Long Branch had lost eight straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Friday they dropped down to 0-8 to make it nine. They were outmatched by the Central Regional Golden Eagles and fell 42-7. While losing is never fun, the Green Wave can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' New Jersey football rankings (they are ranked 295th, while the Golden Eagles are ranked 100th).
Zahkai McDonald threw for 43 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, Miguel Maldonado rushed for 36 yards.
As for Central Regional, the victory was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 7-1. They might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by 20 points or more this season.
Central Regional's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jacob Halpin, who threw for 102 yards and a pair of TDs, and also punched in one score on the ground. The dominant performance also gave Halpin a new career-high in passer rating (177.1). Zyshun Carroll was another key player, rushing for 105 yards and one touchdown on only six carries.
Long Branch didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 35-2 loss against Red Bank Regional on the 24th. As for Central Regional, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next matchup, a 29-14 victory against Ocean Township on the 24th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
