ROSELLE PARK - While the tradition of Roselle playing Roselle Park on Thanksgiving came to an end at Roselle Park's Herm Shaw Field on Thursday morning, Nov. 27, the maturation of Roselle Park junior running back-defensive back Maxwell Griffin may have begun.
Maxwell scored a game-leading three touchdowns, all in the second half, to help lead the host Panthers to a convincing 41-19 win over their neighborhood rival Rams.
Roselle Park now leads the series 53-45-8, with game No. 107 scheduled to be competed at Roselle's E. Ralph Arminio Field on Week 8 next October. The series began in 1915.
Roselle Park now has a 28-24-2 record against Roselle in games played at Roselle Park's Herm Shaw Field.
There were touchdowns scored on the game's first five possessions, three by Roselle Park and two by Roselle, which set the tone for a high-scoring affair that concluded with nine touchdowns total.
Griffin made his presence felt mightily in the game's final 24 minutes, rushing for touchdowns on runs of 39 and 25 yards in the third quarter and returning an interception 45 yards for a fourth quarter Pick-6.
"Maxwell made the most of his opportunities," Roselle Park head coach Greg Dunkerton said.
After a heavy dose of senior Anthony Cianfrocca up the middle and junior Nick Salas to the sidelines in the first half, Dunkerton inserted a rested Griffin following halftime. Griffin's first carry was his 39-yard score. Both of his touchdowns came through big holes provided at left.
Griffin, all in the second half, carried the ball nine times for 88 yards and his two rushing scores.
In the first half Cianfrocca had 128 yards on 14 carries, including touchdown runs of 21 and one yards for Roselle Park's first two scores.
"There was a lot of pressure, this being the final game on Thanksgiving," Cianfrocca said. "We had to just keep running over them and try to get them tired."
Cianfrocca finished with a game-leading 155 yards on 18 carries, including his two touchdowns.
"I run angry, that's the way I like to," Cianfrocca said. "We had to dig deep and run hard. This is a team sport and we all had to play our parts in order to get this win."
Salas, who rushed for 100 yards on 12 carries including a 41-yard gain, scored on a four-yard dash in the second quarter to give Roselle Park the lead for good at 19-13.
Salas finished the season with 946 yards on 146 carries and a team-leading 14 touchdowns. In his first three varsity campaigns Salas has rushed for 2,237 yards on 301 carries and scored 25 touchdowns.
Cianfrocca gained 735 yards on 114 carries this year and finished his career at Roselle Park with 1,637 yards on 279 carries and 14 touchdowns.
Roselle Park rushed for just under 2,400 yards this season.
Lost a bit in all of the pomp and circumstance of Roselle Park and Roselle alumni being honored pre-game and at halftime was the fact that for the second time in three years a Roselle Park victory at home on Thanksgiving over Roselle propelled the Panthers to a winning season.
Roselle Park finished 6-4 while Roselle closed at 2-9.
In 2023 Roselle Park defeated Roselle 20-14 at home to finish 6-5, whjch was the first winning season of present head coach Greg Dunkerton's tenure that began in 2020.
"To have our guys know that they are winners, for them to be able to walk on this field and know that they were able to have a winning season is big," Dunkerton said. "They drive me crazy at times, but I love them all."
Registering quarterback sacks for Roselle Park that came to a total of minus-33 yards of offense for Roselle were Cianfrocca two, one of them combined with senior lineman Lorby Castelly, one for a 12-yard loss by big junior lineman Enoch Adisa, and one by senior linebacker Anthony Damiano.
Showing no quit at all, Roselle twice came back to tie the game with touchdowns in the first half and in the second half pulled to within seven with its final score before Roselle Park pulled away.
Throwing touchdown passes in the first half to Raekwon Anderson and Shymir Burgess was senior quarterback Deion Nelson. His pass to Burgess was a perfect throw that Burgess caught in stride over his shoulder. Burgess beat single coverage on the reception and then raced, untouched, down the right sideline for a 59-yard score.
SIDELINE OFFICIAL PLAYED IN 1973 & 1974 GAMES FOR PANTHERS
One of the sideline oficials was Bill Young, 68, who is Roselle Park Class of 1975. Young played guard and linebacker on the varsity at Roselle Park his junior and senior seasons of 1973 and 1974 for head coach Bob Lilly.
"We beat Roselle 10-7 my senior year," Young said. "There are a lot of good memories."
Roselle defeated Roselle Park 26-10 Young's junior year in 1973.
Young has been a football official since 1986 and in 1981 coached freshman football at Roselle Park, which was the year John Wagner succeeded Geoff Hill as head coach.
"Hill brought in the Delaware Wing-T and Wagner, after going to several coaches clinics to learn about it, continued it at Roselle Park," Young said.
Wagner and former, longtime Roselle head coach Lou Grasso Sr. were honored pre-game.
Both led their teams in 25 games each. Wagner, 74, is Roselle Park Class of 1969 and Grasso Sr., 75, is Roselle Class of 1968.
Wagner, the head coach at Roselle Park from 1981-2005, had a 14-10-1 record in the game. Grasso Sr., the head coach at Roselle from 1979-2003, was 11-13-1. The lone tie was the last one in the series, a 0-0 deadlock at Roselle in 1985.
Wagner is the winningest football coach at Roselle Park with a record there of 150-92-2 (.620). He surpassed Shaw as No. 1 in victories.
Wagner attended 51 of the Roselle vs. Roselle Park games, beginning at age 10 when he was a student at Aldene Elementary School. Wagner was also an assistant coach on Hill's staff for five seasons from 1976-1980.
Like Wagner, Grasso, Sr. was also an assistant at Roselle before he became the head coach. He was an assistant in 1976, 1977 and 1978 before succeeding Kenny Holmes.
FINAL ROSELLE VS. ROSELLE PARK THANKSGIVING DAY GAME:
Roselle Rams (2-9) 07 06 06 00 - 19
Roselle Park Panthers (6-4) 07 13 13 08 - 41
FIRST QUARTER:
Roselle Park - Anthony Cianfrocca 21 run, Adrian Caraballo kick (RP 7-0)
12 plays, 65 yards, 6:34 used
Roselle - Raekwon Anderson 5 pass from Deion Nelson, Brandon Gonzalez-Canelo kick (7-7)
6 plays, 69 yards, 3:00 used
SECOND QUARTER:
Roselle Park - Anthony Cianfrocca 1 run, kick failed (RP 13-7)
9 plays, 85 yards, 4:09 used
Roselle - Shymir Burgess 59 pass from Deion Nelson, kick failed (13-13)
Roselle Park - Nick Salas 4 run, Adrian Caraballo kick (RP 20-13)
THIRD QUARTER:
Roselle Park - Maxwell Griffin 39 run, kick failed (RP 26-13)
3 plays, 51 yards, 1:30 used
Roselle - Tyrone Smalls Jr. 3 run, run failed (RP 26-19)
8 plays, 60 yards, 2:44 used
Roselle Park - Maxwell Griffin 25 run, Adrian Caraballo kick (RP 33-19)
3 plays, 29 yards, 1:34 used
FOURTH QUARTER:
Roselle Park - Maxwell Griffin 45 interception return, Jose Candelaria pass from Anthony Damiano (RP 41-19)
ROSELLE PARK PANTHERS (6-4)
Sept. 5 (H) Roselle Park 45, Middlesex 13
Sept. 12 (H) Roselle Park 42, South River 0
Sept. 19 (A) Dayton 37, Roselle Park 20
Sept. 26 (A) Brearley 17, Roselle Park 7
Oct. 3 (H) Roselle Park 50, Dunellen 8
Oct. 10 (A) Roselle Park 35, Highland Park 12
Oct. 17 (H) Roselle Park 52, J.P. Sevens 6
Oct. 24 (A) Spotswood 26, Roselle Park 16
Nov. 5 (H) Boonton 29, Roselle Park 12
Nov. 27 (H) Roselle Park 41, Roselle 19
ROSELLE RAMS (2-9)
Sept. 5 (A) Spotswood 31, Roselle 8
Sept. 13 (A) Roselle 18, Metuchen 12
Sept. 19 (H) Johnson 34, Roselle 8
Sept. 26 (A) New Providence 41, Roselle 6
Oct. 4 (H) Hillside 20, Roselle 18
Oct. 11 (A) Newark Collegiate 32, Roselle 8
Oct. 17 (A) Delaware Valley 21, Roselle 18
Oct. 24 (A) Roselle 40, J.P. Stevens 6
Oct. 29 (A) Millburn 51, Roselle 14
Nov. 13 (H) Snyder 28, Roselle 16
Nov. 27 (A) Roselle Park 41, Roselle 19
THE SCORES:
2025: Roselle Park 41 Roselle 19 - at Roselle Park's Herm Shaw Field
2024: Roselle 46, Roselle Park 14 - at Roselle (Friday night before Thanksgiving)
2023: Roselle Park 20, Roselle 14 - at Roselle Park
2022: Roselle 44, Roselle Park 2 - at Roselle (Friday night before Thanksgiving)
2021: Roselle 32, Roselle Park 14 - at Roselle Park
2020: No game because of Covid-19 pandemic.
2019: Roselle 50, Roselle Park 36 at Roselle (last game played at Roselle on Thanksgiving)
2018: No game because Roselle Park fielded only a junior varsity team.
2017: Roselle Park 7, Roselle 6 - at Roselle Park
2016: Roselle 42, Roselle Park 20 – at Roselle Park
2015: Roselle 41, Roselle Park 33 – at Roselle
2014: Roselle Park 29, Roselle 14 – at Roselle Park
2013: Roselle Park 24, Roselle 12 – at Roselle
2012: Roselle Park 28, Roselle 14 – at Roselle Park
2011: Roselle 27, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle
2010: Roselle 35, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
2009: Roselle 35, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle
2008: Roselle 28, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
2007: Roselle Park 28, Roselle 14 – at Roselle
2006: Roselle Park 16, Roselle 12 – at Roselle Park
2005: Roselle Park 21, Roselle 14 – at Roselle
2004: Roselle Park 35, Roselle 6 – at Roselle Park
2003: Roselle Park 13, Roselle 12 – at Roselle
2002: Roselle 14, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
2001: Roselle 48, Roselle Park 22 – at Roselle
2000: Roselle Park 19, Roselle 0 – at Roselle Park
1999: Roselle Park 20, Roselle 0 – at Roselle
1998: Roselle 28, Roselle Park 13 – at Roselle Park
1997: Roselle Park 26, Roselle 16 – at Roselle
1996: Roselle Park 29, Roselle 7 – at Roselle Park
1995: Roselle Park 12, Roselle 6 – at Roselle
1994: Roselle Park 7, Roselle 6 – at Roselle Park
1993: Roselle Park 26, Roselle 12 – at Roselle
1992: Roselle Park 28, Roselle 6 – at Roselle Park
1991: Roselle 26, Roselle Park 7 – at Roselle
1990: Roselle Park 17, Roselle 8 – at Roselle Park
1989: Roselle 6, Roselle Park 3 – at Roselle
1988: Roselle 22, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
1987: Roselle 28, Roselle Park 14 – at Roselle
1986: Roselle Park 17, Roselle 7 – at Roselle Park
1985: Roselle Park 0, Roselle 0 (tie) – at Roselle
1984: Roselle Park 14, Roselle 12 – at Roselle Park
1983: Roselle 26, Roselle Park 2 – at Roselle
1982: Roselle 18, Roselle Park 6 – at Roselle Park
1981: Roselle 6, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle
1980: Roselle 22, Roselle Park 20 – at Roselle Park
1979: Roselle Park 29, Roselle 12 – at Roselle
1978: Roselle Park 22, Roselle 16 – at Roselle Park
1977: Roselle Park 14, Roselle 0 – at Roselle
1976: Roselle 14, Roselle Park 2 – at Roselle Park
1975: Roselle Park 0, Roselle 0 (tie) – at Roselle
1974: Roselle Park 10, Roselle 7 – at Roselle Park
1973: Roselle 26, Roselle Park 10 – at Roselle Park
1972: Roselle 19, Roselle Park 6 – at Roselle Park
1971: Roselle Park 40, Roselle Park 14 – at Roselle
1970: Roselle Park 21, Roselle 14 – at Roselle Park
1969: Roselle Park 40, Roselle 6 – at Roselle
1968: Roselle Park 39, Roselle 12 – at Roselle Park
1967: Roselle Park 15, Roselle 14 – at Roselle
1966: Roselle 14, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
1965: Roselle 21, Roselle Park 6 – at Roselle
1964: Roselle 16, Roselle Park 13 – at Roselle Park
1963: Roselle Park 13, Roselle 7 – at Roselle
1962: Roselle Park 7, Roselle 6 – at Roselle Park
1961: Roselle Park 19, Roselle 13 – at Roselle
1960: Roselle 26, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
1959: Roselle 28, Roselle Park 7 – at Roselle
1958: Roselle Park 32, Roselle 7 – at Roselle Park
1957: Roselle 13, Roselle Park 7 – at Roselle
1956: Roselle 14, Roselle Park 6 – at Roselle Park
1955: Roselle Park 12, Roselle 6 – at Roselle
1954: Roselle 13, Roselle Park 12 – at Roselle Park
1953: Roselle Park 20, Roselle 7 – at Roselle
1952: Roselle Park 18, Roselle 6 – at Roselle Park
1951: Roselle Park 12, Roselle 0 – at Roselle
1950: Roselle 25, Roselle Park 13 – at Roselle Park
1949: Roselle Park 33, Roselle 7 – at Roselle
1948: Roselle Park 7, Roselle 0 – at Roselle Park
1947: Roselle Park 0, Roselle 0 (tie) – at Roselle
1946: Roselle Park 12, Roselle 0 – at Roselle Park
1945: Roselle Park 32, Roselle 0 – at Roselle
1944: Roselle Park 26, Roselle 0 – at Roselle Park
1943: Roselle Park 25, Roselle 0 – at Roselle
1942: Roselle 9, Roselle Park 2 – at Roselle Park
1941: Roselle Park 0, Roselle 0 (tie) – at Roselle
1940: Roselle Park 7, Roselle 2 – at Roselle Park
1939: Roselle 6, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle
1938: Roselle 16, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
1937: Roselle Park 19, Roselle 0 – at Roselle
1936: Roselle Park 6, Roselle 6 (tie) – at Roselle Park
1935: Roselle 18, Roselle Park 6 – at Roselle
1934: Roselle 19, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
1933: Roselle Park 0, Roselle 0 (tie) – at Roselle
1932: Roselle 13, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
1931: Roselle Park 0, Roselle 0 (tie) – at Roselle
1930: Roselle Park 0, Roselle 0 (tie) – at Roselle Park
1929: Roselle Park 51, Roselle 0 – at Roselle
1928: Roselle Park 20, Roselle 0 – at Roselle Park
1927: Roselle 6, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle
1926: Roselle Park 6, Roselle 0 – at Roselle Park
1925: Roselle Park 6, Roselle 0 – at Roselle
1924: Roselle Park 21, Roselle 0 – at Roselle Park
1923: Roselle Park 41, Roselle 0 – at Roselle
1922: Roselle 19, Roselle Park 6 – at Roselle Park
1921: Roselle 29, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle
1920: Roselle 28, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle Park
1919: Roselle 39, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle
1915: Roselle 81, Roselle Park 0 – at Roselle
(Games were not played in 1916, 1917 and 1918 due to World War I.)
SERIES: Roselle Park leads 53-45-8.
7 OF THE 8 TIES WERE 0-0 SCORES.
LONGEST ROSELLE PARK WIN STREAK: (7) 1943-1949.
Roselle Park also won 6 straight from 1992-1997 and
5 straight from 2003-2007.
LONGEST ROSELLE WIN STREAK: (5) 1915-1922 (first 5 games).
Roselle also won 4 straight from 1980-1983 and 2008-2011.
AT ROSELLE PARK'S HERM SHAW FIELD – Roselle Park is 28-24-2.
AT ROSELLE'S E. RALPH ARMINIO FIELD – Roselle is 21-25-6.
ROSELLE SHUTOUT VICTORIES: 18.
ROSELLE PARK SHUTOUT VICTORIES: 16.
ROSELLE CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUT VICTORIES:
4 (twice)
1915, 1919, 1920, 1921 (the first 4 games) and 2008-2011.
ROSELLE PARK CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUT VICTORIES:
4 (twice)
1923-1926 and 1943-1946.
LARGEST ROSELLE MARGIN OF VICTORY (81):
1915: Roselle 81-0 – at Roselle.
LARGEST ROSELLE PARK MARGIN OF VICTORY (51):
1929: Roselle Park 51-0 – at Roselle.
CLOSEST VICTORIES:
1962 at Roselle Park – Roselle Park 7, Roselle 6
2003 at Roselle – Roselle Park 13, Roselle 12
2017 at Roselle Park – Roselle Park 7, Roselle 6
ROSELLE PARK HEAD COACH
JOHN WAGNER’S 25-SEASON (1981-2005)
RECORD IN GAME: 14-10-1
Wagner is Roselle Park Class of 1969.
ROSELLE HEAD COACH
LOU GRASSO, SR.’S 25-SEASON (1979-2003)
RECORD IN GAME: 11-13-1
Grasso, Sr. is Roselle Class of 1968.
TOP 10 LONGEST THANKSGIVING DAY
FOOTBALL RIVALRIES IN NEW JERSEY:
1-Millville-Vineland, 153 years - still going
2-Westfield-Plainfield, 120 years - finished in 2024
3-Phillipsburg-Easton, Pa., 119 years - still going
4-Haddonfield-Haddon Heights, 116 years - still going
5-Barringer-East Orange Campus, 112 years - still going
6-Salem-Woodstown, 111 years - finished in 2021
7-Roselle Park-Roselle, 110 years - finishing in 2025
8-Middle Township-Lower Cape May, 104 years - finished in 2021
9-Ocean City-Pleasantville, 101 years - finished in 2022
10-Toms River South-Lakewood, 100 years - finished in 2019
