Story and videos by Matt Stypulkoski - Shore Sports Network contributor

TOMS RIVER – With 13 seconds left in a deadlocked game on Friday night, Donovan Catholic kicker GianCarlo Stigliano walked onto the field with a chance for the win and was promptly frozen by a Pinelands timeout.

The Wildcats gave the junior a moment to think about his two prior attempts on the night – a botched snap that led to a turnover on downs and a miss from 35 yards. A converted soccer player who transferred to Donovan Catholic from Christian Brothers Academy, Stigliano had one last chance to be the hero in his first career game.

On Stigliano’s third try of the evening, he made 35 yards seem like a chip shot when he nailed his first career field goal to push the Griffins to a thrilling 10-7 win over the visiting Wildcats (0-1, 0-1) in Class B South.

“I needed to make it, that was [my only thought],” Stigliano said. “I needed to do exactly what I do in practice, I needed to hit it right through. That was it.”

“We won the game, we did what it took,” Griffins coach Dan Duddy said. “But I tell you what, as far as high school sports go and the purity of the game, both these teams are winners tonight. It was a game of wills.”

Donovan Catholic quarterback David Calderon, who finished the night 5 of 7 for 43 yards and one touchdown through the air and tacked on 24 rushes for 49 yards, paced the seven-play, 31-yard drive that sealed the win.

Junior quarterback David Calderon, who threw a touchdown pass in the victory, lines up to take the snap for Donovan Catholic in its season-opening win over Pinelands. (Photo by Matt Stypulkoski)
Junior quarterback David Calderon, who threw a touchdown pass in the victory, lines up to take the snap for Donovan Catholic in its season-opening win over Pinelands. (Photo by Matt Stypulkoski)
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Most of the second half was a battle for field position. While neither team could get much going offensively, the Griffins were able to use their kicking game to continually pin Pinelands in its own zone. In the end, playing with a short field for the game’s final 24 minutes was enough to grind out a win.

“We knew we were going to get a chance,” Duddy said. “We really believed in what was happening. [Pinelands] brought old-style football to us today, and it turned out to be an old-style game.”

It was also something of a sloppy game, as the two teams combined for 10 fumbles – four lost – including a stretch of three in four plays during the second half. Pinelands lost three of those fumbles and also gave the ball away on an interception deep in Donovan Catholic territory during the first half.

“The bottom line is, in this football game, if you turn the ball over, you lose,” Wildcats coach Brian Wilkinson said.

Still, Pinelands had plenty to be happy with in a hard-fought game following a tough 1-9 season in 2013. During warm-ups, Wilkinson yelled to his team saying, “This ain’t the same old Pinelands.”

In the 48 minutes that followed, it certainly wasn’t. After losing to Donovan Catholic (1-0, 1-0) three straight seasons, including a 36-7 defeat last year, the Wildcats managed to outgain the Griffins, 180-145, on Friday. It was simple smash-mouth, ground-and-pound football – every one of Pinelands’ yards came on the ground.

The largest chunk of them came on a 51-yard touchdown scamper from Conner Bussey that gave the Wildcats the lead with 4:06 left in the first half.

“I’m proud of the way my kids fought,” Wilkinson said. “I think the fight is there. We made too many mistakes, and the team that makes the most mistakes loses.”

Donovan Catholic responded on the following drive, covering 72 yards on six plays. The final blow was a six-yard jump pass from Calderon to wide receiver Tyler McShea to tie the game 7-7 just 1:38 before the break.

 

Box score

Donovan Catholic 10, Pinelands 7

.                                 DC             PINE

First downs                 15              12

Rushes-yards          47-102          33-180

Passing                   5-7-0              0-5-1

Passing yards           43                   0

Fumbles-lost            3-1                 8-3

Penalties                  5-62               3-25

Pinelands (0-1, 0-1)              0  7  0   0 – 7

Donovan Catholic (1-0, 1-0)   0 7 0 3 – 10

Scoring summary

Bussey 51-yard run (Kubricki kick).

McShea 6-yard catch (Stigliano kick).

Stigliano 35-yard field goal.

Individual statistics

Rushing – PINE: Bussey 5-49, Sysol 3-15, Roman 13-71, Fairl 2-5, D’Andrea 5-24, Madge 3-22, Graham 3-15, Jenkins 2-0. DC: Calderon 24-49, Hunter 4-7, Rozell 3-3, A. Rosario 4-44, Cushman 1-3, Baltuskonis 1-3, Stigliano 1-(-7).

Passing – PINE: Sysol 0-3-0 0, Madge 0-2-0 0. DC: Calderon 5-7-1 43.

Receiving – DC: Puleo 3-31, McShea 2-12.

Interceptions – DC: Puleo 1-13.

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