By Sean Simmons
MIDDLETOWN – According to head coach Steve Sciarappa, the bread and butter of the Mater Dei Prep football team is its running game which was on full display during the Seraphs season opener against arch rival Keansburg on Saturday.
Running back Zach Bragg and quarterback Christian Palmer each rushed for two touchdowns to help lead the Seraphs to an impressive 43-6 win over the Titans.
Turnovers and penalties hurt both teams in the first half, but it was the Seraphs (1-0) who struck first with 2:47 left in the first quarter on a 17-yard touchdown run by Bragg to take an early 7-0 lead.
“The mistakes early on and the penalties were just momentum killers,” Sciarappa said. “Once we got the pregame jitters out, we settled down and played our game.”
The Titans (0-1) closed the gap to 7-6 with 9:45 left in the second quarter when quarterback Ian Terry tossed a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Joseph Schacht. The extra point attempt failed.
“Keansburg played really physical and they have some tough kids,” Sciarappa said.
Bragg then sent the MD Prep fans into a frenzy when he broke several tackles and raced for a 33-yard touchdown with 4:27 left in the second quarter to give the Seraphs a 13-6 lead at halftime. The extra point attempt failed.
“My offensive line did a great job blocking for me,” said Bragg, who finished the afternoon with 92-yards rushing. “Once I hit the open field, I knew that I had to score for my team.”
A steady rain began to fall during the second half, but that didn’t stop the explosive offense of MD Prep.
A 10-yard TD run by Palmer and successful 2-point conversion run by Palmer with 4:58 left in the third quarter gave the Seraphs a comfortable 21-6 lead.
MD Prep extended their lead to 29-6 with 22.5 seconds left in the third quarter on a five-yard TD pass from Palmer to wide receiver Eddie Lewis and successful two-point conversion run by Palmer.
A 14-yard touchdown run by Palmer with 9:18 left in the fourth quarter put the Seraphs in front 36-6.
Wide receiver Tysaun White then caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from Palmer with 6:24 left in the game to make the final score 43-6.
“It is awesome having as many weapons as we do,” said Palmer, who had a stellar game with 109 passing yards and 79 rushing yards. “The coaches made the right calls at the right times.”
Next up for MD Prep is an away game at Dunellen on Friday night. Keansburg will be looking to pick up their first win of the season on Saturday afternoon when they host Highland Park. The Seraphs won a wild 49-35 game against Dunellen last season and the Titans crushed Highland Park, 41-6 last year for their only win of the season.
“We need to do a better job protecting the ball against Dunellen,” Sciarappa said.
