Cardiac Caseys: Picinich’s Field Goal Sends RBC Past Rumson in Division Title Thriller

RED BANK – Hoping to avoid another stunning late-game collapse, Red Bank Catholic turned to its closer against rival Rumson-Fair Haven on Friday night. 

Returning All-State kicker Simon Picinich calmly booted a 27-yard field goal with 1:48 left in the game and the Caseys, ranked No. 2 in the Shore Sports Insider Top 12, withstood one last furious rally by the No. 4 Bulldogs to pull out a 31-28 thriller at Count Basie Field in an instant classic. 

“I’m just keeping my head clear, not putting too much pressure on myself because I know there’s fans screaming and everything,” said Picinich, a sophomore who has offers from Rutgers and Syracuse. “I just kept calm, and every kick’s the same.” 

“Simon’s the best kicker in the Shore,” sophomore quarterback Rahmir Rivera said. “I have a thousand percent confidence in him.” 

Rumson (5-2, 3-1) mounted one final drive to RBC’s 14-yard line behind junior quarterback Brady Williams, but a missed 30-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in the game allowed RBC (5-2, 4-0) to exhale and clinch at least a tie for its second straight Class A North title. The Caseys now lead the all-time series 40-23-6 over their former Thanksgiving rival. 

The victory also sets up the Shore Conference game of the year next week, when the No. 2 Caseys travel to No. 1 Donovan Catholic in a showdown that could potentially decide the final No. 1 ranking in the Shore. 

The thrilling win came a week after a 31-24 nonconference loss(opens in new tab) against a Winslow Township team that rallied for a comeback victory. Rumson was down 28-14 midway through the third quarter and roared back to tie the game before RBC stabilized and pulled out the win. 

“We knew we had to finish,” Rivera said. “Last week we came up short doing the same thing – penalties, self-inflicted wounds – but we knew this week we definitely had to finish.” 

As expected, the stars on each team exploited the other team’s biggest weakness. RBC sophomore running back Gabe Kemp, the Shore Conference’s leading rusher, shredded Rumson’s run defense to the tune of 32 carries for 236 yards and two touchdowns to give him 1,156 yards rushing this season. 

On the other side, Williams, the Shore Conference’s leading passer, took apart the Caseys’ secondary by going 30-for-54 for what is believed to be a school-record 348 yards passing and two touchdown passes. He also ran for a touchdown. On top of that, RBC’s defense was flagged five times for pass interference. 

Picinich was the difference, as the sophomore got his first chance at a game-winning kick this season and converted it with ease. He also went 4-for-4 on extra points, boomed four touchbacks and handled the punting. 

“I’ve been thinking about game-winners this whole season with all the big games we’ve played,” he said. “Now that I’ve got the opportunity, it feels great. During the fourth quarter, I wasn’t thinking about it. I trust my offense to score another touchdown, but our special teams coordinator is like, ‘Get ready.’ And I was like, ‘I’m always ready.’”

RBC opened the game with an eight-play, 66-yard drive that ended when Kemp sped down the sideline for a 31-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Rumson immediately responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a two-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Ryder Izzo to tie it up. 

The Bulldogs took their only lead of the game when they drove 73 yards in 11 plays, highlighted by a 27-yard strike from Williams to senior wide Cole Spoonire. Williams then found senior wide receiver Casey Moore for a 6-yard touchdown pass on third down for a 14-7 lead with 6:02 left in the second quarter. Spoonire finished with eight catches for 93 yards in the loss. 

The Caseys came right back to tie it at 14 with a seven-play, 76-yard drive capped by a 31-yard scamper down the sideline by Rivera with 3:45 left in the half. 

“I’m not going to lie. That wasn’t supposed to be me, that was supposed to be a running back’s play, but I just followed my guys and it led me to the (end) zone,” Rivera said.

RBC went back ahead when senior linebacker Luke Scaturro sacked Williams to kill Rumson’s ensuing drive, and the Caseys stuck in another score before halftime. Rivera found junior wide receiver Ethan Kennedy over the middle and he weaved through the Rumson defense for a 51-yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead with 1:47 left in the half. Kennedy finished with five catches for a career-high 103 yards in the win. 

“I think our coach was more open to non-RPO plays,” Kennedy said. “We ran some plays we hadn’t run before, and I think running more out of 11 and 10 (personnel) just opened our offense in a way nobody has seen.” 

“I watched the film and their safeties like to come down on run plays, so we just went over the top,” Rivera said. 

The Caseys extended their lead to 28-14 with a seven-play, 88-yard drive on their first possession of the third quarter. A 30-yard Kemp burst and a 21-yard catch by Kennedy set up Kemp’s eventual three-yard touchdown with 7:13 left in the period. 

However, Rumson wasn’t going out without a fight. The Bulldogs trimmed the lead to 28-21 with a four-play, 44-yard drive that included a 20-yard pass from Williams to junior wide receiver Michael Capra. He was outstanding in defeat with a career-high 11 catches for 97 yards. 

Williams bounced off a tackler for a five-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds left in the third quarter to cut it to a one-score game. The defense forced a three-and-out, and then Rumson went 60 yards in 14 plays. The Bulldogs tied the game at 28 on a clutch 10-yard touchdown pass on fourth down from Williams to Capra, who just got the ball over the plane of the end zone for the score with 7:02 left in the game. 

With another potential late-game collapse looming, RBC responded with one of its biggest drives of the season. The Caseys went 66 yards in 14 plays, including a key 16-yard pass from Rivera to Kennedy to reach Rumson’s 24-yard line. 

“It was a 5-step glance. I saw the corner drop and I was running deep and I broke on it and made a play on the ball,” Kennedy said. 

The drive stalled at the Rumson 10-yard line when Rivera was tackled short of a first down, but it was easily in range for Picinich, who gave RBC the lead. 

Rumson had the home fans sweating it out when it reached the RBC 14-yard line thanks to a 50-yard pass from Williams to senior wideout Jason Tucker. The Caseys’ defense made one of its biggest stands of the year when it forced three straight incompletions, which resulted in Rumson deciding to attempt a game-tying field goal that was wide left. 

RBC clinched its 18th division title in school history and picked up its biggest victory of the season. 

“It’s not how we thought the game would turn out ideally, but it was a great atmosphere, really exciting, and I’m just glad we came out with the win,” Kennedy said. 

Scott Stump is the football editor and a reporter for Shore Sports Insider. He first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999. 

Email: scottstump25@gmail.com