Middletown South Eagles Silence Skeptics As Rogers Twins Lead Team to Undefeated Season and First State Title Since 2006

Photo above: Head coach Steve Antonucci hoists trophy surrounded by jubilant players, James McCarthy with TFL, Dylan Rogers with a sack and Cole Rogers breaking one. Photos courtesy of Tom Smith from the Jersey Sporting News

EAST RUTHERFORD – Senior twin brothers Cole and Dylan Rogers put their final stamp on Middletown South’s rich football history as they presented 13th ranked Phillipsburg with a double-barreled attack that was just too much for the Stateliners (9-3) to handle. The Eagles beat Phillipsburg 35-7 Saturday night at MetLife Stadium to take home the NJSIAA North Jersey 2, Group IV championship trophy as thousands of Eagle Nation fans cheered them on.

The “Dynamic-Duo” led No.1 ranked Middletown South (12-0) to their first state title since 2006 and first undefeated season since 2005 after losing five straight sectional finals in the past seven years. It’s their 10th overall state title in program history, one behind Manasquan for the Shore Conference record.

In defeating perennial state power Phillipsburg, Middletown South staked an undisputed claim as the No.1 team in the state – quieting supporters of the powerful North Jersey Non-Public schools - becoming the first public school to do so since they were voted No.1 in the state following their historic 2005 season.

Running back Cole Rogers ran for 155 yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns while Dylan played like a man possessed spending most the night in the Phillipsburg backfield harassing the quarterback while racking up 4.5 sacks and 15 plus tackles on a night when he seemed to be in on every tackle racing sideline-to-sideline. Each of their performances on opposite sides of the ball was so impressive that it seemed as though they were not only competing against Phillipsburg, but against one another.

“We absolutely have a friendly competition going on,” Cole Rogers said. “We always get on each other’s backs asking ‘why didn’t your score, why didn’t you make that tackle,’ it really just motivates us to do better as players.”

“Dylan was the best player on the field today,” Rogers added. “He was all over the field making so many tackles, I can’t wait to see hear his stats. He wouldn’t be denied, he’s been not able to go to bed, this is everything he’s ever wanted; no one could stop him today.”

Dylan Rogers led a defense that held Phillipsburg to 24 yards rushing on 20 carries with only three first downs and 18 yards passing in the first half and 155 yards total for the game. As a team the defense recorded 6.5 sacks and two interceptions, both by junior linebacker James McCarthy, who along with Rogers and junior Kevin Higgins are one – if not the best – trio of linebackers in the state. Besides Rogers sack total, senior defensive tackle Chase Lopiore recorded one sack and sophomore defensive end Jake Krellin shared a sack with Rogers.

“Awesome group of linebackers, they’re the best,” Eagles head coach Steve Antonucci said. “Dylan Rogers proved to me tonight that he’s one of the best linebackers in the state and he’s got two guys next to him that can flat out play too. The defense is our backbone, has always been our backbone. They played their rear ends off.”

“Dylan and Cole, I love them,” Antonucci added. “They’re the heart-and-soul of this team. You couldn’t ask for two better kids, two more respectful kids; but great football players too.”

“Cole killed it, I knew it, told him, I said ‘Cole we’re going to need one today,” Dylan Rogers said. “You can always count on him to break it; he’s too shifty and fast. We had a really good lock on what they (Phillipsburg) were doing. They try to bully people but were not the type to be bullied, we bully other people.”

“It feels amazing,” senior quarterback Matt Mosquera said. “Coming so close last year (in a last second loss to Jackson Memorial), we worked so hard to finish it. It feels awesome to get it done. We weren’t just chasing a championship; we were chasing the 2005 team. We wanted to be one of the greatest teams to come through this school.”

Mosquera had another solid game as the field general going 13-for-20 for 117 yards with a touchdown finding junior wideout Jeremy Joyce in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that made it 14-0. Joyce positioned himself perfectly and outleaped a defender to come down with the ball for the score.

Junior Jeff Lewandowski had already gotten the Eagles off on the right foot returning the opening kickoff 80 yards to the Stateliners nine-yard line leading to a seven-yard touchdown run by Cole Rogers 47 seconds into the game.

“For the first time in a few years, we took charge of the game right away, which we hadn’t done in previous (state finals),” Antonucci said. “Opening kickoff you get down there and score a few plays later, I think that sends a message.”

The offense wasn’t at its best in the first half, fumbling twice and producing just over 100 yards of offense, but with the defense playing lights out football the Eagles still led by two touchdowns at the half.

“I think we were a little out of sorts in the first half,” Antonucci said. “But we got back to running the ball in the second half and came out and did what we needed to do.”

The first of McCarthy’s two picks ended Phillipsburg’s first series of the second half and the Eagles then went 60 yards on four Cole Rogers runs. A late hit penalty was sandwiched between runs before the drive culminated in a nine-yard touchdown run by Rogers to push the lead to 21-0 with 8:24 left in the third quarter.

A Rogers sack led to excellent field position for the Eagles on their second possession of the second half leading to six play, 30-yard scoring drive with Mosquera running it in from the four on an option-read play for a 28-0 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, Phillipsburg put together their only sustained drive of the game to get on the board when Manny Romero ran it in from the 14-yard line on a play-action fake to pull within 28-7 with 1:30 gone in the fourth quarter.

However, Middletown South answered immediately with a five play, 57-yard march capped off with Mosquera hitting Tom Marron with a backward pass and Marron running it in from seven-yards out to get the lead back to a four possession game, 35-7 with 8:50 to go.

That was enough to hand the rest of the game over to the brilliant Middletown South defense to close it out.

“Winning this thing is so hard to do, it is,” Antonucci said. “There’s so many guys in this business that don’t get to these games and I’ve been very blessed like I said to get to a lot of these things and when you walk away with one you don’t take it for granted. They don’t get old and you know it takes a lot of work to get here, but I’m so proud of this team, obviously.”

“I forgot it was my last game, I just wanted the ring,” Dylan Rogers said. “I forgot about everything else and it feels so good to leave a legacy on my last game. This win means everything to me.”

“I can’t wait for the bus ride home,” Cole Rogers said. “You always hear stories about fire trucks and people cheering when we get back. I can’t wait.”

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