High School Football:
Overbrook's Defense Shuts Down Millville

Saturday, November 21, 1998

By Gary Steiner
SJSports Staff Writer

The seventh-seeded Millville Thunderbolts came to Overbrook looking to upset the top-seeded Rams in the Group 4 semifinals. Millville had upset then undefeated Ocean City just two weeks earlier. But this Overbrook team was on a mission, and their defense stepped up to keep the Thunderbolts' from scoring until there was only 45 seconds left in the game. The Rams moved on to the finals with a 21-6 victory.

The Thunderbolts had opportunities to score, but Overbrook's defense would not let them in. Early in the 1st quarter, Millville recovered a fumble on the Overbrook 36-yard line. The Rams stopped them on a 4th and 7 at the 16. Then Millville blocked a punt to get a 1st and 10 at the Overbrook 21, but were stopped when the Rams' Byron Brown intercepted a pass in the end zone. The interception was followed two plays later by Overbrook's Jamison Young taking a hand-off and running it in for a 54-yard touchdown. Young then kicked the point after to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.

In the 2nd quarter, Millville again found scoring opportunities, but each time was stopped short. A drive that started at the Millville 27-yard line ended on a 4th and 12 at the Overbrook 15. A fumble gave the ball back to the Thunderbolts on the Overbrook 23-yard line. But then the Rams' defense got three successive sacks, pieces of which belonged to Jamison Young, Brian Widmayer, Dan Bogusezewski, and Darnell Scott, forcing Millville to punt on a 4th and 28. Millville again got the ball back on a fumble, but was only able to drive down to the Overbrook 37-yard line before the half ran out.

In the 3rd quarter, after exchanging punts, Overbrook was driving when Millville's Robert Jordan stripped the ball from Jamison Young to give the Thunderbolts a 1st and 10 at their own 29. Three plays later on a screen attempt, the ball was dropped as a reverse pass and recovered by the Rams' Andre Cantey. Two plays after that Joseph Wilson ran the ball in from 29 yards out for the touchdown. Young added the point after to make it 14-0. Millville would go three and out, followed by a poor punt into the strong wind to give the Rams the ball on the Millville 26-yard line. Five plays later, Jamison Young ran it in from 7 yards out for the touchdown. The point after made it 21-0 with 10:16 left in the game.

Millville avoided the shut out when Robert Jordan caught a tipped pass in the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown with 45 seconds left in the game. The PAT kick was wide right, leaving the score 21-6. An onsides kickoff attempt failed, and Overbrook just let the clock run out to end the game.

Photos by Art Redd