FOOTBALL
By Tim Falls, Sports Editor
The Lawrence High School football team lost in the first round of the NJISAA Group III Central Jersey playoffs again.
It was a disheartening and all too familiar story for the Cardinals, who have also lost in the first round the past four years.
Still Lawrence should take pride in Sunday’s 21-13 loss to Neptune.
Lawrence’s play was worthy of a win and in the final minutes of the game the Cardinals drove toward the end zone like a team destined for victory.
Unfortunately for Lawrence, the Cardinals could not connect on a last-second throw into the end zone which would have put them in position to tie the game with a two-point conversion.
”It was a battle,” said Lawrence coach Rob Radice. “Playoff football games are about battles. We make no excuses, they just made a couple of more plays than we did.”
Lawrence has yet to win in the postseason and is 0-8 in the playoffs.
”That was a good football team,” said Radice. “Everybody in the playoffs is good. Everybody seems to forget the notion that only the eight best teams are going at it against each other We were a four seed going against a five seed, it can’t get much closer.”
While the Cardinals remained competitive throughout the game, Neptune led from the start. The Scarlet Fliers took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter.
The two-point conversion made sure Neptune’s lead remained intact even as the Cardinals scored in the second half on a nine-yard pass from Anthony Russ to Keith Sherman. Neptune added to its 8-7 lead with a 25-yard touchdown run to finish the first half ahead, 15-7.
Neptune scored again in the third quarter, but despite the two-touchdown deficit, the Cardinals never quite.
”We were all out there giving it our all,” said Lawrence senior Colin Anderson. “We wanted it bad, but in the end it wasn’t enough.”
Anderson caught a 27-yard pass from Russ to put the Cardinals in scoring position in the third quarter, but Neptune’s defense denied Lawrence.
”It wasn’t from a lack of effort or a lack of trying on our part,” said Radice. “We fought them to the end, we just didn’t get it done.”
Russ connected with Anderson on an 85-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and gave new life to the Cardinals.
”Russ played awesome,” said Anderson, “I just regret we didn’t get him a win.”
While Neptune held Lawrence’s running game in check and limited senior Sean Pearson to 69 yards on 15 carries, Russ kept the offense moving with 238 passing yards.
”He’s our field general,” said Radice of his quarterback, “we go the way he goes and I thought he played a good game today.”
Even as time ran down, Russ fired for the end zone to give the Cardinals a chance to tie the game.
”Anthony’s made those plays all year,” said Radice. “We may have lost the game, but we showed a lot of pride and resilience.”
Anderson led Lawrence’s receivers with two catches for 112 yards, while Sherman caught seven passes for 60 yards, Nick Brackett had three catches for 34 yards, Jerry McClure had two catches for 14 yards and Steve Parsons caught an 18-yard pass.
”We’re proud of our kids,” said Radice, “proud of our effort. We’re going to keep plugging.”

