SJV Football Smacks RBC Advances to NPG3 Finals

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Tino D'Amore, Writer

           The St. John Vianney Lancers faced their biggest test to date when they played rivals Red Bank Catholic in their Non-Public Group 3 semi-finals game, and boy did they send a message. SJV dominated the game start to finish and ended up routing the Caseys 49-6 on Friday, November 20.

           When it was announced that the St. John Vianney Lancers would be playing the Red Bank Catholic Caseys in the Non-Public Group 3 semi-finals, everyone knew there would be no better place to be on Friday night than at St. John Vianney High School. Not only would this be a heated rivalry match, but it would be so highly advertised that thousands would love to see these heavyweights square off.

Both teams have shown they could play football with just about every team in the Shore. Quarterbacks Anthony Brown and Eddie Hahn are both committed to top Division 1 schools and are amongst the top quarterbacks in the state. Hahn led the Caseys to a championship win last year and he looked to repeat history for his team while Brown and the Lancers looked to make a statement to the rest of the state.

When game time lured around, it was clear that SJV was ready to fight and prove that they deserved to be undefeated. On their first drive, Brown went deep to Mike Stapert for a touchdown. From there, SJV’s offense continued to overpower the Casey’s and led 28-0 at the half and eventually win 49-6.

The Lancers enjoyed a fast paced offense thanks to huge plays whether it was on the ground or through the air. Jeff Sheard and Chris Chukwuneke had explosive runs that led to points for the team while Brown threw and ran for multiple touchdowns as well. Sophomore Zyaire Sterling also scored to add insurance points.

Another big story of the game was the ineffectiveness of Eddie Hahn and his RBC offense. Hahn is known for extending plays and scoring touchdowns. However, someone who watched the game Friday would not believe this. Hahn threw four interceptions and was sacked six times as the Casey’s offense stalled the whole night. Failing to convert on fourth down on multiple occasions led to points for the Lancers.

In the end, St. John Vianney crushed their biggest rivals in a game where people thought it would come down to the wire. SJV will now play at Rutgers Stadium on Saturday, December 5 at 10 am against DePaul Catholic. Go Lancers!