The Kick is Good! - Summit Defeats West Essex in a Wild Semi-Final
photo & coverage by: Antonio Morales
When the lights were brightest and the stakes at their highest, Summit’s Cooper Smoragiewicz delivered yet again.
The game opened up with both teams swinging. Summit struck first behind a 57-yard burst from Alex Schwark, who broke multiple tackles and sprinted down the right sideline for the early 7-0 lead. West Essex wasted little time responding — senior quarterback Jake Long capped an efficient drive with a 5-yard keeper to even things at 7-7.
Moments later, Long found Max Osur on a perfectly placed 42-yard play-action strike, giving the Knights a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter. The opening frame felt like a heavyweight exchange, each team answering blow for blow.
Summit steadied in the second, leaning again on its punishing ground attack. Schwark powered in from a yard out to tie it 14-14 before halftime. West Essex nearly reclaimed momentum on a scramble toward the goal line, but a fumble inside the 10 thwarted the drive. The Hilltoppers then marched back downfield with a 50-yard short-catch-and-run that flipped field position before halftime. Still, the teams went into the locker room deadlocked.
Summit grabbed its first lead midway through the third on a 3-yard keeper by Smoragiewicz, capping a grind-it-out drive behind an offensive line that began to wear down West Essex’s front. But the Knights — resilient all afternoon — clawed back in the fourth. Long connected with Michael Lozito for an 18-yard touchdown to tie things at 21-21, setting up a furious finish.
Moments later, Schwark ripped through a crease for a 37-yard score, his third touchdown of the game, swinging momentum once more. But Long refused to fold — the dual-threat senior engineered a nine-yard rushing TD with under three minutes to play, knotting it again at 28-28.
With the score tied and tension mounting, West Essex appeared to seize control when Anthony Conforti intercepted a pass deep in the red zone — but the play was negated by a penalty, keeping Summit alive. On the very next snap, Schwark broke loose again, setting up the Hilltoppers in scoring range.
That sequence flipped the game. As the final seconds ticked down, Smoragiewicz trotted on for a 34-yard attempt, the season hanging in the balance. The junior drilled it, his fourth made kick of the day, sending Summit to the championship with a walk-off win.
After the game we spoke with Cooper: "I was nervous with the win on the line, but my field goal team and I were prepared and had practiced these a ton of times. The offense got us into a good spot in the middle but I still felt the pressure. I knew I had to block it out and took some deep breaths. Making the kick meant the world because you get another week to play and have fun with your team."
Summit lives on another week and they will get their chance to snatch a sectional title as the Hilltoppers get ready to play West Morris next week!