Golden Eagles Open 2011 Season With A Victory

With less than two minutes to go, the excitement was starting to bubble over on the Central Regional sideline. Victory was near, close enough that the Golden Eagles could taste it.

And it tasted pretty sweet.

Powered by two Kalyph Hardy touchdowns and a strong defensive effort, Central opened its 2011 campaign with a 21-12 victory over Red Bank Regional at Count Basie Field on Friday night.

For a squad that struggled through a difficult 2010 season that culminated with a single victory, it was vindication of the hard work put in during the summer. It was also a tribute to the the team's tenacity.

"This is a great group of boys," head coach Vince Casale said after receiving an ice water bath on the sidelines. "They never give up."

The Eagles also didn't get rattled.

Central took the ball on its first possession and scored when senior quarterback Mike Grieco lofted a 23-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Tom Clark, who was wide open in the right side of the end zone. Austin DeRose's point-after kick was good, giving Central a 7-0 lead.

Red Bank soon answered with a 23-yard sprint by Jahimere Hinton that made it 7-6 after the Bucanneers were unable to convert on the point after.

Central's next drive sputtered at midfield, despite some tough running from Hardy and junior Vinnie Davis, who shared time at running back.

Red Bank put up another touchdown on its next possession, exploiting a gap in the middle of Central's defense, as Terrance Scanlon hit Thyeem Crawford on a sort pattern across the middle that Crawford turned into an 89-yard score. This time, the Bucs tried for a two-point conversion, but the pass went far awry, leaving Centrail trailing by five points at 12-7.

Rather than backing down, Central answered with a touchdown, leaning on Hardy for a series of runs before he swept to the left and turned the corner for a 16-yard score. DeRose's PAT made it 14-12 Central at halftime.

"I saw my line open the holes, and I just ran," said Hardy, who had 135 yards on 21 carries.

While the offensive line was clearing room for Hardy and Davis, the defense was giving Red Bank fits. Two Red Bank drives that reached the red zone -- including the Bucs' first drive of the second half -- were turned away, ending with failed field goal attempts. And except for the Crawford touchdown, Scanlon had just four passes that went for more than 10 yards.

"They have some great athletes," Casale said. "We tried to put a guy on his head (Crawford) to take away that threat," adding the fact that Crawford was still able to make some big plays was a testament to the ability of the Red Bank receiver.

Central tried some trickery to open the second half, putting the ball in the air with a flea-flicker, and caught a break when the interception was ruled out of bounds.

So the Eagles went back to basics, putting the ball in the hands of Hardy and Davis. And that strategy paid off, as Hardy was able to bounce off a couple of tacklers at the line of scrimmage and speed to the end zone for a 37-yard score that put Central ahead by two scores with just over four minutes remaining. 

Not to be overlooked was Central's kicking game. In addition to DeRose comfortably connecting on his PATs, punter Thomas Nicolosi boomed high, deep punts that pushed Red Bank deep into its own end.

Central also benefitted from Red Bank's mistakes, as the Bucs fumbled to short-circuit drives. One fumble at midfield set up Hardy's second touchdown. The Eagles were not mistake-free, as they committed personal fouls that negated big plays in a couple of instances and drew the ire of Casale.

In the end, however, it was nothing but smiles all around as the team revelled in the victory.

"Words can't describe how great it feels," Hardy said, "It was great to get it for Coach Casale. He and the team deserve it."