By Andy Loigu

Going into Friday night’s football game at Lenape Valley, the Hackettstown Tigers were a considerable underdog, but just like the ant who wanted to move a rubber tree plant, they had high hopes.

The Tigers may have lost by a 22-20 score, falling to 1-3 on the season, but they gained something important that matters a lot, respect.

Playing inspired football, Hackettstown led 13-0 after Matt Guenther’s catch in the end zone finished a long scoring drive.

Lenape Valley, now 3-1, answered that score with some razzle dazzle. They gained 60 yards with a reverse and then scored from inside the five-yard line out of an unorthodox wildcat formation. That cut Hackettstown’s lead to 13-7 in the second period.

After the Tigers had to punt, Lenape Valley came charging at them again, running option plays from a spread formation. However, when they had fourth down and three yards to go, the Tigers’ defense broke up a pass and stopped them, getting the ball back on downs.

With Sam Burke getting tough yards moving the pile inside the tackles behind blocks from Tyler Carbajal, and quarterback Nick Patterson buying time and making good decisions on rollout plays against the pursuing Patriots, the Tigers controlled the ball and went into halftime with a 13-10 lead. Led by good games on defense by Gio Galacio and Aiden Durna, the Tigers had held the NFL style offense of the home side mostly in check.The comparison to the sport’s top level is appropriate because the Patriots showcased a variety of formations and systems and executed them with speed and precision. It took a phenomenal defensive effort by the Tigers to withstand what was being thrown their way.

Then, thanks to the preparation given by coach Mike Arakelian and his staff, the Tigers scored the first touchdown of the second half working mostly from a shotgun formation. mixing inside runs by Burke with passes in the flat to an open Ethan Campbell, who finished the drive scoring on a sweep. Now the score stood at 20-10, but Lenape Valley did not allow anymore scoring from that point on.

Using just about every scheme they may have had in their playbook, and perhaps drawing up a few gadget plays on the sidelines, Lenape Valley came back to take the lead for the first time with six minutes still remaining. In their final scoring drive, against a swarming Tigers defense, the home team ran plays from an old-school three-back T formation, and the old Vince Lombardi Packer Sweep with the center and guards pulling to create lanes for the ball carrier. They ran plays which could be described as student body right and student body left, to keep the chains moving and run down the clock.

They knew they were in a battle

Hackettstown knows it will be a tough team to beat the rest of this season.

Statistically, Hackettstown led in passing yards 88-40, while Lenape Valley’s Tanner Gaboda led all rushers with 146 yards. Burke gained 99 punishing yards on the ground for the tenacious Tigers and Ethan Campbell gained 63 yards catching passes.

On a cool Friday night at a field where the home team has a winning tradition going back several generations, the visiting Tigers stood tall in a classic game.

Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.