KENILWORTH, NJ — “Come ready, come hungry.”
Those were the post-game words echoed by David Brearley High School’s lead skill position football players, who did just that, as they decimated neighborhood rival Jonathan Dayton High School 40-6 on Thursday, Oct. 28, in a Big Central Conference crossover clash at home on Ward Field.
After taking a COVID-19–related forfeit from Dunellen on Thursday, Oct. 21, the second forfeit Brearley was forced to take this season, saying the Bears made up for having to wait another week to show what they could do on the gridiron would be an understatement.
Brearley scored 8-point touchdowns on all five first-half possessions, capitalizing on turnovers for its first two scores just five minutes in and then scoring three more times in the second quarter to enforce a running clock at the beginning of the second half.
Brearley rushed for 181 yards and passed for 168 more, for 349 total first-half yards, while limiting Dayton to 44 total: 26 on the ground and just 18 in the air.
Brearley did not commit any turnovers, was called for just one penalty and did not have any injuries to report. The Bears produced 20 first downs in the game’s first 24 minutes.
It was about as perfect a first half as a team could execute.
Dayton did well to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter, to avoid getting shut out for the second time this year.
The Bears will head into this weekend’s North, Group 1, playoffs with a 7-2 record and a three-game winning streak, their regular-season schedule complete.
Dayton fell to 3-5, and its regular season could continue with as many as two section consolation games, if the Bulldogs desire.
Brearley has now produced four straight winning seasons. The last time the Bears finished less than .500 was the same year they last lost to Dayton, 2012.
“We’ve had a good season,” senior running back Quinn Lonergan said. “Last year, we didn’t know what to expect, and we’ve had some of that this year. We found out the day before the Dunellen game that we weren’t going to be playing them.”
In last year’s non-playoffs season, Brearley went 6-2, falling only to bigger schools West Essex, Group 3, and New Providence, Group 2.
This year’s squad has lost only to Group 2 schools Bernards and New Providence.
“We may be put up against someone as good as those two schools when the playoffs begin,” Lonergan said.
On senior night, Thursday, Oct. 28, all five seniors plus all the other players who performed for Brearley had their heads in the game immediately.
Brearley kicked off, went the short route and managed to come up with a fumble recovery on the game’s opening play. Lonergan was there to fall on the ball and give the Bears the game’s initial possession on the Dayton 37.
Lonergan then took the first-down handoff from quarterback Matt Sims and bulled his way forward for a 37-yard touchdown run. Sims then ran the ball in for 2 points to put Brearley in front for good at 8-0 inside the game’s first minute of play.
Dayton’s first play from scrimmage resulted in another turnover. This time, it was Brearley junior defensive back Brendan Fitzsimmons coming down with an interception of a deep pass.
Brearley went back to work on offense and marched 79 yards in 10 plays, Lonergan again scoring, this time from 1 yard out.
In the second quarter, Sims rushed for two scores and in between completed a touchdown pass to Fitzsimmons, who did an excellent job of staying in bounds in the right corner of the end zone as he fell backward once he caught the ball against single coverage.
“Turnovers, capitalizing on them, and ball control have been huge for us,” Lonergan said. “That’s how we try to wear teams down.”
Brearley rushing in the first half included Lonergan’s 14 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns and Sims’ eight carries for 52 yards and also two scores.
Sims completed eight of nine passes, including his last eight, for 167 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
Fitzsimmons caught four balls for 70 yards and his one score, while senior wide receiver Connor Hannon had three catches for 63 yards and Lonergan had one for 35 yards.
Dayton senior running back Joe Lucarello carried the ball seven times for 20 yards in the first half, while senior quarterback Logan Solomine completed two of seven passes for 18 yards and one interception. Sophomore Brandyn Bernknopf and senior Justin Carrier had the receptions.
Carrier also got off two fine punts, of 53 and 35 yards.
Brearley’s last playoff game was a 19-7 loss to Weequahic at Untermann Field two years ago.
The Bears last won a playoff game during the memorable 11-1 campaign in 2015 that saw them playing in a state championship game.
“We’re looking to make a run,” Lonergan said. “We’re hungry.”
Brearley’s five seniors honored on senior night included No. 4, Connor Hannon, 6-1, 165 pounds, wide receiver/defensive back; No. 17, Ryan Tyra, 6-2, 155 pounds, wide receiver/defensive back; No. 19, Quinn Lonergan, 5-9, 175 pounds, running back/linebacker; No. 54, Justin Quaglia, 5-9, 195 pounds, offensive lineman/defensive lineman; and No. 74, Michael Cascarano, 6-0, 240 pounds, offensive lineman/defensive lineman.
Photos by JR Parachini