South Brunswick Football Dominates Piscataway

With a defending Central Jersey Group IV champ and the third-ranked team in New Jersey set as its first two opponents, the South Brunswick High School football team had arguably the toughest schedule in the state to start the season.

Turns out that it was South Brunswick's opponents that really had the tough schedule.

Playing in its Homecoming Game on Friday night, South Brunswick defeated Piscataway, 28-7. Piscataway came into this game ranked as the third best team in the state.

This followed a 14-7 win at Sayreville last week against the defending CJ Group IV champs.

"No one has to tell me what we just did," South Brunswick Coach Rick Mantz smiled. "I saw it. I lived it.

"I know a lot of people have been talking about our opponents. We talked to our kids and asked, 'Why not us?' Why can't we win games like this?"

It would be hard for anyone to doubt South Brunswick after this performance. South Brunswick led 21-0 at the half and ended up scoring the first 28 points in the game.

"You can't even dream about this," noted TJ Perkowski, who ran for one touchdown and threw for another. "This is the first time in school history that we have defeated Piscataway. This is great stuff."

Perkowski got South Brunswick on the scoreboard first with a 66-yard run in the first quarter. Perkowski went up the middle, cut to his right and kept going.

"You have to give my teammates a lot of credit on that one," Perkowski said. "The hole was just so big."

South Brunswick used a 9-play, 69-yard drive to take a 14-0 lead. Jevon Tyree scored on a 6-yard run with 3:48 to play in the half.

"Everything about this night just feels so good," Tyree said. "I know a lot of the players and the fans will remember this. I know this is a night I'll never forget."

Tyree gave all of the fans something to remember in the third quarter. He intercepted a pass at the goal line and returned the ball 85 yards, setting up a 5-yard touchdown run by Dion Hooper.

"That went from Piscataway almost scoring to where he (Tyree) almost took the ball to the house," Mantz said. "He's a game changer."

The Hooper touchdown came with 7:20 to go in the third quarter and gave South Brunswick a 28-0 lead.

South Brunswick's third score came on a 34-yard pass from Perkowski to TJ Taylor with 1:43 left in the first half.

"The safety bit on the play and he was wide open," Perkowski said. "He made a great play and all I had to do was get him the ball."

This was a night when South Brunswick seemed to make one play after another. Hooper, Jake Pietrefesa and Joe Pietrefesa all had sacks. Joe Pietrefesa also recovered a teammate's fumble, keeping South Brunswick out of early trouble.

"This was just a really big win for the players and the community," Mantz said.

"We thought that if we showed up and did the things we were supposed to do, we had a chance to do this. We made plays tonight."

As a result, South Brunswick also made history. It beat Piscataway for the first time. It took down two giants to start 2-0. It has already avenged two of its three losses from last season in the process.

"It was a tough road, but we wanted it," Perkowski said. "The coaches willed us and then we went out and did it."

NOTES: South Brunswick will host Edison at 7 p.m. on Sept. 23.