Monmouth County Comeback Falls Short in 14-7 Loss to Ocean County In Gridiron Classic

Pictured above: Gridiron Classic MVP's left to right, Towns, Miserendino, Pasquin and Dombrowski

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP - Monmouth County was trailing 14-7 when a 75-yard game-tying touchdown pass from Freehold’s Jake Curry was wiped out on a phantom offensive pass interference call on Red Bank Regional’s wide receiver Sadiq Palmer. The call pushed the ball all the back to Monmouth County 12 yard-line with less than five minutes remaining in Thursday night’s 39th U.S. Army All-Shore Gridiron Classic at Central Regional’s Joseph J. Boyd Memorial Field.

Undeterred, Curry (St. Francis University) orchestrated an 11-play, 72-yard drive that set up a 4th-and-2 at the Ocean County 16 yard-line with 13 seconds to play.

Ocean County’s defense - particularly its ferocious defensive line - grabbed most the headlines leading up to the game, but it was defensive back Devin Connelly (Point Boro H.S.) who saved the day for Ocean County knocking down a pass in the end zone to preserve the 14-7.

Curry was looking for Palmer (University of Massachusetts) all the way on the play and he appeared to open for a split second in the far right side of end zone. But Connelly and fellow defensive back Pat Saunders (Toms River East) collapsed on Palmer just as the ball arrived and as all three leaped for the ball, Connelly knocked it away from Palmer at the last moment.

Monmouth County had the first scoring opportunity of the game when Ocean County fumbled a punt with Raritan’s Jordan Smith immediately falling on it to give Monmouth County a first down at the Ocean County 22 yard-line.

Two incomplete passes and a one-yard loss by Raritan’s Derek Ernst (Merrimack College) on a stop by Brick Memorials defensive tackle Anthony Nobile brought up a 4th-and-11 at the 23 yard-line. Monmouth County elected to go for a 40-yard field goal but the kick was blocked by Barnegat’s Josh Bowen with Ocean County taking over at their own five yard-line.

Two first-down runs by Point Boro quarterback Noah Husak including a 16-yard scamper gave Ocean County a first down at their own 40 yard-line. Jackson Memorial’s running back Vinny Lee then got them five more yards on the ground before Brick Township wideout Matt Schleifer got behind the defender on seam route over the middle and Husak hit him in stride with a perfect spiral for a 55-yard scoring play and a 7-0 lead.

The score stayed that way as the first half ended with the Ocean County defense living up to its billing holding Monmouth County to just 33 yards of total offense while the offense picked up 133 yards of their own on offense. Jackson Memorial’s Tyler Towns (Wagner College), Toms River North’s Da’Shon Copes, Anthony Nobile led the defensive line surge.

Late in the third quarter with the score still 7-0, Freehold’s Todd Burger recovered quarterback Mike Miserendino’s (Central Regional) fumbled snap at the 29 yard-line. Following the recovery, a 16-yard Matt Cluley (Wall Township H.S.) completion to Mater Dei’s Cole Hardy and three straight runs by Matawan’s Makaya Ceasar set up a 4th-and-1 at the 10 yard-line as the third quarter ended.

Monmouth County then went back to Ceasar one to many times as Towns – playing the backside defensive end spot - read the play all the way stuffing Ceasar for no gain turning the ball over to Ocean County at the 10 yard-line.

“In all honesty they had been running a counter back and I thought they were coming right at me,” Towns said. “When he left me unblocked I kind of said in my mind ‘he’s mine’ and I just swooped in behind. A lot of offenses will discount the backside end who is usually a big slow guy but I’m quick. It all comes down to effort and heart and reading the play.”

Three plays later, Pat Walker (Southern Regional) fumbled after being stopped in his tracks by Asbury Park’s Jaedon Stephens with Middletown North’s Matt Dombrowski recovering the ball on the Ocean County 17 yard-line.

On the next play from scrimmage, Middletown South quarterback Matt Mosquera (Monmouth University) found Raritan’s Nick Pasquin (Susquehana University) on a crossing pattern around the three yard-line and he bulled his way into the end zone carrying a couple of defenders with him to tie the game with 13:15 remaining.

Ocean County then answered on its ensuing possession. A personal foul on first down and a Miserendino 28 yard-run with a 15 yard late hit tacked on gave Ocean County a first down on the 22 yard-line.

Seven plays later, Miserendino and Walker atoned for their earlier miscues when on 3rd-and-goal from the four yard-line Miserendino rolled right after working the play action to perfection and fired the ball to Walker who took a big hit but ran over a defender to get into the end zone. Collin Ansback’s point after kick was good and Ocean County retook the lead 14-7 with 8:30 left in the game.

“The play was a 90 boot right and at practice we actually practiced hitting the tight end out of the backfield,” said Miserendino, who was voted Ocean County offensive MVP. “But the fullback came open right away so I decided hit him. I’ll remember this to the day I die. I’m very blessed to receive this award and to play with everybody in my last game at Central; it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Following the kickoff, Brick Memorial’s Chris Hayes (Sacred Heart University) sacked Mosquera but was called for a questionable facemask penalty giving Monmouth County a first down on their own 47 yard-line. Jaden Kosh (Toms River South) then pulled Ernst down for a two-yard loss on first down before Raritan’s Mason Sheehan made a spectacular one-handed grab for a seven yard gain before a third down incompletion brought up a 4th-and-4 from the Ocean County 47 yard-line.

Monmouth County lined up in punt formation, but blocking back Dylan Murphy (East Stroudsburg) took a direct snap up the middle for six yards and a first down to keep the drive alive.

After an incomplete pass in the end zone, Mosquera attempted a screen pass that Towns batted down and into the arms of a waiting Hayes who took it back all the way to the Monmouth County 25 yard-line.

Matawan’s Isaiah Phillip’s and Dombrowski then made big stops on first and second down before two incomplete passes gave the ball back to Monmouth County setting up the final drive of the game.

The vaunted Ocean County defense held Monmouth County to minus-2 yards rushing and 158 total yards for the game. Curry led Monmouth County throwing for 110 yards on 9-for-13 passing while Miserendino had 60-yards rushing to lead Ocean County.

Ocean County has now won three straight games for the first time and has narrowed Monmouth County's lead in the all-time series to 20-18-1.

Towns was chosen as the Ocean County defensive MVP while Dombrowski received the same honor for Monmouth County. Pasquin was selected as the Monmouth County offensive MVP.

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