North Brunswick’s Tamir Gladden-Boone picks off Nick Nunez’s pass for a two-point conversion to help the Raiders hold on for a 21-20 win at the Rumble on the Raritan at SHI Stadium in Piscataway on September 24, 2023. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
It was a game bookended by two amazing plays.
On the first play from scrimmage, Sayreville’s Zaimer Wright scored on a gargantuan 61-yard touchdown run – after not playing in the last two games – and it looked like the 7th-ranked Bombers might be off to the races and have upset on their minds against second-ranked North Brunswick.
But he was held to just over 80 yards the rest of the game and the North Brunswick defense held.
In particular, it held on the next-to-last play of the game. Sayreville – down 21-14 – got a one-yard TD run from Nick Nunez to make it 21-20.
The Bombers elected to go for two, but when Nunez threw a flare just over the goal line, the Raiders’ Tamir Gladden-Boone picked off the pass, and allowed the Raiders – after recovering an onside kick attempt – were able to take a knee to close the game out.
The win keeps North Brunswick undefeated, at 4-0. The Raiders have won at least four straight to start three of the last four seasons under Mike Cipot. Sayreville fell to 3-2.
Wright finished with 144 rushing yards and two touchdown runs, the only player in the game to rush for over 100 yards.
Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: