GLEN RIDGE, NJ — The Glen Ridge High School football team enjoyed another fine state-playoff season.
Under first-year head coach Chris Strumolo, the Ridgers finished with a 5-5 record after losing at top-seeded and undefeated Butler, 40-20, in the semifinals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 state playoffs on Friday night, Nov. 8.
It marked the second straight season that the Ridgers advanced to the state sectional playoff semifinals.
The fourth-seeded Ridgers trailed 34-0 entering the fourth quarter, but refused to give up, as they scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Senior first-year starting quarterback Brad Foster hit junior running back Zach Kontezni with a 70-yard touchdown pass. Foster scored on a 20-yard run to cut it to 34-14 after sophomore James Gist’s point-after kicks. Butler stopped the momentum with a long TD run before senior running back Luke Olczak caught a 2-yard TD pass from Foster to close out the scoring.
Foster finished with 124 passing yards on five of 13 attempts and added 94 rushing yards on 11 carries. Konetzni had 92 rushing yards on 13 carries and added three catches for 103 yards.
Konetzni, a defensive back, also had 11 tackles and Foster, also a defensive back, had eight tackles. Sophomore linebacker Hunter Sicoli posted seven tackles, junior lineman John Leone had six tackles, and senior linebacker Colin Dowd and sophomore lineman Paul Wiley each had five tackles.
After winning the season opener over Whippany Park, 21-9, on the road on Sept. 6, the Ridgers lost their next two games, falling at Newark Central, 36-13, on Sept. 6, and Hanover Park, 21-12, on Sept. 21 at Hurrell Field. Hanover Park (9-1) has advanced to the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 championship against Glen Rock on Friday, Nov 15.
The Ridgers got back on the winning track with a 17-6 home win over Hoboken on Sept. 28 and then defeated Newark Collegiate Academy, 18-8, on Oct. 5 on the road to improve to 3-2.
After losing at Cedar Grove, 49-28, on Oct. 10, the Ridgers defeated Verona, 21-14, at Hurrell Field on Oct. 19. Verona’s head coach is Manj Singh, who was the Ridgers head coach for the past two seasons.
GRHS lost to Dwight Morrow (Englewood), 54-42, on Oct. 26 at Hurrell Field before crushing fifth-seeded Pompton Lakes, 47-13, in the first round of the sectional playoffs at Hurrell Field on Nov. 2. Cedar Grove (11-0) defeated Verona (7-4) by a score of 42-14 on Nov. 8 to advance to the North 2, Group 1 state sectional championship against New Providence on Nov. 15.
Photos Courtesy of John K. Horsky
Glen Ridge vs. Butler
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