Amazing Freehold comeback denies Matawan a playoff berth
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
ABERDEEN - For three quarters Saturday night the No. 7 Freehold High School football team couldn't do much of anything right.
In the fourth quarter it could no wrong.
""In the first three quarters we weren't playing hard,'' said senior quarterback Brian Prisk of Freehold.
""In the fourth quarter we came out and played the kind of football we have to play for the rest of the year,'' Prisk said.
Freehold sophomore Damar Bivins bolted 11 yards for a TD snapping a 28-28 tie with 36.1 seconds left capping a four-touchdown rally that sent the Colonials to a frenzied 35-28 victory over Matawan in a non-division game at Barry Rizzo Stadium.
With the win Freehold's Shore Conference Federal Division champions (7-1) unofficially clinched the No. 3 seed in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III playoffs.
But while Freehold probably would have played a home game win or lose, the stunning defeat prevented the Huskies (3-5) from qualifying for the post season.
The winning score was set up when senior wide out Jimmy Flotteron made a one-hand catch at the Freehold 17 on a third-and-17 from midfield.
Bivins scored two plays later.
""Oh my God,'' said Prisk of the spectacular reception. ""Usually its's Brandon Brown making plays like that but Jimmy came up big, just snagged it with one hand.''
Matawan, behind a three-touchdown burst over a five-minute span in the third quarter, sparked by TD runs of two and five yards by junior Nate King, took a 28-6 lead into the fourth quarter.
But Freehold, trailing 28-20 with 2:43 remaining, tied the game on a fourth-and-11 play at the Matawan 33.
Following a time out Prisk faked an inside hand off and gave the ball to Brown on an end around. The fleet junior circled the right side and then cut back up the middle into the end zone.
Robert James then plowed in for the two point conversion with 2:20 showing.
Freehold surrendered five turnovers in the game including three interceptions of Prisk until its fourth-quarter rally.
Behind a deadly passing combination of Prisk to Flotteron and the running of senior Matt Wahlen, Freehold scored on four consecutive fourth-quarter possessions covering only 21 plays.
""We kept on making little throws out into the flat and they weren't covering it,'' said Prisk. ""We got the momentum and kept it going.''
STAFF WRITER
ABERDEEN - For three quarters Saturday night the No. 7 Freehold High School football team couldn't do much of anything right.
In the fourth quarter it could no wrong.
""In the first three quarters we weren't playing hard,'' said senior quarterback Brian Prisk of Freehold.
""In the fourth quarter we came out and played the kind of football we have to play for the rest of the year,'' Prisk said.
Freehold sophomore Damar Bivins bolted 11 yards for a TD snapping a 28-28 tie with 36.1 seconds left capping a four-touchdown rally that sent the Colonials to a frenzied 35-28 victory over Matawan in a non-division game at Barry Rizzo Stadium.
With the win Freehold's Shore Conference Federal Division champions (7-1) unofficially clinched the No. 3 seed in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III playoffs.
But while Freehold probably would have played a home game win or lose, the stunning defeat prevented the Huskies (3-5) from qualifying for the post season.
The winning score was set up when senior wide out Jimmy Flotteron made a one-hand catch at the Freehold 17 on a third-and-17 from midfield.
Bivins scored two plays later.
""Oh my God,'' said Prisk of the spectacular reception. ""Usually its's Brandon Brown making plays like that but Jimmy came up big, just snagged it with one hand.''
Matawan, behind a three-touchdown burst over a five-minute span in the third quarter, sparked by TD runs of two and five yards by junior Nate King, took a 28-6 lead into the fourth quarter.
But Freehold, trailing 28-20 with 2:43 remaining, tied the game on a fourth-and-11 play at the Matawan 33.
Following a time out Prisk faked an inside hand off and gave the ball to Brown on an end around. The fleet junior circled the right side and then cut back up the middle into the end zone.
Robert James then plowed in for the two point conversion with 2:20 showing.
Freehold surrendered five turnovers in the game including three interceptions of Prisk until its fourth-quarter rally.
Behind a deadly passing combination of Prisk to Flotteron and the running of senior Matt Wahlen, Freehold scored on four consecutive fourth-quarter possessions covering only 21 plays.
""We kept on making little throws out into the flat and they weren't covering it,'' said Prisk. ""We got the momentum and kept it going.''
posted by Tony Graham at 8:02 PM
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