Redaelli, Caseys Streak Past Middletown South

Extend Shore Conference Win Streak To 31 Straight Games

By Mike Ready

 RED BANK – Red Bank Catholic extended its Shore Conference winning streak to 31 straight games Friday night with a 41-13 dismantling of the Eagles in a nondivisional game at Count Basie Field.

 Senior running back Larry Redaelli continued his assault on Shore Conference defenses, rushing for 232 yards on 19 carries. His big night put him over the 1000-yard mark with 1156 yards on 103 rushing attempts, second in the Shore Conference. Redaelli, a third team All-Shore selection in 2012, leads the Shore in scoring with 22 touchdowns after Friday night’s four-touchdown performance.

 Although Red Bank Catholic has outscored its opposition 336-36 and Friday night’s 28-point differential is the closest an opponent has gotten to beating the Caseys this season, Redaelli feels his team has not played to its full potential.

 “We still haven’t played a complete game yet,” Redaelli said. “We have our good plays and bad plays but we just want to go through the whole game with the defense scoring touchdowns, us scoring on every single drive and just complete every single play the whole game; that’s the full potential that we can do.”

 The Caseys, who ended the 2012 season ranked No.1 in the Shore Conference and have held that spot the entire 2013 season, know what lies ahead for them when the NJSIAA Non-Public Group III playoffs begins in two weeks. A potential semifinal date with the consensus No.1-ranked team in the state, St. Joseph (Montvale) looms as their likely opponent.

 “We’ve got to keep working hard and prepare for those big teams like St. Joe’s, Delbarton and Pope John,” Redaelli said. “A bunch of us went up to watch the St. Joe’s – Paramus Catholic game, to see what their all about; their strengths and weaknesses. So I guess we are looking down the road, but we have to stay sharp and not have that off game before the states.”

 Redaelli, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 180 pounds, runs with an elusiveness that combines both speed and power and loves running behind his giant offensive line.  “Their amazing, I feel so comfortable running behind my line. Joe Castellano, Ryan Kroeger, Q (Notre Dame recruit Quenton Nelson), Tim O’Hara, Matt Golden, Liam Coffey, James Gordinier, Shawn Mc Cord; their all incredible. I have 100 percent trust in them. I just follow them and once I see that hole I just explode and go.”

 “Larry’s very strong and has improved his speed,” head coach James Portela said. “We asked him to be a little more patient this year and he’s done a tremendous job at doing that. He’s not just plunging himself into the line as he did in the past. He waits to let the blocks develop and then gets that burst and he’s gone.”

 Redaelli, who’s touchdowns were on runs of 7, 30, 35, and 89 yards, helped the Caseys get untracked with his first touchdown coming on a 7-yard burst to cap a 64-yard opening game drive, in which he had five carries for 45 yards.

 The first quarter ended 7-0 with the Caseys on the Eagles 30-yard line. Facing third-and-15 from the 32, Casey quarterback Pat Toomey’s pass intended for senior wideout Connor Smith was picked off by Eagle senior defensive back Andrew Wisialko, who out-jumped Smith for the ball on the goal line right at the front pylon.

 After a South punt, the Casey’s moved to the Eagles 35-yard line before sophomore quarterback Edward Hahn, alternating with Toomey, went 35 yards on an option play, taking it up the middle before breaking it down the right sidelines and diving into end zone to go up 14-0, after Toomey kicked the point after.

 The two teams exchanged punts before Casey junior defensive back Michael Cordova jumped in front of Eagles Nolan Peerless for the Caseys second pick of the game at the 50-yard line.

 After a 20 yard Hahn-to-Smith completion to the 30-yard line, Redaelli bolted the final 30 yards on the next play for his second touchdown of the game. The point after was no good and the score remained 20-0.

 The Eagles got on the board on their ensuing possession, when senior running back Jeremy Concepcion set up his own one-yard touchdown with a nifty 68-yard run down the left sideline to pull the Eagles to within 13 points, 20-7.

 Red Bank Catholic then dashed any hope of an Eagle comeback, converting a crucial third-and-10 from the Eagle 35-yard line into a Redaelli 35-yard touchdown scamper with under a minute remaining in the half for a 27-7 lead. The three-play drive was set up by Cordova’s 48-yard kickoff return to the 35-yard line, handing the Caseys excellent field position and the opportunity to put the game away.

 On the Eagles second play of the opening drive of the second half, Cordova put the icing on the cake, gathering in his second pick of the day at 50-yard line and returning it to the one-yard line, scoring untouched on the next play for a 34-7 advantage, 10 seconds into the second half.

 In all, the Caseys picked off four passes on the night, including two by Cordova and one each by senior Christian Wagar and junior Nick Lubischer. Eagle quarterback Kyle Brey was continually harassed into rushing his throws by a relentless Casey pass rush led by linebackers Ryan Schoer and Frank Olmo and lineman Nelson, Kroeger, Wilen and McCord.

 “The secondary answered the bell,” Portela said. “They were very physical with their receivers trying to disrupt routes. We put in some new coverage’s we hadn’t played before and they met the challenge; they played very, very well.”

 Redaelli capped off his and the Caseys night going 89-yards for their final score of the game with 35 seconds left in the third quarter for a 41-7 cushion. On the play, Redaelli raced around right end and went untouched all the way down the right sideline, highlighting his quickness and speed.

 Middletown South drove 80 yards late in the game, scoring on a Drew O’Connell five-yard run as time expired.

 “Keeping these kids focused isn’t hard,” Portela said. “A lot of these kids played last year in the playoffs and they know what’s ahead for us. They know they need to be prepared by working hard and the younger guys work hard to challenge them. I think we’re going to be okay, we’ll see what happens.

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