Point Boro Beats Holmdel On Its Own Turf

The Point Pleasant Boro football team had its first win of the 2011 season, beating Holmdel 30-20 in a Shore Conference nondivisional game in Holmdel on Friday evening.

In a tale of two halves, the Panthers and Hornets were engaged in a fast-paced offensive shootout in the first half, when they combined to score 47 of the game’s 50 points. In the second half it was the defenses that reigned supreme, particularly the defense of Point Boro.

The Panthers (1-1) held Holmdel scoreless in the second half and had two crucial fourth-quarter interceptions of Holmdel quarterback Matt Muh that proved to be instrumental in sealing the win.

“Our coaches did a great job with our defense and making some adjustments in the second half, and our kids responded,” Point Boro head coach Sean Henry said. “We were able to put up some points in the first half, but it was our defense that won us this game. They were able to bail our offense out in the second half.”

Point Borough wasted no time getting on the scoreboard early. Following a three-and-out by Holmdel, a botched punt gave the Panthers the ball on the 1-yard line. From there quarterback John Dunbar sneaked home the game’s first touchdown.

The Panthers appeared poised to seize control of the game late in the first quarter, but a fumble gave Holmdel the ball inside the 20, in what was the first of nine total turnovers by both teams.

The Hornets capitalized on the excellent field position on an 11-yard touchdown reception by Mark Scherzer that knotted the score at seven.

The Panthers responded with a four-play, 62-yard scoring drive capped by a 44-yard touchdown run by Dunbar.

“It was an option and my line was able to block downfield perfectly for me,” said Dunbar. “Once I saw a few of those guys down the field, I knew that I was taking it to the house.”

Dunbar rushed for 125 of his 214 yards in the first half.

Following Dunbar’s second score, the Panthers never trailed, but they did to trade a pair of touchdowns with the Hornets in a wild second quarter.

A 28-yard touchdown by Jack Vitale gave the Panthers a two-score lead early in the second quarter, but Holmdel responded with a 77-yard touchdown reception by Tim McDonnell.

Midway through the quarter, it appeared the Panthers were once again poised to seize control of the game, when Ryan Prout recovered a fumble and turned it into a 20-yard touchdown.

However yet again Holmdel was able to hang around, after Robbie Cantelli returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown, which sent Holmdel into the half only down a touchdown.

“We talk a lot about starting fast and we were able to do that,” Henry said. “We didn’t make things easy on ourselves by making some mistakes and missing some tackles, but give Holmdel credit. They kept putting the pressure on us.”

In the second half, Point’s defense controlled the Holmdel offense. Late in the fourth quarter, Muh had one last chance to bring his team back, but was intercepted by Kevin O’Connor.

O’Connor’s interception set up a 32-yard Brett Blank field goal, which stretched the Panthers lead to 10 points.

“Even on a fourth-and-2, there was no doubt about kicking the field goal there,” said Henry. “Brett Blank is an up-and-coming kicker, we have all the faith in the world in him and he was able to come through for us tonight.”

For the Point Boro coaches and players, the bitter defeat of the opening-night loss to Manasquan last Friday night can finally be erased.

“It was nice to get this one, but there are a lot of things that we need to work on to get better,” Henry said. “In my opinion we can always get better, week in and week out and that’s what we’re going to strive to do.”

Point Boro will look to improve its record to 2-1 on the season next Friday night at Jackson Liberty High School against the Lions.