Barnegat Outlasts Point Boro, Returns to Sectional Semifinals

Rob Davis likened it to a couple of prize fighters.

"We knew it was going to be punch for punch," the head football coach said, after his Barnegat Bengals outlasted Point Boro, 35-31, in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group II football playoffs on Friday night.

David Smithman scored from two yards out with 3:40 left in the game to land the final blow for Barnegat (6-3), which advances to face West Deptford next weekend in West Deptford in a rematch of last year's South Jersey Group II semifinal, a game won by the Eagles 56-7.

"We're right back where we left off," junior receiver Pat Moran said. "We can't wait."

It wasn't easy getting there, however. The Panthers (5-4) gave the Bengals a fight from the very start, with quarterback John Dunbar and running back Jack Vitale running almost at will. Dunbar quickly piled up 63 of his 224 rushing yards as Point Boro took a 10-0 lead.

"Our kids showed tremendous heart tonight," Point Boro coach Sean Henry said. "We made the big plays when we had to. We just came out on the shorter end of the stick tonight."

Barnegat struggled to get on track at first. But on the first snap of the Bengals' fourth possession of the game, quarterback Mark McCoy found Moran for a deep pass, and Moran pulled away from would-be tacklers to complete a 76-yard touchdown (and then kicked the extra point) to draw Barnegat to within 10-7.

"This is OUR house!" McCoy shouted to his teammates after Barnegat scored. "We're not going to let them come in here and beat us!"

As if to drive that point home, on the Bengals' next possession McCoy threw another strike, this time to Jordan Salt. Salt, who caught the ball despite strong coverage from the Point Boro cornerback, sprinted in for a 62-yard score that put Barnegat ahead 14-10.

The two big plays were just a preview of the big plays -- and some crazy plays -- to come.

In the second half, Barnegat picked up where it left off. McCoy capped a 71-yard drive with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Salt, who was all alone in the left side of the end zone, as the Bengals took a 21-10 lead. McCoy finished with 360 yards passing.

Dunbar wasn't content to sit back, and two possessions later he broke free down the left side for a 79-yard touchdown of his own that made it 21-17 Barnegat.

Barnegat drove back, and just as it appeared the Bengals were going to take an 11-point lead again, Point Boro's Chris Falconetti stepped in front of McCoy's screen pass at the goal line but fumbled it. His teammate, Dru Kegreiss, secured the ball to give Point Boro possession.

"I wasn't at all worried because I knew we'd get the ball back," McCoy said. "We're a scrappy bunch."

Barnegat forced Point Boro to punt on that possession, but immediately turned the ball over when the punt squirted free. Dunbar went back to work, and with the Panthers facing fourth-and-inches, pushed through on a quarterback keeper then broke free for a 24-yard touchdown that gave Point Boro a 24-21 lead.

Barnegat answered with a 1-yard score by McCoy four plays later, set up by a Smithman's longest carry of the game, a 40-yard spurt that seemed to catch Point Boro off-guard.

Point Boro threw the next punch, scoring two plays later on a 65-yard run by Vitale to make it 31-28 in favor of the Panthers.

Barnegat counterpunched with a drive that took nearly four minutes off the clock, with McCoy using Moran, Salt and Smithman as receivers. Smithman had the biggest reception, grabbing a shoestring pass at the Point 36 and driving to the 4-yard line to set up his eventual winning touchdown.

Point Boro wasn't finished just yet. Chris Oliphant took the kickoff at the Point 9 and surged downfield, with only an open-field tackle by Moran at the Barnegat 46 preventing him from scoring. The Panthers quickly advanced to the Barnegat 28, but the Bengals forced a fumble that Matt Schofield smothered.

"My eyes opened wide when I saw (the fumble)," Schofield said. "They were all trying to tear the ball out of my hands, but I wasn't letting go."

And Barnegat wasn't letting go of its chance to return to the semifinals.

"I never want this season to end," Moran said.