Spartans top Panthers 41-7

By Walter J. O’Neill, Jr

October 28, was a cold windy Friday night. The Spartans of Ocean Township traveled to Point Pleasant and faced the undefeated Point Boro Panthers in a nondivisional Shore Conference football game. The fans at Point Boro were fired up as they honored all their seniors and were celebrating not having a loss in 2016.

As soon as the pregame ceremonies had concluded, the Spartans set the tone for the game, and it was not in favor of the Panthers. Ocean controlled both sides of the ball creating huge holes for the Spartan running backs and a defensive wall which the Panthers couldn’t get through.

It was an almost flawless game for the Spartans. Then during the second quarter as they
were up 13-0 and driving, Kenny Pickett the senior quarterback, was leveled with a sack that knocked the ball lose which was recovered by Point Boro. A few plays later the Panthers scored their only touchdown of the game.

During the second quarter the Spartans didn’t score a single point. However, the second half they added 14 points in both the third and fourth quarters taking the 41-7 victory and handing the Panthers their first loss of the season.

The first touchdown of the game was a six yard run by Pickett. He finished with 96 rushing yards and completed seven of 15 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns. The extra point kick on the Pickett run failed. The other score of that quarter was a huge 60-yard run by Sean Rossback. The extra point was good and Ocean had a 13-0 lead going into the second quarter.

Starting the second half Pickett ran 36 yards for his second touchdown of the game. That was followed by a 21-yard pass to Joey Aldarelli for another touchdown. The extra-point kicks on both scores was good.

The final quarter of action had Anthony Tedesco, the senior workhorse in the backfield, bull his way in for a one-yard touchdown. The final nail in the Boro coffin was a 61-yard pass from Pickett to Jasher Pena for a touchdown. Two extra-point kicks were good.

Aldarelli had three catches for 60 yards, Pena had his catch for a 61-yard touchdown and Mike King had one reception for 13 yards. On the ground Pickett had 14 carries for 96 yards, Tedesco ran the ball seven times for 39 yards, Pena had five touches getting 32 yards and Rossback had 67 yards on two carries.

The victory give the Spartans a 4-4 overall record and they are 1-4 in the B North division of the Shore Conference.