With his team trailing by three points at halftime, Rumson-Fair Haven head coach Jeremy Schulte had a conversation with them about what it would take to keep their season going.
With under 30 seconds left and 11 yards the difference between moving on or handing in uniforms next week, he offered a reminder.
“We talked about it at halftime. They had 24 minutes to determine how their season was going to go,” Schulte said. “And then I went out and told them, ‘You have 29 seconds. You want to be a hero? Now’s the time to do it’.”
Seniors Ben Roberts and Toby Najsenson took that to heart.
With Point Pleasant Boro on the doorstep and poised to take a late lead, Najeson snuffed out an option pass for a tackle for loss on third down before Roberts leapt to swat away a fourth-down pass at the line of scrimmage. Their clutch defensive plays preserved a down-to-the-wire 14-10 victory for the host Bulldogs in the first round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 2 playoffs on Friday night at Borden Stadium in Rumson.
“It’s fourth down, so I’m just doing anything I can to make sure they don’t score,” said Roberts, a 6-foot-3 defensive lineman. “I saw he was throwing it, I just put my arms up, and I got lucky, I guess.”
Despite being outgained 257-180, the defending Group 2 champion Bulldogs made big plays at critical moments to advance to the sectional semifinals. Third-seeded Rumson will travel to No. 2 seed Wall next Friday night.
“It was a gritty win for us, and that’s something we needed,” Schulte said. “We played very well tonight. (Point Boro) did a great job controlling the ball and controlling the clock, but our guys never faltered. They stayed the course and did what they needed to do.”
Point Boro took a 10-7 halftime lead when junior kicker Jack Sullivan used the wind at his back to boom a 42-yard field goal that had 10 yards to spare. His career-long field goal as time expired helped the Panthers climb out of an early 7-0 deficit.
Rumson began the third quarter with an 11-play, 65-yard drive that culminated with junior running back Ryder Izzo plowing in for a 1-yard touchdown and a 14-10 Rumson lead. Sophomore quarterback Brady Williams made two massive throws on the drive that proved crucial in sending Rumson to the second round. After being dropped for a 4-yard loss on the first play of the second half, Williams appeared to be going down for a sack and a loss of yards on second down. Instead, he stayed upright long enough to find junior Casey Moore for 15 yards and a first down. Later on the drive with Rumson facing third-and-10 from the Point Boro 20-yard line, Williams rolled to his right and hit Cole Spoonire for 19 yards down to the 1-yard line. Izzo scored on the next play to give Rumson the lead for good.
“When you’re 6-3, 210, it’s kind of easy for you to shake some guys off,” Schulte said. “Brady brings something a little special. He can extend plays and make things happen.”
Point Boro began its next drive from its 14-yard line and used a methodical ground attack with junior quarterback Jake Clayton, senior fullback Calvin Videon-Perino and freshman fullback Trevor Evans to move into Rumson territory. The Panthers converted three fourth-and-1 plays and had a first down at the Bulldogs’ 42-yard line with 8:30 left in the fourth quarter. On third-and-6 from the 40, junior linebacker Carmine Florio jumped a route and picked off Clayton to end the drive. Florio initially returned the interception for a touchdown, but the play was called back for an illegal block in the back. Nevertheless, it was a game-changing play for the Rumson defense.
“That interception was a straight fever dream for me,” Florio said. “I caught the ball and my brain went blank, and I just started sprinting. It was unreal. It felt like a dream. I couldn’t believe it.”
It was all a blur after he snared the pass and turned it the opposite direction, but as Clayton targeted his receiver, Florio was locked in and prepared for what was about to come his way.
“I just dropped back doing what my coaches told me and I was right there,” Florio said. “We went over that little seam pass multiple times in practice, and I was ready for it.”
Rumson did its best to take as much time off the clock as it could, but Point Boro delivered consecutive stops for no gain on second-and-2 and third-and-2 to force the Bulldogs to punt from just inside midfield. Standout senior punter Drew Cavise got plenty of hangtime under his kick that Point Boro’s Jax Corino used a fair catch to secure at the 25-yard line.
The Panthers now had to go 75 yards in 3:16, which, for a flexbone triple-option offense, is not their strong suit. It looked bleak on third-and-7 from the 28, but the Panthers went deep into the playbook for a trick play that gained a first down into Rumson territory. Clayton threw a 10-yard pass to senior wideout Landon Nerris, who then flipped it to Videon-Perino on a hook and lateral. Video-Perino rumbled 17 more yards across midfield to the Rumson 45, then ran for 11 yards on the next play. Clayton followed with runs of four and 14 yards to put the ball at the RFH 16-yard line with 29 seconds left.
Once again, Rumson came up with the play it needed in the game’s biggest moments. The Bulldogs have a reputation for doing that in the state playoffs. It’s how they’ve won 10 sectional crowns, advanced to three group title games and brought home a state championship last season – all since 2010.
“That’s what this team is about,” Roberts said. “It’s about grit and just finding a way to keep going. This team will never give up.”
Rumson took a 7-0 lead on its first series of the game when senior running back Kelly Murray scored on a 12-yard run to cap a 12-play, 67-yard drive. It was the first touchdown run of the season for Murray, who had been out since suffering an ankle injury in a Week 1 win over Brick Memorial. Murray was a First Team All-Shore selection last season when he rushed for 1,581 yards and 32 touchdowns. He only carried the ball five times for 30 yards and a score on Friday, but his presence during practice and on gameday gave Rumson a major lift.
“Huge, unbelievable,” Schulte said. “Throughout the entire week, you just felt a different vibe during practice.”
“It was electric seeing him play,” Florio said. “He wanted to play really bad. He’s at practice every week, he’s at every game and he’s cheering us on. It was great seeing him finally back in there.”
Point Boro answered with a massive 16-play, 90-yard drive and tied the score 7-7 on a 10-yard touchdown run by Videon-Perino. The Panthers then forced Rumson to punt and took over at their own 48-yard line. Videon-Perino had runs of 10 and 12 yards to help get into field goal range where Sullivan cranked a long-distance kick to give Point Boro a halftime lead.
That was the last time Point Boro would score in 2025. Rumson’s defense bent, but did not break. It was the Bulldogs’ fourth straight win over Point Boro in the last two seasons.
“Any time you play Point Boro, you’re going to know you played them,” Schulte said. “They’re going to hit you hard and play physical, so to be able to have a win like that in the first round is awesome. Wall is really good and we’ll get ready for them tomorrow, but we’re going to enjoy this one tonight, that’s for sure.”