The rain came down steadily at Caruso Stadium last Saturday (Oct. 11), but it did not hinder Morris Knolls (3-4) or its offense in a 43-14 victory over the visiting Clifton Mustangs (0-6). Behind senior Jaylin Jones’ 4-touchdown performance, the Golden Eagles were able to get the bounce-back win they were looking for.
Knolls entered the matchup following back-to-back losses, including their 42-21 home defeat against Mount Olive. Clifton struggled all season, and things continued to spiral after a 44-15 road loss to the Bayonne Bees. Senior Day ceremonies took place before the game, providing some extra energy for the veteran leaders of the team, who were determined to set the tone immediately.
Clifton received the opening kickoff to start the game. Through their first two plays, they were not getting far on their opening drive. That continued on third down. Senior Timothy Wiedman broke through the line, driving down running back Euriel Watt behind the line. Clifton sent out the punt team, ending their opening drive. The Mustangs’ special teams did not do the defense any favors, however, as a poor punt gave Knolls the ball around the 40-yard line. From there, it did not take long for the Golden Eagles to get on the board. On a quick play from the Clifton 41, Jones took a handoff down the field for a 41-yard touchdown. That would not be Knolls’ only points of the half — on their next drive, it was Nick Wong taking the handoff. After jetting through blocked defenders, he came in to score, and suddenly it was 14-0. Clifton got the ball back, and on their steady march downfield, sophomore quarterback Ryan Cisco knew it was time to make a splash. And a big splash it was, as he launched a 37-yard pass to receiver Jayden Mouzone. Though the 2-point attempt failed, it made it a one-score game.
That would be the closest Clifton would come to the Knolls lead. Knolls opened up their second-quarter drive with QB Gavin Toland taking the ball himself and driving to the 27. Following another first down and a stuffed run, it was 2nd and 12. Toland pitched it to Jones, who slipped to the right sideline, zooming past defenders and finding paydirt once again. Add the PAT, and it was 21-6.
Knolls kept its foot on the gas. The defense forced another punt, and when the Golden Eagles offense faced 4th and 2 near midfield, Head Coach Brian Gallagher made the call to go for it — a gamble that paid off in full. Jones took the handoff and found daylight on the edge. One man to beat, and junior Anthony Evaristo took care of it with a big block. It allowed Jones to have a wide-open field and finish the 55-yard sprint for his third touchdown, stretching the lead to 28–6 right before the half. Clifton would have enough time for one last drive before the break. With 3 seconds left, Cisco elected to throw. The ball was overthrown, right into the hands of Jaylin Jones, who came down with it. After juking out the receiver, he rushed downfield, trying to outrun junior Euriel Watt for the pick-6. Watt caught up to Jones, and the rest of the Clifton offense did so with him, with the interception only getting back to the 20.
One might have expected Knolls to come out sluggish after halftime, but that could not have been further from the truth. On the opening kickoff, the ball bounced at the 8 before being fielded by Jaylin Jones, who followed his blockers and exploded upfield. With a burst of speed and a slick move past the kicker, Jones found nothing but daylight ahead, capping off a 92-yard kickoff return touchdown.
At that point, the game had officially entered blowout territory — if it had not already. Clifton tried to bounce back and keep things close, but when you are down 35-6, that is hard to do. Knolls’ defense forced another punt, and Nick Wong had the return. Wong brought it all the way back to the Clifton 35, setting up the offense with incredible field position. Knolls easily marched 34 of the 35 yards, led by senior Kian Lago. Lago set up his one-yard touchdown run with an impressive 12-yard gain on the play prior. After the PAT, it was 41-6 Knolls.
Clifton’s offense came back out, and though down big, they still pushed, driving downfield. But at the Knolls 19, that drive was in danger. On 3rd and 3, Cisco looked to pass. To the end zone, he looked for Mouzone again. Knolls DB Adam Laws got his hands on it, and it looked like it was going to be incomplete, but Mouzone was able to extend and grab the ball while falling, scoring his second touchdown. After a successful 2-point conversion, it was 41-14. Clifton would desperately attempt an onside kick, but Wiedman was there to recover it. That would be the final play of the third quarter.
Knolls would start the 4th quarter with the ball at their own 49. In garbage time, Gallagher elected to send his backups to close out the game. Knolls would drive to the one-yard line, aided by an Anthony Wagner 12-yard dash. That would be as good as the drive would get when a fumbled snap was recovered by the defense, giving Clifton the ball on their own 3-yard line. Knolls’ defense stood strong, though, allowing only 13 yards before another 4th down arose. Clifton sent out their punt team once again, but a poor snap on the punt forced a safety. Thus, Knolls extended their lead by two, 43-14.
That would be the final play of the game, as the Clifton special teams elected not to kick with a rolling clock. Knolls took the commanding win over a bumbling Clifton squad, who showed some signs of life but just could not keep up with the long runs that Jaylin Jones had.
Of course, the coach was pleased with the win too. “I feel good about the way that we’re improving day by day,” Gallagher said when asked about the improvements the team made. “Guys are starting to come together and care more about one another. I think we’re becoming a better team day by day.”
Knolls ended the day with 0 yards in the air, while Clifton quarterback Kyle Cisco threw for 126 yards. Jaylin Jones powered on the ground, leading the game with 125 rushing yards, and Jayden Mouzone was the game’s leading receiver with 105 receiving yards. Jaylin Jones had the game’s lone interception.
Morris Knolls followed up the win with a 27-13 victory vs Morristown, and enter the final week of the season at home against West Essex (4-3) 10/25.
