FOOTBALL: Triton honors Keller, beats Highland, 2-0

RUNNEMEDE Before the last defensive stand of many in Friday night's West Jersey Football League interdivisional matchup, Triton High School senior Dominick Collazzo had a message for his coach.

The defensive lineman/center asked for a favor appropriate for the downpour.

“Dom said, ‘When we get it back, make sure I have a clean towel,’” first-year coach Dom Tomeo recollected.

Soon after, the Mustangs forced a turnover on downs against rival Highland. Collazzo got his towel, Triton earned its first victory on an emotional night and Tomeo finally tasted the win column with a strange but satisfying 2-0 score.

“I’ve been born and raised to not like Highland,” Tomeo said of the school 4.5 miles across the Black Horse Pike School District. “To get my first win against Highland, at home, it’s awesome.”

The night started with a pre-game ceremony for former Mustang Brian Keller, a 21-year-old who died after a car crash in June.

Keller’s father, Mark, mother, Sue and sister Emily walked into the drizzle as Triton (1-3) retired No. 15 in Brian’s honor. They were honorary captains for the coin flip.

“It’s tremendous,” Mark said before the ceremony as he donned his son’s letter jacket. “Some people don’t get remembered like this.

“A lot of his friends and people he played with are here, even in this weather. … He was my best friend.”

The Mustangs’ faithful wore red T-shirts in his honor. They roared when the family walked out onto John Oakes Stadium field.

Neither team did much offensively in the first quarter. In the second, Triton got on the board.

Faced with a third-and-8 on their 11-yard line, the Tartans (2-2) elected to pass early in the quarter. Senior quarterback Gabe Martorano rolled left and tried to escape the rush.

Instead, junior lineman Dan Hurff sacked him in the end zone for the game's only points.

“I came out of my stance the hardest I’ve ever done it,” Hurff said. “I was probably most surprised when I got up and realized it was a safety.”

The teams pounded the ball for the rest of the night with their backs. Dominic Staiano for the Mustangs and Highland’s Orlando Council did most of the heavy lifting.

But, fumbles and penalties derailed drives throughout the soggy contest.

After Collazzo's guarantee was made true by Alex Hodgson's sack on fourth down, Triton still had to ice the game. Highland stood strong on first and second down. First-year Highland coach Brian Leary -- who was a Mustang assistant for years prior to this season -- used timeouts to stop the clock.

A third-down stop seemingly gave the Tartans another chance, until officials called an unsportsmanlike penalty on the road team.

Triton took to the victory formation.

"We made a mistake and they capitalized," Leary said of the wild affair. "I'm happy for Coach Tomeo."

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Highland's players took the loss to heart. Their white jerseys nearly matched the darkness of the Mustangs' blues by game's end. Leary brought them close and preached togetherness.

On the opposite end, the rivals rejoiced.

"T-R-I-T-O-N!" the Mustangs yelled through postgame jumping jacks.

Tomeo held a vice grip on the game ball, to be signed and given to the Keller family. Hurff praised his team's effort. Hodgson's grin lit up the gloomy night.

"It's the best feeling of my life," Hodgson said. "It means more. They're our rival.

"We couldn't lose this game, on this field. It was for Keller."

Mark Trible; (856) 486-2424; mtrible@gannettnj.com

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