RED BANK CATHOLIC RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS WITH 37-0 OVER RED BANK

RED BANK —After losing their first game of the season last week, Red Bank Catholic wasted no time returning to top form as they beat Red Bank Regional 37-0 on the road. The Casey’s were dominant on defense and moved the ball at will on offense, both in the air and on the ground. It was the perfect way to bounce back and recover momentum heading into the business end of the season. Red Bank Catholic jumped out to a 14-0 lead and at the end of the second quarter, they took over on offense on their own 20-yard line with just 1:22 in the half. The Caseys were due to receive the second half kickoff, so the conservative approach would have been to hand it off a few times and get into the break with the two-touchdown lead. But Caseys head coach Frank Edgerly trusted his quarterback and gave him a chance to air it out. On the second play of the drive, Lubischer dropped back and saw senior receiver Brandon Lombana one on one to his right. With great protection from the line, Lubischer waited for Lombana to gain a step and aired a deep pass that landed perfectly in Lombana’s stride for a 70-yard touchdown. Just to properly punctuate the domineering defensive performance, the defense scored the last touchdown of the game. Casey defender Anthony Romano jumped a pass intended for the flat, taking the interception 19 yards for a touchdown. Three who mattered Steve Lubischer: This season, Lubischer has spent a lot of time playing with a lead next to a dominant rushing game. It looked like he wanted to maximize his opportunities tonight, regularly looking downfield. Lubischer completed eight of his 12 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Billy Guidetti: The sophomore is now the feature running back behind a fantastic offensive line and he’s reaping the rewards. Against Red Bank Regional, Guidetti rushed 12 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Lombana: The 70-yard touchdown was the banner play for Lombana’s 4-catch-113-yard night. Turning point: With Red Bank Catholic leading 7-0, the offense returned to the field in the second quarter for their second drive. Lubischer found Kevin Bauman for a 55-yard pass to the Buccaneer’s 15-yard line, but Bauman lost the ball as he was tackled. Logan Whelan was trailing the play, reacted quicker than anymore to jump on the loose ball amid Buccaneer defenders to keep possession. Two plays later, John Columbia rushed for a nine-yard touchdown to put the Casey’s up 14-0. Observations Efficiency: Each of Red Bank Catholic’s first four drives scored points, with three touchdowns and a field goal. Too many weapons: Even without standout running back Zach Bair, who was injured in last week's game, the Caseys are not bereft of scoring options. Lubischer, Guidetti, Lombana, Bauman and Columbia all are capable of carrying an offense. They said it: Red Bank Catholic head coach Frank Edgerly, on his team’s performance: “We need to be a lot better, we really do. … This time of the year, especially with what’s laying for us the next couple of weeks, we need to finish drives, tonight we didn’t.” Steve Lubischer, on his defense: “They played great tonight. They really shut their offense down and really gave us some great opportunities.”

RED BANK CATHOLIC RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS WITH 37-0 OVER RED BANK

THOMAS BOGERT

App Sports | 10/27/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Ackerman