Green Wave Comes Back to Sink Bucs in Thanksgiving Football

After bringing home the Ty Lewis trophy last year for the first time since 2003, the Buccaneers were unable to overcome turnovers, penalties, and an outstanding Long Branch running game to hold on to the trophy this year, losing 19-7 in one of the oldest Thanksgiving Day football rivalries in New Jersey.

The non-conference game was the last of the Bucs' season, which ended with a winning record and the team's first trip to the playoffs since 2004.     

Despite the loss, head Coach Nick Giglio looked back on a "positive football year," and looks forward to another winning season next year.     

The Bucs, playing at home in Little Silver, struck first, going up 6-0 with less than five minutes left in the first half on a keeper by senior quarterback Terrance Scanlon from the 28 yard line. Moments later, senior Mike Malley kicked the extra point to make it 7-0.     

That's where the score stayed at the half, despite a strong effort by Long Branch to tie it up. With less than a minute left, Long Branch had the ball at the Red Bank 10 yard line. But a tackle in the backfield by senior Thyeem Crawford, and another by senior Pat Quinn on the next play, bought up fourth and goal. Long Branch, with no time outs left, inexplicably spiked the ball to stop the clock, turning the ball over to Red Bank with four seconds left in the half.     

The second half, however, belonged to Long Branch, and to the Green Wave's running game. Junior running backs Joscil Jackson and Dwight Clark made up for the lack of a Long Branch passing game, and Clark ran for all three Long Branch touchdowns.     

In the third quarter, Long Branch threatened first, but was stopped inside the five yard line by Bucs junior Dillon Stambaugh, and on the next play by a tackle by junior Garrett Sickels for a loss. The field goal try by Long Branch was wide, and the Bucs took over.     

When Long Branch regained possession, Sickels sacked quarterback Avery Griffin with just over four minutes left in the third quarter for a big loss, and Long Branch was forced to punt, but an incomplete Red Bank pass led to another Long Branch possession. After a long drive, Clark scored his first touchdown of the game on a short run, but the team missed the extra point, making it 7-6 Red Bank at 9:43 of the fourth quarter.     

A Bucs fumble with just over five minutes left and a face mask penalty helped Long Branch move forward, and after a pounding run to the four yard line, Clark scored again. Long Branch's attempt at a two-point conversion failed, and the score with 3:33 remaining was Long Branch 12, Bucs 7.     

Long Branch got the ball back once more on an interception at 1:19 of the fourth quarter. With less then a minute left, the Green Wave's Clark ran 60 yards for the final Long Branch touchdown. The extra point made it 19-7.      

Scanlon was sacked twice on Red Bank's final drive, once as time ran out, and in a brief post-game ceremony, the trophy for the victor in the 89-year-old rivalry went back to Long Branch, which now leads the series 57-29-3.      

"The loss is going to leave a bad taste in our mouths until September, but we have a great junior class that is going to be motivated and learn from what happened," said Stambaugh.      

Coach Giglio predicted that his team will learn from this season and come out strong again next year. The first game is against Red Bank Catholic at home, on September 7.

Editor's Note: This story comes to you from Little Silver Mayor Robert C. Neff, Jr., who was previously a newspaper reporter for the Red Bank Register and Asbury Park Press. Neff's son Carey plays football for Red Bank.