Shore Conference football: Chris Scully hopes Colts Neck's run goes 'as long as possible'

COLTS NECK - Chris Scully realizes any game he plays in for the rest of the season could be the end of his outstanding football career at Colts Neck High School.

"It's a bittersweet feeling,'' Scully, a school-record setting running back, said. "I know it's going to stink not to be able to play with my guys again."

Scully and his teammates ensured themselves of at least one more game as Scully ran for 191 yards and four TDs in the Cougars' dominant 41-0 win over Toms River South in a NJSIAA South Group 4 quarterfinal at McChesney Stadium.

More: NJSIAA football playoffs Week 1: Shore Conference schedule, scoreboard, highlights

"I'm just hoping to make this run as long as possible and play as many games as I can my senior year,'' Scully said.

Scully has left a lasting mark on the history of the Colts Neck program.

He is the school's all-time leading rusher with 3,681 yards. He broke the old record of 3,436, set by 2014 graduate Anthony Gargiulo. Gargiulo went on to be a starting fullback at Navy.

Scully has had two consecutive 1,300-yard plus seasons, including 1,563 yards this season. He has rushed for 48 TDs in his career.

This season, the 5-foot-10, 210-pound Scully, who always has his legs churning forward, has run for at least 154 yards in eight of the Cougars' nine games. Only Red Bank Catholic, ranked No. 1 in the Asbury Park Press Top 20, held Scully to under 100 yards. He had 154 yards against Middletown South and 155 against Point Pleasant Borough.

"There's been a lot ups and downs,'' said Scully, who scored on runs of 3, 10, 2 and 35 yards Saturday. "I would mainly give a lot of credit to the team as whole. This senior class is especially special. I guess the one word to describe it is team. Every day, I know these guys are the weight room. In the offseason, they are working hard. I think a lot of my career is a lot on their shoulders.''

Scully and his fellow seniors have been part of a program that has won a piece of two straight Shore Conference divisional championships, three straight playoff appearances and a playoff win over Timber Creek in 2021.

"He is a workhorse,'' Colts Neck head coach Matt Ahearn said about Scully. "I'll ask him: 'Can you carry 25? Can you carry 30? He'll say all the time, 'yes.' He'll go up to 100. Whatever it takes to win. He's a team guy, and that's the most important thing.''

What it means

Colts Neck (6-3), the No. 3 seed, in South Group 4, advanced to a sectional semifinal match Friday at 6 p.m. at No. 2 seed and 2022 Central Group 4 champion Mainland (10-0).

Mainland is ranked No. 5 in the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey Public School Top 20.

"It's win or go home. How do you want to be remembered?'' Scully said, when asked the team's mindset going into the Mainland game. "I'm very confident we'll do that.''

"We have to take a shot at them. Play our best and see how it goes,'' Ahearn said. "All we can ask is to play our best. If our best isn't good enough, then so be it.''

Toms River South (6-3), which won the Shore Conference Liberty Division championship for its first divisional title since 2002, saw its season come to an end unless it chooses to play in an NJSIAA consolation game.

Key play

Colts Neck was leading 7-0 on the second play of the second quarter when senior defensive end Eric Loureiro blocked a punt, which Devin Donnelly recovered at the Toms River South 17.

Three plays later, Scully scampered in from the 10 to make it 14-0.

By the numbers

254: Colts Neck's final rushing total

10.6: Scully's yards per carry on his 18 attempts.

9.1: Yards per rushing attempt Colts Neck averaged.

9.4: Yards per play Colts Neck averaged on its 32 plays from scrimmage.

Colts Neck 41, Toms River South 0

Toms River South 0 0 0 0 - 0

Colts Neck 7 14 13 7 - 41

First Quarter

Chris Scully 3 run (Aidan Manasso kick).

Second Quarter

Scully 10 run (Manasso kick).

Manasso 17 pass from Dom Beninato (Manasso kick).

Third Quarter

Scully 2 run (Manasso kick).

Scully 35 run (kick failed).

Fourth Quarter

Bryson Royal 29 run (Brady Tormey kick).

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Rushing: TRS: Damir Nelson 11-54, Jake Henehan 12-53, James Alexander 9-26, Jake Silva 5-12, Team 2-(-32). CN: Chris Scully 18-191, Bryson Royal 2-35, Joey Pignantelli 1-23, Jack Lefkowitz 1-8, Brady Tormey 1-5, Dom Beninato 2-0, Ethan Mathieu 1-0, Team 1-(-8).

Passing: TRS: James Alexander 3-8-0-51, Henehan 1-1-0-4, Giovannie Morales-Torres 1-1-0-7. CN: Beninato 3-5-0-48.

Receiving: TRS: Jordan Jones 2-33, Nelson 0-10, Antonio Gonzalez 1-7, Jarrod Johnson 1-6. Caleb Venezzio 1-6. CN: Tesio Carabello 1-25, Aidan Manasso 1-17, Lefkowitz 1-6.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore NJ football: Chris Scully, Colts Neck beat Toms River South in NJSIAA