Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 120

ASBURY PARK PRESS SUNDAY, NOV. 24, 1996 NJSIAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS Senior's 5 IDs, 295 yards lead Titans into state final si 1 i Arp A PAGE H14 7, f.S.-Jt,' i i 1 7 Ik 'ill f. By DON WILNO STAFF WRITER KEANSBURG Billy Shea isn't the rah-rah type. "He's not the mouthy type," Keansburg coach Jon Schultheis said. He is very intense and Schultheis can tell when he has come to play.

"Absolutely, you can tell," the coach said. "And he tells you point blank, too. He 44 12 KEANSBURG SHORE knows himself." Yesterday for me to run," said Shea. "When there is nobody in your way, and I've been saying it all year, it's easy to run." Easy to run? Shea made it look too easy. Three plays into the game, after senior quarterback Tom Dura ran for six and 22 yards to midfield, he ran the option again on the third play, this time pitching to Shea who scored after only 1:25.

After stopping Shore on a fourth-and-10, Keansburg again ran off three plays, with Shea scoring on a 60-yard run where he stepped out of a tackle at the Titans' 45. "Billy Shea's speed to the outside killed us," said Shore coach Mark Costantino. "He's a good, strong runner. "He was the difference," said Costantino. "We had guys there.

He broke tackles every play. When we put a kid there, he just ran through him. He's just a good, good runner. "Ultimately, we couldn't stop their offense. We couldn't stop Billy Shea.

That was the difference in the game. We couldn't stop him. He was domi- NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I final. Keansburg meets South River, a 21-14 upset winner over previously unbeaten Bernards, in the CJ Group I championship in two weeks, at a site to be determined tomorrow. Of his performance yesterday, Shea said, "I think I played an OK game.

I don't think it was that spectacular. That's what I'm supposed to do. That's what my coaches ask me to do. My whole line did a great job. My fullback, my tight end, all them guys did a great job." Said Schultheis, "What I think a lot of people don't realize is how much help he gets.

He's the focus, certainly, but you don't have that many big plays without somebody doing something right. All he has to do is break one tackle. He's got receivers blocking down field, he's got linemen getting down field to block. We really focus on that. I'm not taking anything away from him, but the rest of the (offensive) unit takes pride in blocking, especially down field.

"And he's just a phenomenal athlete," the coach said. "It's not me, it's them, it's the other 10 guys that create the alleys BOB BIELKStiff Photoraphir Keansburg's Billy Shea (5) scored on runs of 3, 4, 50, 60 and 89 yards and received many congratulations from the Titans fans along the way. was a prime example. In the team room before the game, Schultheis could read it in Shea's eyes. He was ready.

Then when the Titans ran onto the field for pregame warmups, Shore Regional was practicing at the wrong end, on the Keansburg end of the field. "Shea just looked at one of the coaches and said, 'That's one Like I said, you could tell. And he lets it build." And build it did yesterday, with Shea scoring five touchdowns and collecting 295 yards rushing on 14 carries as Keansburg easily handled Shore, 44-12, to advance to the nant today. He's the difference. We don't have a kid like that." It was a reversal of the first meeting between Shore and Keansburg, where Shea failed to gain 100 yards rushing the only game where he did not reach that mark.

Needless to say, that was an added incentive yesterday. "We were excited for this game," said Shea. "We're playing on our home turf. We're bidding for a our second state title in two years. Yeah, we were excited, very excited.

"We're fortunate to do the things we have to do and get the job done," he said. Shea scored on runs of 4 and 89 yards in the third quarter and of 3 yards in the fourth quarter before Schultheis cleared his bench. Caseys i i Asbury Park falls to feet of Carteret can get on track ft hUrll, By JOE HINTELMANN CORRESPONDENT SPARTA Stopping Hank Trogani proved too formidable a task yesterday for Red Bank Catholic. The junior running back exploded for five touchdowns to lead Pope John XXIII of Sparta to a 54-12 win over the Caseys in an NJSIAA Parochial Group II semifinal game. Trogani scored on runs of 14, nine, five, five, and two yards, compiling 153 yards rushing in 28 carries to run his season total to 1,618 yards.

He has 24 touchdowns this season. The defending Parochial Group II champion Lions ran their record to 10-0 (16 wins in a row). Red Bank Catholic fell to 6-3. "I thought the game would come down to our of- i 1 When asked about his 75-yard touchdown run Morton said "Oh yeah, I knew I'd break it, I called the play. It was wide open, great blocks, it was everything!" "We didn't play well today," said a humble Carteret head coach Jeff Wiener, "We had three major penalties that absolutely killed us, but the big plays kept us in it." Just two plays before Morton's big run, Vasquez had a 78-yard touchdown run called back on a penalty.

Vasquez finished with only 18 yards rushing. "Playoff experience. I figured going into the playoffs if there was a problem with us, that would be the problem," Kendle said after the game, "It was a hard hitting game, Carteret played hard, they were well prepared." Asbury Park (6-3) came out running on its first possession and tried to mix it up right away. Glenn handed off to either Wilson or Kevin Lawrence, but twice Wilson would switch with Glenn and take the snap himself, for big gains. Asbury got to the Carteret 21 using this strategy, but on first down, Lawrence fumbled and linebacker Kevin Freeman fell on the ball for Carteret.

Asbury Park lost two more fumbles in the game while Carteret lost none. Later, in the second half, Asbury Park ran some reverses and Wilson attempted some running back option passes but he only got one off. The rest of the times he was sacked. "We challenged them all week," Wiener said, "and the coaches put together a solid game plan. The kids played disciplined, and we beat a hell of a team." By KEVIN SHEA STAFF WRITER CARTERET Junior quarterback Mike Morton was a one-man weapon for Carteret yesterday, as the Ramblers used big plays to defeat Asbury Park, 13-6, in a NJSIAA Central Jersey group II semifinal game.

Morton ran the ball 15 times for 115 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to seal the Car- teret win. Mor- CARTERET 13 ton also passed ASBURY PARK 6 for 78 yards and added a key interception on defense. Carteret improves to 9-0 on the season and will face Long Branch in two weeks. Asbury Park never threatened on offense, making it inside Carteret's 20-yard line once for its only score, late fourth-quarter Teddy Wilson 6-yard run. "Our offense wasn't in gear like we expected to be," said Asbury Park coach Jesse Kendle, "but I think our defense kept pounding and pounding.

I think the key was, when we were on defense, we kept worrying about being on offense." Carteret's other score, a second-quarter 8-yard touchdown run by Alcides Vasquez, was set up by a 78-yard pass play from Morton to Vincent Brake. Only moments before, with Asbury Parkdriving, Morton intercepted a John Glenn pass near the end zone. Morton returned the ball past midfield but the play was brought back to the Carteret 14 on a clipping penalty. "It feels good (to win in the playoffs), we worked hard all summer," said a grinning Morton after the game. fensive line against their de-', POPE JOHN RBC 54 12 1 t.

ANDREA KANESpiclll to tht Prm Asbury Park's Michael Polk lays a hit on Carteret's Ken Orlando. Fourth-quarter explosion eliminates Howell BBBaaaMi tensive line, Pope John coach Vic Paternostro said. "Our offensive line came off the ball well and our de-: fense was almost perfect We had just one breakdown." That breakdown came early in the third period when, with Pope John leading 33-6, Casey Rob Koch broke to the outside and snared a pass from quarterback Bill McCarthy at his 47 and raced down the right sideline into the end zone. The play covered 70 yards. The Lions jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead by scoring on their first two possessions.

Trogani ended a 62-yard drive with a two-yard plunge and Chris Heitman broke loose for a 58-yard score. Red Bank Catholic closed the gap two and a half minutes later when Josh Kendle picked up a fumble and ran 33 yards for a touchdown to make the score 13-6. Two plays later, Casey lineman Alex Kiczek, who had a fine alj-around game, made the first of his two fumble recoveries to give RBC a first down at the Lion 29. Kendle picked up 17 yards on first down, but three plays lost a yard and the Lions took possession at their 13. They then marched 87 yards in plays for their third touchdown, Trogani going in from the five for the.

points. Trogani had apparently scored from the 15 four plays earlier, but motion penalty nullified the play. Pope John added to its lead 58 sec: onds before halftime on Trogani's nine-yard run which made the score 26-6. A 19-yard pass from Shane Win-kelman to John Fyote had brought thje ball to the nine. Hillsborough scores 20 points in final period to seal victory By SCOTT GOLDSTEIN CORRESPONDENT HILLSBOROUGH They never had a lead, but it seemed as long as iThis is the first time all year that I can actually say we've been beaten.

They blitzed everyone and they banged us around. Mike Cerminaro HOWELL QUARTERBACK and quarterback Mike Lerminaro wide re- i HILLSBOROUGH HOWELL 38 18 a O'Ne 1 were on the field, the Howell Rebels had a route to a 38-18 victory in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV semifinal. "This is the first time all year that I can actually say we've been beaten," said Cerminaro, who was sacked a half dozen times and chased around all day. "They blitzed everyone and they banged us around." Undefeated Hillsborough, employing the option running game to the hilt, led 18-0 late in the second quarter and appeared to be on its way to a laugher. That's when Cerminaro worked some magic On third down and 14, with only 20 seconds left in the half, the senior quarterback stepped forward to avert a furious blitz.

Instead of taking a sack, Cerminaro gave Howell hope, darting out of the pocket and sweet-stepping 79 yards for a touchdown. With 11 seconds remaining in tiTe half, Howell trailedfi8-6 shutting the door on Howell's first playoff game in two decades. Mayer broke loose for another touchdown run late in the game. Mayer completed one pass for the Raiders, but he led all rushers with 192 yards on 22 carries. Running back P.J.

Jankowicz chipped in 75 yards on 14 carries on the option attack. "We didn't know how to judge them from game film," Howell coach Cory Davies said. "Their quarterback broke some big plays, just when we thought we had him." Defensive tackle Tom Martin and linebacker J.R. Gurrieri both had sacks and led the Howell defense. Even with Hillsborough playing prevent defense late in the game, Cerminaro found O'Neill again, this time for a 58-yard touchdown strike.

Cerminaro completed 10 of 20 passes for 168 yards and two interceptions. "I knew if I didn't get in the end zone on that one, this game was over," said Cerminaro, noting the play finally swung momentum in Howell's favor. The Rebels used the momentum on their first drive of the second half when Cerminaro hooked up with his favorite receiver, O'Neill, for a 36-yard touchdown strike, making the score 18-12 after three quarters and momentarily quieting the standing-room-only crowd. The fourth quarter, however, was a nightmare for the Rebels. Hillsborugh started by capping a six-minute, 13-play drive with a scoring plunge by quarterback Shawn Mayer, increasing Hillsborough's lead to 25-12.

Howell fumbled the ensuing kickoff and two minutes later, Hillsbo-rugh running back Brian Mitzak scored on a 12-yard pitcnout, officially O'Neil, a transfer from Christian Brothers Academy competing in his first year of high school football, finished with 119 yards on five carries. He also blocked an extra point. The Cerminaro-O'Neil senior tandem have now hooked up for seven touchdowns this season. "We planned on getting in the playoffs this year and we did," said Da-vies, who noted next year's team will return six starters on offense and defense. The Rebels (6-3) will finish their season against Wall on Saturday.

chance to win yesterday's playoff game against top-seeded Hillsborough. The talented and flashy duo who are playing together this season for the first time since 6th grade Pop Warner accounted for three electrifying touchdowns and kept Howell in the game through three quarters. But host Hillsborough pulled away in the decisive fourth quarter, scoring two'touchdowns in two minutes en.