Mustangs get off to solid start on gridiron
BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

Brick Memorial’s football team picked up where it left off last fall when it surged to the NJSIAA Central Jersey playoff championship.

In fact, it may have looked even better when it went on the road and crushed Southern Regional in its season opener on Friday.

“Anytime you have two touchdowns called back and make mistakes and commit a lot of penalties and still win 28-0, it’s a good win,” said coach Fred Sprengel.

Four different players scored as the Mustangs had a much easier time than a year ago when Garrett Graham kicked a game-winning 27-yard field goal in the closing minute and had to block a game-winning field goal attempt by Southern Regional with seconds left for a 12-10 victory.

This time, Graham and Mike LePore caught touchdown passes of 30 and nine yards, respectively, from quarterback Chris James, and halfback Vin Falkiewicz rushed nine yards for another touchdown as the Mustangs stormed to a 21-0 halftime lead. It could have been an even bigger lead, since an 80-yard touchdown pass play to LePore and a 35-yard interception runback by Graham were called back by penalties. Graham also was wide on a 37-yard field goal attempt but kicked all four extra points.

James, a junior who struggled at times with consistency during the regular season before flourishing in the state playoffs, threw for 188 yards on 12-for-17 passing. He was intercepted twice.

“He still made mistakes. He could’ve been 15-for-15 but made some wrong decisions,” said Sprengel. “We had stupid penalties and mistakes as a team, first-game jitters.”

Falkiewicz had 11 carries for 61 of Brick Memorial’s 156 rushing yards.

But Sprengel found less fault with the defense that kept Southern Regional in a stranglehold on its own side of the 50-yard line when it had the ball. Southern mustered only 63 yards net offense — 40 on the ground — and managed six first downs.

The Mustangs also pulled in four pass interceptions, two by Bill Neebe and one each by Ian Jasperse and Graham, whose 39-yard average on his punts kept Southern pinned back.

“The defense played outstanding. It did a great job the entire night with constant pressure,” said Sprengel, who praised in particular the determination on the line by veteran tackle Kelly Moore as well as the play of Neebe, Jasperse, LePore, Graham and Steve Avon.

Brick Memorial plays its home opener Friday night against Middletown North.