Check out more photos from Championship Weekend by Brian Carr.
By Tom Szieber
Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 8:00 am
It seems like every year we do our finals recap, and every year the theme is the same. It’s always a verbal highlight reel of the weekend’s best performances.
It isn’t a lack of creativity on our part. It’s the fact that at the end of the day, that is what its all about, right? Celebrating these exceptional athletes on the biggest stage.
And how better to do that than turning our attention to the Pompton Lakes brotherly duo of Adam and Drew Rayford? The quarterback-receiver tandem hooked up twice in Friday’s North 1, Group 1 final, leading the Cardinals to their third consecutive championship and a redeeming win over Hasbrouck Heights, 20-14.
Running back Matt Stickney of Cherokee shone bright enough to light up the Rowan University campus in the South, Group 5 title game. The Chiefs’ star not only rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown, but picked off Eastern quarterback Tom Flacco late in the third quarter to stymie one of the Vikings last real chances to get back in what was already a 24-2 game. Cherokee ended up closing the deal with a 38-2 victory.
Summit quarterback Charlie Terry was Mr. Everything for the Hilltoppers in the North 2, Group 3 championship game, throwing two touchdown passes and making multiple plays with his legs to lead his squad to a second straight sectional crown. Summit had to hold off a Parsippany Hills rally, but Terry’s leadership and playmaking ability in the first half made sure that the Hilltoppers were able to walk away with a 16-13 victory.
Paramus Catholic walked away with a satisfying sectional title victory over St. Peter’s Prep in Non-Public, Group 4, 13-6, in what was a team effort in every way. The Paladins defense played well, though St. Peter’s caught an unfortunate tough break when quarterback Brandon Wimbush had to leave the game with a first-half injury. Keyon Washington and Troy Geathers combined for a fumble forced and recovered in the third that resulted in a PC touchdown drive, with Steve Shanley finding Tyrone Washington from 13 yards out.
For the fourth straight year, St. Joseph (Hamm.) took down St. Mary for a sectional crown, 33-13. In Non-Public, Group 1, junior Rocco Ordille emerged as the star of the game, rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns. The Wildcats didn’t shut the Gaels out as they had in their last few postseason meetings, but they led by 19 before allowing St. Mary to get on the board. They also neutralized Gaels running back Keon Banks simply by getting a big lead -- causing the Gaels to go to the air and reducing Banks to 10 total carries.
Mountain Lakes had little trouble taking down Caldwell in the North 2, Group 2 championship, 26-6. Running back Chris Cuccinello was the catalyst behind the Herd’s huge rushing day, going for 240 yards and three touchdowns, while the Herd defense shut down the previously potent Chiefs offense all day long. It was Mountain Lakes’ first title since 2009.
Hoboken’s powerful fullback Josh Mercado bulldozed the Red Wings to a second straight North 2, Group 1 championship, scoring on a one-yard touchdown with 12 seconds to play to take down Shabazz, 13-7. Mercado also played a role in a defensive effort that prevented the Bulldogs from scoring in the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game themselves.
Sparta’s North 1, Group 3 victory over River Dell was not quite as competitive a matchup, as the Spartans dominated in all phases of the game to win, 40-0. It was the sixth time in seven weeks that the Spartans broke the 40-point mark on offense, and their fourth shutout win of the year. Running back Lucas Faria was Sparta’s most productive weapon, but defensive end Kevin Foulds was the early defensive cog, notching five sacks in the game.
In Central, Group 1, Point Pleasant Beach made a bit of history, winning its first-ever sectional title with a 12-7 victory over five-time champion Shore. The defensive effort was a major turnaround for the Gulls, who lost 31-0 to the Blue Devils last Friday in a contest that decided the Shore Conference Class B-Central championship. Beach got the win when it counted most though, riding the legs of fullback Joe Wegryzniak, which ground out 139 yards.
Glassboro captured its fifth championship in seven years, destroying Penns Grove, 44-0, in the South, Group 1 final. Running back Ronnie James rushed for 122 yards and three touchdowns, as the Bulldogs got some revenge for an opening day loss to the Red Devils. Just 3-5 at the cutoff, Glassboro won four straight after it (and five overall) to close out the season.
Another set of Bulldawgs, those of Haddonfield High School, took down previously undefeated Woodstown, 21-0, to win South, Group 2. The victory was the third consecutive playoff win that came at the hands of a previously perfect opponent (the others being West Deptford and Camden), and was largely due to a defense that put in two touchdowns by itself (one via fumble recovery, another by interception). Perhaps most impressively, the Bulldawgs defense limited the Wolverine “O” to just 42 yards.
Just one year after falling in the North 1, Group 4 final, Pascack Valley made short work of Paramus, beating the Spartans, 32-8. Special teams led the effort, as a Paramus fumbled punt return and blocked punt by the Indians set up a pair of two-yard PV scores in the first half. The win gave the Indians their fifth sectional title, and second of the playoff era, but also prevented Paramus from earning what would have been its first since being awarded a share of the 1962 North 1, Group 3 crown with Tenafly.
The Weequahic defense finished its 2013 campaign with another effective performance, but so did Rumson-Fair Haven’s. The Bulldogs’ offense was just a little bit better, using touchdowns by Sam Shaud and Charlie Volker to win the Central, Group 2 championship, 14-6. The Indians’ “D” just couldn’t convert when it needed to, resulting in a third straight loss in the sectional finals.
St. Joseph (Mont.) had little trouble disposing of Pope John in the Non-Public, Group 3 final, setting a championship round scoring record in its 62-14 victory. For all its offensive firepower, Joe’s biggest star on this day was defensive back Austin Bodrato, who picked off three Lions passes to keep a normally capable Pope John offense at bay. The victory gives the Green Knights their third straight sectional championship, their fifth in the last six years, and their 17th overall.
Montclair is one of the few teams that may have had as impressive a victory as St. Joe’s. Behind 408 rushing yards, the Mounties were just too big, too strong and too much for Ridgewood’s defense, cruising to a second consecutive North 1, Group 5 championship, 33-0. There were a number of contributors, but the most productivity may have come from quarterback Elijah Robinson, who carried the ball 28 times for 203 yards and two scores. The versatile Robinson also caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Donovan McDonald.
It was a record-breaking weekend for Westwood, which defeated Waldwick, 26-7, to win the North 1, Group 2 title. Wide receiver Nolan Bergerson had a big day, catching five balls for 140 yards and a score, to bring his state record for receiving yards to 1,889 yards on the year. Quarterback Craig Carmilani and running back Brandon Gallagher had big performances, as well, keeping the Waldwick defense off balance and allowing the Cards to bring home their first title since 2006.
Speaking of record-breaking weekends, Hopewell Valley took home its very first sectional title with a big 31-14 victory in Central, Group 3. Running back Andrew Yuska ran all over a Lawrence defensive unit that had been fairly stingy over its last four games, picking up 228 yards and three scores. The victory, which came as a result of a rally from a 14-0 deficit, gave the Bulldogs their first championship, and leaves them a perfect 3-0 all-time in the playoffs.
Ridge put together a near-perfect effort in downing Union, 48-13, in the North 2, Group 5 final. Quarterback Conor Hughes completed 77% of his passes and threw four touchdowns, while Ridge’s defense (led by lineback Connor Stieglitz’s 14 tackles and a pick), held Union star running back Jamauri Bogan to just 67 rushing yards.
Shawnee pulled off what was perhaps the biggest upset of championship weekend taking down defending champion Timber Creek, 31-22, in the South, Group 4 finals. Creek quarterback Dan Williams still threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns -- breaking the all-time state record for yards in a season with 3,540 in the process -- but the Renegades rode Anthony DiOrio’s 160 yards from scrimmage and controlled the game. Jake Parola bookended the game with a pair of rushing TDs that proved to be the difference on the scoreboard.
Brick Township pulled off an upset in its own right, using a ball control offensive strategy to pound away at Colts Neck, taking home a Central, Group 4 title, 26-15. Quarterback Carmen Sclafani and running back Ray Fattarusso (both juniors) paced the Green Dragons all game long, and forced the Cougars to spend a lot more time on the field than they had hoped.
Even with wins over Big North United rivals Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep this year, DePaul’s season wouldn’t have been complete without a sectional title. The Spartans got that final accolade with a win over Holy Spirit, 35-16, to take home the hardware in Non-Public, Group 2. Really, it was a showing of how deep DePaul is in terms of talent, particularly in the backfield. Quarterback Zach Bednarczyk and running backs Markey Clark and Kareem Walker led a DePaul rushing attack that nearly hit the 300-yard mark (293, to be exact). DePaul’s victory ends Holy Spirit’s two-year grip on the section.
Delsea meanwhile, established its own two-year stranglehold on a section, South, Group 3. The Crusaders rumbled past Barnegat, preventing the Bengals from winning their first sectional championship with a 367-yard rushing day. It was a classic Delsea effort, which coupled the aforementioned ground game with a smothering defensive performance. Barnegat struggled to move the football, in the first half especially, and the Crusaders won another crown in old school fashion.
Phillipsburg put the icing on a sweet season of its own with a 39-0 trampling of Mendham in the North 2, Group 4 final. Running back/wide receiver Anthony Guarino was all over the field for the Stateliners, and reached the end zone three separate times. Running back Joe Maso wasn’t far behind with two of his own. The championship is P-Burg’s tenth -- sixth in the playoff era and first since 2009.
And in Central, Group 5, Hunterdon Central culminated its recovery from mid-season injury woes to raise a championship trophy, while Manalapan -- as good as it is -- could not finally clinch that elusive crown. For the third straight year, the Braves fell in the sectional finals, this time to a Red Devils team that was an undefeated 7-0 with their star running back, Jason Cabidna, and quarterback, Michael Knight in the lineup. Manalapan’s defense was solid if not spectacular, but broke in the fourth when Cabidna reached pay dirt twice, leaving the final at 21-0.
With that, we now have 24 new champions in the state of New Jersey, and another nine months until we get to experience the excitement of a football game under the bright lights. But one thing is for sure, nonetheless: these finals gave us enough excitement to keep us talking while we wait.
Tom Szieber can be reached by emailing tom@gridironnewjersey.com.