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Long Branch halts run to beat
Matawan
Published in the Asbury Park Press 10/02/00
By NEIL SCHUMAN
STAFF WRITER
ABERDEEN -- It was almost as if Long Branch was teasing Matawan. Time
after time the Green Wave would hand the Huskies easy scoring chances,
only to deny them each time they tried to capitalize.
By stuffing the Huskies' ground game and by keeping them from taking
advantage of three fumbles giving them excellent field position, the
Green Wave were able to claim a 33-14 Shore Conference Federal Division
victory yesterday at Bruce MacCutcheon Memorial Field.
Raul Rivera's 1-yard TD plunge with 1:33 remaining in the third
quarter gave Long Branch (3-1, 3-1) a 20-14 lead. The winning score was
set up by Berkeley Hutchinson's 31-yard pass to tight end James Moore
that gave the Green Wave a first-and-1 at the Matawan 1-yard line.
"It was a wide flag and Berk said, 'Get there,' " said
Moore. "He's the only person I want to catch passes from."
Just 1:17 earlier, Moore caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from
Hutchinson on a timing pattern. Matawan defensive back Chris Herring
watched helplessly as Moore sprawled out at the edge of the end zone to
reel in the pass.
"He put the ball right in my hands," said Moore. "If I
drop it, I look stupid."
The Huskies (1-3, 1-3) had a chance to get back in the game when
Jason Haskins hit Rivera, causing him to fumble. Charlie Brodbeck
pounced on the loose ball, giving Matawan possession at the Long Branch
19. An 11-yard pass from Glennis Lester to Chris Herring brought the
ball to the 8. But Hutchinson nailed Matawan's Kevin Davis (11 carries,
42 yards) for a two-yard loss and Ken Gillespie sacked Lester to end the
drive. Two Long Branch first-half fumbles had given Matawan unfulfilled
shots at the end zone.
Hutchinson put the game out of reach with a 38-yard dash to the end
zone with 2:50 to play. Michael Huff ran for a 6-yard TD with just under
a minute to play.
"Our game plan was to run the football a lot," said
Hutchinson, who carried the ball 14 times for 94 yards. "Our scheme
was getting the quarterback involved in a couple plays and I guess it
worked for us this week."
Long Branch took a 7-0 lead with 5:20 remaining in the first quarter,
when Ronnie Chapman hit Lester in the end zone, knocking the ball loose.
Pat Tedeschi recovered it for a touchdown.
The Huskies' special teams generated the tying score late in the
first quarter, when Steve Gallo recovered a bad snap on a punt for the
first of his two fumble recoveries. That gave Matawan the ball just one
yard shy of the goal line and three plays later Tom Corley bounced into
the end zone on the first play of the second quarter. Corley's 30-yard
run opened the door for a 16-yard Lester-to-Anthony Francis touchdown
pass that put Matawan in front 14-7, 9:26 before the half.
from the Asbury Park Press
Published on October 2, 2000
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