FOOTBALL
By Rich Fisher, Sports Editor
Through all the ups and downs in recent weeks for the Lawrence High School football team, one thing that has been fairly steady is the Cardinals defense.
That was the case again during Saturday’s 14-7 win over Ewing, when Lawrence got two second-quarter touchdowns as a result of special teams/defensive plays.
”Our defense has been playing awesome the last three or four weeks,” coach Rob Radice said. “It has done an outstanding job. It won the game for us on Saturday. We had another blocked punt for TD (to go along with one against Trenton). I’m very happy with how our defense has been playing.”
Linebacker Isaiah Coleman and lineman Ethan Posey have been solid all year, and have been getting help from linebacker Hiran Aviles, defensive back Jamil Hutchinson and linemen Jesse Goldstein and Joe Guarrieri, who Radice all cited as stepping up their games.
”They’ve been playing lights out,” the coach said. “Which we’re thrilled about.”
Against Ewing, Hutchinson returned an interception 63 yards and set up a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Chris Coyle. Coleman blocked a punt that Shane Hickey ran in for the team’s first TD that tied the game.
The effort made up for another off day by a sputtering offense that is finally getting its sparkplug back.
Keith Sherman was expected to return from a knee injury against the Blue Devils, but got his support system a bit too late.
”He was suited up and ready to roll, but his brace had just come in on Saturday morning,” Radice said. “He got the OK to play, but he felt, and I felt, that he needs to at least practice on this thing before he plays a game. It was a good decision.”
With Sherman out, Jihad Bryant did all he could and carried the workload. He rushed for 167 yards on 38 carries against the Blue Devils. But having someone to spell the sophomore — especially someone as good as Sherman — will be key.
”I just think we can get our offense back in synch a little bit with Keith,” Radice said. “We shot ourselves in the foot again on Saturday. On first-and-goal at the seven we fumbled two out of four center-quarterback exchanges. I don’t know if was wetness or what, but we struggled.”
Despite the offensive problems, the Cardinals are 5-2 and can clinch a Central Jersey Group III playoff berth by beating Hopewell Saturday.
The Bulldogs are the anti-Cardinals. Whereas Lawrence is finding ways to overcome mistakes, Hopewell is losing a lot of close games.
”It doesn’t seem to matter, when it comes down to the wire we figure a way to win it, which is good,” Radice said. “But we know Hopewell is going to give us our hands full. They are a 2-5 football team but don’t play like a 2-5 team.
”They’re well coached and their kids are hungry. We know we’ll have our hands full. They’re five yards and a cloud of dust. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. There’s no easy games on our schedule.”
If there are, the Cards don’t make them easy.
But they make them exciting and, more often than not, find a way to win them.