After a successful game of “catch me if you can” against Pennsauken High School, the North Brunswick High School football team will travel to Brick Memorial on Friday for an NJSIAA Central Group IV semifinal match-up.
Above: North Brunswick High School’s Karim Sawyer breaks free for a 77-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Pennsauken during the Central Jersey Group IV playoff game in North Brunswick on Nov. 12. The Raiders outlasted the Indians, 36-33, to move on to the semifinals. Below: North Brunswick’s Charlie Helms tackles Pennsauken’s Tyrik Thomas. PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff The Raiders out-pointed Pennsauken, 36-33, in the quarterfinals on Nov. 12 to advance. The visiting Indians refused to give up, but North Brunswick proved to be ever resilient and never relinquished the lead in a wild game that came down to the final play. With just eight ticks remaining, Pennsauken had the ball on the Raiders’ 24- yard line. When the visitors called a quarterback draw, the North Brunswick defense made the stop when Devon Wilson made the tackle, and time ran out.
The visitors got in front twice with 7-0 and 14-7 first-quarter leads. Karim Sawyer’s 77-yard kickoff return accounted for the Raiders’ first score. Coach Mark Zielinski’s defense shut the Indians down for the remainder of the half, and North Brunswick rallied to take a 22-14 edge into the break and seemingly had the game in hand.
Then things really got interesting. Pennsauken opened the second half by driving 70 yards to make it 22-20 as Indians quarterback Manny Cortez took the ball in for the score. North Brunswick responded again when quarterback Tait Pirkle connected with Sawyer for 46 yards and a TD.A
fter Pennsauken cut the lead to 29-26, Ross Kurtz scored on a 13-yard run to complete a 75-yard drive to make it 36-26. Kurtz picked up more than 150 yards in 29 carries. Pennsauken again came back to cut the lead to three. The Raiders then employed Kurtz to eat up the clock, but eventually punted to give the visitors one more chance.
“Our defense really came through when it had to,” Zielinski said. “You have to give Pennsauken a lot of credit, but our guys just wouldn’t let them get ahead.”
Both teams moved the ball well throughout the game, with Pennsauken posting nearly 400 yards in total offense to the Raiders’ 330 yards.
Sawyer was a force all over the field, catching a TD pass, throwing one, and picking off a pass. Pirkle completed five of his eight passing attempts for 135 yards, and his touchdown pass to Sawyer was Pirkle’s 15th of the season.
In Brick Memorial (8-2), the Raiders will meet a team with a formidable defense. The Mustangs, who won Central Group IV in 2008 and lost to East Brunswick in the finals a year ago, have posted three shutouts and have allowed 10 points or less in eight of its 10 games.
The Mustangs, the No. 2 seed, gained a measure of revenge on East Brunswick last Friday night, beating the Bears, 35-7, in their first-round game played in Brick.
The game was closer than the score would indicate — at least until the final quarter, when the Mustangs were able to pull away. The Brick Memorial defense scored twice, on a fumble recovery and an interception return.
“It doesn’t get any easier,” said Zielinski, whose team improved its record to 8-1. “Brick Memorial is a strong team, and they’ve been there before, so we’ll have to be prepared.”
The North Brunswick offense, which has scored 27 or more points in each of its last six games, should test the Mustangs. The Raider defense, Zielinski said, has a way of making the big play when needed.