North Brunswick High School forward Ashley Gorda brings the ball upfield during a recent game against Colonia. Heading into action this week, the Raiders have a 5-4-1 record. MATT DENTON The South Brunswick High School football team upped its record to 3-0 in Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Red Division play with a convincing 32-12 victory over Sayreville in the rain on Oct. 2 in South Brunswick.
After a scoreless first period, the visitors struck first when quarterback Jayson Demild hooked up with Jahsim Floyd for 10 yards and a TD early in the second quarter. The Vikings tied things up as Phil Campbell scored on a 25-yard touchdown run.
Jaier Garrett recovered a fumble on the Bombers’ next possession, enabling South Brunswick to take 12-6 lead into halftime after junior quarterback Josh Liao found Justin Shorter for a 22-yard scoring pass.
After the break, Garrett intercepted a Demild pass and South Brunswick scored again on a short run by Wendell Allen to increase its lead to 18-6. Sayreville sliced the South Brunswick lead to 18-12, but the Vikings answered back with a 2-yard scoring run by Campbell and another interception by Garrett, which he returned 26 yards for a TD to ice the game.
“Our defense played well all night and created turnovers,” South Brunswick coach Joe Goerge said. “I think that frustrated them because we turned those turnovers into points and that gave us the momentum we needed.”
South Brunswick will look for its fourth straight victory on Oct. 9 when it travels to East Brunswick (1-2). The Bears are coming off of a tough, 28-26, triple-overtime loss to Edison on Oct. 2.
North Brunswick’s football team turned in a solid effort against Monroe on Oct. 2, but came out on the short end of a 9-0 score, leaving the Raiders still looking for their first victory this fall. North Brunswick visits Edison on Oct. 9.
The visiting Falcons put together a lengthy, 14-play drive that covered 90 yards, ending with Matt Van De Sande scoring on 2-yard keeper as Monroe opened a 6-0 lead.
North Brunswick had a chance early in the third when Quamere Nance’s 54-yard run gave his team a first-and-goal situation from the Monroe 2-yard line. The Raiders were unable to cash in, however. The Falcons’ Josh Wood kicked a 20-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Boys Soccer
In boys’ soccer, South Brunswick is coming off of a pair of victories that extended its winning streak to seven matches and upped its record to 9-2 on the year.
Coach Chris Hayston’s team is coming off of a 4-1 triumph over Old Bridge on Oct. 1. Kevin Nunez’s goal enabled the Vikings to take the lead going into the half. After the break, Kyle DeGroff, Patrick Grudnick and Jermaine Small all scored as South Brunswick pulled away. A late goal spoiled goalkeepers Arvind Swaminathan’s bid for a shutout.
South Brunswick downed St. Joseph of Metuchen, 2-0, on Sept. 29. Caballero and Paul Grudnick both scored, Patrick Grudnick had an assist and Swaminathan turned a clean sheet in goal to pick up the win. South Brunswick dominated the match, outshooting the Falcons, 16-5.
Girls Soccer
In girls’ soccer, South Brunswick split a pair of games and is now 4-5. Julianna Franco scored both goals on Oct. 1 in a 3-2 loss to East Brunswick. Samia Baig and Brielle Eder picked up assists and Sydney Schneider made seven saves.
On Oct. 29 the Lady Vikings got past Piscataway, 2-1. Eder had a goal and an assist and Rachel Hecht also scored for South Brunswick, which out-shot the Chiefs, 17-6.
In other soccer action, the North Brunswick boys’ team earned its third victory on Oct. 1 when it beat Piscataway, 1-0. Kevin Weilson scored the lone goal off of a Yardin Miranda pass and Pawel Dzielski turned aside six shots in keeping a clean sheet. Dzielski made 13 saves two days earlier in a 2-0 loss to Old Bridge.
North Brunswick’s girls’ soccer team dropped a pair of games and is now 5-4-1. On Oct. 3 Piscataway took a 1-0 lead into the half and scored four times after the break to put the game on ice. On Oct. 29, the Raiders lost a 2-0 decision against Old Bridge, despite eight saves by Danielle Segerholm.
Girls Tennis
South Brunswick’s girls’ tennis team won its opening round match, 5-0, against Manalapan in the opening round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV tournament. Rashmi Venkatarama, Neeharika Kishore and Ashima Agarwal swept the singles matches, while Swathi Chandrika and Prathyusha Pandu won at first doubles and Sneha Rampalli and Ashi Yadav won at second doubles.
In field hockey, Jill Grzelak scored a goal and Kavya Sreeram made 12 saves, but East Brunswick still managed to edge South Brunswick, 2-1, on Sept. 30. The Lady Vikings defeated Old Bridge, 2-0, on Sept. 28. Mollie Hayes and Olivia Mosco both scored as Grzelak and Skyler Asper had assists. The Lady Vikings are 5-5.
Girls Volleyball
South Brunswick’s girls’ volleyball team is 5-6 following a 2-0 victory over Woodbridge on Oct. 2. Jaime Klemas and Sarah Weeden had seven kills apiece in the win. The previous day, the Lady Vikes won the first set, but dropped the next two sets in a 2-1 (25-21, 16-25, 23-25) loss to Monroe. Weeden had seven kills and five digs and Lindsay Szucs added 18 assists to go with five digs and a block.
Kelly Matuszewski had five kills, five digs and four aces in a 2-0 victory against Piscataway on Sept. 30. On Sept. 28 J. P. Stevens downed the Lady Vikes, 2-0. Shannon Fisher had four assists and two digs in the loss.
North Brunswick fell to 2-8 in girls’ volleyball following a 2-0 loss to West Windsor- Plainsboro North on Oct. 2. Epiphani Woodard had six kills and a block and Christina Ko contributed nine digs and an ace.