RBR Kicks Off First At-Home ‘Friday Night Lights’ with Win

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By Jim Hintelmann
LITTLE SILVER – It isn’t usual that a winning high school football coach gets Gatorade poured on him after the first game of the season, but Friday’s 21-14 Red Bank Regional B division North victory over Wall was something extra special for Bucs head coach Nick Giglio.
“It’s the first win we have had under the lights in school history,” Giglio said. “This might be the start of something good for us this season.”
Red Bank won just one game last year, a double overtime upset of Neptune, but Giglio is hoping to pick up a few more wins despite a strong B Division North schedule.
“The players have worked very hard in the off-season,” Giglio said. “The main goal going in was to stop their quarterback (Mike Cluey). He’s a dangerous competitor.”
Wall threatened on its second possession and it reach the Red Bank 13, but it lost the ball on a fumble with linebacker Brian Fagan recovering for the Bucs.
“Our game plan was to stop their quarterback,” Fagan said. “He’s their whole offense. We have a tough schedule, but I think we can handle it.”
“We had switched Fagan from defensive end to linebacker this season,” Giglio said. “His size helped.”

RBR’s Alim Godsey, No. 5, gives a stiff arm to Wall defender Jake Van Brunt, during RBR’s first game under lights on the home field.
RBR’s Alim Godsey, No. 5, gives a stiff arm to Wall defender Jake Van Brunt, during RBR’s first game under lights on the home field.

Red Bank finally got a drive going in the second quarter, moving 86 yards in 10 plays with quarterback Jack Navitsky scoring on a 1-yard keeper.
“The hole opened up and our linemen blocked the players they had to block,” Navitsky said. “It feels great to win our opener. That hasn’t happened in a long while. We’ve been looking good in the preseason.”
Red Bank tailback Alim Godsey had the biggest play of the game, an 86-yard run in the third quarter. That gave Red Bank a 14-0 lead.
“It was a run inside because the outside was covered,” Godsey said. “Our fullback, Jim Ferrogine, made a great block on the play.”
Wall got back in the game when Cluey scored on a 12-yard touchdown run and Dylan Colarella converted to cut the lead to 14-7.
The Bucs, however, got the insurance touchdown with 4:58 remaining on another 1-yard keeper by Navitsky. A 23-yard pass from Navitsky to Sadiq Palmer, who made a leaping catch at the one set it up.
Wall didn’t quit, however, and Cluey threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Willis. That narrowed the lead to 21-14. Red Bank then recovered an onside kick and ran out all but 1 second of the clock. A last ditch pass by Cluey was intercepted by Teddy Mitchell.
Red Bank will have a stronger opponent Saturday, Sept. 20, when the Bucs travel to Colts Neck.

“They are a bigger school than us and are very strong and physical,” the coach said. “They have a good quarterback and we have to try and match up with their size.”