By Tim Kelly
If you don’t think the Ocean City-Mainland football rivalry is intense, you weren’t at Carey Stadium last Friday before the OC-Oakcrest game. Fans were already looking ahead to Friday night’s 6 p.m. kickoff at Carey.
Members of the school nursing staff were doing a brisk business selling T-shirts, hats and sweatshirts. One of the featured items was a T-shirt hyping the game as an event worthy of a boxing promoter: “Ocean City vs. Mainland: The War at the Shore,” the shirts proclaimed.
One member of the OC Football Alumni, who would not give his name, said, “Look, we want (Ocean City) to win every game. But if we go 1-8 and that win is over Mainland, then the season is a success.”
Ocean City vs. Mainland pits players who know each other from the beach, from their days battling on the field as Jr. Raiders, Somers Point Sharks, Linwood Panthers or Northfield Cardinals. It’s the Boardwalk against the Bike Path, the Chatterbox against Charlie’s, the Block Party against Bayfest.
“Each side knows the other well, but more importantly, each side thinks it’s better than the other. And not just about football,” the OC alum explained.
The cliché is “throw the records out” in rivalry games. However, the records are important here, both in analyzing Friday night’s matchup and looking at the high stakes.
First and foremost, Friday night’s winner walks off the field with more than bragging rights, which Ocean City currently owns by virtue of last year’s 34-16 victory. It will also win the West Jersey Football League Independence Division championship and clinch a spot in the NJSIAA playoff tourney. Both teams are 3-0 in the division and have playoff aspirations.
Right now, the two squads appear on paper to be headed in different directions. Mainland, 5-2 overall, is well rested coming off a bye week and domination of Middle Township to the tune of 28-17 in its last action on the field. The Mustangs scored the first 28 points of the game before yielding 17 fourth quarter points to the Panthers.
Ocean City, 3-3 overall, has lost three straight, including a heartbreaking overtime loss to Oakcrest.
If you play the common opponent game, both teams have defeated Absegami and Bridgeton, and four points in overtime and three points in a 3-0 defensive battle separated Oakcrest from the losing Raiders and winning Stangs in their respective matchups.
One thing is certain. If Ocean City hopes to get back on the winning side of the ledger, it must stop all-purpose back Joe Massari, a one-main wrecking crew against Middle.
Massari rung up a pair of rushing touchdowns of 14 and 43 yards, and caught a 42-yard scoring pass from quarterback Dean Hall. As if that weren’t enough, he ran back the second half opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.
Mainland’s defense gave up nearly 200 yards passing, however, which gives hope to the Raiders’ proven aerial game led by quarterback Ian Aungst.
Despite the disappointment of last week’s overtime loss, OC Head Coach Kevin Smith said his guys will shake it off.
“Mainland is our biggest rival,” he said. “We’ll be ready to go.”
Meanwhile, back at the T-shirt table, a would-be customer asked if Mainland received any of the proceeds from the “War at the Shore” shirts.
“(Heck) no,” the vendor said. “Every penny goes to Ocean City.”
“In that case, give me a size XL,” said the man.
