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1990 (As one Mountie sees it – plus game summaries from newspapers) Let’s begin with the final moments of Jack Davies’ last game coaching football at Montclair High School. First the set-up. Going into the Group 4, Section 2 State Finals against Randolph, Montclair was undefeated - #1 in the Star-Ledger top 20 and #6 in the Nation in the USA Today’s Top 25 national Poll. Randolph was also undefeated - #2 in the Star-Ledger top 20 – defending a 48-game winning streak and mourning the recent death of their head Coach Frank Bauer, whose son Frank, Jr. had taken over the coaching responsibilities. It was like something from a movie script. Now, jumping to the end of the game, here’s what happened… For all intents and purposes, the game is over and Montclair has won 21-19. All the Mounties have to do is run out the final seconds on the clock. Our fans chant 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, the scoreboard clock expires and hundreds of jubilant fans pour out onto the field to celebrate with the victorious Mounties, 11&0 Undefeated State Champions. Little did they know, the scoreboard clock was not official. By all calculations (if you do the math) there were still four seconds remaining in the game. (Even the TV3 announcers calculated the time as being four seconds.) The field was cleared of spectators in order to complete the game. Now – all the Mounties had to do was “take-a-knee” and Montclair would finalize the win…Right?…Wrong. The official in the white hat somehow decided that there were 7 seconds left in the game. Too much time for Ponton to kneel or run around with the ball, so Montclair was forced to punt. A Randolph player received the punt and dropped to his knees. With one second remaining from the “phantom” three seconds, Randolph QB/Kick specialist, Mike Groh, booted a 37-yard field goal to win the game 22-21 three seconds after the game had ended! That’s how one Mountie sees it. The following are game summaries of the entire ’90 season derived from newspaper articles. Bloomfield was back on the schedule after a two-year layoff and for the first time, the two teams met on opening day. Montclair played a very smooth mistake free game en route to a 22-9 victory. Cory Heggins scored Montclair’s first TD of the season. The Mounties put together a solid effort shutting out Clifton, 35-0. The defense, behind the strong plays of Lenny Watkins, Earl Lumpkin and Darryl Elder, limited the Mustangs to just 39 yards and one first down. Terrance Garrison scored two TD’s, Lamont Ponton and Elder each scored one. Defensive back Garland Thorton also scored after picking up a Clifton fumble on the Mustang’s sixteen-yard line. Against Bergen Catholic in Oradel the Mounties held a 14-0 halftime lead. The Crusaders exploded for 14 points in the space of twelve seconds midway through the third quarter. By the end of the third period, a clutch TD pass from Ponton to Brian Marriott gave the Mounties the win, 22-14. Hackensack came to Woodman the following Saturday. Two, second-half TD passes from Ponton to Garrison lifted Montclair to a 14-6 victory. Against Paterson Kennedy, Montclair opened a 28-0 half 243
time lead. The Knights were able to mount two impressive scoring drives in the second half to make the final score respectable, but Montclair prevailed, 28-19. Cory Heggins scored two TD’s, QB Lamont Ponton ran for two. In the 13-0 victory over Ridgewood, the line play was outstanding on both sides of the ball, registering Montclair’s second shut out of the season. The Mounties scored on a TD toss from Ponton to Marriott and a three-yard run by Heggins after Ponton hooked up with Junior End, Jason Curry, on a 29-yard completion to set up the score. Montclair led Paterson Eastside 7-0 at the half. Gary Sistrunk’s 87-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter sparked the Mounties to a second half onslaught and a 28-0 victory. QB Ponton threw a pair of fourth quarter TD’s to Jason Curry and to Greg Jarrett. Heggins and Garrison also scored. Again the defense held the opposition scoreless. Barringer fell next by a score of 22-0, another shut out, setting up the match-up the Mounties were waiting for…Senior players were only in the eighth grade when Montclair last defeated Passaic on Thanksgiving Day in 1986. The Big Mountie “D” recorded its fourth straight shut out when Montclair crushed Passaic 26-0. Garrison rushed for two TD’s, Heggins ran of one, and Ponton hooked up with Curry on a 30-yard TD pass. Montclair battled Morris Knolls in the opening round of the playoffs at Woodman Field. In an offensive barrage the Mounties outscored Knolls 42-21, holding them scoreless in the second half. That brings us to the start of the Championship match-up between #1 Mont-clair at 10 & 0 and #2 Randolph at 10 & 0. It seemed a hundred thousand people converged upon Woodman Field that day. (Actually it was a packed house of 13,500.) Randolph took a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game on a Dan Doran run. Montclair dominated the second quarter and took a 14-7 lead at the half on TD passes from Ponton to Curry and to Steve Sudovar. The teams exchanged TD’s in the third quarter. The Mounties scored on a Ponton to Garrison pass. The Rams scored when their QB Groh fumbled into the end zone and Doran fell on it. Groh’s kick failed and Montclair was out in front 2113. In the fourth quarter, Randolph’s Malinchak scored on a one-yard burst and the two-point conversion attempt failed. Montclair 21, Randolph 19. With 1:11 to play, Randolph fullback Malinchak fumbled and Montclair’s Howard Golbourn recovered it on the Montclair 23. For three straight downs QB Ponton took the snap and knelt, exhausting Randolph’s time outs and trying to run out the clock. The Rest is extremely controversial. (See the start of these writings.)
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1990 (As one Mountie sees it – plus game summaries from newspapers) Let’s begin with the final moments of Jack Davies’ last game coaching football at Montclair High School. First the set-up. Going into the Group 4, Section 2 State Finals against Randolph, Montclair was undefeated - #1 in the Star-Ledger top 20 and #6 in the Nation in the USA Today’s Top 25 national Poll. Randolph was also undefeated - #2 in the Star-Ledger top 20 – defending a 48-game winning streak and mourning the recent death of their head Coach Frank Bauer, whose son Frank, Jr. had taken over the coaching responsibilities. It was like something from a movie script. Now, jumping to the end of the game, here’s what happened… For all intents and purposes, the game is over and Montclair has won 21-19. All the Mounties have to do is run out the final seconds on the clock. Our fans chant 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, the scoreboard clock expires and hundreds of jubilant fans pour out onto the field to celebrate with the victorious Mounties, 11&0 Undefeated State Champions. Little did they know, the scoreboard clock was not official. By all calculations (if you do the math) there were still four seconds remaining in the game. (Even the TV3 announcers calculated the time as being four seconds.) The field was cleared of spectators in order to complete the game. Now – all the Mounties had to do was “take-a-knee” and Montclair would finalize the win…Right?…Wrong. The official in the white hat somehow decided that there were 7 seconds left in the game. Too much time for Ponton to kneel or run around with the ball, so Montclair was forced to punt. A Randolph player received the punt and dropped to his knees. With one second remaining from the “phantom” three seconds, Randolph QB/Kick specialist, Mike Groh, booted a 37-yard field goal to win the game 22-21 three seconds after the game had ended! That’s how one Mountie sees it. The following are game summaries of the entire ’90 season derived from newspaper articles. Bloomfield was back on the schedule after a two-year layoff and for the first time, the two teams met on opening day. Montclair played a very smooth mistake free game en route to a 22-9 victory. Cory Heggins scored Montclair’s first TD of the season. The Mounties put together a solid effort shutting out Clifton, 35-0. The defense, behind the strong plays of Lenny Watkins, Earl Lumpkin and Darryl Elder, limited the Mustangs to just 39 yards and one first down. Terrance Garrison scored two TD’s, Lamont Ponton and Elder each scored one. Defensive back Garland Thorton also scored after picking up a Clifton fumble on the Mustang’s sixteen-yard line. Against Bergen Catholic in Oradel the Mounties held a 14-0 halftime lead. The Crusaders exploded for 14 points in the space of twelve seconds midway through the third quarter. By the end of the third period, a clutch TD pass from Ponton to Brian Marriott gave the Mounties the win, 22-14. Hackensack came to Woodman the following Saturday. Two, second-half TD passes from Ponton to Garrison lifted Montclair to a 14-6 victory. Against Paterson Kennedy, Montclair opened a 28-0 half 243
time lead. The Knights were able to mount two impressive scoring drives in the second half to make the final score respectable, but Montclair prevailed, 28-19. Cory Heggins scored two TD’s, QB Lamont Ponton ran for two. In the 13-0 victory over Ridgewood, the line play was outstanding on both sides of the ball, registering Montclair’s second shut out of the season. The Mounties scored on a TD toss from Ponton to Marriott and a three-yard run by Heggins after Ponton hooked up with Junior End, Jason Curry, on a 29-yard completion to set up the score. Montclair led Paterson Eastside 7-0 at the half. Gary Sistrunk’s 87-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter sparked the Mounties to a second half onslaught and a 28-0 victory. QB Ponton threw a pair of fourth quarter TD’s to Jason Curry and to Greg Jarrett. Heggins and Garrison also scored. Again the defense held the opposition scoreless. Barringer fell next by a score of 22-0, another shut out, setting up the match-up the Mounties were waiting for…Senior players were only in the eighth grade when Montclair last defeated Passaic on Thanksgiving Day in 1986. The Big Mountie “D” recorded its fourth straight shut out when Montclair crushed Passaic 26-0. Garrison rushed for two TD’s, Heggins ran of one, and Ponton hooked up with Curry on a 30-yard TD pass. Montclair battled Morris Knolls in the opening round of the playoffs at Woodman Field. In an offensive barrage the Mounties outscored Knolls 42-21, holding them scoreless in the second half. That brings us to the start of the Championship match-up between #1 Mont-clair at 10 & 0 and #2 Randolph at 10 & 0. It seemed a hundred thousand people converged upon Woodman Field that day. (Actually it was a packed house of 13,500.) Randolph took a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game on a Dan Doran run. Montclair dominated the second quarter and took a 14-7 lead at the half on TD passes from Ponton to Curry and to Steve Sudovar. The teams exchanged TD’s in the third quarter. The Mounties scored on a Ponton to Garrison pass. The Rams scored when their QB Groh fumbled into the end zone and Doran fell on it. Groh’s kick failed and Montclair was out in front 2113. In the fourth quarter, Randolph’s Malinchak scored on a one-yard burst and the two-point conversion attempt failed. Montclair 21, Randolph 19. With 1:11 to play, Randolph fullback Malinchak fumbled and Montclair’s Howard Golbourn recovered it on the Montclair 23. For three straight downs QB Ponton took the snap and knelt, exhausting Randolph’s time outs and trying to run out the clock. The Rest is extremely controversial. (See the start of these writings.)
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