EAST RUTHERFORD—As his players walked off the MetLife Stadium turf, many in almost a state of silent shock, Cedar Grove head coach Rob Gogerty spoke from the heart about the 2024 Panthers’ place in history.
“These guys got a lot to be proud of,” Gogerty said. “They’ve built on the tradition here, if not even raising the bar a little bit more.”
Cedar Grove has made a lot of history this fall, winning a program-best 13 games, breaking countless offensive records, and adding a ninth state sectional title to the program’s proud legacy. There will be much to remember about these Panthers, even if their final game was one to forget, thanks in large part to a one-man avalanche by the name of Kenny Smith.
Glassboro’s electric senior running back ran for a remarkable 401 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs of South Jersey to a 56-14 victory over Cedar Grove in the NJSIAA Group 1 championship game Friday evening at the Meadowlands.
In a battle of unbeatens, Cedar Grove (13-1) started off strong with two efficient, effective drives that reached the end zone. But they would be overwhelmed by a truly spectacular offensive performance by Glassboro (13-0), which collected nearly 600 yards of offense and scored on seven of its first eight possessions.
“We ran into a buzzsaw today,” said Gogerty, who is 73-26 with two sectional titles in nine seasons at the helm of the Panthers. “I think the game just got away from us. We started off just like we wanted to, but we just didn’t get a chance to slow the game down. We had a chance to go up 21-14 there, and I think if that happens we could’ve slowed it down a little and kept them off the field. But we just couldn’t stop them. They’re big and fast, and they did a lot of things that we just couldn’t handle, credit to them.”
The man of the hour was Smith, who burst around, through and past Panther defenders all game long. He ran for three long TDs, of 80, 80 and 60 yards, breaking tackles on nearly every one of his 20 carries. Removing those three long runs entirely, Smith still averaged better than 10 yards per attempt.
Whenever Glassboro needed a big play, they got it from Smith and one of the most impressive small-school offensive lines in New Jersey. The 5-11, 170-pound senior’s first 80-yard run came on the first snap from scrimmage after Cedar Grove had taken a 14-8 lead late in the first quarter. The second came on the first snap of the third quarter, snuffing out any hopes of a Panther comeback and turning the game into a full-on rout.
“He’s probably the best running back we’ve seen all year,” Gogerty said. “And [400 rushing yards] is definitely a product of what they have up front, too, which made it extra difficult.”
On the other side, Cedar Grove senior quarterback Stephen Paradiso concluded a career for the ages by completing 22 of 41 passes for 210 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Paradiso also tallied the Panthers’ first touchdown on his own, an eight-yard keeper to cap a 9-play, 66-yard drive off the game’s opening kickoff.
