It was an explosive display of offense, concluding a season of big plays and bigger wins.
Pennsauken, at its explosive best when it mattered the most, defeated Millville, 55-34, Friday night in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 4 football final at Rowan University.
The Indians (11-1) earned their fourth sectional title since the start of NJSIAA playoffs in 1974, but the first since 1986. Millville finished 11-1.
Pennsauken's Manny Cortez threw five touchdown passes, giving him 43 for the year and setting a single-season South Jersey record. Cortez also ran for three touchdowns.
Pennsauken's Amar Williams had four TD receptions, giving him 18 this season.
Millville scored on its opening drive, going 65 yards in eight plays. Alquann Jones finished matters with a 3-yard run, his 27th touchdown of the season. The big play in the drive was a 44-yard completion from Shaquille Lee to Rashon Sorrell to the Pennsauken 3-yard line.
The Indians came right down and took a 7-6 lead on their first possession, going 59 yards in five plays. Justin Anderson-Copes finished the drive with a 16-yard scoring pass from Cortez.
And it went like that throughout the first half, with each offense attempting to top the other.
The Pennsauken senior quarterback was just warming up.
Cortez set a single-season South Jersey record for touchdown passes with his third of the evening, extending the Indians' lead to 21-12 with 9 minutes, 45 seconds left in the second quarter.
The QB hit Williams in the corner of the end zone on a 23-yard scoring strike for his 41st touchdown pass of the season. That broke the mark set by Jason Amer, of Holy Cross, who threw 40 touchdown passes in 1999.
Cortez extended the lead to 28-12 with a sensational 68-yard run with 4:23 left in the second quarter. On a play on which he should have been sacked, Cortez appeared to outmaneuver half the Millville defense.
The offenses continued to dominate in the second half. Pennsauken scored on its first possession when Williams took a screen pass from Cortez for a 47-yard TD.
Jones answered with a 2-yard run for Millville.
Back and forth they went, but finally, Pennsauken's offense proved to be just too much for the Thunderbolts.
Millville 12 8 7 7 – 34
Pennsauken 14 14 13 14 – 55
M: Alquann Jones 3 run (kick failed)
P: Justin Anderson-Copes 16 pass from Manny Cortez (Anthony Sweet kick)
P: Amar Williams 44 pass from Cortez (Sweet kick)
M: Shaquille Lee 15 run (run failed)
P: Williams 23 pass from Cortez (Sweet kick)
P: Cortez 68 run (Sweet kick)
M: Lee 1 run (Zubir Boyer pass from Lee)
P: Williams 47 pass from Cortez (Sweet kick)
M: Jones 2 run (Alex Price kick)
P: Cortez 1 run (kick failed)
M: Jones 20 run (Price kick)
P: Williams 29 pass from Cortez (Cortez run)
P: Cortez 32 run (kick failed)
Contact staff writer Marc Narducci at 856-779-3225, mnarducci@phillynews.com, or @sjnard on Twitter. Find his Rally columns at www.philly.com/narducci
