While Manalapan and Marlboro renew the oldest Thanksgiving Day rivalry in the Freehold District tomorrow morning, Colts Neck will complete its year of firsts with the inaugural Freehold Borough-Colts Neck game.
With the Freehold Borough-Freehold Township rivalry concluding last year, Manalapan and Marlboro have been going at in on Turkey Day since 1973, longer than any schools in the District.
For both the Braves and Mustangs, the 2000 game will provide the chance to salvage down seasons.
Last year, both Manalapan and Marlboro enjoyed state playoff seasons and their Thanksgiving Day grapple ended up being for a title. When Middletown North upset Middletown South, it opened the door for the Braves-Mustangs winner to share the A North crown with South. Manalapan prevailed at home, 25-10, winning its third division title in four years.
Many things have changed since ’99. Braves head coach Steve Bush is now an assistant at Syracuse and his assistant, Tom Tarver, a quarterback standout at Jackson Memorial High School and Rutgers University, is the new head coach. The Braves, who lost all but four starters to graduation, are 3-6. They are coming off a 21-14 win at Howell in the state playoff consolation round, and they have two of the best players in the Shore in quarterback Jack Phillips and running back Cory Brooks. This will be the last time that they suit up for Manalapan and they will be determined to go out winners. Brooks has already surpassed 1,000 yards on the ground for the second straight year and Phillips has done likewise passing.
Marlboro, which is hosting this year’s game at 10 a.m., has struggled through a 1-8 campaign that isn’t reminiscent of last year’s 6-4 campaign. But this is a rivalry game where teams have a tendency to play above themselves, so don’t count the ’Stangs out. Jarret Frimer and Mark May are the team’s running threats. May is dangerous on punt returns, ranking among the best in the Shore.
The stakes aren’t high this year, but both teams will be playing for pride and the opportunity to conclude their seasons with a win and possession of the Doc Berman Trophy.
A new tradition will begin in Colts Neck when the Cougars host Freehold Borough on Saturday. The game was to be played Thanksgiving Day morning, but the Cougars played Keyport Saturday in the semi-finals of the Central Jersey Group I playoffs. The Red Raiders eliminated Colts Neck from the postseason, 23-8.
The Cougars have taken the District by storm this year, what with their winning record (6-4) and state playoff appearance. The Cougars will be hoping the form holds up. They won their first-ever game against Mater Dei back in September and were victorious on Nov. 4 in the first-ever state playoff game at Highland Park. If form holds up, the Cougars would figure to be the winner of the first-ever edition of the Freehold Borough-Colts Neck game.
But while Colts Neck has been making the headlines, the Colonials have quietly gone about winning. Borough started 0-2 but rebounded nicely and can clinch a second straight winning season for Larry Boice with a win Saturday. They are 5-4.
The Colonials have improved immeasurably since the season began back in September and are clearly playing their best football of the season. Freehold is coming off a 34-13 drubbing on Monroe in the state playoff consolation game. The week before, they put up 65 points against Point Pleasant Beach.
Running back Keith Reed, who has surpassed 1,000 yards, 1,059 to be exact, has been carrying the load for the Colonials. But, he hasn’t had to do it himself. The Colonials’ ground game has spread the wealth around. Against Monroe, Reed picked up 118 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns (giving him 11 on the season), but Josh James struck for 137 and a touchdown.
What Colts Neck has brought to the field this year is one of the most explosive and productive running games in the Shore. The Cougars have not one, but two 1,000 yards rushers in their first year. Obi Nkwuo is as good as anyone in the open field and fullback Mark Savard can grind teams down with his off tackle bursts. Only undefeated Keyport has been able to slow the Cougars down at all.
With all the offense on the field, it will come down to which defense does the best job of slowing the other down.
Kick off for the first Cougar-Colonial meeting is noon.
Freehold Township (4-6) and Howell (2-8) completed their seasons Saturday with the Patriots coming away with a 21-7 win in Howell. The Pats scored twice in the fourth quarter after Howell had tied the game at 7-7 to notch the road win.
Pass interceptions by Dan Clayton and Kyle O’Donnell led to short touchdown runs by Paul Lepore (two-yards) and Cole Williams-Ficarra (five-yards).
The four wins are Freehold Township’s most since 1986.
This game was the start of the new season-ending rivalry game for the teams.