Ferrara's Two Touchdowns Help Matawan Even Their Record At 2-2

Photo above: Isaiah Phillip, Aliem Shaw, Kyle Midtlyng, Jake Weber and Andrew Conzo pressuring Green

TINTON FALLS – Last season the Huskies were the only Shore Conference team with a winning record that failed to make the state playoffs and after starting this season with two straight losses against top ten teams, they were facing the prospect missing out again.

A third loss at this stage of the season most likely would keep Matawan home again this season after high expectations for this year’s team had them ranked in the top ten in most preseason polls.

The Huskies momentarily avoided that fate by scoring 21-unaswered second- half points to break a 7-7 halftime tie and went on to defeat Monmouth Regional 28-7 in an early afternoon game Friday in Tinton Falls.

Senior wide receiver Justin Ferrara was the catalyst for Matawan with seven catches for a career-high 169 yards and two touchdowns while also setting up the Huskies first touchdown with an acrobatic catch down the left sideline to the Falcons four-yard line. On defense he had an interception on Monmouth’s first play of the second half to set the tone for the half.

“It was rough not making the playoffs last season but we’re just focused on this season, we can’t do anything about what happened last year,” Ferrara said. “The first half was rough today, we killed ourselves with penalties. In the second half we got it together and executed perfectly. This was a huge win and it feels great – we’re finally starting to play the way we’re capable of playing.”

“Justin Ferrara is a heck of a football player,” Matawan head coach John Kaye said. “He doesn’t get all the hype around him but I think he came into this game second in the Shore in receptions. We’re excited about what Justin can accomplish this season.”

The Huskies were flagged for 14 penalties for 123 yards in the first half and lost a fumble at their own 32-yard line which led to Monmouth’s only score of the game.

“We were very sloppy today, that’s unacceptable and we got to get better,” Kaye said. “We’ll go back to work Monday, and trust me; they don’t like the suicides they have to run for every penalty. We’re playing with some young guys on the line and we have to deal with some mistakes. We were also missing three starters today, so that didn’t help.”

The Huskies scored on their first possession of the game driving 62 yards in eight plays with Ferrara’s reception from freshman quarterback George Pearson setting up senior Devon Spann’s one-yard plunge on third-and-goal. Spann was a workhorse, carrying the ball 15 times for 75 yards with alternating back Makiya Ceasar out with an injury.

The Falcons took advantage of a Huskie fumble to tie the game, going 32 yards in just three plays for the score at 9:44 of the second quarter. Fordham-bound senior wideout Isiah Searight set up his own touchdown with a 30-yard catch to the seven-yard line and scored on a 12-yard pass from senior quarterback Jimmy Green.

Green finished with 221 yards passing on 15-of-22 attempts but was intercepted twice by the Huskies.

The first-of-two interceptions came on the Falcons next possession after they drove to the Huskie 12-yard line. On first-and-10 from the 12, Huskie senior cornerback Dejohn Rogers wrestled the ball away from Falcon receiver Christian Boujaoude in the end zone to halt the potential go ahead touchdown.

Rogers also had a take away in the fourth quarter, wrestling the ball out of the hands of Searight after a short catch.

The second half remained scoreless with a little over five minutes remaining in the third quarter and the Huskies facing fourth-and-7 form the Falcons 45-yard line. Senior punter Jimmy Pierce, who is also one of Matawan’s two quarterbacks, trotted on to field as the Huskies lined up in punt formation but instead rolled right and found Pierce alone down the right sideline. Pierce caught the ball then made a great move cutting to the center of the field for the touchdown.

That took the wind out of the sails for the Falcons and they never really recovered while the Huskies tacked on two more touchdowns.

With 10:54 remaining in the game Pearson again found Ferrara, this time for a 54-yard touchdown bomb down the left sideline on first-and-10 from the 46-yard line.

Pearson – incredibly poised for freshman signal caller - had two touchdown passes and threw for 219 yards on 11-of-24 attempts.

With a little over five minutes left in the game, Pearson connected with Rogers on pretty fade pass in the far left corner of end zone to complete the scoring as the Huskies rolled to a 28-7 win.

“George is 2-0 as a starter; today was his second start,” Kaye said. “I’ve only coached a few gunslingers since I’ve been around and this kids going to be one. When he makes a mistake he comes to the sidelines and doesn’t think one second about it, he just wants the ball to throw it again. Nothing in his conscience bothers him.”

Matawan’s defense was ferocious in the second half as they completely shut down the Monmouth attack, applying relentless pressure on Green while sacking him six times and pressuring him countless others. They held the Falcons to 32-net yards and two first downs in the second half.

The defensive charge was led by linemen: Jake Weber, Andrew Conzo, Austin Santana-Simmons and Dan Corredor, linebackers: Aliem Smith and Isaiah Phillip’s and defensive backs: Rogers, Ferrara, Spann and Pierce.

“Our goal going into the game was to get after the quarterback,” senior captain Jake Weber said. “We got back to our old defense and that’s what you’re going to see the rest of the year. Andrew (Conzo) really stepped up for us today and so did a lot of other guys.”

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