BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
Both Freehold schools enjoyed big weekends on the gridiron.
Freehold Borough picked up its first win of the year, the first for new head coach Mark Ciccotelli, by beating Lakewood, 24-20, at home Saturday.
Freehold Township got above the .500 mark (4-3) and kept its state playoff hopes alive with a 35-6 win at Colts Neck (0-7) Saturday.
That first win has been a long time coming for the Freehold Borough Colonials, who have weekly been taking on powerhouses from the Shore Conference.
To their credit, the Colonials never gave up on the season and when opportunity knocked on Saturday, they grabbed it.
JERRY WOLKOWITZ staff At left, Freehold Township’s Kevin Wagner leaps over a teammate during a first quarter run during the Pats’ win over Colts Neck on Saturday.Above, Cougar quarterback Kevin Kelly scrambles away from Township’s Derric Harris during the third quarter. Quarterback Danny Matthews picked up 107 rushing, ran for one scorer and passed for another to lead the Colonials, who had to overcome two kickoff returns for touchdown by Isiah Peace. The first, 95 yards, helped the Piners grab a 7-6 lead and the second, covering 94 yards, to start the second half, extended the Piners’ lead to 20-9.
Freehold Township coach Dominick Lepore watches his team in action during Saturday’s game in Colts Neck. Freehold answered Peace’s second-half score when Sam Quinones’ 70-yard kickoff return off a reversal (Steve Hodge fielded the kickoff and gave it Quinones). That set up a short drive the culminated in a 5-yard scoring run by Hodge.
Matthews’ 26-yard touchdown run capped a 76-yard drive later in the quarter that put the Colonials up 21-20.
Kick Brian Maida, who had made a 30-yard field goal earlier in the game, booted one from 32 yards out in the fourth to push the lead up to four points, 24-20.
Matthews and wide receiver Steve Hodge opened the scoring in the first quarter hooking up on a 55-yard scoring play.
Freehold Borough ran for 250 yards as it controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the game. Justin Patterson added 67 yards on 10 carries for the 1-7 Colonials.
Freehold’s defense, burned on the two long kickoff returns, grudgingly gave up yards from scrimmage, holding the winless Piners (0-7) to just 104 total yards.
The Colonials will have a week to enjoy their first win of the season because this is their bye week. The will next play on Nov. 13 or 14 in an NJSIAA consolation game.
For Dominick Lepore’s Freehold Township squad, their win Saturday in Colts Neck means that the Patriots will be playing for a state playoff bid and not a consolation game Saturday afternoon at home against once-beaten Wall (6-1). The Patriots were ninth in power points prior to last weekend’s play. The top eight teams get to the postseason. A victory over a six-win Wall team would more than likely provide Freehold Township with enough power points to jump into the first eight. One thing is for sure, the Patriots are in a ‘must win’ game Saturday.
At Colts Neck, it was again the running of Kevin Wagner that paved the way for the Patriots. Wagner, approaching 1,000 yards for the season, picked up 122 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns (runs off 11 and 1 yard).
The Patriots ball carriers, driving behind a very efficient offensive line, gained 241 yards against the Cougars.
It was quarterback Tom Porricelli, though, who used his legs on two 1-yard runs, who did the first scoring for Freehold Township.
Wagner’s 11-yard run and a 32-yard field goal by Gary Timmer, gave the visitors at 21-0 lead at the half.
J.R. Carlino increased that lead at the start of the second half taking the kickoff 77 yards for a score.
Wagner, didn’t limit his damage to offense. The senior, who also plays linebacker, came up with three quarterback sacks. The Pat defense held the Cougars to just 1 yard rushing for the game.
Colts Neck scored on quarterback Kevin Kelly’s 1-yard keeper late in the third quarter, that cut the Patriots lead to 28-6. Kelly was eight-for-16 for 115 yards.
The Cougars will hit the road this weekend playing at Holmdel (3-4) Friday night at 7 p.m.
Manalapan got back in the win column Friday night with a 27-21 win over a hot Middletown North team, which entered the game with four straight wins.
The Lions roared out to a 13-0 in Manalapan before the Braves began to turn things around.
Eddie Gurrieri, the team’s workhorse with 152 yards on 25 carries, got Manalapan on the scoreboard before the end of the half, scoring on a 14-yard run.
Her started the second half polishing off a drive with an 8-yard run that put Manalapan up 14-13.
Receiver Greg DiLorenzo padded the lead to 21-13 catching a 9-yard pass from Nick Scardelli.
North, would tie the game on a 60-yard scamper by Tom Dura (211 yards on 29 carries) and a two-point conversion run by Brian Scott.
The tie lasted only until Anthony Mujica received the ensuing kickoff and promptly took it to the house, 85 yards, for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown. The return capped a 20-point third quarter by the Braves.
Manalapan turned to Gurrieri and ball control in the fourth quarter to nail down the win.
The 2-5 Braves are at Lakewood Saturday at 1 p.m. with a very good chance to improve to 3-5 heading into the state playoff weekend.
Howell was beaten by undefeated Jackson, 31-6, Friday night in Howell.
Joe Blood’s two field goals of 23 and 22 yards provided the scoring for the 0-7 Rebels, who are at Manchester (3-4) Saturday at 2 p.m.
Eric Feehan picked up 81 yards on the ground against the Jaguars are 13 carries.
Marlboro (2-5) returns to action Friday night after its bye week. The Mustangs, who beat Howell, 29-15, in their last game, have their work cut out for them. They travel to the Swamp, to tackle undefeated Middletown South (7-0), the top team in the Shore and No. 2 team in the state, according to some polls.