Brick comes all the way back to top Mustangs

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Above, Brick quarterback Jordan Roshala looks to find a receiver during Saturday's dramatic come-from-behind win over rival Brick Memorial in Brick. At left, Brick's Andy Casella celebrates the Green Dragons' win. After suffering through some frustrating losses, Brick Township's football team has gotten a measure of satisfaction at the end of the season.

Coming off a 14-10 NJSIAA consolation playoff victory over Old Bridge, the Green Dragons closed their season with their third straight victory, a 24-17 comeback over Brick Memorial at home on Saturday. It was Brick Township's first home victory in 10 games and raised their record in the Thanksgiving series to an 18-6-1 edge.

Joe Cusanelli helped Brick Township pull out the victory with a 5-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds left. Matt Cuccinelli made his second big defensive play of the game when he blocked a punt and Brick Township recovered it at the Memorial 17-yard line.

Ray Johnson sealed the victory with an interception at the end of the game after Brick Memorial drove to the 30-yard line.

Brick Township rallied from a 17-0 deficit as the other two touchdowns were scored by F.J. Lucchetti, a three-sport standout who recently committed to a baseball scholarship offer to Wagner College, where another former Brick Township baseball player - Joe Testa - is carving a fine college career.

Sophomore quarterback Jordan Roshala got the Most Valuable Player trophy for Brick Township for the game as it ended its season at 5-5, and Brick Memorial closed at 6-5 with its second straight loss, the other a 14-7 loss to Howell in the NJSIAA Group IV, Central Jersey semifinals the previous weekend.

Warren Wolf, the state's all-time winning coach, picked up his 350th victory and avoided only his third losing season ever. Wolf is 350-113-11.

But it didn't come easily.

Brick Memorial's Dan Burke kicked a 38-yard field goal moments after Mike Kiley ran 30 yards with a short pass for a 3-0 lead.

Brick Township then committed three turnovers, including an interception made by Brick Memorial's Eric Shafer in the end zone, a fumble on fourth down and one at Brick Memorial's 30-yard line and another pickoff of a Greg Penta pass.

But Vin Falkiewicz, Brick Memorial's MVP for the game, stretched the lead when he ran 10 yards for a touchdown, the 15th this season as Brick Memorial's all-time leading rusher. It came after running back Prince Young completed a 30-yard pass to James McConnell on a fade pattern off a reverse on fourth down and 5. Burke kicked the extra point.

Dennell Dudley caught a 40-yard touchdown pass and Burke kicked the conversion to make it 17-0 for the Mustangs, and it looked like they were on their way to their fifth Thanksgiving game victory in the last six outings.

Brick Township finally answered when Lucchetti used his height advantage to outreach Shafer for a 30-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Llauger off a faked field goal. Jake Sisco kicked the extra point to make it 17-7 at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, McConnell intercepted a pass in the end zone but tried to run it out and was tackled at the 2-yard line. On the next play, Cuccinelli tackled Penta in the end zone for a safety that made it 17-9.

Llauger eventually pulled Brick Township closer with a 4-yard touchdown pass on the ensuing series, helped by runs by Roshala and running backs Will Cabellero, Cusanelli and Lucchetti. Llauger caught a 13-yard pass in the drive.

Lucchetti then tied it at 17-17 when he caught a conversion pass from Roshala on a play action in which he rolled right and threw to his left.

That's how it stayed until Cuccinelli's blocked punt that was followed by an 8-yard run by Lucchetti and a 4-yard pickup by Roshala before Cusanelli scored to lift a Brick Township team that had lost four games by a combined 17 points. Moments later, the game ended with a wild celebration as players and fans poured onto the field.

It completed a clean sweep for Brick Township, which also got victories from its 9-0 junior varsity team, its 6-1 sophomore team and its 8-2 freshman team, whose strong seasons bode well for the future for the Green Dragons.