The Sayreville War Memorial High School and Old Bridge High School football teams are set to open the state sectional playoffs this weekend.
Both teams are coming off losses. Old Bridge (5-3) finished third in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group V playoff race and will host sixth-place Edison High School (3-5) Nov. 13. Sayreville (5-4) ended up fifth in North Jersey, II, Group IV and will travel to Middletown High School North (6-2) the same day.
The Lions have won three straight games, including a 27-14 victory Nov. 6 over Freehold Township High School (4-5), which earned the seventh spot in Central Jersey, Group V. That victory enables Middletown North to slide past the Bombers and earn a home playoff date.
With a pair of talented backs in Chad Freshnock and Connor Welsh, who each ran for more than 100 yards against Freehold Township, Middletown North can be expected to run frequently. Lions quarterback Donald Glenn can air it, too; he threw for 260 yards Nov. 6.
Sayreville is coming off a 20-19 loss to Edison in a game the Eagles needed to win to qualify for the Central Jersey, Group V playoffs. It was the ninth game for the Bombers and the best seven of a team’s first eight games are used to determine power points used in the standings.
In a game of big plays, things looked bright early, as Michael Liberti blocked an Edison punt and Tristan Behr recovered it in the end zone to give the Blue and Gray a quick 7-0 lead. Edison knotted things up before the half, but coach Chris Beagan’s team regained the lead when Liberti sprinted 53 yards for a touchdown and a 13-7 edge early in the third quarter.
The visitors came back in just three plays, taking a 14-13 lead on a PAT following a 65-yard scoring pass from Haaziq Daniels to Nick Yanik. It stayed that way until late in the final quarter. Sayreville was driving, but a fumble gave the ball to the Eagles at their 10-yard line. Two plays later, Daniels took off on a keeper and did not stop until he reached the end zone 88 yards away to make it 20-13.
Led by sophomore quarterback Colton Redding, who was filling in for the injured Jayson DeMild, the Bombers responded quickly and scored on a 19-yard reception by Jahsim Floyd with 10 seconds remaining. However, the PAT attempt was unsuccessful and Edison escaped with the win.
“You have to give Edison credit,” Beagan said. “They played a great game and made some very big plays. They needed the win and they got it.”
When Edison hosted Old Bridge earlier in the season, it was a wild game that ended in a 45-27 Knights win. The lead changed hands five times as the teams raced up and down the field to the tune of more than 800 total yards.
“It was an intense game as a coach,” Old Bridge’s Anthony Lanzafama said afterward.
Edison worked out of a hurry-up set, and Daniels completed 16 passes for 230 yards. The Eagles led well into the third quarter when the Knights scored two touchdowns in a row to take control.
A key to the win was Old Bridge prevailing in the turnover department. The Knights took care of the ball, while Edison lost it on three occasions, two of which Old Bridge turned into points.
“Edison’s offense is pretty explosive, and we know they can move the ball,” Lanzafama said. “They’re a good team — every team in the [GMC] Red Division is good.”
Lanzafama has been saying that all season, and last week’s action bore that out. Piscataway Township High School, which fell to Sayreville earlier in the year, came back after two straight losses to down Old Bridge, 48-14.
Playing in front of a home crowd, the Knights got on the board first when Nick Sodano took the opening kickoff back 91 yards. It was all downhill from there, though, as the determined Chiefs took advantage of turnovers and poor special teams play.
“We’re looking ahead,” Lanzafama said. “Our goal has always been to get better each game. There’s a lot we can learn from the Piscataway game, but all we’re thinking about is Edison.”