Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 33

Asbury Park Press C9 To Report Scholastic Scores Call 1-800-822-9770 Ext. 4401, 4410 For Local Sports Scores Call Pressto (908) 918-1000 Touch 3020 Mmstaegs9 defensive pride delivers in the clutch onday, Dec. 5, 1994 gCIOMSTIC IAST RUTHERFORD As the Marlboro High School football team assembled at midfield for an impromptu photo That was with 10:50 left in the second quarter. The Marlboro defense was under siege. Piscataway ripped holes in their defense with the running game.

It picked the Mustangs' secondary apart with the pass. And its speed made Marlboro defenders look like they were The first interception, on the second play of the second half, followed a loss of four on a counter play. The pick by Pete Facchini set up a 1-yard touchdown by quarterback Russ Far-scht. The second interception, early in the fourth quarter by inside linebacker Martin Scott, came on a second-and-1 1 after a loss of one on a counter. It set up a 2-yard touchdown by Jason Gudaitis.

The third interception, by Scott, came with 1:56 left. It set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Farscht. "The quarterback telegraphed where the throw was going," Scott said. "I just read his eyes." "I had coaches on the headset and people on the sidelines telling me what we should be i doing," Baum said. "In the end, I went with what the kids thought we should do." Joe Zedalis is scholastic editor of the Asbury Park Press.

The Mustangs stonewalled the run on three straight downs. Twice Piscataway ran counter plays. Twice Marlboro stuffed them. Forced to throw on fourth-and-4 from the 9, a pass to the corner fell incomplete. The defensive stand sparked a 91-yard scoring drive by the Marlboro offense.

It was also a glimpse of things to come. "When we stopped the counter trey it did two things," Baum said. "First, it gave our kids a little bit of confidence that they could stop them. Second, it forced them into passing situations. Once we stopped the counter, everything else just fell into place." Once in passing situations, the Mustangs doubled speedy receiver Reco Owens and played zone behind the double team.

Owens caught two passes for 43 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He didn't touch a ball in the second half. The result was three Marlboro interceptions in the second half. What he elected to take away was the counter trey. "That was the play they were killing us with," Baum said.

"Our tackles and nose guard were getting caught up at the line of scrimmage. We want them to play the game in the opponent's backfield." Baum's adjustment was simple. He told his defensive tackles, Joe Goodman and John No-dalny, to pinch in and shoot the gaps. "We started shooting through low and hard," Glazer said. "The penetration caused them to mess up in the backfield." It also turned the tide.

Piscataway had just driven to the Mustangs' 15-yard line when the Marlboro defense made a stand. "We knew we had to stop them right there," Marlboro linebacker Jason Gudaitis said. "It was like the entire defense got pumped up all at once," Glazer said. standing still. Piscataway put up 13 points in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

"The were manhandling us up front," Marlboro nose tackle Myles Glazer said. that will no doubt be a collectors item some day, the chant of "defense, defense" rose from the pile. Never had the recognition been more deserving not after the victory over Middle-town North, not after the win over Ocean, not even after the triumph over Middletown South. Marlboro completed its Cinderella season at Giants! Stadium last night with a 27-13 victory over Piscataway in the New Jersey State Inter-scholastic Athletic Association Central Jersey Group IV title game. It was the Mustangs' defense that turned the tide.

"I walked over to (defensive coordinator) John BaUm near the end of the first quarter and told him 'John, we can't play with them they'rf too damn Marlboro coach Larry Zdilla said. JOE ZEDALIS "Everything they tried worked," Baum said. "But after the first quarter we knew everything they had." Baum made the decision to try to take away just one element of the Piscataway offense. Mfecues. bad boumces A iff t'a Xxr' is, thwart Scarlet Mers 0 PETER ACKERMANAsbury Park Press Phil Thrasher (12) of Manasquan follows the blocking of teammate James Hantisek (86), who takes on Franklin's Terrell Williams.

Somerville completes A Vs. A "7 the dead from return V3 in the last'five years, ran into a Somerville team that wasn't to be denied. Somerville (8-3) found a way to win despite being outgained by Manasquan. The Big Blue moved on Somerville's defense all game but was hobbled by three turnovers in the first half and stalled drives in the second half. "I don't know if the best team always wins in some football games," Manasquan coach Vic Kubu said.

"Today it was an even game and (Somerville) came up ahead. But I don't know if the best team won today." It wasn't until early in the fourth quarter that the Pioneers drove toward their first Central Jersey Group II title, since 1986. With Manasquan clinging to a 14-13 lead, Somerville linebacker John Van Doren stopped Manasquan quarterback Eji Paige for a 2-yard loss on third-and-4 at the Pioneers' 16. Somerville soon took over and began a 12-play, 79-yard touchdown drive. Darnell Carter ended the 4:56 drive when he took a pitch-out to his right and cut upfield, sprinting past three Manasquan defenders on his way to a 1 6-yard touchdown run.

Please see Somerville, page CIO Following an 0-9 record a year ago, the Pioneers bounce back to wlrt a sectional championship over thelwarrlors. By JOHN BUSH PRESS STAFF WRITER EAST RUTHERFORD As far as destiny was concerned, Manasquan was simply no match for Somerville. Capping an incredible turnaround from a 0-9 season last year, Somerville captured the New Jersey State Inter- scholastic Athletic SOMERVILLE 21 Association Central MANASQUAN 14 Jersey Group II title mmbm with! a 21-14 win overj defending champion Manasquan yesterday at Gjants Stadium. "It's like winning the lottery," said Somerville running back Terrell Williams, the quarterback during last year's winless season. Manasquan (7-4) reached the CJ II final a three-game losing streak at midseason.

But the Big Blue, seeking its fourth CJ II title PETER ACKERMANAsbury Park Preit Frankie Smith (20) of Neptune tries to break free from Franklin defender Dwayne Brown after making a reception during the first quarter. Smith caught three passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. A game of crazy plays jolts stunned Neptune Disappointing result leaves players spent EAST RUTHERFORD On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Justin Cella dropped back, looked left for good measure, and tossed a quick lateral pass to his right, to tailback Monty Hailman. Hailman reached up for the ball and he came down with nothing just went right through his hands. Next thing he knew, one of the kids on the other team was picking it up and running into the end zone for a Big Blue unable to make the big plays when needed i FF1 i ii touchdown.

And this happens on the very first play of the afternoon, with half of Neptune sitting in the stands at Giants Stadium. So Neptune's opening gambit is to spot Franklin a touchdown. Twenty-six seconds into the game, it's 7-0. From that moment on it was all uphill for the Red and Black yesterday, every inch of the way. Because By STEVE POPPER PRESS STAFF WRITER EAST RUTHERFORD As the Neptune players left the field yesterday afternoon, it was not with the tears in their eyes that seem to haunt players who fall in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs.

The Neptune players seemed to have a FRANKLIN 39 wide-eyed, "How could this happen to us?" NEPTUNE 25 'ook, a look that had been with them from the first play of the game. The Scarlet Fliers, who surrendered only 61 points all season coming into yesterday's NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III final, saw 33 points registered on them in the first half as every ball seemed to bounce the other way, and Franklin rolled to a 39-25 victory at Giants Stadium. Neptune (9-2) fumbled the ball away four times, with the Warriors picking up two of the fumbles and returning them for touchdowns. Add to that a kickoff return for a touchdown and the Scarlet Fliers were reeling. On the game's first play from scrimmage, Neptune quarterback Justin Cella tossed a lateral to running back Monty Hailman, but the ball glanced off his shoulder and Franklin's Dwayne Brown barreled over Hailman, picked up the ball on the run and trotted in untouched for a 7-0 lead just 26 seconds into the game.

"It surprised us," Hailman said. "I was thinking that it's only one touchdown. But then it kept happening and I was like, 'Can we pick it up? When are we going to score one like Please see Neptune, page CIO BILL HANDLEMAN Central Jersey Group II championship by a 21-14 score. "We only got stopped once on offense," Kubu said. "We moved the ball real well, but we just didn't make the big plays when we had to.

That was the difference." "I never felt until the final 35 seconds that we were going to lose this game," Manasquan's Mike Webb said. "I was confident even when we were behind 13-0. 1 never felt for an instant that we weren't going to win." "The three turnovers we had in the first half really hurt us," Big Blue quarterback Eji Paige said. "You just can't do that in a game like this. You can't put the ball on the floor that many times and expect to escape." Down 13-0, Manasquan got right back into the game on a 91-yard kickoff return by Webb.

He took the ball at his own 9, shed a Somerville tackier at the 23, then roared untouched up the middle of the field to the end zone. Please see Blue, page CIO By Michael amsel PRESsi STAFF WRITER EAST RUTHERFORD When it was all ovei, and Manasquan's state championship drejrKs had been shattered by Somerville, coacli Vic Kubu gathered his players for a short laddress. told them they'll look back some day and say jfiey played for the championship at Giants Stadium," Kubu said. "I told them that's a thrill ho one will ever be able to take away froth them." As for Kubu, he hopes never to return to Gi-antfc Stadium. Just the thought of it gives him a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Thirteen years ago; while calling the shots at Middletown North, Kubu suffered a heartbreaking 13-9 loss' to Piscataway. That cost him the New Jersey! Slate Interscholastic Athletic Association Grouj IV championship. Yesterday, history repeated itself. Kubu exited Giants Stadium deeply disappointed aftCf being on the losing end of the NJSIAA every time the Scarlet Fliers would respond to the quick-strike Warriors, they would falter and fumble and just generally find cruel and unusual ways to make life even more difficult for themselves. That's why the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Central Jersey Group III championship went to Franklin and not Neptune, by a final score of 39-25.

"I should've caught the ball," Hailman said when someone Please see Players, page CIO.