BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer
Heading into his team’s Thanksgiving Day game against rival Middletown North, Middletown South head coach Steve Antonucci was not at all concerned with his team looking past the Lions and towards this Sunday’s North Jersey II Group III championship game with Shabazz of Newark.
After all, there were more than just bragging rights on the table here — the Eagles were set to break the Shore Conference record for consecutive wins with 35.
“During the week we had a short time to get ready for this, but they were pretty focused all week,” Antonucci said. “We’ve been in this situation before, where you can overlook an opponent, but throughout their careers they been pretty good about taking it one step at a time and not really looking past anyone.”
And the Eagles were certainly focused when they hit the field, as they rode the running of senior tailback Knowshon Moreno and another stellar defensive effort to beat the Lions, 42-14, and increase their lead in the series to 18-11-1.
Moreno led the way for the Eagles (11-0), rushing for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries, as South jumped out to a 21-7 halftime lead, and never looked back. The Eagles were equally impressive on defense, keyed by senior Eric Daneman’s 77-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second half, as the Eagles held the Lions to just 151 yards of total offense on the day. Antonucci was not surprised by his team’s solid play, saying that he felt his players were ready make history before the game.
“When you have some of the kind of kids we have, like Knowshon, [Anthony] Macaluso, Daneman and Trent [MacCray], all of the 19 seniors that the team revolves around, you get a good vibe, when you’ve been with them that long,” the coach said. “I knew how important it was to them.”
But for this week, at least, the Eagles are done celebrating. They’re focused on a Shabazz team that couldn’t care less that the Eagles are the state’s top-ranked team. The Bulldogs have already proven they can’t beat an elite team, knocking off a ranked New Brunswick team in the semifinals, and will be for a battle on Sunday.
“They play a tough schedule and they’re there for a reason,” Antonucci said. “They’re not going to be a walk in the park. They’re going to come there, and try and end the streak, and win a state championship.”
“We’ve seen them; we have plenty of film on them,” the coach added. “They’re an athletic team and they’re very physical. They’re very much like a Long Branch or a Neptune, skillwise. Athletically, they have a lot of team speed and lot team size.”
In terms of preparing for Sunday’s 2 p.m. kickoff at Rutgers Stadium, the Eagles have been down this road before.
“It’s another week,” Antonucci said. “We’ve been in this situation before, which is fortunate for us. We’ve got a veteran cast going in there and they know what’s at stake. I expect them to go after it the same way they’ve gone after the last two and do what they have to do to prepare.”
A win in Sunday’s CJ Group II title game would be doubly satisfying for the Raritan Rockets.
Not only would it give them a second consecutive state championship, but it would also avenge the Rockets’ only loss of the last two seasons.
When Manasquan knocked off the Rockets earlier this season, word spread quickly around the Shore that Manasquan was ready to resume its role as the perennial team to beat in the section. But the Rockets have rebounded, securing a share of the Liberty Division crown with a lopsided win over Pinelands on Saturday, and are anxious to defend their state title on Sunday.
“This group has been committed from day one to getting back to the championship game,” head coach Bob Generelli said. “I expect our guys to be ready.”
As a result, Generelli heads into Sunday’s title game with tremendous confidence in his team — something he feels his players have earned over the past few years.
“The kids know what to expect,” he said. “The flip side of it is that Manasquan is very formidable. They’re very good upfront, they play great defense.The game could have won either way last time.”
It didn’t go the Rockets way, however, and that has left a bad taste in the mouths of the Raritan players. Generelli said the difference in that first game was special teams play.
“We allowed a punt return for a touchdown that changed the complexion of the game, and then their first drive second half they returned a kickoff beyond midfield that was critical,” the coach said.
This time around, the Rockets hope to be the ones making the big plays. Generelli also feels that both teams are much better today than they were back in September.
“I think we’ve improved defensively,” he said. “But they’ve improved quite a bit since we’ve played them as well.
“We need to be as physical as possible because they have good size,” he said. “They’re pretty physical and they want to turn it into a physical game with their style of controlling the ball. And with their front seven on defense were going to have to execute at high level offensively.
“We have our hands full with a tremendous challenge and we’re excited about it.”
This Sunday, 11 a.m. at Rutgers Stadium, they look to go out as champions.

