Bombers Defeat Mustangs For Second Straight Year To Win First Sectional Crown Since 1997
PISCATAWAY, NJ–In a highly anticipated matchup between two perennial powerhouse public school programs in Central Jersey, Sayreville shutdown Brick Memorial’s highly touted triple option attack that had averaged 34 points per game in its previous two playoff games to win its first sectional title in 13 years. The Bombers got a one yard run by quarterback Joe Geiger in the second quarter for a 7-0 lead, and then wrapped up the 14-0 victory in the Central Jersey Group IV Championship with a touchdown scoring run of four yards by Delon Stephenson with 8:17 left in the game.
Sayreville had to endure injuries including one to Delon Stephenson (hip pointer), Davon Jackson (knee), and Teju Ishola (wrist). Stephenson, who was limited to 47 yards on nine carries, came out stronger in the second half, and made key plays on the game clinching drive in the fourth. First, on a second and long play from the 28 yard line, Stephenson caught a 16 yard pass from Geiger to give the Bombers a more manageable third down situation. On the next play, Stephenson converted the third down with a run that set up first and goal at the Brick Memorial four yard line. Then, the junior capped the drive with a four yard touchdown a little more than midway through the fourth quarter. Earlier in the drive, Alex Yanuzzelli, who filled in for Jackson, bulled his way to an 18 yard run.
Meanwhile, Sayreville’s defense led by Syd Holt, Darryl Stephenson, and Ismail Herring made life miserable for Brick Memorial’s offense. According to an article from the Star-Ledger, the Mustangs were limited to 112 yards total offense including 46 yards rushing. Holt and Herring had second half sacks while Holt and Darryl Stephenson knocked down passes by Brick Memorial’s Mike Diguilmi. The Bombers defense followed a superb game plan by former Sayreville hoops coach and defensive coordinator Shawn Currie as they swarmed the ball throughout the second half. The Mustangs compounded their problems by waiting too long to go to the air in order to spark the offense. It wasn’t until Sayreville was up by two touchdowns in the fourth that Brick Memorial attempted to pass.
And when they finally got moving through the air, Sayreville still managed to stop them. First, Isaiah Cureton came up with an interception on 4th down while the Mustangs fumbled away another scoring opportunity with a little more than two minutes to go. The Bombers, which last won a sectional title in 1997 when it won the Central Jersey Group III Championship over Middletown South, ran the ball 50 times for 204 yards in the victory with a backfield by committee led by Zeke Perkinson (65 yards) and Yanuzzelli (54 yards). The Bombers had eight tackles for losses, and only allowed 30 percent third down conversions.
Sayreville, which last appeared in the CJ Group IV Championship Game back in 2008, and lost to Brick Memorial (24-0), opened the second half with a great drive that didn’t result in any points, but did take plenty of time off the clock. The Bombers only threw twice on the drive including a screen pass to Syd Holt at midfield that gave them a first down. Perkinson and Yanuzzelli were the primary ball carriers although Delon Stephenson did have a carry for a first down early on in the possession. Sayreville was ultimately stopped on downs inside the Brick Memorial 25 yard line, but by that point, there was only about four minutes to play in the third period.
With the victory, Sayreville finished the season at 11-1 including a 3-0 mark against teams from the Shore Conference. Brick Memorial, which has played in the last three CJ Group IV Championships, have not only lost the last two title games, but were shutout in both. Last year, East Brunswick defeated the Mustangs, 9-0 at The College of New Jersey. Brick Memorial finished the year at 2-1 against GMC schools, and is 5-3 versus GMC opponents over the past three seasons.