DONOVAN CATHOLIC MOVES TO 5-0 WITH 35-0 ROUT OF RED BANK

 DONOVAN CATHOLIC MOVES TO 5-0 WITH 35-0 ROUT OF RED BANK

By Mike Ready
 
RED BANK – The Griffins moved to 5-0 for the first time since 1992, when the team finished 9-2 under head coach Dennis Toddings and advanced to the NJSIAA Non-Public South A championship game – the only final appearance in program history – before they were defeated by Holy Cross.
 
Donovan Catholic (5-0, 3-0) posted their fourth shutout in five games and after Friday night’s 35-0 drubbing of host Red Bank Regional (3-2, 1-2)  they’ve outscored their five opponents by a combined score of 201-14.
 
The Griffins take over sole possession of first place in the Liberty Divsion, one game up on Lacey (4-1, 2-1) and Holmdel (3-1, 2-1).
 
Those are impressive numbers, no matter how you look at it, but if you ask anyone on the team, every last one of them will tell you they haven’t come close to playing the perfect game and have a lot to improve upon.
 
“I want us to play better and the kids want to play better which is the most important part,” said Donovan Catholic head coach Dan Curcione. “We have a lot of work to do. They’re hard-working kids and they want to be better and keep getting better. I think the sky’s the limit with us. We’ve got to put together a sharper game, but I’m happy with the kids; their effort is great.”
 
Senior quarterback Ryan Clark wasn’t satisfied either, despite having another solid game for the Griffins completing 10-of-14 passes for 107 yards and rushing for 37 tough-yards on 12 carries, including touchdown runs of one and 14 yards.
 
“We have not played our best game yet,” said Clark. “There’s a lot of things we can improve on as a team and as an organization. We have to keep our heads up high and not take anyone lightly and keep getting after it every single day.”
 
One of those things Curcione would like to see his team improve on is cutting down on the penalties. Friday night the Griffins had six penalties for 70 yards, including three 15-yarders that almost cost them some points.
 
With time winding down in the first half and the Griffins holding a 14-0 lead, Red Bank Regional was facing a third-and-8 at their own 36-yard line when sophomore defensive end Dominick Brogna burst through the line to sack Bucs quarterback Jack Chamberlain for a 6-yard loss forcing a punt.
 
On the ensuing punt, however, the Griffins were called for a 15-yard facemask penalty giving new life to the Bucs with a first down at the 45.
 
A 9-yard run by junior quarterback Owen Laughlin gave the Bucs another first down at the Griffins 43, but on first down, Brogna bull-rushed his way into the backfield for his second sack of Chamberlain – this one for four yards.
 
Then, on third-and-14, Ethan Capone and Thomas Buxton combined to sack Chamberlain for the third time in this possession before the Bucs turned the ball over on downs coming up short on fourth down.
 
Brogna led a stout defensive effort that held the Bucs to just 41 yards rushing and 98 total yards of offense. Brogna recorded double-digit tackles, including two sacks and four tackles for loss.
 
“Our defense comes to play every week,” said Brogna. “We’re dominating teams on both sides of the ball. They were driving on us and we gave up stupid penalties on defense but I just shot the gap and got the sack and we just dominated from there. The whole defense just flew around to the ball and made plays tonight.”
 
Curcione liked what he saw of his defense Friday night, too.
 
“That was definitely a huge point in the game,” added Curcione referring to the three sacks that squashed Red Bank's scoring threat. “I thought our defense played pretty fast tonight and came out pretty aggressive. But we gave them a lot of extended possessions on stupid penalties and that’s stuff we have to clean up. But I thought we were pretty good on third down getting after them.”
 
Clark agreed. “The defense is flying around. They’re getting after it every single day in practice. They’re really doing their job giving up only 14 points in five games. We’re going to ride them and they’ll ride us.”
 
That defensive stand turned out to be a turning point of the game.

 
Following the turnover on downs, the Griffins took over at their own 36-yard line with three minutes left in the first half and drove 64 yards in six plays for a score. Senior Nasir Calhoun, who finished with 64-yards rushing on eight carries and a touchdown, capped off the drive with a nifty 41-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 where he broke at least four tackles on his way to the endzone.
 
“Nasir did a phenomenal job putting another score up,” said Clark. “We really needed that on fourth down and he gave us the momentum that we really needed going into the half.”
 
“He’s a big strong kid when he gets going,” Curcione said of Calhoun. “When he gets going he’s tough to bring down.”
 
That gave the Griffins a 21-0 halftime lead and they never looked back.
 
Red Bank fumbled on their first possession of the game and the Griffins turned it into points.
 
Taking over at their own 47, they marched 53 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead. Clark hit junior wide receiver Trevor Pruitt for a 30-yard pickup to give them a first-and-goal at the 10. Two plays later Clark ran it in standing up from a yard out.
 
On their second scoring drive of the game, junior Jahdir Loftland had an 18-yard run and Clark found senior wideout Andre Laney for 14 yards before junior James Bivins took a pitch from Clark and ran it in from the 3-yard line for a 14-0 lead with 8:22 left in the first half.
 
Taking a 21-0 lead into the second half, the Griffins drove to the 11-yard line on their first possession of the half. But on fourth-and-goal from the 11, Keon Torres’ 38-yard field-goal attempt was wide left by a hair. Junior tight end Ethan Capone had receptions of 18 and eight that kept the drive alive.
 
Red Bank then took over at the 20 and were forced to punt on fourth-and-7 from the 23. Punter Nick Ferrogine, however, tucked the ball in and scampered eight yards just barely picking up a first down at the 31-yard line. Laney ended that threat by picking off Chamberlain on second-and-8 and returning it to the Bucs 48-yard line.
 
Donovan Catholic once again turned a turnover into points going 48 yards in eight plays with Clark scoring on a 14-yard keeper around right end for a 28-0 lead with 11:51 left in the game.
 
“Ryan’s everything you ask for in a quarterback,” said Curcione. “He’s got a lot on his plate every game as a dual threat. He runs hard like a fullback with the speed of a tailback and can throw the ball. I’m glad he’s on our team that’s for sure.”
 
On the Bucs ensuing possession on second-and-16 from the 14-yard line, Loftland sacked Laughlin for 7-yard loss – the Griffins fourth of the game. Following an 8-yard run by Chamberlain, the Bucs were looking at a fourth-and-15 from the 15-yard line and decided to punt, which may not have been such a good idea.
 
Chamberlain shanked his punt and as it was bouncing around at the 20-yard line, senior Xavier Ellis scooped up the ball and rambled down the left sideline for the score and a 35-0 lead.
 
Loftland rushed for 37 yards on five attempts while Laney had three catches for 31 yards and an interception, Pruitt had two receptions for 35 receptions and Capone had two for 26 yards.
 
“I didn’t like the start we had last week and we kind of harped on that at practice this week,” said Curcione. “And the kids responded by putting in a great week of practice and had great work ethic.”
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