By Scott Stump - Senior Editor
(Game details and videos provided by Operations Manager Travis Johnson)
     MANALAPAN - Staring yet another 0-2 start in the face for the fourth straight season, Manalapan refused to let it happen again and continued its recent mastery of Jackson Memorial with a pulse-pounding, 23-21 comeback win in the final seconds of regulation in an American Division game on Friday night.
      Trailing 21-17 late in the game with Jackson trying to run out the clock, the Braves were given new life when junior defensive back Kevin Cruz scooped up a fumble in Braves territory and returned it all the way to the Jackson 25-yard line with under two minutes to play.
     "It was a team effort, the coaches called the right stunts and we were able to get the turnover,'' said defensive lineman Ioannis Dokouslis, who had a sack and a forced fumble in the game.
     After a touchdown was called back because of a penalty, sophomore quarterback Michael Bimonte took another shot at the end zone and hit wideout Chris Pellicano for a 23-yard touchdown pass with just 34 seconds left in the game to give the Braves (1-1, 1-0) their third straight win over the Jaguars (0-1, 0-1).   
      It was Pellicano's second touchdown catch of the night and helped ensure that the Braves recovered after surrendering a 14-0 lead.
     "When that play was called, I felt like I had to get it done and score the touchdown,'' Pellicano said. "I'm a senior and I have to step up.''
       Jackson had taken the lead when senior running back Tyler Wilton scored from eight yards out with 8:29 left in the game to cap a six-play drive. Wilton was close to 150 yards on the night and scored three touchdowns, with the bittersweet lining coming when he was stripped of the ball to set up Cruz's fumble return. He also had a potential fourth touchdown called back with 4:24 left in the game that proved to be huge.
       Manalapan jumped out to an early 6-0 lead in the first quarter with a 13-play drive that ended when senior Jimmy Gilburn, normally a running back, lined up at quarterback in the shotgun and threw the first pass of his career, a 14-yard touchdown strike to tight end Josh Firkser. The Braves pushed the lead to 14-0 on a 55-yard touchdown pass from Bimonte to Pellicano with 9:24 left in the half.
       However, Jackson came flying back when Wilton scored on a short run with 6:44 left in the half, which was set up by a 40-yard run by quarterback Garrett Dorsey, to halve the lead to 14-7. After a field goal pushed the lead back to 10 points, Wilton scored on a five-yard run that was set up by a 49-yard pass from quarterback Evan Owens to wideout Devon Cheatham. That cut the lead to 17-14 with two seconds left in the third quarter, setting up a furious fourth-quarter finish after Wilton's third touchdown gave the Jaguars their first and only lead.
       "We let loose a little bit, but we came back and finished strong and got the win,'' Pellicano said.
       The Braves did enough to make sure their backs weren't pressed against the wall early in the season like they have been the last three years. After a nondivisional loss to Colts Neck in their opener, they also stamped themselves as a contender in a loaded American Division race.
       "We didn't get off to a fast start Week One, but we finished pretty good in Week Two,'' Dokouslis said before smiling.