Division champions Howell and Freehold Borough improved their state playoff seedings over the weekend.
ANDREW MILLER staff Marlboro High School’s E.J. Tucker runs a punt return by the defense of Howell High School’s Jason Amato (r), during Saturday’s game in Marlboro, which Howell won 27-6. Howell topped Marlboro, 27-6, while Freehold Borough staged a frantic fourth-quarter rally to top Matawan, 35-28.
Cory Davies’ Howell Rebels likely secured the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group IV with their win Saturday in Marlboro. Although the NJSIAA didn’t announce the official playoff brackets until Monday, the Rebels appeared to have gotten the top seed over West Windsor-Plainsboro South.
In beating Marlboro (0-8), the Rebels again displayed a balanced attack between the run and the pass. It started with Davie Hayes’ 289 rushing yards in Howell last game, a win over Brick Township when the Rebels showed that they weren’t just a wideopen pass-free team. It carried over to Marlboro where the Rebels ran for 137 yards and quarterback Tim Lamirande passed for 142.
Hayes carried the ball 15 times for 81 yards and scored two touchdowns, one on a 4-yard pass from Lamirande and the other on a 4-yard run.
Lamirande is adding the running option to his game, scoring on a 25- yard scamper. He tossed a pair of touchdown passes, the 4-yarder to Hayes and a 7-yarder to Jason Amato. He was 13-21 for 133 yards.
The Howell defense held Marlboro
to just 83 total yards. The Mustangs lone score was a 9-yard pass from Lucas Vidolin to E.J. Tucker in the fourth quarter.
The likely opponent for the Shore Constitution Division champions is none other than Colts Neck (5-3), the No. 8 seed. The two hooked up in the first game of the season in a barnburner that went to Howell, 28-26. As the host team, Howell will play its first-round game on Friday at 7 p.m.
Colts Neck lost a playoff position battle to Brick Township Friday night, 20-12, and slipped from sixth to eighth.
The Cougars, who trailed 13-10 at halftime, wasted three scoring opportunities in the third quarter coming away with just a safety.
Brick, which needed Friday’s win to make the state playoffs, then put it away when quarterback John Applegate hooked up with Kurt Loftus on a 17-yard touchdown connection on fourth down.
Colts Neck marched 63 for its lone touchdown on its first possession of the game. Ashton Jackson (70 yards on 18 carries) scored on a 26-yard run.
Brick responded with a pair of touchdowns, Applegate to Loftus and Matt Cuccinello’s recovery of a blocked punt in the end zone, to go ahead 13-7.
A 42-yard field goal by Eric Spillane cut the deficit to 13-10.
When the Cougars couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities that the Green Dragons gave them in the third quarter, Brick decided to take it with their fourth-quarter drive that include two, fourth-down conversions by quarterback Applegate.
The Federal Division champion Colonials will be hosting Monroe (6-3) on Saturday in their Central Jersey Group III playoff opener. Freehold (7- 1) is the No. 3 seed after winning its thriller in Matawan.
The Colonials, who had six turnovers on the night, finally stopped giving the ball away and scored four times in the final 12 minutes to head into the postseason carrying a load of momentum.
Brandon Brown provided a big spark scoring on an end around on a fourth-down play. The Colonials’ playmaker took the ball 33 yards to the end, and when Robert James ran the two-point conversion in, Freehold Borough had caught Matawan at 28-28.
The Colonials piled up 418 total yards of total offense. Quarterback Brian Prisk was 13-20 for 197 yards.
The running attack was spread out among James (67), Bivins (41) and Matt Whalen (57).
Whalen scored twice on 13- and 15- yard runs, James scored on a 2-yarder plus the two-point conversion, and Bivins scored the game-winner.
Wide receiver Jimmy Flotteron had one of the biggest games of any receiver this year, hauling in 10 passes for 129 yards. His catches were important in keeping drives going.