East Brunswick rises to Bombers' challenge

There is nothing East Brunswick High School football fans want more than for this year's Bears to duplicate what the 2004 team did: Win a state championship. With one important exception — don't lose to Old Bridge on Thanksgiving Day.

East Brunswick's Anthony Gudzak breaks up a pass intended for Sayreville's Delon Stephenson during Friday's game. CHRIS KELLY staff If you know anything about the rivalry between the Bears and Knights, that should come as no surprise. When East Brunswick and their neighbors across Route 18 meet on the gridiron, emotions run high and you can throw out the records.

The 2004 game proves the point. The Bears, riding high with the prospect of playing in the Central Jersey Group IV championship game in 10 days, played an uninspiring game and were blanked 21-0 by an Old Bridge team that was 5-4. The outcome was even more inexplicable after the Bears rebounded to beat Jackson for the Central Jersey championship.

Tomorrow, East Brunswick (7-3) and Old Bridge (4-5) renew acquaintances for the "Battle of Route 18" trophy at Jay Doyle Field. Only after the clash will the Bears shift their attention to a Dec. 5 date with Brick Memorial in the sectional final at The College of New Jersey, Ewing. Yes, that's the same Brick Memorial team that edged East Brunswick 37-34 onNov. 6, clinching a berth in the playoffs.

But first, East Brunswick must turn its attention to Old Bridge, a rival that enjoys a decided 11-2 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1996 when Madison Central and Cedar Ridge high schools combined to form the present-day Knights.

Although savoring his team's emotional 13-8 win over Sayreville in last Friday night's CJ Group IV semifinal to vault East Brunswick into the CJ championship game, head coach Marcus Borden was adamant about making sure his team does not look ahead to Brick Memorial before taking care of business against the Knights.

"Before we even turn our attention to them (Brick Memorial)," Borden said Sunday night, "we are thinking about Old Bridge," he said. "It's Senior Day and for many on the team it will be their last opportunity to play at home. They very much want to go out with a win."

On paper, it would seem the Bears are heavy favorites to serve up a victory, but all Borden needs to do is remind his team about the 2004 game. It also appears East Brunswick emerged in good physical shape, which is in contrast to five years ago when a number of players were recovering from a bruising 28-21 overtime victory over Hillsborough.

When you think of East Brunswick, you are reminded of the Bears' tricky option offense engineered by quarterback Mauro Tucci who has amassed 793 yards to lead the team. He also hands off to speedy Mike Weber, second on the Bears with 566 yards or Jared Lynch, 452 yards.

However, it was East Brunswick's defense that saved the day against Sayreville, holding off the Bombers near the Bears' end zone in the final seconds and preserving the victory. Pete Sorrento, John Segreto, Joe Quaglieri, Tim O'Sullivan, Nick Gudzak, Lynch and Dan Pike are among the regulars who have been solid all season.

"It is a credit to those kids that they played with the kind of resolve they did," said Borden. "We spent a lot of time in the film room, looking at the previous game with Sayreville (a 34-13 loss) and tried to anticipate their tendancies. In the end, they rose to the challenge." East Brunswick's points came from Tucci's two-yard run in the first half to give the Bears a 7-0 lead, only to see the Bombers rebound with a touchdown of their own and a two-point conversion to give them an 8-7 lead.

However, the Bears' reliable kicker, Tyler Yonchuik, proved to be the difference-maker as he converted on two field goal tries, one from 40 yards on the last play of the first half to give East Brunswick a 10-8 lead, and another from 32 yards out with just over four minutes left in the game to make the score, 13- 8. It was after that that Sayreville marched down the field only to be denied by the East Brunswick defense in the final seconds.

Game Note: Yonchuik, who earlier this season kicked a 45-yard field goal with 1:30 remaining to give the Bears a 23-20 victory over Monroe, the Falcons' only defeat, is one field goal away from tying the season record of nine held by Dan Levine (1988). Josh Miller holds the record for career field goals with 17. CHRIS KELLY staff