Area teams get ready for state football playoffs

By WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Correspondent

Chad Freshnock is back on the field, brightening the outlook for the Middletown High School North football team as area squads qualified for this weekend’s NJSIAA playoffs.

Freshnock rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns as the Lions beat Freehold Township High School, 27-14, in Middletown Nov. 6. Connor Welsh, who had carried the load while Freshnock was injured, had 16 carries and 91 yards

“That’s a big lift,” coach Steve Bush said of Freshnock’s return. “He is our best football player. We have so much more depth. He’s a weapon who can score from anywhere at any time.”

The Lions improved to 6- 2 at the cutoff for the state playoffs and clinched their second straight winning season.

Middletown North will have what Bush said is its first home playoff game since 1986 when it takes on Sayreville War Memorial High School (5-4) at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 in the North Jersey, Section II, Group IV tournament.

Bush said the team needs to sharpen its defense over four quarters from what it showed against Freehold Township (4-5).

“We’re trying to peak for the playoffs,” Bush said.

The coach looks to continue the balanced attack he got with the throwing of quarterback Don Glenn, who passed for 258 yards and a touchdown.

After that playoff game comes a Thanksgiving showdown against unbeaten Middletown High School South and the chance to be the spoiler again. On Nov. 6 Middletown South clinched a share of the Shore Conference A South Division championship when it rallied from a second-quarter deficit and beat Freehold High School, 38-7, behind Cole Rogers’ 212 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Eagles need a victory over Middletown North on Thanksgiving to clinch the title outright for what would be its 17th division championship since 1986.

Middletown North earlier in the season beat Manalapan High School, which put Middletown South (8-0) in position to take control of the division.

Middletown South and St. John Vianney High School, which is also unbeaten, wrapped up No. 1 seeds in the state playoffs in their respective brackets, which guarantees home field all the way to the state championship games should they get there.

Middletown South, which moved this year to North Jersey, Section II, Group IV, is home to West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North (5-4) at 7 p.m. Nov. 13. West Windsor- Plainsboro North has won its last three games.

If Middletown South and Middletown North win their opening-round games, they will go head-to-head in the second round, which means they would play against each other on back-to-back weekends.

St. John Vianney (9-0) hosts Donovan Catholic at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 in Non-Public, Group III. The Lancers wrapped up their regular season Nov. 6 with a 67-0 rout of Manasquan High School. St. John Vianney beat Donovan Catholic (3-5) in a 63-21 rout Oct. 24

That winner plays in the next round against the victor of No. 5-seed Red Bank Catholic High School at No. 4-seed Pope John Regional High School of Sparta. Matawan Regional High School, Keyport High School and Mater Dei Prep also qualified.

Matawan rolled by Barnegat, 31-0, Nov. 6 as Makiya Caesar rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s sixth straight victory after three losses to open the season.

Shawn Ramcheran ran back a punt 64 yards for a touchdown, Derrick Wiley rushed 30 yards for a touchdown and Adam Elliott kicked a 24-yard field goal for the Huskies (6-3), who clinched a playoff berth the previous weekend with a victory over Manasquan at the cutoff.

Matawan, seeded No. 5, opens defense of its Central Jersey, Group III championship at No. 4-seed Hopewell Valley Central High School (7-2), which comes off a 17-14 victory over Northern Burlington County Regional High School.

“It’s good to get out of the Shore,” said Matawan coach John Kaye, whose team is in good health after some key injuries early in the season led to the 0-3 start. “We don’t want to play Rumson, Red Bank and Ocean right away. All four Shore teams [in the bracket] are playing outside teams, and it’s interesting for us to play a West Jersey team.”

Matawan has scored 30 or more points in its last five games behind the balanced passing of George Pearson and the running of Caesar, while the defense has shut out two teams this season.

The winner of the Matawan game plays the winner of No. 8-seed Rahway High School at top-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School.

Keyport (5-4) wrapped up its regular season with a 35-12 victory over Keansburg High School. Des Underwood rushed for 143 yards and scored three touchdowns, and Ky’Sun Pryor scored three touchdowns and rushed for 83 yards. Keyport clinched a playoff spot in its previous game, a 20-0 victory over Mater Dei.

Keyport, seeded No. 7, plays at No. 2- seed Asbury Park High School in Central Jersey, Group I in its first appearance in the state playoffs since 2012, when it dropped its opener to Florence Township Memorial High School.

The Red Raiders lost to Asbury Park, 28-21, Oct. 16 when Asbury Park scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to overtake Keyport.

“They’re unbelievably athletic,” Keyport coach John Paczkowski said. “We have to gel and play hard — Keyport-style football. We need that from our offensive line and our fullback, Jay Hanson, who has been leading the way with the blocking.”

The line includes Devon Keegan, Evan Smutz, Travis Alvarez, Erik Nellis, Matt Acuna and Zach Frick.

Paczkowski also got word before the Keansburg game that his father, who was in hospice care the last two weeks, had passed away from cancer. Paczkowski credited his team for responding so well during his personal struggle, and he decided to coach the game against Keansburg.

“As much as my mom and dad are family, this team also is a family,” Paczkowski said as he was making funeral arrangements for early in the week.

The victor plays the winner of No. 6- seed Point Pleasant Beach High School at No. 3-seed Palmyra High School.

No. 8-seed Mater Dei plays its Non-Public Group II playoff opener at top-seeded Montclair Kimberly Academy. That victor takes on the winner of No. 5-seed St. Mary’s High School (Rutherford) at No. 4- seed Hudson Catholic Regional High School. Mater Dei (3-6) comes off its fourth straight loss, 14-13, to Point Pleasant Beach. Marvin Pierre had a 2-yard run for Mater Dei, and Eddie Lewis returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown.