NJ football playoffs: Long Branch storms back to win bowl game

EAST RUTHERFORD - Long Branch found itself in unfamiliar territory on Saturday night — facing an early deficit.

The Green Wave, who entered Saturday standing at 11-1, were down 17-0 to Shawnee early in the second quarter of the first ever NJSIAA Group IIII Central-South Jersey Bowl game. Long Branch simply could not stop Joey Dalsey and the Renegades on defense and struggled to move the ball offensively.

Then a switch flipped. Long Branch stormed back, scoring 20 unanswered points, and won 20-17 in the final New Jersey high school football game of the year.

Long Branch took the lead midway through the third quarter and never looked back.

“This team has jumped every hurdle the entire year,” said Long Branch head coach Dan George. “Just when you thought we’re out, that something wasn’t going to work, they found a way to win, and I think it starts with great leadership and a belief in the system that it’s going to take care of us, and it did … that was a program win.”

Bowl Game:Maldjian, McCarthy spark Rumson's offense, defense strong in win

What it means

The victory pushes Long Branch to a final record of 12-1, the first time the program reached the 12-win mark in its history. It's a good argument for this being the greatest team in school history, with the main competition being the undefeated 1986 squad which won the program’s first state sectional title.

“It’s the greatest (Long Branch team) I’ve been around, absolutely,” George said. “The ‘86 guys — which my brother was the captain of — they were 11-0, ended up No. 2 in the state. So they would probably have something to say about it. In our defense, we won 12 games.”

Shawnee saw its four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday, falling to 6-7 on the year. The Renegades did well to recover from a 2-6 start, winning four straight en route to a state title, a bowl game appearance and a respectable record.

Key play

After Long Branch scored on the opening drive of the second half, it recovered a muffed kick return from Shawnee at the Renegades’ 30-yard line. Four plays later, Green Wave quarterback Marc Dennis found wide receiver Matthew Clarke wide open in the end zone on third-and-1 to take a 20-17 lead.

By the numbers

► Long Branch collected just under 200 total yards without committing a turnover.

► Shawnee racked up 240 total yards but gave up three turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble on a muffed kick return.

Game balls

► Long Branch quarterback Marc Dennis came out firing in the second half. He finished the game with 126 yards and a touchdown on 11-for-16 passing.

► Shawnee’s Joey Dalsey dominated in all aspects. He accounted for 17 points with two touchdowns and a field goal, 109 total yards and racked up double-digit tackles at the linebacker spot.

► Long Branch running back Jermaine Corbett became the second player in program history to reach 2,000 rushing yards in a season — his brother Dahmiere Willis in 2014 was the first — with a 66-rushing yard, two-touchdown performance.

They said it

“It means a lot because my brother broke the 2,000 (mark). My lineman told me they got me and we’re going to get this 2K, and we got it.” — junior running back Jermaine Corbett on breaking the 2,000 yard single-season mark

“I love these guys, they love each other, they love themselves and they love their coaches. That chemistry is special. It’s what’s right about high school sports. It’s what we do what we do — to get to this pinnacle.” — Long Branch head coach Dan George

Long Branch 20, Shawnee 17

Shawnee 14 3 0 0 – 17

Long Branch 0 7 13 0 - 20

First Quarter

SHAW - Dalsey 17-yard rush (kick good)

Dalsey 14-yard pass from Matt Welsey (kick good)

Second Quarter

SHAW - Dalsey 31-yard field goal

LB - Corbett 6-yard rush (kick good)

Third Quarter

LB - Corbett 1-yard rush (kick good)

Clarke 20-yard pass from Dennis (kick blocked)

Fourth Quarter

None

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — LB Jermaine Corbett 19-66, 2 TD’s; SHAW Dalsey 13-86.

PASSING — LB Marc Dennis 126 yards, 1 TD on 11-16 passing. SHAW Matt Welsey 158 yards, 1 TD, 2 interceptions on 13-23 passing.

RECEIVING — LB Che-czar Lovett 3-11, Matthew Clarke 3-38 1 TD, Jermaine Corbett 1-16, Zahdierr Blueford 1-29; SHAW Dalsey 3-35, Nate Summerville 2-31

INTERCEPTIONS  — LB William Levy, Devyn Blount