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Swamped: Stopping
2-point try at end gives
Eagles victory over Raiders
Published in the Asbury Park
Press 11/04/00
By SCOTT STUMP
STAFF WRITER
MIDDLETOWN -- The game should've been over after
a huge fourth-quarter touchdown throw on fourth down by Middletown South's
Nick Ernst last night at The Swamp. But the Eagles knew that it wasn't
going to be that easy, not with the way things were going against Colin
Gaynor and Toms River East.
The host Eagles, on the verge of their fourth overtime game of the season,
thwarted a two-point conversion attempt with 1:02 left in the game to walk
away with a wild 32-30 nondivisional victory over the No. 2 Raiders (6-2).
Both teams came away with points on every one of
their second-half possessions, answering each other with one big play
after another as the lead changed hands six times in the game.
The No. 7 Eagles (7-1) took advantage of a costly
offsides penalty against the Raiders to put themselves up for good with
4:38 left in the game. South was going to attempt a 27-yard field goal,
but the penalty turned a fourth-and-6 into a fourth-and-two at the
Raiders' 3 so the Eagles decided to go for it.
Ernst rolled out and kept the ball until the last
second before hitting Moqut Ruffins for a touchdown. Rod Murchie's kick
made it 32-24. It was Ruffins' second score of the night after a 57-yard
strike on South's second possession of the game.
"I rolled right and gave a little pump
(fake) and the (defender) came off me a little bit," Ernst said.
"Moqut was open, so I figured why not give it to the big 6-4
kid."
"We had been driving well all game, so we
had a lot of confidence going into the end of the game," Ruffins
said.
But with Gaynor at the helm, the Raiders are
never out of it.
Gaynor completed four of six passes on the
ensuing drive to march the Raiders 70 yards in 3:26 and bring them within
two, finishing the drive by hitting Damon Barr for an 8-yard score on
fourth-and-goal. He threw for three touchdowns and ran for another,
finishing with 383 yards passing, 140 of which went to junior Jason
DeGennaro.
"Colin did a great job of putting the ball
in there, I just don't know what happened," said Raiders wideout
Chris Venuto (11 catches, 128 yards).
"They're a great offensive team,"
Eagles coach Steve Antonucci said. "They spread the ball around and
Gaynor makes things happen. Our defense just made the plays when it had
to."
East led 14-12 at halftime but the Eagles took
the lead on a 1-yard quarterback keeper by Ernst with 6:26 left in the
third quarter.
The Raiders then took a 21-18 lead on a Gaynor
rushing touchdown before Eagles junior Bill Doll scored on a 68-yard pass
reception to make it 25-21.
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