BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer
Above, Sayreville running back Shaune Thomas stiff arms his way to a touchdown during the Bombers’ romp over Woodbridge on Friday. At left, Michael Wilson gets past a diving Woodbridge defender on his way to the end zone. It wasn’t too long ago that the Sayreville Bombers were 0-2.After season-opening losses to top-ranked Piscataway and third-ranked Old Bridge, the Bombers were reeling a bit, leaving the perennial Red Division powerhouse wondering if it could bounce back.
The answer to that question is an emphatic yes.
After beating sixth-ranked North Brunswick in week three, the Bombers got back to the .500 mark this past Friday night by dominating a struggling Woodbridge team in a 40-0 rout.
PHOTOS BY SCOTT PILLING staff Sayreville did everything right on this night, jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a pair of TD runs (from 25 and two yards out) by tailback Shaune Thomas, and putting the game away with 17 more points in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, the Sayreville defense completely shut down the Barrons’ attack, holding Woodbridge to just 11 yards rushing and 19 yards passing on the night.
It was an impressive effort from a team that has proved to be a resilient bunch. Sometimes defeats can make you a stronger team. That appears to be what happened to Sayreville.
Next up for the Bombers is East Brunswick, a team that is struggling a bit itself. The ninth-ranked Bears are coming off a disappointing 28-14 loss to the North Brunswick Raiders on Friday.
East Brunswick jumped out to a 6-0 lead when Armand Lahmine returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. The Bears got their second score in the third quarter on a 79-yard touchdown pass from Randall Nixon to Eric Eckhardt, which was followed by a successful two-point conversion run by Nixon.
The problem was, the Bears were unable to get anything else going offensively the rest of the time. In fact, the North Brunswick defense was so proficient at slowing the Bears’ option attack that EB gained only four yards, outside of the touchdown pass, on the night.
Meanwhile, the Raiders’ star tailback, senior Aaron Jackson, was his usual stellar self, carrying the ball 27 times for 226 yards and a touchdown, despite suffering from cramps throughout the game. Jackson also made a dazzling touchdown reception from 28 yards out just before the end of the first half. That catch gave the Raiders a 21-6 lead, and with the way the North Brunswick defense was playing, that was more than enough to get the Raiders to 3-1 on the year.
Friday night’s game with Sayreville will certainly present another challenge for the Bears. With a young team, head coach Marcus Borden will need to find his offense from somewhere, and facing a squad in Sayreville that has a reputation as one of the GMC’s stronger defensive units will make that search all the more difficult.
Game time is 7 p.m. in East Brunswick.
As for North Brunswick, they’ll travel to Old Bridge to take on a well-rested Knights team looking to get to 4-0 on the season.
Head coach Bob DeMarco’s squad has been impressive in the early going, featuring one of the more balanced offenses in the GMC, and a traditionally strong defensive unit that is more than capable of dominating a game.
The Knights know that in order to win this Friday, they’ll need to find a way to stop Jackson, whether he’s cramping or not. Game time is 7 p.m.
Inspired Falcons get to 4-0
in dramatic fashion
The Monroe Falcons’ historical start got some added drama on Saturday, as the Falcons came from behind to beat Perth Amboy, 21-14, in overtime to get to 4-0 for the first time in school history.
Monroe fell behind 14-0 and appeared to be on the verge of facing a three-touchdown deficit when the Falcon defense stepped up and stemmed the tide, setting the tone for the dramatic comeback.
After Perth Amboy scored on its first two possessions, the Panthers made their way down to the Monroe 4-yard line on their third possession. But the Monroe defense made its stand, holding their ground on three plays before sophomore Christian Handley recorded the first of two key interceptions and returned it to the Monroe 36.
On the very next snap, Monroe’s explosive tailback Jarred Jimenez raced 64 yards for a touchdown, and like that, the Falcons were back in it.
Once again, the defense bent without breaking, as Justin Meccia intercepted a Panther pass at the Monroe 7-yard line with 1:11 to play in the half. That set up a 61-yard scoring play from quarterback Ryan Cushman to David Gregor to tie the score at 14-14 heading into the half.