By Wayne Witkowski
Bordentown Regional High School continues to make a tough ending to the football season feel even worse at New Egypt High School.
For the fourth straight year, Bordentown ended the season with a victory over New Egypt — this time, 34-22, Nov. 24. It could’ve looked even worse if not for two fourth-quarter touchdowns by New Egypt on Neal Flogel’s 27-yard option pass to Bryce Cristman and Kyle Frimel’s 9-yard touchdown run. Joe Brown caught a two-point conversion pass from Frimel after the first touchdown.
Frimel connected with Flogel on a 5-yard touchdown pass and ran in the two-point conversion early in the third quarter to cut Bordentown’s lead to 21-8. That’s when Xander Sommers caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from starting quarterback Dom Dabrozzo and then completed a 33-yard touchdown pass play to Jacquey Mendez to restore Brodentown’s commanding lead.
New Egypt finishes 6-4 after its second straight loss and third in the last four games, including a 33-14 defeat in the opening round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group I playoffs to an Asbury Park High School team that advanced to the sectional finals this weekend. Bordentown ends 4-6 and won a state playoff consolation game over Holmdel High School, 21-20
“This game is special for us,” Bordentown coach Steve Perry said after the game. “I told our seniors they have never lost their final game of the season and that is important to us. This is a good rivalry, and New Egypt has a great program.”
New Egypt, which won its first three games en route to a 5-1 start, went on to win the West Jersey Football League Freedom Division with a 5-0 record — only its second division championship. But the Warriors again faded at the end of the season as they have in recent years, losing three of four games. A New Egypt victory in the final game would have meant a 7-3 record, which looks much better on paper.
Steve Fence, who built the team as its third head coach in four years, will have to do significant rebuilding next season, although quarterback Frimel and receiver Flogel are juniors. Frimel passed for 1,394 yards and 11 touchdowns with five interceptions and rushed for 548 yards on 100 carries and scored four touchdowns. Flogel, who caught three touchdown passes and had 308 yards on 13 receptions, also kicked five extra points when he was pressed into that duty after Mario Reed suffered a season-ending injury in the early going. Reed graduates, and so does Jordan Bendick, who caught 30 passes for 254 yards and rushed for 233 yards and four touchdowns.
The Viera brothers also graduate — Noah, a fullback, and Julian, an outstanding defensive end — as well as big receiver Jake Kear, who caught 15 passes for 236 yards and four touchdowns.
Enough players return, however, for a solid nucleus with Frimel and Flogel, including Matt Mansure, a junior, and Bryce Cristman, a sophomore. Linemen Andre Pugliese and Mark Caruso graduate, but juniors Dom Eosso and Ryan Exner and sophomore Matt Soles are back.
Outsized for most of the season, New Egypt’s players will spend time during the offseason in the weight room, as Fence cited the need for them to get bigger, stronger and faster. Fence feels with a division championship to defend, the players will be inspired to keep that commitment.
