Carteret football loses third straight and chance to host home playoff game

The Carteret High School football team lost its third consecutive contest and a chance to host an opening-round playoff game with a 35-6 setback to Rumson-Fair Haven on Friday night.

The NJSIAA will announce official playoff pairings on Sunday. The eight teams with the most power points in each section at the conclusion of this weekend’s action will qualify for the playoffs, which commence with first-round games next weekend at the site of the higher seed.

The Ramblers, who have been limited to seven offensive points during their current losing skid, qualified for the NJSIAA playoffs on the strength of a season-opening five-game winning streak during which they averaged more than 400 yards from scrimmage.

After averaging 38 points per victory, Carteret has been limited to 13 points over its last three outings, including a defensive touchdown on Friday night. Jarrod Tasnady’s 95-yard fumble return with less than four minutes remaining accounted for the only points the Ramblers could muster against Rumson-Fair Haven.

“It’s back to the drawing board,” Carteret head coach Matt Yascko said about his team’s recent offensive woes. “We’ve got to figure out something we are good at and stick with it and go from there.”

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Carteret’s backfield tandem of Quartius Byrd and Antoran Chandler was limited to 29 yards apiece on a total of 18 carries.

Quarteback Angelo Golino completed 5 of 9 passes for 53 yards with an interception. Dwayne Sharpe had two catches for 13 yards and Chandler had a 20-yard reception.

Carteret (5-3) and Rumson-Fair Haven (6-2), a three-time defending sectional champion, will both compete in the Central Group III playoffs.

Entering this weekend, Carteret had the fifth most power points in the section (101), while Rumson Fair-Haven, a three-time defending sectional champion, had the eighth most (83).