The Raiders traveled to Westfield High School on a warm Saturday afternoon, Oct. 4, and demolished the opponents, 42-21, to put their previous losing streak to rest. Westfield came out with strong offensive plays, starting in the first quarter with 2 touchdowns in quick secession while stopping Hillsborough from scoring.
“We started very poorly, but I wasn’t surprised that we beat Westfield, everyone played really well,” said Head Coach Kevin Carty.
The score held at 0-14 but the Raiders were determined to keep the next quarters. Senior Devon Khurana launched the ball downfield for a wide open 61-yard touchdown to senior Shane Khuara. The momentum kept up as Hillsborough continued, Devon Khurana shot the ball downfield with a 53-yard pass to Shane Khurana followed by a short touchdown run by senior Andrew Schwartz. The Raiders tied the game at 14-14. Devon Khurana continued to pass the ball downfield for another open 60-yard touchdown to Shane Khurana. He received another touchdown pass, this one for 7 yards, which gave Hillsborough the lead 21-14 to end the second quarter. More confident than ever the team was determined to widen the gap.
“We fought hard and we didn’t give up. We all knew what we needed to do,” Devon Khuara said.
Hillsborough knew they had to fight to finish this game and that Westfield was losing hope. At the start of the third quarter, Westfield earned a nice interception, but were unsuccessful converting it. There were close plays from both teams but the score remained with the Raiders in the lead.
When the fourth quarter came around, the Raiders erupted with a 50-yard touchdown run by Schwartz. The very next drive senior Anthony Guerrero caught an interception and Hillsborough used this to their advantage. With the help of the offensive line and secondary, Schwartz was able to get a 34-yard rushing touchdown.
“We didn’t have the start we wanted to, but we finished very strongly,” Schwartz said.
Westfield found an opening and took the opportunity to earn another touchdown for their team. But Hillsborough turned that around. Schwartz earned another 50-yard touchdown run. Fans continuously chanted and yelled, hopeful for the win. Senior Jayden Carter caught an interception in the endzone securing Hillsborough’s win and a final score of 42-21.
The Raiders ended their season with a final record of 4-6, a record that shows a team that never quit. In a relentlessly competitive league, the teamwork and effort evident in the Westfield game highlights a successful season.
