FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY – The Freehold Boro Colonials had no trouble defeating the Colts Neck Cougars on Senior Day at Cal D. Wilson Field.
Senior Willie Thomas rushed for two touchdowns.
Photo by Steve Goldberg
The Colonials cruised to a 32-7 victory over the Cougars in the final Thanksgiving Day game between the two teams. Freehold Boro will be resuming the tradition of playing their crosstown rivals, the Freehold Township Patriots, on Thanksgiving starting next year.
The win puts an end to Freehold Boro’s 4-game losing streak against Colts Neck which dated back to 2004. The Cougars were the only team to beat the Colonials last season when Freehold Boro finished 11-1 and won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III championship.
Seniors Martin Corso and Willie Thomas led the charge for the Colonials. Corso, who started at quarterback, had one passing touchdown and two rushing touchdowns. Thomas accumulated 123 of Freehold Boro’s 300 rushing yards, ran for two touchdowns, and caught one touchdown pass.
The game got off to a quick start. On the first play from scrimmage, Colts Neck quarterback Nick Maldari fumbled the football, and the Colonials recovered at the Colts Neck 24-yard line. Thomas ran for a touchdown on the following play, giving Freehold Boro an early 6-0 lead.
Colts Neck’s second drive ended with an interception by Derrick Bender at the Colts Neck 27. The Colonials capitalized on the turnover when Corso found Thomas in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown.
Thomas scored his third touchdown later in the quarter, a 4-yard run that extended the Freehold Boro lead to 19-0.
“We played hard today,” Thomas said. “We all just came together as a team, and we all were playing for each other today. I dedicate my three touchdowns to the offensive line.”
Senior Martin Corso.
Photo by Steve Goldberg
In the second quarter, Corso ran for a 7-yard touchdown, and the Colonials went up 26-0. Quadell Everett recovered a fumble by Cougars running back Brendan Cotter at the Colts Neck 47, and the Colonials offense took advantage of the mistake. Freehold Boro drove down the field, and Corso plunged into the end zone with a 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Colonials a 32-0 lead at halftime.
“It’s kind of like a sum of four years,” Corso said after the game. “The past four years, I’ve just put in so much work. Even though things didn’t work out the way we planned at the beginning of the season, I just needed to get that win.”
Colts Neck showed some life in the third quarter when Maldari connected on a 30-yard touchdown pass to Billy Spataro, but the Colts Neck offense could not muster any more points against the stingy Freehold Boro defense.
“It’s always good to end on a good note,” Freehold Boro Head Coach Mark Ciccotelli said. “It’s good for our seniors, and it’s good for our program. It’s a game that we haven’t been able to win in the past couple years, and it feels pretty good for our guys.”
Colts Neck will be looking for revenge when they play Freehold Boro again next season, but the Thanksgiving Day rivalry between the two teams has come to an end.
