2008-11-06 / Sports

Pee Wee football teams earn titles

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer

Shaquan Reed scored three touchdowns as the unbeaten Brick Mustang Midgets won the Jersey Shore Pop Warner playoff championship while the Brick Dragons Junior Pee Wee White team remained unscored upon while earning another title for the township over the weekend.

The Mustang Midgets rolled to a 26-6 victory over Point Pleasant as Reid was on the receiving end of touchdown passes covering 20 and 50 yards from Ryan Cieplinski in the first half before tacking on a 97-yard fumble runback off a jarring hit by Tom Sindel in the third quarter.

"The boys played unbelievable," said Mustangs coach Gerry Spanola, who also is the program's football commissioner. "In the past, they had so many slow starts but this time, they had a great start. That team blitzed and the offensive line did a good job of picking them up and holding them off."

Reid made two interceptions while Cody Pinho, Rich Kuhn, Kevin McCrossan and Anthony Miller also bolstered the defense.

Kyle Wojtaszak scored both Dragons Pee Wee White touchdowns in their 12-0 victory over Jackson in the final quarter on runs of three and 20 yards. It was a rematch of their regular season finale when Brick won, 6-0, also on a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Both Brick teams advance into regional play, with the Mustang Midgets playing the Montgomery Wildcats at Toms River East High School on Sunday at 11 a.m. The Dragons Junior Pee Wees played their region opener on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Jackson against the Hunterdon Huskies, which a year ago won their region opener against the same Brick team before going on to win the national title.

"I've been coaching for years and I couldn't be happier for the boys with all the hard work and commitment and the dedication of the coaching staff," said Kevin Matthews, the Dragons football commissioner who coached the team a year ago when it allowed only one touchdown — in its season opener —before its defense did not allow another point until playing Hunterdon.

The Dragons Junior Pee Wee White had its shutout string in jeopardy late in the first half when it stopped a 70-yard drive at its own 12-yard line, took over and had to punt and again was backed up on its own fiveyard line where it got the ball back on downs on its own two-yard line.

"I'm very pleased with the way everybody worked together," said Junior Pee Wee White coach Tom Holland. "They looked out for each other. When something bad happened, somebody else would step up. We played teams that were physical and we'd take something out of each week and progress."

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