Mainland big plays overcome Middletown South for first NJSIAA football title since 2008
MIDDLETOWN - Cohen Cook is a master of all trades for the Mainland High School football team.
"He's arguably our best athlete in the building at Mainland,'' head coach Chuck Smith said.
Cook, a junior slotback/linebacker and punter, scored two TDs in the first half, had a key fumble recovery in the third quarter and a game-clinching interception and had a solid night punting the ball to help Mainland record a 34-24 win over Middletown South Friday night at "The Swamp'' in the NJSIAA Central Group 4 championship game and win its first sectional title since 2008 and sixth on the field.
"I think you can put a golf ball down right here (on about the 10-yard line on the right side of the "The Swamp'') and he'll put it on the green. I'm not kidding,'' Smith said. "He's a tremendous athlete and a great quality person. He was great on both sides of the ball.''
Cook also plays on Mainland's basketball and baseball teams.
His first half TDs - on a 14-yard run on a third-and-goal, three plays after Mainland blocked a punt on Middletown South's first series, and a 43-yard reception from freshman quarterback John Franchini on a wheel route - kept the Mustangs (10-1) in the game in the first half.
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Then, with Middletown South (8-2) leading 17-14, Cohen ripped off a 40-yard run on the first play of the second half.
"We were feeling good at halftime, and the first play of the second half, they rip off a large run and that put them right back in the game,'' Middletown South coach Steve Antonucci said.
Four plays later, junior running back Stephen Ordille's 11-yard TD run on a trap play gave Mainland the lead for good at 20-17 with 10:15 left in the third quarter.
But, Middletown South was driving to retake the lead when Cook came up with the fumble recovery off an option pitch at the Mustangs' 29 with 6:28 remaining in the third quarter.
Three plays later, Franchini hit a wide-open Jamie Tyson down the middle on a seam pattern for a 70-yard TD and a 27-17 Mainland lead.
"They made us make mistakes. That's how you win championships,'' Antonucci said.
Run until you hear a whistle
The old adage of keep running unless you hear a whistle paid off for Mainland junior outside linebacker Hunter Watson in the fourth quarter.
Middletown South junior quarterback Jake Czwakiel, under pressure, tried to flip the ball forward on a third-and-4 play from the Mainland 31. Watson, with many not sure whether it was a pass or fumble, picked the ball up on the bounce and took off down the right side for a 69-yard fumble return for a TD that extended the Mustangs' lead to 34-17 with 10:26 remaining.
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"A little confusion was going on,'' Watson said. "I just picked it up. I didn't hear a whistle and I took it to the house.''
Turnovers did Middletown South in
Middletown South moved the ball all night. It ran 72 plays from scrimmage to Mainland's 30, and had 425 yards of total offensse including 282 yards rushing, to Mainland's 268. But, in the second half, except for a 79-yard TD run by junior Colin Gallagher, it could not finish drives.
In addition to the two aforementioned lost fumbles, the Eagles also had interceptions on their final two possessions.
"We hadn't turned the ball over all year,'' Antonucci said. "It just wasn't our night.''
Taking the reins off
Franchini does not play like a freshman.
Friday night, he went 5-for-9 for 147 yards and the TD passes to Cook and Tyson.
"We talked about this the other day: The loss to Ocean City (a 21-20 defeat on Sept. 1) opened our eyes that we have to take the handcuffs off of him,'' Smith said. "We really were keeping the handcuffs on him up until that point because we were bringing him along slowly. That really opened eyes that we have to let him loose and let him throw the football.''
Bright future for Middletown South
The Eagles will be one of the Shore Conference's top teams next year. They return many key players, including Gallagher, who is a standout linebacker; Czwakiel, who ran for and threw for over 100 yards; and running back Donovan Summey.
The lessons learned from Friday night could pay off big-time next season.
"You have a couple of guys there, where this is their second one (Middletown South was defeated by Irvington last season in the North 2 Group 4 championship game),'' Antonucci said. "They know how hard it is to get here. For us, to be where we are today took a tremendous amount of effort with the schedule that we played. I couldn't be more proud of these guys. Unfortunately, it wasn't our night.''
Up next
Mainland will meet South Group 4 champion Millville (9-2) next weekend at Cherokee High School in the Group 4 state semifinal.
Middletown South will host sister school Middletown North (3-5) Thanksgiving Day in its season finale.
Mainland 34, Middletown South 24
Mainland 7 7 13 7 - 34
Middletown South 0 17 0 7 - 24
FIRST QUARTER
M: Cohen Cook 14 run (Liam Kennedy kick).
SECOND QUARTER
MS: Donovan Summey 2 run (Czwakiel kick).
M: Cook 43 pass from John Franchini (Kennedy kick).
MS: Czwakiel 1 run (Czwakiel kick).
MS: Czwakiel 20 Field Goal.
THIRD QUARTER
M: Stephen Ordille 11 run (pass failed).
M: Jamie Tyson 70 pass from Franchini (Kennedy kick).
FOURTH QUARTER
M: Hunter Watson 69 fumble return (Kennedy kick).
MS: Gallagher 79 run (Czwakiel kick0.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: M: Cohen Cook 5-64, Ja'Briel Mace 11-34, Stephen Ordille 5-20, Rocco DeBlasio 1-3. MS: Jake Czwakiel 29-142, Colin Gallagher 8-117, Donovan Summey 8-31, Team 1-(-8).
PASSING: M: John Franchini 5-9-0-147. MS: Czwakiel 12-26-2-143.
RECEIVING: M: Jamie Tyson 3-91. Cook 1-43, Mace 1-13. MS: Logan Colleran 5-80, Gallagher 3-37, Summey 2-6, Owen Richter 1-10, Jesse Burbank 1-10.
INTERCEPTIONS: M: Mace, Cook.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Middletown South NJ football falls to Mainland in NJSIAA section final
