High School Football:
Overbrook Holds Lenape Scoreless

Saturday, November 14, 1998

By Art Redd
SJSports Staff Writer

On a day when the Overbrook Rams hosted the Lenape Indians, the defense were the ones who would be the heroes. In a Group 4 quarterfinals playoff game, the Rams held off a late charge by Lenape to advance to the semifinals against Millville. The Indians were about to go ahead in this game late, but the Rams defense kept them off the scoreboard and recorded a 9-0 victory.

During the first quarter, it seemed as if Overbrook would run away with this game early. Byron Brown tucked the ball under his arms and ran for a 45-yard gain. The Rams moved the ball within the 20-yard line of Lenape but could not convert on a fourth down play. Lenape followed the same offensive script in their attempt to score a touchdown. Both teams moved the ball well into the redzone, but the short field bunched things up so much that the defenses held their ground. The Rams' Jamison Young finally got the goose eggs off the scoreboard when he kicked a field goal at the end of the half to put his team up by three.

With only three points separating them, each team was playing for the opportunity to continue their playoff season. Neither team didn't want to lose this close game. Lenape was not afraid of the Rams undefeated record and continued to put pressure on the defense. They moved the ball down the field inside the Rams 5-yard line and had four downs to take the lead or tie the game. On a fourth and goal from the 2-yard line, the Indians decided to go for the lead instead of the tie. Quarterback Matt Prizzi was sacked and Overbrook's defense had held the Indians from scoring. Young accounted for all the points scored in this game when he intercepted a pass and scored the final points of the game. When the clock expired on that touchdown, the Rams could finally celebrate a well deserved defensive victory.

Photos by Art Redd