RBC, Long Branch off to 4-0 starts
BY DOUG McKENZIE Correspondent
Through four games, the Red Bank Catholic football team has been every bit as good as advertised.

After entering the season with the Shore's top-rated offense, Frank Edgerly's Caseys have dominated their opponents behind the running of senior Michael Wilbur and junior David Reeves, posting their fourth impressive win on Saturday, 47-0, over Red Bank Regional.

"We're off to a pretty good start, that's for sure," Edgerly said. "I would say so far they've met all the goals they set for themselves, and certainly the expectations will continue to rise now."

Against RBR, Wilbur rushed 16 times for 143 yards and found the end zone three times in the first half to set the tone early on - something he has done in all four games thus far. Finally given his chance to carry the offensive load this year, Wilbur has made the most of it.

"You never know how a kid is going to react once he finally gets his shot, but I think it's fair to say he's been everything we could ask for," Edgerly said.

On Saturday, the Caseys were up 27-0 by halftime, as their defense, currently ranked third in the Shore, was working on its second consecutive shutout.

However, with RBC winning all four of its games handily, it does raise one area of concern for Edgerly and his coaches.

"Through the first four games, we've been able to get up by some considerable margins, so our starters have not had to play four quarters of football yet," he said. "That's great for the development of the program, but the other side of it is that you have to wonder if our guys are in fourth-quarter shape yet."

Heading into their bye week, the Caseys will certainly be working on their conditioning as they prepare for an Oct. 12 game against a Keyport team that has struggled mightily out the blocks, falling to 0-4 on Saturday with a tough 14-13 loss to Asbury Park.

From there, RBC will be severely tested when they take on unbeaten Long Branch on Oct. 19 at Count Basie Park.

While some coaches would worry about a letdown in the Keyport game, Edgerly senses a level of maturity in his team this year, which might surprise some, considering the overall youth of the squad.

"We only have four or five seniors starting on this team (11 seniors total), so the majority of the starters are juniors and sophomores," the coach said. "Obviously every team wants to get to the state championships, but we set goals in the spring, and these kids seem to be staying grounded enough so far. We wanted to win our first game, then qualify for the states, win our division, and then eventually go after the state title."

While a lot of people are already talking about RBC's potential in the state tournament, Edgerly is quick to point out the work his team has left before that.

"A lot of people have the tendency to put the cart before the horse," he said. "At this point we're only one game better than we were at this point the last two years, so we've got a long way to go before we can worry about that stuff.

"It's a matter of going out there and playing the next game," he added.

And while some in the Shore football community are excited about RBC's start, there are others who point to the fact that the Caseys are yet to face a team with a winning record.

"We understand that there are some people saying things like, 'Yeah they're 4- 0 but who have they played?' But we can't worry about that stuff," Edgerly said. "We can only play who's on our schedule."

That means Keyport, Long Branch, Wall and Neptune prior to the start of the state playoffs.

If the Caseys can get through the regular season undefeated, they will enter what most people consider the toughest

state tournament bracket in the

state- the Non-Public Group IV

bracket, which routinely includes

two or three of the top

teams in the state.

But again, it's a little early to

wonder if RBC is ready to compete

with the big boys in the

state tournament.

"We're just working on getting

better, and all those other things will take care of themselves," Edgerly said.

Still, so far, you've got to be impressed.

As good as RBC has been, the Long Branch Green Wave represents another Liberty Division that is looking like one of the Shore's very best squads.

Long Branch improved to 4-0 with an impressive 28-7 win over rival Matawan on Saturday as Travis Patterson rushed for 180 of his team's 300-plus yards, and the Wave's defense continued to control the line of scrimmage against the overmatched Huskies.

Next up for Long Branch is a 2-2 Monmouth Regional team coming off a strong 34-21 win over Manchester on Saturday. The Golden Falcons took advantage of several Manchester miscues in this one, and will likely need to be equally opportunistic if they hope to upset the Green Wave on Saturday. Game time is 2 p.m.

Rumson-Fair Haven bounced back from their first loss of the year (to Keansburg) with an impressive 37-14 win over Shore Regional on Friday. The Bulldogs will look to keep their state playoff hopes alive with a win over 3-1 Manasquan on Friday in Rumson. Game time is 7 p.m.

Shore Regional (1-3) will be trying for its second win on Friday against a Point Beach team (1-2) coming off its bye week. Game time is 7 p.m. in Point Beach.

Ocean Township, which beat Pinelands, 22-7, on Friday to get to 2-2 on the season will host another 2-2 team, Neptune, in Friday in a 7 p.m. contest, while Red Bank Regional will try once again for its first win against Wall Township (3-1) on Saturday. The Crimson Knights gave the top-ranked Middletown South Eagles a scare last weekend, losing a tough 35-34 affair.