Patriots go 2-0 after beating Braves, 12-7
Colts Neck nearly upsets Shore Regional
JERRY WOLKOWITZ Colts Neck linebacker Mark Sevard knocks Shore Regional running back Dan Carhart off his feet during the teams’ match-up on Saturday. The Cougars fell short in the game, 14-13.
Yes, that is Freehold Township standing at 2-0. The Patriots, who have long been everyone’s whipping boy, have turned the tables.
New attitude and resolve have the Patriots winning games that would have slipped away a year ago.
Case in point is Friday night’s 12-7 win over Manalapan.
Clinging to that 12-7 lead with 4:59 remaining, the Patriot defense trotted onto the field with Manalapan just 40 yards away from the winning touchdown.
The Braves, who have two of the most dangerous weapons in the Shore in quarterback Matt Phillips and tailback Cory Brooks, had been throttled by Freehold Township’s attacking defense all night. But here were the Braves still in the game, still within striking distance of the Pats. They were poised to steal the game.
When Phillips connected with Mike Gaeta for nine yards and then picked up the first down with a quarterback run through the line, Manalapan was on the move. Bad karma for the Pats?
Not this time. It was Freehold Township that would find a way to make the big play. It was turned in by linebacker Cole Williams-Ficarra, whose collision with Brooks forced a fumble that Chris Bachofen fell on with 3:22 remaining in the game, all but sealing the Patriots’ win.
The new-look Pats have been infused with an attitude adjustment led by seniors like Williams-Ficarra, Matt Summonte and Aaron Winik.
"Basically, we’re tired of losing," said Matt Summonte, the defensive lineman who pressured Phillips all night. "When we went away to camp this summer, we made a pact that this year we were going to make something happen.
"I see kids having more heart this year," he added. "We definitely have the attitude that we want to win. We’re looking for some respect."
The Pats certainly earned that after topping their longtime nemesis from Manalapan.
One of the big concerns for first-year Coach Dominick Lepore was Freehold Township’s lack of scoring. The team had a habit of not cashing in on its scoring chances.
Not so Friday night as the Patriots’ offense put together two impressive sustained drives.
Freehold Township’s running game stood out in the 24-7 opening game win at Marlboro as Rabie Kwara picked up 164 of the Pats’ 342 rushing yards.
Knowing that Manalapan would be thinking about stopping the run, Freehold Township went to the air.
On the first drive of the game, quarterback Paul Lepore went 5-6 for 46 yards, hitting three different receivers on slant-in routes or passes in the flat. Kwara finished off the 53-yard, nine-play drive on an 11-yard run. It was 6-0 Freehold Township.
Phillips and Manalapan answered back with their own drive, 63 yards on nine play.
His seven-yard strike to John Pappa in the corner of the end zone on a fade pattern tied the game, and the extra point kick by Robert Skiba put the Braves up 7-6.
But the resilient Pats would answer right back, march 46 yards on seven plays with Kwara again capping the drive with an 11-yard scoring run. The two-point conversion failed, but the Pats still led 12-7.
The second half was a defensive struggle with Summonte, Williams-Ficarra, Danny Clayton and company putting the clamps on the Braves’ offense. Brooks was held to just 35 yards rushing and Phillips was 10-19 for 119 yards.
Freehold Township will face another stern test Friday night when they visit Toms River to take on the Toms River Raiders and quarterback Colin Gaynor at 7 p.m.
Gaynor threw for 392 yards and five touchdowns in the team’s 41-0 at Manalapan the opening weekend of the season. The Raiders had a bye this past week.
Unaccustomed to being 2-0, don’t look for the Patriots to get complacent and pat each other on the back.
"We’re going to work 10 times harder this week," said Summonte. "It’s nice to be 2-0, but we have to forget that. We have to work harder than before to keep it going."
Manalapan, now 0-2, will also be in Toms River on Friday night (7) to play Toms River North (1-1). Tom Tarver’s Braves don’t want too many games to slip away before getting that important first win.
Freehold Township was the only team to taste victory last weekend, however, as Howell and Colts Neck were hooked up in thrillers.
Anyone who had circled Colts Neck on their schedule as a win because it’s a first year program has been forewarned. Just ask Shore Regional.
The Blue Devils have been one of the top programs over the years in the Shore area and they were lucky to leave Colts Neck with a win on Saturday.
Shore needed a 25-touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Gradinetti to Ryan Medina with just 35 seconds left in the game, and Pat Ross’ extra point kick, to steal a 14-13 win from Colts Neck, spoiling the Cougars’ home debut.
Mike McArthur’s Cougars had won their first-ever varsity game, 31-13, at Mater Dei the week before and proved on Saturday it was no fluke battling the Blue Devils to the final gun.
Colts Neck displayed a solid ground game behind Mark Savard, who had 115 yards on 16 carries, and Obi Nkwuo, who added 65 on 17 rushes.
Both scored third-quarter touchdowns as Colts Neck rallied from a 7-10 halftime deficit to take a 13-7 lead into the fourth quarter. Nkwuo scored on a 23-yard gallop and Savard answered with a 21-yard scoring romp.
The 1-1 Cougars will visit 1-0 Rumson-Fair Haven on Saturday. Kick-off is 1 p.m.
Howell lost a thriller in Middletown North, 25-21.
The game see-sawed with the Lions getting the final say on Bill Lyons’ 39-yard run late in the third quarter.
Howell’s power running game was again superb as the Rebels’ ground attack struck for 234 yards.
Travis Skinner picked up 105 yards on 10 carries for his second straight 100-plus game of the season, and brother Bryce Skinner countered with 57 on 18. Quarterback Bob Dierolf had 59 on five runs.
Bryce Skinner scored on a five-yard run and Travis on a 14-yarder in the first half that gave Howell a 14-13 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Chris Mirault’s 15-yard scoring scamper put the Rebels up 21-19. Mirault’s touchdown came after he replaced Dierolf, who had to leave the field in an ambulance after hurting his knee with 4:52 left in the third quarter.
Howell’s final attempt to come back was thwarted when the North defense managed to stop the Rebels on downs following a pair of sacks.
Howell (1-1) will look to bounce back from Friday night’s tough loss on Saturday when the Rebels travel to Toms River to take on the undefeated (2-0) Toms River South Indians.
Kick-off is 1:30 p.m.
Freehold Borough was stung by the Holmdel Hornets Friday night, 42-6.
Keith Reed gave Freehold a 6-0 lead in the first inning, but the Hornets responded with 42 unanswered points
Josh James had 77 yards on 10 carries to lead the borough offense.
The Colonials have the bye week and will next play on Sept. 28 at Shore Regional. Kick-off is 7 p.m.
Marlboro (0-1) had its bye week over the weekend and will swing back into action on Saturday, hosting the Shore’s No. 1 ranked team, Jackson (2-0). Start time is 2 p.m.

