Toms River North Shocks Bulldogs In Double Overtime

Photos by Tom Smith

RUMSON – It was worth the wait and definitely the price of admission.

In what was apparently the first-ever meeting between Group V Toms River North and Group II Rumson-Fair Haven on the football field, the two teams slugged it out like two heavyweights refusing to go down before Toms River North delivered the final knockout blow in double-overtime for an exhilarating 22-21 win over the Bulldogs on the road.

Toms River North (4-0, 2-0) took a 14-7 lead with 7:12 left in the fourth quarter driving 80 yards in eight plays with junior quarterback Jake Kazanowsky finishing it off with an 8-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout Zach Goodale on a slant deep in the end zone.

Senior Ray Carlson, a starting defensive back playing his first-ever game at wide receiver, had receptions of 18 and 41 yards on the drive to set up the touchdown. Carlson finished with four catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

“That was probably the hardest game I’ve ever played in my life,” said Carlson. “This was my first game playing offense and sometimes you just got to go out and make big plays for your team.”

With the score 14-7, Rumson (2-2, 2-1) drove to the Toms River North 35-yard line in 10 plays, taking valuable time off the clock in the process, but an incomplete pass on fourth-and-12 turned the ball back over to the Mariners on downs with only 1:08 left in the game.

On first down, Bulldogs sophomore linebacker John Lista dropped Matt Spalletta for a 2-yard loss and on third-and-13 from the 32 Kazanowsky was brought down for a 1-yard loss on a quarterback keeper by linebacker Gordon Forsyth forcing a Toms River North punt.

Rumson’s senior wideout Patrick Jamin fielded the punt at the Rumson 36 and was brought down immediately by sophomore Jaiden Fraser.

With 41.9 seconds now remaining in the game, the Bulldogs were looking at a 64-yard drive with just over a minute to play just to tie the game with no timeouts left.

Senior quarterback Colin Coles found Jamin for 19 yards down the left sidelines stopping the clock.

After an incomplete pass, Coles, who finished going 13-of-26 for 171 yards and two touchdowns after a rough first half, picked up 11 yards on a keeper giving the Bulldogs a first-and-10 at the Mariners 34 with 17.6 seconds on the clock.

Coles then connected with junior wideout Luke Devlin for 22 yards down to the 12-yard line stopping the clock for a first down. Coles went to Devlin again on a crossing pattern at the goal line with 13.9 seconds remaining and Devlin drew a pass interference call moving the ball to the 6-yard line with seconds to go.

On the next play, with defensive lineman C.J. Niedzielski bearing down on him, Coles lofted a pass off his back foot into the left corner of the end zone that Jamin laidout for making a diving catch for the tying points with 3.9 seconds left in the game. Mike Piperno kicked the extra point to make it 14-14 and sending the game into overtime.

Rumson won the coin toss and deferred giving the ball to the Mariners at the 25-yard line.

Kazanowsky, who went 15-of-28 for 242 yards and three touchdowns along with three interceptions, hit Carlson for 14 yards on first down but was then picked off by Forsyth on first-and-10 from the 11-yard line handing the ball back to Rumson.

All the Bulldogs needed now was a field goal to win.

Sophomore running back Geoff Schroeder, who started in place of the injured John Volker and was a workhorse carrying the ball 31 times for 119 yards, picked up five and four yards on consecutive carries and Coles got six on a quarterback keeper giving them a first-and-goal at the 10.

Big Myron Ford, who had a monster night with double-digit tackles, dropped Schroeder for a loss and after Coles gained five on a keeper senior running back Peter Crowley lost a yard setting up a fourth-goal at the 7-yard line.

An offsides penalty moved the ball half the distance and Piperno came on to attempt the game-winning 20-yard field goal.

Toms River North then called timeout to ice the kicker just prior to Piperno’s kick that sailed through the uprights and would’ve been good but he was now forced to kick it again. This time the snap was high and Ford burst through the line to block the kick and force a second overtime.

“We tried to ice it and we got it,” said Toms River North head coach Dave Oizerowitz. “We almost didn’t get it (the time out) and the game would’ve been over, the kick was good. But we got it, and it worked out perfect. We brought double pressure off the edge and we just collapsed and Myron Ford got through and he was all over it.”

Rumson got the ball first in the second overtime and on third-and-11 from the 15-yard line Coles executed a perfect play-action fake bootleg to the left and found junior wideout David Livingston all alone in the end zone for the touchdown.

Now down 21-14, the Mariners were looking at a third-and-13 from the 28-yard line after two sacks, but Kazonowsky came through finding Carlson, who made a difficult one-handed grab on Kazonowsky’s throw for the touchdown pulling the Mariners within 21-20.

“I’m a defensive guy so I saw one-on-one coverage with no help over top,” said Carlson. “I know I have to run full speed for it and Kaz just put it right out in front and if you get a fingertip on it you got to catch it.”

Oizerowitz was impressed with his quarterbacks clutch plays in crunch time.

“When the moneys on the line I don’t think there’s a better quarterback in the Shore,” said Oizerowitz when addressing Kazonowsky’s play. “Their secondary is the best in the Shore.”

Oizerowitz decided to go for two and the win which almost backfired as Kazonowsky’s pass into the end zone looked as though it was going to be intercepted by Forsyth. But the ball deflected off his hands and into the arms of a diving Dominick Jacob setting off a wild celebration and pile in the end zone.

“At first I thought it was a bad play for us,” said Jacob. “I ran the route I was supposed to run and saw the defender tip it and the ball was right there so I just dove and caught it and then all my teammates were on top of me. This game was huge.”

Oizerowitz never hesitated making the decision to go for it.

“I’m a ‘Riverboat Gambler’ when it comes to that,” said Oizerowitz. “They played it perfect and I think it was divine intervention to a certain extent. Our field goal kicker was out, so it wasn’t really a gutsy call, it was the only call and Dominick was 'Johnny on the Spot' to make the catch.”

Toms River North dominated the first half out-gaining the Bulldogs 201 yards to 67 with Kazonowsky going 10-of-15 for 167 yards and a touchdown and running back Jordan Grey rushing for 34 yards on 10 carries.

The Bulldogs, however, finished with 329 yards of total offense while the defense recorded three interceptions and six sacks while holding Toms River North to 127 yards of total offense in the second half and overtime.

Rumson’s John Lista, who had 1.5 sacks and an interception along with numourous quarterback pressures, sacked Kazanowsky for an 8-yard loss leaving them with a third-and-17 at their own 33-yard line.

Kazanowsky then threw deep to Carlson at around the Rumson 30 and Carlson hauled in the pass and raced down the left sideline the rest of the way for a 67-yard scoring play.

“It was 0-0 in the second quarter and they called my number and I said, ‘Oh God this is it right here,’” said Carlson. “Kaz couldn’t have put it any better, right in stride down the sideline and I just let my speed do the rest.”

The half ended with the Mariners holding a 7-0 lead and the score stayed that way until Rumson tied the game at the 10:00 mark of the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs went 35 yards in seven plays with Schroeder taking it in from 2-yards out to knot the game at seven.

“We got a gutty team for sure,” said Oizerowitz. “We don’t back down and we don't blink when staring down defeat.”

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