Sparta - When the gridiron campaign commenced in September, all 10 local teams had rosters full of optimistic student/athletes whose dreams were to reach the post-season playoffs and capture a sectional crown. Following a nine-game regular season schedule and two rounds of post-season confrontations, there are two SCIL teams remaining and one thing is for certain - the league will produce the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group II champion. Hopatcong and Sparta won the right to play each other at Rutgers Stadium, while Pope John and Vernon had their seasons come to a close over the weekend. The Chiefs will battle the Spartans on the same field where the Scarlet Knights clash with their BIG EAST opponents and other major NCAA Division I foes with the kickoff set for 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 3. Sparta head coach Rob Ambrosino cemented his claim to the “Coaches’ Gutsy Call of the Year” when he opted to go for a two-point conversion with 1:36 remaining on the game clock rather than kicking an extra point to tie the game. When quarterback Tyler Rosse completed pass to Danny D’Angelo, the Spartans pulled out a 15-14 win over over previously unbeaten Pascack Valley of the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League on Saturday afternoon in Hillsdale. Reese set the stage for the pivotal conversion call by tossing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Russ Mastriani as the Spartans rallied from a 14-7 deficit in the final two minutes. Trailing 6-0 at the intermission, Sparta got on the board in the third quarter when the Spartans took optimum advantage of a PV turnover by recovering a fumble. On the next play, D’Angelo hooked up with Derrick Freligh on a 33-yard option pass for a touchdown, and when Alexander Bortnichak booted the extra point, Sparta led 7-6. The Indians from Bergen County rallied to regain the lead at 14-7 entering the fourth quarter, but the Spartans came back to keep alive their hopes of duplication their 2003 sectional success. Hopatcong defeated Westwood of the Bergen County Scholastic League - American Division by a score of 19-8 after trailing 8-6 at the end of the opening quarter. Junior Joe Martinek continued his quest to not only propel the Chiefs to their first-ever sectional crown but also to close in on the New Jersey all-time career rushing record as he touched the pigskin 27 times, churning out 169 yards while scoring a pair of six-pointers on runs of 40 and 11 yards sandwiched around a one-yard blast into the end zone by Joe Anthes. Vernon’s hopes were extinguished when unbeaten Morris Knolls defeated the Vikings’ 21-7 in Denville. The Gold Eagles of the Iron Hills Conference - Iron Division, moved out to a 14-0 lead in the third quarter before Justin Gannon, who rushed 21 times for 134 yards, found a seam in the Knolls’ “D” unit and broke loose on a 63-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Ryan Anzelone converted the extra point placement. Pope John was no match for the Green Knights of St. Joseph Regional, as the Lions were defeated 56-14 after trailing 42-7 at the halftime break. Junior Jeremy Tucker rushed for 151 yards and gave the Lions a brief 7-6 when he raced three yards into the end zone with 7:22 left in the first quarter and Doug Shea booted the extra point. Connor McGrath scored the Lions’ final six-pointer when he bolted six yards to paydirt in the fourth quarter, and Shea added the PAT as the Lions closed the campaign with a 9-2 record.