Beacon 70 Shore Conference Football Player of the Week: Marlboro’s Zach Mendes
Every week this season, Shore Conference football fans will have their chance to vote for the Beacon 70/Shore Sports Network Football Player of the Week on our website.
The Week 7 Player of the Week is Marlboro senior running back Zach Mendes, who had the best game of his high school career to lead the Mustangs to a 35-21 victory over Brick Memorial to keep their playoff hopes alive. Mendes and all Player of the Week winners this season will receive a $25 gift card to Beacon 70 Restaurant.
Mendes entered last Friday's game at Brick Memorial with three 100-yard games under this belt already this season, but in the past two games was held under the century mark, including just 18 yards in a loss to Howell in Week 6. He bounced back in a huge way vs. Brick Memorial with a career-high 224 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 28 carries, scoring on runs of 29, 8, 49 and 33 yards to propel Marlboro to a critical road victory that snapped a two-game skid.
Mendes now has 667 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns this season. He has also had a strong season on defense as a linebacker with 47 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, an interception, and two forced fumbles.
The victory kept Marlboro's playoff hopes alive in the South Group 5 region. The Mustangs are currently 15th in United Power Ranking with the top 16 teams qualifying for the playoffs. Marlboro has made just two playoff appearances in program history with the last one coming in 1999. The Mustangs are now 4-2 and have a huge game on Saturday afternoon at Toms River South.
Mendes won the Week 8 Player of the Week poll by a razor-thin margin of just five votes over Middletown North senior quarterback Tommy Giannone.
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