Mariners Have No Answer for Jackson

For the past week, Toms River North football coach Chip Labarca, Jr. implored his team to be ready for a faster, more physical Jackson Memorial team than the one it saw last year.

By the final whistle Saturday, the Mariners players understood their coach’s warning after the Jaguars pounded Toms River North on its own home field, 42-10.

“You could tell by watching (Jackson) on film that this was going to be a tough game for us and we preached that to our team all week,” Labarca, Jr. said. “I actually thought this was a bad matchup for us in some ways because of their speed and athleticism at some positions. They were able to take advantage of some of those matchups and unfortunately, when we had opportunities to make a play, we just couldn’t do it.”

Quarterback Jimmy Celidonio led a Jackson rushing attack that amassed 234 yards on 37 carries, running for 150 yards on 12 yards. He capped his day with a 61-yard touchdown run to cap the scoring with 8:18 left in the fourth quarter.

The Jaguars defense, meanwhile, was just as effective, holding Toms River North to 161 total yards and 53 on the ground.

Jackson jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on a touchdown pass from Celidonio to Dallas Winston, but Toms River North cut into the lead on a 35-yard field goal by Chris Gulla with 7:12 left in the second quarter. A fumbled punt return, recovered by Jacob Forenza at the Jackson 14 yard-line, set up the field goal.

The Jaguars, however, struck back when Johntel Thomas took the ensuing back 69 yards to the Mariners 31 yard-line, with a facemask penalty tacking on 15-yards to the run and placing the ball on the 16.

On the first play of the drive, running back Brandon Winston bolted through the middle of the line and to the end zone to make it 14-3 after the extra point.

Winston’s 16-yard touchdown run began a run of 21 straight points over the span of two quarters, stretching the Jackson lead to 28-3. The senior tailback finished with 71 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns.

Each of the Jaguars last two touchdowns during that span came off of turnovers.

The Jaguars needed to drive only 29 yards following a fumbled handoff in the backfield and 40 yards after Dan Harrington intercepted Toms River North quarterback Scott Buxbaum on a tipped pass on the first drive of the second half.

Brandon Winston pushed in for a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 21-3 in the second quarter and Ken Bradley scored from two yards out to make it 28-3 with 7:31 left in the third, Bradley’s only carry of the game.

Toms River North pulled to within 28-10 with a six-play, 65-yard drive, capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Buxbaum to tight end Jesse Tate, a transfer from Toms River South.

After an onside kick attempt failed, the Mariners defense forced the Jaguars’ first punt since their opening drive.

The Mariners, however, could not take advantage, as Brandon Winston picked off Buxbaum on 3rd-and-15 from the Toms River North 8 yard-line and returned it to the one.

Toms River North committed three turnovers, which led to 21 Jackson Memorial points. After Jackson’s lone lost fumble, Toms River North managed only the Gulla field goal despite taking over at the Jaguar 14-yard-line.

“That fumble was a chance for us to get back in the game and unfortunately, we lost four yards on the first play and ended up settling for a field goal,” Labarca, Jr. said. “Still, we get three points and make it 7-3, but they take the kickoff back and score just like that and our guys put their heads down a little after that.”

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