Mariners sink Patriots; Rams outlast Howell

BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Two teams looking for big seasons battled at Freehold Township Friday night.

Toms River North (TRN) entered the game 2-2 and staring at a disappointing season if the Mariners were to fall to 2-3.

Meanwhile, Dominick Lepore’s Patriots, coming off their bye week, sported a 2-1 record and the momentum of back-to-back wins, looking to close out its three-game home stand with a third straight win.

The Patriots started well enough, coming up with a goal-line stand on the 2-yard line on North’s first drive of the game.

Freehold Township’s offense responded by going on a 98-yard touchdown drive, capped by an 8-yard pass from quarterback Tom Porricelli to Chris Dorf, staking the Patriots to a 6-0 lead.

However, the rest of the game would belong to the Mariners, who got their running game untracked. Brad Osborn ran for two touchdowns and 196 yards on 20 carries as TRN ran for 252 yards.

The Mariner defense was the first to put the clamps on Kevin Wagner, who was averaging 120 yards a game for Freehold Township. He was held to 18 yards on 12 carries.

Porricelli did pass for 181 yards and two scores to Dorf (6 yards in the third quarter). Dorf hauled in five passes for 78 yards.

Freehold Township, now 2-2 for the season, will visit undefeated Jackson (4-0), which was off last weekend, Friday night, looking to get back on the plus side of .500. Kick off in Jackson is 7 p.m.

Howell and Southern Regional hooked up in one of the most exciting games of the weekend if you like big plays. But in the end, it was a long, sustained drive in the fourth quarter that led to Southern’s 20-14 triumph.

With neither team moving the ball consistently on the other, the first touchdown of the game was a 62-yard punt return by Howell’s Ryan McGuinness. He was able to get through the first line of the Ram coverage and out-ran everyone else to the end zone. Joe Blood’s point after touchdown made it 7-0 with only 3.9 seconds left.

The Rams struck quickly twice in the second quarter to take a 14-7 lead. Quarterback Chuck Cometa found receiver Kurt Covine downfield in the end zone. Covine out-jumped his defender and came down with the ball in the end zone. Garrett Burgess supplied the PAT (point after touchdown) and the game was tied at 7-7.

It took just 1:01 for Southern to take the lead. On a backward pass by Howell quarterback Gus Borden, Josh Midili got his hand on the ball and deflected it backward. Because it was backward, the pass was considered a lateral and the ball was in play. Southern’s Lou Pecarelli came up with the loose ball and took it in for the score and a 14-7 margin.

Howell tied the game in the third quarter when McGuinness and Borden connected on a 77-yard scoring pass. Borden hit McGuinness near the 50-yard line and when the Ram defender slipped on the play, McGuinness was off to the races.

Southern, which had seen its offense held in check by Howell’s front seven, finally put together a drive at the right time. The Rams went 71 yards on 12 plays, taking six minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter. The power running of Frank Ritacco highlighted the game-wining drive. But it was Midili who took it in from 5 yards out for the TD with 5:58 left in the game. Howell blocked the kick, raising hopes that with one more big play, the Rebels could steal the win.

A 20-yard fourth down pass completion from Borden to Brian Smith in the last 2:00 gave Howell a chance. The Rebels would reach the Ram 29, but the drive would stop there and a quarterback sacks by first Drew Raub and then Pecarelli, sealed the win for Southern, which improved to 3-2 on the season.

Howell, slipped to 0-4 and will look for its first win of the season Saturday night when the Rebels visit Toms River North at 7 p.m.

Brick Township (4-1) used Woody Hayes football, “3 yards and a cloud of dust” to score a come-from-behind win over Marlboro, 21-13 Friday night. The Green Dragons had zero passing yards, but 299 yards on the ground. Jordan Marsch did most of the work, grounding out 198 yards on 30 carries and scored all three Green Dragons touchdowns. His third, a 6-yard run in the fourth, extended Bricks lead from 14-13 to 21-13.

Marlboro, fresh off its first win of the season for new coach John Fiore, took the lead twice in this game. The ‘Stangs caught Brick by surprise on a halfback option pass from Michael Pontoriero to Perry Plevretes that covered 44 yards.

Brick tied the game at 7-7 on a Marsch 16-yard run later in the first quarter.

Marlboro was back on top of the home team when Chris Kauffman, scored on a 55-yard run. He had 83 yards on 14 carries for the game.

Brick now trailing 13-7, came back on a 71-yard drive, which ended on a 3-yard Marsch run. Mike Hockenbury’s PAT gave Brick the slim 14-13 that they took into the locker room.

The only score in the second half was March’s scoring plunge in the fourth quarter.

Marlboro (1-4) visits Southern on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Freehold Borough fell to 0-5 with a 49-7 loss at undefeated Wall (5-0).

Quarterback Danny Matthews scored the Colonials’ lone touchdown on a 2-yard run in the second quarter. Tyrell Budd had four catches for 39 yards.

It doesn’t get any easier for Freehold Borough Saturday at 1:30 p.m. as the Colonials host a strong Red Bank Regional team (2-3) that has much more talent than its record would indicate. Manalapan (1-3), returns to action after its bye week hosting Brick (4-1) at 7 p.m.

Colts Neck (0-4) also had its off week and will be at Monmouth Regional (1-4) Saturday looking to nail down its first win of the season. Kick off is 1:30 p.m.