Owen O'Toole, Rumson-Fair Haven football

No. 3 Rumson-Fair Haven holds off No. 5 Point Boro in top-five showdown

Bob Badders|September 7, 2024|Last Updated September 10, 2024

RUMSON — By the time the first quarter ended, it was clear that Week 1’s top-five showdown between Rumson-Fair Haven and Point Boro was not going to be a defensive struggle. Neither team could afford to remove its foot from the accelerator until the final buzzer sounded.

“We knew it was going to be a shootout,” Rumson-Fair Haven senior quarterback Owen O’Toole said. “We thought they were going to put up more points than they did. Our goal was 50.”

The Bulldogs didn’t need quite that many points, but it did take all 48 minutes to close out the Panthers and earn a huge early-season victory.

O’Toole completed 7 of 12 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns, junior running back Kellen Murray ran for 140 yards and three touchdowns and Rumson’s defense and special teams recovered three fumbles to send the Bulldogs, ranked No. 3 in the Shore Sports Insider Top 12, to a rousing 41-28 victory over the No. 5 Panthers on Friday night at Borden Stadium.

Rumson scored on its first four possessions to build a 28-7 halftime lead and held off a furious charge from a Point Boro offense that ran for 324 yards, including 246 in the second half. Senior wideout Nick Thomas caught two passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and senior receiver Nic Economou caught an 18-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

Point Boro rallied with 21 second-half points behind sophomore quarterback Jake Clayton, who ran for 134 of his game-high 142 yards in the second half. He scored on runs of 27, 47 and 55 yards to pull the Panthers within six points with 2:13 remaining. Rumson closed out the victory in its season-opener when Murray delivered a game-clinching 56-yard touchdown run with 1:38 left on the clock.

“We took advantage of (turnovers) and just kept playing,” Rumson-Fair Haven head coach Jeremy Schulte said. “First game of the year so there’s a little bit of jitters to get out of the way. They overcame it and just kept fighting.”

Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com - Kellen Murray, Rumson-Fair Haven football

Rumson-Fair Haven junior running back Kelln Murray ran for 140 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Bulldogs past Point Boro. (Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com)

 

Early fireworks

Turnovers and penalties were all that could stop either offense over the game’s first seven possessions. Rumson struck first when O’Toole hung in the pocket and delivered a strike to Thomas on a 62-yard touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a quick 7-0 lead.

“He was my third read,” O’Toole said. ‘They trapped me on the edge so I had to step up. I saw him in the corner of my eye and I just let it go knowing he’s down there somewhere.”

Point Boro and its triple-option offense responded with a 12-play, 65-yard drive that ended with senior fullback Dylan Reitmeyer scoring on a 3-yard run to tie the score at seven.

Rumson answered with a 65-yard drive of its own that took just six plays. O’Toole connected with senior wideout Jordan Angstreich for a 32-yard gain on third and five, and a personal foul face mask penalty tacked onto the end moved the ball to the Point Boro 13-yard line. Three plays later, Murray surged across the goal line on a 3-yard touchdown run and senior Carson Memmott added the extra point for a 14-7 Rumson lead with 40 seconds left in the opening period.

Neither team flinched over the first 12 minutes of the game, but the next series was where things began to go sideways for Point Boro.

After a 13-yard pass from Clayton to senior slot back Colin Obser converted a third and 10, the Panthers tried a pass into the flat that was sniffed out by Rumson senior linebacker Jacob Tobias. He closed in and punched the ball free before recovering the fumble at the Point Boro 35-yard line. The Panthers’ defense held to bring up fourth and six, but O’Toole was able to find Thomas wide-open for a 31-yard touchdown that stretched the Bulldogs’ advantage to 21-7.

 

It went from bad to worse for Point Boro when it fumbled on the first play of the ensuing possession and Rumson senior linebacker Austin Kiernan pounced on the wayward pitch at the 14-yard line. That turnover led to Murray scoring on a 1-yard run for a 28-7 Rumson lead midway through the second quarter.

“That’s how you win football games, by capitalizing on turnovers,” O’Toole said. “When they give you an opportunity you have to complete it.”

 

Panthers heat up in second half

The game could have turned into a blowout if the Panthers didn’t produce points on the opening drive of the third quarter. Instead, Point Boro began its rally with a seven-play, 74-yard drive to cut Rumson’s lead to 28-14. An 18-yard run by Reitmeyer helped set up Clayton for a 27-yard touchdown run with 7:27 left in the third quarter.

The only thing that stopped Rumson’s offense in the first half was the clock, and the Bulldogs picked up right where they left off upon getting the ball back in the third quarter. O’Toole and Murray led the way on a 51-yard scoring drive as the two hooked up for a 26-yard passing play on first down to move the ball to the Point Boro 25-yard line. Later on the drive, O’Toole found a wide-open Economou for an 18-yard touchdown that re-established a three-score lead at 34-14. The extra point was blocked.

Point Boro put together another strong drive on its next possession and advanced to the Rumson 18-yard line. On fourth and eight, Clayton’s pass to the end zone was nearly hauled in by Obser before senior defensive back Evan Ridgway broke it up at the last second to force a turnover on downs and keep the Panthers from drawing closer.

 

 

Jake Clayton puts on a show

Point Boro’s defense rose up to force a three-and-out and get the ball back to its offense with 8:43 left in the game. Four plays into the drive, Clayton broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run that cut Rumson’s lead to 34-21 with 7:32 on the clock.

Looking to chew time off the clock, Rumson ran the ball seven straight times and gained two first downs, but saw its drive stall when Point Boro held on fourth and three from the Panthers’ 31-yard line. Point Boro got the ball back down by 13 with 3:30 on the clock and moved to the Rumson 45-yard line via a pass interference call on third and 10. On the next play, Clayton unleashed a sensational 55-yard touchdown run where he broke six tackles on his way to the end zone. It was now a one-score game with 2:11 remaining.

 

 

RFH seals the deal

Point Boro had to attempt an onside kick but could not recover a pooch kick that aimed to find a gap in Rumson’s kick return formation. It took just two plays for the Bulldogs to clinch the victory when Murray busted loose for a 56-yard touchdown run that put him well over 100 yards rushing on the night and gave Rumson a 41-28 lead with 1:38 to go.

“We pushed through at the end,” Murray said. “We needed a score to seal the win and players stepped up. The line played great and the receivers made great blocks on the edge.”

“We tell these guys all the time, stay the course and do what you need to do,” Schulte said. “We can hang with a lot of teams if we’re able to do that.”

Rumson has been to 10 straight NJSIAA sectional finals and was in the Group 2 state championship game last season, so the Bulldogs aren’t going to get too high after a Week 1 victory. Still, this was a high-caliber win to open the season and a victory the players yearned for after losing to Point Boro, 42-28, last season.

“The state finals is definitely what you think of and want to have back, but that loss (to Point Boro) was tough and ruined the season for a lot of us,” O’Toole said. “Our coaches are close with their coaches and we don’t like them and they don’t like us. You can say it’s a new rivalry. But Week 6 (vs. Red Bank Catholic), that’s our real rivalry.”

 

What’s next for both teams?

Rumson hosts Marlboro in Week 2. The No. 12 Mustangs opened their season in Week 0 with a 34-0 win over Colts Neck but lost to No. 10 St. John Vianney, 35-7, on Friday night.

Point Boro stays in the frying pan when it opens its Class A South schedule with a road game at No. 4 Donovan Catholic.

“It’s tough for any offense when you get behind but I’m proud of them,” Point Boro head coach Brian Staub said. “We made some halftime adjustments and I’m proud of the senior leadership and our sophomore quarterback Jake Clayton, who played phenomenal. It’s Week 1. We’re probably going to learn more from this game than any other game this season.”

 

Box Score

No. 3 Rumson-Fair Haven 41, No. 5 Point Boro 28

 

Point Boro

Rumson-Fair Haven

First downs

17

12

Rushes-yards

43-324

27-159

Passing

3-6-0

7-12-0

Passing yards

13

182

Fumbles-lost

5-3

1-0

Penalties-yards

5-32

6-50

1

2

3

4

F

Point Boro (1-1)

7

0

14

7

28

Rumson-Fair Haven (1-0)

14

14

6

7

41

 

Scoring Summary

RFH — Nick Thomas 62-yard pass from Owen O’Toole (Carson Memmott kick)

PB —Dylan Reitmeyer 3-yard run (Jack Sullivan kick)

RFH — Kellen Murray 3-yard run (Carson Memmott kick)

RFH — Nick Thomas 31-yard pass from Owen O’Toole (Carson Memmott kick)

RFH — Kellen Murray 1-yard run (Carson Memmott kick)

PB – Jake Clayton 27-yard run (Jack Sullivan kick)

RFH — Nic Economou 18-yard pass from Owen O’Toole (kick blocked)

PB — Jake Clayton 47-yard run (Jack Sullivan kick)

PB — Jake Clayton 55-yard run (Jack Sullivan kick)

RFH — Kellen Murray 56-yard run (Carson Memmott kick)

 

Individual Statistics

RUSHING — PB: Jake Clayton 13-142, Dylan Reitmeyer 11-68, Calvin Videon-Perino 9-58, Colin Obser 4-14, Brady Kirk 2-4, Nick Spanola 4-38; RFH: Kellen Murray 22-140, Nolan Winters 3-16, Owen O’Toole 2-3.

PASSING — PB: Jake Clayton 3-6-0, 13; RFH: Owen O’Toole 7-12-0, 182.

RECEIVING — PB: Colin Obser 1-13, Calvin Videon-Perino 2-0; RFH: Nick Thomas 2-93, Jordan Angstreich 3-43, Kellen Murray 1-26, Nic Economou 1-18.

 

 

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