By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
@tortreports on Instagram
btortreportssj@gmail.com
WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP —Robbie O’Connor had two weeks to sit on one of Millville’s most upsetting losses in recent memory when the Thunderbolts dropped a 19-point decision against Washington Township in Week 1.
Playing with the flu and a high fever, that contest certainly didn’t go the way he wanted — and that’s reasonable.
But Friday night in Woolwich Township was a chance for O’Connor and the rest of the Thunderbolts to redeem themselves, and they sure did.
O’Connor threw two touchdown passes as Millville earned a 30-19 victory over host Kingsway Regional in a West Jersey Football League American Division matchup.
“It’s awesome,” he said of the rebounding win. “We had a bye week between Township and now, so we had to sit on it for two weeks and we knew we had to come out here with the right mindset and get it done.
“As soon as I started feeling better, I knew I couldn’t have another game like that. That’s just not me.”
O’Connor found Jaden Days for a touchdown early in the second quarter to give Millville its first lead — and one the Thunderbolts would not relinquish. He also found Reginald Holley in the end zone in the third quarter as the Bolts (2-1, 1-1 WJFL American) took a two-score advantage. Later, Holley effectively put the game away on a direct snap touchdown as Millville pulled out to a 30-11 lead over the Dragons (0-4, 0-2 WJFL American) entering the final quarter.
“That’s what Robbie does,” Millville coach Humberto Ayala said. “I’m not trying to make any excuses, but (two weeks ago) he had the flu and had a 101 fever going into the game. When you have your main guy out like that, it hurts. When you have Robbie at full health and full strength, this is what he does.
“We came off the bye week ready to play after having a sour taste in our mouths. We have to play better. We did what we were supposed to do offensively, but we should’ve been able to close the game out in the fourth quarter. At the end of the day, it’s a win. But our schedule doesn’t get much easier and we have to be better in those big moments.”
Ayala couldn’t have said it better. The Thunderbolts were scoreless in the fourth quarter with several penalties that held them back, and the defense allowed Kingsway to get some momentum with a touchdown early in the fourth.
Nonetheless, a win is still a win. Millville now turns its attention to St. Augustine next week in a huge prove-it matchup. The Hermits host Winslow in a huge game on Saturday at 6 p.m. this weekend
“That bye week hit me hard. I was doing a lot of thinking and preparation for this week,” Holley said. “We were supposed to put more than 30 points up on them, but we had a little adversity in the beginning.
“Right now, it’s time to get ready for Prep next week.”
Kingsway won the South Jersey Group 5 sectional title a year ago. The Dragons lost numerous seniors to graduation and are trying to figure things out while playing a brutal schedule. They still have yet to face other ranked teams including Washington Township, Atlantic City, St. Augustine and Camden.
“I think our kids are battle tested,” Kingsway coach Mark Hendricks said. “You won’t fully know how good we are by the wins and the losses. The team is improving. It was good to see our players really fight hard. Our kids are gritty and competitive. They love the challenge.
“We’ve faced some of the top teams in South Jersey, so there’s nothing we haven’t seen. We have to continue to improve on the little things we need to do right both offensively and defensively and win some battles so we can try to win a game.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Millville hosts St. Augustine Prep on Friday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. Kingsway Regional hosts Washington Township on Friday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m.
