Dwight-Morrow clinches playoff spot, defeats Glen Ridge – Football Photos

Dwight-Morrow head coach Joe Hoyle didn’t think there was any added pressure with his team coming off a win and in a situation to qualify for Saturday’s playoffs. That’s because the Maroon Raiders have been in playoff mode for a month now after a rough start to the season.

With dynamic QB Damani Williams leading the way, Dwight-Morrow’s playoffs continued with a 54-42 win over Glen Ridge at Hurrell Field in Glen Ridge.

Williams ran for 300 yards and five touchdowns on 20 carries. The senior also completed 10 of 19 passes for 130 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

The win, Dwight-Morrow’s fifth in a row, clinched a spot in one of the North Jersey, Group 3 sections. The Maroon Raiders (5-2-1), who haven’t played in the state tournament since 2017, entered the weekend ranked 16th and last in the North Group 3 United Power Rankings.

Dwight-Morrow spent the previous four seasons in the Ivy Divisions of the Super Football Conference, meaning he was ineligible for the state tournament.

“It means a lot. It was something we had to prove to ourselves and, believe it or not, we had to prove it to our city that last year (when we won 8-1) was not a fluke,” Hoyle said. “Now we’re back in the state tournament and now we’re legit and we feel good about it. These young men should feel good about this achievement. This was huge for the morale of these kids.”

Hoyle admits there were “a lot of hiccups and a lot of distractions” early on as the Maroon Raiders started the season 0-2-1, prompting a team meeting.

They haven’t lost since, averaging 40.8 points per game during this current five-game winning streak. Leading the charge in these offensive fireworks was Williams, who had his fifth straight game with two or more TD passes and his fourth straight game with at least 100 yards and a TD rush.

The last three games in particular are some of his best work. Williams threw for 375 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, in a win over Lincoln on October 11. Then, seven days later, he ran for a career-high 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-18 win over Mahwah.

On Saturday, he set a career-high with five rushing scores to go and another 300 yards on the ground.

‘He is a role model. He is very quiet, but when bad things happen he stays calm and pushes through it. I think that’s contagious to the rest of the guys,” Hoyle said. “He is our leader, we follow his example and it works.”

Teammate Maurice Williams had seven catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding a 66-yard rushing TD. Amari Roots and Sakai Maxwell added 56 and 40 yards, respectively, for Dwight-Morrow, which gained 528 yards as a team.

Glen Ridge, which entered the weekend ranked seventh in the North Jersey Group 1 United Power Rankings, falls to 4-4.

Hoyle and the Maroon Raiders know they will be heavy underdogs against whoever they play in the first round next week. But because they have a lot of experience dealing with outside doubts, Hoyle doesn’t think they will be deterred.

“We know we’re usually picked to lose a game,” Hoyle said. “So let’s just go out and let’s just do what we do every week and try to prove everyone wrong.”

The NJ High School Sports newsletter now appears in mailboxes 5 days a week. Register now!

Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)