Allentown High School’s Emma Pascarella, left, and Robbinsville High School’s Nenagh Sheehan are shoulder to-shoulder as they try to win the ball during the Oct. 13 match played in Allentown. The Redbirds’ 4-3 victory improved their record to 11-3. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR Ricky Mottram has been the anchor of the Allentown High School football team’s defense the past two seasons and has contributed in spot action on offense.
Mottram shared the spotlight carrying the ball Oct. 19, as he scored three touchdowns — all in the first half — to lead the Redbirds to a 38-8 victory over Hightstown High School.
Mottran scored three touchdowns on short runs and the Redbirds (3-3) ended a two-game losing streak, reviving their hopes of reaching the NJSIAA Central Jer,sey Group III playoffs for a fifth straight year. They reached the sectional finals last December.
Mottram’s play was part of an effort by some lesser-used players embracing larger roles after five players were suspended for the game for violating team rules.
Freshman Sadiki Queen got the start at quarterback and picked up 121 yards on the ground. Brett Masci chipped in another 120 yards filling in at halfback.
Allentown has never lost three games in a row in coach Jay Graber’s six years as head coach.
“I think everyone stepped up when they needed to,” Mottram said. “All the credit goes to our offensive line for opening up the holes.
“We’ve been pretty successful in the run game — a lot deeper than people think. The people on top are great, but others farther down [the roster] can come in and get it done.”
“He runs the ball extremely tough,” Graber said of Mottram. “He exerts so much energy on defense that we don’t give him the ball much on offense. But when he has it, he gets tough yardage.”
The long scoring drives showed that Allentown minimized mistakes.
“Every week, we have to get better [at that],” Graber said. “We started slow this season, and this week, we improved and need to continue.”
Mottram capped long drives with a 1- yard touchdown run and two from 6 yards out, as Allentown took a 19-8 lead at halftime. Queen bolted 48 yards for a touchdown early in the second half that put Allentown well in command.
Both teams came into the game with 2- 3 records and in desperate need of a victory to stay in the playoff chase. Hightstown quarterback Ryan Conlon threw a 6-yard touchdown pass on the opening series but left the game shortly after that with an injury and did not return.
Allentown’s X’zavier Harris and Aydon Chavis each ran 10 yards for a touchdown in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, to lock up the victory.
Graber and Mottram believed Allentown’s defense, which has struggled throughout the year, played its best game of the season. Graber said the defensive line of Makeli Quinones, Ryan Huth, Joe Pritchard and Sean Beckett led the charge, while defensive back Malcolm Milton intercepted two passes.
They’ll need a solid effort in the next twoweekswitha2p.m.kickoffOct.24at Rancocas Valley Regional High School (2-3) and a home game at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 against Hopewell Valley Central High School (5-1). On Nov. 7, the Redbirds close their regular-season schedule against Trenton Central High School.
The cutoff for the state tournament is Nov. 7.
Quarterback Jordan Winston, who needs 58 yards for 1,000 this season and has rushed for 11 touchdowns, will be back for the next game, along with halfback
Joe Mannino, Matt Schreck, Joe Bailey and Joe Bellotti.
But it’s Allentown’s defense that Graber believes is the key to the team’s success going forward.
“We have to make plays on defense against their spread offense, which can make big plays,” Graber said of Rancocas Valley.
Rancocas Valley comes off a 35-0 blitz of Nottingham High School but lost its previous game to Northern Burlington County Regional High School, 42-7, and fell the week before that, 42-19, to Notre Dame High School — a team that Allentown beat, 40-34, in its second game of the season.
Hopewell Valley has not lost since dropping its opener, 10-7, to Burlington Township High School. Hopewell Valley beat Notre Dame, 19-6.
Graber reported no players will be sidelined with any serious injuries against Rancocas Valley.
Field hockey
Caitlin Noon and Colbie Kennedy each scored twice as Allentown (11-0-2) rolled past Steinert High School, 7-0, in its Mercer County Tournament opener.
The Redbirds were scheduled to play Hopewell Valley in the next round Oct. 20. Kayla Peterson, Melanie Scibilia and Hope Zarozniak put in the other goals as the Redbirds broke open a 3-0 halftime lead.
Allentown had come off a 1-1 tie Oct. 14 with West Windsor- Plainsboro High School North off a goal by Peterson. That and a 1-1 tie with Robbinsville High School Oct. 7 are the lowestscoring games this season for the explosive Redbirds.
Allentown also beat Ewing High School, 5-2, Oct. 12. Peterson had the hat trick, and Noon sisters Caitlin and Kristin put in the other goals.
Katie White has been steady in goal for Allentown.
Girls’ soccer
Princeton High School scored with eight minutes left in the second overtime to beat Allentown, 3- 2, Oct. 15.
Kali Hartshorn scored both goals for Allentown (11-3) in the second half.
Freshman Emma Pascarella scored her second goal with 15 seconds left as Allentown beat Robbinsville, 4-3, Oct. 13. Toni Catelli and Alyssa Sloane fired in the other goals, and Hartshorn had two assists. Goalkeeper Ali DeSalvatore stopped eight shots.
Allentown hosted Ewing Oct. 19 and then played Lawrence High School Oct. 21 in its Mercer County Tournament opener.
Boys’ soccer
The Redbirds (2-9-1) expected to be weak in scoring during a rebuilding season, and it showed in a 5-1 loss to Princeton Oct. 15 and a 4-1 loss to Robbinsville Oct. 13.
Allentown was scheduled to play Steinert Oct. 17 in the Mercer County Tournament. The Redbirds also had a game slated against Ewing Oct. 19.