 High School Football:
Willingboro Play Their Way To Sweet Victory
Saturday, November 3, 2001
By Vincent Lewis
SJSports Staff Writer
Coach Ty Belford entered Carl Lewis Stadium on Saturday afternoon with an opportunity to end the regular football season in style. In his last year as head coach for the Willingboro Chimeras, Belford could give the capacity crowd a lot to cheer about with a win at home against the top ranked Holy Cross Lancers. Belford got this game started with his playing of "God Bless America" on the sax which ignited the crowd. There was more to celebrate as the Chimeras convincingly defeated Holy Cross by the score of 58-30 to clinch the divisional title.
All season long, the Lancers from Holy Cross have been labeled as one of the top football programs in the state of New Jersey. Game by game they have been proving that honor by rolling past their previous opponents with the talent of running back Wali Lundy, quarterback Matt Burdalski and the rest of the offensive and defensive personnel. So today's game against two undefeated teams was expected to a very high scoring affair, and one to remember.
 Not to disappoint the crowd, Holy Cross showed why they have been giving defenses havoc trying to defend the Lancers' aerial attack. On a third and eight play, Burdalski found Lundy in stride on a slant pattern for the 13-yard score with 9:44 remaining on the first quarter clock. This game went into high gear when the Lancers got the ball back after Willingboro was unsuccessful on their first drive of the game. This time, the defense from Willingboro recovered a fumble with 8:41 showing on the clock. That's when sophomore running Danny Bihlear found daylight into the Lancers' secondary and didn't stop until he crossed the goal line for a 42-yard touchdown. The extra point attempt was unsuccessful and Willingboro only trailed by one point, 7-6.
The big plays continue when Lundy dazzled the crowd when he used some fancy foot work and ran 75 yards to pay dirt. After the extra point, Holy Cross led very late in the quarter by the score of 14-6. Don't blink, as with only 45 seconds still remaining in the first quarter, Carl Spellman ran right through the heart of the Holy Cross defense and scored from 55 yards out. Cornell Brockington scored the 2-point attempt to finally end this entertaining first quarter. Brockington accounted for the only score in the second quarter with a 1-yard run with 4:33 remaining in the half. Both teams went into the locker room with Willingboro leading 20-14.
It became the Brockington show in the second half as he had touchdown runs from 2 yards and a powerful 56-yard scores. The defense from Willingboro shut down the Lancers offense and was on their way in capturing the Burlington County League Liberty Division title. Willingboro put up thirty points in the final quarter, two touchdowns by the defense with long interception returns. Lundy accounted for all of the touchdowns scored for Holy Cross.
Photos by Art Redd
            
|
High School Football:
