Now 10-0, Mainland to face Colts Neck for shot at final
LINWOOD — The Mainland Regional High School football team will take on probably its toughest task of the 2023 season in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group IV semifinal when they play the Colts Neck High School Cougars at 6 p.m. Friday at the Mustang Corral.
The Mustangs, though, looked ready for the challenge in an impressive 56-20 victory over the Manalapan High School Braves Oct. 27 in the South Jersey quarterfinals. The victory improved Mainland’s record to 10-0.
Another victory this season would give Mainland the most victories since the Mustangs went 12-0 in 2008.
It will be team strength against team strength when Mainland takes on Colts Neck on Friday. The Cougars will enter the contest on a four-game winning streak. They will operate their offense behind star running back Chris Scully, who set the all-time school rushing record this season.
In Colt Necks’ 41-0 victory over Toms River South in their quarterfinal game Oct. 28, Scully rushed for 187 yards.
Mainland has allowed just one running back to rush for 100 yards this season, but most of those came against reserves in the Mustangs’ 49-20 over Clearview Regional High School.
In a similar matchup against Hammonton star running back Kenny Smith, the Mustangs limited him to 80 in a 14-7 win. He had rushed for more than 100 yards in his first three games before facing the Mainland defense.
Colts Neck defeated Manalapan earlier this season 35-0.
While Mainland has long established itself as a run-first offense, coach Chuck Smith has continued to show off its improved passing game at key points this season. That continued against Manalapan with wide receiver Jamie Tyson catching two long touchdown passes from quarterback John Franchini.
Franchini completed 5 of 7 passes, three of them for touchdowns, for 121 yards. Tyson had 75 yards receiving, plus his 29-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Manalapan “was really big and our coaches adjusted all week and my offensive line played great,” Franchini said. “My connection with Jamie was great tonight. I think our passing keeps them on their heels because they can’t just focus on just one thing. [Against Colts Neck], it will start with a great week at practice taking it one game at a time and just focus on who we’re playing this week.”
It was Tyson’s seventh interception of the season, tying a school record set by Mainland assistant coach and head baseball coach Billy Kerr.
“I don’t think I ever had a three-touchdown day,” Tyson said after the game. “It feels good to come here in this first-round game and do my thing; to make a statement to South Jersey and everyone.”
Slotback/linebacker Cohen Cook continued to look solid on both sides of the football. He scored two touchdowns on offense — on runs of 35 and 27 yards in the first quarter — while pressuring the opposing quarterback on defense.
Linebacker J.J. Sinclair continued to add to his record as Mainland’s all-time leading tackler with his play against the run helping to snuff out the Braves’ short passing game in an effort to slow down Mainland’s pass rush. Sinclair had 11 tackles and two sacks in the game, to lead Mainland in both categories.
“They had some big guys but coach told us if we set the tone early and put them in the dirt, that they would fold,” Sinclair said. “The biggest challenge was their strength and the offensive line. With communication on defense, we found a way to overcome that and got our guys in the right places to make big plays.
“We just need to keep working hard in practice and keep doing what we’re doing. We’re 10-0 and we’re not planning on losing anytime soon. We want to keep going on our journey.”
The Franchini-Tyson connection was pivotal on Mainland’s first drive of the game. The Mustangs methodically drove down the field but stalled out on the Braves’ 30-yard line facing fourth down. Instead of attempting a field goal, the Mustangs went for it, with Tyson juggling but then hauling in Franchini’s pass in the back of the end zone for a 7-0 lead while chewing up half of the first-quarter clock.
“We wanted to come right out and establish ourselves and we did that on both sides of the football,” Smith said. “I thought we did an outstanding job on offense and defense, especially to get off to that type of start on the first drive and the entire first half.
“I really didn’t anticipate that against this team but it shows what we are capable of doing. Whenever you touch the ball first, you want to have a positive drive. Usually, we don’t start the game with the football. They made some nice adjustments to what we were trying to do but our offense was really clicking.”
Tyson said it was all about concentration to grab Franchini’s pass, but he felt it was more important for Mainland to make a statement on their opening drive.
“It hit my hands and popped up but I kept my eyes on the football and reeled it in,” Tyson said. “It was a fourth-and-long and it was really important. It shows you have to watch out for me sometimes.”
That seemed to open up the floodgates with Cook’s two rushing touchdowns to give the Mustangs a 21-0 lead after the first quarter.
Rocco DiBiaso scored on a 33-yard run, Tyson added his second receiving touchdown and Hunter Watson scored on a short TD pass from Franchini to give Mainland a 42-7 lead by halftime, earning Mainland the running clock for the remainder of the game.
Tyson added his interception return and running back Stephen Ordille, who was closely watched by Manalapan all game, scored a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Ordille rushed for 121 yards in the game, putting him over 1,000 yards for the season.
“Jamie sat on this route and made a great break on the ball,” Smith said. “Jamie has played outstanding the last four to five weeks of the season. He’s just taking another step in the right direction. I’m very proud of him and how he’s come around from his freshman year to where he is now.”
Ordille follows in the footsteps of Ja’Briel Mace, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season in his senior year.
By CLYDE HUGHES/Special to the Sentinel