Mayfield scores five TDs and rushes for 248 yards to lead Manalapan to big win

MANALAPAN – It was a night where Manalapan sent a message to Sayreville should the two teams meet later this season in the NJSIAA Central Group V playoffs.

The Braves, ranked No. 3 in the Asbury Park Press Top 10, were able to do almost anything they wanted offensively.

Senior tailback Imamu Mayfield ran for a career-high 248 yards and five touchdowns on 21 carries. He also added two, 2-point conversion runs. Senior quarterback Dan Anerella threw for 129 yards and two TDs as Manalapan routed the Bombers, 64-28, Saturday night and made it 29 straight regular season wins in a nonconference game.

It was a school-record for points in a game for Manalapan (3-0). The previous school record was 55, which it had done several times.

Mayfield scored on runs of 11, 34, 38, 48 and 12 yards. Anerella threw TD passes of 21 yards to senior and 58 yards to senior tight ends Kyle Mullen and Brian Conforth respectively, senior running back Dan Debner, who had several outstanding punt and kickoff returns, had a 23-yard TD run and junior tailback Marcus Salinas had a 74-yard TD run in the final minute as the Braves were merely trying to run the clock out.

The Braves (3-0), who have now defeated Sayreville (2-1) the last two times the two teams have met over the last two seasons after Sayreville had won a playoff game against Manalapan in 2010 and the 2011 Central Group IV championship game, had 351 yards rushing on just 26 attempts and 480 yards of total offense on just 38 plays.

Manalapan’s offensive explosion offset a brilliant individual performance by Sayreville senior running back/safety Myles Hartsfield.

A Penn State University recruit, Hartsfield had TD receptions of 66, 6 and 59 yards from quarterback Jayson Demild, blocked two extra point attempts and a field goal attempt. Demild also had a 28-yard TD pass to Connor O’Brien for four TD passes.

Hartfield’s exploits had Sayreville still within 35-28 late in the third quarter he blocked Mike Caggiano’s 38-yard field goal attempt.

However, on the first play of the ensuing Sayreville possession, senior defensive back Tyson Plummer interception a deep Demild pass down the middle for his second INT of the game.

Three plays later, Mayfield took a counter play to the left and raced 48 yards for a score. An Anerella 2-point conversion pass to senior fullback Ben Sieczkowski made it 43-28.

On Manalapan’s next possession, Mayfield ripped off runs of 5, 24 and 10 yards before he concluded the six-play, 51-yard drive with a 12-yard TD run on an isolation play. Mayfield’s 2-point conversion run made it 51-28 with 10:38 remaining.

The TD runs by Debner and Salinas closed it out.

Manalapan had four two TD leads in the first three quarters.

Mayfield’s first two TDs gave the Braves a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Hartsfield’s first two TDs pulled the Bombers within 13-7 and 19-14 respectively before Mayfield’s 38-yard TD run followed by Anerella’s 2-point conversion pass to Plummer increased the Manalapan lead to 27-14 with 54.7 seconds left in the first half.

Demild’s TD pass to O’Brien cut the Manalapan lead to 27-21 67 seconds into the third quarter before Anerella’s TD pass to a wide-open Conforth off counter bootleg action and Mayfield’s 2-point conversion run made it 35-21 Manalapan with 9:15 left in the third quarter.

Demild’s third TD pass to Hartfield made it 35-28 Manalapan with 8:53 left in the third quarter.

Steven Falk: 732-643-4267; sfalk@app.com