Point Beach Flexes Its Muscle in Rout of Manchester, Sets Sights on South Group 1

POINT PLEASANT — Four running backs to track. A quarterback finding his groove. A special teams unit turning a blocked punt and three kickoff recoveries into four extra scoring opportunities.

As November approaches, Point Beach is giving future opponents more to prepare for — and giving itself more reasons to believe a postseason run is within reach.

The Garnet Gulls piled up 411 yards of offense Thursday night in a 54-6 victory over Manchester, improving to 6-1 with their fifth consecutive win. They built a 48-point halftime lead through explosive runs, timely completions and special teams that repeatedly put the ball back in their hands.

Head coach Joe Zaccone believes that combination can hold up wherever the playoffs send them.

“This team can travel, because when we run the ball like we do, we can travel anywhere, and we believe that,” Zaccone said.

With a share of its second consecutive Class C South championship secured, Point Beach will soon turn its attention to a wide-open South Group 1 playoff field following the NJSIAA’s decision to move two-time defending state champion Glassboro to Group 2 under its competitive balance rule. The move came as a result of Glassboro’s status as a choice school with at least three players residing outside district boundaries. Point Beach’s schedule offers limited help in securing favorable playoff positioning, potentially leaving the Garnet Gulls with a demanding road assignment.

Unbeaten Schalick headlines the South Group 1 contenders, with Paulsboro and Salem among the other major threats. Highland Park, also unbeaten, and Delaware Valley warrant attention as well. Shore has already demonstrated its credentials against Beach, handing the Garnet Gulls their lone loss, 21-13, on September 4th.

Beach may give up size against some of those teams, but its speed and comfort in the Wing-T offer a way to make up the difference. The Garnet Gulls can deceive defenders into chasing one back while another takes the ball in the opposite direction. Keeping those defenders guessing could be essential against bigger fronts.

Senior running back Danny Neal rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries against Manchester (2-6). Junior fullback Gage Boyle added 57 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts, while junior running back Tommy Aiosa contributed 28 yards and a score on six carries.

Sophomore running back Jalen Kreiger, playing his second game of the season since returning from a broken collarbone last season, scored on both of his offensive touches: a 10-yard run and a 20-yard reception.

“It was great,” Kreiger said. “It was annoying sitting out and watching them go without me, but I was always at the practices, showing up, because I knew that’s what mattered the most. I have a lot of trust in the coaches and they put me in the right spot.”

His preparation continued while he waited to return.

“It all starts with film,” Kreiger said. “I’ve been watching a lot of film and breaking down defenses and having an overall better understanding of the game, really.”

With Kreiger back, Beach can rotate four capable runners and receiving threats. Junior quarterback Billy Cavanaugh is making the most of those options.

Cavanaugh completed six of 10 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Boyle for a 32-yard score and finding Kreiger for a 20-yard touchdown on fourth-and-20. He connected with his older brother, Danny Cavanaugh, twice for 39 yards, while senior tight end Carson Pfeifer added a 30-yard reception.

When defenders creep toward the line to stop the run, Cavanaugh has shown his ability to find receivers behind them. His recent play gives opponents another reason to hesitate before selling out against Beach’s backfield.

Special teams helped keep that offense on the field.

After Aiosa finished the opening possession with a 1-yard touchdown, Neal broke an 89-yard scoring run along the right sideline. He later blocked a punt to set up Kreiger’s rushing touchdown.

Point Beach then recovered three consecutive short kickoffs. Senior guard Lucas Adams secured the first, and junior tight end Nate Tummillo recovered the next two. The Garnet Gulls turned all three recoveries into touchdowns, stretching a 21-0 advantage to 41-0 before Manchester could run another offensive play.

“We kept our offense on with three recoveries in a row,” Adams said. “We didn’t give them any kind of chance to score.”

For Zaccone, the sequence reflected the effort he expects on every play.

“It doesn’t happen without effort,” he said. “Everything we’re branded on is effort, and we believe in all three phases, and these guys don’t take a play off.”

Neal’s 9-yard touchdown run made it 48-0 before halftime. Sophomore running back Charlie Panuska added a 4-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter, and Manchester junior quarterback Caden Fitts scored from a yard out after senior wide receiver Trevor Otten’s 68-yard kickoff return.

Beach finished with 278 rushing yards while holding Manchester to 76 total yards.

Alongside that production comes a preparation challenge. Beach has outscored Keansburg and Manchester 95-12 over the past two weeks, giving its starters limited second-half work. Its regular-season finale comes Oct. 23 against a Lakewood team currently winless at 0-7.

That stretch offers opportunities to sharpen assignments and build depth, but it may leave Beach entering the playoffs without a recent four-quarter test. Rival Shore, currently projected as the No. 6 seed in the South Group 1 super section, looms as a potential postseason obstacle. Nearly two months will separate that September loss from the opening round.

Zaccone has tried to create to keep the Garnet Gulls prepared for the much tougher tests ahead.

“We had as hard of a conditioning practice as you could have, just because, guys have to be ready to play a four-quarter game eventually,” he said. “We need to be ready to go.”

The Garnet Gulls already have a share of a division title. With their backfield reunited and Cavanaugh finding his stride, they head toward November believing there is more to win.