Sports
Mustangs Squander First Half Lead, Falcons Prevail
Marlboro repeats second half performance from last week.
A week after giving up 26 unanswered points in the second half in a loss to J.P. Stevens, the Mustangs allowed the St. Joseph Falcons to score 25 points in the second half ending with a 32-16 loss on Saturday.
The Mustangs (0-2) looked impressive in the first half with a combination of stifling defense and long, clock controlling drives. They kept the Falcons offense off the field with their triple option offense, which produced more than 130 rushing yards on 18 carries.
With the offense and defense clicking, the Mustangs forced and recovered a fumble with just over two minutes remaining in the first half. The only score of the half by either team came just 90 seconds later when Marlboro junior Jason Kaplin scored on a seven yard run. The 2-point conversion by junior quarterback Parker Hoch put the Mustangs up 8-0 after two quarters.
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The scoring frenzy by the Falcons started shortly after the start of the third quarter when Albert Meyers returned a 62-yard punt for a touchdown.
After a 2-point conversion, the Falcons scored on a touchdown run by Matthew Green to put them up 15-8 over the Mustangs.
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A field goal extended the lead to 18-8, and a touchdown run by Matt Olivo capped the string of 25 consecutive points scored by the Falcons.
“They have some pretty good players, which we knew,” head coach Derek Sinisky said to the Asbury Park Press. “We thought they were going to be good, but we thought we would have a chance, which we obviously did in the first half.
The Mustangs had a scary moment in the fourth quarter when senior Mike Colley did not get up after a play with what looked like an injury to his neck. Trainers and EMTs were by his side tending to him for 20 minutes before Colley was taken off on a stretcher and into an ambulance.
“He was moving his legs, he had feeling in his legs,” Sininsky told the Asbury Park Press. “I have no idea what it is, but it doesn’t seem like it’s too severe, but we’re going to stop by the hospital and check on him."
Marlboro will look for their first win of the season in a Saturday night road game against Howell.
