Middletown South Falls To South Brunswick At The Swamp

Photo: Head coach Steve Antonucci addresses team after tough loss to a very good South Brunswick team

MIDDLETOWN – The Middletown South Eagles (1-1) – ranked No.7 in the Shore Conference - were holding onto a 7-0 lead late in the first half at the Swamp Friday night thanks to a Cole Rogers 56-yard punt return and his subsequent three-yard touchdown run on the Eagles first possession of the game.

Then with just under six minutes to play in the half the Eagles were forced to punt after a three-and-out at the 49-yard line and Matt Mosquera’s 46-yard punt pinned the Vikings down deep in their own territory at five-yard line with 5:49 remaining.

After two defensive stops and a delay of game penalty by the Vikings (1-0) set up a third-and-10 at the five for South Brunswick, Syracuse University-bound running back/cornerback Donte Strickland showed why he’s one of the best all-around athletes in the state. He turned what appeared to be a loss – which would’ve forced a punt from within their own the end zone - into a twisting, juking, tackle-breaking 11-yard run and pivotal first down.

In what became a crucial turning point in the game, won by South Brunswick 36-24, the Vikings – ranked No.6 in the Greater Middlesex Conference - then marched 84 yards in nine plays to cap off a 12 play, 95-yard touchdown drive. Senior quarterback Amir Johnson took it in untouched the final 16 yards on a nifty keeper up the middle to tie the score at 7-7 with 49.9 seconds left in the first half. The 6-foot, 190-pound Strickland also had a 24-yard run and a 29-yard catch-and-run on a swing pass in the drive.

On the Eagles first play from scrimmage following the ensuing kickoff, a Rogers fumble at the 34-yard line bounced right into the hands of Strickland, who took it to the house for a startling 14-7 lead. The Vikings had just scored 14 points in 15 seconds - shocking the Swamp faithful into stunned silence.

“That fumble was murder, that was tough,” Eagle head coach Steve Antonucci said. “We go in 7-7 it’s a different game. We had early momentum but they took it back going into the half.”

The Vikings then pulled a surprising onsides kick that the Eagles recovered at their own 44-yard line for a first down with 33.5 seconds remaining in the half. Mosquera then hit senior wideout Joe Timmins with a perfect 32-yard strike down the seam before finding junior Tom Marron for nine yards and a first down at the 11-yard line. However, the Eagles were forced to call time out with only a second remaining on the clock and had to settle for a Mosquera 28-yard field goal to pull to within four, 14-10 at the half.

The Eagle defense had a solid first half against the potent triple option offense South Brunswick runs holding them to nine first downs and 151 total yards while limiting the explosive Strickland to 53- yards rushing on nine carries and one reception for 29 yards.

In the second half it was the big plays that killed the Eagles and once again it was Strickland, but this time it was his arm that did the damage.

“Coming into the game we knew we had to limit the big play and we didn’t do it,” Antonucci said. “It wasn’t a matter of can we play with them, it was can we stop their big play’s? You take him (Strickland) out of the equation and I think we played pretty good defense.”

Following an Eagle punt on their first possession of the second half, Strickland took a pitch from Johnson on first down at their own 33-yard line, faked a run and fired a bullet to senior wide receiver Marcus Jackson all the way down to the Eagle 21-yard line. An Eagle face mask penalty gave the Vikings a first down at the 11 and Johnson ran it in from the four after Strickland had picked up seven on second down for a 10-point cushion, 20-10.

South promptly responded, going 65 yards in five plays to cut the deficit to 21-17 at 6:10 of the third quarter. A 34-yard Mosquera to tight end Patrick Crowe reception set up an eight yard Mosquers to A.J. Leandro touchdown catch and the Eagles were to within three points, 20-17.

Strickland – a first-team all-Middlesex County selection - struck again only a minute later when after an unsportsmanlike penalty had the Vikings in a second-and-18 hole from their 24-yard line. He then broke through the initial line of contact, took it outside and bolted untouched down the right sideline for a 76-yard touchdown.

The two teams exchanged punts with the Vikings punt backing the Eagles up to their own seven-yard line with 3:48 remaining in the third. Then a botched snap in the end zone led to Mosquera kicking the ball out of bounds for a safety and the Vikings took a 29-17 lead and the ball at the South 26 yard-line after the ensuing Eagle kickoff after the safety.

Two plays later, Strickland took a pitch and scampered 24 yards for his third touchdown of the night and a 36-17 lead.

However, the Eagles weren’t through as Rogers did everything he could to get the Eagles back in the game. Rogers, who rushed for 122 yards on sixteen carries, led the Eagles on an eight play, 68-yard drive including the final 32 yards on three carries culminating in his one-yard burst up the middle for the score.

“Coles a very good football player,” Antonucci said. “He’s a patient runner that see’s the field very well, he’s fast and he showed he’s as good as any player out here tonight.”

Now, with the crowd back into the game at 36-24 and plenty of time left on the clock (9:56) the defense took over, stopping South Brunswick on downs after a seven-yard sack by junior defensive back Rob Hulse forced a fourth-and-15 from the 15-yard line and a Viking punt.

The Eagles took over at the South Brunswick 47-yard line with 7:33 left on the clock and the game still within striking distance. On second-and-10 Rogers took it around right end for a 39-yard pickup to the 14-yard line. An incomplete pass and runs by sophomore James McCarthy and Rogers set up a fourth-and-one from the five-yard line but Viking linebacker Matthew Golden stuffed the run for no gain effectively ending the Eagles comeback attempt.

“We have to snap the ball quicker on that play,” Antonucci said. “We’re an up-tempo offense, our quarterbacks waiting for them to get set, we got to get the ball off - we’re waiting on them.”

Strickland’s big second half gave him 149 yards rushing on just 15 carries while Johnson finished with 77 yards on 18 carries. In all the Vikings rushed for 292 yards on 51 carries and 405 total yards.

The Eagles finished with 239 yards total offense with Mosquera passing for 113 yards on 7-for-19 efficiency and a touchdown pass.

“This was a good measuring stick, a good test for us,” Antonucci said. “They’re a very good football team with a lot of senior experience on that team. I’m not blaming on us being young, we just got to execute better. We didn’t quit, we kept coming back and we were able to put some points up on the board against an exceptional football team; we’re going to be there soon.”

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