Green Wave, Caseys have playoff runs come to end
Local teams
sweep playoff
consolation games
At this time of the year, you either play your best game or go home. But the problem is, sometimes your best isn’t better than the other team’s.
For Long Branch and Red Bank Catholic high schools, a shot at their respective NJSIAA state football titles ended last weekend as both teams were defeated on the road.
The Green Wave traveled to Wall on Friday for a Shore Conference matchup against the Crimson Knights and lost 29-6.
The Knights scored on short runs in the first and fourth quarters while passing their way into the end zone twice in the second.
Wall converted three PAT attempts by splitting the uprights and scored one two-point conversion on a short pass.
The 9-0 Knights were able to control the ball for 166 yards of rushing and 97 yards of timely passing.
On the other side of the tape, the Green Wave threw the ball for 189 yards, with Mike Toffell completing 13 of 23 passes, giving up one interception.
Plaguing Long Branch’s hope at a third trip to the sectional finals was their lack of rushing, combined with penalties.
Long Branch recorded only 14 positive rushing yards on 26 carries while racking up 123 yards on 12 penalties.
Carrying the ball for positive numbers were Raheim Frye (7-14) and Maurice Covin (13-41). Kevin Wallace pulled down six passes for the game-leading106 yards. Berkeley Hutchinson caught four passes for 30 yards, Tim Fitzpatrick caught two for 28 and Frye pulled down one pass for 25 yards.
The 5-4 Wave will end their season on Thanksgiving when they host Red Bank Regional for the annual turkey-day confrontation. The Buccaneers faced West Windsor North in their state playoff consolation game last weekend and came away with a 32-0 win.
On Saturday, the Caseys of RBC traveled to Cherry Hill to face Camden Catholic, only to return home with a valiant 28-14 loss.
While earning only one fewer first downs than their hosts (14-13), the Caseys found it hard to break across the goal line.
The Irish’s defense, while giving up 181 yards of passing, was able to stick their guests to a mere 62 yards of rushing on 23 carries.
They also produced a touchdown when an interception was returned for 62 yards.
The one-dimensional RBC offense managed to find the end zone only twice in the third quarter, first on a two-yard run by Jarius Kendle and then on a 36-yard pass from Tyler Schmelz to Andrew Waters.
Schmelz converted both PAT kicks.
Schmelz completed 17 of 33 pass attempts but was picked off five times for 102 yards.
Leading the Caseys’ running attempts were Kendle, who carried the ball 17 times for 49 yards, Schmelz (4-6) and Duane Pascall (2-7).
Playing catch with Schmelz were Waters (6-93), Robert Ruffus (6-69), Greg Roonan (1-17) and Ryan Brodzicki (1-6).
Red Bank Catholic will look to end their season with a .500 record on Wednesday when they host Rumson-Fair Haven at 7 p.m. in both teams’ season finales. In their consolation game, the Bulldogs edged Raritan, 17-14, in another Shore Conference matchup. Rumson, at 5-4, will be looking to secure another winning season with a win over the Caseys in what should be a highly competitive game.
In other local football action, Monmouth Regional hosted South Plainfield in their consolation game and held off the Tigers for a 28-21 victory. The Golden Falcons’ record now stands at 3-6 entering their final game of the year against Ocean.
Shore Regional High School was given a first-round bye as the Central Jersey Group I No. 3 seed. They will travel to Spotswood on Saturday for a 1 p.m. semifinal showdown. The Blue Devils will have their work cut out for them against the Chargers, a team that has been one of the Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division’s top teams throughout the season.
Following a one-sided loss to South River (the CJ Group I top seed) in week two action, the Chargers ran off six straight blowout wins before dropping their regular-season finale to Monroe High School in a game in which the Chargers played without their top offensive player, senior running back Kyle Harkins.
Harkins has been one of the GMC’s top performers all year and should be a factor in the game against Shore.
The winner of Saturday’s game will get the winner of the South River-Keyport matchup for the CJ Group I title. South River is the prohibitive favorite, after breezing through their regular season undefeated. The Rams’ offense was the GMC’s best, thanks in large part to the play of junior tailback Zack Earvin (the conference’s leading rusher) and senior quarterback Mike Feaster (the top-rated passer in the GMC). Meanwhile, the Ram defense also ranked atop the GMC and has been dominant every week thus far.