Week 8 Jersey Mike’s Shore Conference Football Team of the Week: Red Bank Catholic
Every week this fall, Jersey Mike’s and Shore Sports Network will team up to select a Shore Conference Football Team of the Week based on its performance over the past weekend.
The Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week 8 is Red Bank Catholic, which rallied for an epic 35-28 overtime victory over Toms River North in an instant classic between two of New Jersey's best teams. Shore Sports Network stopped by practice on Tuesday to present the Caseys and head coach Mike Lange with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike's gift card.
Junior quarterback Frankie Williams threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 100 yards, while senior wideout Emanuel Ross caught eight passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns to lead the No. 2 Caseys to an overtime victory over No. 3 Toms River North in a highly-anticipated matchup. Williams led a game-tying, 86-yard scoring drive with 1:42 left and no timeouts and then threw the go-ahead 25-yard touchdown pass to Ross on the first play of overtime. Junior running back Matt Lonczak ran for a touchdown with two seconds left and senior Justin LaMorte added the extra point - after a penalty - to send the game to overtime. LaMorte also kicked a Shore Conference season-long 43-yard field goal and connected on a 22-yard field goal, while senior tight end Jack Bohm-Squicciarini had a 12-yard touchdown catch.
Toms River North led 28-21 on a 24-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback TJ Valerio to junior wideout Nasir Jackson with 7:21 left. After forcing a punt later in the fourth quarter, RBC got the ball back at its own 14-yard line with no timeouts and 1:42 left in regulation. Williams was fantastic in engineering a 13-play, 86-yard drive that ended with Lonczak scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run with two seconds left in regulation. The Caseys lined up to go for the 2-point conversion and the lead and scored on a run by Ross, but a penalty negated the conversion. LaMorte converted the longer extra point to tie the game at 28 and force overtime. Ross secured an incredible 24-yard catch down to the 1-yard line to set up the tying scores.
Toms River North struck first when senior quarterback Micah Ford ran for a 76-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1 with 6:45 left in the first quarter. RBC answered on the next series when Williams hit Ross for a 57-yard touchdown pass.
Ford, who missed three games with a leg injury suffered in a September game vs. Donovan Catholic and returned last week in a win over Toms River South, re-aggravated the injury when he was sacked in the second quarter. He limped off the field and did not return but was walking on the sidelines the rest of the game.
The Caseys took a 10-7 lead on a 22-yard field goal by LaMorte and extended their advantage to 13-7 at halftime when LaMorte boomed a Shore Conference season-best 43-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
Toms River North went ahead 14-13 when Valerio ran for a 5-yard score to cap a 50-yard scoring drive with 6:45 left in the third quarter. Red Bank Catholic took the lead back when Williams found Bohm-Squicciarini wide open for a 12-yard touchdown. Ross then ran in the 2-point conversion for a 21-14 RBC lead.
Toms River North scored the next two touchdowns, tying the score at 21 on a leaping 29-yard touchdown catch by Cam Thomas and taking a 28-21 lead when Valerio threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jackson.
As big as that game was, the Caseys have an even bigger one this Friday night when they travel to face No. 1 Donovan Catholic in what amounts to a Shore Conference championship game.
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