Running back Brian Schoenauer has won a place in High School South history, and now his team hopes to earn one as well in the state championships.
Schoenauer became High School South’s career rushing leader on November 12, in a 30-7 win over North Brunswick in the first round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV playoffs.
The junior rushed for 152 yards, eclipsing the 3,082-yard record set by Ryan Lupo in the 2005 and ’06 seasons. He also scored two touchdowns and caught four passes for 70 yards. Schoenauer now has totaled 3,189 career rushing yards.
With the win, the third-seeded Pirates earned a trip to second-seed Manalapan for a semifinal game at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 18.
Schoenauer said that growing up he watched Lupo and Dave Twamley, another standout Pirate runner. “I always try to emulate them and run as hard as they did.”
The playoff win was also another success for Pirates Coach Todd Smith who has turned the Pirates into a successful program. The win at North Brunswick was the team’s fifth playoff win in seven seasons under Smith.
The previous week, the Pirates were coming off the only blip on the radar in an otherwise perfect season — an upset loss to Allentown. On November 5 the team corrected that, ending its regular season with a 40-21 victory over Steinert. The win gave the team its fourth regular season with at least eight wins in seven seasons under Smith.
“We knew we had to (make a statement), going into the playoffs especially,” said Pirates quarterback Chris Evans, who played well against Steinert, completing 14 of 18 passes for 182 yards and four touchdowns.
