ROSELLE PARK - There wasn't a storybook ending where the home team found a way to prevail on a night when the winningest football coach in program history was honored.
However, the Roselle Park Panthers proved that if they play up to their capabilities, they will be a very tough out the remainder of this 2026 football season.
First, the football field was re-named after John Wagner, who guided the Panthers to an even 150 victories in a 25-season tenure as head coach from 1981-2005. The field the Panthers practice and play on is now called: John Wagner Stadium at Herm Shaw Field.
"My heart will always be in Roselle Park," said Wagner, who grew up across the street from the field and who is a 1969 Roselle Park High School graduate who also went on to become an administrator and athletic director at the school. "I love you all."
Present Roselle Park head coach Greg Dunkerton, at the helm of the Panthers since 2020, had this to say about his team following a tough 28-27 setback to visiting Belvidere on Thursday night (Sept. 3).
"I am so proud of these kids for the effort they gave," Dunkerton said. "We played 1,000 percent better than we did in our first game."
Roselle Park opened last week with a 41-6 setback at Bergen County foe Wood-Ridge.
"Tonight we just came up a little short," Dunkerton said.
Roselle Park and Belvidere both scored four touchdowns. Unfortunately for the home team Panthers, they did not successfully execute two extra point attempts, the second of the two blocked by a Belvidere player, Kadin LaBar, who made two key plays.
Belvidere had four leads, two by a touchdown and two by one point.
Roselle Park had two six-point leads.
There were two ties.
It was a highly compelling, back-and-forth, early season clash that went right down to the wire with Roselle Park reaching the Belvidere 20-yard line before Belvidere standout senior Elijah White came up with an interception on the game's final play.
After Roselle Park gave up 61 points total in the first six quarters it played so far this year, the Panthers then gave up just one score the entire second half against Belvidere. However, it was junior quarterback Jake Enderley completing a 47-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Kaiden Drake with 5:29 remaining to tie the game at 27-27. White's fourth extra point kick in four attempts proved to be the game's winning point.
"We made some adjustments on defense," said Dunkerton as the Panthers gave up three touchdowns in the first half, including one late after turning the ball over on a fumble. "That score was a momentum shifter for sure, but we handled it."
All four Roselle Park touchdowns came on runs, with three of them 48 yards or more. They were scored by senior running backs Nasir Cheston, who had two, Nick Salas and Maxwell Griffin. The Panthers rushed for just over 350 yards total, with Cheston and Salas both going over 100.
The touchdown of the game, and one that will be a leading candidate for touchdown of the year, was scored by Cheston on a 54-yard run to pull Roselle Park to within two points early in the third quarter. On first-and-10 from his own 46, Cheston took the handoff from junior quarterback Hunter Morales and immediately broke free through the middle of the field.
Then once Belvidere tacklers attempted to bring him down, Cheston one-by-one fought them off as he continued down the right sideline and into the end zone. Salas then ran in the two-point conversion to allow Roselle Park to tie the game for the second time at 21-21.
Roselle Park's east-west reverse where Morales hands off to Griffin and then Griffin hands off to Cheston was successful in producing holes for Cheston to run through time and time again.
"We have some pretty dynamic runners," Dunkerton said.
Roselle Park's second possession of the second half lasted for 8:39 and one play into the fourth quarter. Although the Panthers did not score on the drive, they kept Belvidere's offense on the sidelines as the County Seaters had the ball only one time in the third quarter for a total of just three plays and a punt.
Also excelling on defense for Roselle Park was 6-6, 320-pound senior lineman Enoch Adisa.
Roselle Park is next scheduled to play at South River on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m., which will be the first of five Freedom Gold Division games within the Big Central Conference for the Panthers.
"We just have to keep on plugging away," Dunkerton said.
HUGE CONTINGENT OF ADMIRERS PAY TRIBUTE TO JOHN WAGNER
At 5:55 p.m. the sign on the press box was revealed for the first time, to the tune of Frank Sinatra's My Way: John Wagner Stadium at Herm Shaw Field.
Regrets? I don't believe John Wagner even had a few.
"For a kid to grow up here and then do a job and then have a field named after him, I couldn't be more humbled and appreciative," said Wagner, who Sept. 9 will turn 75. "There will be no greater honor for me the rest of my life."
The first moniker was Colfax Avenue Fields and then the football field was named after Herm Shaw in 1970. At that time Shaw was the winningest football coach in Roselle Park history with 146 victories. Wagner passed him his final year at the helm in 2005.
During Wagner's first two seasons as head coach in 1981 and 1982 Roselle Park played on another field that was considered the old field. Roselle Park played all nine games in 1983 on the road before the present field was deemed playable.
Wagner quickly recalled his first game as head coach on the present field, which was in 1984.
"We beat North Plainfield 28-0," Wagner said.
Wagner also recalled the final game he was the head coach on the present field, which came in 2005. It was a one-point, comeback win over Dunellen.
"We were down 27-22 and on the final play we threw a Hail Mary pass that was intercepted," Wagner said. "We then punched the ball away, scooped it up, and ran it in for a touchdown to win 28-27."
Giving speeches to the crowd in attendance, which also included Wagner supporters from his highly successful stint at Point Pleasant Beach, were the committee members who made this honor possible: Sue Carlstrom, Ernie Finizio and Dennis McCaffery, in addition to Roselle Park Superintendent of Schools Patricia Gois.
Then Wagner took the microphone, thanking all who were there on his behalf.
"With this being Labor Day weekend, I wasn't sure if many people were going to be able to make it, but I was very pleased and very honored."
BIG CENTRAL CONFERENCE-CROSSOVER CONTEST AT ROSELLE PARK
Belvidere (1-1) 07 14 00 07 - 28
Roselle Park (0-2) 07 06 08 06 - 27
FIRST QUARTER:
Belvidere - Elijah White 50 pass from Jake Enderley, Elijah White kick (B 7-0)
1 play, 50 yards, :12 used
Roselle Park - Maxwell Griffin 48 run, Luis Jimenez kick (7-7)
3 plays, 70 yards, 1:43 used
This was the last play of the first quarter.
SECOND QUARTER:
Roselle Park - Nick Salas 49 run, kick failed (RP 13-7)
5 plays, 70 yards, 3:22 used
Belvidere - Kaiden Drake 3 run, Elijah White kick (B 14-13)
5 plays, 55 yards, 3:19 used
Belvidere - Elijah White 5 pass from Jake Enderley, Elijah White kick (B 21-13)
6 plays, 48 yards, 1:34 used
Belvidere capitalized on a turnover, a fumble recovery by senior lineman Kadin LaBar.
This was the last play of the first half.
THIIRD QUARTER:
Roselle Park - Nasir Cheston 54 run, Nick Salas run (21-21)
3 plays, 70 yards, 1:46 used
FOURTH QUARTER:
Roselle Park - Nasir Cheston 17 run, kick failed (RP 27-21)
4 plays, 35 yards, 3:29 used
Roselle Park capitalized on a turnover, an interception by Maxwell Griffin.
The extra point kick was blocked by senior lineman Kadin LaBar.
Belvidere - Kaiden Drake 47 pass from Jake Enderley, Elijah White kick (B 28-27)
6 plays, 54 yards, 1:01 used
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