Sophomore Sam Battista braced herself over the ball and prepared to take a corner in Whippany Park’s first game since a serious car accident shook up Morris County’s schedule a week ago.

On his left leg, the initials MM were drawn in red paint. To your right, the number 21.

Red Ms marked both cheeks.

On the bench, coaches and players wore red t-shirts with the number 21 printed on the back and a message that read “Strong Mack.” Whippany Park coach Gary Schweighardt and his team also sported bright ruby ​​red patches under their eyes with a white 21 in the middle.

It was all a tribute to Molly Mack, a senior captain who has been hospitalized since a car accident left her seriously injured on October 27. After the accident, Whippany Park canceled its final two games of the regular season. Monday’s state playoff action against fifth-seeded Hoboken was their first game since a 4-1 regular-season win over Parsippany the day before the accident.

Whippany Park came in as the underdog, seeded No. 12. When Battista sent in that corner in the first half and senior Alessandra Middleton scored it, Whippany Park celebrated a score that gave it a four-goal lead. The Wildcats continued to add and advanced with a 7-1 victory.

That upset win over Hoboken earned Whippany Park at least one more game. They will play again Thursday in the Group 1 North 2 quarterfinals. The Wildcats will make the trip to Hasbrouck Heights. Whippany Park will also hope to pull off an upset there and dedicate another victory to Mack.

“We were all playing for Molly. We miss her and we love her,” Middleton said. “Today we gave 110 percent for her. This was it for her and now we are looking forward to the next round. It was closed at the beginning of the game and then we heard one of our teammates yell from the bench, “Do it for Molly.” I think that really drove us and once we did that, we kept going. Everything we did today was for Molly. We wanted to represent it. We miss her very much.”

Mack started at Whippany Park as a freshman and was part of a team that won a sectional title in 2021. She has been the program’s best player ever since. She is committed to play at High Point University. The last two years were lean. Whippany Park had a combined record of 9-21-4. Whippany Park changed things in 2024. Mack was one of the main reasons.

The Wildcats are 10-4-1 after the playoff win over Hoboken.

Mack scored a goal in that win over Parsippany on October 26. The next morning, she was involved in an accident that saw her two trucks collide on Route 24 in Morris County, authorities said. The truck that was struck overturned, leaving the teen seriously injured, State Police said.

Mack suffered “multiple neck fractures, spinal swelling, broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a broken arm,” according to the GoFundMe page created by Jennifer Hamill Gullace and Thomas Hamill, Mack’s aunt and uncle. Mack underwent spinal fusion surgery after the accident to relieve pressure on his spine and stabilize his neck, according to the GoFundMe page.

On November 21, Whippany Park will celebrate Molly Mack Day to raise money for the 18-year-old soccer player’s family. The high school announced the fundraising in your facebook page last week. The women’s team and the men’s team will play an exhibition game that night at 6.

“Molly is a bright and energetic young woman with a passion for football, a true leader on and off the field,” the post read. “Their resilience has been inspiring and, during this difficult time, their strength has amazed us all.”

It was an emotional moment when Whippany Park took the field for the first time in Hoboken.

How could the Wildcats play without Mack out there? She was in everyone’s thoughts.

When Whippany Park was riding the bus to Hoboken, junior Nicolette Liloia led the charge to get the red paint and honor Mack. When the Wildcats took the field, all the starters were covered in MM and 21. It was their way of paying tribute to their senior captain.

Whippany Park and Hoboken were tied 1-1 after the first 10 minutes of the first-round playoff game. Middleton then took advantage of a Hoboken defensive error in the 13th minute. Whippany Park led the rest of the way in a landslide victory. Middleton led the offense with a hat trick. Battista had a team-high three assists. Junior Ella Dicostanzo added two goals. Junior Alexa Bowe and sophomore Rebecca McClain scored once each.

Dicostanzo and senior Sofia Rotella led the defense. The Wildcats shut out Hoboken for the final 67 minutes. It was one of the team’s best games of the season. And it was all because of Molly.

“The girls played this game for Molly. That’s the motivating factor right now: praying for Molly and playing for Molly,” Schweighardt said. “We knew going into the game we wanted to make the jerseys and do everything we could to support her. That was the idea that came up today in the game. We wanted to do it for her. “We wanted to do it for Molly.”

You can contact Brandon Gould at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @BrandonGouldHS.

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