Loss to Palmyra puts Florence on road for state opener at Bound Brook

By: Sean Moylan Sports Writer
    The forces working against the Florence Township Memorial High football team last Friday night at Palmyra were so great, even a Flashes squad known for its incredible resiliency and toughness under pressure couldn’t overcome them.
    Playing in front of one of their biggest and most excited home crowds ever, the undefeated Panthers used their great speed and athleticism to defeat the Flashes, 20-10.
    “I knew they were going to have a big crowd, but guess what? They’re a good football team. We never did anything offensively. They are quick and they had one of the best offensive teams we’ve faced,” said Florence coach Joe Frappolli, who was classy as ever after his talented Florence squad lost its first Freedom Division game since 2000. Florence, however, can still win a piece of the conference title if it beats Riverside and Palmyra loses to Burlington City on Thanksgiving.
    Nonetheless, defensively, Florence had another outstanding game. And the Panthers’ great quarterback Lyndon Alfred had to make a handful of spectacular throws just to set up Sean Senavilla’s 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He also hit Warren Oliver with a 73-yard bomb in the second quarter to put his club up 14-0. But the Flashes’ defense shut down Palmyra’s offense the rest of the way.
    In the third quarter, Florence defenders rushed in and cause a fumble which was recovered by senior star defensive lineman Kevin Jiras. Jake Foehr made the score 14-6 when he plowed into the end zone from 3 yards out.
    Alfred was forced to do a lot of the work for the Panthers because Florence was using a combination of Korey Linico, Marcus Rawls and Zack Carugno to blanket Palmyra superstar Qron Pratt.
    “We took Pratt out of the game,” said Frappolli, whose defensive linemen Joe Staton and Ian Groover were coming with some relentless pressure on Alfred and the entire Panther backfield by the third quarter. “In the third quarter we kicked it down to their end twice and we got safeties on bad snaps. Mike Staton tackled their quarterback in the end zone for the second safety. Jimmy Narkun had a big game and Staton (who also blocked a field goal attempt) had another big game.
    “When it was 14-10, we thought we had them on the ropes. But we couldn’t do anything offensively.”
    Palmyra’s defensive backs were so quick the only pass that Flashes’ quarterback Jimmy Martinson was able to complete was to Steve Muni. Nonetheless, Martinson, a true gamer, helped out in other ways.
    “Jimmy Martinson had a monster game punting the ball,” said Frappolli, whose team got out of some huge holes with Martinson’s booming punts.
    As big as that game was, Florence (6-2) needs to prepare for an even bigger game this coming Saturday. Florence, seeded sixth, will take on Bound Brook (seeded third) at Bound Brook in its NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I state tournament opener.
    “Bound Brook is a pretty good football team. It all comes down to a one-game season,” said Frappolli, who will have his team ready to make a push for its fifth Central Jersey title in six years.