GLEN RIDGE, NJ (updated Tuesday Nov. 8, 12:56 p.m.) – The Glen Ridge High School varsity football team, seeded sixth, will visit third-seeded Shabazz in the first round of the state North Jersey Section 2, Group 1 playoffs on Friday, Nov. 11, at Shabazz Stadium in Newark at 7 p.m. Shabazz has a 6-2 record.
The Ridgers, under head coach Duke Mendez, are looking to avenge a 20-8 home loss to Shabazz this season in a North Jersey Super Football Conference-National Red Division game.
The winner of GRHS-Shabazz will face the winner of No. 7 seed Newark Collegiate and No. 2 seed Bound Brook in the semifinals. The top seed is Weequahic, which will face No. 8 seed Roselle Park. Hoboken, seeded fourth, will host fifth-seeded Brearley.
It marks the fourth straight year that the Ridgers clinched a playoff berth, all in North Jersey Section 2, Group 1. GRHS fell to Hoboken in each of the last two years in the first round.
The Ridgers, incidentally, are coming off a 44-20 loss to Hoboken, 44-20, Saturday, Nov. 5, at Hurrell Field to move their record to 3-6. Tyler Liddy completed nine of 24 passes for 213 yards with two touchdown passes for the Ridgers. Liddy threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Owen Fincher and a 35-yard touchdown pass to Joe Marchesano. Liddy also ran for a touchdown. Matt Myles was 2-for-2 on extra point kicks and also had three receptions for 103 yards for GRHS.
Defensively for the Ridgers, Max Auborn had 16 tackles; Marchesano had 10 tackles and one sack; Simon Low had nine tackles and one sack. Ryan Liddy had nine tackles; and Jonny Bronander had five tackles and one fumble recovery.
Hoboken moved to 5-4.
North Jersey Section 2, Group 1 playoffs
8-Roselle Park at 1-Weequahic
5-Brearley at 4-Hoboken
6-Glen Ridge at 3-Shabazz
7-Newark Collegiate at 2-Bound Brook
Glen Ridge (3-6)
Sept. 9, Loss, at Butler, 28-7
Sept. 17, Won, Newark Collegiate Academy Charter, 26-0
Sept. 24, Loss, Montclair Kimberley Academy, 14-10
Sept. 30, Loss, at Cedar Grove, 33-0
Oct. 8, Won, at Verona, 45-27
Oct. 15, Loss, Weequahic, 46-3
Oct. 22, Loss, Shabazz, 20-8
Oct. 29, Won, at Immaculate Conception, 48-0
Nov. 5, Loss, Hoboken, 44-20
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