Merkel, Allentown take down Trenton
Unmatchable speed. That’s how Allentown quarterback Dan Merkel likes to describe receiver Sal D’Adamo — a trait that meant everything with the outcome of Friday night’s game hanging in the balance.
Faced with third-and-10 from the 20-yard line, Merkel bobbled the snap but quickly recovered and connected with D’Adamo deep across the middle of the field for an 80-yard touchdown, lifting Allentown to a 28-20 home win against Trenton.
“It was on one-on-one, you could see they were (playing) man press,” Merkel said. “Sal just ran right by ‘em and I just threw the ball up. Sal did all the work after that.”
Most of the yards came after the catch as the senior had Trenton’s defense beat by a step and sprinted down the open field.
“When the ball’s in the air the only thing I got in my mind is jumping over the defender obviously, as I did, getting my hands on that ball and running,” D’Adamo said.
Chris McCrea’s extra point put the Redbirds ahead, 2120, before Tim Emrich intercepted Trenton on the second play of the Tornadoes’ ensuing possession. Ramsey Ben Flah rushed for a 23yard touchdown on the next snap to provide Allentown with insurance.
Forty-five seconds remained on the clock, but Trenton couldn’t puncture Allentown’s defense from its own 46-yard line. The Redbirds held off one last rally before the celebration was on.
Allentown (2-3) hadn’t beaten Trenton (3-3) since the 2016 season, when the Redbirds won the Central Jersey Group IV title.
“It feels good,” said Merkel, a junior who compiled more than 300 yards of offense between passing and rushing. “They’re bigger, faster, stronger than us, but we outcoached them. We have bigger hearts than them, and we just came ready to play today.”
Allentown held a 14-7 halftime lead after Merkel hit McCrea on a slant for a 40-yard touchdown late in the first quarter, and then Merkel rushed for a 3-yard score with 5:40 left in the second quarter.
The second touchdown came after Trenton snapped the ball too high on a punt. Linebacker Kent Emley scampered into the backfield and downed the punter to set up Allentown at Trenton’s 31yard line. Two plays later, Allentown drew a pass interference penalty that advanced the ball into the red zone.
“They had athletes in the secondary, but my line, they kept me safe; they allowed my receivers to do work; they allowed them to get open,” Merkel said. “I was able to find them, and we were able to destroy them in the passing game I think.”
Trenton’s offense centered around zone-read outside running plays, with Jermaine Tillery plowing for more than 100 yards as the feature back.
The Tornadoes seemed to have control of the game when they produced a 91yard drive from late in the third quarter until early in the fourth quarter. Ricky Brown threw a 40-yard pass to Lavar Funderburg on third-and-8, and four plays later Trenton took a 2014 lead on a rushing touchdown.
Allentown’s next drive resulted in a turnover on downs in Trenton territory. After Emley blocked a Trenton punt, Allentown fumbled the ball right back to Trenton on the next snap.
But the Tornadoes failed to drain the rest of the clock even after running for a first down on a punt attempt because of a low snap.
With 2:25 left on the clock, that was enough time for Merkel and D’Adamo to go to work.
“We don’t give up. We never gave up.” D’Adamo said. “Coach preaches ‘finish’ every practice. Whenever he sees us he’s always saying ‘finish, finish, finish,’ and tonight we finished.”
It’s an important win for the Redbirds after a sluggish 1-3 start to the season, and they persevered Friday despite a litany of turnovers and penalties on both sides.
“We stayed with it, but we’ve got to fix that,” Merkel said. “That was really sloppy. We were lucky to come out with the W, keep our playoff hopes alive, but we’re going to clean it up from here.”
Trenton (3-3) 7 0 7 6 — 20 Allentown (2-3) 7 7 0 14 — 28
T-Tillery 13 run (Brown kick) A-McCrea 40 catch from Merkel (McCrea kick)
A-Merkel 3 run (McCrea kick) T-Brown 30 interception return (Brown kick)
T-Anderson 1 run (kick blocked) A-D’Adamo 80 catch from Merkel (McCrea kick)
A-Ben Flah 23 run (McCrea kick)