HS Football: Manalapan wins turnover battle, knocks New Brunswick out of playoffs
MANALAPAN - In football, if you win the turnover battle, you usually come out on top.
The top-seeded Manalapan High School football team forced two turnovers on Friday night as the Braves defeated No.8 New Brunswick 49-0 in the first round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group V playoffs.
With the dominant win, the Braves earned its fifth shutout of the season and advanced to the sectional semifinals where it will host No. 5 South Brunswick.
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“The defense has been doing a great job,” Manalapan coach Ed Gurrieri said. “They’re turning teams over, they’re playing sound and I’m excited about that. We work on taking the ball away so I’m excited when we do it.”
A perennial Shore Conference team, Manalapan (10-0) has now forced 14 turnovers this season and was able to give its scorching offense great field position from the opening whistle against the Zebras.
New Brunswick (4-6) received the opening kickoff, but the stout Braves’ defense was able to force a three-and-out. Manalapan began its first possession on the 50-yard line and was able to score in three plays as junior running back Naim Mayfield ran it in from 18 yards out on his first carry of the evening.
“Coach told us all week that we were going to run downhill all week,” said Mayfield, who unofficially racked up 278 rushing yards with two touchdowns on 11 carries without playing in the second half. “We played Manalapan football, we ran down their throat and plays were made.”
Following another three-and-out by the Zebras, the Braves marched right down the field and capped of a 55-yard scoring drive with a 17 yard touchdown reception by Chris Maksimik to put Manalapan up 14-0 halfway through the first quarter.
Trailing 14-0 early, the Zebras' offense needed a score and were able to drive it down the field, but senior quarterback Jah’Bree Seawright-Jeffrey lost the ball on the exchange and Braves junior defensive tackle Antonio Deieso recovered it.
Following the turnover, Manalapan took over on its own 13-yard line and on the very next play from scrimmage, Mayfield broke loose for an 83-yard touchdown run to put the Braves up 21-0 in the final minute of the first quarter.
“Naim is explosive,” Gurrieri said. “He’s a great runner, he’s got good balance, he’s got good vision, he could cut on a dime and could be physical when he has to.”
With a commanding 21-0 lead to begin the second quarter, the Braves' stingy defense forced its second turnover of the game. Senior free safety Sean Kinniburgh out jumped the Zebras’ wide out and came down with the interception on the Braves own 33-yard line.
“It looked like they ran the switch route,” said Kinniburgh as he recalled his interception. “We were practicing against that a lot this week and we knew we had to stay in our zone. He kind of threw it in between two of us so I knew I had to go up and get it.”
Following the turnover, the Braves offense continued to roll and were able to cap off a 67-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Mayfield to take a commanding 28- 0 lead with 6:30 remaining in the half.
The Braves would reach the end zone again in the first half as quarterback Luke Corcione scored an 18-yard touchdown as he scrambled to his left and made a few defenders miss with 1:02 until the break. Corcione unofficially threw for 41-yards on four pass attempts.
While the Braves were firing on all cylinders, it was a tough night for New Brunswick, who entered the playoffs having won four of its last six games after starting the season 0-3 in its first year in the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division.
Jeffrey was forced to leave the game early after suffering an injury in the first quarter following the turnover on the handoff.
With their elusive signal caller out of the game, the Zebras’ offense was led by German Pimentel, who is the primary receiver. The Zebras were forced to try and pound the ball on the ground as they fed sophomore running back Dylan Johnson, who unofficially picked up 128 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Despite the great effort, the Zebras were outperformed from the very start of the game.
“I’m proud of my kids,” New Brunswick coach Dan Sofilkanich said. “(Manalapan) is a good football team. They beat us in every aspect tonight. I’m proud of the way my kids responded during the season but we didn’t get it done tonight so the kudos should go to (Manalapan).”