Chatham D Dominates Mount Olive

It started with Will Richie and Yuki Stevenson stuffing Mount Olive on fourth-and-one early in the game.

Then it continued. On and on. 

It never stopped.

Wave after wave, the Chatham defense pushed Mount Olive around.

And now the Chatham Cougars are one win away from the first sectional championship in school history.

Chatham’s defense was overwhelming in a 31-7 win. The Marauders could manage only 60 yards rushing. Chatham totaled six sacks and nine tackles for loss.

“It was,” coach Evan Picariello said, “a good win for us.”

That’s six straight wins for the Cougars, who last made the sectional finals in 2016 and 2005. 

Chatham will travel to top-seeded Middletown North Friday night.

It’s hard to believe this is the same team that was 2-3 after five games, the fifth game being a 28-7 home drubbing against West Morris on Sept. 26.

That sure seems like a long, long time ago.

Chatham hasn’t lost since, with wins over Roxbury (7-3), Mendham (34-17), Weequahic (28-0), Morris Knolls (28-21, one week after Knolls obliterated Immaculata, 57-15), Montgomery in the first round of the playoffs (41-20, Chatham was up 35-0 at the half), and the Mount Olive win.

In the early going against Mount Olive, Chatham stopped the Marauders on fourth-and-1 at the Olive 30 for no gain. Five plays later, QB Ryan Hogan ran in from 1 yard out and Pat Walsh made the first of his four PATs to make it 7-0. 

“The momentum swing, getting the stop, punching it in early, we were off to a good start but we had to keep it going, settle in and play our game,” Picariello said.

Settle in they did.

Later on in the first quarter, Hogan hit Milo Semioli with a 19-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0.

The rout was on.

Hogan added an 8-yard run in the second quarter and hit Nick Lagunowich with an 18-yard touchdown pass. Walsh booted a 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

Life is good for the Cougars, who are trying to win the school’s first sectional title since Chatham Boro merged with Chatham Township in 1989.

The team struggled in the early going because young players were trying to fit into varsity, hence the 2-3 kickoff to the season.

“Early on, we lost a good senior group and we were inexperienced,” Picariello said. “We had a lot of guys who were starters on the JV a year ago. We were definitely a different team from the beginning of this season, and playing the schedule we have played had made us battled-tested against the likes of Knolls, Mount Olive, West Morris, West Essex, Roxbury. Those schools are always physical and with great traditions.”

Some of the leaders against Mount Olive were Colby Stratemeier (7 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 ½ tackles for loss), Richie (8 tackles, 1 sack, ½ TFL), Stevenson (6 tackles, ½ TFL), George Pijut (6 tackles, ½ sac. ½ TFL), and Charlie Stanley (6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL). 

Quinn Dunphy had an interception.

Richie set the school’s single-season record for tackles with 109.

The Cougars won handily even though Pijut had what was, for him, a quiet afternoon. He has 68 tackles (7 sacks, 18 TFL) on the season. 

“George was on the freshman team last year,” Picariello said. “We brought him up to varsity for our playoff game and our scout team couldn’t handle him. So I knew he had a high motor. He gets to the football.”

Hogan, arguably the best QB in Morris County, was 15 for 20 for 169 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 30 yards and two TDs. 

“Hogan played fantastic offensively,” Picariello said. “Any time we are in trouble, he extends plays. He does a lot of things well, but his greatest asset is he has the ability to extend every single play.”

Lagunowich, meanwhile, is probably the best receiver in Morris County and he caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. Semioli had three catches for 56 yards.

“Lagunowich is a mainstay in our offense when he is healthy,” Picariello said. “He is very dynamic and explosive. Milo as a junior is one of the better juniors I have ever coached for a two-way player. He is fantastic on both sides of the ball.”

Chatham finds itself the last Morris County team standing in 2026.

Five games into 2026, who would have thought that possible? 

“It feels good to be in this position,” Picariello said. “We are playing good football down the stretch. There are some really good teams in Morris County and we happen to still be alive.”

Alive and kicking. Middletown North awaits.