By Tim Kelly
The Ocean City High School football team will attempt to improve its record to 3-0 on Friday night when the Red Raiders travel to Absegami to take on the Braves in a West Jersey Football League Independence Division game.
It’s a 7 p.m. kickoff for the game at the Galloway Township school on Wrangleboro Road, which is just off the Jimmie Leeds Road exit of the Garden State Parkway.
Absegami, which traditionally has a strong football program, is currently 1-2. The Braves started their season earlier than most, and fast, with a 23-6 win at home against Pemberton on Aug. 30. But in the two subsequent games, they lost 27-0 at Mainland and 41-6 to neighborhood rival Cedar Creek at home.
Ocean City is facing its third consecutive Group IV foe. The Raiders opened the season at Egg Harbor Township with a 25-6 win on Sept. 7, and followed that up a week later with a 41-20 takedown of Bridgeton in their home opener.
This week’s game promises to be strong test for Ocean City despite the Braves’ record. Absegami will be in front of its home crowd and should be motivated to play well after two straight lopsided defeats. The Braves would like nothing more than to knock Ocean City from the ranks of the unbeaten.
The Red Raiders, 2-0 for the first time in 17 years, are coming off their most impressive win to date. After spotting Bridgeton a 6-0 lead on the Bulldogs’ first possession, Ocean City answered with a 5-yard keeper for a touchdown by quarterback Ian Aungst and they took the lead on Henry Souto’s extra point.
Senior QB Aungst went 14-for-25 passing, for 240 yards and four TDs against Bridgeton. He connected with Brandon Lashley on 18- and 13-yard scoring passes, and on the ensuing kickoff, Brian Beckman recovered the ball for Ocean City on the Bridgeton 38.
With time for one last play in the half, Aungst lofted a pass for the end zone, which Lashley came down with, despite tight coverage, for a 34-12 lead at the half.
“The roar that went up on that last play was as loud as I’ve heard in our stadium in years,” Red Raiders Coach Kevin Smith said in his weekly e-mail chain.
The offensive explosion in the first half was a by-product of Bridgeton’s outstanding run defense. “We took what we were giving us and we have good receivers,” Smith said.
In addition to Lashley’s performance, which earned him a game ball, Jake Schneider caught four passes for 77 yards.
In the second half, Ocean City’s defense took over, although Bridgeton added a special teams TD in the third quarter on a 75-yard punt return.
Austin Green and Suoto closed out the scoring when Green chased down an errant punt snap in the Bridgeton end zone and Suoto added his fifth consecutive extra point for the final margin.
