By Wayne Witkowski
New Egypt High School’s football team suffered its first defeat of the season but gained a moral victory and served notice that it is a serious threat to win the West Jersey Football League Freedom Division this season.
The Warriors (3-1), contending for an NJSIAA Group I playoff berth and leading the division at 2-0, fell in overtime Sept. 30 to nondivision opponent Robbinsville High School, a Group III school, 20-14. Robbinsville is 2-2.
Kyle Twamley ran for all 25 of Robbinsville’s yards in the first overtime series, including a final 10-yard scamper for the deciding touchdown. New Egypt then got the ball, advanced it 2 yards and had a 7-yard pass completion on fourth down that was just shy of the needed yardage to sustain the drive.
New Egypt quarterback Kyle Frimel connected with Bryan Cristman on a 9-yard touchdown pass midway through the final quarter that closed Robbinsville’s lead to 14-13. New Egypt’s two-point conversion attempt was stopped short and a penalty on the play moved the ball farther back, leading to an extra-point kick by Neal Flogel that tied the game and forced the overtime. Flogel stepped into the role as kicker when Mario Reed sustained a season-ending injury two games prior.
Frimel again came up big for New Egypt, rushing for 121 yards and throwing for 135 on 8-of-22 passing.
“We knew what we had to do, but penalties and errors hurt,” Flogel said.
“We did not capitalize on a lot of chances we had,” coach Steve Fence said. “We did not play to our potential. This was an early wake-up call. This was a good team, but we need to play better to contend in our division.”
Flogel stopped the first serious threat of the game by Robbinsville with an interception at the 7-yard line, but the Warriors fumbled the ball away on the next snap and Robbinsville scored moments later on Jared Twamley’s 3-yard reception from Taylor Twamley. The extra-point kick made it 7-0.
New Egypt answered with a 65-yard march on the next series, capped by Noah Viera’s 1-yard run. Flogel kicked the tying extra point.
That’s how it stayed at halftime until a 65-yard march by Robbinsville ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Kyle Twamley. It set the scene for New Egypt’s 57-yard drive in the final quarter that ended with Cristman’s catch.
New Egypt is home over the next four games, three of which are against division opponents. It hosts division rival Burlington City High School (1-3, 1-1) Oct. 7, which comes off a 14-0 loss to Gloucester City Junior-Senior High School.
“We’re very much excited to play Burlington City and we’re home — we’ve had only one home game so far,” Fence said. “We just want to get this bad taste out of our mouths.
“We have to play good team defense and tackle well, and we need to develop the run game. Special teams need to continue to do what they do: playing well.”
The coach reported no significant injuries from the Robbinsville game.
Flogel realizes the importance of even more intense preparation this week.
“We have to have a crisp week of practice and have to have quick feet and hold our blocks better against Burlington City than we did against Robbinsville,” Flogel said.
New Egypt follows with a bye week before taking on Riverside High School (0-3, 0-1) Oct. 21 in another division game. After a nondivision game against Haddon Heights High School Oct. 28, the Warriors take on perennial power Florence Township Memorial High School (1-2, 1-0), which comes into the week off a 26-20 loss to Holy Cross Academy.
The Warriors hope to avoid further injuries that have plagued them in late-season slumps in recent years.