Biggest Performances from Week 8’s Biggest Game

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Butler (8-0) vs. Glen Rock (7-1) 21-12</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a championship on the line, Butler and Glen Rock met with the goal of finishing the 2024 regular season with a unblemished record and a title in their possession. In the NJIC Championship Round, we had a a true battle in the trenches as both defenses held the other in check for the majority of the game. Crowned the champion after a 21-12 victory, Butler's defense shined and their offense delivered with a few explosive plays as well to give them the edge they needed. Led by one of their stud athletes, Butler's [player_tooltip player_id='1001393' first='PJ' last='Coffey'] was the spark their offense needed as he exploded for a pair of 50 yard touchdowns; one on the ground and one through the air. To compliment [player_tooltip player_id='1001393' first='PJ' last='Coffey']'s play, [player_tooltip player_id='1530306' first='David' last='Smith'] was able to make deliver the 50 yard strike to PJ and also ran for 65 yards himself. It was David's late touchdown run that put Butler out of reach. Defensively, Butler played lights out as they held Glen Rock's explosive to only 12 points. Leading the defensive charge was junior athlete Peyton Kibburz. Peyton made an impact all across the field last weekend, as he accumulated 15 total tackles and was able to bring Glen Rock's QB to the ground for a sack as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Glen Rock didn't come out of the contest victorious, there was still a lot of positives that they can walk away with. Glen Rock had a strong outing on the ground, as lead running back [player_tooltip player_id='1557296' first='Matt' last='Boisits'] took the rock for 18 carries and 60 yards, and QB [player_tooltip player_id='1454042' first='Nick' last='Atme'] ran the ball 18 times for 78 yards and threw a touchdown as well. Defensively, Glen Rock held strong as well, as junior DB Robert Lopez shined in the spotlight and picked off one of [player_tooltip player_id='1530306' first='David' last='Smith']'s passes. There is a lot to look forward to for Glen Rock, as a large chunk of their talented roster is returning for 2025. With another year of preparation, this unit will look to take the title in 2025. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams are not finished yet though, as both now move onto the greater state tournament. Glen Rock will get the chance to redeem themselves as they square off against 8th seed Waldwick, and undefeated Butler will take on 8th seed Weehawken. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>New Providence (7-2) vs. Delaware Valley (6-2) 28-21</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tight game all of the way until the finish, New Providence came out on top after they started the game off quickly with a 21-0 run. Delaware Valley was able to surge back and keep the game competitive, but in the end ran out of time. New Providence's offensive efficiency was led by star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1467524' first='TJ' last='Munn']. TJ was able to hurt Delaware Valley's defense through the air and on the ground, as he completed 4 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown and was able to take off for 102 yards and a touchdown on the ground as well. New Providence's offensive success didn't stop there, as lead running back [player_tooltip player_id='1467528' first='AJ' last='Whitehead'] took 18 carries for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns. He absolutely dominated on the ground, scoring the first two touchdowns of the game and running loose for 49 yards on one of them. [player_tooltip player_id='1556618' first='Jack' last='Fitzgerald'], a star athlete that played a huge part on both sides of the ball, was on the receiving end of 2 of [player_tooltip player_id='1467524' first='TJ' last='Munn']'s passes and took one to the end zone and finished the day with 55 receiving yards. Jack's impact on the field extended to the defensive side of the ball as well, as he was able to bring in an interception to stop the momentum Delaware Valley was building.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Delaware Valley struggled finding success against New Providence's defensive front early on in the game, they eventually picked up some steam, especially through the air. Junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1538269' first='Kelton' last='Ibach'] was able to lead the comeback with poise and precise passes, finding the end zone three times and throwing for 153 yards. Senior receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1040419' first='Eric' last='Klemmer'] played the biggest part on the receiving end of the throws, as he was able to bring in 5 receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Eric now has 8 receiving touchdowns on the year, and will look to hit double digits if they can defeat Delran in the first rounds of the playoffs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ramapo (5-3) vs. Northern Highlands (4-4) 25-23(OT)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An overtime thriller between two of north Jersey's stronger programs, Friday night lights did not disappoint last weekend. A game that was locked at 7-7 entering overtime, the excitement and energy really picked up and continued to rise as the game stayed neck and neck.. In the matchup between familiar foes, both teams went punch for punch, equalizing the other's latest score. In the end, what separated Ramapo from Northern Highlands was the exceptional play out of their offensive and defensive leaders. [player_tooltip player_id='1546513' first='Casey' last='Grusser'] stayed cool and collected during the extra time, and was able to deliver when his team needed it the most in extra time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Northern Highlands leading all the way up to the fourth quarter, Casey was able to deliver a strike to [player_tooltip player_id='1552333' first='Salvatore' last='Livoti'] to force overtime. Once he got there, he took control of the game and was able to throw a 25 yard touchdown in the first overtime, and close out the game with a 2 point conversion in the final overtime. Casey finished the contest going 13 for 19 and 149 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also rushing for 57 yards. Ramapo's defense was able to shut out Northern Highland's offense in the final three quarters, and a large part of that had to do with the exceptional play out of their secondary. Ramapo brought in a pair of interceptions, reeled in by stud athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1023090' first='Charlie' last='Wingfield'] and Tyler Ramiccio. To go with the turnovers, Ramapo's Zack Darwish once again put on a big defensive performance as he racked up 15 tackles, bringing his total to 96 on the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Northern Highlands, all is not lost quite yet. [player_tooltip player_id='1552346' first='Chase' last='Calarco'] helped keep Northern Highlands in the game with 3 scores on the night as he looks to extend that success into the first round of the playoffs against Westfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->