Flip the Script: Toms River East scratches out a 6-0 win over Pinelands, clinches C South Title

TUCKERTON – A simple message from Toms River East head coach Kyle Sandberg leading up Friday night’s division title showdown with Pinelands carried a lot of weight.

“Coach said ‘flip the script,'” senior quarterback Brayden Flanagan said. “We haven’t done anything in the past few years, and we just wanted to get it done. This is all we ever wanted, and we got it done.”

A 2-yard touchdown run by Flanagan in the fourth quarter was all the scoring the Raiders would need as they grinded out a 6-0 win over the Wildcats to win the Shore Conference Class C South title for their first division title since 2019. The victory also snapped a six-game winning streak by Pinelands, which was trying to win its first division title since 1987 and just the second in school history.

After a punt on Toms River East’s initial possession of the game, Pinelands (6-3, 3-1) went on a five-minute second drive that covered 61 yards before stalling at the Raiders’ 15-yard line.

Pinelands then lined up for a 31-yard field goal. Wildcats kicker Jacob Haywood made the kick, but a false start penalty nullified the points. Haywood then attempted a 36-yard field goal that was blocked, keeping the game scoreless.

Toms River East took over at its own 26-yard line and went on an eight-minute drive. On fourth-and-one from the Wildcats’ 41-yard line, a 4-yard run by East senior running back Luke Brush seemed to keep the drive alive, but an illegal shift on the Raiders made it a fourth-and-six from the 46, and they elected to punt the ball away.

Both teams traded punts on their next possessions. With 3:22 left in the half, Pinelands took over at its  own 40.  On fourth-and-three from the 47, Pinelands decided to go for it. Junior quarterback Jamie Jenkins dropped back and floated a pass intended for junior wide receiver Dom Colosi that was picked off by Toms River East junior defensive back Austin Sanok with 1:22 left in the first half.

The Raiders (5-4, 4-0) then moved the ball quickly down the field, aided by a 27-yard hookup between Flanagan and sophomore wide receiver Tyler Mendes. With 2.8 seconds remaining, East kicker Jaidel Tavamite attempted a 36-yard field goal that sailed wide right at the buzzer, keeping the game deadlocked at 0-0 going into halftime.

After an uneventful start to the third quarter, Pinelands took possession following a Raiders punt with 2:34 left in the quarter. On the next play from scrimmage, Toms River East came up with a fumble recovery to get it right back.

Flanagan ran for four yards on first down, and a personal foul on Pinelands moved the ball to the 15-yard line at the end of the third quarter.

An offsides penalty on Pinelands started the final quarter, followed by a holding penalty on Toms River East. Raiders’ sophomore running back Logan Harrison then ripped off a 17-yard run to the 3-yard line to set up a 3-yard touchdown run up the middle by Flanagan to finally break the ice with 11:39 left in the game. The extra point attempt was no good to keep the lead at 6-0.

“The call was a run up the middle”, said Flanagan. “I saw the defensive end crash down, and my receiver made a great kick-out block that allowed me to score and celebrate with the guys. It was amazing.”

“(Brayden) Flanagan is a kid who has earned everyone’s respect, ” Sandberg said. “He has worked his tail off, and he is the example of what East kids are like. They work hard, they keep their mouths shut, and I’ll tell you, he has been a phenomenal leader this year, and he deserves it. I am so happy for him.”

Pinelands got the ball on its 29-yard line with 11:33 left in the game, and it was obvious they were going to rely heavily on Jenkins and senior running back Eric Kobilnyk to bring them down the field.

Kobilnyk started the drive with runs of 14 and 5 yards, and then a nine-yard run by Jenkins gave the Wildcats a first down at the Toms River East 43-yard line. On fourth-and-one from the Raiders’ 34, Jenkins converted with a two-yard run up the middle.

Pinelands then faced another fourth down, this time a fourth-and-10 from the Toms River East 32-yard line. Jenkins broke contain got outside and sprinted down the sideline for a 12-yard gain to the 20-yard line.

On second-and-five from the 15, Jenkins gained 11 yards on a crafty run, setting Pinelands up with first-and-goal from the 4-yard line. On third-and-goal from the 1-yard line with just under two minutes left in the game, Jenkins moved under center and plunged in from a yard out, but an illegal shift was called, nullifying the touchdown.

On third-and-goal from the 6-yard line, Jenkins was sacked for a two-yard loss by Brush. A fourth-down pass from Jenkins to Colosi fell short, and Toms River East was able to run out the clock to preserve the victory.

“I actually saw the play develop before the snap,” Brush said about his sack.  “I saw him drop back, I got a hold of him, and I knew I had to bring him down.”

“Just look at this man, this is magical,” Sandberg said of the postgame celebration. “This is special, the kids worked hard, and the families are a big part of this. It’s been a while since we have been here, and I can stay here all night and watch this. The kids worked hard, it was a battle. Hats off to Pinelands and their staff and everything that they do. It was a dogfight, and it came down to the end. I’m just glad my kids persevered. We talk about mental toughness all the time, and they showed it today.”

Toms River East will now move on to the South Jersey Group 4 playoffs, where the Raiders will likely finish no worse than a No. 6 seed. Pinelands will learn its fate as far as qualifying for the playoffs when the NJSIAA releases the official brackets on Sunday.

 

Stats:

Passing:

Pinelands- Jenkins 8-13 75 yards

TRE- Flanagan 7-10 68 yards

Rushing:

Pinelands- Clark 2-12; Jenkins 9-21; Kobilnyk 18-81; Jacquez 1-3

TRE- Flanagan 9-11 TD; Harrison 10-68; Heale 3-9; Seibert 1- minus 2

Receiving:

Pinelands- Bonds 1-22; Miller 1-17; Colosi 4-15; Mc Cutcheon 2-21

TRE- Mendes 3-36; Harrison 1-4; Brush 1-4; Sanok 1-4; Garrabrant 1-20