Raiders shut out Bridgeton

By TOM WILLIAMS

The Raiders are red-hot.

Ocean City defeated Bridgeton tonight, 42-0, for its third straight shutout victory to start the 2019 season. In addition to another strong defensive performance, the win was sparked by junior quarterback Joe Repetti’s four touchdown passes, one short of the record at a Cape-Atlantic League school.

OCHS returns home next Friday to host Absegami in a West Jersey Football League Independence Division game.

For the third straight week the Raiders scored in the first two minutes of the game.

After a strong kickoff return by Jake Schneider, Repetti found wide receiver Jaden Tocci-Rogers in the end zone from 28 yards on the first play from scrimmage. A little over four minutes later, Repetti and Tocci-Rogers connected again from 14 yards.

Repetti, who now has eight TD passes this season, threw a third touchdown to Isaac Wilson from 12 yards out to complete the first quarter with a 21-0 lead.

In the second period, sophomore Sean Mazzitelli scored his first varsity TD from one yard out and Repetti connected with Schneider for the fourth time this year for a 35-0 lead at halftime. That put the infamous running clock into action to start the second half. Sophomore Brendan McGonigle kicked five extra points in the first half, improving to 15 for 16 on the season.

In the fourth quarter, Ocean City scored its first second half TD of the season when Tom Oves recovered a Bridgeton fumble in the end zone. It was the fourth defensive touchdown by the Raiders this season.

The last time OCHS shut out three straight teams was in 1985 when Tony Galante’s team held Bridgeton, Egg Harbor Township and Atlantic City scoreless on consecutive weeks.

The last time the Raiders started the season with three consecutive shutouts was in 1976 when Ed Woolley’s team beat St. Joseph, Wildwood and Lower Cape May. That team went on to shut out its first five opponents.