The Rumson-Fair Haven football team was right where it needed to be. Down six points, under a minute to play, in their opponent’s red zone, and with the ball in Matt Wassel’s hands.
PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff A dejected Matt Wassell of Rumson-Fair Haven reacts after an incomplete pass on fourth down in the final seconds of the Central Jersey Group II Championship game at Rutgers. To the player, coach or fan, anyone in the RFH extended family would have signed up for that scenario prior to the start of Sunday’s Central Jersey Group II final.
However, all the confidence they had for their senior quarterback wasn’t quite enough to bring RFH its first state championship, as the Bulldogs dropped a heartbreaking 20-14 ballgame to Carteret to finish the year 9-3.
“We made some uncharacteristic mistakes – dropped a few balls,” said RFH head coach Shane Fallon following the game. “We had a few costly penalties offensively, just mental breakdowns that we didn’t normally make, but outside of that I feel that we played hard and played well. We just didn’t make enough plays to win the game.”
Rumson-Fair Haven defender Colin Callahan (11) looks to pick up the fumble by Carteret’s Dwayne Foster in the Central Jersey Group II Championship on Dec. 2, which was won by Carteret 20-14. Even with the team not clicking on all cylinders, Rumson-FH had its chance to win the title late, after Wassel led his team to the Carteret three-yard line in the waning seconds. On second-down-and-goal from the three, Wassel fumbled the snap, losing three yards on a play where they hoped to spike the ball to stop the clock. Then, on third down, Wassel looked for his favorite target, senior wideout Ryan Kirchner, on a fade route in the corner of the end zone, only to have his pass knocked down by Carteret’s Brian Williams.
Following a Carteret timeout, RFH set up for a fourth-and-goal from the six, once again hoping to call on the Wassel-to- Kirchner combination one last time for the state championship.
“We wanted to isolate Kirchner, and either hit him on the slant or bring (running back Ryan) Korn out of the backfield on a swing pass,” Fallon said.
However, after taking the snap and rolling right, Wassel instead flipped a shovel pass to Korn, only to have it fall short, giving the ball, and the state championship, to the Ramblers.
The goal line stand was the second of the game for the Carteret defense, as the Ramblers also held RFH out of the end zone earlier in the third quarter, to keep the score at 14-7 at the time.
“I thought that the goal line stand that they made earlier in the game was certainly a key,” Fallon said. “Not being able to get in there hurt us.”
Carteret got on the board early, putting together a nine-play, 56-yard drive on its first possession, and capping the drive with a oneyard scoring plunge from QB Al Tampa.
Rumson responded with a four-yard TD run from Korn, only to see Carteret regain the lead when Tampa hit Williams with a three-yard TD pass on a fourth-and-goal play.
After Carteret kept RFH out of the end zone near the end of the third, RFH managed to tie the game on its next possession, when Korn again found the end zone from five yards out.
Korn’s solid production was the one constant for the Bulldog offense, as the Ramblers did a nice job of slowing down Rumson’s prolific offensive attack with a strategic ball-control offense, paced by a punishing running game.
“We got him (Korn) going a little bit in the first half, but then unfortunately we were playing defense for a little while and by the time we got back out there offensively, the time was dictating what we were able to do,” Fallons said. “We had to throw the ball a little bit. We couldn’t keep them off-balance.
“I think you’ve got to credit Carteret, offensively,” the coach added.
“They were able to move the chains, get some first downs and keep our offense off the field. We didn’t find a rhythm, I felt, especially in the first half. The second half we were better. But you’ve got to credit Carteret. They made more plays today than we did.”
However, RFH still managed to tie the game, setting up the exciting fourth- quarter finish.
“We made some adjustments at halftime, and we wanted to come out and establish Korn, and wear them out a little bit,” Fallon said. “And I felt we were able to do that; unfortunately, we were unable to capitalize down there at the one end earlier in the game, and then once again at the end there.”
Carteret got a oneyard touchdown run from Byron Lewin with 2:18 left in the game to take the 20-14 lead, but then missed the extra-point kick, leaving the door open for RFH to steal the win.
“We certainly thought the extra point miss would give us the opportunity to come down here and win it,” Fallon said. “And we were confident that we could put ourselves in position to have that opportunity. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.”
“You’ve got to credit Carteret for being able to take certain things away from us.”
Wassel (7-for-15 for 101 yards) was able to drive his team 59 yards on three straight passes to Kirchner and a 13-yard keeper, only to fall short in the end.
Following the game, Fallon was quick to praise the effort of his team all season.
“These are character kids,” he said. “We knew that about them when they were back in Pop Warner. We knew that we had a special group coming in here, talent-wise. They certainly have a lot of talent, but their work ethic and their character are even greater than their talent.
“They worked to their potential, that’s for sure.”
The character Fallon spoke of was evident following the game, when the RFH players were quick to credit Carteret with earning the win in the end.
“It could have went either way,” said Ryan Korn. “You’ve got to hand it to them, they played really well.”
Kirchner added that he was not surprised that the Bulldogs were able to keep coming back, despite playing from behind all game.
“That’s been our thing all year,” he said. “We’ve kind of just battled through all the adversity. … We definitely have a lot of heart.”
“We’ve been a tight-knit group our entire lives, and we’ve always won a lot of games,” he added. “I just hope that the younger kids can take a lesson from this and come back and win it next year.”
For those players who will be back next year, it will seem like a long time until opening week, however, Fallon is already fondly looking back on the accomplishments of 2007.
“Obviously it’s very disappointing for us, but I told our kids, walk out of here, keep your heads up,” he said. “The scoreboard may not say it, but we feel like we’re a championship ball club, and our kids have nothing to be ashamed of. They played their hearts out and had an unbelievable season.”
They just fell a little short of the ultimate goal. Three yards, to be exact.