Hasbrouck Heights football stuns Butler to shake up NJIC playoff race

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS — Matt Samperi provided the spark. Nick Haines supplied the firepower. Together, they helped Hasbrouck Heights shake up the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic Conference playoff race.The Aviators, ranked No. 12 in the latest North Jersey Public Super 20, delivered one of the program’s biggest victories in recent memory on Friday Oct. 2, knocking off two-time defending NJIC champion and No. 5-ranked Butler, 30-27 at Depken Field.

The victory not only snapped Butler’s grip atop the conference, but also thrust Hasbrouck Heights squarely into the championship conversation when the NJIC playoffs get underway in two weeks.

Samperi ignited the Aviators with a series of momentum-changing plays on defense, while Haines accounted for key offensive production as Hasbrouck Heights overcame the Bulldogs in a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final minutes.

Samperi’s tackle in the end zone for a safety early in the third quarter pulled Hasbrouck Heights within 14-8 and shifted the momentum. Haines then took over, scoring on a 13-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes of the third quarter before electrifying the home crowd with a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown early in the fourth, giving the Aviators the lead for good.

The win marked Heights’ first victory over Butler since 2019 and improved the Aviators to 4-2, while the Bulldogs fell to 5-1.