Cedar Grove football ups the pace and powers past New Providence for the N2G1 title

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After being surprised by two touchdowns in a span of 107 seconds, it would have been understandable if Cedar Grove felt it was time to take some of the breaks in its fast-paced offense, especially after a pair of turnovers in the second quarter.

Instead, the start of the second half proved to be an ideal moment to press the accelerator a little harder and play at an even faster pace.

Top-seeded Cedar Grove started the third quarter by going no-huddle and up-tempo on offense. The decision helped produce touchdowns on three straight drives in the second half, allowing top-seeded Panther to speed past third-seeded New Providence, 35-14, in the NJSIAA/Xfinity North Jersey Section 2 final. Group 1 Playoffs at Cedar Grove.

It was the 10th straight game in which Cedar Grove (12-0) scored 35 or more points as the Essex County school claimed its ninth sectional championship and first since 2001.

“That’s how we play,” Cedar Grove head coach Rob Gogerty said. “I think my message at halftime was more about how many times we’ve been in this situation. We have been to this place for the past two years. I thought we played a very good first quarter, a bad second quarter. We turned the ball over and kind of let them in.” But my message was: we’ve been here before and we had to attack.”

“At halftime, Gogerty wasn’t worried at all,” senior quarterback Stephen Paradiso said. “We just had to play a little harder and faster. And that’s what we did.”

Cedar Grove’s defense forced a three-and-out to give the ball back to Paradiso and the Panthers. Pardiso, who showed no ill effects from the two turnovers, completed all four of his passes on the ensuing drive, highlighted by a 9-yard back-shoulder TD catch from Jackson Morrice with 7:17 left in the third quarter.

The Panthers forced a turnover of their own with Xavier Andujar’s interception at the 40 just over two minutes later. The connection between Paradiso and Morrice was made three more times after the turnover before Morrice made a surprising direct jump to fourth at 15 yards per touchdown, his third of the evening.

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