Mighty Oaks end inaugural game with a bang

Touchdown on final play closes the gap but early mistakes prevent Salem CC from winning first-ever football game

PENNSVILLE — After three hours of watching the first-year college football team trying to find its way in its first-ever game, upstart Salem CC sent the crowd home with a game-ending play that supported their head coach’s vision of making the dream he founded a legitimate college football program.

The Mighty Oaks were going to lose their inaugural game as a program to Hudson Valley regardless what happened when they lined up for a final play from the Vikings’ 44 with eight seconds to play. Aidan Hill, the third quarterback they used in the game, rolled out to his left and with the clock just about to hit zero found Jahfarri Payne in the end zone to make it a 26-18 final instead of the 14-point deficit it was headed to before the play.

No, it wasn’t a game-winning play, but it may have won something bigger.

“I think it just shows the team understands we’re just going to have to play every game to the bitter end,” said Mighty Oaks head coach Jay Accorsi, who brought the idea of having a college football team to Salem CC some 18 months ago. “I think we easily could have packed it in when they got a pretty good lead, when we gave up the score down there and it was looking bleak, but the coaches didn’t, the players didn’t. We went right down to the end, fought for every last second.

“I think it makes us a legitimate junior college football program, and we did that within less than a year. That one play (did that). But I think it gets to when they got up on us. we could’ve easily folded, we could’ve given up, we could’ve stopped. We’re playing (three) different quarterbacks, we’re playing different backs, we’re all trying to figure it out. I think it makes the program legitimate and we’re competitive and the future is really bright. My goal was for this program to be competitive early and I think today we were competitive.”

It was a winnable first game, but the Mighty Oaks simply made too many mistakes, first game or otherwise, to keep it from happening. 

The offense and special teams fumbled them into some tough spots early in the game, but the defense kept them it in by holding the Vikings to only one field goal in three possessions inside the 17. The first produced the field goal after stopping three straight plays from the 6, and they created a turnover at the 4 to stop the second. On the next one the Vikings took themselves out of makeable field goal range with a delay penalty on fourth down from the 26.

“It says a lot about our heart up front and as a defensive unit in general,” cornerback Jerrell Burks said. “We’re there to help the offense. We have their back when they slip up and make mistakes just like they’re there for us when we make mistakes. It just showed our heart, man, our heart and how mentally strong we have been, bend but don’t break.”

“We talked all camp that we were going to be the backbone of the team,” linebacker Ben Secouler said. “It confirmed with me that we knew what our identity was as a team and as a defense we knew this unit was going to be big for us.”

Burks scored the Mighty Oaks’ first official touchdown in program history when he returned an interception 85 yards to get his team within 12-6. He had a second pick in the end zone late in the third quarter to keep the Vikings from extending their lead.

“It meant a lot to contribute to the team in general, but it gives you a little bit more to toot your own horn to score the first program touchdown ever,” he said. “I was on a blitz and I saw the QB step back and pop it up. It was in the air for a little bit, so I was waiting for it, caught it and the rest is a done deal.

“I ain’t gonna lie, I’m tired. Once I hit the end zone I was tired. When I came to sideline, it was like being in a room full of little kids yelling. I’m definitely excited about it. I will say I called those shots this whole week, and I called it before the game even started. I told coach I was getting a pick-six today.”

He was reminded that most people don’t believe it when players make those type of predictions. Burks scoffed.

“I know they do now,” he said.

Secouler believed.

“Right before I walked out I told Erik Worley we’re going to get one of them for us and – boom – he picks it off, takes it all the way to the house,” he said.

The offense, meanwhile, struggled. It had only 48 yards rushing in the first half and surrendered a safety in the second quarter that made it 5-0.

Despite all it did to keep the Mighty Oaks in it, the defense had its problems, too. The Mighty Oaks scored their first two touchdowns of the season, but each time the Vikings answered within two minutes as blown assignments led to big plays.

“I felt, as players, we were better than them, but the mistakes we made were just so major it changed the game,” Secouler said. “We’ve just got to fix that this week.”

The Mighty Oaks used all three quarterbacks. Cam Wright was the surprise inaugural game starter, getting the call about 20 minutes before kickoff. He played the first quarter and put together a drive that ran between the 30s, but that was the extent of his appearance.

“Honestly, it was pretty cool,” he said. “They were very closed off about who was going to be the guy because I’m sure they wanted us all to try our best to compete for that spot. I ended up getting it, so that was very cool to be able to start. I went out there and tried to do my best. I obviously need to do a little better; there’s always room for improvement.”

Malakhai McKenzie followed him and played the second, third and most of the fourth quarters. He wasn’t all that effective – his first series ended with the safety – but he did score their first offensive touchdown on a quarterback sneak in the third quarter. He was 5-of-11 for 41 yards passing and netted minus-15 yards rushing on 10 carries.

“It means something to me to be the first person (on offense) to score from Salem,” McKenzie said. “I was looking to get one. I told them to get me that.”

On the offense’s struggles he said, “there’s definitely room for improvement. We’re going to get it together, though.”

Hill got his shot to run the offense when the Mighty Oaks took over at their own 30 with 1:31 to play. He got them across midfield with a 17-yard run and an 18-yard pass to Jeremiah Russell. He then took a 9-yard loss that set the Mighty Oaks on the 44 with only a few seconds left.

They sent everybody out hoping to find just one to make a play. Payne and HV’s Christopher Festa were hand-fighting all the way down the sideline, but Payne wrestled the ball away in the back corner of the end zone for the score that changed everybody’s mood.

“I was just ready for my opportunity,” Hill said. “I knew I wasn’t playing, they told me I wasn’t playing because I had made mistakes in the scrimmage. Once my time came, I had to do what I’ve been asked, had do my job. I knew I had to throw a touchdown. That play, it was literally everybody go deep, whoever I see.”

“It was just get it in the end zone, do what you can to be a playmaker,” Payne said. “I just wanted to get down the field as fast as possible. I know he was a little physical, but I just used all my speed and I just made a play. Be a playmaker. It was like don’t drop it, ice in my veins, finish it off strong and make everybody leave excited.”

And he means everybody.

“I was ready to run to the end zone myself it was a great catch,” Burks said.

All in all, the inaugural game “exceeded my expectations,” Accorsi said. “They’re a really good program, established program, it’s one of the better junior college football teams you’ll play against and, shoot, we lost by eight, so in the grand scheme of things, after Montclair (scrimmage), after this, I’m extremely pleased.

“I asked the team, did they beat us or did we beat ourselves. All of them said we beat ourselves. Too many mistakes, too many penalties, too many miscues, too many assignments blown, too many missed calls. Those things are just going to catch up to you when you play a really good team.” 

SCORING SUMMARY
HV-Samuel Locarno 24 FG, 11:18 1Q
HV-Safety, Malakhai McKenzie tackled in end zone, 13:50 2Q
HV-Jayden Hines 29 pass from MaKao Taylor (Connor Jackson kick), 7:08 2Q
SCC-Jerrell Burks 85 interception return (run failed), 2:13 2Q
HV-Julian Colon 12 pass from MaKao Taylor (Connor Jackson kick), 0:20 2Q
SCC-Malakhai McKenzie 2 run (run failed), 6:17 3Q
HV-Tevonte Williams 53 pass from MaKao Taylor (Samuel Locarno kick), 4:23 3Q
SCC-Jahfarri Payne 44 pass from Aidan Hill (no attempt), 0:00 4Q

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Hudson Valley: Tyquan Rush-Esdale 13-103, MaKao Taylor 3-34, Aaron Barnes 3-15, Dylan Maye 2-5, Daniel Olmstead 3-4, Cartier Joshua 1-0, Alex Lenoir 2(-1), Jayden Hines 2-(1-11); Salem CC: Tre McCloud 6-35, Kahmaj Kearney 7-30, Demetris Williams 5-9, Aidan Hill 2-8, Brian Pritchett 1-0, Jamar Smith 4-(-5), Malahkai McKenzie 10-(-15), Team 1-(-16).
PASSING — Hudson Valley: MaKao Taylor 14-28-2, 181 yards, 3 TDs; Daniel Olmstead 4-6-0, 58 yards. Salem CC: Aidan Hill 2-3-0, 44 yards, 1 TD; Malakhai McKenzie 5-11-0, 41 yards; Cam Wright 1-3-0, 14 yards.
RECEIVING — Hudson Valley: Trevonte Williams 1-53-1, Cartier Joshua 5-51, Jayden Hines 3-39-1, Dylan Maye 2-35, Julian Colon 3-30-1, Cameron Margeson 2-15, Raymere Mahadeo 1-15, Myquan Rush-Edsaile 1-1; Salem CC: Jahfarri Payne 1-44-1, Darion Joyner 2-21, Jeremiah Russell 1-18, Lamar McCoy 1-16, Kahmaj Kearney 2-12, Jon Pettigrew 1-6.