Jaylen Robinson rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns to seal the NJ Group 5 championship for Washington Township, defeating Passaic Tech, 31-12.
After a few years of coming up short and plenty of frustration, the Minutemen finally got the job done and are heading back down the Turnpike with a perfect 14-0 season and a trophy in their possession.
“Everybody did their part,” Robinson said. In his final high school game, the senior running back was the clear MVP. “The reason I’m able to run the way I run is because our lineman block the way they block. We all feed off of each other.”
It was a windy afternoon at the Meadowlands. So windy, it seemed like the clock had blown away. The first half of the game was a quick one; it lasted about 45 minutes in real time.
A big reason for that? Penalties. Washington Township’s four penalties and Passaic Tech’s two foreshadowed what was a sloppy product on the field. Because of the mistakes, it made scoring a challenge for both teams. Especially for the Minutemen, who made it all the way to inside the five when a flag sent them backwards. The drive was only good enough for a Luke Sheets field goal.
The Bulldogs would respond with a lengthy, 80-yard touchdown drive from Gabe Miles to Tyson Watkins. The touchdown was the only points Passaic Tech scored until less than two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Despite a fairly quiet first half, business would pick up quickly with an exchange of turnovers in the third quarter. After a Miles interception to Andrew Osborn, Washington Township RB Collin Beeler fumbled on the very first play, giving the ball right back to the Bulldogs.
The Minutemen would finally see the endzone at the 4:38 mark when Robinson ran it in for the 26-yard score. After multiple penalties and endless frustration, things were starting to click.
On the next drive, Passaic Tech had communication problems on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs. It ended up being incredibly costly, as Robinson broke free for a monstrous 65-yard touchdown. In roughly five minutes, the score went from 6-3 to 17-6.
The Bulldogs were making mistakes and paying for them. On the next drive after the touchdown run, Miles would throw another interception; this time caught by Elliott Seibert. The Minutemen would once again capitalize and a 20-yard pass from Cole Aquino to Jyair Moore would blow the game wide open, 24-6.
The game was sealed with five minutes left in the fourth by none other than Robinson, who scored his third touchdown on the day on a 12-yard run. It’s safe to say he put the team on his back when it mattered the most.
“He’s amazing,” Aquino said. The senior, who also played in his final High School game, had 55 yards and a touchdown on seven completions in the air while his running back did the rest. “He’s a freak of nature, a special athlete. Having him back there knowing he can make a play no matter what. It’s special.”
The Bulldogs’ last score of the season would come at a time too late for a comeback when Kadir Younge ran for a six-yard score with about two minutes left in the game. The senior totaled 1541 yards and 18 touchdowns on the year, but was ultimately shut down by the Minutemen defense.
This season was years in the making for Washington Township. From a program that had at most 5 wins a year to now 33-6 since 2023, head coach Mike Schatzman thanks the players who recently graduated for creating a path for this year’s team.
“I thought we were ways away from this moment,” Schatzman said. “Those guys in 18, 19, and the covid year really built the foundation and set these guys up for wanting to want to play here [Metlife Stadium] and be a part of this program.”
While the Minutemen will be celebrating, Passaic Tech is mourning its second state finals loss in three seasons. They will have to wait until next season to try again at the Group 5 title.
