The visiting Sayreville High School football team put a damper on Rick Mantz’s return to the South Brunswick sidelines with a convincing 28- 7 victory over the Vikings on Saturday afternoon in a Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division game
South Brunswick High School running back Jevon Tyree races by Sayreville War Memorial High School linebacker George Koblentz on his way to picking up good yardage in the seasonopening football game for both teams Saturday in South Brunswick. The visiting Bombers of Sayreville won the game, 28-7. SCOTT FRIEDMAN photo Sayreville started slowly, committing a couple of penalties, and quarterback Joe Geiger was intercepted early in the opening quarter, but the Bombers’ defense stood firm. On its second possession, Sayreville went 40 yards in six plays to take the lead when Geiger hooked up with tight end Syd Holt.
South Brunswick seemed poised to answer right back with a time-eating drive that took them into Bombers territory, but Sayreville’s defense came up big again to halt the drive with a pair of big plays on third and fourth downs when the Vikings needed less than a yard for a first down.
Sayreville coach George Najjar credited his defense for ensuring that his team did not fall behind early.
“This was a big game for both teams, and we certainly did not want them to score first at home,” the Bombers’ mentor said.
Geiger immediately marched his team the other way. The senior connected with sophomore split end Isiah Cureton for a first down, and Devon Jackson added a 20-yard run. Geiger then found Delon Stephenson with an 8-yard TD pass to give his team a 14-0 lead at the half.
South Brunswick kicked off to open the second half, and Zaiquis Wright brought it back for more than 50 yards. Stephenson, who ran for 142 yards on the day in just 13 carries, took it in on a 16-yard run. He scored for the third time with less than four minutes remaining to put the game out of reach.
The Vikings were able to avoid being shutout in the third period. It all began when Jevon Tyree returned a Sayreville punt for 26 yards to the Bombers’ 5-yard line. Three straight attempts to push the ball in were denied by the Bomber D before quarterback Nick Muha finally got into the end zone on a fourth-and-two run.
Mantz was disappointed with the loss, but he noted that several Vikings were playing in their first varsity game.
“Sayreville is a very, very good football team,” he said.
Najjar credited his skill players, but also noted that the Bombers’ veteran offensive and defensive lines — a definite strength — played well.
Next up for South Brunswick is a visit to Piscataway on Thursday (7 p.m. kickoff). The Chiefs handily defeated Edison, 34-14, in their season opener. The Bombers, meanwhile, head home for three straight games, beginning Saturday evening at 7 p.m. against Toms River East in a nonconference match-up. The Raiders are coming off an impressive 40-10 win over rival Toms River South.