Saturday,
November 23, 2013
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Jamal Locke threw a 41-yard TD pass that all but put the game away for Ridgewood, which advanced to the North 1, Group 5 state sectional final with a 31-7 win over PCT. |
RIDGEWOOD – To say Ridgewood has completely steamrolled the opposition this season is an understatement. Heading into Friday night’s North 1, Group 5 state sectional semifinal against Passaic County Tech, the Maroons had scored over 40 points in each of their nine games and averaged 51 while allowing just 11 points per game in the process. While those stats are quite impressive, no team, no matter how good, is without some adversity somewhere along the line.
Passaic County Tech did not give Ridgewood much of a game in their regular-season meeting (41-18); but the rematch had a different feel from the outset and there was much more at stake. With PCT driving for the potential game-tying score just before the half, Ridgewood cornerback Jonathan Davila made a key interception that gave the momentum back to Maroons heading into the locker room.
Davila’s INT was all the breathing room the Maroons needed. Connor Van Caugherty made a nice over-the-shoulder grab on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jamal Locke early in the third quarter and second-seeded Ridgewood cruised into its first section final in 10 years with a 31-7 victory over No. 3 seed PCT at Ridgewood High School.
“We wanted this win bad and it feels great to celebrate on our home field,” said Ridgewood running back Tim Bonanno. “Our goal is to set the tone in each half and either score or win the battle of field position. Getting that touchdown a few minutes into the second half was huge. It made it a two-score game and gave us a lot of confidence.”
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Zaire Weaver's 80-yard TD catch accounted for PCT's lone score. |
Ridgewood has made its name this year by jumping on opponents early and never looking back. Led by linebacker Drew Lindsay and lineman David Gaymor, the Bulldogs offered some resistance and became the only team this season to hold the Maroons without a touchdown in the first quarter.
The Maroons made up for that by scoring on the very first play of the second quarter when Bonanno swept around the right end and outraced the Bulldogs’ secondary for a 27-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Faced with a third-and-15 on its own 20, PCT quarterback Jared Quintero took advantage of a rare mental breakdown by Ridgewood’s defense to put up its lone score of the game. With both the safety and cornerback covering a tight end out in the flat, Zaire Weaver snuck in behind them both on a wheel route and Quintero hit him for an 80-yard TD pass with Steven Gennarelli’s PAT tying the game at 7.
Locke answered back for Ridgewood by rolling out to his left and then heaving a pass to a wide-open Doug Barnes for a 42-yard scoring strike to put the Maroons back in front 14-7.
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Tim Bonanno scored the first TD for Ridgewood, which improved to a perfect 10-0 on the season. |
The Bulldogs put together a nice drive right before the half, taking the ball at their own 25 and, riding the hot hand of tailback Thomas Jefferson, down to the Ridgewood 11 with just over a minute remaining. Quintero lofted a fade pass in the end zone intended for Weaver, but Davila was in good position and leaped up to make the INT and keep Ridgewood in front heading into the locker room.
“That was a huge play, probably the biggest in the game as far as momentum goes,” said Ridgewood head coach Chuck Johnson. “(Davila) read the play, was in great position and saw the ball all the way into his hands. Give PCT credit. They came out and gave us all sorts of problems up front. We had to make a few big plays on both sides of the ball or this could have been a totally different game.”
PCT got the ball to start the second half but the Maroons forced a three-and-out. Then, on another roll out to his left, Locke lofted a perfect pass over a defender, over the shoulder of Van Caugherty and right into his hands for a 41-yard touchdown to make it 21-7 with 9:09 left in the third quarter.
“They were ready for us and our coaches prepared us so well for certain plays we thought we could surprise them on,” said Locke. “They were blitzing guys from the outside in, so I knew if I could get out of the blitzer on my blindside that I would have room to either run or have a receiver on that side with one-on-one coverage. Our team has strived on momentum all year. Once we get it, we keep on rolling. That happened again tonight in the second half.”
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Thomas Jefferson had 86 yards rushing for PCT, which finished its season with an 8-3 record. |
After another short drive by PCT and good field position for the Maroons, Ross Andrews booted a 29-yard field goal to make it a three-possession game at 24-7 late in the third quarter. Against a team like Ridgewood, it was too much for the run-heavy Bulldogs to overcome.
“We played as hard as we could, they just executed better than we did,” said PCT’s Thomas Jefferson. “I think we would have felt more confident if it was 14-14 at the half. Even though, we still had the ball to start the second half and didn’t do anything with that opportunity. It’s hard anytime you lose a playoff game, but this season was a great one with a great group of guys. This team went beyond just a football team. We weren’t just playing a sport, we enjoyed being around each other, we laughed, and we joked together. Most importantly, we had fun. We gave it everything we had every time we stepped on the field, it just wasn’t enough tonight.”
Jack Foresman capped the scoring with a one-yard plunge for Ridgewood (10-0). Alec Hurley led all players with 11 tackles and a sack. Jefferson finished with 86 yards on 15 carries for PCT, whose season ended with an 8-3 record.
Ridgewood advances to the North 1, Group 5 state title game for the first time since 2003, which is also when it last won it all. The Maroons will face the winner of top-seeded and defending champion Montclair or No. 5 seed Union City, who will play in the other section semifinal on Saturday at 1:00 P.M. at Montclair High School.
Make no mistake about it though, if the Maroons had any say in it they know whom they would want to face.
“Montclair has beaten us in the playoffs three out of the last five years including last year, so I’m sure our kids would like another crack at them,” added Johnson. “Union City is a quality program though and they would be a tough team to play as well. But we’re taking it one step at a time. We have Paramus on Thanksgiving and that’s going to be a great football game. We have had some very successful teams here, but we haven’t had an undefeated season here since the 1950s. So to get that with a state title as the cherry on top would be awfully special. Still have a lot of work left to do though. So we’ll enjoy tonight and then get prepared for Paramus.”
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