TD passes from Edmonds help Colonia to shutout win
BY SHAWN LAYTON Staff Writer

COLONIA- Thanks to a defense that allowed Perth Amboy just 60 total yards, and the passing of quarterback Jordan Edmonds, the Colonia High School football team improved to 3-1 on the season with a 28-0 victory over the weekend.

With Perth Amboy hounding Colonia running back Eric LeGrand all game, Colonia was forced to the air, and Edmonds made good. Edmonds threw for 140 yards with three touchdown strikes.

"It's been a long time since a quarterback did that at Colonia High School," Colonia head coach Ben LaSala said. "We didn't play particularly well, but we did enough to get the job done."

Edmonds connected for first-half scores with Ian Regester and Nate Brown to help give the Patriots a commanding 21-0 lead at the half.

"Perth Amboy threw us a wrinkle by containing LeGrand," LaSala said. "It gave us the opportunity to find some other weapons."

In the second half, Edmonds drilled a pass to receiver Matt Deberjeois for a 37- yard score. It was more than enough for a Patriot defense that held Perth Amboy in check the entire game.

Unable to get anything moving on the ground, Perth Amboy was forced to go to the air, where Colonia's Brown and Cory Jacik were waiting. Both picked off errant Perth Amboy pass attempts. Brown's pick helped set up his 15-yard reception that gave the Patriots a three-touchdown lead

in the second quarter.

"Our defense played really well," LaSala said. "Right now

we're finding different ways to

win, and that's a good sign."

The previous week, Colonia

pulled off an impressive comefrom

behind win over New

Brunswick to upset the Zebras

20-19.

With his team down 19-7 with

seven minutes left on the clock, LeGrand decided to take over the game, and he ran the ball into the New Brunswick end zone twice in the game's final five minutes to spearhead the comeback.

"He was an absolute monster on both sides of the football," LaSala said. "He tallied over 160 yards on the ground and was just too much for anybody to stop."

The emotional victory seemed to take its toll on the Patriots in this week's contest against Perth Amboy.

"We suffered a bit of a hangover after the thrilling win," LaSala said. "Although we didn't play our best, we still managed to get things done."

This week the Patriots get a muchneeded bye before resuming with North Brunswick at 1 p.m. Oct. 13.

"Our next four games will be very tough," LaSala said. "After North Brunswick, we [play] South Plainfield, Carteret, and then Sayreville. North Brunswick's Pashaun Brown is a punishing runner. He's had some really big games and we'll have to play solid defense and move the ball on offense in order to be successful."

Colonia's lone loss this season came at the hands of Monroe by a 22-10 final score.

"I was hoping we would be 3-1 after four games," LaSala said. "I thought we had a better chance of beating Monroe, but we've been riding the kids pretty hard since that loss, and they've responded. It's a tight division this year. There are five teams in the division with very similar make-ups. Two games separate all five teams, and the goal is to play our way into the playoffs."