Colonials, Cougars keep on winning

That winning beat goes on for the Freehold Borough and Colts Neck high school football teams.

PHOTO BY RICH GRAESSLE Freehold Boro High School's Frank Nicosia (22) runs 99 yards for a touchdown to start the second half against Central Regional High School on Oct.25. Boro raised its record to 6-0 by beating Central by a score of 48-14. Mark Ciccotelli's Freehold Borough Colonials celebrated homecoming Saturday with a big 48-14 win over Central Regional that the kept the Shore Federal Division leaders undefeated. The win also clinched no worse than a tie for the division title.

The Colonials hit the Golden Eagles with one big play after another. Brandon Brown got by the secondary to score on a 54-yard pass play from quarterback Nick Tyson. Brown and Tyson would hook up again later on a 49-yard scoring play.

Frank Nicosia returned a kickoff 99 yards for a TD and scored on a 30-yard burst down the sideline. Derrick Bender scored on a 41- yard run.

The Colonials' running back by committee produced more than 280 yards on the ground without a 100-yard rusher — Willie Thomas was the leading rusher with 89 yards. He scored on a 13-yard run.

CHRIS KELLY staff Howell High School quarterback John Bukoweic (11) scrambles out of the pocket against Brick Memorial during his team's 24-17 overtime loss on Oct. 24. Tyson was 8-for-10 for 179 yards and those two long touchdowns to Brown.

Freehold Borough (6-0) travels to Wall Township (3-3) Friday night for its final division game. A win over the Crimson Knights will give the Colonials a second straight outright Federal Division title. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Mike McArthur's Colts Neck Cougars continue to find ways to win close games. Saturday the Cougars beat Lacey Township, 14- 11, to take over first place in the Shore Constitution Division. The Cougars are 5-1 overall and 4-1 in division play. They are a half game up on Brick Township, 3-1.

Brendan Cotter ran for 117 yards and scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown on a four-yard run in the second quarter.

Chris Leroy pulled down a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Chiarelli to account for the other Cougar score.

Colts Neck hits the road Saturday to play its final division game at Toms River South (3- 3). A Cougar win, and they can do no worse than share the title with Brick, which is hosting Marlboro Saturday. Both games have 1 p.m. starts.

Howell (2-4) probably saw its state playoff hopes vanish Friday night when the Rebels lost in overtime to Brick Memorial, 24-17.

Jimmy Ryan passed for two touchdowns, both to Phil Adamo (2 and 40 yards), for the Rebels, who saw the visiting Mustangs (5-2) score late to send the game into overtime and then score in the OT to pull out the 24-17 win.

The Rebels are at Southern Regional (5-1) Saturday for a Shore American Division game starting at 3 p.m.

Freehold Township (2-5) and Manalapan (2-5) lost Shore American contests on Friday night.

The Pats lost at Toms River North, 35- 7, while the Braves lost at home to Southern, 25-7.