Eagles rout Quakers for fourth straight crown Sectional title is ninth in program's history BY DOUG McKENZIE Staff Writer Above, Middletown South's defense corrals Moorestown quarterback Shane Collier during Sunday's Central Jersey Group III final at Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway. Below left, South's Chris Bunge absorbs a hit from Matt Emerson, while below, Matt Martino sprints down the sidelines for a big gain. When Middletown South lost to Ocean Township earlier this season, ending their 43-game winning streak, many predicted it meant an end to the Eagles' reign as arguably the top public school program in the state. On Sunday, the Eagles ended that speculation by routing Moorestown, 38-0, to win their fourth straight sectional title, and ninth overall. Throughout their current string of championships, the Eagles have been powered by one of the state's best rushing attacks, an often surprisingly effective passing game, and some of the best big-game defensive efforts in state history. And that was just the recipe the Eagles followed on Sunday in beating Moorestown. The South defense, with its third consecutive championship game shutout, was simply brilliant, smothering the Quaker attack from the very beginning en route to allowing just 70 yards of total offense, and even getting into the scoring act when Dayon Lane picked off his second pass of the day (and eighth of the season) near the start of the third quarter and returned it 30 yards for the touchdown. PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Meanwhile, the Eagle offense was equally impressive, taking advantage of an overmatched Quaker defense in rolling out to a 31-0 lead by halftime. It was just the latest dominant effort in a championship game from a team that did everything in its power to get over the loss to Ocean. "Everyone will forget about the Ocean Township game if we can accomplish this goal," head coach Steve Antonucci said prior to Sunday's game. And with the manner in which his team won its title, it's hard to argue with the validity of his prediction. South pounced on Moorestown early, getting a 30-yard field goal from Matt Stahl to open the scoring, before junior quarterback Patrick Campbell (7-for-12 for 144 yards and two touchdowns) connected with senior Sean Barber for a 56-yard pass play, setting up a four-yard scoring run from Campbell that made it 10-0. In the Eagles' next possession, senior Brian Meeker made the big play, taking a screen pass on third-and-13 and racing 41 yards to the Moorestown five. Three plays later, Campbell rewarded Meeker with a TD pass in the corner of the end zone to make it 17-0. Next up was sophomore running back Chris Bunge, who replaced senior Dave Dosil after Dosil reaggravated an ankle injury early in the game. Bunge broke free for a 53-yard scoring run with 4:20 left in the first half to make it a 24-0 lead, before Lane ended the scoring in the half with a nine-yard TD reception from Campbell just before the break. With the win, the Eagles have further cemented their status as the top program in the Shore Conference, and one of the elite programs in the state. Under Antonucci the Eagles have done nothing but win, somehow avoiding the need to rebuild along the way. The names change, but the results remain the same, with the Eagles emerging as one of the state's best teams each and every year. But this one is special, as many people were expecting the Eagles to come back to the pack a bit after graduating 19 starters from last year's championship team - which incidentally ended the year as the top-ranked team in the state. With so many new faces starting for the Eagles this year, even Antonucci wasn't entirely sure what to expect. "This one is especially rewarding," he admitted. "We've always had talented kids, and that's not to say that we don't this year, but to win this one with so many new players [is] very satisfying."