Barnegat Clinches a Share of First Football Title

For how close they have been the past few years, it was fitting for the Barnegat Bengals to have to scratch and claw their way to a win, setting themselves up to clinch a share of the Shore Conference Class B South division title with a win over Pinelands Regional on Thanksgiving.

Quarterback Mark McCoy gave Barnegat that chance, scoring on a quarterback keeper from 2 yards out in overtime to lift the Bengals (3-3, 3-1) to a 27-21 victory over the Green Dragons. It would be the first football title for Barnegat since the high school opened in 2006. Barnegat could win the division outright if Central loses to Lacey on Saturday.

"It's unexplainable," said junior wide out Pat Moran, "It's far from just me though, coach Davis, all the coaches, we have a great line and a quarterback too."

Moran caught six passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns, all while handling defensive duties, kicking and returning kicks as well.

The game was about even as could be imagined for the first half, which was finished with the score tied at 7. Barnegat quarterback Mark McCoy connected with Moran on a 30-yard touchdown pass to give the Bengals a 7-0 lead following Moran's point-after.

Brick answered on its following possession, when quarterback Brandon Kieslor nailed wideout John Fuino in stride for a 25-yard touchdown. The drive was aided by a pair of 15-yard penalties against Barnegat. Steve Ferlisi's extra point made it 7-7.

Brad Applegate, Tom Winters and Dan Watson each made their presence felt defensively for Brick while Matt Schofield, Ryan Morris, and Greg Moran did the same for the Barnegat defense.

Barnegat took the lead on the first possession of the second half as McCoy found Moran again.

"That might be the thing that is best about us," Moran said. "We communicate extremely well and it pays off in big ways when we need it."

McCoy completed 14 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns, on top of running the ball 18 times for 47 yards and two scores.

Brick tied the game a couple of series later, twice converting on third-and-long, before Doug Cuccinello scored on first-and-goal to open the fourth quarter. Cuccinello finished with 71 yards and two scores on 10 carries.

Not to be outdone by the Kieslor-led scoring drive, McCoy engineered another that ended with his 10-yard scoring run aided by a great block on the edge from Schofield that cut of the flow of the linebackers, allowing McCoy to scamper to the end zone.

On Brick's ensuing drive, Jordan Salt intercepted Kieslor, giving Barnegat the ball on its 19 with 5:18 left to play. The Brick defense responded, forcing a three-and-out and Brick tied the score as Cuccinello scored from a yard out with 1:19 left in regulation.

In overtime, Brick had the ball first but Barnegat came up with a defensive stop and forced the Dragons to turn the ball over on downs. The Bengals' offense wasted no time, with Moran catching a 16-yard pass to the Brick 9 before McCoy stretched across the goal line.

"It's not really about me," said an overjoyed Rob Davis, Barnegat head coach, "It's all them, they did a great job and should enjoy this."

"It was fun to be a part of," said Brick head coach Robert Dahl. "It just stinks to be on this end of it."