Borden: Line play powers Middlesex over South River
MyCentralJersey.com football analyst Marcus Borden breaks down the Middlesex High School football team’s convincing 41-20 victory over South River at Denny Stadium in his Saturday afternoon Coach’s Corner column ...
Saturday Afternoon Coach’s Corner
The tradition of Bill Denny Stadium in South River is hanging on the fence as you enter by the scoreboard side of the field. The names of Kenny Jackson, Joe Theisman, Drew Pearson, Elmer Stout and Alex Wojciechowicz remind all visitors of South River’s storied past. However, it was Middlesex that walked past these Hall of Fame banners looking to make history for themselves as they defeated the Rams on Homecoming 41-20. They are now 3-0 for the first time since 2011.
Middlesex wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as South River fumbled on its first play. An 8-yard run by Kayshawn Wilson and an AJ Abate PAT had the Blue Jays with the early lead. Middlesex made it 15-0 at the 8:49 mark of the first quarter on an AJ Abate 62-yard play-action TD pass to Dennis Brodnax and the subsequent muddle huddle two-point conversion.
South River could not get on track as the Blue Jay defense stymied the Ram running game and they had QB Nick Lepore constantly under pressure. Abate had a 33-yard touchdown on an option keeper called back by a block in the back. Two plays later on fourth-and-6 from the 37-yard line, Abate hits Wilson with a swing pass that he took the distance, eluding several would-be Ram tacklers. The PAT was good and the Blue Jays had a 22-0 lead with 11:40 left in the second quarter.
South River and Middlesex traded punts with the Rams getting great field position as the Jays punted from their 16-yard line. Senior Nick Lepore then hit Sean Darrar for a 33-yard score and an apparent two-point play to Mario Nigro, which was called back for an illegal formation. The Rams missed the PAT and were down 22-6 with 5:55 in the second quarter.
The ensuing kickoff saw Middlesex returner Dennis Brodnax take the ball 93 yards before being knocked out of bounds at the one. Two plays later Wilson went over the top for a 1-yard plunge. The successful Abate PAT put Middlesex up 29-6 with 4:59 left in the second quarter. South River would then march down the field on short passes but turned the ball over 34 seconds before half. Middlesex took a knee and the halftime lead in to the locker room, 29-6.
Middlesex stalled on its first drive of the second half and punted from inside its own 10-yard line. The Rams returned the punt to the 12. After two Nigro runs, Lepore took the 1-yard QB sneak for the TD while Nigro added a 2-point conversion run to make it 29-14 with 7:44 left in the third quarter. After fumbling from its own 30, Middlesex held South River on fourth down from the 29. The very next play junior Anthony Marshall ran a weak-side power for a 71-yard touchdown down the left sideline. Middlesex would miss the 2-point conversion making the score 34-14 with 5:26 left in the third quarter. The Rams would turn the ball over after a catch and a fumble recovery by Middlesex. The very next play Marshall took off for a 27-yard TD run on a weak-side power to the right. The PAT was no good but Middlesex was up 41-14 with 2:58 left in the third quarter.
On the following South River kickoff return, junior James Hart was down motionless near the South River sideline. While Hart was being attended to by South River trainer Barbara Bernstein and emergency personnel, one could see that he had movement in his feet and arms. The game was delayed for about 45 minutes as the rescue squad was called onto the field to transport Hart to the hospital for evaluation. The silent Bill Denny crowd applauded and shouted out words of encouragement as the EMS vehicle exited the field.
Needless to say, it was difficult for the Rams to regain their focus after seeing their teammate carted off the field. With Middlesex subbing in JV players, the Blue Jays fumbled the ball on their 43-yard line. South River’s Mario Nigro scooted in for a 43-yard TD run with 5:21 left in the fourth quarter. With the PAT being blocked, the score would remain 41-20 as the Blue Jays were nearly able to run out the remaining time on the clock.
It was the depth of Middlesex’s offensive and defensive lines that allowed them to substitute freely on a warm summer-like Saturday afternoon game. Those pre-season sprints observed by the GMC Football Camp Caravan in late August proved to be the difference in the Blue Jays’ dominant performance in South River.