Back in the dog days of summer, Mount Olive coach Brian O’Connor thought his team could “compete with anybody” if it stayed healthy.
Well, the Marauders have remained injury-free and … boy, are they competing.
How does a 7-0 start to the season sound?
Not many people in Marauder Nation could have foreseen such a getaway.
But here we are.
“We did expect to have a great season – but not this type of success,” running back-linebacker Brayden Longo said.
O’Connor’s team put it all up in the display window against a strong Wayne Valley team – especially in the final three quarters – in a 31-17 victory Friday night.
And now come the biggest tests of all: at West Morris (7-0) for the SFC-Liberty White championship Friday night, and then the North Group IV playoffs the following week.
If the Wayne Valley victory is any indication, the Marauders are in good shape for the coming weeks.
“We knew it would be a tough, physical game and it was,” O’Connor said. “The questions were whether we could close down their offense because they have a very good quarterback (Danny Ferrauilo).”
Mount Olive fell behind in the first quarter when Indians running back Brayden Dunne broke loose and scored a stunning 58-yard touchdown to put the visitors ahead, 7-0.
But from the second quarter on, it was pretty much all Mount Olive, all the time – thanks to the quick feet of Longo, who scored three different ways in the second quarter alone to put his team ahead for good.
He tied the game early in the second quarter when he scored from 6 yards out and kicker Colby Batsch nailed his first of four straight PATs.
Ferrauilo (19 for 35, 198 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) responded by driving his team downfield and connecting with Kyle Betz for a 7-yard touchdown pass, but the speedy Longo took control of the rest of the half by returning the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown and later bringing back a punt 67 yards for another score.
In the fourth quarter, he scored a 46-yard touchdown run.
“They surprised us with different fronts,” O’Connor explained. “Every other down, they were going even-odd. They were super aggressive, which they hadn’t been. Our guys made enough space for Longo.”
Longo finished the game with 18 carries for 140 yards and two TDs rushing. He had two tackles for loss to go with his six tackles. On the season, he has rushed 114 times for 1,020 yards and 18 TDs and has returned a kickoff and three punts back for touchdowns.
Not bad for a kid who has already committed to play baseball at Rutgers.
“He’s an animal,” Mount Olive’s two-way line standout James Giammanco said. “He’s fast and quick. He’s a dog.”
Many times during the game, Longo took a pitch and exploded to the outside with no defender in sight. He had a lot of running room and rolled up even more yardage with his speed.
“He is a special player and we knew that,” O’Connor said. “Brayden is a special talent with speed to the outside and you won’t touch him. You won’t get him with arm tackles.”
Longo is similar to the Marauders. People thought he’d be good .. but this good?
“I really didn’t think I would be having the season I’m having,” Longo added. “I just had one goal on my mind and that was to get 1,000 yards and make sure the team wins games. Because we are doing that, it’s all that matters right now.”
Longo took advantage of the blocks thrown by teammates Giammanco, James Rizzo, Sam Lagatutta, Shane Oblen, Connor Schiller, and tight end Jared Martini.
“We knew going in that the two James’s would be strong,” O’Connor said. “The question was who would the other guys be? There was good competition in the summer and they are starting to gel as a group. Martini is more of an H-back. He is a huge part of the blocking schemes.”
“We all love one another,” Giammanco added. “It’s a family thing, from the coaches, to one-deep, to two-deep. We just connect and make big holes.”
Longo knows what to do with them.
“I think just being an athlete helps with all of this and then being able to read the holes our line gives up front,” Longo explained.
Quarterback Frank Gallo (7 for 9 passing, 67 yards, 20 yards rushing) was efficient. Bullock caught 5 passes for 57 yards.
The Olive defense, meanwhile, grew stronger as the Wayne Valley game went along. The secondary (Frank Gallo, Raynell Derrick, Nico Orzillo, Justin Reed, Bullock) was terrific.
Bullock was all over the field.
“He is like having a coach out there,” O’Connor said. “He is so smart in whatever we do … coverages or blitzes. He is very talented.”
The defensive front seven (OLBs Tommy Canning and Malcolm Gilyard, ILBs Liam Shelton and Longo, Rizzo at nose with Giammanco and Martini up front) kept Wayne Valley’s explosive offense in check throughout.
“Early on, they hit a couple of plays and our guys stepped up,” O’Connor said. “The secondary rebounded and made some plays.”
And now the real fun begins.
Next up: A trip down Route 206.
Destination: West Morris.
“We’re both undefeated,” Giammanco said. “They like to run 80 percent to 20 percent. As long as we execute … do that, and we’ll be fine.”
The credit for Mount Olive’s success comes from up and down the roster, all the way down to the scout team.
“We execute in practice and work hard,” Giammanco said. “Our scout guys do a great job and give us a good look. The coaches give us a great game plan each week.
And in two weeks comes the playoffs, where the Marauders are one of the front runners in Group IV.
Longo doesn’t want to talk about that just yet – not with West Morris on the horizon.
“I think we just need to take it one step and one day at a time to get the job done and not get ahead of ourselves at all,” Longo said. “Keep grinding it out each day and we will be fine.”
