SPORTS

Football: S. Brunswick, Liao roll to win over Edison

Angel D Ospina
Asbury Park Press

SOUTH BRUNSWICK -  When South Brunswick’s senior quarterback Josh Liao sees single coverage on Justin Shorter, his 6-foot-4, 205-pound wide receiver, his eyes light up.

Shorter, a Pennsylvania State University commit, is a mismatch for almost every defensive back in the Greater Middlesex Conference, and on Friday night, he raised havoc against Edison, which the Vikings defeated 42-7.

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Shorter finished the game with 55 receiving yards and two touchdowns and contributed on the defensive side with two interceptions. While Shorter didn’t have the biggest game of his career, his sheer presence allowed the passing game to get going. Liao was 6-of-6 throwing the ball and racked up 249 yards in the air and threw for four touchdowns.

“It’s the type of stuff we dream about,” said Liao as he spoke about seeing Shorter covered one-on-one. “We get our signal and just go."

The Vikings' offense immediately got to work as they scored on the first play from scrimmage with a 68-yard touchdown reception by junior wide receiver Felix Quinones. The speedy junior ran a slant across the middle, caught the ball and was able put the burners on as he reached the end zone without barley being touched by a defender.

With a 7-0 lead, the defense forced a turnover on the very next possession as Shorter intercepted a long pass attempt from Edison quarterback Justin Turner.

Following the turnover, the Vikings' offense continued to move the ball with ease and were able to cap off a 63-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown run by running back Thomas Joe-Kamara, giving the Vikings a 14-0 lead with 8:37 remaining in the first quarter.

The Vikings' defense forced a punt on the following possession and South Brunswick’s offense capitalized yet again. Quinones caught another slant route over the middle and scored from 69 yards out, giving the Vikings a 21-0 lead with 4:08 remaining in the first quarter.

With the Eagles defense cheating toward Shorter’s side, the middle of the field was left wide open for Quinones to show off his speed.

“Felix caught it and was able to sprint towards the end zone,” South Brunswick coach Joe Goerge said. “He’s quick as heck and I’m happy for him because he’s a hard working kid.”

Felix finished the contest with three total touchdowns including 136 receiving yards while adding 21-yards on the ground.

With a 21-0 lead, the Eagles were able to put points on the board after converting on fourth-and-3 from South Brunswick’s 33-yard line. Turner found senior wide out Keanu Reed for a 31-yard gain, giving the Eagles an opportunity to cut the lead from the two-yard line. Senior James Stewart punched it in from the two in the first minute of the second quarter, cutting the Vikings' lead to 14.

Following the Eagles touchdown, Edison’s defense needed a stop to make it a game, but the Vikings' Division I wide receiver took over. Shorter caught a 49-yard touchdown pass when he out jumped the defender and was able to streak down the sideline to put the Vikings up 28-7.

Shorter would score the next Vikings touchdown with a six-yard screen pass, putting South Brunswick up 35-7, and Quinones would score the game’s final touchdown with a six-yard run.

With the dominant win, the Vikings have now won 12 consecutive matchups against Edison over the past 13 years.

The stellar offensive performance puts the rest of the GMC on notice as defensive coordinators have to focus on covering a division I athlete on the outside.

“As long as we continue to practice hard and continue to play like this we can be great,” Shorter said.