Governor Livingston has won three of its last four games after beating Iselin Kennedy 49-12 on Saturday, Sept. 19, then shutting out Lyndhurst 38-0 on Thursday, Sept. 24.
The Highlanders sit at 3-2 and are chasing a South, Group 2 playoff berth with three straight home games ahead.
Against Kennedy at Frey Field in Berkeley Heights, GL fell behind 6-0 after the Mustangs recovered an onside kick on the opening kickoff and scored on a 34-yard pass play. The Highlanders answered with six unanswered touchdowns before halftime, triggering a running clock for the entire second half.
Junior wide receiver Connor Jackubowski scored first for GL on a two-yard run, then hauled in a 54-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Colin Hughes. Junior running back Elijah Garcia rushed for more than 100 yards and scored twice on two-yard runs.
Junior defensive back Parker Chatfield returned an interception 30 yards for a score and caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Mateo Liloia. Senior placekicker Mason Barker went 7-for-7 on extra points.
Sophomore running back Jake Rotkel added his first varsity touchdown in the third quarter, breaking a 53-yard run after an interception by Garcia set up the drive.
"We knew what we had to do and we executed … We wanted to run the ball down their throats and that's what we did," Jackubowski told Union News Daily.
GL's ground game piled up 225 yards against Kennedy. Head coach Pete Ramiccio said he was pleased with the defense, too, noting the team tackled better after struggling with first contact.
Five days later at Lyndhurst, Garcia picked up where he left off. He scored three touchdowns, rushing in from one yard out twice and catching a 28-yard scoring pass from Hughes, according to MyCentralJersey. Liloia ran in a 14-yard score, and Barker added a 34-yard field goal. GL led 24-0 at halftime and cruised to the shutout. Lyndhurst fell to 0-5.
The back-to-back wins mark the first time the Highlanders have strung together consecutive victories this season. GL's two losses came on the road, 28-7 at Monroe Township and 49-29 at Bernards.
Governor Livingston hosts Johnson on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m., then welcomes Scotch Plains-Fanwood on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. and South Plainfield on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. before traveling to New Providence on Friday, Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m.
