Trojans’ football team runs to record-setting season

BRIDGEWATER – After losing their respective state tournament football games, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Edison, and Immaculata High School, Somerville, sought to end their seasons on a positive note in a non-league game at the Torpey Field Complex Nov. 22.

As it had for all except a 13-10 defeat to DePaul Catholic, Wayne, in the semifinals of the Non-Public B bracket Nov. 10, St. Thomas Aquinas was propelled to victory by its running game and a sturdy defense to earn a 42-14 victory.

Immaculata, which was defeated by Holy Spirit, Absecon, 36-33 in the quarterfinals of the Non-Public B backet, finished 7-5.

Immaculata finished the season with a 10-1 record, the most wins in school history, said Mike Wolfthal, its retired athletic director who also coached football, wrestling and track during his 45 years there.

The contest was also the first between the two teams since 1975, Wolfthal said. From 1971, when St. Thomas Aquinas fielded its first varsity team to 1975, the Trojans and Immaculata competed in the Raritan
Valley Conference. In 1976, St. Thomas Aquinas joined the Bicentennial Conference.

The schools will try to schedule a meeting each year, but not necessarily at Thanksgiving, officials from both institutions said.

The previous record for wins in a season by the Trojans was nine, which they accomplished in 1984, 1985 and 1986 enroute to winning state championships in the Non-Public A, South Jersey tournament, Wolfthal said.

In addition, the 1983 Trojans team featured running backs who gained more than 1,000 yards each – Darrin Winston and Jamie Estok. This season, junior Chase Young amassed 1,038 yards rushing (6.9 average gain per carry) and senior Elijah Abass-Shereef 1,014 (7.9).

Against Immaculata, Abass-Shereef rushed for 180 yards and three touchdowns and Young contributed 128 yards and two touchdowns.

Quarterback Roman Blanks also scored for St. Thoms Aquinas.

Immaculata’s points came from a pass from quarterback Mason Geis to Owen Blum and a 90-yard kickoff return by Anthony Brown.

St. Thomas Aquinas Coach Tarig Holman said his team’s preseason goal was to rise to its “greatest potential and we got pretty close to it.”

Immaculata Coach Mike Lombardo summed up the defeat by saying, “We got beat by a better team. There are certain things we could not stop, there are certain things we could not do.

“We had a great year. We just lost to a better team tonight.”

Lombardo said the Spartans have come along way since a winless season four years ago and “were a couple plays away from winning nine games this year.”

“We are playing Holy Spirit and Pope John XXIII [Regional High, Sparta] and [Immaculata]. When you play them, you better play every week,” he said.

“Look at DePaul. They are 5-5 and in the state championship. That is Catholic school football.”