GLEN RIDGE, NJ — The Glen Ridge High School football team’s home game against Verona on Saturday, Oct. 19, will have special meaning.
Not only is it Homecoming, but the Ridgers will face their former head coach, Manj Singh, who is in his first year as Verona head coach. Kickoff at Hurrell Field is at 1 p.m.
Singh helped revitalize the Ridgers program in his two years at the helm. In 2022, Singh’s first year, the Ridgers just missed the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Group 1 state sectional playoffs, but they played in the NJSIAA’s North, Group 1 regional invitational tournament and beat Hawthorne at home in the final to cap the season with a 5-5 record. The Ridgers celebrated with a championship trophy in front of their home crowd.
Last season, the Ridgers qualified for the NJSIAA’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 state sectionals playoffs. They upset No. 2 seed Waldwick/Midland Park in the quarterfinals for their first state sectional playoff win since 1982, when they captured the North 2, Group 1 state sectional championship. The Ridgers lost to Shabazz in the semifinals to finish last year with a 6-5 record.
The Ridgers last year defeated Verona 8-7 at home in the rain,, a victory that helped them clinch the state sectional playoff berth.
The Ridgers, under first-year head coach Chris Strumolo, had their two-game winning streak end with a wild 49-28 road loss to Cedar Grove on Thursday night, Oct. 10, at Cedar Grove. Glen Ridge moved to 3-3 overall. Cedar Grove improved to 7-0 overall.
In the loss to Cedar Grove, junior Zach Konetzni had a 90-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to put Glen Ridge up 7-0. Cedar Grove answered on Jackson Morrice’s 4-yard TD run to tie it 7-7.
GRHS senior quarterback Brad Foster threw TD passes of 30 yards to freshman Aiden Kelly and 70 yards to junior John Leone in the second quarter to give Glen Ridge a 21-7 lead. Sophomore James Gist kicked both extra points. Cedar Grove answered to tie it 21-21 at the half. Stephen Paradiso threw a 20-yard TD pass to Nick Russo to cut it to 21-14. Paradiso then scored on a 1-yard run.
In the third quarter, Foster scored on a 5-yard run and Gist kicked the extra point to give Glen Ridge a 28-21 lead. But Cedar Grove took control with three TDs later in the quarter. Paradiso scored on a 1-yard run to tie it 28-28. Pierce Asfaig returned a fumble 6 yards for a TD to put Cedar Grove up 35-28. Paradiso threw a 7-yard TD pass to Xavier Andujar to make it 42-28. In the fourth quarter, Connor Kerney had a 9-yard TD run.
Foster completed 12 of 24 passes for 288 yards and the two TDs and he ran for 114 yards and the TD on 13 carries. Konetzni finished with 134 yards on 12 carries and the TD and he had three catches for 41 yards. Kelly finished with four catches for 103 yards and a TD. Leone had two catches for 85 yards and the TD. Senior Luke Olczak had two catches for 34 yards.
Photos Courtesy of John K. Horsky
Glen Ridge vs. Cedar Grove (Thursday, Oct. 10, at Cedar Grove)
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