Mitchell Shines, Green Knights Hold Off St. Peter's Prep in Top 5 Battle
When the third and fourth ranked teams in New Jersey share a field, you expect something worth watching. Saturday's matchup between St. Joseph Montvale and St. Peter's Prep delivered that and then some, producing 68 combined points in a back-and-forth game that wasn't decided until the final minutes. When it was over, the Green Knights stood on top 38–30 and a freshman quarterback had just put his name on the radar of everyone paying attention to North Jersey football.
St. Peter's Prep wasted no time making their presence felt. Abdul Turay, returning healthy after missing time earlier in the season, reminded everyone why he is one of the most dangerous backs in the state. He broke a 48-yard run on the opening drive to set up his own two-yard touchdown, putting the Marauders up 7–0. Turay was a force all afternoon, finishing with 155 yards and two scores on 16 carries. His 55-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to tie the game at 14 was as impressive a solo effort as you will see from any running back this fall.
But William Mitchell would not be outdone. The freshman quarterback for St. Joseph Montvale played like he has been here before, and by the time the final whistle blew he had accounted for three touchdown passes and a rushing score while managing the offense with poise that defies his age. He opened his account with a five-yard touchdown run to tie the game in the first, then found Stalin Knowlden on a 58-yard strike to give St. Joe's a 14–7 lead heading into the second quarter. His 264-yard passing day from all quarterbacks included Ralph Tristani's 80-yard touchdown strike to David Forster in the second quarter, a play that pushed the Green Knights lead to 21–14 and showed the full capability of this offense when it is operating at its best.
Forster finished with two catches for 134 yards and was the biggest receiving threat on either side. The St. Joe's receiver corps made plays all afternoon and consistently found ways to get loose when coverage broke down. The Green Knights passing attack generated 264 yards against a St. Peter's secondary that typically causes problems for opposing offenses.
The most critical sequence of the first half came with under a minute to go. Ty'ire Clark fielded a punt and nearly went the distance, being marked down at the one-yard line with 49 seconds left and St. Peter's out of timeouts. The Marauders were one yard away from tying the game. Instead, a fumble on the QB sneak was recovered by St. Joe's and the Green Knights went into the locker room ahead 21–14. It was the kind of play that changes the entire trajectory of a football game.
St. Joe's kept the foot on the gas in the third quarter, adding a field goal and a Mitchell-to-Gavin O'Leary touchdown pass to push the lead to 31–14. St. Peter's refused to quit. Zack Karelis carried the Marauders through most of the fourth quarter, running for 113 yards and two scores while Ty'ire Clark continued to make his presence felt on both sides of the ball. The Marauders pulled within eight at 38–30 with a chance to force overtime, but Ryan Barry came away with an interception to seal the win for St. Joseph.
Clark's all-around performance for St. Peter's was remarkable even in defeat. He made plays in the return game, picked off a pass on defense, contributed tackles, and scored a two-point conversion on offense. He is the kind of player who impacts every phase and his Michigan State commitment is looking well earned based on what he showed Saturday.
St. Joseph Montvale improves to 3-3 and gets a confidence-boosting win that shows what this team is capable of when Mitchell and the offense are clicking. With three weeks left in the regular season, the Green Knights are finding their form at exactly the right time. St. Peter's Prep falls to 4-2 and will look to bounce back with the postseason approaching. Both programs are very much playoff threats, and if these two meet again in November, it will be must-see football.