Greg Velasco was hardly surprised that the U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic turned into a defensive struggle. Velasco, a Keyport High School defensive lineman, knew that his Monmouth County teammates would be up for the challenge.
“The defensive line connected well real quick,” Velasco said. “We knew we would have to come in and take over the game.”
The Monmouth all-star squad did just that, holding Ocean County to a pair of field goals, but the Ocean County defense was equally immovable, permitting just a 38- yard field goal by Howell High School’s Ryan Handy as Ocean won the annual battle for county pride among graduated seniors, 6-3.
The game was played on July 14 at Toms River North High School in Toms River.
Ocean County’s win snapped Monmouth’s two-game winning streak and narrowed Monmouth’s overall edge in the series to 18-15-1.
Monmouth got on the scoreboard first as Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School quarterback Mike Villapiano engineered a 43-yard drive. Villapiano connected with Monmouth Regional tight end Scott Satcher on two passes that kept the drive going.
When the drive stalled, Handy split the uprights to give Monmouth a 3-0 lead in the first quarter.
Ocean responded in the second quarter with a 68-yard drive that reached the Monmouth 7. A 24-yard pass from Lacey quarterback Craig Cicardo to Toms River North receiver Matt Wilkowski for 24 yards was the big play of the drive. Lakewood’s Ahmier Dupree added several key runs. The drive culminated in a 24-yard field goal by Brick Memorial’s Jordan Loiodice to tie the score at 3-3.
Both defenses held fast in the third quarter and the score remained 3-3.
With key runs by the scrambling Cicardo, Ocean was poised to take the lead as it reached the Monmouth 1 early in the fourth quarter.
On second down, Cicardo went with a play-action pass and lofted a pass into the end zone. Raritan’s Kevin Furlong was somehow able to reach up and intercept the pass. On the first play after the turnover, Monmouth gave the ball back to Ocean as Lacey’s Brian Mykoliw intercepted a Villapiano pass over the middle and returned it to the Monmouth 3.
Ocean tried to punch the ball into the end zone three times, but the defensive line anchored by Velasco pushed the running backs farther from the goal line.
Ocean settled for a 21-yard field goal by Loiodice and a 6-3 lead with 7:51 to play. The Monmouth County all-stars still had a chance to tie or win the game. Head coach Shane Fallon of Rumson-Fair Haven decided to use the versatility of Freehold High School quarterback Sterry Codrington, as he moved him to receiver.
Codrington and Villapiano quickly hooked up on an 18-yard pass that moved the ball to the Monmouth 39. Manalapan’s Josh Firkser ran for a first down to midfield.
A five-yard run by Villapiano brought the ball to the Ocean 45. Two incomplete passes brought up fourth down. Villapiano found Satcher over the middle, but the pass was short of a first down and Ocean took over with less than 2:00 to play.
The Monmouth defense forced a punt, and Toms River East’s Joe Clarizio came through with a booming kick. Matawan’s McArthur Underwood had to try to field the ball as it bounced toward the end zone and he fumbled it while trying to make a play.
Ocean recovered on the Monmouth 3, took a knee and ended the game.
Fallon said he and the coaches “could not have asked for more” from the Monmouth players.
“We didn’t make enough plays,” he said.
Dropped passes were Monmouth’s undoing. Usually sure-handed receivers like Mike Clark of Howell and Taylor Rogers of Middletown South could not pull down long passes that would have put Monmouth in scoring position. Those were the plays the team did not make, as Fallon noted, that proved to be the difference.
Villapiano was named Monmouth’s Most Valuable Offensive Player and Velasco was named Monmouth’s Most Valuable Defensive Player.
Villapiano, who agreed with Fallon that Monmouth just did not make enough plays in the game, said the highlight of the experience for him was “the friendships we made here.”
Cicardo was named Ocean’s Offensive MVP and Clarizio was named Ocean’s Defensive MVP for his punting. Not only did he come up with a big kick at the end of the game, late in the first half he had to punt from the back of his own end zone. Monmouth thought it would get great field position and have a chance to take the lead, but Clarizio unloaded a 61-yard bomb that turned the field position against Monmouth.
Manalapan High School’s James De- Blase was honored as the Monmouth County recipient of the Sam Mills Spirit Award, which is named for the late Long Branch High School standout who went on to an All-Pro NFL career with the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers.
Mills died from intestinal cancer in 2005 and the Shore Football Coaches Foundation created the Sam Mills Spirit Award that honors a Monmouth player and an Ocean player who exhibit Mills’ spirit and determination.
DeBlase, who lost his father, Jimmy De- Blase, in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was one of the mainstays on Monmouth’s defensive line in the game.