Trojans return favor BY SHAWN LAYTON Staff Writer EDISON- In past years, the Bishop Ahr High School football team hasn't been known for its ability to put up a lot of points on the scoreboard, but in its 34-0 win over Spotswood in its season opener, scoring often appeared second nature. "I'm never surprised when our defense plays well," Bishop Ahr head coach Ron Hilliard said. "Our offense has been a different story at times, but they really started to capitalize on our defensive play in the second half against Spotswood." The Trojan defense never allowed Spotswood to the 50-yard line. The Spotswood offense managed just 60 total yards and less than a handful of first downs. "Our defense gave us great field position all day, and we finally started to cash in on it," Hilliard said. "It was a total defensive effort, with Jeff Harvey, Jesse Long and Larry Belotta all getting interceptions." Belotta was just as effective on offense, with 82 yards rushing and one touchdown. Running back Moses Negron picked up where he left off last year, with another big game. Negron rushed for a pair of touchdowns and tallied 135 yards. Junior running back Joe McCauley also ran for two touchdowns and close to 80 yards on the ground. "We didn't throw the ball too much, because we were so effective on the ground," Hilliard said. "Jordan Smith did come down with a big catch in the first half to set up our first score of the season." Much of the success of the Bishop Ahr ground game is owed to its offensive line. Players like Brian Antab, Frank Guido, Nick Flugard, Chris Luma, Dan Montefusco and Brandon Bitabile proved impenetrable for the Charger defense. "It's been a big plus for them to have been working together for so long now," Hilliard said. "They're really gelling, and hopefully it will continue into next week." Hilliard was also pleased with the performance of his special teams. With Mike Gallant nailing four PATs and Long keeping Spotswood with its back to its own end zone through a series of noteworthy punts and kickoffs, Bishop Ahr kept the Chargers from mounting any comeback. "Jesse Long really kept Spotswood pinned all afternoon," Hilliard said. "If he continues to punt like that, we should be able to win the battle of field position a bit more this season." This week the Trojans hope for another all-around team performance when they travel to Pennington for a 3 p.m. kickoff Sept. 21. "We lost our opener last year, so it's really nice to get off to a winning start," Hilliard said. "We don't know too much about Pennington, but we'll start looking at tape this week to prepare. One thing a win does is, it makes it a lot easier for everyone to head into practice the following week."