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SPORTS

Sayreville football team parlays defense and passing game into victory

Greg Tufaro
@GregTufaro

Senior quarterback Jason DeMild had two touchdowns passing and one touchdown rushing to lead the fifth-seeded Sayreville High School football team to an impressive 21-7 victory over fourth-seeded Phillipsburg in the opening round of the North 2 Group IV playoffs on Friday night.

With the win, Sayreville advanced to next weekend’s sectional semifinals, where the Bombers (8-2) will face top-seeded Middletown South, a Shore Conference power that rolled to a 56-7 first-round win over eighth-seeded J.F. Kennedy.

Sayreville has already defeated two Shore Conference schools this season, blanking Brick Memorial 28-0 and handing Neptune a 35-6 setback.

Michael Liberti’s 34-yard interception return to the Phillipsburg 1 yard line set DeMild up for a 1-yard keeper that gave the Bombers a 21-0 lead with less than a minute remaining.

The Stateliners scored with five seconds left to produce the final margin as the Sayreville defense, which was brilliant, recording five quarterback sacks, had its shutout spoiled. Phillipsburg recovered the ensuing onside kick but could do nothing with the ball as time expired.

“They were outstanding,” Sayreville head coach Chris Beagan said of his defensive unit. “Our defensive coordinator (Marc Poore) and the rest of the staff did a tremendous job preparing the kids all week long. They stuck to their assignments and aside from a few missed tackles, it was almost perfect.”

The Stateliners, renowned for their strong running game and solid offensive line play, entered the contest having rushed for nearly 1,400 yards.

“Playing a team that likes to play smash-mouth football, I think it was just a tremendous effort with everyone being where they needed to be,” Beagan said. “It was a collective team effort.”

DeMild threw touchdown passes of 69 yards and 14 yards. He has thrown a Greater Middlesex Conference-leading 20 touchdowns.

“Jayson has really grown into this offense,” Beagan said. “He’s really owning it, delivering the ball and spreading it around. Obviously, he’s got some weapons. I thought our offensive line did a tremendous job, protecting him and giving him some time to throw the ball.”

Sayreville opened the game with a 13-play drive on which it marched to the Phillipsburg 25 before turning the ball over on downs. Following a shanked punt, Sayreville took over at its own 31 yard line. On the ensuing play from scrimmage, DeMild connected with 6-foot-7 receiver Jahsim Floyd on a 69-yard scoring strike for a 7-0 lead with 11:36 left in the second quarter.

The Stateliners turned the ball over on downs at the Sayreville 39 on the ensuing series. DeMild then connected with Connor Holmes on a 14-yard touchdown pass that gave the Bombers a 14-0 lead with 2:13 left in the opening half.

Sayreville recorded four sacks in the first half. Phillipsburg was limited to 42 yards from scrimmage before the intermission.

Garrett Boures, the Stateliners’ leading rusher, who entered the game with nearly 900 yards on the ground, was limited to 34 yards on nine first-half carries.

DeMild completed eight of his first 10 passes for 123 yards. Liberti was limited to 24 rushing yards on six first-half carries.

Phillipsburg drove inside the red zone on its opening possession of the second half but Sayreville’s fifth sack of the night ended the series.

The Bombers responded by driving deep inside Phillipsburg territory only to have a 21-yard field goal attempt blocked as the score remained 14-0 Sayreville with under four minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Phillipsburg is widely regarded as one of the state’s most storied and highly respected programs with 675 victories and 13 state championships during its 111-year history. Playing on the road at Maloney Stadium can be intimidating.

“It was a tremendous environment,” Beagan said. “We embraced it. We went there knowing there’s not many places with this type of atmosphere and we were excited about the challenge.”

South Brunswick Vikings host the Bombers of Sayreville War Memorial High School in a varsity football game in South Brunswick on Friday October 21, 2016.