Bulldogs clinch first playoff bid in 2 years
BY SHAWN LAYTON Staff Writer
With a pair of back-to-back lopsided victories, the Metuchen High School football team played its way into the Central Jersey Group I playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season. The No. 7 seeded Bulldogs team will take on No. 2 Shore Regional at 7 p.m. Nov. 14.

ERIC SUCAR staff Metuchen's Phil Lewis tries to bring down a long pass during the first quarter of the game against the South River Rams at Denny Stadium, South River, on Saturday.

"Shore is always a tough team," Metuchen head coach Bob Ulmer said. "They have so many strengths that it's tough to say what their biggest weapon is. They play a 4-4 defense and they want to play smash-mouth. On offense, they have a lot of finesse and their best play is the rocket sweep. They don't throw the ball that often, and really there will be no secrets. Teams know what to expect when they play Shore, but it usually makes no difference because Shore is so good at what they do."

The Bulldogs clinched their first playoff berth in two years with consecutive wins over Spotswood and South River. Two weeks ago, Metuchen played a superb game from start to finish in upending Spotswood, 40-6.

"The Spotswood game was our best of the season," Ulmer said. "We were able to capitalize in every way. We went into the game thinking it was a must-win situation. We felt the winner would have a good chance of making the playoffs. Nothing was guaranteed, but we thought the winner would probably be in and the loser eliminated. The guys really rose to the challenge."

Just to be safe, Metuchen followed the Spotswood victory with another impressive win and defeated South River 36-6. Bulldog quarterback Steven Deinzer led the offensive attack with 153 yards passing and one touchdown. With the victory, Metuchen improved to 6-3 on the season.

Despite some nasty playing conditions, the Bulldog offense had little problem moving the ball in the first half. The team scored on five of its first six drives. Running back Ray Doherty was virtually unstoppable as he racked up 90 yards in the first half with three touchdowns.

"We came out very well defensively, and that set the tone," Ulmer said. "Despite the weather conditions, we played our normal 3-5 defense and played it well. Likewise, we could both run and pass the ball with efficiency. The kids were intense and excited to play South River."

The Bulldog offense amassed over 300 yards in the first half while the South River attack could barely muster 15. South River finally got on the scoreboard in the second half when quarterback Nick Boyler connected with Brandon Walsh on a 26- yard pass play.

"We know we've got some work to do to get ready for this week's game against Shore," Ulmer said. "They run the wing-T offense and we've seen other teams run it, but Shore runs it a differently. We know what they plan to do and they know what we plan to do. We've been playing our best football, and hopefully we can keep the momentum we've gained these last two weeks and bring it to a new level this week in practice for Friday's game."