GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP - The Holy Spirit vs. Absegami high school football game ended with a bit of a controversy Friday night.
Spirit won the highly-anticipated matchup 42-7.
Some Absegami coaches appeared to object to Spirit's last touchdown, which came with about six minutes left in the fourth quarter and Spirit ahead 35-0. Quarterback Joe Sarnese threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Andrew DiPasquale. Both teams still had their starters in at the time.
Absegami coach Dennis Scuderi Jr. and Spirit coach Charles Roman briefly exchanged words after the game.
"When they take their varsity out and put their J.V. in, we'll do the same," Roman said. "We're going to run our offense. We're not trying to run the score up."
Roman also made a point of noting that DiPasquale played hurt and Friday was his last game. The senior receiver will undergo shoulder surgery this week, according to the coach.
"That's the last play that kid will ever play," Roman said. "Do you feel bad (for Absegami)? If you want to, but I feel great for Andrew DiPasquale. On the last play he'll ever play in football, he caught a touchdown."
Scuderi downplayed the late touchdown after the game.
"That's football," he said. "Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you. It's our job to prepare our kids to not let that happen. If he felt that was the best play at that time to run, then I have no problem with that."
