Top-seeded Holmdel falls to Rumson-Fair Haven Bulldogs shut down Hornets offensive attack BY DOUG McKENZIE Correspondent Ask most people around the Shore about the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School football team, and the vast majority of them will immediately mention quarterback Matt Wassel and senior wideout Ryan Kirchner. PHOTOS BY ANDREW MILLER staff Above: Rumson Fair Haven's Ryan Kirchner runs the ball against Holmdel during his team's 14-7 win over Holmdel during the Central Jersey Group II semifinals Nov. 16. Right: Kirchner catches the winning touchdown pass during his team's victory. And for good reason, as the Wassel-to- Kirchner combination has been one of the most prolific offensive tandems in the Shore over the last few years. However, there's a lot more to this Bulldog team, and as a result, RFH has earned a shot at a sectional title. The Bulldogs combined a smothering defensive effort, and some big plays from senior wideout John Lembeck to beat undefeated Holmdel, 14-7, on Friday, earning their first shot at a Central Jersey Group II title since 1989, when their quarterback was current head coach Shane Fallon. While it was a touchdown pass from Wassel to Kirchner, and a two-point conversion connection between the two immediately thereafter that clinched the win for RFH, Lembeck was the big-play receiver for most of the night, with Holmdel doing everything possible to keep the ball away from Kirchner. "Big Game Johnny Lembeck," said Fallon, after the senior stepped up to catch seven passes for 108 yards on the night, with many of the catches coming on thirdand fourth-down plays. "Lembeck just made big play after big play and he's done that all year. He doesn't complain about the number of catches he gets, but when we need him to step up and make plays, he's always able to do that. "Lembeck rides shotgun to Ryan Kirchner, because everybody keys on Kirchner. If anybody in the Shore has a better No. 2 receiver than we do, then I'd like to see who that kid is." Following the win, Lembeck was predictably humble. "Third down's been Ryan Kirchner all season," he said. "They were doubleand triple-teaming him every play, so I had to go out there and find some openings. Matt made a lot of nice throws and we got the first downs. "I did my job and stepped up." Holmdel opened the scoring on its second possession with a 15-play, sevenminute drive that included a pair of fourth-down conversions and ended with a four-yard scoring run from Glenn Grainger. Down 7-0, RFH came right back, as Wassel (14-for-18 for 158 yards) hit Lembeck for 12 yards on a key fourth-and-eight from the Holmdel eight, leading to Ryan Korn's four-yard TD on a toss to the right. That was all the scoring either team would allow for the rest of the half. In the third, Wassel orchestrated a championship-caliber nine-play, 71-yard scoring drive to give RFH a lead they would never relinquish. Wassel, who went 8-for-9 for 111 yards on the drive, hit Kirchner with a nine-yard TD pass, and then hit Kirchner again with the two-point conversion pass for the final margin of victory. While the prolific RFH offense made enough plays to win, it was the Bulldog defense that was the difference in this one, holding one of the Shore's most potent offensive attacks to just 91 yards of total offense, and shutting the Hornets out over the final three quarters. Following the win, Fallon was quick to compliment his defensive unit, which certainly proved to be better than advertised. "People were questioning how physical we were and whether we could stand up to them," Fallon said. "We were playing from behind, which is not something you want to do against Holmdel. But after that we responded well, and our kids just kept making big play after big play. "We felt that if we could get them in third-and-longs and get them out of their rhythm then we could be successful," he added. "We were able to do that and that's a credit to our defensive coaches." Fallon was also proud of his quarterback, who played with tremendous poise against an intimidating defensive team that came into the game as one of the more heralded units in the Shore. "After we beat North Plainfield, I told Matt Wassel that he and I are the only (RFH) quarterbacks to win state playoff games," Fallon said. " And I told him 'you're a lot better quarterback than I ever was so go out and get two.' He was able to do that tonight." Wassel praised the Bulldog defense with the win, reminding everyone that RFH is more than just one of the top offensive teams in the Shore. "Holding an undefeated team to seven points shows that our defense is one of the top defenses in the Shore," he said. "They get overlooked a lot but they deserve all the credit." As they look ahead to the Dec.2 meeting with Carteret in the CJ Group II final at Rutgers Stadium, RFH knows they are certainly capable of capturing the sectional title. "We have confidence in our kids that they'll step up and make plays when they have to," Fallon said. They'll be facing a Carteret team that is also coming in riding high after upsetting Rahway, 19-14, on Saturday. Rahway and Holmdel were the consensus favorites to capture the sectional title, however, both teams met their match over the weekend. Rumson-Fair Haven will need a similarly strong effort on Dec. 2 if they hope to beat Rahway, but if the win over Holmdel proved anything, it was this - big-time offenses don't scare the Bulldog defense. And if the Ramblers think they can stop the RFH offense simply by shutting down Ryan Kirchner, they're in for a surprise.