Metuchen football looking for 3-0 start this weekend
Bulldogs play McCarrick on Saturday
BY SHAWN LAYTON Staff Writer
After Saturday's 22-6 win over Dunellen, the Metuchen High School football team improved to 2-0 on the year and will look to make it three straight to start the season when it takes on a much-improved Cardinal McCarrick team Sept. 27. McCarrick will look to rebound from its 34-18 loss to Highland Park.

Through its first two games, Metuchen has gotten major performances from Ray Doherty and Pete Strom. In the season opener, a 21-0 win over Roselle Park, Metuchen rushed for 381 yards thanks to the running of the lethal tandem. Doherty racked up 266 yards against Roselle Park, and Strom rushed for 86 yards.

"We ran the football really well in our first game," Metuchen head coach Bob Ulmer said. "We didn't run the ball as much this week, but we did get another solid all-around performance. Our defense gave us a great effort. Strom and all of our linebackers were just relentless this week."

With last season's overtime loss still leaving a bad taste in the mouths of the Bulldogs, Metuchen put in the necessary preparation to combat Dunellen's double-wing offense.

"The Dunellen offense is very unorthodox," Ulmer said. "They try to slow the game down and keep your offense off the field. It can be very frustrating because they do such a good job of chewing up the clock. Last year we ran only 11 offensive plays in the entire first half. You can't win like that."

Ulmer credits his coaching staff and the commitment of his younger players to get the varsity defense ready to combat Dunellen's offense for this week's impressive performance.

"Our freshmen and sophomores ran Dunellen's offense all week in practice, and this gave our defense the look it needed to be ready for Saturday's game," Ulmer said. "Our coaching staff also did a great job scouting."

With the Dunellen offense held in check, the Metuchen offense went to work with quarterback Steven Deinzer leading the way. Deinzer put the Bulldogs on top 14-0 in the second quarter with a pair of touchdown passes. After Dunellen cut the lead to 14-6, Deinzer pitched the ball to Doherty in the third quarter and the senior back took the ball 51 yards into the Dunellen end zone to put the game out of reach.

"Deinzer gave us a nice performance," Ulmer said. "He was efficient against Dunellen, but he still needs to work on some areas of his game. Overall, our offense needs to improvewhen inside the red zone. We gave the ball over on downs in our first two games, and we can't do this."

This week's match-up with Cardinal Mc- Carrick should be an interesting test for the Bulldogs.

"Cardinal McCarrick has definitely improved since last year," Ulmer said. "They're big, fast and strong, and they will be tough. We'll have to move the chains and hang onto the ball. I expect McCarrick to run the ball right at us, and we'll have to go after them."

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