With its annual clash against East Brunswick High School out of the way, Old Bridge High School’s football team has been focused on its Dec. 5 showdown with South Brunswick High School (10-1) in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group V championship game.
Benefiting from a pair of big plays, the Vikings defeated the Knights, 20-9, in a regular season game back on Sept. 25. Mo Jabbie returned a punt for a touchdown and quarterback Josh Liao found Justin Shorter for a 46-yard touchdown pass as South Brunswick’s quick-strike capability paid dividends.
“Both teams have seen each other, and the difference for us is that we’re looking to come back from a loss,” Old Bridge coach Anthony Lanzafama said. “We know what they’re capable of and we’ll be ready.”
South Brunswick, the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Red Division champion, edged fourth-seeded Manalapan High School (6-5), 27-21, in the state semifinals Nov. 19. The Vikings led 21-7, but the Braves rallied to tie things up in the fourth quarter. Undeterred, South Brunswick scored the winning touchdown on the game’s final play. Facing a fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line, Liao found a wide-open Wendell Allen in the end zone as time ran out.
South Brunswick followed that up with a solid 41-14 win over neighboring North Brunswick Township High School (2-8) on Thanksgiving.
For its part, visiting Old Bridge (8-3) took care of business on Thanksgiving Day, downing Red Division rival East Brunswick, 20-7, in the annual “Battle of Route 18.” The Knights now lead the annual series 19-3.
“That was a tough game for us,” Lanzafama said. “It’s an exciting rivalry between two great schools, and both teams wanted to win.
East Brunswick opened strong and threatened late in the first quarter — driving all the way to the Knights’ 4-yard line. The Old Bridge defense stiffened, and the Bears missed a field-goal attempt. The host squad was unable to muster much offensively after that foray.
The Knights, meanwhile, struggled a bit with the ball — losing a pair of fumbles in the first half. Nonetheless, Old Bridge tallied a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter. Jake Esposito opened the scoring with a short run. After Paul Ferrali picked off a pass late in the half, Artur Sitkowski hooked up with Anthony Imbimbo for a 22-yard touchdown pass on the next play from scrimmage.
Old Bridge upped its lead to 21-0 when Esposito scored his second touchdown, this time on another 22- yard pass from Sitkowski in the third quarter. East Brunswick answered back thanks to Almaliek Fitzpatrick, who ran the kickoff back deep into the Knights’ zone. James Schuld’s 3-yard pass to Marcus Flax put the Bears on the board.
Previously, Old Bridge handed second-seeded New Brunswick High School (9-2) a 26-12 loss in the Central Jersey, Group V semifinals. The Knights got off to a 13-0 lead only to have the Zebras rally — over a 45-second span — to cut the lead to just one point at halftime.
Old Bridge’s defense took control after the break, and the offense put the game away, running the ball effectively and eating up large portions of time.
Nick Sodano rushed for 132 yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns. Esposito ran for a touchdown and also caught a 29-yard scoring pass from Sitkowski.