By CLYDE HUGHES/Special to the Sentinel
LINWOOD – One play, one miscue or improper execution of something as routine as an extra-point play can mean the difference between winning and losing a football game. For example, Mainland Regional’s 7-6 victory over Pleasantville last Friday, Oct. 16.
The victory gives the Mustangs a 2-1 record going into this Friday’s home game against one of the state’s top football programs – St. Augustine Prep. Pleasantville, the defending West Jersey Football League United Division champs and Group II and South Jersey Group II semifinalist, fell to 1-2 on the year.
Already playing under COVID-19 restrictions, daylong rain Friday and the day before turned Mainland’s football field into a muddy pit. As the rain continued throughout the entire game, the football became harder to hold on to, playing a factor in the final outcome.
“Coming into the game, we knew it would be bad weather but we embrace it and this is the kind of football we like,” team captain and lineman Sam Epstein said. “They’ve got athletes and were slowed down, but we’re tough and the dogs came out.”
Mainland, playing without star sophomore running back Ja’Briel Mace, lost starting freshman quarterback Jake Meyers in the third quarter. The Mustangs, which had been stymied by Pleasantville’s standout defense all game, got the break they needed with senior quarterback Brody Levin late in the fourth quarter.
After missing a 36-yard field goal, the Mustangs’ defense backed the Greyhounds up to their own 5 on consecutive losses led by Epstein. A short Pleasantville punt on the sloppy field set up Mainland on the Pleasantville 24 with 6:21 left in the game.
Levin found sophomore wideout Nick Wagner down the left sideline to the Pleasantville 6, giving Mainland a first-and-goal. But the Greyhounds’ defense stiffened, leaving the Mustangs with a 4th-and-goal at the 4.
That’s when Levin rolled right, found Noah Torres waving his hands in the back of the end zone, and connected on the pass just out of the reach of a diving Pleasantville defender for the score.
“We huddled up and went over it, but honestly I was unsure and Dennis [Moreno] walked up to me and said, ‘Relax, you got this,’’” Levin said. “Noah said the same thing. I got the snap and rolled out, saw Noah and just let it rip and hoped for the best.
“[When he caught it], it was like surreal. That’s what you live for in high school football, coming up big in a great moment. To do it at home, I couldn’t be happier right now,” Levin added.
Levin was humble about his offensive heroics.
“Jake’s an awesome quarterback. He was doing the best with what they gave us,” Levin said. “Once he went down, I heard my name called. I trusted my offensive line and trusted my teammates and we came out on top.”
Torres played hero again by handling a low snap from center to get the ball down for kicker Brady Panas for the game-winning extra-point with 4:41 left.
“The offensive line was playing great and gave us enough time to make the play,” Torres said. “It was great. My route was toward the back of the end zone and I saw the opening. I was waving my hands and saw [the defender] fall. He threw me the perfect pass.”
“[On the extra point], the snap was a little low but he’s been doing his job the entire time. It was in the mud but it was fine. He got the kick off and it was fine.”
Mainland’s defense sealed the victory, sacking Pleasantville’s star sophomore quarterback Marlon Leslie twice on the Greyhounds’ next series, giving the Mustangs the ball back on downs with 1:40 left.
“When we’re down and everyone thinks we’re going to put our heads down, that’s when we shock the league,” Epstein said. “Brody Levin stepped up and showed what a great senior leader he is. We’ve got leaders. We may not have those D1 athletes, but we’ve got people who want to fly around on this football field and play football because that’s what we love.”
Pleasantville returned Leslie, a first-team division selection, off of the Greyhounds standout team from a year ago, but the Mustangs’ defense found a way to shut him and Pleasantville’s offense down on the muddy and rain-soaked field at Mainland Friday.
It was a special team miscue that led to Pleasantville’s only score, when a Mainland punt snap sailed over the head of the punter with the Greyhounds recovering at the Mustangs 6. Two plays later, Justin Barias, wearing the number 55, bulled his way over from the 1 with 6:04 left in the third quarter, giving Pleasantville a 6-0 advantage.
Neither team could break through in the first half as the rain slowed both teams.
COVID-19 restrictions limited the number of fans in the stands, but the steady rain took care of all but the hardy few.
Pleasantville found early running success behind JaQuan Howard in the second quarter. Aided by a 24-yard run by Howard, the Greyhounds moved from the ball from its own 10 to the Mainland 42.
But McKenzie Murphy recovered a fumble at the Mustangs 35 with 1:18 left after Mainland forced the loose ball to end Pleasantville’s most promising drive and keeping the score knotted at 0-0 at halftime.
The Mustangs said the victory was a confidence booster going into the Prep game Friday. Pleasantville had already scored a victory against Cedar Creek, a Group II regional state semifinalist in 2019.
“We knew Pleasantville was a great team and we know a couple of kids who play for them,” Levin said. “This is just going to build up momentum because we’re going to play some tough teams. We were underdogs in this and that’s how we’re going to be all year. We used that motivation and came out on top.”
Epstein, Levin and others took exception to being underdogs in the game by some media outlets. They will be so again against St. Augustine, but vowed they will use it emotionally.
“Every report doubted us every weekend, but here we are 2-1,” Torres said.
Mainland coach Chuck Smith said he was still evaluating Meyers’ injury after Friday’s game and Mace was still nursing a concussion. Smith declined to say when Mace could return to action
He credited Epstein, Julian Ocasio and freshman J.J. Sinclair with leading the defense against Pleasantville.
“They’ve had some success the past couple of years and they’ve got some really good football players,” Smith said of Pleasantville. “We knew we had to come in here and play a very smart, sound game. I thought our defense matched up well with them, to tell you the truth. They are very special on the defensive side of the ball and we knew we were going to have our hands full, but our defense played outstanding.”
The Hermits and Mustangs play at 4 p.m. Friday in the Mustang Corral.