Barnegat Blanks New Egypt, Matches Best Start Since 2013

PLUMSTED TWP. — 2013. That was the last time Barnegat started a season 6-0. In an era when people are pining for nostalgia and the good old days, this year’s Bengals are bringing back memories of that 2013 team that advanced to the South Jersey Group 3 sectional championship game. Barnegat matched that squad’s 6-0 start Thursday night with a dominant 35-0 victory over New Egypt.

The game had the makings of Bengals dominance right from the start. Barnegat received the opening kick, marched down the field and cashed in when freshman quarterback Zach McCrohan found sophomore wideout Chance Joseph for a 2-yard touchdown. After a New Egypt punt, junior running back Ryan Fitzpatrick broke free for a 32-yard touchdown on the first play of the ensuing drive to put the Bengals up 14-0.

A little bit later, Joseph then provided one of the biggest plays of the night, fielding a punt and taking it up the left sideline 61 yards to the house. Fitzpatrick added his second touchdown on a 31-yard run to send the Bengals into halftime with a commanding 28-0 advantage.

 

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Barnegat wasn’t finished. In the third quarter, McCrohan dropped a 25-yard fade into Joseph’s hands for their second touchdown connection of the night, putting the finishing touches on the 35-0 victory.

The Bengals’ offensive production came largely from a young core. Joseph is a sophomore, Fitzpatrick a junior and McCrohan a freshman making his first varsity start at quarterback.

McCrohan looked poised and in command, completing 8 of 13 passes for 84 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while adding 46 yards on four carries. His performance came one week after he provided a spark off the bench in Barnegat’s win over Colts Neck, an opportunity that Covine said earned him the starting job against New Egypt.

“He’s been prepared. At practice, he takes the handful of reps he was getting as a backup and gets better every single week. He got an opportunity last week at Colts Neck. Our offense was stalling a little bit in a one-possession game. We needed a spark. We went to him. He answered the call, and he earned the opportunity tonight to start. He’s a pretty good player,” said Bengals head coach Paul Covine.

Fitzpatrick made his freshman quarterback’s job easier. He needed just 10 carries to rush for 106 yards and two touchdowns, breaking loose for scores of 32 and 31 yards.

Both touchdowns showcased the speed that makes Fitzpatrick dangerous once he gets to the edge.

“Give me pitch outside,” said Fitzpatrick. “My favorite play. Once I get to the outside corner there and I see no one in front of me, I turn on my wheels. That’s all I can do. Run as fast as I can, and nobody can catch me.”

Covine has seen that explosiveness throughout the season and knows any Fitzpatrick carry has the potential to turn into a big play.

“Ryan’s got wheels. He’s the fastest kid in our program, and he has great vision. He slips a block, and at any moment he could be gone. That’s the kind of player he is. It doesn’t surprise me that Ryan had a good night running the football,” said Covine.

Joseph might have delivered the most electric performance of them all. The sophomore found the end zone three times, catching touchdown passes of 2 and 25 yards while also housing a 61-yard punt return. He made his presence felt on defense as well, delivering several big hits.

His punt-return touchdown came after Joseph felt he had already missed one opportunity to break a return earlier in the game. When he got another chance, he followed the advice from his coaches and took advantage.

“The punt — the first punt I was a little salty because I could’ve scored on the first punt, but the coaches told me to bounce it outside. I did exactly that, and I saw nothing but green grass.”

The final touchdown showed another dimension of Joseph’s game. Rather than creating with the ball in space, he went up and finished McCrohan’s 25-yard fade for their second scoring connection of the night.

For Covine, Joseph’s three-touchdown performance was another example of what can happen when Barnegat finds ways to get the ball into the sophomore’s hands.

“Chance is a special talent,” said Covine. “The kid’s got all the intangibles. When you have athletes like that on the outside, all you’ve got to do is try to get him the ball and let him make plays. That’s what Chance did tonight.”

Now 6-0, Barnegat is off to its best start since 2013. But matching the best start in program history isn’t where the Bengals want their season to peak.

“It feels amazing, man. It’s something that we worked hard to accomplish throughout the whole entire year, throughout the whole entire summer. So, this is just the start of it. I can’t wait for Monmouth, though, next week.” said Joseph.

The attention turning immediately toward Monmouth Regional was a common theme after the game. Barnegat’s perfect start has put the Bengals in position to accomplish one of their biggest preseason goals, with next Friday’s matchup against undefeated Monmouth putting the winner in the driver’s seat of the Class D North division title race.

“We’re excited, man. I mean, it’s a huge shout-out to the players. You know, they bought into the culture and the process, and that’s what got us to 6-0. But I’ll be honest with you, we knew we were going to be in this moment.” said Covine.

That moment arrives next Friday.

“We want to be D North champions, and we have a shot at home to play an undefeated Monmouth Regional team in a big game. That’s where we want to be,” said Covine.

The Bengals had business to take care of Thursday night. They handled it emphatically, setting the stage for a heavyweight Class D North showdown at home next Friday when they host Monmouth Regional.

New Egypt will travel to Keyport next Saturday.