FOOTBALL

GMC Football: North Brunswick clinches playoff berth for first time since 2011

Nicolas Fernandes
@nfernandes93

With a 33-22 victory over Perth Amboy on Friday night, the North Brunswick High School football team extended its winning streak to five games and earned a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2011. 

“It’s something we talked about in the beginning of the year as a goal and we stuck to it,” North Brunswick coach Michael Cipot said. “It’s a dream come true.” 

The Raiders' five-game winning streak comes after they finished the previous season at 1-9 and dropped their first two contests in 2017. 

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After the two teams were tied 14-14 at halftime, a touchdown by running back Kenneth Carrilo and two-point conversion by receiver Brandon Seijo gave Perth Amboy a 22-14 lead. 

“We weren’t intimidated at all,” said North Brunswick sophomore running back Myles Bailey, who has rushed for more than 600 yards this season. “We knew we were in the game, so we just kept our heads up.” 

As the Raiders trailed by two points with 9:27 remaining in the fourth quarter, Bailey scored a touchdown to bring his team to a 26-22 lead. 

“It felt amazing,” Bailey said. “We’re finally in the playoffs and as a sophomore it’s even better because now I feel like I can make it to the playoffs every year until senior year.” 

On Perth Amboy’s next drive, the Raiders recovered a fumble, which allowed them to fit in one more touchdown. 

“The kids played their hearts out,” Cipot said. “They played until the end and that’s all we expected from them.” 

While the playoffs are on the team’s mind, Cipot says that defeating Woodbridge on  Senior Night next Friday should be the only thing they’re focusing on. 

“We should treat every week like it’s week one,” Cipot said. “We have to make sure we focus on the fundamentals for next Friday, we need to block right, tackle right and be successful with our runs and passes.”