Old Bridge lines up on offense against East Brunswick in the “Battle of Route 18” on Week One. (Credit: Joe DaRold on YouTube.)
With most starters back from last year’s 5-1 squad that won the program’s second straight division title, No. 8 Old Bridge has high expectations for its veteran group.
That wealth of experience was put to use immediately, as the Knights weathered a late rally from rival East Brunswick for Saturday’s 27-24 victory on Opening Day.
Old Bridge was paced by senior RB/LB Lawrence Hunter, who compiled a complete stat line: 150 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, six tackles, and a fumble recovery.
Hunter’s early TD allowed Old Bridge to open the scoring eight minutes into the game, and in the fourth quarter his legs helped the Knights run out the clock. After East Brunswick’s Jayden Phillip cut the Bears’ deficit to three on a kick-return touchdown with less than five minutes left to play, the Knights leaned on Hunter to close out the win, collecting a crucial first down and forcing EB to burn all of its timeouts.
While the Bears did get the ball back with less than a minute remaining, another senior — WR/DB Evan Sobieski — reeled in an interception to cap off the win. Sobieski also finished with two second-half touchdowns: one receiving and one scoop-and-score fumble recovery that extended the Knights’ fourth-quarter lead to 27-17.
The win marked Old Bridge’s 11th straight victory over rival East Brunswick in the “Battle of Route 18.”
Click below to hear Dom Savino chat with Lawrence Hunter about Old Bridge’s win, expectations for the season, and upcoming battle with #1/#2 North Brunswick: