The West Windsor-Plainsboro South football team suffered a heartbreaking double overtime defeat on November 18, losing 21-20 to Manalapan in the NJSIAA Group IV Central semifinal game.
The loss was particularly stinging, coming on a successful two-point conversion — a two-yard run by Manalapan, whose coach opted to go for the win rather than tie the game at 20.
Although both teams had entered the game as offensive powerhouses, the game was a scoreless affair until Pirates’ star running back Brian Schoenauer scored on a 24-yard touchdown run with 6:11 in the fourth quarter. The Pirates went up 6-0, but missed the extra point.
Schoenauer, who broke High School South’s career rushing record the previous week, finished with 121 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns. It was his 11th game this season and 20th of his varsity career in which he went over the 100-yard mark.
The Pirates’ lead lasted until the waning minutes of the game when Manalapan’s standout sophomore running back, John Sieczkowski, was able tear off a 28-yard run to the 16 yard line.
Sieczkowski, who ripped the Pirates for 163 yards on 32 carries, had consecutive runs of four yards. Manalapan tied the score at 6-6 with 57 seconds remaining with a five-yard touchdown pass.
But Manalapan missed the game-winning extra point. The miss came on a block by South senior lineman Aiden Nuttall.
That block sent the game to overtime, where Manalapan struck first on a 23-yard touchdown pass. WW-P South responded with a 14-yard touchdown run by Schoenauer. That drive featured a key third down conversion from quarterback Chris Evans to wide receiver Chris Jones.
South scored first in the second overtime, when Evans completed a 13-yard pass that bounced off the hands of a Manalapan defender and connected with Marty Flatly in the end zone.
The game ended on the next possession, when Sieczkowski scored the touchdown to make the score 20-19 after just two plays, and then scored the game-winning two-point conversion.
South head coach Todd Smith said he was proud of his team. “It was a great effort, unfortunately we came out on the losing end of a great game.”
“I know it stings for the kids now but this is probably one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of,” he added. “These kids proved they can play with any team in the state this year, no questions asked, we just came up one point short of reaching the state championship.”
Smith also pointed out that this year’s team was a tremendous turnaround from a group that didn’t make the playoffs last year.
“We told these seniors it was their job to get this program back to where it was,” Smith said. “And there’s no question they did that. I know it stings for them the most because they put the most effort into it. Everyone was playing for everybody and it was just a phenomenal effort.”
