Braves’ defense secures win over Jags
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

FARRAH MAFFAI staff Manalapan’s Eddie Gurrieri avoids a tackle for some extra yardage during the Braves’ home win on Saturday in Manalapan.

Manalapan continually left the door open for a Jackson comeback Saturday night.

But each time the door was left ajar, the Braves defense slammed it shut, allowing Manalapan (1-1) to escape with a 7-0 win in its home opener.

Linebacker Doug Frueh, one of several Braves who came up with big play, said the Braves simply weren’t going to be denied.

"We really wanted it," he said. "This is a big win for us. We thought we were going to do well, and then we lost to Brick Memorial last week and that put us down. This was what we needed."

It was Frueh who set up the game’s only touchdown midway through the second quarter, when he recovered a Jackson fumble that set the Braves up on the Jaguar 19-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Kyle St. Angelo scored on a keeper from 2 yards out.

A 17-yard run on a counter by Eddie Gurrieri put the ball on the 2-yard line.

Adam Hegel’s point after touchdown made it 7-0.

Twice in the third quarter, Manalapan had the chance to put the game away.

First, Frueh recovered another fumble after Jackson quarterback Bobby Cole was hit by Desi Varrichio and A.J. Leonetti, forcing him to lose the ball. Frueh returned the ball to the Jackson 16.

However, the Jaguar defense would not bend, and a quarterback sack by Dan Morvay took Manalapan out of field goal range.

Manalapan again got great field position when a 5-yard punt gave the Braves the ball on the Jackson 25. St. Angelo quickly gained 12 yards, and a pass interference call in the end zone gave Manalapan the ball on the two.

But the Braves could not punch it in, and Hegel’s 22-yard field was wide.

Jackson was still breathing.

Throughout the game, Manalapan defense would bend, but came up with big plays every time Jackson reached the red zone. Late in the first half, a 34-yard pass from quarterback Bill Fenimore to Rich Leone put the Jags on the Manalapan 10-yard line.

On third down from the 7, linebacker Leonetti intercepted a pass on the goal line and returned it 30 yards to put the Braves out of harms way.

In the fourth quarter, Jackson — who was without starting quarterback Fenimore for the second half because of an injury — would go on a sustained drive, behind the running of Will Clayton, that would reach the Manalapan 14-yard-line.

But Manalapan, which had been putting pressure on Jackson’s quarterback all night, did it again.

Frueh sacked Cole for a 7-yard loss, and then Gurrieri sacked him for a 16-yard loss that ended the threat.

"Our blitz packages were working," said Frueh, of Manalapan’s strategy.

Jackson (1-1) had one last chance, getting the ball on the Manalapan 43 with less than 3 minutes left to play.

After three incompletions, on fourth down, Varrichio sacked Cole one last time and Manalapan took over at midfield.

St. Angelo then picked up 27 yards to take the ball down to the 23 and seal the victory.

Manalapan has little time to savor its first win of the year.

The Braves are back in action tomorrow at Toms River East.

The Raiders are 2-0 after beating Free­hold Town­­-ship, 35-3, in Toms River on Satur­day. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Braves’ win Saturday night (Fri­day night games in the Freehold Dis­trict were pushed back to Saturday be­cause of Hurricane Isabel) was the lone victory by the District teams that were in action over the weekend.

In addition to Freehold Township (0-2) losing at Toms River East, Marlboro lost its home opener in the afternoon, 43-0, to Brick Memorial (2-0), while Howell (0-2) also dropped its home opener to Central (2-0), 35-14. Colts Neck (0-2) fell at Pt. Pleasant Beach (1-0), 13-0.

Colts Neck will host Mater Dei (0-1) tomorrow at 4 p.m. Also tomorrow, Free­hold Township hosts Jackson at 7 p.m., while Marlboro is at Toms River North (6 p.m.) Howell will host Middletown North (1-1) at 7 p.m.

Freehold Borough enjoyed its bye this past weekend.

The Colonials were im­pressive in beating Mater Dei in their opener, 34-7, as quarterback Chris Coul­son aired it out and the Colonials showed they have a passing attack that can stretch the field to compliment the run­ning game, led by the dynamic Damian Walcott (who scored three times).

Head coach Larry Boice said the up­coming stretch of road games against Rumson-Fair Haven (tomorrow) and Mat­a­wan (Oct. 4) will be key to the Colonials’ season. Rumson looks every bit a serious con­tender in the Nat­ional Division.

If the Bulldogs’ opening game, a 25-0 win over Colts Neck, weren’t enough, their 29-26 over a good Shore Regional team con­firmed it.

The Bulldogs ran for 200 yards and passed for 155 more as they flashed the same kind of balance that Freehold Borough had displayed against Mater Dei.

With both teams forcing opposition to defend both the run and pass, this could be a high-scoring game. Game time in Rumson is 3 p.m.