Football: Middlesex captures Central Group I title with win over Point Beach

UNION – Imagine what a 1-9 season feels like.

“It was painful,” Middlesex High School senior Anthony Mason said. “Very painful.”

Now, one year later, this is what an 11-1 record and a NJSIAA sectional championship feels like.

“This is amazing,” Mason said. “Honestly I’m speechless. I don’t even know how I’m answering these questions right now.”

Saturday, the Blue Jays' actions were more than enough. Fourth-seeded Middlesex defeated seventh-seeded Point Pleasant Beach 33-21 in the Central Group I final at Kean University’s Alumni Stadium. Middlesex last won a NJSIAA sectional title in 1984. It was the school’s fifth since the NJSIAA’s current playoff format started in 1974, joining teams from 1974, 1981 and 1982 with titles.

READ: NJ Football: As Middlesex tops Point Beach, poignant moments for a coach and a player

READ: Media Blitz: High School Football Championship Frenzy

READ: Football: South Brunswick rallies for thrilling comeback win over Manalapan in Central Group V

A sizable Middlesex crowd made the trip with students displaying painted faces and holding cutouts of players’ faces, some sans shirts, and adults wearing blue and white varsity jackets from years past.

The energy carried to the players, who were bouncing and ready to go from the beginning.

“The kids battled,” Middlesex head coach P.J. Jankowicz said. “They fought. They clawed. They scratched. Whatever it took, they did and that’s really been the story of the year. It’s been really refreshing to see. It’s been a great year to coach and I’m just very happy for these guys.”

Middlesex won by using its tough defense and triple option offense to throw off the Garnet Gulls. Early in the season, the Blue Jays had sort of a three-headed monster in quarterback John Kressbach (967 yards entering the game), halfback Devin Lanza (908 yards) and fullback Tom Rau (741 yards).

It has grown throughout the season, and Saturday was more like a six-headed monster. And that’s been a horror show for opponents.

Against Point Beach, little-used sophomore Josh Ramirez scored on a 21-yard touchdown run and got a key 28-yard run on a fourth down in the fourth quarter. He led Middlesex with 78 rushing yards on five carries.

Receiver Zach Godfrey hauled in a 60-yard touchdown pass from Kressbach. The senior caught it in mid-stride around the 20-yard line and didn’t miss a beat into the end zone. The combo also connected on a 26-yard pass.

“Zach probably hasn’t been getting the ball enough, but that's just our offense that we run," Jankowicz said. "But he never complained. He just kept working hard. We told him his time is going to come and he made two big plays tonight.”

Mason, Kressbach and Rau each added a rushing touchdown as Middlesex led 19-7 at halftime and held off a fourth quarter rally. The Garnet Gulls cut the lead to 27-21 with 8:40 remaining. Middlesex faced a similar scenario in its 41-20 win over top-seeded Burlington City in the semifinal on Nov. 17. 

Just like on that cold Friday, when things got tight, Middlesex did not panic. The Blue Jays scored again for the dominant win.

On that drive, Middlesex faced a fourth-and-three from its own 35-yard line. Lanza went forward, as did the eyes of the defenders and fans. But it was Ramirez who took off on the outside and received the pitch down the left side for a 28-yard gain.

Jankowicz said he was asked during the week by a reporter who was going to have a good game, and noted "the first name that came to mind was Josh Ramirez."

"He works extremely hard and we rested him towards the end of the season a little bit," said the coach in his fourth season. "He had a great game against Dunellen (on Thanksgiving). We expect that out of our guys. We say we don’t know when your number’s going to be called, but when it is, you better produce. And they sort of embrace that.” 

Two plays later, Rau punched it in from 5-yards out for a 33-21 lead with 3:45 remaining. Middlesex quickly got the ball back on downs en route to the two-score victory.

“I think the hardest part, probably has to be the hurry up offense,” said Mason, who also played tough at linebacker. “Because I know a lot of teams probably have a hard time going and going and going. Coach made sure we were in shape and we do what we do.”

Indeed, like a basketball team, Middlesex just keeps coming with its misdirection.

“The best thing about our offense is everybody contributes and there’s just no showboat,” Rau said. “Our offense is just great for everybody.”

Middlesex’s only loss was a 26-20 overtime defeat in the second game of the season to South River, which reached the Central Group II playoffs. Since then, the Blue Jays have won 10 straight.

“I feel like after South River that made us stronger,” Rau said. “We didn’t want to do what we did last year. And I think we just all really came together this season.”

Early on, it appeared like it would be a back and forth affair. Each team had a possession in the first quarter. Middlesex went 70 yards capped by Mason’s 35-yard run down the left side for a 7-0 lead with 8:34 left in the first quarter.

Point Beach put together a 17-play, 80-yard drive in 8:33, which included two passing plays. It was capped when Luke Frauenheim ran in a 2-yard score on the first play of the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7.

From that point, Middlesex took over and scored on three of its four possessions of the half with a punt. Point Beach couldn't break for the big play, while Middlesex did.

Afterward, as everyone celebrated, that 1-9 season in 2016 seemed like a million years ago.

“I’ve never been more happy in my entire life,” Kressbach said. “This is amazing.”

POINT PLEASANT BEACH (7-5) 0-7-7-7 – 21

MIDDLESEX (11-1) 7-12-8-6 – 33

Scoring Plays

M: Mason 35 run (Semon kick)

PB: Frauenheim 2 run (Wall kick)

M: Kressbach 1 run (kick failed)

M: Ramirez 21 run (rush failed)

PB: Yates 4 pass from Frauenheim (Wall kick)

M: Godfrey 60 pass from Kressbach (Mason rush)

PB: Nista 4 run (Wall kick)

M: Rau 5 run (pass failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — PB: Frauenheim 9-25, Nista 19-63, Webber 9-35, Parry 1-5, Smith 1-2; M: Ramirez 5-78, Mason 4-44, Lanza 4-21, Kressbach 10-30, Rau 12-30.

PASSING — PB: Frauenheim 11-20-113-1, Nista 1-1-52-0; M: Kressbach 2-2-86-0

RECEIVING — PB: Yates 8-108, Nista 2-21, Parry 1-20, Webber 1-16; M: Godfrey 2-86