SB’s Davidson, NB’s Jackson two of Jersey’s finest runners
By: Ken Weingartner
South Brunswick is accustomed to having teams gear their defenses to stop running back Vince Davidson.
When the Vikings face rival North Brunswick next Thursday morning in their annual Thanksgiving Day clash, it will be South Brunswick’s chance to turn the tables, in a sense.
That’s because the Vikings’ defense will be gearing up to stop North Brunswick’s Aaron Jackson.
Davidson and Jackson are two of the top running backs in the state, both ranking among the top five ground-gainers in New Jersey this season, and have amassed some 3,300 yards combined.
Heading into the Raiders’ playoff consolation game loss to Hunterdon Central last week, Jackson had accounted for 1,542 of North Brunswick’s 1,922 rushing yards for the season. He had 20 of the team’s 25 touchdowns on the ground.
"I’m sure everybody is going to be talking about the two running backs," South Brunswick coach Mark Prelewicz said. "It’s going to be an interesting day. They’re two different kinds of backs. Jackson is more of a slashing runner. Vince glides a little bit more, but has learned this year to put his head down and get the tough yards. Vince has proven to be a good all-around back.
"Jackson’s tough, he’s fast. He’s like Vince in the sense that when he’s in the open field, he’s gone. It will be about stopping the one guy. I feel confident in our defense, in our linebackers and defensive line being able to stop backs. If they want to throw, go ahead. Our guys back there are ready for it."
Davidson is South Brunswick’s career leader in rushing yards with 3,383 and touchdowns with 41. He has 1,717 yards this season after gaining 123 on 24 carries in the Vikings’ 27-12 consolation game victory over Trenton last week.
The win was the Vikings’ third in a row and marked the first time in four years they won a state consolation game. South Brunswick, which was eliminated from qualifying for the sectional playoffs on a tie-breaker, improved to 6-3.
"It was a tough game to get up for, but the guys came through to get to our new ultimate goal, which is 7-3," Prelewicz said. "We’re riding a three-game winning streak that feels good. But it’s only going to continue to feel good if we take the last step. Nobody will remember the three-game winning streak if we can’t finish it off."
Davidson scored three touchdowns against Trenton, but it was the passing of senior quarterback Mario DeFelice that opened up the offense. DeFelice completed 10 of 12 throws for 101 yards.
Fullback Joe Clancy had three catches for 46 yards in addition to 54 rushing yards on 10 carries. James Jackson and Ray Dasant had two receptions apiece.
"Both teams were trying to feel each other out early," Prelewicz said. "They did a decent job holding Vince down a bit. We started throwing the ball, and it was going well, so we kept going. They were focusing on Vince, stacking everybody in tight, and Mario did a nice job getting Joe the ball."
Defensively, Joe Amejka had two interceptions and Tommy Hill had one, his ninth of the campaign. Andrew Fellouris had 12 tackles, right around his season average, while Derek Shelcusky and Dave Amrhein had six each. Zach Kensil returned a fumble 11 yards for the Vikings’ final touchdown to put the game on ice.
North Brunswick (4-5) will enter the Thanksgiving Day game on a three-game skid. The Raiders have lost four of their last five, with the lone victory coming over Woodbridge.
"We’ve got one game left and it’s the big one," said Prelewicz, who is 0-2 against North Brunswick in his career. "It’s going to be a battle, as this game always is. It’s the one all the seniors will remember for a while. We’ve got to do it right."

