Sadler Scores Four TDs While Grausso Adds Two Long TD Runs
DUNELLEN, NJ–In its first ever visit to Columbia Park, GMC Hoops got to see the Dunellen Destroyers in action for the third time in the past four years, and DHS didn’t disappoint in a 42-13 rout. Sparked by three first half touchdown runs by senior Rontik Sadler, Dunellen, which was projected to finish second in the GMC Blue behind Highland Park this season by the Star-Ledger, was already staked to a 20-0 lead with 1:29 to go in the second quarter. The Destroyers, which were playing in their season opener, then stopped Metuchen on the very next possession by forcing a fumble on fourth down that Jeff Puckett recovered.
DHS tried to score again, but after a spectacular catch by Sadler along the Dunellen sideline, the Destroyers were hit with a delay of game penalty, and stalled as the clock ran out in the first half. In the third quarter, Vinnie Grausso took over with two scoring runs. The first one came at the beginning of the second half with a 52 yard run for a touchdown. Dunellen added a two point conversion to take a 28-0 lead. Metuchen tried to drive down the field for another score, but an Anthony Feltre pass was picked off by Dunellen’s D.J. Ditter. Moments later, Grausso rumbled some 80 yards for his second score, and although the Destroyers missed the two point conversion, they led 34-0.
Metuchen made the game more respectable with a one yard touchdown run by Bryan Peragallo late in the third period. Then, after Aaron Lewis recovered a Dunellen fumble, Peragallo took his turn to rumble down the field with a 49 yard touchdown run to close the gap to 34-13 early on in the fourth. DHS then capped the game with a long drive that was finished off by an 11 yard touchdown pass from Puckett to Sadler, who made an outstanding catch on the play. Andy Taylor scored on his third two point conversion run to have six points on the day for a 42-13 lead. The late DHS score caused a bit of a stir between Metuchen’s new head coach, Sal Mistretta and Dunellen’s head coach Dave DeNapoli.
The two exchanged words from opposing sidelines as the ensuing kickoff took place. Mistretta, who previously coached successful programs at Sayreville and North Brunswick before taking administrative positions at NBTHS and then Edison, recently took over the Metuchen head coaching job after previous coach, Bob Ulmer stepped down. Coming into today’s meeting, Metuchen had previously defeated Dunellen in five out of the last six games going back to 2004. The Bulldogs, which lost its opener to Keyport/Henry Hudson last week (48-21), outscored the Destroyers 143-96 in those games, or by an average margin of 24-16. The biggest win coming in 2006 when MHS won 40-20. Dunellen’s lone win over Metuchen came at Columbia field almost exactly three years ago to the day (14-8).