“My Thoughts”

Charles McDevitt

Monday, 11-17-2003

Woodbridge advances in the NJSIAA, North Jersey 2 - Group 4 Playoffs!

You couldn’t tell by looking at the scoreboard, but when you dig deep into the statistics, Woodbridge (#5) dominated in their 21-20 victory over heavily favored Bayonne (#4) in their Round 1, NJSIAA, NJ2 - G4 Playoff game up in Hudson County.

The Barrons Defensive unit allowed a meager 25 yards rushing! They registered 6 tackles for losses and got 2 sacks at the most important moments of the game. Woodbridge surrendered 119 yards in the air, 100 yards of that came on a 70 and 30 yard TD pass, limiting the Bees to 19 passing yards for the remainder of the evening.

Offensively, the Barrons registered 141 yards rushing behind the workhorse tailback Keith Zalasar, 94 yards on 20 carries, and fullback Rick Mozolic’s 39 yards on 9 carries. Woodbridge also put 113 yards in the air with a 5 for 8 effort, with Zalasar registered a 75 yard pass completion on the first play of the game to DJ Pryor.

So you ask, why was the game so close if Woodbridge stymied the Bayonne offense, and was able to move the ball to the tune of 254 total yards? The answer: fumble, interception, field position and maybe some early game time jitters by Woodbridge. Unfortunately for Bayonne, the Barrons shed their first quarter malaise and pretty much shut the door on the Bees for the remainder of the game.

1^st Quarter: Woodbridge received the opening kick off and returned it to the

W-25 yard line. On the first play, quarterback Brian Casey handed the ball to Keith Zalasar who began to run around the right end. But instead of turning up field, Zalasar fired a pass to wide receiver DJ Pryor at the W-49 yard line. Pryor caught the pass in full stride and out ran the Bayonne defense for a Woodbridge TD. PAT Good.

Woodbridge 7 – Bayonne 0.

Bayonne was unable to move the ball on their first possession, but did manage to get a great punt off that pinned Woodbridge downed at the W-1. After three and out by the Barrons, a poor punt gave the ball back to Bayonne on the W-19. Three plays later, Shamar Graves picked of a Bees pass ending the Bayonne threat. On the very next play, Bayonne recovered a fumble by the usually sure handed Zalasar at the W-30. Bayonne capitalized on the turnover by throwing a 30 yard TD pass on their first play. PAT Good.

Woodbridge 7 – Bayonne 7.

Woodbridge took the ensuing kick off and began moving the ball efficiently until a Bayonne interception. Woodbridge center Brad Kotuski ran the Bayonne player down and put a jarring hit on him, forcing him out at the W-4. Two plays later, Bayonne scored on a naked bootleg around the left end. PAT Good. End 1^st Quarter.

Bayonne 14 – Woodbridge 7.

2^nd Quarter: Woodbridge took possession and drove eleven plays to the B-22 where they stalled. A field-goal attempt by Woodbridge was foiled by a Bayonne defender who has slipped around left end. The holder, Brian Casey, attempted to run for yardage but was tackled short of a first down.

Bayonne took over on downs. Following a huge sack by Woodbridge, putting Bayonne at the B-30 with 3^rd and 16 yards for a first down, the Bees threw a bomb down the right sideline. The Woodbridge defender, Josh Rock, appeared to be pushed by the Bayonne wide-receiver giving himself a 1 yard separation and a catch and run for a 70 yard TD. Although Rock complained, no flag was thrown. The PAT was blocked by DJ Pryor. A huge play for the Barrons!

Bayonne 20 – Woodbridge 7.

A final possession by Woodbridge ended with five plays and no scoring. End 1^st Half.

Bayonne 20 – Woodbridge 7.

3^rd Quarter: After three plays by the Bayonne team, including 2 tackles for losses, the Bees punted. Woodbridge drove for four plays and then punted. Bayonne took possession on the B-36. On the Bees first play, Woodbridge linebacker Ryan Mozolic stripped the ball out of the hands of the Bayonne running back and returned the ball for a TD. PAT Good.

Bayonne 20 – Woodbridge 14.

Following the Woodbridge score, Bayonne went three and out. They punted to the Barrons who started at the W-21. Keith Zalasar then put a spark into the offense when he took a handoff around the left end for a 43 yard gain. Woodbridge then drove to the B-9 as time ran out in the 3^rd Quarter. End 3^rd Quarter.

Bayonne 20 – Woodbridge 14.

4^th Quarter: After a penalty on Woodbridge for illegal procedure and moving the ball back to the B-14, quarterback Brian Casey threw a pass to Ryan Mozolic in the back of the end zone for a Barrons TD. PAT Good.

Woodbridge 21 – Bayonne 20.

On the ensuing kick off, Bayonne took the ball to the W-30 on a great return. Bayonne moved the ball to the W-19 and it looked like they would be able to set up a winning FG, but the Barrons defense rose to the challenge. After a tackle for a loss and another huge sack, Bayonne found themselves on the W-23, 4^th and 14 with 6:00 on the clock. The Bees elected to try a field-goal. The Barrons DJ Pryor exploded into the back field and blocked the kick sending the ball rolling toward midfield. Ryan Mozolic pounced on the loose ball at the W-37.

The Woodbridge offense then drove the ball to the B-21, 4^th and 8 with 2:13 on the clock. A pass by the Barrons fell incomplete and Bayonne took over on downs. A penalty for illegal procedure against the Bees pushed the ball back to the B-16. Two plays later, Bayonne tried to burn the Woodbridge defender Josh Rock again along the right sideline. Both Rock and Keith Zalasar were positioned perfectly though and Zalasar picked off the pass for the second interception of the night by the Barrons. Woodbridge took two knees by the quarterback, and with no time outs to stop the clock, The Woodbridge Barrons defeated the Bayonne Bees by a final score of 21-20.

The Barrons have been a second half team all season and they showed true determination in this game. The Woodbridge motto of “Refuse to Lose!” is most appropriate. The Piscataway Chiefs come calling again on Friday Night,

11-21-2003 at 7pm at Nicholas Priscoe Stadium in Woodbridge. Woodbridge defeated Piscataway on October 17^th,

17-14 in OT. The winner will advance to the NJSIAA Championship Game against either Union or Bridgewater-Raritan on December 6^th in either the Meadowlands or Rutgers Stadium.

My Prediction: Woodbridge 21 – Piscataway 17