By TIM KELLY
The phrase “game of inches” is a cliché for a reason: there’s truth to it.
Unfortunately for the Ocean City High School football team, the Red Raiders were on the wrong side of those inches Friday night.
They were knocking on the doorstep of the Shawnee goal line near the end of the third quarter of the South Jersey Group 4 championship game to draw to within a touchdown of the two-time defending champs.
That was when Shawnee abruptly slammed the door shut with a goal line stand to deny the Raiders by inches.
The Renegades (9-2) put the game on ice with 14 fourth quarter points to complete a closer-than-the-score-indicated 28-0 victory and win their third straight state sectional title.
The loss was a bitter pill for O.C., the Cinderella squad of the tourney. The seventh-seeded Raiders were the lowest seed still competing at the sectional championship level, and had high hopes for their first South Jersey title since 2000.
“I’m disappointed in the result, but not the effort,” Ocean City head coach Kevin Smith said. “(Shawnee) was a little too big and too strong up front, and they wore us down a bit. We had our chances, but unfortunately we couldn’t take advantage.”
Shawnee jumped out to an early lead, scoring on their first possession and climaxing the drive with Tom Rebstock’s 8-yard run for a touchdown and Oliver Stern’s point after kick.
Stern attempted a field goal just before halftime, which Ocean City blocked. Shawnee quarterback Matt Welsey was 6-for-8 passing in the first half and ran for an additional 28 yards, but the Ocean City defense prevented any further damage on the scoreboard. The Raiders were still very much in the game at halftime, trailing 7-0.
Welsey put Shawnee up 14-0 with 7:20 left in the third quarter, finding Dom Frigiola on a 17-yard TD pass, followed by Stern’s kick.
But Ocean City (8-3) didn’t get to the sectional final by packing it in. On the contrary, the Raiders came from behind in both of their playoff wins, against Mainland and Long Branch.
O.C. had an opportunity when quarterback Joe Repetti converted a fourth down pass play to senior Brian Beckmann, good for 17 yards and a first down into Shawnee territory, only to see the drive fizzle.
The Raiders also had an 11-play, 68-yard drive for a first-and-goal situation from the Shawnee 3-yard line, but could not punch it in, getting as close as the Renegades’ one.
Seemingly energized by the goal line stand, Shawnee came back with a 93-yard fourth quarter drive. The march was highlighted by a 67-yard burst up the middle by Dalton Short for a demoralizing TD and a 21-0 lead after Stern’s kick.
Shawnee added a final insurance score with 8:53 left to play. After Ocean City failed to convert a fourth-and-eight situation at their own 31, Shawnee capitalized with a final drive and Rebstock’s second TD of the game, this one a 6-yard run.
“It was a tough ending, but I’m very proud of our guys,” Smith said.
Ocean City has already doubled its win total from last year and won the most games in a single season in approximately 20 years. The Raiders can finish with a 9-3 record with a win at home on Thanksgiving against traditional rival Pleasantville.
