Safety is the difference in Brick’s A South triumph over Jaguars

By WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Correspondent

 Jackson Memorial High School defenders team up to bring down Brick Township’s Austin Ostrander during the Oct. 2 Shore Conference A South Division game played in Brick. Playing in a quagmire, the Green Dragons slipped past the jaguars, 2-0, handing Jackson Memorial its first loss of the season.  MATT DENTON Jackson Memorial High School defenders team up to bring down Brick Township’s Austin Ostrander during the Oct. 2 Shore Conference A South Division game played in Brick. Playing in a quagmire, the Green Dragons slipped past the jaguars, 2-0, handing Jackson Memorial its first loss of the season. MATT DENTON There was a typical loud roar in the Brick Township High School football team’s locker room when the game ball was presented after a pivotal Shore Conference A South victory over Jackson Memorial at its stadium on Oct. 2

Brick head coach Len Zdanowicz handed it over to punter Javion Harris in what, under nor’easter weather conditions, became a night for the kickers in many respects. With neither team able to sustain much offense on the gummy natural surface conditions, Harris got off his punts cleanly and helped push Jackson Memorial back, including a 49-yarder from his own 15 in the third quarter.

“Our punter’s been doing a good job. That changed the field position,” Zdanowicz said. “That’s one of the top teams in the state. It’s 2-0 (score), but we’ll take it.” Meanwhile, a high snap over punter Jared Calhoun’s head and through the end zone with 5:30 left in the half for a safety were the only points of the game.

Brick Township survived when Calhoun was unable to provide the points to win on his field goal attempts. Calhoun, who came in with only one miss this season, actually did split the uprights with a 29-yard attempt in the third quarter but it was whistled off for an illegal procedure penalty. His follow-up 34-yard attempt was wide left. Another Calhoun attempt from 23 yards out, set up by a 24-yard run by Mike Gawlik that was the best the Jaguars could muster, was blocked by Matt Schleifer.

That series began after an interception by Kyle Johnson led to Gawlik’s run to the three-yard line. The Jaguars recovered their own fumbled snap from center at the 9-yard line but got no closer than Brick Township’s 6-yard line as Calhoun took the field. The outcome snapped Jackson Memorial’s 11-game winning streak, dating to last year’s 30-23 Brick Township victory that eventually would decide A South. The Jaguars went on to win NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV at the end of last season, including a 44-0 blitz of Brick Township in the state playoffs. Jackson Memorial beat Brick, 9-7, two years ago and went on to win A South.

The decision to play the game was made by the Brick Township district at 3 p.m. that afternoon and Jackson Memorial coach Walt Krystopik, whose team was stopped on two deep threats in the first half, could not fault the decision to play.

“If it was at my field on a day like this, I’d do the same thing,” Krystopik said. “It was just a matter of who could tough it out.”

But Zdanowicz admitted that Jackson Memorial might have had an edge in speed that would be negated in adverse weather.

“I thought it would slow them down and that we’d be able to move the ball better but I tip my hat to them that their defensive line did a good job of defending the run,” Zdanowicz said.

“You just have to push through it,” said Brick Township center Alex Trapasso as he led the Green Dragons charge up front in the tacky field conditions.

“We knew Jackson Memorial’s defensive line would be a tough matchup. It was a little tough to play out there but we got used to it and just kept playing with our hearts.”

But Trapasso said the blowout loss in last year’s state playoffs was a motivation and “has been in our minds since the last hit.”

Now the Jaguars have to keep winning and hope for some help as they dropped to 2-1 in the division, 3-1 overall, while unbeaten Brick’s four victories are all against A South opponents. Brick Memorial, Toms River North and Toms River South also each have one A South loss. Jackson Memorial plays two of those teams in the next two games, traveling to Toms River North on Oct. 9 and playing host to Brick Memorial the following Friday, both 7 p.m. kickoffs.

“I have a feeling we’ll see them again. And it’ll be a dogfight,” said Brick Township quarterback Tom Zbranak of Jackson Memorial, referring to the state playoffs.

Krystopik’s game plan was simple and direct. “Just ball security,” said Krystopik, referring to avoiding turnovers.

But Brick Township kept control at the end and ran off the last seven plays of the game with one final push from its offensive line.

Jackson Memorial’s lines continued to show a good push despite losing two-way lineman Austin Ostrander to an injury in the second quarter.

Jackson Memorial’s upcoming opponent, Toms River North, comes off a 42-0 victory over Marlboro, its second straight victory after a 52-20 loss to Brick Memorial.