Metuchen gives thanks to a selfless senior in win over Highland Park

The conversation between an unselfish senior and a rookie head coach took place before the start of the season in which the mentor asked a backup quarterback if he would be willing to play offensive guard for the better of the team.

The selfless upperclassman, Chris Ahumada, graciously agreed to make the position change, a generous act for which he was rewarded with an opportunity to score a touchdown in the Metuchen High School football team’s 41-8 drubbing of undermanned Highland Park on Thursday.

With the victory, Metuchen (2-8), which has won four of the last five meetings between the schools, now trails 61-21-1 in a Thanksgiving Day series that dates back to 1937.

The opportunity for Ahumada to return to his natural position became available after starting signal caller Will Hronich, who passed for 1,013 yards, broke his foot earlier this month.

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“After Will got hurt, we talked about it as a coaching staff, and I said, ‘I’m going to give Chris a shot (at quarterback) for everything he did for us when we didn’t have the guys (to play up front),’” Metuchen head coach Mike Warnock explained. “I gave him the chance and I promised him I would do everything in my power to get him into the end zone today, and so that’s why at the end of the half I called his number.”

Before calling Ahumada’s number, Warnock actually had to call a timeout with three seconds left in the second quarter and Metuchen already owning a 34-0 lead with the ball resting on the 2 yard line.

Those unfamiliar with the backstory may have suspected Warnock was trying to add insult to injury to a valiant Highland Park (0-10) team that took the field with just 17 healthy players. Warnock, who spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant with the Owls and who has the utmost respect for their players and staff, clearly had one single-minded good intention.

“I said, ‘Listen, you have one shot,’” Warnock recalled of his conversation with Ahumada during the time out. “‘You’re not going back (onto the field) in the second half. We are going to get the young kids in there. You have one chance. Make the most of it.”

Ahumada followed his blockers and barreled through the heart of Highland Park’s defensive line for a touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a 41-0 lead. He relinquished the quarterback position to freshman Jacob Lepinski, who directed Metuchen’s offense with a running clock in the second half.

“Being able to score today and put points on that board and help my teammates out was amazing,” said Ahumada, who missed the second half of last season after breaking his ankle. “I can’t thank Coach Warnock more for giving me the opportunity to do that. I never scored a varsity touchdown. My freshman year (as a backup quarterback to Jake Lebovits) I had the opportunity but I got stopped at the 1-yard line.”

At 5-foot-6 and 190 pounds, Ahumada is built more like a linebacker, a position which he plays on defense, than a quarterback. The senior, however, displayed excellent athleticism that belied his fireplug frame.

Ahumada completed a 23-yard pass to set up a score, rushed seven times and made his life easy handing the ball off to junior running back Jaden Rojas, who amassed 206 rushing yards on 11 carries. Rojas scored on runs of 62, 47 and 22 yards. Sophomore Andrew Sullivan returned a fumbled kickoff 7 yards for a touchdown and Dan Kindler scored on a 3-yard run.

Warnock said Ahumada, who had not played on the offensive line since Pop Warner, was “a little nervous at first” about playing guard, but ultimately told the coach, “I’m going to give you everything I have, and I’m going to try.”

Ahumada said Warnock told him, “I need you to step up and do something you’ve never done before. I need you to play line.” The senior said he did not hesitate about making the position switch.

“I love football, I love my teammates, I love this school and I have respect for Coach Warnock,” he said. “I just took it and did the most I could with it.”

Warnock said Ahumada’s attitude reflects that of the football program’s entire senior class, which features seven upperclassmen.

“I can’t speak enough about Chris and the rest of the seniors as a whole,” Warnock said. “They’re a tremendous group of kids. You always remember your first senior group. I was so proud to be able to work with all those guys.”