BRICK — Right guard Anthony D’Elia says it’s “the fist — five fingers on one hand, five offensive linemen together.”
That was the knockout blow in Brick Memorial’s 40-26 interdivisional football victory over Colts Neck at home on Friday night that helped the run-oriented triple-option offense churn out 399 yards on 55 carries in misty weather conditions. Colts Neck rushed for 117 yards.
The victory clinches a berth in the NJSIAA Group IV Central Jersey playoffs for the 6-Mustangs, who missed it last year for the first time in five years. Colts Neck is 5-3 and also headed to the postseason.
And if Brick Memorial quarterback Brian Staub wasn’t leaving Colts Neck defenders twisted as he slipped through their tackles for 145 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns, halfback Vin Sabba was compounding the frustration with his third 100-yard rushing game this season — 164 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns. Glenn McGinnis ran 38 yards for a touchdown in the closing seconds.
Sabba was the main man on a series that will be remembered this season simply as “the drive” — a 99-yard march in 15 plays with only one pass — a key 20-yarder to Alex Berardi that Sabba closed with an eight-yard touchdown for a 27-20 lead in the third quarter to help erase a 20-14 halftime deficit. There was only one third down on the drive.
“Oooh,” said coach Walt Currie in a tone of amazement with a smile when asked about it. “Phenomenal. And it came against a defense ranked 12th in the Shore.”
And a team that finished tied for the Shore Conference Constitution Division title with Brick Township, who the Mustangs play on Thanksgiving in their regular season finale of a 6-2 season.
Staub said he remembered one long drive like that in the second scrimmage against Ocean when the Mustangs went 95 yards. “I realized from there we can make a long drive,” said Staub. “Just take it one play at a time.”
“We just trusted ourselves and knew the option would work if we follow our assignments,” said D’Elia as many other players talked about “trust” in each other in executing the game plan. “As long as we don’t give up and make our blocks every time, there’s no way anybody can stop us.”
Currie agreed and credited the work of line coach Rob Merola.
“We dominated in the second half and that’s what we need to do in the playoffs,” Currie told his huddled team after the game. “If you play the way you did in the second half tonight for four
quarters, you’ll be tough to beat.” On this night, the line of D’Elia and Anthony Spanola on the right side of center Bill Brunner and Russ Clayton and Nick Alvarez on the other made sure of that. Staub now has 14 touchdowns this season; Sabba had only one coming into the game. “Our line was phenomenal,” said Sabba, sporting a Tshirt
under his jersey that he took off with the number “100” on it, apparently referring to rushing yardage. “Early in the year, I wasn’t reading my blocks too well and worked on it this week. I watched where I had to go and followed my blocks.”
“We’re starting to come together,” said Alvarez. “All of our (blocking) rules are getting easier.”
“Give the line the credit. They’re really on a roll,” said Staub. “They opened up huge holes last week for me and Sabba, and when teams start collapsing, we’ll start pitching out to McGinnis, (Anthony) Piezzo and (Alex) Berardi.”
Currie called it Sabba’s “breakout game. He’s gotten better slowly over the course of the season, and tonight he was able to pose himself as a threat to the defense. It makes our offense more difficult to stop.”
“The coach watches film and grades out everybody and lately I’ve been on the low grade in the backfield so I had to step it up today,” Sabba said.
“Against Howell (when he rushed for 155 yards) he had the holes but this time, he fought for yards and really had to break tackles,” said Staub.
Staub opened the scoring with a oneyard plunge capping a 13-play drive and Colts Neck answered two plays later with a 65-yard touchdown run that tied it at 7-7. Staub answered back with a three-yard touchdown run for a 14-7 lead and Colts Neck’s fine throwing quarterback Chris Chiarelli answered with a 29-yard scoring strike that led to a 14-14 tie. Brick Memorial fumbled moments later and Colts Neck cashed in on a three-yard scoring run for the 20-14 halftime lead and a pass off a botched conversion kick was incomplete.
But the defense, with some fine hits by Will Wowkanyn and Jared Aksdal, did not allow another point. Staub broke a 65-yard touchdown run and THE DRIVE came on the next series as Brick Memorial punted only once.
“We finished strong and knocked everyone back who came in our way,” said Brunner. “They didn’t put up a fight the whole game.”
“It’s a good feeling to know we can run to either side,” said Clayton, the lone newcomer on the line this season.
The only dimmer was sophomore kicker Jordan Loiodice missing two extra points late in the game for the first time after making the first 24 this season. Actually, his first miss came on an attempt increased by 15 yards when a celebration penalty against Brick Memorial was walked off.
“It’s still a miss. I’m sure he’ll bounce back and be fine and help us in the postseason,” said Currie.