Ocean unbeaten football season ends; Tyler Douglas unable to play due to shoulder injury

OCEAN - What had been a dream season for Ocean and senior quarterback Tyler Douglas ended in injury and heart break Friday night at Carelli Field

With Douglas unable to play due to a left shoulder injury, and two other starters sidelined and several more playing with injuries, Ocean was defeated 34-7 by Burlington Township in a NJSIAA South Group 3 quarterfinal.

Douglas, a Temple University recruit, was a major reason Ocean was 8-0 entering the game and won the Shore Conference Freedom Division championship.

The injury was to his non-throwing shoulder. Douglas said he will not have to undergo surgery. He watched the game from the sidelines in uniform but with no pads on.

"It's a level 1 AC joint. It's a sprain in that AC joint,'' Douglas said. "It's nothing major right now, but we were looking forward at the potential of it getting worse, and if it does get worse, what would be the precaution that would keep me back from my future. There could be potential surgery going forward, if it got worse.

"It was a real close call. I really wanted to play. But, you've got to look forward to the future. ''

Ocean coach Don Klein said the injury would have prevented from Douglas from being able do everything he had during the season, when he ran for 1,031 yards and 15 TDs and threw for 1,257 yards and 13 TDs.

"The injury itself isn't a terrible injury,'' Klein said. "There is a style of football that Tyler plays, and it's an attack mode constantly. To put a harness on that is difficult. With the inability to have a lot of mobility, at this point, coming off a long season and with just a couple of days of recovery, the decision was made collectively to sit him tonight.''

Junior Bobby Paglia took Douglas' place and threw for 50 yards, including a 21-yard TD pass to senior receiver Matteo Andrews.

Frustration of only being able to watch

Douglas could only watch was as Ocean (8-1), after scoring on an impressive 60-yard drive, 10-play drive on the game's opening possession, could not finish any other drive off.

The Spartans missed a chance to go up two scores early in the second quarter when a drive stalled at the Falcons' 16 and a 33-yard field goal was wide to the right.

Burlington Township (4-6) then took control of the game with three TDs in the second quarter.

The Falcons, led by 143 yards and two TDs from senior running back Naquan Jones, rushed for 223 yards. Sophomore quarterback Baron Davis threw for 135 yards and two TDs, including a 73-yard catch and run by senior fullback David Schley, and had a 1-yard sneak for a TD.

Ocean could only wonder what might have been had Douglas been able to play.

"I get a question a lot about where Tyler ranks among the greatest players we've had, he's right there. He's a legend in our program,'' Klein said. "He's had one of the most unbelievable seasons in the history of our program, if not the greatest individual season. It was a blessing to have coached him. It's going to be a blessing to watch him at the next level and continue to do his thing.

"Obviously, it's very disappointing that he wasn't able to compete tonight in this setting.''

Ocean hit by injuries at the wrong time

The latter part of the season was tough on the injury front for the Spartans.

Also, unable to play Friday night were senior running back/defensive back C.J. Flannigan (knee) and junior defensive back Stephen Falco (tibia injury Oct. 14 against Middletown North).

Among those who played with injuries were senior running back/defensive back Caleb Thompson (hand that required a cast); Andrews (shoulder) and two-way lineman William Canavan.

Klein, who finished his 16th season as the Spartans head coach and is the school's all-time winningest coach with 89, had tears in his eyes during his post-game talk to his team as he was telling them how proud he was to have coached them.

"I've been pretty consistent with the message throughout in talking about this football team and how hard we played week-to-week, how much we care about each other,'' Klein said. "I think that love carried us to a perfect season prior to tonight. It kind of restored our program to where it belongs in my opinion, which is in the top 10 in the Shore Conference.''

Up next

Burlington Township will play at Hopewell Valley (9-0) next Friday in a NJSIAA South Group 3 quarterfinal. Ocean's season has concluded.

Burlington Township 34, Ocean 7

Burlington Township 0 21 7 6 - 34

Ocean 7 0 0 0 - 7

First quarter

O: Andrews 21 pass from Bobby Paglia (Michael Sorrentino kick).

Second quarter

BT: David Schley 73 pass from Baron Davis (Quayd Hendryx kick).

BT: Naquan Jones 6 run (Hendryx kick).

BT: Jordan Barclay 13 pass from Davis (Hendryx kick).

Third quarter

BT: Jones 4 run (Hendryx kick).

Fourth quarter

BT: Davis 1 run (pass failed).

Statistics

Rushing - BT: Naquan Jones 26-143, David Schley 9-67, Baron Davis 6-17, Quayd Hendrtyx 1-(-4). O: Nicolas Iacouzzi 19-96, Caleb Thompson 7-73, Shane Garrett 3-10.

Passing - BT: Davis 4-7-0-135. O: Bobby Paglia 5-9-0-50.

Receiving - BT: Nasir Harris 2-49, Schley 1-73,Barclay 1-13, O: Matteo Andrews 2-40, James Sobieski 2-13, Iacouzzi 1 (-3).

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore NJ Football: Ocean unbeaten season ends without Tyler Douglas