No letdown for Brick Memorial football with new QB, new coach in opening win vs. Wall

BRICK - The shoes Brick Memorial senior quarterback Tyler Pierce has to fill this season are gigantic

But, Friday night, Pierce showed the moment was not too big for him as he threw two touchdown passes and ran for another to lead defending NJSIAA Central Group 4 champion Mustangs to a resounding 28-3 win over Wall in a season-opening nondivisional game at DiFabio Field and James Mahoney's first game as a head coach.

Pierce, was 12-for-15 for 108 yards with an interception on a tipped pass and TD passes of 3 yards to senior running back Colin Schoellkopf and 5 yards to his twin brother Casey He ran for 80 yards, including a 30-yard TD run for Brick Memorial's first TD.

Brick Memorial Football handles Wall 28-3 in Season Opener

The Mustangs scored on their first four possessions and had drives of 93 yards in 11 plays that led to Shawn Fowler's 6-yard TD on a fourth-and-2 and 73 yards in 13 plays that took up the first 9:19 of the third quarter and concluded with Pierce's TD to his brother.

The son of former Brick Memorial quarterback and 1997 graduate Jeff Pierce is taking the place of Jason Lajara, who graduated in June after setting numerous school records.

"It's big shoes to fill, but that's why I train,'' the soft-spoken Pierce said. "That's what I'm here for.''

Fowler, a senior wide receiver/Wildcat quarterback/defensive back said the Mustangs' players were not worried about whether Pierce was up to the job.

"For the past 3 years, he's been that guy who texted Mahoney (Mahoney was the Mustangs' offensive coordinator the last several years before becoming head coach after Walt Currie resigned last December after 19 seasons as the Mustangs' head coach) asking for film during lunch,'' Fowler said. "He's going to grind in the weight room. That's the kind of person he is.''

It was not only Lajara, Brick Memorial has had to replace. It has to replace three other Asbury Park Press First Team All-Shore players in linebacker Trey Tallmadge, wide receiver Nyzier Matthews and running back Na'zeer Whittaker.

"Tyler's been there. It's not like he's been a secret. He was there practicing with us,'' Fowler said. "He just took that experience from learning from Jason Lajara and translated it to the game.''

Work ethic showed Pierce had what it took to be the starter.

Mahoney said he saw the potential Pierce last winter during basketball season when Pierce became one of the team's starters. Mahoney is an assistant coach in basketball to head coach Keith Farr. Farr is Brick Memorial's wide receivers coach.

"Tyler works real hard in the weight room,'' Mahoney said. "He's super strong. He's competitive. In the middle of last year, nobody knew who was going to be the quarterback this year. It could have been Fowler. It could have been Livio (senior tight end Joe Livio) and all of the sudden Tyler started to emerge. He became Jason Lajara's shadow in the offseason, doing everything he did, going to camps, getting better.

"Tyler doesn't care about anything, but winning and doing the best he can for his team.

Pierce has come a long way after not starting on the freshman team in 2024.

"Tyler Pierce is what we call a Brick Memorial program kid,'' Mahoney said. "He stuck it out and did everything he was told to do. I'm just super proud of him.''

Pierce showed his poise throughout the game.

Pierce's TD run came on a second-and-10 and capped a 55-yard, six-play drive after Wall had taken a 3-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Kai Smith.

"I saw the end go out on Colin (Schoellkopf) so I pulled it and ran. Joe (Livio) had a good block for me. Shawn (Fowler) had a good block for me,'' Pierce said.

Pierce's legs bailed Brick Memorial out of a difficult spot on its second possession when he scrambled up the middle for 42 yards on a third-and-12 from the Mustangs' 5.

"We put our quarterback in stressful situations in practice so when the game's come, it seems a little slower,'' Mahoney said. "Ty's the type of kid where if you tell him something, he's going to do it. ''

Pierce also got a baptism by fire last year in Brick Memorial's second game when he was thrust into the lineup of the second game of the season against then defending Group 2 champion Rumson-Fair Haven because Lajara was sidelined with an illness and Tallmadge, the backup. sustained an injury.

He then got snaps in the Mustangs' regular season win over Brick Township and playoff wins over Marlboro and Steinert.

"Starting this summer, he took this team and made it his.'' Mahoney said.

BM: Tyler Pierce 30 run (Logan Perry kick).

BM: Colin Schoellkopf 3 pass from Tyler Pierce (Perry kick).

BM: Casey Pierce 5 pass from Tyler Pierce (Perry kick).

Rushing: W: Mike Boulard 11-83, Franny Scaramellino 8-23, JasyI Medler 2-1. BM: Tyler Pierce 5-80, Colin Schoellkopf 15-54, Shawn Fowler 4-13, Nathan Borke 3-0.

Passing: W: Scaramellino 11-21-2-86. BM: T. Pierce 12-15-1-108.

Receiving: W: John Partusch 4-37, Medler 3-31, Boulard 1-10. Jake Butkus 1-5, Connor Rickle 1-3. BM: Jayvon Ellison 5-46, Fowler 3-40, Schoellkopf 2-11, Joe Livio 1-6, Casey Pierce 1-5.

Interceptions: W; Phillip Cranwell. BM: Fowler, Zyion Weaver.