Huskies Battle Their Way to Opening Day Win

It may have taken all game, but Cassius Williams and the Matawan Regional football team finally got the insurance points they were looking for.

Leading the Freehold Boro Colonials (0-1) 14-7 for over two quarters, Williams busted a 38-yard touchdown run with a little over three and a half minutes remaining to put the game essentially out of reaching, giving the Huskies the 21-7 lead. Matawan Regional would go on to win by that score, Saturday afternoon at Freehold Boro high school in their season opening game.

Williams was the go-to-guy all game for the Huskies (1-0), rushing for 97 yards on 12 carries, with none being more crucial than his touchdown run.

“We are behind were we should be right now,” Matawan Regional head coach Joe Martucci said, “We’re happy that we were able to get the win against a very good football team.”

Defensively, the Huskies were able to stop the Colonials all game long, forcing three turnovers and holding the former Central Jersey Group III champions to just seven points, and none in the final three quarters.

“It doesn’t matter who you play, you always need to make plays on defense,” Martucci said, “Your defense is going to give you wins and losses.”

Matawan opened the scoring when sophomore quarterback Kashawn Barnes connected with Larry Alston for a 19-yard touchdown pass. The drive was set up by the Huskies forcing a fumble on Freehold Boro’s first offensive play from scrimmage.

“Our defense forced a few turnovers, and that was big for us,” Martucci said.

After the Colonials were able to answer, Alston put the Huskies up for good with a 35-yard touchdown run with 2:28 remaining in the first half. The touchdown scamper came just plays after a long run by Williams was called back on a holding call.

With the Colonials making a bid for a comeback late in the third quarter, Alston came up with a big interception on his own 15-yard line and ran it back into Freehold territory.

All day long the Huskies enjoyed the field position advantage, which aided there defense in not allowing Freehold to climb back into the game.

“Against a team like that, [field position] is real big. I thought we did a real good job of controlling the run game.”

Alston added 41 yards on the ground, including the go-ahead touchdown and caught three passes for 26 yards and a touchdown.

The Huskies will look to extend their record to 2-0, next week, when they host Red Bank Regional at home.