Post by fiberisgoodforyou on Nov 11, 2007 16:05:40 GMT -5
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CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP III MONROE 24, FREEHOLD 7
Despite loss Colonials' future looks promising
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/11/07
BY STEVEN FALK
STAFF WRITER
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FREEHOLD — Robert James knows he has been on the ground floor of something special in the Freehold football program the last three seasons despite the Colonials' 24-7 loss to Monroe on Saturday in an NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III quarterfinal.
"There's definitely an upside to it," said James, a senior running back/linebacker who has been on the Freehold varsity for all four of head coach Mark Ciccotelli's seasons. "We've come a long way from where we were last year and where we were three years ago.
"I really feel we've turned this football team into a program now. I really expect they'll play well next year, too."
Freehold (7-2), which won the Shore Conference Federal Division championship this year, its first divisional title since 2001 with a win over Middletown South on Oct. 19, wishes it had played better Saturday in its first playoff game since 2001.
The Colonials lost three fumbles, two in the first half, when they fell into a 17-0 hole. They had five turnovers in all.
"You have to be able to control the ball and control the clock. If you can't move the ball, you can't win the football game," said James, who rushed for 58 yards on 12 carries.
Freehold's problems started with the opening kickoff when a poor return resulted in starting from its own 4-yard line.
After holding the Colonials to one first down, Monroe (7-3), which recorded its first playoff victory in just its second playoff game, started its first drive from the Freehold 46.
A 37-yard run by senior tailback Ryan Messeroll (28 carries, 171 yards, three touchdowns) to the Freehold 9 led to a 22-yard field goal by Matt Nawracaj and a 3-0 Monroe lead.
The troubles mounted for Freehold when it fumbled on its own 47 on its next possession. It looked as if the Colonials might survive that turnover when it forced the Falcons into a third-and-8, but Monroe quarterback Brian Taylor avoided a sack and completed a 30-yard pass to Kyle Gigliello. Two plays later, Messeroll blasted in from the 4.
"I guess you can say it snowballed, but when you face a little adversity, you have to be able to step up and go," James said.
Sixth-seeded Monroe (7-3), which will play No. 2 seed Long Branch (8-1) on Saturday at Matawan in a CJ III semifinal, extended its lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter. A 41-yard Taylor completion to Gigliello on a third-and-18, led to a Messeroll's 3-yard TD run with 9:16 left in the first half.
"We were the only ones who believed in ourselves," said Messeroll, who has rushed for 1,224 yards and 13 TDs on the season. "All the papers picked us to lose. That gave us motivation coming in here.
"We've come a long way, and it keeps getting better. Three years ago, my sophomore year, we almost made it. The next year we made it. Now, this year, we won."
Freehold threatened to get back in the game in the third quarter. Two plays after a Gerry Plescia interception, Brian Prisk and Brandon Brown teamed up for a 47-yard TD on a slant pattern. A little over three minutes later, Brown's 55-yard punt return gave Freehold the ball at the Falcons' 16, but a fumble three plays later ended the threat and the Colonials' last good chance.
Messeroll closed the scoring with a 27-yard TD run with 4:20 remaining.
"We made some mistakes, and you can't do that in these kind of games, but I'm proud of the way these guys fought," Ciccotelli said.
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP III MONROE 24, FREEHOLD 7
Despite loss Colonials' future looks promising
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/11/07
BY STEVEN FALK
STAFF WRITER
Post Comment
FREEHOLD — Robert James knows he has been on the ground floor of something special in the Freehold football program the last three seasons despite the Colonials' 24-7 loss to Monroe on Saturday in an NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III quarterfinal.
"There's definitely an upside to it," said James, a senior running back/linebacker who has been on the Freehold varsity for all four of head coach Mark Ciccotelli's seasons. "We've come a long way from where we were last year and where we were three years ago.
"I really feel we've turned this football team into a program now. I really expect they'll play well next year, too."
Freehold (7-2), which won the Shore Conference Federal Division championship this year, its first divisional title since 2001 with a win over Middletown South on Oct. 19, wishes it had played better Saturday in its first playoff game since 2001.
The Colonials lost three fumbles, two in the first half, when they fell into a 17-0 hole. They had five turnovers in all.
"You have to be able to control the ball and control the clock. If you can't move the ball, you can't win the football game," said James, who rushed for 58 yards on 12 carries.
Freehold's problems started with the opening kickoff when a poor return resulted in starting from its own 4-yard line.
After holding the Colonials to one first down, Monroe (7-3), which recorded its first playoff victory in just its second playoff game, started its first drive from the Freehold 46.
A 37-yard run by senior tailback Ryan Messeroll (28 carries, 171 yards, three touchdowns) to the Freehold 9 led to a 22-yard field goal by Matt Nawracaj and a 3-0 Monroe lead.
The troubles mounted for Freehold when it fumbled on its own 47 on its next possession. It looked as if the Colonials might survive that turnover when it forced the Falcons into a third-and-8, but Monroe quarterback Brian Taylor avoided a sack and completed a 30-yard pass to Kyle Gigliello. Two plays later, Messeroll blasted in from the 4.
"I guess you can say it snowballed, but when you face a little adversity, you have to be able to step up and go," James said.
Sixth-seeded Monroe (7-3), which will play No. 2 seed Long Branch (8-1) on Saturday at Matawan in a CJ III semifinal, extended its lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter. A 41-yard Taylor completion to Gigliello on a third-and-18, led to a Messeroll's 3-yard TD run with 9:16 left in the first half.
"We were the only ones who believed in ourselves," said Messeroll, who has rushed for 1,224 yards and 13 TDs on the season. "All the papers picked us to lose. That gave us motivation coming in here.
"We've come a long way, and it keeps getting better. Three years ago, my sophomore year, we almost made it. The next year we made it. Now, this year, we won."
Freehold threatened to get back in the game in the third quarter. Two plays after a Gerry Plescia interception, Brian Prisk and Brandon Brown teamed up for a 47-yard TD on a slant pattern. A little over three minutes later, Brown's 55-yard punt return gave Freehold the ball at the Falcons' 16, but a fumble three plays later ended the threat and the Colonials' last good chance.
Messeroll closed the scoring with a 27-yard TD run with 4:20 remaining.
"We made some mistakes, and you can't do that in these kind of games, but I'm proud of the way these guys fought," Ciccotelli said.
