Seven players score touchdowns in 58-0 shutout after storm delay
LINWOOD — The Mainland Regional High School football team will hit the road Friday against Absegami with a short turnaround after the Mustangs remained shut out Bridgeton 58-0 on Monday at home to remain undefeated.
The game, originally scheduled for Sept. 29, was postponed due to Tropical Storm Ophelia.
The Mustangs improved to 6-0 on the season and 3-0 in the West Jersey Football League United Division, winning their 11th-straight regular season game.
Mainland has not lost in the regular season since dropping a 21-20 road game to rival Ocean City in 2022. Bridgeton fell to 0-6 on the season. On Friday, Mainland will face an Absegami team (2-4, 1-4 in WJFL) trying to break a two-game losing streak after falling to Oakcrest 22-13 last week.
It was the Mustangs’ third shutout of the season. Bridgeton has not scored on Mainland in the past two matchups.
“All that comes from preparation at practice and pregame,” senior linebacker J.J. Sinclair said. “We have 11 guys just 5 yards away from the ball on any given play when the ball is snapped until the play ends. We just try to execute that every single time we’re on the field.”
Mainland defeated Absegami 54-13 last year, but the Braves beat the Mustangs the last time Mainland visited Galloway Township, falling to 28-13 in 2020.
If there was a lull after Mainland’s big road victory over state-ranked Hammonton the previous week, it never showed Monday. The defending NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV champions scored on all seven of their first-half drives to cruise to a 49-0 lead by halftime.
Mainland’s first-team defense allowed one first down and the Bulldogs never reached the Mustangs’ red zone all night.
“What we wanted to do this game is get in and get out without any serious injuries and get ready for the next game,” Mainland head coach Chuck Smith said.
Senior Cohen Cook went around right end to score the Mustangs’ first touchdown for a 6-0 lead on their first possession. The PAT was good for a 7-0 lead.
After a short Bridgeton punt set Mainland up on its own 42, the Mustangs needed just two plays for their second touchdown. Running back Stephen Ordille carried the ball over right tackle for a 52-yard score. The PAT made it 14-0 Mainland.
After another 3-and-out for Bridgeton, quarterback John Franchini connected with Jamie Tyson in the middle of his post route for a 57-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Sinclair, who set the record for the most career tackles, was inserted into slot back and scored on a 15-yard run for Mainland’s fourth touchdown of the game.
“I hadn’t scored in my high school career,” Sinclair said. “I never played running back in my career and coach just wanted to give me a chance and I made the most of it. It felt great to get into the end zone.”
Mainland was up 28-0 when the Mustangs took advantage of a fumble on the Bulldogs’ 30-yard line. Franchini connected with Rocco DiBiaso for a 42-yard touchdown pass to build a 35-0 lead just 2 minutes into the second quarter.
Another Bridgeton fumble set Mainland up on the Bulldogs’ 30 again. It took Mainland five plays before with Ordille toted the ball across the goal line from 4 yards out for a 42-0 lead.
Liam Kennedy then intercepted a pass just before halftime and ran it back to the Bulldogs’ 5. Then on offense from the slot position, Kennedy took a counter handoff the rest of the way to give Mainland a 49-0 lead at the break.
With the running clock in effect for the second half, Mainland’s defense tackled Bridgeton’s quarterback in the end zone for a safety with 6 minutes left in the third quarter to go up 51-0. After the free kick, Mainland scored on three plays, with Brady Kallen going in from 27 yards out.
The 58 points were the most Mainland has scored this season and the most since the Mustangs defeated Moorestown 63-10 in the first round of the NJSIAA Group IV playoffs last year.
“Coming off of a big game, you get that lull sometimes,” said Smith, who is now 16-2 over his last 18 games. “Then having a game postponed is a tough one to come back from also. But the kids responded and were ready right out of the gate on both sides of the ball.
“On defense, we shut their offense down and we were able to put the ball into the end zone a lot and allowed some of our younger kids to play some quality time in the second half.”
Now at 6-0, Mainland will try to pad its resume for the upcoming playoffs and secure at least one home game in the postseason.
After Friday’s contest, Mainland will face a stiff test at home against perennially solid Clearview Regional High School (2-3) before closing out the regular season at former Thanksgiving Day foe Egg Harbor Township (1-5, 1-2 WJFL United) Oct. 20 on the road.
“We have a short week to prepare against Absegami and they are a dangerous team with a nice quarterback and some pretty good skill players,” Smith said. “We know they have the ability to put some points on the board.
“They’re a dangerous team and if you let them hang around too long, they will make a ballgame out of it. We’re going to have our hands full to game prep, being a short week.”
Smith said he is sure his coaching staff will be able to pick up on small things the Mustangs will need to improve on before the Absegami game, but admitted they were not obvious after the big-point victory.
“I’m sure when we look at film, there will be a couple of things we’ll pick on because we always want to get better at what we’re doing,” he said.
Mainland entered Monday’s game ranked No. 1 in the South Jersey Group IV United Power Rankings (70.3), which would give the Mustangs, at least for now, home field advantage through either the South Jersey and Central Jersey playoffs.
No. 2 ranked Millville (65.05), the defending NJSIAA Group IV state champion, could overtake Mainland by the end of the season based on its strength of schedule. Hammonton sits at No. 6 in the South power rankings.
By CLYDE HUGHES/Special to the Sentinel