The Great Escape: Rumson’s defense denies Point Boro to survive upset bid, 14-10

By Luke Sprengel – Shore Sports Insider Correspondent

RUMSON – The quarterfinal round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 2 playoffs came down to a fourth-and-9 at Rumson-Fair Haven’s 15-yard line on Friday night.

Unlike in the Bulldogs’ 34-point Week Zero victory over Point Boro, which was essentially over by the third quarter, a battle-tested Panthers team was hanging around with a chance to upset the defending Group 2 champions.

With the season on the line and holding on to a slim four-point lead with 14 seconds on the clock, Rumson-Fair Haven did what it is known to do – find a way to win a playoff football game in November.

Senior defensive end Benjamin Roberts twisted inside on a pass rush, raised his outstretched arms on his 6-foot-3 frame and batted down Point Boro junior quarterback Jake Clayton’s pass to send Borden Stadium into absolute pandemonium. Rumson-Fair Haven edged the Panthers in a gritty 14-10 victory to advance to the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals against second-seeded Wall next weekend.

On Rumson’s first offensive drive of the game, sophomore quarterback Brady Williams connected with senior tight end Jack Gyimesi for two crucial third-down conversions.

One play after a third-and-6 completion to Gyimesi, senior running back Kellen Murray, playing in his first game since getting injured in a Week One victory over Brick Memorial, rushed for a 12-yard touchdown, giving Rumson a 7-0 lead with 3:58 left in the first quarter.

Murray’s status was a big question mark going into the game. The All-Shore running back shut down any talk of him not being able to suit up to help his teammates make a playoff run.

“Huge. Throughout the entire week you felt a different vibe through practice,” Rumson Fair-Haven coach Jeremy Schulte said when asked about the impact of Murray suiting up.

The Panthers responded as senior fullback Calvin Videon-Perino racked up 58 yards on 8 rushing attempts on their next drive and capped off their near 10-minute possession with a 10-yard touchdown run. Videon-Perino’s touchdown run tied the game up at 7 with 6:00 left in the first half.

The Bulldogs did not make it easy on themselves on the next drive as they committed two penalties, one of which was a holding that brought back a 30-yard gain after Williams connected with junior wideout Cole Spoonire.

On the play following the hold, Williams was sacked by freshman defensive lineman Trevor Evans for a loss of nine, forcing Rumson to give the Panthers the ball back with a shot to take the lead before the break.

The Panthers found themselves facing third down twice on the ensuing drive, but converted both of them using their rushing attack. Point Boro head coach Brian Staub trusted his junior kicker Jack Sullivan to bring them into halftime with a lead. Despite 30-mph wind gusts, Sullivan hit a 42-yard field goal that put the Panthers on top 10-7 at the break.

At the start of the second half, the Panthers defense wrapped up Williams for a 4-yard sack. Rumson then found itself in a second-and-14, where it looked like the Panthers had back-to-back sacks, but the six-foot-four, 215-pound quarterback managed to get a pass off despite being grabbed by a defender, and connected with Spoonire to extend the drive.

“Brady brings something a little special, he can extend plays, and makes things happen. We saw him do it last year as a freshman and now do it as a sophomore and knowing that we’re going to have him for a little while is a pretty good feeling to have,” Schulte said.

Rumson then faced a third-and-11 on Point Boro’s 21-yard line, but Williams found Spoonire once again, who made an acrobatic grab for a 20-yard completion. From the 1-yard line, Williams punched it into the end zone on a quarterback sneak to put Rumson back on top, 14-10, with 7:20 left in the third quarter.

On the ensuing possession, Point Boro started  another methodical drive that included three fourth-down conversions.

On third-and-six from the Rumson 39-yard line, Clayton dropped back looking for his intended receiver, but Rumson junior linebacker Carmine Florio was there to intercept it. Florio returned the interception for a touchdown, but it ended up being called back due to a block in the back. The Bulldogs took over possession with 8:08 left in the fourth quarter.

Rumson had the ball on its own 49-yard line looking to convert on third-and-2 to essentially seal the game, but the Panthers’ defense had other plans, stopping Williams for no gain and forcing a Rumson punt.

It all came down to the final drive for the Panthers’ offense, which took over with 3:15 left in the game. On third-and-7, the Panthers executed a hook-and-ladder to perfection as Clayton found senior wideout Landon Neris, who then lateraled the ball to Videon-Perino for a 25-yard gain, setting up the Panthers in Rumson territory with a chance to win the game.

After the Panthers notched two more first downs, Staub called a timeout with 29 seconds left to play after a third-down sack by Rumson senior defensive lineman Toby Najenson that forced a fourth-and-9.

“I told them, ‘You have 29 seconds, do you guys want to be heroes? Now is the time to do it,’” Schulte said.

With the game on the line from the Rumson 15-yard line, Roberts batted the ball away, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

“That’s all this team is about. We keep going until the end and never give up. We’re a gritty team, and I know each guy on this team has my back and I have theirs,” Roberts said.

The Rumson (6-3) victory now sets up a rematch of last year’s Central Jersey Group 2 championship, where the Bulldogs knocked off Wall, 38-14. A win would bring the Bulldogs back to the sectional championship where they would have an opportunity to play for their fourth consecutive and 10th overall sectional title.

The future is bright for Point Boro (4-5), which battled through a tough schedule with a young roster. The Panthers persevered through multiple injuries, including standout junior slotback Nick Spanola. With Clayton, Spanola, and handful of standout underclassmen returning, Point Boro should find themselves back in the playoff picture next season.