Zach Lemanski returns from injury, leads West Essex to N2G3 title

West Essex quarterback Zach Lemanski thought his season was over after he broke his hip on Oct. 28. But after weeks of physical therapy and healing, doctors told him that he was healthy enough to play Saturday for a state title.

"I honestly didn't think I was coming back for the rest of the season," Lemanski said. "But the doctor said I healed like Superman."

Lemanski didn't just heal like a super hero, he played like one against Voorhees. The junior threw four touchdown passes to carry West Essex in a 28-14 victory over Voorhees in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 final for the program's first title since 2012.

"He showed me what it takes to be a leader," said Will Perez, who caught two touchdowns from Lemanski on top of 112 rushing yards. "He sat out, he thought his season was over, but he came back and fought like nobody I've ever seen before. He' a fighter, he's a hard worker and he does what it takes to win."

Lemanski finished 5-of-7 for 160 yards and four touchdowns. On his first pass of the game, he found a wide open Perez for a 64-yard touchdown pass that put the Knights up, 7-0, early in the first quarter.

"I was a little iffy, but I was confident in myself and I have been all year," Lemanski said. "When I make a play like that on my first pass back after four weeks, I knew it was going to be special."

After both defenses took turns making stops, Lemanski helped the Knights break out for another touchdown when he lofted a perfect touch pass to Vincent Scaglia for a 25-yard touchdown early in the second quarter that made it 14-0, West Essex.

Voorhees' offense hadn't done much for most of the first half before George Eberle helped execute the Vikings' first consistent drive of the game late in the second quarter, and capped off the march with a 1-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper that cut the West Essex lead to 14-7.

Eberle finished with 87 rushing yards and a touchdown to go with a passing touchdown.

"I told Eberle at the end of the game, he's one of the better players that we played all year," West Essex coach Chris Benacquista said. "We game-planned to stop him, you want to take away a team's best player and he's clearly their best player. We wanted to make sure that we would allow him to scramble and get some yardage, but we wanted to cover deep."

Jack McCabe grabbed a fumble for Voorhees three players after that touchdown, but West Essex got the ball right back on the next play when Luke Dignazio grabbed an interception.

Lemanski's domination continued after halftime. On just the fourth play of the second half, Lemanski struck once again. He lofted a pass to Phil Lutz that went 46 yards for another touchdown.

West Essex was in complete control late, and the score reflected that when Lemanski once again found Perez for a 21-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Eberle followed it up with a 38-yard touchdown pass to McCabe, but the Knights' first title since 2012 was firmly in their grasp at that point.

"This was billed a rebuild by some people outside of the program," Benacquista said. "But just because we're young doesn't mean we can't be talented and successful. Our junior class and our sophomore class are loaded, our senior class, even though they're small in numbers, the guys that play are great and the team just meshed together. I knew we could be good, I'd probably be lying if I told you I believed we'd be here right now. But the team just keeps getting better."

Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook.