On Thursday September 19, not even the senior night festivities for the Buccaneers of Red Bank Regional could make up for the absolute beatdown the Panthers of Point Boro put on them. That night, the Panthers left Red Bank with a 38 point win and full control of first place in the Shore Conference’s Colonial division, while RBR dropped to 0-3 with a loss. The Panthers dominated the game from start, where they scored on their first two offensive plays, to finish.
Senior Quarterback Matt Oliphant started the game off, with a 68 yard touchdown run, his first of 4 rushing touchdowns on the day. Oliphant finished with 230 total rushing yards and 5 total touchdowns, one being a passing touchdown. Junior Colin Obser also had a big day, finishing with both a rushing and receiving touchdown while leading the defense as well. Sophomore Calvin Videon-Perino capped off the scoring in the second half with a 50 yard touchdown run to put the Panthers safely away up 51-13. While the ball carriers deserve their flowers, the offensive line was putting in work in the trenches. Tackles Tanner Hynes and Zach Larr did a fantastic job of blocking a Harvard commit, while Guards Charles ‘Boom’ Davison and Paul Hagemeyer helped to keep the Division one recruit and the blitzing linebackers at bay. Center Nick Vitale continued his stellar season, dominating opposing nose tackles all night long.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers applied constant pressure which the Buccaneers just couldn’t run from. The Panthers stuffed the stat sheet and the defensive line dominated, living in the backfield all night long. Obser led the defense with 7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, and a punt block for a safety. Aside from a defensive breakdown on the first drive, the Panthers’ suffocating defense did not allow a single other point with the starters in. As always, the Panthers’ special teams were also stellar. The Panthers successfully blocked a punt for a safety and also recovered a muffed punt, continuing their dominant special teams run. By the end of the half, the Buccaneers had tapped out.
The next on Point Boro’s schedule was Rumson Fair Haven, which was one of the premier matchups in the state for week 5. With the Panthers being 5-0, many will look to see what’s up next for the Panthers. The regular season begins to close with a game at Manalapan on 10/6, another home game (which is senior night and homecoming) against Matawan on 10/13, and an away game at Raritan to close the regular season on 10/20.
As of 9/28, the Panthers are number 1 in the SJG2 super section, which would give them home field advantage for the playoffs. Returning to the here and now, the Panthers look to continue their dominant rushing attack, building upon the reigning #1 and #2 scoring offenses in the Shore Conference over the past two years.
The real question remains: is this game a sign of things to come, or will the rest of the season not be such smooth sailing for the Panthers?
