Manj Singh made strong impact for the Glen Ridge HS football program

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — In his two seasons as the Glen Ridge High School varsity football head coach, Manj Singh made a tremendous impact.

It wasn’t an easy decision, but Singh decided to step down after being named the new Verona head football coach on Dec. 12.

Singh came to Glen Ridge after serving as assistant coach at perennial power St. Joseph in Montvale. He was hired as the GRHS head football coach in the spring of 2022, getting his first head coaching job. Immediately, Singh instituted summer workouts for the program, the first time the program had such a program.

After a 1-3 start, the Ridgers turned their season around. Although they missed the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Group 1 playoffs, the Ridgers competed in the NJSIAA’s inaugural North Jersey, Group 1 regional invitational tournament, reaching the championship game, where they defeated Hawthorne, 36-13, at Hurrell Field, as they capped a 5-5 season.

This past fall, the Ridgers endured another 1-3 start, but regrouped again, posting  a four-game winning streak to improve to 5-3, which helped them qualify for the state sectional playoffs for the first time since 2017. 

As the No.7 seed, the Ridgers upset No. 2 seed Waldwick–Midland Park, 33-26, in Waldwick in the NJSIAA’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 state quarterfinals to earn their first state sectional playoff win since winning the 1982 North 2, Group 1 title. 

The Ridgers met sixth-seeded Shabazz in the semifinals, looking to avenge a 52-7 road loss in the regular-season finale. But Shabazz prevailed again, 58-14, as the Ridgers ended the season with a 6-5 record.

During this season, the Ridgers defeated Verona, 8-7, at Hurrell Field on a soggy day on Oct. 14, for their fourth win in a row. Now, Singh is the new Verona head coach.

His successor has yet to be named.

Photo by Joe Ragozzino