The Jackson Memorial and Jackson Liberty high school football teams will meet for the third time on the football field on Thanksgiving eve when the teams kick off at 6 p.m. Nov. 24 at Jackson Liberty, and the season finale has added meaning for both teams again this year.
Jackson Memorial (5-4) will look to seal a winning record, while Jackson Liberty (4-5) will look to finish at .500 for the second straight year and beat its crosstown rival for the first time.
Jackson Memorial won last year’s game, 9-7, when Jackson Liberty missed a gamewinning field goal in the closing seconds. Both teams finished at 5-5.
“Our [2010] season didn’t come out how we planned, and we have something to salvage,” said Jackson Liberty running back Kristian Ruiz.
Jackson Memorial likewise had its frustrations with a series of injuries, but the Jaguars have won their last four games, including a 20-19 victory over Middletown North on Nov. 12.
Jackson Liberty comes off a 20-3 loss to Toms River East on Nov. 12 after taking a 3-0 lead to the locker room at halftime.
“We had a different offensive line for each of five games, and then for the last two or three weeks, we’ve had everybody back,” said Jackson Memorial coach Mike Smith, who had only one lineman play throughout the season — two-way starter Dimitrius Smith.
The Jaguars’ offense is led by halfback Brandon Winston, with 1,150 yards rushing, and quarterback Fred Scheer.
“They execute their offense well and are good on defense, especially on the line,” Lions coach Tim Osborn said of the Jaguars. “They play a little more physical [than other teams Jackson Liberty plays], and that is what we have to do against them.”
Osborn said his team needs to cut down on its mistakes.
“We have to play a four-quarter game,” said Ruiz. “Defensively, we have to do our job every play, and offensively we have to keep grinding it out.”
Both coaches said they expect a close, low-scoring, gritty game again this year. Jackson Memorial won the first game between the teams, 21-7, two years ago.
Jackson Memorial’s starters on offense include Ted Pettro at left tackle, Smith at left guard, Joe Nolan at center, Matt Jamison at left guard and Tyler Hampton at left tackle. Winston is the lone back in the spread offense that rotates at wide receiver Dave Niskanen, John Simpkins, Ken Bagley, Tony Rebbe and Ian Leary, the lone junior in the senior-dominated lineup.
Niskanen, at safety, is one of six seniors starting on defense, along with Smith and Brian Busch at tackle, A.J. Iadisernia at end, Winston at cornerback and Jake Orehostky at linebacker.
Smith said it is great having Maurice Jackson back in the lineup at safety. Jackson has been sidelined since the fourth game of the season with a ruptured spleen.
Other defensive starters are Matt Moran at end, Dylan Harrington and Jim Celidonio at linebacker, and Ian Kenny at cornerback. Winston punts, and Orehostky kicks placements.
Safety Tyler Wright is out of Jackson Liberty’s lineup with a concussion. He also was the kicker. Punter Remy Martin will add on that responsibility.
On offense, Greg O’Connor has been a consistent performer in the backfield with Ruiz and junior Justin Billups. Ron Brown and Anthony Fucillo are the wide receivers, and Nick Tizzo is the tight end for quarterback Dylan Wright.
Ruiz has the most yardage rushing (700 yards) and Brown has 36 receptions.
The offensive line that has the tall order of holding off Jackson Memorial’s hardcharging defensive front are right tackle Tyler Souza, right guard Joe Mendola, centerMike Kasten, left tackle Christian Shissiass and left guard Juan Mendoza.
The defense is led by nose guard Remy Martin, ends Ari Nwobi and Souza, who broke into the defensive lineup in the fourth game, linebackers O’Connor, Ferullo, Rizzo and Angelo Bartolini, cornerbacks Brown and Ruiz, and juniors Ahmad Shalabi and Justin Billups at safety.