Remember Allentown’s wild football victory over Trenton Central last season?
Unless you were living out of state or had no interest in New Jersey news, you would know that score for the ages: Allentown 74, Trenton Central 44.
“That game took about four hours to play,” lineman Sean Dziepak recalled of the home field victory.
Ross Scheuerman scored seven touchdown and had 421 offensive yards, both school records, but he has embarked on a college career at Lafayette. It was part of a 5-0 start for Allentown, which went on to a 6-4 record and just missed making the NJSIAA Group III playoffs.
Both teams go at it again on Saturday (Sept.24),thistimein Trentonina1p.m. kickoff.
But this is a different season for Allentown, although another exciting one. The Redbirds come off a 20-14 overtime loss at Pemberton and, although it is early in the season to call it a crossroads game, Allentown needs to rebound if it wants to contend again for the playoffs. After all, 2-1 looks better at this point than 1-2.
“This game is huge,” said quarterback Nick Palladino. “You only have eight games before the playoffs and last year we were 6-2 and didn’t make it. We can’t lose again if we want to make the playoffs and we have to do everything in our power to win.”
“We have to prepare and play better than we did (against Pemberton),” said Allentown coach Jay Graber. “We have to control the things we can control to be better. I’m not concerned about the other team but about our team.” “We need a good week of practice, better than last week,” Palladino said. “This week, we expect nothing short of playing every snap the hardest we can.”
With good reason. Graber said his team “made a lot of mistakes” against Pemberton and can’t do that against a team that has the athleticism of Trenton, which comes in with a 1-1 record.
“We turned the ball over four or five times and when we created turnovers (by Pemberton), we did not capitalize,” Graber said. “Penalties, mistakes cost us.”
“It comes down to turning the ball over,” Palladino said. “You can’t put the ball on the ground and I threw two interceptions, which hurt, too.”
The key, said Graber, is to smooth out the rough edges.
“Offensively, nobody really played well. Some guys played well in spurts but I’m looking for more consistency,” Graber said.
Pemberton forced the overtime off a 25- yard touchdown run midway through the final quarter and sealed the victory with its third rushing touchdown of the game, the final one from three yards out.
Allentown had the opening series of overtime, losing three yards on a rushing play and throwing an incomplete pass before Pemberton made an interception on the third play.
Norman Thomas rushed for 122 yards on 24 carries, including a 12-yard run for Allentown’s second touchdown in the second quarter. Daivone Thomas ran two yards for Allentown’s other touchdown in the opening quarter off an eight-play, 58-yard drive after Pemberton punted. Ryan Tedesco set up the touchdown with a 40-yard pass reception from Palladino.
Allentown’s offense was silenced in the second half, although Graber said the defense put forth a solid effort, especially on the play of linemen Ernest Pitts, Zack Peterson, Bob Brown, Mark Duffy and Josh Golub and defensive back Anthony Toleno, who intercepted two passes. Queon Gore also had an interception.
“We got complacent and you can never do that,” Palladino said. “We gave the game to them.”
It was the defense that also provided the impetus in the season-opening 30-6 victory over Maple Shade as Chi Oriji ran back an interception for a touchdown and Brown blocked a punt as Frank Juba scooped up the ball and ran it back 26 yards for a touchdown. Those two defensive touchdowns spotted Allentown a 24-6 lead. Williams and Tedesco also caught touchdown passes from Palladino, who threw for 168 yards, and Markus Colin kicked a 47-yard field goal just before halftime, giving Allentown a 10-6 lead.
But even with that victory, Graber saw glitches that would hurt the Redbirds against Pemberton.
“We lost Scheuerman but we have a lot of good players back but we have to get better,” Graber said after the opening victory. “We had a lot of first game mistakes.”
The one consolation for Allentown is that it came out of both games without a serious injury.