VERONICA YANKOWSKI Shore Regional senior Matt Geraud takes a knee in the end zone moments after the Blue Devils fell to South River in the Central Jersey Group I championship game at Kean University on Saturday.
They could almost taste it; they were that close. When Joe Toccacelli crossed the goal line from two yards out and Ben Grandinetti added the extra point, the Shore Regional High School football team was a little more than 12 minutes away from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Central Jersey Group I title.
Grandinetti’s PAT put the West Long Branch Blue Devils up 7-6 on the unbeaten South River Rams, with 34 seconds left in the third quarter of Saturday’s championship game at Kean University, Union. And with the way both defenses were playing, it seemed unlikely that either team would be finding the end zone again.
On the ensuing drive, Shore stuck the Rams in their own territory, forcing the tournament’s top seed to go three-and-out after Anthony Lucisano sacked quarterback Michael Feaster on a third-and-eight play.
On the ensuing punt, the ball seemed possessed, flying high, then bouncing relentlessly, traveling 59 yards before resting deep in Shore territory.
CHRIS KELLY Shore Regional’s Joe Toccacelli finds the hole created by Kevin Simmons during the Blue Devils’ 12-7 loss to South River in the Central Jersey Group I championship game at Kean University.
Then it was the South River defense’s turn to punish the opposition. Shore would go three-and-out, turning the ball over to South River after the punt at their own 45-yard line.
After a four-yard run by the Rams’ brilliant running back, Zack Earvin, the Rams went for a big play, and it paid off as Feaster connected with senior tight end Rene Ferreira for a 39-yard pass play. Dan Carhart dragged Ferreira down at the two-yard line to prevent the go-ahead touchdown.
But it wasn’t long before Feaster took the ball, hit the line, and dove into the end zone for the winning touchdown on a second effort. The Rams attempted a two-point PAT; however, on a second effort, Shore’s Matt Geraud pulled down the pass to deny the score.
Following South River’s final offensive strike, neither defense faulted the rest of the way, and South River was the CJ Group I champion once again.
South River opened up the scoring following a scoreless first quarter in the second when Earvin capped off a 10-play, 57-yard drive on a one-yard run. Shore deflected the PAT kick to keep the score at 6-0.
Shore’s players then put themselves in range for a 32-yard field goal attempt after traveling 77 yards, but Grandinetti’s kick missed the right upright by about a yard, thanks to a left-to-right wind that picked an inopportune time to kick up.
But even if it had split the uprights, it wouldn’t have been enough. South River’s defense was that tough.
Despite the loss, Shore Regional proved its mettle against a team that had not played a close game all season. The Rams came into the game touting the Middlesex Conference’s top-rated offense and second-ranked defense, but Shore Regional proved them vulnerable and almost pulled of the upset.
"These kids played a tremendous game," said Shore head coach Mark Costantino. "They played the best game they have all year. I’m proud of them. People picked us to lose by a couple of touchdowns, but this team has a lot of heart and pride, and never stopped playing."
When it was over, Constantino’s disappointment was obvious. As he stood before his players, who were kneeling before him, fighting to keep their heads high, the tears ran down his cheeks.
"I love you guys," he said, while his pride in his team allowed his emotions to get the better of him.
Going into the game, most people in the football community looked at the numbers and didn’t give the Blue Devils much of a chance against a team that averaged 320.7 yards of offense, had a 1,189-yard passer in Feaster, and a tailback who tallied 1,573 yards of rushing and 22 touchdowns.
Shore, meanwhile, averaged 282.2 yards of offense, with Grandinetti throwing for 463 yards (five TDs) and Toccacelli rushing for 791 yards (five TDs).
Despite the season totals, the championship game statistics were almost identical. South River earned 14 first downs on 180 yards of rushing and 69 yards of passing, while the Blue Devils rushed for 175 yards, passed for 13 and earned 11 first downs.
"Shore made us fight for everything were earned today," said South River head coach Richard Marchesi. "They played a tough game. This was anyone’s game going down to the end."
The Shore team realized it had its shot at the upset. And the fact that it kept the game close is little consolation to a team that fully expected to win.
When championship season comes around, all you can do is play your best and hope that you win your last game. Shore Regional fell short of that goal, but gave the type of effort you’d expect from a champion in doing so.