Mustang Midgets win Jersey Shore title
BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer
Shaquan Reid and Jamie Crippin each scored two touchdowns, and Joe Ruocco had a timely interception as the unbeaten Brick Mustang Midgets beat Wall, 40-28, to clinch their third straight Pop Warner Jersey Shore Junior Football Conference championship in the B Division on Saturday night.

"We have a fair amount of team speed. Once we get to the outside, we start charging," said coach Gerry Spanola as his team won its sixth game with big plays. "I didn't think we'd do this well but team speed has been a big plus. It's more than we anticipated. This really has been an enjoyable season. I figured we'd win some battles and be in some games."

And the Mustangs were in a battle for a while in this one, too, before opening up a 24- 6 halftime lead and trading touchdowns in the second half.

"Every time they scored, the boys kept answering," said Spanola, whose team has two games left on its schedule, both on Saturday night at home against Keansburg this Saturday in an inter-divisional game and next Saturday against Freehold.

The other three Mustang teams ended up on the short side of scores in league play. The Junior Midgets on Sunday evening lost to Manchester, 24-8, to fall to 3-3. Nick Costa had a burst up the middle for the touchdown and Patrick Toomey kicked the conversion. The Pee Wees lost, 28-6, and the Junior Pee Wees fell, 25-6, to Wall.

The Dragons Midgets team, which has one loss in the B Division to the Mustangs, fell to Rumson, 33-28, in a non-divisional game for their second straight loss.

The Junior Midgets suffered a tough 6-0 loss to the Freehold Giants to remain winless as Brian Henry excelled on offense, Steve Cimino and Drew Scott played well both ways, and Tyler Sams and Steve Ferlisi made some sharp tackles on the defensive side.

End Christian Caselli and linebackers Craig Levine and Nick Tartaglione made some big plays to spark the Dragon Pee Wees to their fourth shutout, 35-0, over the Toms River Indians. Joe Webb caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Dan Berg while Dan Finelli, Ray Fattaruso, Brian Matthews and Tom Leech also scored.

The Junior Pee Wee White team continues to be unscored-upon in six games after a 25-0 victory over Rumson as quarterback Joe Phillips ran 50 yards for one touchdown and connected with Mike Begovich on a 40-yard touchdown pass play. Matt Gerrity ran back a kickoff 70 yards for one score and rambled 20 yards for another. Antonio Garcia ran in the conversion.

Ryan Hawkins ran for the touchdown for the Junior Pee Wee Green, which suffered a tough 12-6 overtime loss to River Plaza. Safety Matt Schleifer, end Ken Cushman and linebacker Malcolm Vaughn starred on defense.

The Dragons play Freehold this weekend.