Face No.2 Seed Nottingham Saturday In Quarterfinal
By Mike Ready
MIDDLETOWN – Playing one of the most competitive schedules in the Shore Conference this season, Middletown North began the year with a four game losing streak then turned it around, winning three of the next four games to qualify for the state playoffs for the first time since 2009.
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Three of those losses were against teams ranked in the top 10 of the Shore Conference, including No.2 Manalapan, ranked ninth in the state. The fourth was Middlesex County power, Old Bridge, the No.2 seed in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group V bracket.
Playing the tough schedule against some of the strongest programs inside and out of the Shore Conference was actually the Lions gateway to the playoffs as they amassed quality power points even in their losses.
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The only loss in their current playoff run was against 2012 Central Jersey Group V Champion South Brunswick, 28-14, in a game where they were tied 14-14 in the third quarter and trailed by only 7-points in the fourth quarter before the Vikings recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock.
After going 2-8 last year and not having a winning record or a playoff win since the 2000 season, Middletown North made a head coaching change, hiring former Miami Dolphins assistant coach Steve Bush.
Introducing a new system and bringing in former Monroe High School assistant coach John Denuto as his defensive coordinator, Bush knew it might take some time for his team to jell, but felt he had the talent to compete with anyone.
“The Guys needed to get comfortable with the new system,” Bush said. “Each week they got better and better picking up the terminology. Now they have a good understanding of what we’re trying to do on both sides of the ball. They’re playing a lot faster and smarter with a lot more confidence.”
The defining moment of the season came when Bush was forced to start prized freshman quarterback Donald Glenn in the first game of the season when senior quarterback Ryan McMahon was declared out for the season with a shoulder injury.
“We had to bring in a freshman quarterback (Donald Glenn) who wasn’t even with us all summer,” Bush said. We had to work a 14-year old kid into the system; that’s a lot to ask of him and a lot to take in. It’s hard to play varsity football as a freshman at any position, but even more so at quarterback. That really slowed our progress, but he’s made tremendous strides and his maturation as a quarterback improves daily. He’s a smart kid and has really handled it well; he’s going to just keep getting better and better. ”
Glenn has not disappointed, and is currently the sixth ranked quarterback in the Shore Conference, throwing for 1152 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s the first freshman quarterback to throw for 1000 yards since Raritan’s Andrew Mandeville in 2002.
Glenn’s favorite target has been veteran senior wide receiver Jake Betkowski. Betkowski has grabbed 42 passes for 583 yards and four touchdowns, ranking him third in the Shore Conference. In last week’s 33-0 playoff-clinching win over Freehold Township, he hauled in six balls for 93 yards including a 17-yard touchdown pass from Glenn. He also had an interception, his third on the season.
“Jakes a good football player,” Bush said. “He’s done a good job for us on both sides of the ball. He’s a competitor and has the speed that allows him to make the big play for us, which he’s done continually throughout the season.”
Also responsible for the Lions resurgence is Chad Freshnock. After showing immense promise as a freshman, Freshnock has lived up to his billing. The sophomore running back is sixth in the Shore Conference in rushing with 955 yards and 11 touchdowns. Last week he rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns along with a 47-yard touchdown reception from Glenn.
“Chad is lot healthier now,” Bush said. “He’s gotten over some early season injuries and is really running well for us now; he’s had a tremendous year. Our offensive line is playing very, very tough and physical; opening some nice holes for Chad and our other backs. Once they got their blocking schemes and technique down, they’ve been explosive.”
The offensive line is manned by four seniors: center John Quinn, tackles Jake Zani, Fabiano and guard Andrew Moran. Junior Vincent Pianforte holds down the other guard spot. Quinn, a 5-foot-8, 255 pound road grader, anchors the line and calls the line signals.
Defensively, the Lions are led by junior outside linebacker Troy Thompson (3 sacks), senior defensive end Anthony Fabiano (6 sacks) and senior captain and middle linebacker Dan Napolitano.
“The defense played their best football of the season last week,” Bush said. “We had our first shutout of the season and we held Freehold Township to five first downs, 12-yards rushing on 26 attempts and 28-yards passing. Like the rest of the team, they’ve gotten better and better each week.”
“Troy is a very physical player and the leader of our defense,” Bush added. “Anthony has done a great job since we moved him defensive end where we should have had him all along. He’s more comfortable there and he can make a lot more plays from there; which he has done. Dan’s a fiery guy who probably had his best game of the year last week and senior two-way starter and captain senior Brandon Piccini, along with Betkowski stabilize our defensive backfield."
Middletown North’s last playoff appearance was a 21-0 loss to Sayreville in the 2009 season when they finished with a 5-5 record. Their last winning season and playoff win was in 2000 when they went 6-5 and beat Woodbridge 28-14 in the first round before losing to Hillsborough in the semifinals.
The Lions will travel to Nottingham High School on Saturday, November 16 for a 1:00 P.M. kickoff. Nottingham (6-2) is tied for first place in the Valley Division of the West Jersey Football League and is seeded No.2 in the Central Jersey Group IV Bracket. The Lions (3-5, 3-2) come in as the No.7 seed.
Nottingham was the 2012 Central Jersey Group III Champion, defeating Neptune, 35-24, in the final. The Northstars are led by Rutgers-bound cornerback/wide receiver/kick returner Saquan Hampton who has three interceptions as teams avoid his side of the field. Hampton averages 37.80 on kickoff returns and 15.60 on punt returns and has a 15.25-yard rushing average on 7 carries and a touchdown.
At 6-foot-4, 185-pounds, senior quarterback Stephen Adams has passed for 862 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Nottingham’s running attack is led by senior Wroway Williams, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound bruiser. Williams has gained 341 yards on 72 carries and has scored 11 touchdowns. Adams favorite target is senior wideout James Bailey, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound speedster. Bailey has hauled in 25 balls for 380 yards and six touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Ryan Malagrino, a 5-foot-11, 230-pound beast, leads the defense. Malagrino has recorded 29 tackles, four sacks and 8.5 tackles for losses on the season. Senior defensive lineman Mario Boswell can create some havoc in the backfield with his pass rushing skills and has amassed 10 sacks on the year.
Nottingham is a well-coached team that has a lot of talent and ton of playoff experience. If the young Lions can play error-free football, create turnovers and avoid bad field position I feel they have the coaching, skill position players and toughness to pull the upset.
“We’re excited about the chance to play Nottingham,” Bush said. “They’re a great program and a very talented team. We’re going to go out there and play our hardest, give it our best shot and see what we can do.”
