Post by admin on Nov 27, 2009 8:17:16 GMT -5
www.app.com/article/20091126/SPORTS0110/91126049/1285/LOCAL09/Freehold+dominates+Colts+Neck+in+series+finale
Freehold dominates Colts Neck in series finale
By BOB JORDAN • STAFF WRITER • November 26, 2009
FREEHOLD — It was a fitting way to wrap up the 10-year Thanksgiving series between Freehold and Colts Neck. As usual, one team dominated on Thursday.
But Freehold was the one with the upper hand this time.
Senior running back Willie Thomas scored three touchdowns in the first quarter in leading Freehold to a 32-7 victory in a Shore Conference nondivisional game.
It was just the second victory for the Colonials in the series.
If proposed schedule changes go through, the teams will play next year but not on Thanksgiving. Freehold will resume a holiday rivalry with Freehold Township — the teams played each other continuously from 1972 through 1999 — and Colts Neck will be paired up with Howell.
"Us against Colts Neck has been a battle every Thanksgiving and I'm proud of my guys the way they came out to play this one," Freehold coach Mark Ciccotelli said. "It's a rivalry game and the kids were up for it."
However, Ciccotelli and Colts Neck coach Greg LaCava said the respective school communities are eager to see the Thanksgiving game changes. For instance, Colts Neck High School has a large number of Howell residents in its student body, LaCava said, and "that game has a lot of kids who grew up together in youth leagues now facing each other."
Freehold (6-4), which completed its third consecutive winning season, rode Thomas to a quick 19-0 lead before the opening quarter was over.
After Freehold's defense forced a fumble on the first play from scrimmage, Thomas on the second play took a handoff from quarterback Martin Corso and looked to throw an option pass. Nobody was open. So Thomas ran the ball 24 yards into the end zone, slipping at times on a rain-softened field but spinning free from several would-be tacklers.
"A couple of times the field gave him trouble but when he gets a little space, he can make you miss," Ciccotelli said.
Thomas caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Corso a possession later and completed his hat trick of touchdowns for the quarter with a 4-yard scoring run.
(2 of 2)
Thomas finished with 123 rushing yards. Tezzy Thorpe added 83 yards and the Colonials as a whole racked up 294 yards on the ground.
"It was just a great way for our seniors to go out and it's one of the best groups I've coached," Ciccotelli said. "I think they set the tone where we can have success in the next year, though you can't say for certain where you're going to be until the summer. Even though we're losing seniors who mean a great deal to the program, we lost a lot of key seniors two years ago and came back to win a championship. "
Freehold did not qualify for the playoffs this season after winning the Central Group III title in 2008. Instead, the Colonials routed Hamilton West 35-0 in a consolation game.
Colts Neck (3-7) also saw its fortunes drop a year after the team won the Shore Conference Constitution Division tri-championship, the school's first division title, and also land a 2008 berth in the NJSIAA playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
This was the Cougars' third straight loss. Their last win came on Halloween when they beat Toms River South 17-14 on a last-minute field goal by Eric Spillane.
However, Colts Neck played an improved second half against Freehold and posted the only points of the half when Billy Spataro caught a 30-yard TD pass from Nick Maldari.
"We were down at halftime but we told the kids don't quit, play hard until the end, and they did," LaCava said. "The message during the week was to try to win every snap and that's what they did and played their hearts out. It was good to see that effort."
When Freehold resumes its Thanksgiving rivalry next year with Freehold Township, the Colonials will try to build on its 15-10-3 advantage from the past games.
Freehold and Colts Neck will both be in Class B North and Freehold Township and Howell will both be in Class A North, thus assuring regular-season divisional matchups for those pairings.
Freehold dominates Colts Neck in series finale
By BOB JORDAN • STAFF WRITER • November 26, 2009
FREEHOLD — It was a fitting way to wrap up the 10-year Thanksgiving series between Freehold and Colts Neck. As usual, one team dominated on Thursday.
But Freehold was the one with the upper hand this time.
Senior running back Willie Thomas scored three touchdowns in the first quarter in leading Freehold to a 32-7 victory in a Shore Conference nondivisional game.
It was just the second victory for the Colonials in the series.
If proposed schedule changes go through, the teams will play next year but not on Thanksgiving. Freehold will resume a holiday rivalry with Freehold Township — the teams played each other continuously from 1972 through 1999 — and Colts Neck will be paired up with Howell.
"Us against Colts Neck has been a battle every Thanksgiving and I'm proud of my guys the way they came out to play this one," Freehold coach Mark Ciccotelli said. "It's a rivalry game and the kids were up for it."
However, Ciccotelli and Colts Neck coach Greg LaCava said the respective school communities are eager to see the Thanksgiving game changes. For instance, Colts Neck High School has a large number of Howell residents in its student body, LaCava said, and "that game has a lot of kids who grew up together in youth leagues now facing each other."
Freehold (6-4), which completed its third consecutive winning season, rode Thomas to a quick 19-0 lead before the opening quarter was over.
After Freehold's defense forced a fumble on the first play from scrimmage, Thomas on the second play took a handoff from quarterback Martin Corso and looked to throw an option pass. Nobody was open. So Thomas ran the ball 24 yards into the end zone, slipping at times on a rain-softened field but spinning free from several would-be tacklers.
"A couple of times the field gave him trouble but when he gets a little space, he can make you miss," Ciccotelli said.
Thomas caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Corso a possession later and completed his hat trick of touchdowns for the quarter with a 4-yard scoring run.
(2 of 2)
Thomas finished with 123 rushing yards. Tezzy Thorpe added 83 yards and the Colonials as a whole racked up 294 yards on the ground.
"It was just a great way for our seniors to go out and it's one of the best groups I've coached," Ciccotelli said. "I think they set the tone where we can have success in the next year, though you can't say for certain where you're going to be until the summer. Even though we're losing seniors who mean a great deal to the program, we lost a lot of key seniors two years ago and came back to win a championship. "
Freehold did not qualify for the playoffs this season after winning the Central Group III title in 2008. Instead, the Colonials routed Hamilton West 35-0 in a consolation game.
Colts Neck (3-7) also saw its fortunes drop a year after the team won the Shore Conference Constitution Division tri-championship, the school's first division title, and also land a 2008 berth in the NJSIAA playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
This was the Cougars' third straight loss. Their last win came on Halloween when they beat Toms River South 17-14 on a last-minute field goal by Eric Spillane.
However, Colts Neck played an improved second half against Freehold and posted the only points of the half when Billy Spataro caught a 30-yard TD pass from Nick Maldari.
"We were down at halftime but we told the kids don't quit, play hard until the end, and they did," LaCava said. "The message during the week was to try to win every snap and that's what they did and played their hearts out. It was good to see that effort."
When Freehold resumes its Thanksgiving rivalry next year with Freehold Township, the Colonials will try to build on its 15-10-3 advantage from the past games.
Freehold and Colts Neck will both be in Class B North and Freehold Township and Howell will both be in Class A North, thus assuring regular-season divisional matchups for those pairings.