(Photo by Sunil Sunder Raj/OnNJ Sports)
November 17, 2024

Julian Turney, Stellar Defense Lifts St. Augustine Prep over Delbarton in the Non-Public A Quarterfinals

By Sunil Sunder Raj
Akeem Jones , Delbarton Green Wave , Delbarton High School , Jadon Prinzivalli , Julian Turney , Luke Tanzola , Nick Costa , Non-Public A Quarterfinals , Phillip Folmar , Roman Coney , Ryan Stoehr , St. Augustine Prep Hermits

The sixth-seed St. Augustine Prep Hermits (7-3) pounded out a 9-7 win over the third-seed Delbarton Green Wave (7-3) in the Non-Public A Quarterfinals at Delbarton High School in Morristown, New Jersey.

After the Delbarton defense forced the St. Augustine Prep offense to punt the ball away on their first possession of the game, the Green Wave offense started with excellent field position at the Hermits’ 45-yard line.

Delbarton’s hurry-up style caught the St. Augustine Prep defense off guard. Quarterback Jadon Prinzivalli made five consecutive passes, pushing the ball down to the Hermit’s four-yard line.

On first and goal at the two-yard line, Phillip Folmar took the direct snap in the wildcat formation, powered his way around the left side of the line, and snuck inside the tower for the touchdown with seven and half minutes left.

In the second quarter, St. Augustine Prep’s offense had the ball at its 32-yard line with ten minutes remaining. Hermits quarterback Ryan Stoehr completed a pair of passes, and running back Julian Turney picked up the slack and ran the ball with authority, gaining 20 yards.

However, the drive stalled out at the Green Wave 28-yard line, forcing a 45-yard field goal attempt that proved no problem. Hermit’s kicker Luke Tanzola belted a kick that split the uprights, and St. Augustine Prep drew to within 7-3 with less than five minutes to go.

Delbarton received the opening kickoff in the third quarter, which quickly went sideways as quarterback Ryan Stoehr was sacked on back-to-back plays. First, it was St. Augustine Prep linebacker Akeem Jones.

Then, defensive lineman Nick Costa gained the edge on the pass rush and knocked the ball out of Green Wave quarterback Jadon Prinzivalli’s hands, resulting in a fumble. Costa displayed the athletic skills and understanding needed to recover the fumble at the Green Wave 29-yard line.

The Hermits offense relied on their potent running game, led by Julian Turney, who carried the ball four times in a row, culminating in a three-yard touchdown run. However, the extra point was ineffective, leaving the score at 9-7 with seven and a half minutes left.

St. Augustine Prep’s defense applied intense pressure in the third quarter as Akeem Jones registered his second game sack.

The Hermits had an opportunity to extend the lead late in the quarter, but Luke Tanzola’s 28-yard field goal sailed wide left of the goalpost.

In the fourth quarter, Delbarton’s offense had the ball deep in its territory at the 11-yard line with nine and a half minutes remaining. The Green Wave moved the ball effectively into St. Augustine Prep territory.

After ten plays, the Delbarton offense faced a critical fourth-down situation at the Hermits’ 44-yard line, but a running play fell short of the first-down marker, resulting in a turnover on downs at the five-minute mark.

St. Augustine Prep’s offense relied on its bread-and-butter running attack, with Julian Turney and Roman Coney splitting the carries. However, Turney proved the catalyst, gaining first-down yardage on two vital fourth-down conversions. Turney plowed his way straight ahead for two yards on fourth and one at the 45-yard line.

Next, Turney took the handoff from quarterback Ryan Stoehr and churned straightforwardly for three yards on fourth and one at the 34-yard line, which allowed the Hermits to run out the clock and emerge victorious.

 

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Sunil Sunder Raj

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