EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — With arguably the Mainland Mustangs’ biggest challenge coming this season against state-ranked Winslow at home, the Ponies got the primer they needed with a 42-0 victory at Egg Harbor Township last week on the road.
Mainland (5-2) will be defending a 14-game home winning streak dating back to the start of the 2021 season in Friday’s game against undefeated Group IV Winslow (7-0). The last time Mainland lost at home was a 21-13 loss to Clearview Regional on Oct. 28, 2021.
But the Mustangs appear to be playing some of their best football of the season with two consecutive shutouts and not surrendering points in the last nine quarters of football.
“It was nice to see us put together a solid game on both sides of the ball,” Mainland coach Chuck Smith said. “This season, sometimes our offense does it and sometimes our defense does it.
“We’ve been living off our defense the past three weeks, so it was nice to see our offense move the ball up and down the field with the defense coming up with another stellar effort.”
Mainland’s running game — a staple of its Group IV state title run last year — returned against Egg Harbor Township with sophomore wing-back Lucas DeBiaso rushing for 156 yards and three touchdowns. Big brother, senior running back Rocco DeBiaso, added 82 yards and two touchdowns.
For the younger DeBiaso, it’s the first 100-yard game and first three-touchdown game of his career.
“It feels great, but I could not have done it without my offensive line,” Lucas DeBiaso said. “They’re the reason I’m getting downfield putting all of their blocks out. It’s really all because of them. I give all the credit to them.”
The victory for Mainland was perfect timing for the Mustangs, who have played a brutal schedule to date.
Mainland’s defense set the tone, holding the Eagles on their first drive after EHT pulled off a successful fake punt to move the ball to the Mustangs’ 32. After three unsuccessful plays, the Eagles were forced to punt for real, pinning Mainland on its own 5.
“The defense is really clicking right now,” linebacker Chase Hoag said. “Everybody is playing fast and they’re playing together. We just have to keep digging deep. The fake punt would get a lot of teams off track, but we stayed locked in. We were able to stop them and get the shutout.”
The Mustangs needed four plays to respond with Lucas DiBiaso ripping off a 74-yard TD run in which Rocco DiBiaso provided the final block inside the Red Zone six minutes into the game.
Mainland, however, was stymied by its own mistakes with an interception and a fumble ending drives inside the Eagles’ territory in the first and second quarters.
The Mustangs found their rhythm later in the quarter with three touchdowns before the half to grab a 28-0 lead at halftime.
Mainland took advantage of an Eagles penalty on a punt to get the ball at the EHT 34 with 7:02 left before halftime. A 22-yard run by Rocco DeBiaso after a Mainland penalty put the Mustangs in scoring position with DiBiaso scoring on a 2-yard run.
Egg Harbor Township hit on a 60-yard pass play, moving the ball to the Mustangs 6. But the Eagles quarterback fumbled the ball into the end zone two plays later to end the threat.
“We faced a lot of adversity tonight but that’s what we try to focus on, overcoming adversity,” Hoag said. “When things get tough and you get tired, just keep fighting through adversity and playing together.”
Mainland went on an eight-play drive, sparked by a Lucas DeBiaso 22-yard run. He finished off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run with 54 seconds left before halftime.
The Mustangs got another shot at the football when Egg Harbor Township threw two incompletions and the quarterback was sacked, leaving 45 seconds on the clock. After a short punt put the ball at the Eagles 31, Mainland quarterback John Franchini connected with Jake Blum for a 17-yard touchdown to give the Mustangs a four-touchdown advantage.
Mainland was able to get the running clock after their opening drive of the third quarter. The Mustangs needed five plays before Franchini found Blum for their second touchdown of the night, this time from 39 yards out for a 35-0 lead.
Lucas DeBiaso added another touchdown late in the third quarter on a 37-yard run to make the score 42-0.
Mainland defeated Winslow last year 41-7 in the New Jersey Group IV state semifinals game at their place. Winslow enters Friday’s game with impressive double-digit victories over Millville and St. Augustine Prep, the two teams that defeated Mainland this year.
“You want to be clicking at this time of the season, that’s for sure,” Smith said. “You definitely want to be playing your best when you’re going to play a team like Winslow. They have a tremendous football team, but I haven’t seen them play since they beat the Prep. We’re going to try to get that figured out, but it will be a tough task Friday night.”
With the NJSIAA playoffs now just weeks away, Friday’s game could have huge implications for Mainland. The Mustangs currently rank No. 3 in the South Group III United Power Rankings behind No. 1 Somerville (7-0) and No. 2 Hopewell Valley (7-0).
Mainland, however, has an edge on strength of schedule against those schools. A win over Winslow, ranked No. 2 in the higher Group IV, could virtually assure Mainland home field advantage, regardless of whether they are placed in the South Jersey or Central Jersey bracket.
“It all starts in the weight room and the classroom and now we’re standing on it,” Lucas DeBiaso said. “Against Winslow, we just have to keep listening to our coaches and keep striving and hopefully we’ll come out with a win.
“Whatever the outcome of the [Winslow] game, and I hope it’s a win, I would never say one game defines us. No one see how much work we put into this. We’re still here and we’re still coming for it.”
Hoag said now is the time of the season when Mainland wants to put its best foot forward.
“Now, there are two more games and the playoffs and we’re definitely moving in the right direction,” Hoag said. “Everything is starting to click and the Prep game is washed away. We’re just going to use that as motivation.
“Winslow is a great team but so are we, so we’re going to give it everything we have. They still have to step on the field 11 versus 11.”
– STORY by CLYDE HUGHES/For the Sentinel
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
