croteau stated, “The line worked hard and gave me the chance to run and dive for the end zone.” The Patriots’ offensive included Antonio Alfano, Chris Sica, Mike Milevoi, C.J Miller, Will Orak, and Tejpal Randhawa. As the game continued, the line would get stronger and stronger. This would help the Patriots take a strong lead of 14-0 against the Barrons. Later in the quarter, Woodbridge scored their first touchdown of the night. It was a 21-yard pass from quarterback, Anthony Santino, to receiver, Kesean Glover, with only a minute left.
The third quarter started with the Patriots still in the lead with a score of 14-0. Running back, Justice Harris, ran for a 40-yard touchdown changing the game for both the Patriots and the Barrons. The Patriots had a strong lead, but Woodbridge continued to fight back. They scored another touchdown in the middle of the quarter. Santino and Glover connected again, this time on a 73-yard touchdown pass. This left the Patriots in the lead with a score of only 21-12.
However, the Patriots recovered and scored their fourth and final touchdown of the night. Hamilton ran for a 50-yard touchdown, putting Colonia even further in lead against Woodbridge with a final score of 27-12. Throughout the second half of the game, the Barrons fell short. They nearly scored, but the Patriot’s line refused to let anything through them. With three minutes remaining in the game, Woodbridge was moving towards the endzone when Desmond Carter and Chris Sica stopped them with a sack. There were ten sacks throughout the game, which put the Barrons in a position that made it even harder to potentially score a touchdown.
The Patriots defend their winning title yet again against their biggest rival, the Barrons. Shinski stated, “We have all grown into our roles on the team and worked day in and day out to perform our best.”
