MIDDLETOWN SOUTH
P laying a team twice in the same season is nothing new for Middletown
High School South football coach Steve Antonucci, who recalled a number of rematches in the state playoffs before, including Long Branch High School, Wall High School and Neptune High School. And his top-seeded team will face Neptune again in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV semifinals at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21.
Like many coaches, Antonucci believes prior matchups might give a closer look at opposing schemes, but things change over time. Antonucci believes this Neptune team is better now than when his team beat it, 41- 0, earlier in the season.
“They’re playing with confidence and coming off some shutouts,” Antonucci said. “They’re not the same team we played before. They’re hungry.”
Both teams are 7-2. Matt Mosquera kicked three field goals and threw a 30- yard touchdown pass to Tom Coffey in Middletown South’s 25-0 victory over Burlington Township High School in its playoff opener. It has six shutouts and won its last three games.
Neptune comes off a 21-7 openinground victory over Freehold High School. It has won six straight since back-to-back losses to Middletown South and Red Bank Catholic High School. Prior to the playoff victory, it shut out three straight opponents — Wall, Long Branch and Toms River High School North.
Middletown South’s offense has been grinding out points behind Cole Rogers, who scored his 22nd touchdown of the season against Burlington Township and has 1,358 yards rushing behind a solid blocking line of center Joe Rutkowski, tackles James Wilson and Tom Lopez and guards Kyle Maynes and Brian Joyce. The defense that has reliable players like senior defensive end Patrick Crowe; free safety Nolan Pereless and cornerback Dylan Rogers, both juniors; and sophomore outside linebacker Jim McCarthy will get one of its toughest assignments. Antonucci said there’s room for a peak performance by his defense, which he’ll need for this game and for the finals if his team gets there against the winner of Jackson Memorial High School against Brick Township High School. Middletown South lost to Sayreville War Memorial High School in the 2012 finals.
“Defensively, they’re still getting better,” Antonucci said of his unit. “It’s still a somewhat young group that’s jelling and doing a good job behind some senior leadership. We had some concerns with Burlington Township’s run game, and the defense did a good job and forced them to throw.”
There’s also the kicking of Mosquera, a junior who has made all 36 extra points and is 9-of-10 on field goals. His kicking helped set the momentum against Burlington
Township, which includes a 38-yard average per punt, and that could be a key against Neptune.
MATAWAN
Freshmen continue to play a major role for Matawan Regional High School. Devon Spann scored four touchdowns and quarterback George Pearson threw for 201 yards and continued to smoothly run the offense as Matawan (6-4) won its third straight game, 27-6, at Raritan High School. It advanced into the Central Jersey Group III semifinals at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21 at home against Ocean Township High School (4-5), which is tougher than its record. Ocean Township comes off an impressive 19-14 victory over Hopewell Valley Central High School, which slipped to 7-2.
Spann ran 2 yards for a touchdown, but Matawan led only 7-6 after one quarter before he added short touchdown runs over the next three quarters and finished with 95 yards on 22 carries. Pearson was 11-of-19 passing, as Matawan beat Raritan for the second time this season, with an earlier 26- 21 victory at Raritan.
In the other bracket, it’s Carteret High School against Long Branch, which beat the Huskies, 40-28, before they won their last three.
MATER DEI
Mater Dei Prep quarterback Christian Palmer continues along his storybook season, accounting for 35 touchdowns combined from his passing and running ability that was evident in a 48-0 opening-round, Non-Public Group I victory over Morristown Beard School. He passed for four touchdowns and ran for two more.
Palmer threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Lewis, ran 2 yards for another score and connected with Tyson Stamper on touchdown passes of 69 and 23 yards to help Mater Dei to a 36-0 halftime lead. Palmer later threw a 78-yard scoring strike to Tysaun White and ran 40 yards for another touchdown.
Palmer has rushed for 1,044 yards and 15 touchdowns and passed for 1,511 yards and 20 touchdowns.
But the Seraphs, enjoying their best season since 1999 when they won eight games, will be hard-pressed in the semifinals on Nov. 21 when they travel to topseed St. Joseph High School of Hammonton. In the other bracket, it’s St. Anthony High School against St. Mary High School of Rutherford.
MIDDLETOWN NORTH
Jackson Memorial High School (9-1), regarded in recent weeks as the top team in the Shore, roared to a 45-7 victory over Middletown High School North (6-3) in Central Jersey Group IV. Middletown North cut Jackson Memorial’s early lead to 12-7 on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Donald Glenn to running back Chad Freshnock for his 18th touchdown, fourth via a pass. Jackson Memorial kicker Jared Calhoun answered with a 28-yard field goal before 4-yard touchdown runs by quarterback Joe DeMaio and Vincent Lee helped the Jaguars to a 38-7 halftime lead.
Freshnock was held to 73 yards rushing. He has 1,222 total yards for his second straight season with more than 1,000 yards rushing, and there is still one more game left at home against Middletown South on Thanksgiving Day at 10:30 a.m.
Middletown North has achieved its first winning season since 2000.