OCHS boys soccer wins title, football falls just short

By TOM WILLIAMS

The Ocean City High School boys soccer team clinched the National Conference championship today.

And the football team lost out by the narrowest of margins in an attempt to clinch a tie in its division.

Fisher Hudak and Trevor Paone each scored twice in Egg Harbor City as the Raiders (14-5) defeated Cedar Creek, 6-0. Aaron Bogushefsky’s team finished the season with an 11-1 record in the CAL-National, one game ahead of Mainland. Thai Punt and Luke Varallo each added a goal and Hudak made two assists.

The Raiders will now host Timber Creek on Monday (2pm) at Carey Stadium in the first round of the NJSIAA Group 3 Tournament.

In football at Carey Stadium tonight, Mainland’s Sean Carey kicked a 41-yard field goal with two seconds left for a 24-21 victory over the Raiders. The victory clinched at least a tie for Mainland in the Independence Division of the West Jersey Football League. The Mustangs will have a chance to win the title outright by beating Egg Harbor Township on Thanksgiving Eve.

Ocean City trailed, 21-13, with just over four minutes left and had the ball on its own 20. But key completions by Ian Aungst to Bill Kroeger and Jake Schneider moved the ball downfield and a 14-yard scoring play to Brandon Lashley brought OCHS within two points. They got those two points when Kroeger made a great leaping catch of an Aungst pass in the back corner of the end zone.

But Mainland managed to get into field goal range in the final minute for Carey’s winning kick.

Aungst had hit Lashley for another touchdown in the first quarter. The two have connected for 10 touchdowns this year, the most by any passing combination at any Cape-Atlantic League school. Aungst, who also ran for his fifth touchdown of the season, set a new school record as the first quarterback to have seven straight games passing for over 100 yards.

Ocean City will now wait until Sunday to find out if it qualified for the NJSIAA Group 4 Playoffs. The Raiders entered the game as No. 7 in South Jersey Group 4. The top eight qualify for the playoffs. If they do qualify they will play on the road next Friday – probably at Millville, Clearview or Highland. Should OCHS not qualify for the playoffs, it will be assigned a consolation game on Thursday.

Check out all the daily results and schedules in the Raider Diary – http://www.oceancitysports.com/OCDiary.html.