Obstruction of Justice: Morgan’s pass breakup lifts No. 8 Manasquan over No. 11 Red Bank

MANASQUAN – For one fleeting moment, it appeared that Red Bank was going to walk away from Vic Kubu Warrior Field with no worse than a share of the Class C North title.

Fresh off its first touchdown of the game and trailing 7-6 with 5:15 remaining in a tightly contested defensive duel, the Bucs opted to go for two and put pressure on a Warriors offense that had done little through four quarters.

Red Bank dialed up a trick play with senior wideout Ari Fraser lined up at quarterback. Fraser took the snap and rolled to his left, where he evaded a tackler before lofting a pass high in the air to 6-foot-6 senior wideout Jah’mir Lane-Bailey, who went up with two hands to secure the potential game-winning play. In a flash, Manasquan senior defensive back Justice Morgan recovered from the deception, sprinted to the back of the end zone and raked his arm cleanly through the catch point to dislodge the ball from Lane-Bailey’s hands on to the ground.

A few first downs later, Manasquan, ranked No. 8 in the Shore Sports Insider Top 12, walked off the field firmly in contention for a share of the Class C North title after defeating No. 11 Red Bank, 7-6.

Morgan, who transferred from Brick in the off-season, is the son of former Manasquan All-Shore running back Troy Morgan from a family that has played for Manasquan going back decades.

“He [Morgan] made a little bit of a mistake and lost his composure early on, but he came back and that was a huge play. Against that kid you are just hand fighting the whole time because you’re never going to climb the stairs to get the ball, but Justice is a tough kid. He’s a competitor. He’s a Morgan,” Manasquan head coach Jay Price said

Promising Start

After a three-and-out on their first drive, the Warriors allowed one first down before buckling down on defense. They held the Bucs to 142 total yards in the win.

Junior defensive end Nick Loughrey and junior linebackers Chris Matthaei and Luke Barry each recorded a tackle for a loss, including a stop on fourth down.

Two plays later, it was the Warriors bellcow, senior running back Ace Etienne, bouncing off tackle for a first down. On third-and-3, Etienne again bounced outside, this time breaking a tackle and sprinting into the open field on his way to a 36-yard touchdown. Senior kicker Joey Dettlinger nailed the extra point to give Manasquan a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Holding Call Nullifies Bucs Touchdown

Red Bank responded with a drive of its own that used up most of the first quarter. With just under a minute left in the quarter, junior wideout Kaden Jackson caught a toss and ran untouched 39 yards down the right sideline into the end zone. A holding call on an offensive tackle nullified the touchdown. After the penalty, senior quarterback Brett Laude’s pass attempt to Fraser was long, and the Bucs were forced to punt.

Bucs unable to cash in on short field

The Warriors went three-and-out on their next series and Red Bank took over with a short field at the Warriors’ 40-yard line. On fourth-and-9, Laude found Fraser along the right sideline for a potential first down, but a hit by Dettlinger jarred the ball loose and ended the drive.

Warriors avoid a safety and then get a stop

After the teams traded three-and-outs, a long Bucs punt coupled with a block in the back penalty on Manasquan pushed the ball inside Manasquan’s 5-yard line. Manasquan handed the ball to Etienne three straight times, and he  did a good job avoiding being tackled in his own end zone before the Warriors punted again.

The Bucs took over at the Manasquan 32-yard line in prime field position. A third down sack by junior defensive end Lucas Kubu forced Red Bank into a fourth-and-long situation that turned into an incomplete pass. Manasquan then kneeled out the clock to end the first half up 7-0.

Bend, but don’t break

The third quarter began with little offense as both teams traded three-and-outs. The Bucs made some headway on their second drive, taking the ball all the way down to the Manasquan 19-yard line.

On third-and-four, Laude threw a slant to Fraser,who appeared to be on his way to the game-tying touchdown before Dettlinger punched the ball out to force an incomplete pass. A false start penalty backed the Bucs up into a fourth-and-9 situation. Laude threw a pass up the seam intended for Jackson, but Etienne stepped in front of the pass for an interception to end the threat.

“Ace on both sides of the ball made plays when he had to make plays. He’s been doing it for two years, and we’re just going to continue to ride him,” Price said.

The Warriors appeared to be bottled up near their own end zone again before junior quarterback Kyle Dow found senior wideout Jack O’Reilly for a gain of 31 yards. The Warriors ended up punting before forcing another Red Bank punt, which set the stage for a dramatic conclusion.

Huss interception sets up dramatic finish

With 6:23 remaining in the game, Manasquan was looking to move the chains on second-and-long when Dow’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by the long arms of Lane-Bailey.

The deflected pass was caught by Red Bank senior linebacker Matt Huss, who took the ball all the way down to the Manasquan 22-yard line. The Warriors’ defense refused to break easily, but on fourth-and-8, Fraser got open on a corner route and caught a beautifully thrown pass from Laude in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown. Red Bank used a timeout to diagram the game-deciding two-point conversion that was broken up by Morgan.

With 5:15 on the clock, the Bucs elected to kick deep instead of onside kick. Two carries from Etienne, followed by a short run from Dow, setup a critical fourth-and-1 for the Warriors at their own 39-yard line. The Warriors opted to keep their offense on the field and sneak their 6-foot-3 quarterback up the middle.

“If you can’t get a yard, you don’t deserve to win a game,” Price said.

A strong surge from the offensive line and some strong running from Dow led to a gain of seven yards and a first down. Etienne then carried the ball two more times, bringing the Warriors to a third-and-one situation. Again, Dow snuck the ball up the middle for a first down, which allowed Manasquan to ice the game after several kneel downs.

What’s Next?

The Warriors (5-1, 3-1) will travel to Brick next Friday (10/17 at 6 p.m.) A win against Colts Neck the following week would clinch a share of the Class C North title. To win outright, they would need Matawan to lose to Shore and Red Bank to lose to Long Branch.

The Bucs (4-2, 3-1) will host Middletown South next Friday (10/17 at 6:30 p.m.). A win against Long Branch the following week would clinch a share of the Class C North title. To win outright, they would need Matawan to lose to Shore and Manasquan to lose to Colts Neck.

Matawan can also clinch a share of the title with a win over Shore.

 

Box Score

Manasquan 7, Red Bank 6

	Squan	RBR
First downs	5	7
Rushes-yards	25-96	24-60
Passing	2-10-1	10-23-1
Passing yards	34	82
Fumbles-lost	1-0	0-0
Penalties-yards	7-40	7-50

 

Squan	7	0	0	0	7
RBR	0	0	0	6	6

 

Scoring Summary

Squan – Etienne 36-yard run (Dettlinger kick)

RBR – Fraser 20-yard pass from Laude (2 pt failed)

 

Individual Statistics

RUSHING — Squan: Etienne 19-82, Dow 3-11, Palmer 2-3, O’Reilly 1-0. RBR: M. Huss 20-50, Jackson 2-15, Fraser 1(-2), Laude 1(-3)

PASSING — Squan: Dow 2-10-1 34. RBR: Laude 10-23-1 82

RECEIVING – Squan: O’Reilly 1-31, Tackett 1-3. RBR: Fraser 5-36, Jackson 2-23, Lane-Bailey 2-19, Lopez 1-4

INTERCEPTIONS — Squan: Etienne 1, RBR: M. Huss 1