The Old Bridge High School football team shook off a loss in the state playoffs and capped its season with a victory in the annual “Route 18” Thanksgiving rivalry game against East Brunswick High School.
Old Bridge struck early and fast and cruised to a 49-0 victory on Nov. 23 in East Brunswick.
Quarterback Anthony Imbimbo guided the Old Bridge attack, which constructed a 35-0 lead by the conclusion of the first half. Over the course of the first two quarters, Imbimbo ran into the end zone on carries of 1 yard and 23 yards, and he connected with Liam Knowles for a 76-yard pass play that resulted in a touchdown.
Tyler Haughney broke free to score on a 44-yard run, while Knowles capped the scoring in the first half when he dashed 34 yards to the end zone.
In the third quarter, Imbimbo kept the ball and took off for a 68-yard touchdown run, and Old Bridge ended the scoring when Bryson Corbett returned a blocked punt 32 yards for a touchdown.
The victory capped an 8-3 season for Old Bridge, while the result also helped soften the 21-10 defeat that the Knights were dealt by South Brunswick High School in the semifinals of the Central Jersey, Group 5 state sectional playoffs on Nov. 17.
The Thanksgiving Day victory also enabled Old Bridge to share the regular-season title in the Greater Middlesex Conference’s Red Division with South Brunswick and Piscataway Township High School.
Old Bridge coach Anthony Lanzafama was a bit concerned about his team’s ability to rebound from the playoff loss to South Brunswick.
“It feels great,” he said. “The Battle of Route 18 trophy has been going on since 1994. It’s a great tradition. Coming off the loss [in the playoff semifinals], I didn’t know how this group was going to respond, but we got team leadership this week, and we came out ready to go. I’m happy for the senior class that’s leaving here with a victory.”
Despite the fact that Old Bridge did not advance to the finals in the state playoffs, Lanzafama felt the Knights had a season to remember.
“It was a great season,” he said. “[We] made it to the semifinals [and were] co-division champions. So we had a lot on the line today. I’m just so proud of the seniors. They come to practice and work hard every day.
“They embrace it, and they work hard, and they show the young guys how it’s done.”
Imbimbo was named the offensive MVP in the holiday game for the Knights, while Old Bridge senior middle linebacker Richard Cardaci won the game’s defensive MVP. The Thanksgiving Day game was meaningful to both players.
“It was just a great experience,” Cardaci said. “The whole year, we’ve just been coming together as a team, and this game just shows you just how we came together and won together as a team. We won in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams. It was just an honor to be on this team.”
“Man, today is just overwhelming,” Imbimbo said. “My offensive line gave me the opportunity to make plays. The defense played amazing. It was a team win. We blew them out, and it was the best game of my life. I just thank God for that.”
The two also were happy with the season that they won’t soon forget.
“It was a really special season,” Cardaci said. “Seniors in years past showed us what we need to do and how we have to play and that in practice, you go hard every day and work hard. We used that as motivation all year.”
“We came into this season with everyone saying that we couldn’t do well, we didn’t have a quarterback, that we didn’t have this and we didn’t have that,” Imbimbo said. “We all stuck together as a family because we played together as freshmen and had an 8-2 record, and this year, we were 8-3. So this year has been amazing.”
For East Brunswick, the holiday game’s result left the Bears with a final record of 2-8.
Senior quarterback James Schuld received the holiday game’s offensive MVP for the Bears, while junior defensive end Tim Gudzak was the recipient of the defensive MVP award. The two players, along with coach Bob Molarz, reflected on the season, one that they believed displayed more character than what the record indicated.
“It was fun one — last one to go out, obviously, not the way we wanted to, but to go out there with my brothers means everything in the world to me,” Schuld said. “I can’t ask for more.”
“We just came together as a team,” Gudzak said. “We always try to play hard on every snap and come together as brothers.”
“That’s pretty much it,” Molarz said. “That’s what we preach here. We have progressed as a football team, from week three to week nine. Obviously, today was a clunker, but I never question their effort, and that’s all I can ask for. [Schuld and Gudzak] are usually the leaders in those departments. They make sure they give 100 percent effort, and the others follow. I’m grateful for that.”