High School Football: New Brunswick Can't Overcome Penalties, Turnovers in Season-Opening Loss

NEW BRUNSWICK – The Zebras of New Brunswick High School couldn’t overcome nine penalties and two turnovers, including a fumble near the goal line in the first quarter, in Friday night’s season-opening 28-0 football loss to Freehold Borough.

New Brunswick was in position to take an early lead after it pounced on a loose ball on the Colonials’ 7. A bouncing punt had touched a Freehold Borough return man and was recovered by a Zebra defender.

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The tables turned on the next play, though, when Freehold Borough recovered a New Brunswick fumble in the end zone for a touchback.

Otherwise, the Zebras, who have lost 15 consecutive games dating to 2022, didn’t manage to move the ball inside Freehold Borough’s red zone.

The best Zebra drive came at the start of the second half.

Trailing 7-0, the Zebras took the second-half kickoff and mounted a 12-play drive spanning 7:39.

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Junior Jabril Bright sparked the drive with runs of 15 and 12 yards, and Zi’youn Brown added a 7-yard run.

The drive stalled on the Colonials’ 24 when Brown was stopped on a 4-yard run on a fourth-and-6 play.

The Zebras, who will host Plainfield on Friday, Sept. 6, fell behind Friday at Memorial Stadium when Quamire Everrett returned a punt 45 yards with 2:43 left in the first quarter.

Everrett then scored on a 44-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, and Damier Lester scored on a 61-yard punt return to make it 21-0 with 10:45 to play.

Amir Smith capped the scoring with a 23-yard touchdown run as the Colonials gave Derek Reichenbecher the victory in his first game as coach of the Shore Conference Class B North Division team.

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