It's New Jerseys: No Five Rings for Jacks

Upton O'Good baffles Monetery to turn a rout and top his career

On the New Jerseys first possession, after forcing Monterey to punt, after passing eight yards to all-everything tight end Bud Ugly, quarterback Upton O'Good ran 44 yards for a touchdown. Perhaps it merely set the tone, but despite a stretch in the second half where Monterey appeared they would make a game of it, the Jacks never really recovered. It was O'Good's running that threw the Jacks' defense off the rest of the game, and the quarterback who in college had the greatest single passing season in the history of the SCAB finally claimed a major prize as a pro all these years later mostly because of rushing: the Hyperbowl (his second) and this time the MVP honor.

The Monterey Jacks, previously 4-0 in Hyperbowl appearances while no one else has won four, were thus denied their bid for a fifth LAF crown. And for the third straight year, what was expected to be a showdown looked like a mismatch. It was anticipated that the advantage of the Jacks' wide receivers might set up even more difficulty for the New Jerseys to contain running back Buster Hymen, who led the league in rushing this season, and quarterback Heller Highwater, who'd also had his best season rushing in a long time. Monterey had also showed off a formidable use of their bench in the Western Conference Championship, and that was another advantage over the New Jerseys that caused fears of a less even game.

But it was O'Good who inverted that scheme and ignited the New Jerseys offense, itself so potent up to its previous two playoff games. While 13-time All-East TE Ugly had 7 catches for 82 yards, it was wide receiver Holden DeBagg who led receiving with 9 catches for 118 yards, as O'Good pulled more coverage in on himself and Ugly. DeBagg is credited as the catalyst of the New Jerseys improved offense this season, acquired in an off-season trade, because his relative youth added speed to take opposing cornerbacks or safeties downfield, making Ugly and the running game even more dangerous. RB Juan Moorehead scored four touchdowns in this game, most of them short near the goal line to finish off drives, but his 38-yarder in the 4th quarter busted the game open again, just as O'Good did in the 1st, squelching a rally by Monterey.

The Jacks answered the first TD with a field goal after intercepting O'Good. But the New Jerseys came right back on the next possession and scored again, with O'Good scrambling to avoid a sack and then advancing 34 yards. He connected with Ugly on a 28-yard strike to the Monterey 7-yard line, and Moorehead carried it in from there two plays later. The Jacks showed all the signs of bewilderment with the problem of containing O'Good.

The New Jerseys had another fierce drive in the 2nd quarter, with an O'Good run again the big play, 26 yards to the Jacks' 32. On the next play he connected with WR Shelby Cummin-Roundemounten for 21 yards. But the drive stalled inside the 10, and the New Jerseys took the field goal, a 23-yarder by Franco File, to extend the two-TD lead. The Jacks intercepted O'Good again just before the half, and it was New Jerseys 17-3 at halftime.

O'Good took the New Jerseys down the field with the pass on the opening drive of the second half, his running having set that up. He had one run of 4 yards, just to keep up the guessing. The big play was a 22-yard pass to DeBagg, and O'Good completed 6 of 7 passes on the drive. Moorehead capped it from 4 yards, and opened up a 24-3 lead.

At this point it looked like a real rout, as if the Jacks would never get in it. But thanks to a New Jersey gaff, the Jacks got back into it, and looked like they'd make it a thriller in the 4th. The New Jerseys botched a punt that turned possession over at their own 26. The Jacks made quick work of it, with a 20-yard pass from Highwater to WR Ira Fuse. After a 5-yard run by RB Tex Avvy, Monterey brought in backup QB Jackson Kings, who scored on the next play, a quick draw.

Forcing the New Jerseys to punt again after just three plays, the Jacks came back with Kings at the helm. He threw to TE Bud Suck for a 24-yard gain. On the next play, Kings was dropped for 3-yard loss on a called running play, and left the field. Highwater came back on and promptly connected with WR Rufus Sonfire for 31 yards to the New Jerseys 6. Highwater ran to the 1 on the next play, then threw to Sonfire for a TD. Suddenly it was 24-17 in the 4th quarter, and Monterey seemed to have momentum. It wasn't known whether Highwater had been pulled for Kings for good and then Kings had been hurt.

That's when the New Jerseys answered, particularly with Moorehead, to stamp out the rally, hopes of a close game and Monterey's Hyperbowl perfection. After another run from O'Good to deflate the Jacks, an 18-yarder again on a scramble to thwart a sack, that put the New Jerseys at the Monterey 38 it was a run by Moorehead that served as the 1-2-3 punch, scoring from there.

Hymen tried to keep Monterey in it on the next drive, with runs of 18 and 12 yards, but with a 3rd down and six at their own 43, Highwater was sacked for 13 yard loss. Highwater had been sacked for 13 in the first half, as well, his inability either to run or pass against the New Jerseys possibly leading to his being pulled for Kings.

The New Jerseys got the ball back on their 20, after the punt to the end zone, and to add insult to injury, used a sort of supporting cast to apparently burn the clock. After RB Hyam D. Wahlroos carried for 2 yards, RB Holland Day-Sauce came off the bench and carried for 6. Day-Sauce had been the brunt of criticism when Moorehead missed three weeks with injury in the middle of the season and the New Jerseys lost all three games. After Monterey's bench did so much in the Western final, the New Jersey's supposed weak bench was cause for concern.

But after Cummin-Roundemounten carried for 4 yards on a reverse attempt, Day-Sauce broke a 15-yard run. Then Wahlroos, second fiddle to Moorehead, but by no means second-team, rumbled 24 yards to the Monterey 22. After DeBagg was caught for a 2-yard loss on another reverse play, O'Good went back to him on a pass, good for 20 yards to the 4. Moorehead scored his 4th TD two plays later from two yards out.

The New Jerseys held Highwater to 14 completions of 26 attempts and 167 yards passing, and Fuse to just 5 catches for 45 yards. The New Jerseys claim their second Hyperbowl, after 2008, in four attempts for the franchise. They lost a repeat attempt in 2009, and the 1981 Hyperbowl as the Jackson Hounds.