ABSECON – With the regular season quickly coming to a close, the Ocean City Red Raiders’ playoff hopes will lie on one last game after a disappointing loss to the Holy Spirit Spartans.
After a 48-0 blowout win over Middle Township a week prior, the Raiders came into the game against the Spartans riding high with playoff positions on the line. Unfortunately for the Raiders, they were on the wrong side of the scoreboard this week and lost to Holy Spirit 48-0 Oct. 17.
Three turnovers on offense that were returned for touchdowns put Ocean City in too great of a hole to turn things around.
The Raiders came into the game needing at least one win in the final two games of the regular season to drastically increase their odds of a postseason berth. Along with the loss to Holy Spirit, most of the other candidates for the final spots in the playoffs all won their games and put the Raiders in a tough situation.
Ocean City fell to 4-4 and will likely need to win their final game of the season to make the playoffs. With their destiny still in their hands, the Raiders will host the 7-1 Cedar Creek Pirates this Friday, Oct. 24. Kickoff is 6 p.m.
Cedar Creek will come into Ocean City on a seven-game win streak with eyes on a top seed and home field advantage throughout the postseason. The last meeting between the teams came last year in a defensive struggle that saw Cedar Creek win 7-0 on a last-minute touchdown.
Even with a loss the Raiders will have an outside chance of sneaking in with help from other games around South Jersey.
Ocean City will get ready for the season finale after reviewing what went wrong against Holy Spirit.
The Spartans marched right down the field in the first quarter but faced stiff resistance once they were within the 20-yard line. The Ocean City defense stood tall on fourth down and turned away Holy Spirit to maintain a scoreless first quarter.
The following Spartan drive was a mirror image of the first, as Ocean City forced another Spartan fourth-down attempt, this time only three yards from the end zone.
Holy Spirit quarterback Ty Costabile’s pass on forth down fell incomplete for the Raiders’ second straight fourth-down stop, but the celebration was short lived as Costabile was hit after he threw the ball and was awarded a roughing-the-passer call. The penalty turned a big stop on defense into a Spartan first down from the two-yard line.
After the penalty Ocean City held the Spartans two more times but eventually the defense gave in after six straight goal-to-go plays for the first points of the game.
Holy Spirit took full advantage of the momentum gained and pounced on every Raider mistake in the second quarter.
Down 8-0, quarterback Jackson Becker and the offense tried to open up the passing game which has worked out for the Raiders in previous weeks. Five plays into the drive, however, Spartan safety Emanuel Gerena jumped a route and picked off Becker’s pass for a 26-yard pick-six.
Two plays after the pick-six, Raider running back Triston Schmidt had the ball ripped out of his hands and subsequently returned for another touchdown.
After two straight turnovers turned into touchdowns, the Raiders never managed to get into rhythm on offense and were held to their lowest yardage totals of the season.
Costabile and Gerena put a bow on the first half with a 69-yard touchdown throw and catch by Gerena for his second score of the game. Gerena finished the game with a touchdown and 100 yards receiving on offense along with his two pick-sixes.
Holy Spirit went on to extend the lead to 48-0 in the second half and give Ocean City a lot of work to do in the week leading up to the regular season finale.
For the Raiders to win and make it to the playoffs next week they must limit the early mistakes that give teams like Holy Spirit all the early momentum. Cedar Creek has averaged 42 points per game during their win streak and will require the Raiders’ best game of the whole season to topple the Pirates.
Mainland loses to
powerful Winslow
Mainland Regional High School’s football team is in a similar playoff spot as Ocean City’s Red Raiders.
The Mustangs are also 4-4 after losing 41-6 to a powerful Winslow Township High School team Friday night.
The Mustangs took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter on two field goals by Nate Kashey, but after that it was all Winslow that scored 27 unanswered points in the second quarter and another 14 in the third.
The Mustangs host Delsea (4-4) at 6 p.m. Friday in the Corral.
– By WILLIAM TRUITT/For the Sentinel
