Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 161

Asbury Park Press Nov. 20, 1988 H0LASI1C 113 Tarricone FG Eagles ground Braves ives Lacey III crown 'V ..7 1 I I I If 1 I -urn 1 -s is. Press Staff Report LACEY TOWNSHIP The big difference yesterday was that Lacey had a kicker and Woodrow Wilson of Camden didn't. With two seconds remaining on the clock, the Lions' Carl Tarricone calmly stepped back and booted a 30-yard field goal to give his team a 31-28 victory over the visiting Tigers and the New Jersey State Interscho-lastic Athletic Association South Jersey Group HI championship. Only nine seconds earlier, Wood-row Wilson had tied the score at 28.

Brian McNair attempted to put his team ahead on a conversion. Following a 5 yard, delay of gime penalty, his kick had the distance, but sailed vide of the left upright. i But with 1 1 seconds remaining, the game was far from over. Lacey covered a squib kickoff on its 45. Quarterback Garrett Gardi handed off to Keith Elias on the next play and the rushing star lofted a pass to Mike Lehtinen, who was pulled down on the Wilson 13 with two seconds left.

With tears of joy in his eyes, Elias said, I knew he (Lehtinen) would be open when he cut across the middle. I didn't really see him but I knew he would be there, so I just threw the ball. This was a play that we just put in this week." "We've had the play before but we didn't know if Keith (Elias) could throw the ball," said Lacey coach Lou Vircillo. Following the play, Tarricone booted his winning field goal as time ran out. The veteran coach who led Lacey to its first-ever state title should have known Elias could have thrown the ball, because he did everything else yesterday.

On offense, he carried 24 times for 202 yards and three touchdowns. As a defensive back, he knocked three passes out of receivers' hands, including one on a two-point conversion. Elias leads the shore in offense with 22 touchdowns and 1,197 yards rushing going into yesterday's championship contest. But Vircillo admitted he is also one of the team's top defensive backs. i "We don't want to overwork him (Elias)," Vircillo said.

"When we need to, he plays defensive back and he is the best we have." Yesterday's contest was an offensive show by both teams. Wilson came in with a run-and-gun offense which had posted a 6-2 record. Living up to advance billing, the speedy and shifty Tigers piled up 373 yards PETER ACKEHMANAsbury Park Press Lacey 's Keith Elias looks for room to run against Woodrow Wilson of Camden yesterday. against a Lacey defense which was second at the Shore, giving up but 138.9 yards a game. Quarterback Norman Frisbey completed 14 of 18 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns.

Not to be outdone, Lacey sophomore Garrett Gardi kept the visitors' defense off balance with a varied attack. He ran for 48 yards in the game on keepers, including a 6-yard scamper for a touchdown. The Tigers took the opening kick-off and went 79 yards in eight plays for a score. Lacey rebounded with four straight touchdowns to take a 28-8 lead early in the third quarter. Gardi ran six yards on a keeper and Elias scored on runs of four, 49 and nine yards with Tarricone kicking all four conversions.

Wilson responded with three touchdowns to tie the game with 1 1 seconds left, setting the stage for Tarricone's winning field goal. Madison Central batters East Brunswick leading the Spartans to a decisive 31-7 victory at Vince Lombardi Field. Madison Central (9-0) will try to defend its Central Jersey Group IV title against Middle-town South December 3. "I have tremendous respect for Fortay, I want you to know that," said Madison Central coach Bob DeMarco. "But the best quarterback in Middlesex County is No.

1 in blue (Walsh). He knew what to do today." Which was practically everything. Walsh rushed for two touchdowns, accounted for 123 total yards (64 yards in the air, 59 yards on the ground), returned five punts for 43 yards, ran the wishbone flawlessly and intercepted two of Fortay's passes. Even though Madison Central had wiped out East Brunswick (6-3), 55-3, three weeks ago, Walsh and the rest of the Spartans were leery of facing the Bears again. "They were prepared this time," said Walsh.

"They were up and we were up. It was nothing like last game. If we had been playing anyone else we had beaten 55-3 other than East Brunswick going in, it would have been hard to get up for them." "It's tough to get emotionally ready for a team that put a licking on you," said Bear coach Marcus Borden. "1 thought we prepared well. We did what we did best." There was no tentativeness on the Spartan defensive side from the start.

After East Brunswick stopped Madison Central on the first series, Fortay who completed 18 of 30 passes for 193 yards moved the Bears 52 yards to the Spartan 16. But defensive back Chris Nugent halted the drive by breaking up a pass to Warren Greenberg on fourth and six with 5:47 left in the first period. Madison Central took control of the game from there. The Spartans marched 79 yards in 1 5 yards with Walsh scoring from the one with 1 1:26 left in the second period. Madison Central scored on its next two drives, the first on a brilliant 51 -yard run by Mike Boden off a Walsh pitch left, and the second on Walsh's 3-yard run to make the score 20-0.

Brian Donnelly closed out the half with a 27-yard field goal on his first scholastic attempt. East Brunswick averted the shutout when Fortay hit Joe Giroux (10 catches for 1 13 yards) with a 17-yard scoring strike at the end of the third period. But Madison Central came right back with a 76-yard scoring drive as Nugent took a pitch right and went 63 yards for the touchdown. A bad snap to punter Dan Levine forced him to kick the ball intentionally out of the end zone for a safety in the fourth quarter. Press Staff Report OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP Some day soon, East Brunswick quarterback Bryan Fortay will decide among Michigan, Notre Dame, Miami and Rutgers which school will be the recipient of his prized right arm.

Madison Central quarterback Ed i Walsh doesn't harbor such aspirations and is weighing a commitment to gl to West Point. And therein lies the difference between the two players. Fortay, a 6-3, 200-pound senior, took a decidedly undermanned squad at far as it could go against Madison Central yesterday in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association football playoffs. Walsh, with neither the arm nor the size (5-11, 175) of Fortay, nevertheless demonstrated his leadership and athletic qualities by By TARA LYNN BEAMAN Press Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP Everybody knew Middletown South tailback Stephen Pitts could run. But did you know that he can fly? Going into yesterday's New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Central Jersey Group IV playoff game against Manalapan, Pitts had rushed for 930 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The sophomore's most important yard of the season came on the first play of the fourth quarter when Pitts sailed over a mound of linemen for his 13th and most important touchdown of the year. Chris O'Donnell's extra-point kick sent the Eagles to a 7-6 victory over the Braves. Middletown South meets Madison Central, a 31-7 winner over East Brunswick and defending section champion, in the CI IV final Dec. 3. "At the beginning of the season, we sat down as a team and talked about our goals," said Pitts.

"Our goal was to be conference champions, which in turn we worked hard to get. I guess we're getting a little bit more. Coach (John Andl) says we're going to play until they tell us we have to get off the field and stop playing." Just last week, O'Donnell, a sophomore, missed five PATs in a 44-8 win over Howell. "Before he (O'Donnell) went out on the field, I told him I'd be shaking his hand when he came back," Andl said. Middletown South's touchdown drive began at the Manalapan 34-yard line after Manalapan punter John Ross recovered a high snap and was tackled by Dave Albrecht.

Adversity in the form of 1 1 penalties for 107 yards had driven the Eagles back all day, but this time they were not to be held down. South quarterback Jeff Cuozzo, who already had thrown two interceptions, completed a 1 3-yard pass to Mike Marrero on fourth-and-eight. Three plays later, looking at third-and-13, Pitts plowed up the middle behind the blocks of center Noah Rudolph and guard Chris Citarella for a 15-yard gain, setting up a first-and-goal at the 6. Three carries by Pitts brought the ball to the 1 close enough for the running back's aerial act. "We went into the huddle, and I asked them what they wanted to call," Andl said.

"I looked in his (Pitts') eyes, and he said, 'Pick The line said, We did it." "I like doing that, it's fun," said Pitts. "I've watched Walter Payton do it, and I wanted to do it, too." While the Eagle offense sputtered through much of the contest, the defense ranked third at the Shore coming into the game put forth its finest performance of the year. In a 34-6 win over Manalapan during the regular season, South held the explosive Brave offense to a season-low 135 yards. No one gave the Eagles much of a chance of repeating that feat. They bettered it.

The Manalapan offense, ranked second at the Shore coming into the game with more than 2,000 yards rushing, was held to just 28 yards on the ground and a total of 52 yards. The play of outside linebackers Chris Bova and Chuck Decker and defensive ends Albrecht and Citarella contained Manalapan speedsters Lee Rubin and Joe DiMa-rio (who had combined for 1,500 yards in their first eight games) to just eight yards. Manalapan's only touchdown came on a five-yard pass from Rubin to Gary Conover, set up by a 31-yard interception return by Bill Ross. "Our offense made far too many mistakes. We were fortunate to be in the game," Andl said.

"The reason we were was because of an outstanding defensive effort. Every time those kids were called upon to do something, they did it." Safety Robert Pitts (Stephen's uncle) had two second-half interceptions, including one with 12 seconds left that ended the Braves' longest drive of the game at the Middletown South 24-yard line. Tradition A little history motivated Brick KM From page HI After that Brick was shut down by Camden's huge front line of tackles William Davis (6-foot-6, 285) and Yule Bush (6-1, 245), defensive ends Arthur Bussie (6-4, 230) and Paris Pratt (6-2, 190), and blitzing Panther the Green Dragon tradition was right there. Brick coach Warren Wolf Press Staff Report BRICK TOWNSHIP They were all there yesterday. Paul Durkin, quarterback of the 1974 Brick football team which defeated Camden, 21-20, in New Jersey's first football playoff game, was there.

So was Dale Koch, who caught the winning touchdown pass in the '74 classic at Atlantic City Convention Hall. So were '74 team members Joe Alusi, Chuck Mitchell, Norman Fell, Ed Smith, plus others from '74 and from the long line of Brick's 16 Shore and 10 NJSIAA sectional championship teams. Wearing the broadest smile of all was Paul Durkin. Now 31 and a marine captain stationed at Quantico, he watched his brother Todd's two touchdown passes lead Brick to yesterday's 13-6 victory over another big, fast, Camden powerhouse in a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association SJ IV first-round game. "I'm real proud of Todd," said Paul Durkin.

"Just the last four years have been something to see him mature and grow not only as a foot ball player but as a person. He's just got a sense of the game, he makes things happen." Yesterday Brick's football alumni helped make it happen again. They lined up on the field before the game in their green and white football jackets forming a pathway through which the '88 Dragons ran through on their way to adding another playoff victory to the Brick record books. "I didn't even know that (reunion of Brick players) was coming," said Todd Durkin. "When I saw them I couldn't even hold back my emotions.

I started crying. I was crying into the first series. There's such camaraderie here being a Brick football player." During the week, Brick's players listened to a taped radio broadcast of the 1974 game. "In 1974, the game was on WJLK (radio) and my grandfather taped it," said Todd Durkin. "He dug the cassette out of the closet back in the beginning of the week and brought it in.

These guys had all been told about the '74 team. But to put it on tape, they actually felt all the spirit and how the community was behind Brick. It was great." Tony Graham linebackers. Doggedly, the Brick defense protected the margin. "The defense the second half played outstandingly great," said Wolf.

"They (Camden) shut our offense down and it's a tribute to our defense and defensive coaches." Camden reached the Brick 44 with 3:42 left in the game when, on fourth down, Dayton, a junior tackle, sacked quarterback Kyle Clark and also caused a fumble resulting in an 1 1-yard loss. Camden had one more possession that reached near midfield with one minute to go. A holding penalty forced the Panthers back and on the next play John DeStefano recovered a Camden fumble. "We were in the game," said Simpson. "The things offensively we should have gotten done didn't get done.

We figured it would be a pretty low scoring game. We just thought we could get another touchdown on the board DAVIO T. GAMBLEAsbury Park Press Brick players celebrate in closing seconds. and with a two-point conversion win the game." "Camden was an outstanding football team that was big and played well," said Wolf. "They played well enough to win.

But the Green Dragon tradition was right there when we had to have it Our kids were there." ill East shuts down Toms River South Cherry "We remember last year (a loss to Washington Township in the semifinals)," said Kurlej. "We weren't going to let that happen again." Trailing 6-0 early in the second quarter, South had an excellent opportunity to score, but in stepped Kurlej and his bitter memory of last year, to quiet the threat. South had a fourth-and-one on East's 9. And, as usual, Muse got the call. He appeared to get the necessary yardage after being stopped by Kurlej, but the officials spotted the ball about aft inch short.

"Everyone who was down there said we made it," said coach LaBarca. "The spot didn't help us, but one call isp't going to change the game. We had two opportunities to score in the first half. We put those in and it's a different game." The Indians' second chance came on their next possession. After moving the ball 76 yards in 10 plays, South was once again faced with a short-and-one situation.

From the Cherry Hill 4, Muse got the call again. This time, East linebacker Ted Page broke into the backfield to throw South's top runner for a three-yard loss. "Our defense did what it had to do," said Wood. Ironically, the last time these two teams met in the state playoffs was 10 years ago. South won that one, 16-6, in the Group IV final.

The Cougars, which lost in the same round last year, advance to host Brick for the South Jersey Group IV title Dec. 3. "Kurlej is an excellent runner and receiver," said South coach Chip LaBarca Sr. "But I think their quarterback (Glenn Foley) makes their running back (Kurlej). By having the quarterback throw, it loosens things up." Things didn't really loosen up until the fourth quarter.

East had built up a 14-0 lead on runs of 7 and 5 yards by Kurlej before South was able to score. That happened when Hernandez hit Tom Karl with a 9-yard pass. Karl promptly pitched it to Muse who raced 50 yards down the right sideline for the score on a classic hook-and-lateral. Hernandez then found LaBarca in the end zone for the conversion and it was 14-8 with plenty of time left That was before South self-destructed. Three plays into the next drive, Kurlej took a pitch from Foley, found himself a hole and scampered 52 yards for his third score.

South's next drive ended in disaster as well when Fred DeMarco picked off a Hernandez pass and returned it 78 yards to the South 12. Three plays later, Foley hit his. favorite receiver, Steve Lobel, on a timing pattern and it was 28-8, East. Foley finished with 13-for-22 passing for 218 yards and one interception. Lobel had six catches for 74 yards, tops for East on the day.

Press Staff Report CHERRY HILL TOWNSHIP Toms River South's Vincent Muse ran for 149 yards. Chip LaBarca pulled in eight catches for 102 yards and Carlos Hernandez threw for 166 yards, but it was Brian Kurlej's game. The senior running backdefensive back from Cherry Hill East picked up 188 yards on 20 carries, scored three times, intercepted two passes and also made a key stop on fourth and short for South. With Kurlcj showing the way, Cherry Hill East beat South, 28-8, in a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Soifjh Jersey Group (V (semifinal..