With a chance to avenge two of its 2010 losses, it was easy for the South Brunswick High School football team to get motivated for the opening games of the season.
South Brunswick was defeated by Sayreville (28-7) and Piscataway (28-13) to start the 2010 season. South Brunswick would regroup to go 7-3, but those losses would help to keep the Vikings out of the state playoffs.
"We waited 365 days to get some revenge," noted South Brunswick lineman Bryan Stankus said. "We worked hard all summer and were pumped up to start this season."
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South Brunswick responded with a on Sept. 9. It followed that with a . Both Piscataway and Sayreville were state ranked teams.
South Brunswick was able to build a 28-0 lead against Piscataway, which helped create some misleading stats in the game.
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Piscataway ended up running more plays (70 to 43) and gaining more total yards (324 to 316). The majority of those plays and yards came with Piscataway trying to cut into a huge deficit.
"We figured we'd bend and just not break," South Brunswick Coach Rick Mantz said. "We kept them out of the end zone. The 28-7 score is what counts."
Going into the third game of the season, the situation is a bit reversed. In its 7 p.m. home game against Edison on Sept. 23, South Brunswick is the team being targeted for some revenge.
Jevon Tyree ran for 144 yards as South Brunswick defeated Edison, 35-7, last year.
Edison is coming off a 40-32 win over East Brunswick last week. In the season opener, however, Edison was defeated by Piscataway, 47-0.
After two historic wins to start the season -- including South Brunswick's first ever against Piscataway -- Coach Mantz will be sure to do everything he can to avoid a letdown in the third contest.
