VIDEO: Brant’s late defensive play helps LCM hang on for massive victory; playoff berth likely clinched

Posted: October 18th 2025

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com 

ERMA – Andrew Brant helped prevent what would have been a devastating loss for the Lower Cape May Regional High School football team Friday evening.

Brant, a senior defensive back, batted away a fourth-down pass in the end zone with 32 seconds remaining as the Caper Tigers hung on for a massive 13-7 victory over Cumberland in a battle of a pair of teams that entered the contest with identical 5-2 records.

Lower Cape May dominated the flow of play throughout the game but couldn’t put the Colts away. The Tigers failed to score on three drives that finished inside Cumberland’s 15-yard line, thanks in part to a high snap on a play from scrimmage and a dropped snap on a field-goal attempt that would have given Lower a two-score lead with less than four minutes to play.

The Tigers also committed 12 penalties, one of which negated a long catch-and-run for a touchdown in the first half.

“There have been games in years past – and we’ve all seen it – where a few things go bad and then things just tumble all the way down the hill and it seems like there’s nothing you can do to stop it,” Lower coach Billy Damiana said. “They gained momentum, we had a sloppy game offensively, we couldn’t move the ball in certain areas and we started shooting ourselves in the foot with mindless penalties and then there we were at the end hanging on and having to make a play in the end zone.

“But at the end of the day, a win is a win, and now we’re 6-2. We have to hang our hats on that for maturing and winning a game that in the past maybe we don’t.”

Trailing 13-7 late in the fourth quarter, Cumberland was given a lifeline when a dropped snap on a 30-yard field goal attempt that, if successful, would have given the Tigers a two-score lead kept the Colts in the game. Cumberland proceeded to quickly march down the field, with a 32-yard reception by Troy Collins giving the Colts the ball at the Lower 10-yard line with a little more than a minute to play.

Cumberland gained no yards combined on three rushing attempts that were sandwiched around a pass interference call that moved the ball to the 4-yard line. On fourth down, Cumberland quarterback Josh Davis tried to throw the ball toward a receiver in the left corner of the end zone, but Lower’s Brant quickly raced over to knock down the pass and finally secure the victory.

Lower opened the scoring midway through the first quarter on a 62-yard touchdown run by John Fernandez, who took a handoff while moving in motion from his wide receiver position and raced down the left sideline virtually untouched.. 

An Ashton Ray interception set up the Tigers at the Cumberland 35-yard line shortly thereafter, but a Fernandez catch and run into the end zone was nullified by a holding penalty. Lower ended up turning the ball on downs.

Lower upped its advantage to 13-0 at the half when Ryan Mallon turned a swing pass into a 20-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter.

Cumberland scored on its first possession of the second half on R.J. Pierce’s five-yard touchdown reception. 

Lower had numerous chances to put the game away in the second half, twice not scoring on possessions that ended in the red zone. But the Caper Tigers were still able to secure the victory thanks to their defensive work deep in their own territory in the final minute.

Lower gained well over 200 yards rushing in the game, with Douglass running 15 times for 109 yards and Fernandez carrying 10 times for 101 yards. Mallon and Fernandez also each had two receptions.

The victory has most likely locked up a South Jersey Group II playoff berth for the program.

“We should be firmly in the playoffs now,” Damiana said. “A win like this over a five-win team should really help us.”

Lower can clinch the West Jersey Football League’s Liberty Division with a win over Oakcrest next Friday at home.

“I’d almost rather be on the road because we seem to play better on the road,” Damiana said with a laugh. “But it’ll be a great opportunity to do it in front of our home fans if we can play well and execute and get the win.”