State playoffs are next for four local teams
BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer

SCOTT PILLING staff Raritan tailback Carmen Dente heads upfield during the Rockets' home loss to Rumson-Fair Haven on Friday night.

This weekend, high school football begins its second season - the postseason.

And with the arrival of the postseason, there are four local teams that are hoping to take their play to the next level and launch their pursuit of a state championship.

Middletown South, Matawan, Raritan and St. John Vianney are the four local teams that enter the first round of the playoffs this weekend, and all four will have their work cut out for them.

The Eagles, who are hoping to capture their fourth consecutive state title this season, are the second seed in the Central Jersey Group III bracket, with unbeaten Lawrence getting the top seed. Head coach Steve Antonucci's team, who used this past weekend's bye to get healthy, will play host to seventh-seeded Hightstown on Friday night at the Swamp.

Unlike the past three seasons, the Eagles don't necessarily enter this year's postseason as the favorite - a role they obviously handled quite well in the past. Instead, the Eagles are a bit of a mystery to some, having looked like the same old dominating Middletown South team all year, right up until Ocean Township found a way to beat them (and end their 43-game winning streak) a couple of weeks ago.

That loss has led to some people questioning whether the Eagles can make it four in a row playing in a loaded section that includes the aforementioned Spartans (seeded third), who are the defending champions, and a host of other quality teams.

While Lawrence is the prohibitive favorite going in (and rightfully so, given the manner in which they've cruised through their regular season schedule), there are a number of teams in this section who are legitimate threats to capture the title.

While Ocean, who followed up their upset of Middletown South with an impressive 44-20 win over Long Branch this past weekend, is still the champion until someone beats them, they have a tough challenge this Saturday when they play host to Monmouth Regional.

The Falcons, who improved to 7-1 with a 27-7 win over Central this weekend, are a dangerous team with an experienced quarterback in Tom D'Ambrisi, who has been waiting for three years to get a shot at a state playoff win.

This one should be a battle, with the winner expecting to see Middletown South waiting for them in the second round.

Another dangerous team in this bracket is the Monroe Falcons (8-1), who are enjoying their finest season ever, which has resulted in the program's first playoff appearance. Monroe has beaten some good teams in the Greater Middlesex Conference, and could be a sleeper here if they can get by Hamilton West in the first round.

The Central Jersey Group II bracket is also loaded with some solid teams. While A.L. Johnson and Weequahic are the top two seeds, respectively, the Matawan Huskies make a triumphant return to the postseason as the third seed, and as such, will host Rahway this Saturday night.

The Huskies come into this game having survived a scare against a surprisingly gutsy Freehold Borough team over the weekend. Matawan got the important win when senior Tre Walden caught a 50-yard TD pass from Julian Sonnenfeld with 1:44 left in the game. With the 27-21 win over the Colonials, the Huskies wrapped up the three seed and gave themselves a home game this Saturday.

However, they know they'll need a better effort against a Rahway team that comes into the game at 6-2, and is ranked seventh in the GMC.

For most of the year, the Raritan Rockets looked like they were well on their way to being one of the top seeds in the CJ II bracket. However, following Saturday's loss to Rumson-Fair Haven, head coach Bob Generelli's squad finds itself traveling to Clark this Saturday to take on top-seeded A.L. Johnson in the first round.

While Raritan entered the game against Rumson-Fair Haven assured of a playoff berth, they certainly would have benefited greatly from a win over the Bulldogs. If nothing else, it would have meant a higher seed and possibly a home game. Instead, the Bulldogs got a huge performance from wideout Ryan Kirchner (10 catches, 149 yards and two touchdowns) to beat the Rockets, 15-13, and improve to 7-1 on the year.

Rumson is the seventh seed in CJ II and will travel to Weequahic on Friday.

Of all the local teams in state playoff action this weekend, the squad with arguably the toughest first-round matchup is the St. John Vianney Lancers.

Vianney, who improved to 5-3 with its fourth straight win on Friday, was awarded the eighth seed in the Non-Public Group III bracket, and a date with Immaculata at Bridgewater-Raritan on Friday.

The Lancers come into this one red-hot, after beating Point Beach 21-16 this past Friday as quarterback Steve Zrowka made a triumphant return to action after missing the past two months with a foot injury suffered in a game against Holmdel. Zrowka finished the game 8-for-17 for 133 yards and one touchdown to lead the Lancers, while Chris Lewnes, who had been playing QB (and playing it well) in Zrowka's absence, returned to his natural wideout position and caught seven passes for 123 yards and one TD.

This wasn't an easy win for the Lancers, as Point Beach kept coming at them, but in the end, the Vianney defense held up, sending head coach John Amabile's team into the playoffs on a winning note.

This Friday the Lancers face a Spartans team that most people are expecting to cruise into the sectional final.

But with their QB back, the Lancers may be a tougher out than Immaculata is expecting.