Dwight-Morrow head coach Joe Hoyle didn’t think there was any added pressure with his team facing a win and in position to advance to the state playoffs on Saturday. Indeed, after a difficult start to the season, the Maroon Raiders have been in playoff mode for a month now.

With dynamic QB Damani Williams leading the way, Dwight-Morrow’s playoff push continued with a 54-42 victory over Glen Ridge at Hurrell Field in Glen Ridge.

Williams ran for 300 yards and five touchdowns on 20 carries. The senior also completed 10 of 19 passes for 130 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

The victory, Dwight-Morrow’s fifth in a row, earned him a spot in one of North Jersey’s Group 3 sections. The Maroon Raiders (5-2-1), who haven’t made the state tournament since 2017, entered the weekend with the 16th and final spot in the North, Group 3 United Power Rankings.

Dwight-Morrow spent the previous four seasons in the Ivy Divisions of the Super Football Conference, which meant he was ineligible for the state tournament.

“It means a lot. It was something we had to prove to ourselves and, believe it or not, we had to prove to our city that last year (when we went 8-1) was not a coincidence,” Hoyle said. “Now we’re back in the state tournament and now we’re legit and we feel good. These young men should feel satisfied with this accomplishment. It was huge for the morale of these children.

Hoyle admits there were “a lot of hiccups and a lot of distractions” early on when the Maroon Raiders started the season 0-2-1, prompting a team meeting.

They haven’t lost since, averaging 40.8 points per game during that five-game winning streak. Leading those offensive fireworks was Williams, who had his fifth straight game with two or more TD passes and his fourth straight game with at least 100 yards and a rushing TD.

The last three games in particular have been some of his best work. Williams threw for 375 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs in an Oct. 11 victory over Lincoln. Then, seven days later, he ran for a career-high 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-18 victory at Mahwah.

On Saturday, he set a career high with five rushing scores and another 300 rushing yards.

“He’s a guy who leads by example. He’s very calm, but when bad things happen, he stays calm and gets through it. I think it becomes contagious with the rest of the guys,” Hoyle said. “He’s our leader, we follow his example and it works.”

Teammate Maurice Williams had seven catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding a 66-yard rushing touchdown. Amari Roots and Sakai Maxwell added 56 and 40 rushing yards, respectively, for Dwight-Morrow, who totaled 528 yards as a team.

Glen Ridge, which entered the weekend ranked seventh in the North Jersey Group 1 United Power standings, falls to 4-4.

Hoyle and the Maroon Raiders know they will be big underdogs against whoever they face next week in the first round. But with plenty of experience dealing with outside doubt, Hoyle doesn’t think it will faze them.

“We know we’ll usually be picked to lose a game,” Hoyle said. “So let’s go out and do what we do every week and try to prove everyone wrong.”

The NJ High School Sports newsletter now appears in mailboxes 5 days a week. Register now!

Follow us on social media: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)