Paradiso, one of the most productive quarterbacks Essex County has ever seen, finishes his run as a three-year starter with 7,897 total passing yards, 93 touchdowns and just 19 interceptions. Gogerty, himself a former standout quarterback at CGHS, said that Paradiso’s impact goes far beyond his stellar numbers.

“He’s my guy, and I love him to death,” Gogerty said. “I’ve known Stephen since he was about 4 years old. He plays how I want to play, you know, he never backs down. He’s a gunslinger. I can’t even really put into words what he’s meant to me, and obviously he’s left such a big mark on this program. He spent his freshman year learning and watching, and it was truly a joy to watch him buy in, and spend the last three years becoming the best quarterback he could be.”

As was the case all year, Paradiso’s top two targets were fellow seniors Jackson Morrice (10 catches, 82 yards) and Nick Russo (5 for 63). Russo made the Panthers’ highlight-reel play of the game, a 33-yard touchdown catch in which he juked out the last Glassboro defender a few yards from the end zone. That play would give the Panthers their final lead of the game, 14-8, with 1:41 left in the first quarter.

Paradiso, Morrice and Russo – along with linebackers Anthony Tronio (who did not play Friday due to injury) and Connor Kerney, plus linemen Santino Catalano, Jake Jordan and Beshoy Zaky – made up a small-but-critical senior corps who have meant so much to Gogerty and Cedar Grove football. Over their last three years, the Panthers have won 30 games and lost just 6, while playing some of the most appealing and sound football in Essex County. Under their leadership, this year’s Panthers became the first team in program history to start a season 12-0, before adding to that record with the win over Butler in the Group 1 semifinals last week.

“Obviously today stings, but my message to the guys is going to be about how much we can look back on,” Gogerty said. “I don’t think a lot of people expected this from us this year. We lost [Nick] Iannacone, some other really talented guys [to graduation], and I think people had questions about what we were going to be like. And these senior guys, throughout the year, showed people that we were a damn good football team.”

That success brought them to this frigid Black Friday evening at the home of the NFL Giants and Jets, even if the Panthers ended up being overwhelmed by a state-ranked Glassboro juggernaut.

The key sequence of the game came in the first several minutes of the second quarter. With the score tied at 14-14, Cedar Grove turned the ball over on downs inside their own half of the field on a dropped fourth down pass. The Bulldogs took full advantage with a methodical 8-play, 40-yard drive capped by Smith’s second TD run of the day, a 2-yard plunge with 7:42 left before halftime.

Two plays into Cedar Grove’s next possession, disaster struck when Glassboro DB Devon Barr made a perfect read to intercept Paradiso and return it 45 yards to the end zone for a 28-14 Bulldog lead.

Glassboro added an exclamation point with 34 seconds left in the half, when quarterback Jack O’Connell (12-for-14, 145 yards, 2 TD) tossed a quick slant over the middle to receiver Xavier Sabb, who weaved through five or six Panther tacklers to eventually sprint down the sideline for a 55-yard touchdown. Just 47 seconds of gametime after that came the second 80-yard Smith TD sprint, effectively removing all doubt from the outcome.

NEWS & NOTES
Cedar Grove’s 14 points represents the most points allowed by Glassboro all season. The Bulldogs finish their season with an eye-popping 508 total points scored and just 77 allowed … Paradiso ranked second in the state with 3,701 passing yards in 2024. He completed 240 of his 378 passes, tossing 41 touchdowns with just 9 interceptions. …. Morrice was the state’s leader in receiving yards by some margin, and the senior came within about 50 yards of setting New Jersey’s single-season receiving record. He caught 98 passes for 1,825 yards and 21 TDs this fall. … Russo’s highly productive season as the No. 2 option for Paradiso concluded with 75 catches, 848 yards, and 12 receiving TDs.

SCORING SUMMARY
Cedar Grove (13-1) 14 0 0 0 - 14
Glassboro (13-0) 14 21 14 7 - 56

1st Quarter
C—Stephen Paradiso 8 run (Sebastian Kovacs kick), 9:29
G—Amari Sabb 10 run (Amari Sabb run), 5:02
C—Nick Russo 33 pass from Stephen Paradiso (Sebastian Kovacs kick), 1:41
G—Kenny Smith 80 run (run failed), 1:26

2nd Quarter
G—Kenny Smith 2 run (Sal Esgro kick), 7:42
G—Davon Barr 45 interception return (Sal Esgro kick), 6:51
G—Xavier Sabb 55 pass from Jack O’Connell (Sal Esgro kick), 0:34

3rd Quarter
G—Kenny Smith 80 run (Amari Sabb run), 11:47
G—Amari Sabb 4 pass from Jack O’Connell (pass failed), 5:11
4th Quarter
G—Kenny Smith 60 run (Sal Esgro kick), 10:04

OVERALL GROUP 1 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY
2024: Glassboro 56, Cedar Grove 14
2023: Mountain Lakes 24, Glassboro 6
2022: Woodbury 31, Mountain Lakes 7

CEDAR GROVE 2024 FINAL TOTALS
NJSIAA Group 1 runners-up
NJSIAA North 1, Group 1 champions
SFC-National Red division champions
13-1 overall, 4-0 National Red
571 points scored, 227 points allowed
Aug. 30—Cedar Grove 41, Schalick 3
Sept. 6—Cedar Grove 27, Weequahic 7
Sept. 13—Cedar Grove 41, Verona 0
Sept. 21—Cedar Grove 35, Madison 7
Sept. 27—Cedar Grove 52, Newark Collegiate 14
Oct. 4—Cedar Grove 45, Caldwell 28
Oct. 10—Cedar Grove 49, Glen Ridge 28
Oct. 18—Cedar Grove 44, Newark Central 6
Oct. 25—Cedar Grove 56, Boonton 23
Nov. 1—Cedar Grove 38, Wallkill Valley 6 (N1G1 first round)
Nov. 8—Cedar Grove 42, Verona 14 (N1G1 semifinal)
Nov. 15—Cedar Grove 35, New Providence 14 (N1G1 final)
Nov. 22—Cedar Grove 52, Butler 21 (G1 semifinal)
Nov. 29—Glassboro 56, Cedar Grove 14 (G1 final)