Some might have called Weequahic’s first capture of momentum a happy accident, a fortunate mistake or even a fluke.
But that would not have been anyone suited up for the Indians, who see nothing happenstance or lucky about seizing opportunity wherever it might avail itself. This season, they have been as good as almost anyone in the state about creating something good from presumably nothing, and at times even less than nothing.
That happened when Rashawn Marshall retrieved an errant snap a good 12 yards behind the line of scrimmage early in the first quarter for what surely seemed to be a negative play for the Indians. But the junior running back instead located an open seam, bolted through and sped 57 yards to give Weequahic the lead and set a pattern for making things happen when that possibility seemed nowhere in sight.
Marshall scored a second touchdown following a fumble recovery by teammate Zakai Armstrong on the ensuing kickoff, Tyheed Simmons scored with an interception return, and the defense continually provided choice field position even when not forcing turnovers as Weequahic rolled to a 42-0 victory over West Side in a battle of Newark unbeaten teams Saturday afternoon at Untermann Field.
“That (snap) was a mistake, but we’re going to capitalize any way we can. We do that all the time,” Marshall said. “When I picked it up, I’m looking to see who’s in front of me. Once I realize no one’s ion front of me, I’m out, I’m gone.”
Also gone is undefeated status for West Side (6-1), while Weequahic improved to 7-0 and perhaps bolstered its positioning for a playoff seed in North, Group 1. The Indians entered the game No. 6 in that section; West Side was No. 10 in North, Group 2.
Marshall carried eight times for 90 yards and his two touchdowns to pace a balanced ground attack that churned out 204 yards on only 18 attempts. Linebackers Simmons, Emmanuel Asante and Quentin Reid, lineman Jaylin Freeman and Efosa Obasuyi, and backs Ihsim Smith-Marsette, Elijah Motley and Marshall anchored a defense that allowed only 84 combined yards en route to its first shutout this season.
That defense, however, had certainly been steering its way to that donut with unmistakable clarity. The Indians had allowed just 30 points all season and gave up no more than one touchdown in any game.
“When we see mistakes, we know the play is ours. We always know how to dominate, and getting those turnovers is one way,” Simmons said. “But this comes from the D-line. The D-line is always back there pressuring the quarterback. The quarterbacks can’t do nothing once they’re already back there. I see the ball come out, I’m gonna get it.”
West Side was working with a third-and-31 from its own 11-yard line when Simmons picked off a pass across the middle, broke for the right sideline and covered 31 yards into the end zone for a 21-0 lead with 4:55 remaining in the first half after the third of six PAT by talented sophomore Ibrahim Cisse.
That kept Cisse among the state’s top five kickers for points with 38 on three field goals and 29 PAT. Just another way that Weequahic can break an opponent down even when not running or throwing the ball from scrimmage.
West Side’s high-strutting pose prior to the game changed dramatically after Marshall’s run, the fumble recovery by Armstrong and subsequent TD drive, and then Simmons’ interception return in succession. This West Side squad allowed just 30 points in the first six games, and here had yielded 21 in the game’s first 19:05.
“I could already see the looks on their faces. They knew they had messed up real bad and they knew we were going to bring that heat,” Simmons said.
West Side did orchestrate a promising drive following Simmons’ touchdown, with Nazir Smith’s passing a couple tough runs by Nasir Williams stoking the possession.
The big play was a 39-yard pass from Smith to Talib McLean to the Weequahic seven-yard line with just over four minutes to go in the half. But Simmons dropped a receiver for a seven-yard loss on a screen pass and then Smith threw incomplete three straight times against tight coverage to turn the ball back to Weequahic at the 19.
If anyone detected a sigh of relief coming from Weequahic, it sure wasn’t Marshall.
“A shutout was expected,” he said. “Anything less, that would be our fault.”
That close call simply became another opportunity for Weequahic, which promptly broke into West Side territory on a 55-yard run off right end by senior Ikeef Jenkins on first down. A West Side penalty advanced the ball to the 13, and then freshman Paul Jones III hit junior Leroy Singleton in the left corner of the end zone for a 28-0 lead with 2:51 left in the half. Jones made a strong throw and Singleton made an even better catch with a defender practically wearing his jersey.
West Side attempted a fake punt on fourth-and-two from its own 25 on the opening drive of the second half, but picked up only one yard and again presented Weequahic with an opening.?
The Indians needed only one play, a 25-yard run off the right edge by Motley for a 35-0 lead. Weequahic closed out the scoring midway in the fourth quarter on a 7-yard run by Reid to close a five-play, 43-yard drive off a punt.
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Mike Kinney can be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikeKinneyHS.
