Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week: Monmouth Regional

Every week this fall, Jersey Mike’s and Shore Sports Network will be selecting a Team of the Week based on its performance over the past weekend.

The Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week 3 is Monmouth Regional, which defeated Matawan, 14-13 in a Shore Conference Class A Central nail-biter, to start the season 4-0 for the first time since 2006. Shore Sports Network was at practice Tuesday evening to present the Falcons and head coach Larry Nikola with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike’s gift card.

Senior quarterback Ian Fitzgerald ran for 129 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, including a 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Junior quarterback Dayshawn Porter threw a 93-yard touchdown pass to senior Devon Johnson, whose second extra point held up as the game-winning point.

Monmouth went 2-8 last year and, following the resignation of Rich Mosca, brought in Nikola as its new head coach for this season. The Falcons opened the season by defeating rival Ocean, 28-17, for their first win over the Spartans since 2006. Victories over  Holmdel and Metuchen followed before Week 3's victory over Matawan, which was the program's first over the Huskies since 1963, snapping a 21-game losing streak in the series.

Monmouth's defense is allowing just 10 points per game under defensive coordinator Charlie Diskin, who was formerly the head coach at Toms River East and Point Beach, and was an assistant at Pinelands last season. The Falcons also made their way into the Shore Sports Network Top 10 this week. 

Monmouth looks on its way to just the third NJSIAA playoff appearance in program history and first since 2010, but the schedule difficulty goes up beginning this week with a Friday night game at No. 8 Point Boro (3-0).

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Managing editor Bob Badders can be reached at bob.badders@townsquaremedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bob_Badders. Like Shore Sports Network on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest video highlights.