CNkeyport

Keyport capitalized on several late penalties and turnovers yesterday to advance to the Central Jersey Group I final for the third straight season with a 23-8 win over Colts Neck.

The Red Raiders (9-0), who face South River for the sectional title, remained one of the Shore Conference's three unbeaten teams.

The game was familiar to the teams' earlier meeting, a 20-7 Keyport win on Oct. 28. In both games Keyport pulled away late to hold off the upstart Cougars, who are in their first year of play at the varsity level.

Trailing 16-0 at the half, the Cougars' defense stifled Keyport throughout most of the second half, holding the Red Raiders to 37 yards rushing. In the earlier meeting, the Cougars' mistakes also proved costly.

After forcing Keyport to punt from deep in its territory on the first defensive series of the final quarter, Colts Neck cut the lead to 16-8 with 4:29 remaining on quarterback Brad Emmons' 2-yard touchdown run followed by fullback Mike Marziotto's two-point conversion run. On the ensuing kickoff, Colts Neck attempted an onside kick, but it was ruled to have gone less than 10 yards, and the Red Raiders took over at midfield.

On a third-and-7, the Cougars stopped Ken Cattouse after 5 yards, but a facemask penalty gave Keyport a first down on the Cougar 25.

On the next play, with 2:50 left in the game, junior Jamie Gutridge put the game out of reach with a 25-yard dash down the right sideline for his second touchdown of the day.

Cattouse opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run on the Red Raiders' second possession of the game, at 4:21 of the first quarter. Gutridge added a 34-yard run with 10:14 left in the first half. Then, with 3:50 left in the half, Keyport defensive back Sean Toran brought down Obi Nkwuo for a safety that extended the Red Raiders' lead to 16. Toran added an interception that would thwart the Cougars' deepest penetration of the game early in the final quarter.

The cold and windy conditions all but eliminated a passing game. After completing three of five attempts for 32 yards in the first half, Keyport senior Rich Cline attempted no passes in the second half. And Dezmin Laing, Keyport's game-breaking receiver, was held in check with one reception for 10 yards. Emmons had one completion for 10 yards and two interceptions.

"We're getting better with every day of practice," Toran said. "With the bye week and having already played them before, we were ready for them."

"I feel good about being unbeaten, because nobody thought we would be here without (graduate Malcolm Postell)," Gutridge said. "We're like top dogs now."

Mike Ciccotelli, in his 22nd year coaching the Red Raiders, agreed with his players.

"These guys came here with an attitude this year," he said. "A lot of people said, 'You're not gonna get there,' but this team said, 'We'll prove you wrong.' We were more ready for them this time around, and they were more ready for us. The game came out the same way, except we scored in the first half this time."