The game, however, was an afterthought to the concern that weighed on everyone’s mind.

 

Highland senior special teamer Kory Wiita remains hospitalized with no feeling below his chest after suffering an injury in the season finale last week against Cloverleaf. Both teams and bands wore Kory’s No. 32 on their uniforms in support of his battle.

 

The Hornets (6-5) were not only playing against Howland (10-1), but they were fighting for their fallen teammate as well and after the game those emotions spilled over.   

      

A passionate coach Tom Lombardo addressed his team and told them, “Football is a microcosm of life, really, and we still have another game left to play -- and we are going to battle as hard for Kory as we did tonight."

 

The game turned on the very first series as Highland punter Aaron Maslowski, on a fourth-and-2 from his own 43, slipped to a knee and turned the ball over at the 33.

 

Howland senior Mike Mangiarelli found the end zone with a 33-yard touchdown run on the next play with 9:31 left in the first quarter to put Howland up 7-0. Mangiarelli led Howland with 202 yards on 17 carries and three touchdowns. 

 

Howland then went on an 11-play, 98-yard drive to go up 14-0 capped by a 36-yard catch and run from Matt Preston to Matt Chambers with 6:56 left in the first half. After a Highland punt, Mangiarelli scored his second touchdown of the evening on a 26-yard run to put Howland up 20-0.

 

The emotional Hornets had second thoughts as they took the ensuing kickoff and drove 61 yards in less than two minutes. Maslowski, running out of the Wildcat formation all evening, scored on a 2-yard run with 38 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Hornets some much needed momentum going into halftime.

 

They then perfectly executed an onside kick to start the second half and scored on a 14-play, 49-yard drive, culminated by a Maslowski 1-yard run. Martin Nesic’s extra point cut the lead to 20-14 with 5:17 left in the third.

 

After the teams traded punts, Highland fumbled the ball away on its 34 with 9:18 left in the game. Mangiarelli later scored his third touchdown on a 24-yard run around right end. A two-point conversion pass from Preston to Chambers made the score 28-14.

 

Highland mounted one more comeback, scoring with 1:16 remaining on a Maslowski 2-yard run to cut the score to 28-21. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by Howland and after a punt, a last=ditch pass from Maslowski was intercepted by Mangiarelli to seal the outcome. 

 

Highland was led by Maslowski, who rushed for 87 yards on 24 carries with three touchdowns. Quarterback Jerry Scholle, who played with a broken throwing hand, had 56 yards on seven carries, while Tyler Phillips added 50 yards on 14 carries. 

 

“Give them credit, they ran the ball well tonight and they are a solid team, and I wish them well,” Lombardo said of Howland.

 

“We got off on the wrong foot when the punter went down on a knee and they got position and a quick score which jolted our confidence a little, but we got it back and it was a hard-fought game. I couldn’t be any more proud of our kids, the way they played under the circumstances with not having a quarterback and all.”

                                    1                      2                      3                      4                      F

Highland                     0                      7                      7                      7                      21

Howland                     7                      13                    0                      8                      28

 

1^st        Mangiarelli      33 yard TD run (McCleam kick)

2^nd        Chambers       36 yard pass from Preston (McCleam kick)

2^nd        Mangiarelli      26 yard TD run (Kick blocked)

2^nd        Maslowski       2 yard TD run (Nesic kick)

3^rd        Maslowski       2 yard TD run (Nesic kick)

4^th        Mangiarelli      24 yard TD run (Chambers pass from Preston)

4^th        Maslowski       3 yard TD run (Nesic kick)

 

Maslowski       24-87 yards, 3 TD

Scholle           7-76 yards

Phillips            14-50 yards

 

Mangiarelli      17-202 yards, 3 TD

Smith               21-103 yards

Neilan              2-5 yards

 

Petrella            5-9, 38 yards

Maslowski       0-1, INT

 

Preston            1-3, 36 yards, TD

 

Kronenberger 1-25 yards

Maslowski       5-19 yards

 

Chambers        1-36 yards, TD