Brick Memorial football rushing king: Connor Dietz sets record in romp of Freehold Township

BRICK – It will go into the Brick Memorial High School football team’s record book under Connor Dietz’s name: 4,247 career rushing yards and counting for the senior quarterback, who smashed through and sprinted past the program’s 17-year-old standard as the unbeaten Mustangs beat Freehold Township 40-26 Friday night.

But you don’t rack up that kind of mileage without a bunch of accomplices. Brick Memorial’s linemen are equal partners in Dietz’s dominance – as Friday’s demolition reinforced.

“As the game went on, those holes kept getting bigger and bigger,” Mustangs coach Walt Currie said.

The old record of 4,041 yards set by Cornell-bound standout Vinnie Falkiewicz in 2006, didn’t stand a chance.

“The record was 4,000 yards, which seems insurmountable, and Connor obviously surpassed that tonight," Currie said. "Hats off to Connor and his offensive line for doing a great job paving the way for him.”

Dietz finished with 258 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He put the verdict in the icebox with a 79-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, exploding through a yawning gap in the middle.

“You do your job, he does his job, and when he runs right past you, you know it’s a touchdown,” junior lineman Austin Edwards said.

For good measure, Dietz threw for 62 yards and also nabbed an interception from his defensive back position.

“We have an awesome athlete at QB,” senior center Eric Melillo said. “I’ve been snapping to him my whole life. Great guy on and off the field.”

Just as a great guy should, Dietz gladly shared credit for his landmark feat.

“I couldn’t have done it without all my boys up front,” he said. “The record is as much theirs as it is mine.”

What it means

Brick Memorial is off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2012 and moved into sole possession of first place in the Shore Conference's Independence Division. The Mustangs are averaging 39 points per game and looking like a title contender in NJSIAA South Group 4.

Freehold Township falls to 3-2 but remains firmly in the playoff hunt in South Group 5.

Key play

Brick Memorial sophomore Nyzier Matthews took a third-quarter interception back 40 yards to the house to give the Mustangs a two-score lead.

They said it

“We felt like we had a physical advantage up front and could wear them down, and that’s what we did.” – Brick Memorial coach Walt Currie.

“This atmosphere, I’ve never felt anything like it.” – Brick Memorial lineman Austin Edwards of the crowd of 2,000.

“It’s really there. Hoping to go out championship-style.” – Brick Memorial senior lineman Eric Melillo.

“We can run, we can throw, we can screen you. It’s a three-pronged sword that we’ve dominated every team with, and we plan to keep going with it.” – Brick Memorial quarterback Connor Dietz.

By the numbers

350: Rushing yards by Brick Memorial, including 92 yards and two touchdowns by junior Kevin Andrews.

327: Yards accounted for by Freehold Township quarterback Nick Cardone, who threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown.

3: Big momentum plays by Brick Memorial linebacker Trey Tallmadge, who recorded an interception, a sack and threw a running back for a 10-yard loss.

2: Spectacular solos during the Brick Memorial marching band’s stirring halftime rendition of Soundgarden’s 1990s grunge classic “Black Hole Sun.” Junior Joseph Wronko on baritone and sophomore Jessica Krinsky on trumpet, take a bow.

1: Bone-jarring tackle by Brick Memorial senior linebacker Edwin Vargas that stopped Cardone inches short of the first-down marker deep in Mustangs territory in the fourth quarter.

What’s next

Brick Memorial visits 2-2 Manasquan Saturday, Sept. 30.

Freehold Township hosts 4-0 Marlboro Friday, Sept. 29.

Brick Memorial 40, Freehold Township 26

Freehold Township (3-2) 7 6 7 6 - 26

Brick Memorial (5-0) 6 14 6 14 - 40

First Quarter

FT: Carnevale 31-yard pass from Cardone (Loff kick)

BM: Dietz 8 run (kick failed)

Second Quarter

BM: Dietz 36 run (Hillin kick)

FT: Tansey 27 pass from Cardone (run failed)

BM: Andrews 21 run (Hillin kick)

Third Quarter

BM: Matthews 40 interception return (kick failed)

FT: Carnevale 69 pass from Cardone (Loff kick)

Fourth Quarter

BM: Andrews 1 run (Whittaker pass from Dietz)

BM: Dietz 79 run (pass failed)

FT: Cardone 4 run (kick failed)

Rushing

FT: Cardone 10-67, Whisten 4-20; BM: Dietz 26-258, Andrews 14-92.

Passing

FT: Cardone 14-29-3-260; BM: Dietz 8-12-1-62

Receiving

FT: Carnevale 3-117, Gill-Anderson 4-62, Tansey 2-42; BM: Matthews 2-20, Tallmadge 2-18, Whittaker 2-15, Poukish 2-8

Interceptions

FT: Carnevale; BM: Dietz, Matthews, Tallmadge.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Brick Memorial football's Connor Dietz smashes rushing record