Central's Last-Ditch Rally Falls Short

When Central’s John Rowley recovered an onsides kick, giving the Golden Eagles the ball and a chance to tie the game with 22 seconds left, you could feel the belief rise along the sidelines, along with the adrenalin.

After all, Central had been burning the Point Boro defense all game with long passes from quarterback Mike Grieco. All it would take would be one more big pass …

And when Grieco lofted a pass in the direction of Kyle Gordon, who was streaking down the left sideline with nothing but daylight and end zone in front of him, it seemed like victory was within Central’s grasp.

Point Boro’s John Dunbar had other ideas, stepping in front of Gordon at the last second and snaring the ball for an interception that ended Central’s last hope and gave the Panthers a 41-34 victory in Bayville.

Point Boro has now won two straight in this new Thanksgiving series.

Central (5-5) made the Panthers earn it, challenging Point Boro with a strong passing attack by Grieco. The senior quarterback completed 6 of 9 passes for 153 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Dwight in the second half. Dwight’s touchdown drew Central to within 26-20 and helped the Golden Eagles settle down after their first possession of the half ended with a fumble into their own end zone that allowed Point Boro to record a safety.

“We saw their defensive backs weren’t respecting our receivers,” Dwight said, “and when their backs both went after Gordon, I knew I was going to score.”

That score fired up Central and the Golden Eagles stopped the Panthers on their next two possessions.

But Central struggled with Point Boro’s sizeable line and Vitale, the 6-2, 210-pound running back, who broke free more often as the game went along. That resulted in a 5-yard touchdown that put Point Boro ahead 34-20 with 8:54 left.

Gordon knew time was running out for Central.

“I told Kalyph (Hardy), ‘We have to do something right now, before it’s too late,’ “ Gordon said. And Gordon did just that, fielding the Boro kickoff at the 11 and sprinting 89 yards for a touchdown that made it 34-27.

As they had all game, however, Point Boro answered with a score of its own – another touchdown by Vitale, this time from 7 yards out as the Panthers drove 65 yards in nine plays that burned 5 minutes off the clock.

Central fought right back, with Hardy scoring from 4 yards out – his third touchdown of the day – on a drive that was aided by pass interference and roughing the passer calls against the Panthers. Hardy, who scored on a 68-yard run in the first half that pushed him over the 2,000-yard mark for the season and had a 2-yard TD run as well, was stifled in the second half and finished with 105 yards rushing..

“When it comes to being a leader, you have to stay strong,” Hardy said. “We never gave up.”

Then came the onsides kick, executed expertly by both kicker Austin DeRose and the Golden Eagles special teams players, that gave them one last chance at one more special moment in a season that’s been filled with them, highlighted by the Golden Eagles’ first playoff appearance in 10 years.

“I’m so proud of our kids,” head coach Vinnie Casale said. “They fought to the bitter end and they played their hearts out.”

More than that, however, Casale is happy with the progress the program has made.

“These seniors have transformed this program from an also-ran into a competitor. I am so proud of them.”

“We finally brought Central back as a program,” Dwight said. “I hope the underclassmen have a successful year next year.”

Hardy, who lingered in the parking lot talking to friends and well-wishers, wasn’t quite ready to put it in the past.

“It’s been great playing with these guys and the coaches here,” he said. “It’s sad that it has to end now, when we’ve really become a family. I’m going to miss these guys.

And while next year might include playing football at one of several colleges he’s considering – Monmouth, Rutgers, College of New Jersey, Albany and Stony Brook are on the list, he said – “I’ll remember everything about this year. Always.”