Phillipsburg football eliminated by powerhouse Winslow Township in Group 4 final

The Phillipsburg High School football teamThe club's bid for its first group title was emphatically rejected by an undefeated foe on Wednesday evening.

The Stateliners were defeated 35-0 by Winslow Township in the game NJSIAA Group 4 Finals at Rutgers University's SHI Stadium.

Winslow Township finished the season 14-0 and captured the program's first state title. (The NJSIAA expanded its playoffs to crown true state champions in 2022.)

Phillipsburg finished the campaign 11-3.

Winslow Township senior Cam Miller returned the opening kickoff a yard from midfield. However, the Stateliners forced a punt and took over at their 17-yard line.

That promising start disappeared in an instant.

Before the first fouls in Phillipsburg, the Stateliners got off to a false start. They then lost a yard on a rush before senior quarterback Jett Genovese was swamped by Eagles juniors Rob Carstarphen and KaRon Ali for an 8-yard loss on second down.

A 33-yard punt gave Winslow the ball at the Stateliners 39-yard line. Two plays later, sophomore quarterback Jalen Parker hit Miller for a 26-yard touchdown on a back-shoulder throw.

We knew we may have gotten off to a slow start, but this game was far from over, said Miller, who this week switched his commitment from Wisconsin to the University of Kentucky. To win we had to keep our foot on the pedal. Our boys knew that.

The next series of Stateliners gained some traction. Genovese got things started with a 15-yard completion to senior Felix Matos. A connection of 9 meters from Genovese to classmate Matthew Scerbo Jr., followed by a two-yard run from junior running back Ziyahn McGurn, who put first-and-10 on Winslow's 25.

After an incompletion, a bad snap sent Phillipsburg back twelve yards. On third-and-22, Winslow junior Nyqir Helton intercepted a pass and rocketed down the Stateliners' sideline for a 67-yard touchdown. Junior kicker Rashad Emanuel's PAT made it 14-0 with 2:01 remaining in the first quarter.

Phillipsburg's defense got another stop on the next series, thanks in large part to a sack by senior linebacker Jayden Lucas that resulted in a loss of 12 yards. The Stateliners got lucky with the resulting punt, as it was muffed in the end zone and recovered by Helton for an apparent touchdown. However, because Phillipsburg never had possession of the ball, the kick resulted in a touchback once the ball reached the goal line.

The Liners faced fourth-and-1 on the next drive. A pass to an open receiver in the flat was dropped, giving Winslow possession at Pburg's 44. Five plays later, junior tailback NaKeem Powell rushed from the right sideline for a 2-yard touchdown.

Pburg's next possession was stopped on the first play by Helton's second interception of the night. (Helton is another Winslow player with a long list of DI offers.)

Miller turned the turnover into points by catching a short pass, making a defender miss and sprinting 15 yards for a touchdown with 1:44 left in the first half. The Eagles had a 28-0 lead at intermission.

It's a blessing to be able to go undefeated here, in my senior year, and do something that's never been done in Winslow history, Miller said. I'm a bit at a loss for words.

The Liners drove from their 28-yard line to Winslow's 28 on the opening series of the second half. However, Genovese was sacked by Carstarphen on fourth-and-9 to end the drive.

Winslow initiated the mercy rule with 28 seconds left in the third quarter when Ali broke free for a 28-yard touchdown run.

The Eagles, coached by Winslow alum and former Penn State player Bill Belton, sacked Pburg seven times and limited the Liners to just nine rushing yards.

“I knew they were kind of tough with a little bit of passing,” Miller said of Pburg. They had a wide receiver (Scerbo) who was solid. I like him as a receiver; he's a great player. I knew they would shoot occasionally, but mainly try to run the ball when it clicked. After we saw that, we focused on that, and we read their plays before they even knew it. It was numbing. Film study [paid off].

Parker finished 17 of 22 for 238 yards and two scores.

Genovese went 8-for-19 for 57 yards. Matos had a pair of catches for 32 yards.

Genovese and Scerbo will graduate after rewriting the program booklet for pass and receive respectively, achieving each major grade in those categories.

They are the best. They have broken so many records, Pburg head coach Frank Duffy said of the duo, who have shone since the second campaign. I told them, they're first-ballot (Phillipsburg Athletic) Hall of Famers…I'm really proud of both of those guys. They have had a great bond for three years.

Duffy cheered on his entire cast of seniors, who won 11 games and took the Liners into uncharted NJSIAA territory.

I know it's painful right now, but I'm really proud of the effort our guys put in… To get to a state final, that's quite an accomplishment. It really is, and we were able to do that, Duffy said. I'm really proud of these guys… This senior group has accomplished a lot: a section title, two wins over the team across the river (Easton). I'm really going to miss them… They're just a very special group in my heart.

Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today at lehighvalleylive.com.

Kyle Craig can be reached at kcraig@lehighvalleylive.com.