Manalapanâ€™s Potentially Historic Season Comes To A Crashing Halt In Hearbreaking Loss By Mike Ready

PISCATAWAY – Manalapan rode its defense to an 11-0 record and a trip to the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV final this season but when they were counted on most it was the defense that let them down.

Clinging to a 14-12 lead with 3:55 remaining in the game, second-seeded South Brunswick was pinned back at their own eight-yard line following a Manalapan punt.

The Vikings (11-1) then proceeded to march 92 yards in 11 plays to take a 18-14 lead when senior quarterback Felix Quinones found senior Jaylon Lawson open on a 17-yard post pattern for the score.

The speedy Lawson was isolated on a linebacker allowing him to gain separation and Quinones put the ball on the money.

“I saw the Manalapan guys run out to cover him,” Quinones said of the play. “I looked and saw Jaylon in the slot and I knew I had to put it in on the spot.”

Quinones’ pass into the end zone on a two-point conversion attempt was intercepted by Chris Pisano giving the Braves (11-1) the ball at the 20 and one last-gasp with 49 seconds remaining in the game.

Not to be denied, the top-seeded Braves almost pulled off the miracle of all miracles but as fate would have it, it was not to be.

With the odds stacked against them, the Manalapan offense took over at the 20-yard line with 49 seconds left in the game.

Senior quarterback Luke Corcione found senior wide receiver Scott Scherzer on back-to-back completions and a defensive holding penalty gave the Braves a first down at the South Brunswick 49 with 32 seconds to play.

Corcione then hit wide receiver Symir Blacknall for 20 yards and a first down at the 29-yard line with 10 seconds remaining.

It was “Pandemonium in Piscataway II” as fans on both sides of the stadium were now going berserk as they made their way to the line of scrimmage.

Corcione faded back to pass and spotted star running back Naim Mayfield open in the back of the end zone before lofting a perfect pass that Mayfield gobbled up for what appeared to be the winning touchdown and a fairy tale ending to Manalapan’s perfect season.

But hold on, incredibly, Mayfield was whistled for pushing off the defender to gain separation and the touchdown was nullified.

“I’m not going to complain about the call, but I thought Naim made a great adjustment on the ball,” Manalapan head coach Ed Gurrieri said when asked about the push-off call. “I’m not going to cry over spilled milk, they made the plays and we didn’t. Naim made a great adjustment on the ball. He high pointed and he turned his body. He came back and caught the ball. Whether it was a push-off or not, I don’t know.”

Corcione’s last ditch “Hail Mary” fell incomplete and Manalapan’s dream of going undefeated with a state championship vanished as quickly as the official flag disappeared into his pocket.

“We talked about being where we wanted to be,” said Quinones, who threw for 179 yards and three touchdowns along with picking up another 41 yards on the ground. “We fought all season long just to be in this moment.”

It was the Braves’ seventh sectional final appearance, including their sixth in the last seven years; however, their only sectional title came in 2014 when they beat South Brunswick, 21-7, in the Central Jersey Group V final.

Manalapan scored on the opening possession of the game going 73 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead on Mayfield’s 34-yard touchdown run. Mayfield took a handoff from Corcione before breaking it to the outside and outrunning the nearest defender down the right sideline for the score.

On the drive, Corcione connected with Scherzer for six and 12 yards with the latter going for a first down on third-and-7 at the South Brunswick 46 setting up Mayfield’s TD run on the next play.

On South Brunswick’s ensuing possession, Quinones completed a 32-yard pass to Justin Shorter on second-and-8 from their own 32 giving them a first down at the Manalapan 36-yard line. Senior defensive end Da-Shon Taylor then brought Quinones down for a five-yard sack before a six-yard run by Shorter and two incompletions, the latter coming on fourth-and-9 from the 35, turned the ball back over to the Braves.

Manalapan then went three-and-out and punted with South Brunswick taking over at their own 28. Three plays netted three yards after a false start and the Vikings were forced to punt on fourth-and-seven from the 31.

Mike Slover’s 29-yard punt was fielded by Mayfield at the near hash marks around the Manalapan 40-yard line and he raced untouched down the right sideline for a 60-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead after David Gelb’s PAT.

But that was all the scoring Manalapan’s offense would produce the rest of the day as South Brunswick scored three unanswered touchdowns.

Following Mayfield’s punt return, the Vikings answered right back putting together an 11-play, 85-yard scoring drive with Quinones connecting with Dylan Kriz for a 14-yard score. The two-point attempt failed and the score stood, 14-6.

The Braves took over at their own 33 and managed to advance to the Viking 33 but on fourth-and-15 in punt formation the ball was snapped over Gelb’s head and South Brunswick took over at the Braves 33.

Seven plays later Shorter hauled in a 10-yard Quinones pass for a touchdown and the Viking pulled within 14-12 with 17 seconds left in the half after another failed two-point conversion attempt.

Manalapan then held onto the lead until that fateful South Brunswick touchdown drive that put them ahead for good.

“Nobody has defensed us like that since last year in the final,” Gurrieri said. “When we were in our double tight formation, we couldn’t even pop anything all day. Hopefully we’re back next year.”