GMC Football: Sayreville advances in North 2 Group IV

COLONIA — The Sayreville High School football began its defense of the NJSIAA North 2 Group IV title with a ferocity that matched the frigid conditions Friday evening, scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions and tacking on a fifth and final score before yielding as much as a first down.

It all added up to a 31-0 victory as the sixth-seeded Bombers rolled over 
third-seeded Colonia to move one victory away from a return to the title game.

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Sayreville dominated up front on both sides of the ball, steamrolling for 331 yards on the ground while limiting Colonia to just 19 rushing yards. The Patriots’ Luke Pero, who entered with 1,160 yards on 182 tries, managed just 40 yards on 13 carries.

“This doesn’t surprise us, we think our defense is very good and when they come out and blank a team, that’s what’s expected,” Sayreville coach Chris Beagan said. “They expect it and we expect it.”

Field position told the story in the first half. The Bombers won the toss and deferred so it could put its defense on the field to start the game. A quick three-and-out and short punt into the wind tilted the field and kept it that way for the remainder of the half.

Sayreville did not run a play from the far side of the 50 in the entire first half. The Bombers' six first-half possessions began at the Colonia 24, 34, 44, 44, 38 and 44, respectively. And Sayreville capitalized quickly, requiring four plays for its first score, a 4-yard run by Jamari Carter and just two for its second, a 34-yard jaunt by Connor Holmes.

“Once we were able to kind of get our feet underneath us and get that first stop, it just kind of snowballed there for us in the first quarter,” Beagan explained. “Great field position and on a night like tonight it was important.”

Holmes, who also scored from 15 yards out, finished with 165 yards on 23 carries. The junior ran for 120 yards before halftime, a rather stellar feat given the short fields Sayreville was blessed with.

“It’s the same thing we do every time, different formations, we just ground and pound,” Holmes said. “I can’t do it without my line, all of these running touchdowns, all of these yards, man, I run behind my boys and that’s what happens.”

Colonia did not earn a first down until 20 seconds remained in the first half and did not cross midfield until a defensive pass interference call on the very next play.

The Patriots didn’t fare much better after the break, picking up three more first downs and penetrating as far as the Sayreville 48, where it fumbled the ball away.

SAYREVILLE  (6-4)  18-13-0-0-31

COLONIA  (7-3)  0-0-0-0-0

SCORING SUMMARY 

S - Carter 4 run (kick blocked)

S - Holmes 34 run (pass failed)

S - Carter 17 pass from Whitford (run failed)

S - Holmes 15 run (kick failed)

S - Kirksey 2 run (Milewski kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing - S: Holmes 23-165, Wright 17-92, Jackson 2-31, Anthony 5-17, Whitford 6-12, Golson 2-11, Carter 3-9, Kirksey 1-2, Clark 3-minus 2, Coombs 1-minus 2; C: Pero 13-40, Shinski 1-2, Johnson 6-minus 23.

Passing - S: Whitford 2-7-0-43; C: Johnson 10-20-1-82.

Receiving -  S: Golson 1-26, Carter 1-17; C: Michael 1-28,   Shinski 5-21, Pero 2-17, Zawacki 2-16.