MHS coach Ed Lebida has a lot of respect for the Knights. "They have improved and are not that bad of a team. Don’t let the scores in their previous games fool you. They are going to come to play," he said.

Despite the talent of Bergen Tech, the Montclair offense was the story of the first half. On the second play of the game, running back Landon Crawford took a handoff from quarterback Luke Iovine and ran 89 yards for a touchdown. Drew Jenkins highlighted the next tally with an 82-yard kickoff return, setting up Karee Jeffrey’s eight-yard TD reception from Iovine. Following a PAT from Arman Walia, Montclair led, 14-6.

Wide receiver Kyle Gayle followed suit in demonstrating the Mounties’ ability to gain big chunks of yardage on a single play when Iovine connected with Gayle for a 60-yard touchdown reception.

Jenkins was also instrumental in setting up Montclair’s final touchdown of the first half. It was third down at the 34-yard line for the Mounties when Iovine found the trusty hands of Jenkins at the one-yard line. The completion required skill, focus and determination as Jenkins had to fend off a Bergen Tech defender in the air for the ball. Crawford completed the drive for Montclair on a three-yard touchdown jaunt.

For MHS, the offensive numbers were impressive. Crawford rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and the team totaled 190 yards on 30 carries.

Gayle led the Mountie receivers with 171 yards on three receptions. Iovine completed six of 12 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns.

A DISPLAY OF CHARACTER 

With Montclair up 28-6 at the start of the third quarter, the Knights were aided by a few costly Mountie penalties. During the opening kickoff of the second half, MHS was called for a 15-yard penalty on a late hit. That put the Knights at their own 36-yard line. After a 13-play drive, the Knights were on the Montclair 3, hungry for a touchdown.

The Knights ran the ball four times, and each attempt was overpowered by the Mountie defense. On fourth and goal, quarterback Justin Farhat carried the ball near the end zone, only to be met with a fierce hit from Christian Dorsey and Deon Robinson. Farhat fumbled, and Marquis Staton recovered on the one-yard line.

The character test for the MHS had only begun. After another dramatic goal-line stand in the fourth quarter, Montclair’s offense went back to work, displaying its explosive first-half form. Iovine connected with Gayle for a 99-yard touchdown pass on the opening play of the drive.

After the two goal-line stops, the MHS defense feasted on the Bergen Tech offense for the rest of the second half. Farhat was continually forced out of the pocket in the first half, rarely having a chance to get into a rhythm. The defensive pressure paid off for the Mounties as Richard Scott and Chase Starks each sacked the Tech quarterback. Davon Blutcher also had an interception.

Mountie Notebook: The Mounties enter their bye week with a 3-0 record. It is the first time since 2001 that Montclair has gone undefeated in its first three games.

One of the challenges for the team going forward is to reduce the amount of penalties it commits. Lebida commented on the team’s performance thus far, "We are an inexperienced, young team, and I am satisfied with our start, outside of the penalties."

Against Bergen Tech, Montclair committed nine fouls for a total of 78 yards.

Following a bye this weekend, Montclair will travel to Ramsey to play national power Don Bosco Prep on Oct. 10. The Ironmen defeated De La Salle of California, 23-21, this past Saturday. De La Salle was ranked No. 2 by the USA Today before its matchup with the Ironmen.

The next two weeks will be vital for the Mounties. The team has been battling minor injuries, and Lebida is looking forward to making the bye week a productive one. "We are going to go back to basics and start like it was the first practice of the season by focusing on the fundamentals," he said.