DePaul, No. 17 in the NJ.com Top 20, fell behind by 10 points in the opening half, but stormed back behind some timely running, a long TD pass from a freshman to a sophomore and stifling defense in the second half to upset No. 4 Red Bank Catholic, 19-17, for the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedic Non-Public B football championship Friday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
Say hello five stars from this game, three from the champion Spartans (7-5) and two from Red Bank Catholic (10-2)
Anthony Almeida, DePaul, Sr., RB
Almeida carried 17 times for 47 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown, 17-10, with a 7-yard run with 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter. He opened that nine-play, 59-yard drive with a five-yard run and had two other carries in the series. Almeida, who missed last season’s playoffs with an injury, picked up 39 of those 47 yards in the second half.
De’zie Jones, DePaul, So., WR
Jones’ first two receptions of the game went for a net minus-four yards, but made up for those and then some when he connected with freshman quarterback Derek Zammit on a 60-yard scoring play that pulled the Spartans to within 10-7 with 3:43 to go in the first half. Jones caught the ball at the Red Bank Catholic 34 and raced in for his sixth TD reception this season.
Sabino Portella, Red Bank Catholic, Sr., RB/S
He led all rushers with 99 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and also generated seven tackles out of the secondary. Portella gave the Caseys a 10-0 lead with a 4-yard run that capped an 11-play, 59-yard drive with 4:10 remaining in the half.
Robert Stolfa, Red Bank Catholic, Sr., WR/DB
Stolfa cut his team’s deficit to 19-17 when he pulled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Frankie Williams with 3:22 remaining in the game. He finished with three receptions for 19 yards.
John Villata, DePaul, Sr., DL
Villata racked up seven tackles, 2.5 sacks and broke up a pass in the second half to anchor a defense that dominated play after the first 20 minutes. Villata was in on a sack in the first half and two in the second.
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