VERONA-When the New Providence Pioneers visited Verona on Thursday night, it would, if nothing else, give the Hillbillies a chance to see where they stand against a solid Group 1 program from the Big Central Conference.
With a strong defensive effort led by senior DL Michael Girgis (2.5 sacks, 2 TFL), Verona kept the Pioneers offense out of the endzone, allowing 165 total yards. Meanwhile, senior QB Connor Demasi passed for 2 TDs and ran for another to lead the Hillbillies to a 26-13 victory at Thomas J. Sellitto Athletic Field.
Verona never trailed and they struck on their second possession. Facing a 3rd-and-3 at their 41, Demasi (7-15, 106 yds, 2 TD) rolled left and fired downfield to Gianluca Checchetto, who hauled it in at the 25 and sashayed down the sideline to the endzone for a 59-yard score to make it 7-0 with 4:39 left in the first.
Led by the running of junior RB AJ Whitehead (16 carries, 81 yds), the Pioneers were able to move the ball and get a couple of first downs, but the Verona defense held firm. Late in the half New Providence was able to move into Verona territory on a 20-yard scamper by QB TJ Munn, but the drive ended when Hillbilly DE Logan Knoetig recovered a fumble at the 41.
Verona would keep the lead until the start of the second half, when New Providence’s Owen Silver took the kickoff, found a hole up the middle, cut to his right and raced 83 yards to the house and suddenly the game was tied at 7.
The Hillbillies answered with a sharp 14-play, 73-yard drive to regain the lead. Behind the running of Jayden Nigro (15 carries, 131 yds, 1 TD) and Bodie Maisano (21 carries, 109 yds), Verona was able to methodically move the ball downfield. A 15-yard burst by Nigro on 3rd-and-6 gave the Hillbillies a first down at the Pioneers 24. Facing a 4th-and-1 from the 15, Nigro broke a tackle in the backfield and stumbled his way to the 1. On the next play, Demasi burrowed in for the score and Verona regained the lead at 14-7.
Any celebrations were short lived, because lightning struck again on the kickoff. This time Dan Porretti did the honors with a 73-yard house call on a virtual carbon copy of the previous return, but this time the conversion failed and the Hillbillies remained in front, 14-13.
Neither team was able to sustain any offense, with a pair of three-and-outs leaving Verona with the ball at their 26 late in the third. A 45-yard scamper by Maisano moved the ball to the Pioneers 29. On 4th-and-3 at the 9, Demasi rolled right and found Nigro in the endzone for the touchdown to give Verona breathing room at 20-13 with 8:02 remaining.
Taking over at their 40, New Providence got a pair of big runs, a 19-yarder by Mike Petses and a 24-yard burst by Whitehead to move the ball to the Verona 12. Girgis then made the big play, coming up with a sack on 3rd-and-8 from the 10 to move the ball back to the 20. On 4th down, Checchetto picked off a pass in the endzone and returned it to the 25 with 4:06 left.
The Hillbillies were able to run the clock down with a pair of first downs, and Nigro iced it with a 52-yard TD with 39 seconds remaining.
After three straight losing campaigns, the Hillbillies are now 6-1, having surpassed the combined win total of the past two seasons, and are looking to host a playoff game for the first time since the undefeated season of 2019. It is possible that these two teams may meet in the North Group 1 playoffs.
Verona will travel to Glen Ridge a week from Saturday, to take on a Ridgers program where Singh had coached the previous two seasons, while New Providence (5-2) will entertain Bound Brook next Friday.
They said it:
“We were both 5-1 so I think we’ll move up. That’s a home playoff game. Hopefully for the first time since 2019 so this is a huge win. We worked our (butts) off for this.”
“We played really great defense. It’s unfortunate that they scored on the kickoffs but what are you gonna do about it? We came back and answered on defense.”
“We had a short week of practice cause it’s a Thursday night game so we didn’t have a full team on Monday. We were all locked in, we wanted to get better and it was a great day of practice.”
Verona DT Michael Gargis
“The offensive line, we’ve had some struggles with our practice. We had a walkthrough, a short practice on Wednesday, and tonight it came out and our line played great.”
Verona RB Jayden Nigro
“I’m gonna’ be really honest. Nobody believed in us. We got the writers, everybody said we’re gonna’ lose this game. They bet against us. We never bet against us. From the day I walked in here I knew what kind of team we are. This is Verona Hillbilly football.”
“The guys are tough guys. Tough guys all the way around. That’s the difference between them and everybody else. We’re blue-collar workers. We’re the guys that clean up the basement like janitors. We start from the basement and work our way up and that’s what these guys are.
Very special team.”
Verona first-year Head Coach Manj Singh
New Providence (5-2) 0 0 13 0 - 13
Verona (6-1) 7 0 7 12 - 26
V – Gianluca Checchetto 59 pass from Connor Demasi (Landon Vacca kick)
NP – Owen Silver 83 kickoff return (Jack Fitzgerald kick)
V – Demasi 1 run (Vacca kick)
NP – Dan Porretti 73 kickoff return (kick failed)
V – Jayden Nigro 9 pass from Demasi (run failed)
V – Nigro 52 run (kick failed)
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