By Jim Hintelmann
RUMSON – Rumson Fair Haven Regional has a capable passing game, but the Bulldogs didn’t deploy it in the Friday, Nov. 14, opening round New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 2 playoff game with Arthur L. Johnson.
Rumson threw only three passes and completed just one, a two-point conversion, but running back Charlie Volker and quarterback Mike O’Connor provided the rushing game with solid performances at Two River Times Field.
“We can throw the ball,” Rumson coach Bryan Batchler said, “but we have good running backs and a strong offensive line.”
Volker, fully recovered from an ankle injury that forced him to miss three games, scored three touchdowns and rushed for 152 yards in 18 carries while O’Connor scored a touchdown and ran for 134 yards as Rumson overcame an early 7-6 deficit.
“I’m proud of the team,” Batchler said. “We showed a lot of resilience tonight and this was a good test for us.”
ALJ, which is located in Clark in Union County, threatened first, reaching the Rumson 25 following the opening kickoff, but it lost the ball on an errant pitchout with Rumson recovering on the 23. That set up Rumson’s first touchdown, a 10-play, 67-yard drive, that was capped by a 5-yard touchdown run by Volker. The point after touchdown was missed, leaving the score 6-0.
–Sean Simmons
ALJ, which had a strong running game of its own, answered with a 7-play, 71-yard drive that finished with Matt Pedicine scoring on a 5-yard run. He had set it up with a 58-yard run. Mitch Becker’s extra point gave ALJ a temporary 7-6 lead, but the rest of the game belonged to Rumson.
“We didn’t come out as hard as we wanted to,” Rumson linebacker Tucker Briggs said, “but we settled down and played much better in the second half.”
Rumson went 49 yards in 11 plays for its next touchdown, a 1-yard run by Volker. O’Connor passed to tight end Ken Ferrare for the two-point conversion and a 14-7 lead,
“This was great for us,” O’Connor said. “Everyone did their assignments.”
Rumson scored again on its next series with Volker closing out a 45-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown. O’Connor set it up with a 25-yard run on the previous play.
Rumson scored on its second series of the second half when O’Connor went 24 yards on a keeper. They finished it off when Lucas Seckler scored from 15 yards out, breaking a couple of tacklers along the way.
Rumson will get a much stiffer test Friday when it plays host to Cinnaminson in the semifinals.
“I’ve seen them on film,” Batchler said. “I also and played against them when I was in high school at Northern Burlington. They have a complete team with a very talented quarterback, a good running back and a strong offensive line.
“They are capable of coming here and beating us but, if we stay focused and play at our best, I think we’ll be fine,” he said.
