Glen Ridge HS football players garner All-Area accolades

GLEN RIDGE – The Glen Ridge High School varsity football team showed much resiliency this season.

The Ridgers, under head coach Duke Mendez, regrouped from an 0-3 start to qualify for the state North Jersey Section 2, Group 1 playoffs. The Ridgers fell to Hoboken in the first round to finish with a respectable 5-5 record.

The following GRHS players have earned Worrall Media All-Area honors:

• Robert Spitaletta, senior receiver/defensive back. Spitaletta had 118 tackles, four blocked passes and three interceptions. Offensively, he had 31 receptions for 338 yards (10.9 yards per reception), and two carries for 21 yards and a touchdown. He also had one punt return for a TD.

• Barnet Cohen, senior linebacker. Cohen sparked the Ridgers’ defense with 96 tackles and two sacks.

• Trevor Coleman, senior linebacker. Coleman also excelled defensively, posting 89 tackles and one sack.

• Mac Kortrey, senior offensive lineman/defensive lineman. Kortrey was the team’s best offensive lineman as he played both guard and tackle. As a defensive takcle, he recorded 65 tackles and four sacks.

• Paddy McDermott, senior quarterback. McDermott completed 70 of 125 passes (56 percent) for 597 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions.

• Teandre Russell-Rose, senior running back/defensive back. Russell-Rose carried 106 times for 560 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and five TDs. Defensively, he racked up 95 tackles, one sack, and two blocked passes.

• Owen Fincher, junior wide receiver/defensive end. Fincher had 14 catches for 211 yards (15.1 yards per catch) and four TDs. Defensively, he had 67 tackles, one sack, two blocked passes, and one interception returned for a TD.

• Tyler Grady, junior wide receiver/defensive back. Grady had 14 catches for 81 yards and one TD; and six carries for 29 yards and two TDs this season. Defensively, he had 50 tackles, three blocked passes, and three interceptions, including one returned for a TD.

• Ryan Liddy, junior offensive lineman/defensive lineman. Ryan Liddy was the team’s second-best offensive lineman as a tackle, according to Mendez. Defensively, he had 21 tackles.

• Matthew Myles, junior defensive back/kicker/punter. Myles had 35 tackles and three blocked passes. As a punter, he averaged 37.0 yards a punt. His kickoffs averaged 50.5 yards. He made 9-of-10 extra-point kicks and was 4-of-8 on field-goal attempts. His longest field goal was 48 yards.

• Nick Weber-Zazzu, junior receiver/defensive back. He had 31 catches for 320 yards (10.3 yards per catch) and one TD; and two carries for 16 yards and a TD. He also had 39 tackles and two blocked passes.

• Tyler Liddy, quarterback/defensive back. Tyler Liddy completed 32 of 61 passes (52.5 percent) for 385 yards, seven TDs and two interceptions. He also had 16 tackles and one blocked pass.

Other key contributors for the Ridgers were sophomore offensive guard/defensive end Max Auborn (53 tackles, one sack); and sophomore receiver/defensive back David Weissenberger (seven catches for 44 yards; 26 tackles, one blocked pass).

GRHS results (5-5 record)
Sept. 12, Loss, at Montclair Kimberley Academy, 27-11
Sept. 18, Loss, at Hudson Catholic, 13-0
Sept. 26, Loss, Verona, 31-6
Oct. 2, Won, at Shabazz, 7-0
Oct. 10, Won, Belleville, 30-6
Oct. 17, Won, East Side, 53-0
Oct. 24, Loss, at Barringer, 20-0
Oct. 30, Won, at Central, 48-22
Nov. 7, Won, Morristown-Beard, 36-6
Nov. 13, Loss, at Hoboken, 36-0*
*North Jersey Section 2, Group 1 playoffs