Point Boro is the Week 11 Jersey Mike’s Football Team of the Week
Shore Sports Insider has been proud to partner with Jersey Mike’s this fall to present our weekly Football Team of the Week award that recognizes one school’s accomplishments during the prior week.
The Jersey Mike’s Shore Conference Football Team of the Week for the NJSIAA sectional finals is Point Boro, which put together one of the greatest defense performances in program history to defeat Camden, 15-7, and win the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 2 sectional championship. Shore Sports Insider stopped by practice on Tuesday to present the Panthers and head coach Brian Staub with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike’s gift card for a team meal.
Point Boro, the No. 2 seed in the bracket, trekked to Camden seeking to return to the top of the sectional tournament after winning a title in 2021 but falling in the championship game in 2022 and in the semifinals in 2023. Standing in their way was a Camden squad with an electric offense that entered the game averaging over 30 points and 400 yards per contest. It figured to be a high-scoring game and a challenge for both defenses. Point Boro and its triple-option offense entered the game averaging 300 yards rushing and just under 37 points per game.
The visiting Panthers struck first when sophomore slot back Nick Spanola took a pitch for a 30-yard touchdown and a 6-0 lead. Later in the first half, senior fullback Dylan Reitmeyer rumbled for a 4-yard touchdown run to increase the lead to 13-0 with 8:08 remaining in the first half. Usually scoring just 13 offensive points would spell trouble for Point Boro, but the Black & Gold defense made it stand by authoring a sensational performance.
Point Boro applied the pressure on Camden standout quarterback Makhi Brunson and created 12 negative plays and forced two turnovers. Senior defensive lineman Nick Albanese had a career night with three sacks and seven tackles and senior defensive lineman Lou DiBiase had a sack and four tackles. Reitmeyer had three tackles for loss among his eight total tackles, senior linebacker Colin Obser recorded 10 tackles with two tackles for loss and junior defensive lineman George Walsh had a pair of tackles for loss. Following a goal-line stand by Camden at the 1-yard line, Obser recorded a safety to put Point Boro ahead 15-7. Sophomore defensive back Jake Clayton intercepted a pass to headline a great effort from the secondary. With five minutes left in the game, Spanola forced a fumble that junior linebacker James Bradley recovered, leading to Point Boro running out the clock to clinch the sectional title.
Steve Meyer | Shore Sports Insider
Camden finished with just 38 yards rushing after entering with over 2,400 as Point Boro held 1,000-yard rusher Christian Braxton to 10 yards on five carries. Brunson completed 11 of 22 passes for 173 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Reitmeyer rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries and Spanola ran for 118 yards and a touchdown on just six carries to lead the offense.
The sectional title is Point Boro’s fifth in program history, which is tied for the 10th most in Shore Conference history with Jackson Memorial.
Next up is a gargantuan rematch in the Group 2 state semifinals. On Friday, Point Boro, ranked No. 3 in the Shore Sports Insider Top 12, will travel to face No. 2 Rumson with a trip to the Group 2 state final on the line. The teams played in Week 1 with Rumson earning a 42-28 victory. The host Bulldogs are 11-0 and won their third straight sectional title with a 38-14 win over Wall in the Central Jersey Group 2 final.
Point Boro is our final recipient of the 2024 Jersey Mike’s Shore Conference Football Team of the Week award. Congratulations to all 10 teams who were recognized this season and thank you to Jersey Mike’s Subs and CEO Peter Cancro for their continued support of Shore Conference sports.
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