OIB Ortho/Joe Leone’s Week 8 Shore Conference Football Team of the Week: Freehold Twp.
Shore Sports Insider OIB Ortho/Joe Leone’s Team of the Week – Week 8
Shore Sports Insider is proud to partner with OIB Ortho this fall to present our weekly OIB Ortho Football Team of the Week Award, recognizing one Shore Conference program for its accomplishments on the field. We are also thrilled to welcome Joe Leone’s as a co-sponsor, providing a very generous $500 Pasta Party Gift Card each week to celebrate the winning team.
The Week 8 recipient of the 2026 OIB Ortho/Joe Leone’s Football Team of the Week is Freehold Township, after one of the most thrilling games of the Shore Conference season, Freehold Township pulled off a stunning 43-42 comeback victory over No. 5 Middletown North, handing the Lions their first loss of the season and ending their hopes of an unbeaten regular season.
Trailing 22-0 in the first half, the Patriots refused to fold. Senior quarterback Dakota Lasater sparked the comeback with a rushing touchdown and a 5-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver Jordan McKenzie, while senior running back Dennis Quattrache III added a 5-yard touchdown run to help cut the deficit to 36-21 at halftime.
The Patriots continued to battle in the second half as junior running back Scott Monge found the end zone to bring Freehold Township back within striking distance.
Lasater connected with senior wide receiver Jake Schultzel on a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch, pulling Freehold Township within six points. After the Patriots’ defense forced a crucial punt, Monge delivered the biggest run of the night, scoring from 13 yards out with just 1:42 remaining. The extra point gave Freehold Township its first lead of the game, 43-42!
The Patriots’ defense then delivered the final blow, intercepting a pass in the closing moments to seal an unforgettable victory.
Shore Sports Insider stopped by practice to present the Freehold Twp. team with a commemorative game ball and the $500 pasta party Joe Leone’s gift card.
Congratulations to Freehold Township, the Week 8 OIB Ortho/Joe Leone’s Football Team of the Week!
And the excitement didn’t end on the field! Freehold Township was also a featured guest on this week’s Week 9 edition of the SSI Shore Football Weekly Podcast, joining Shore Sports Insider at Meadow 28 in Farmingdale.
What a week for the Patriots: a thrilling upset, a playoff push, a featured podcast appearance, and now the OIB Ortho / Joe Leone’s Football Team of the Week!
Watch this week episode:
