By HANK GREENBERG
Special to Montclair Local
The aftereffects of Hurricane Ian could be felt in Montclair on Saturday.
There was a light rain and a chill in the air. Everything, from the sky to Montclair Kimberley Academy’s uniforms, was gray.
Yet the spirits of the Cougars were undeterred by the inclement weather as they cruised to a 26-14 victory over the Dalton School Tigers. The win improved MKA’s record to 3-2.
While head coach Anthony Rea was proud of his team’s performance, he knows it can play better.
“We have to keep getting better because it could’ve been even better on the scoreboard,” Rea said. “No matter what just happened on the play before, you gotta go on to the next play. We basically gave them a couple touchdowns.”
It was a big day for Cougars senior running back and captain Nic Lembo across the board. He made 10 tackles on defense, ran for 200 yards and scored three touchdowns.
The most exciting sequence of the game came at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Up by only six points, 20-14, MKA was looking to close out the game with one more successful drive. Deep in their own territory, the Cougars called a run for Lembo.
He bowled through Dalton’s defense for an apparent 66-yard touchdown. The celebrations were loud but short-lived, as the Cougars were called for an offensive holding penalty.
Now, the Cougars were farther into their own territory, and the odds of scoring on this drive looked lower than before. But a momentary pause in the rain allowed MKA to break out its passing game for the second time that afternoon. Senior quarterback Jordan Fishback dropped back and threw a bomb to freshman wide receiver Nate Chou, who had created separation from his defender along the sideline.
Chou caught the ball and ran for a good distance before being tackled on Dalton’s nine-yard line. It was a 57-yard gain for the Cougars.
Even though he made the longest play of the day, Chou voiced a team-first mentality. “We came out in the second half as a team and played very well, but now I am super-excited for Horace Mann,” Chou said about the Saturday, Oct. 8, contest in the Bronx. “There’s another week of work, and I’m ready to get back at it.”
Lembo would go on to score a nine-yard rushing touchdown on the next play, one of his three on the day.
The team’s other touchdown was scored by Fishback, who along with his score ran for 93 yards and converted a two-point attempt. Sophomore linebacker Nate Conforti was also a team leader, as he had 10 tackles of his own.
The most impressive aspect of MKA’s performance was its defense. In the second half, Dalton was held scoreless. In the first half, Dalton’s two touchdowns were scored in unconventional ways.
On the first, on one of Dalton’s first passing attempts, MKA’s secondary positioned itself perfectly for an interception. But the football bounced off the Montclair Kimberley defender’s arms into the hands of Dalton tight end Jose Tolosa, who was then able to break free for a touchdown.
A little later, the Cougars dropped a punt, which allowed the Tigers to start a drive from MKA’s 35-yard line. The dropped punt was the only turnover of the game. Dalton wide receiver Ryan Hale scored his team’s second touchdown.
The dreary weather and high winds made special teams a challenge for both sides. MKA blocked a field goal on its first defensive stand. After the Cougars’ final score, they had their extra point blocked by Dalton.
After the win, Rea’s focus was already on the next matchup at Horace Mann.
“We want to keep going and keep the momentum,” the coach said. “There are no breaks. There are no days off. We have to continue to get better and get healthy.”
After taking on Horace Mann, the Cougars have
another away game, at Pingry. The season finale will be at home versus Newark Academy.