CEDAR GROVE- Any quarterback worth his salt has dreamed of having a big game in a high-stakes situation.
For Cedar Grove’s Pierce Asfalg, that dream came true on a blustery Friday night in a home playoff game against Glen Ridge.
The senior threw three first-half touchdown passes and ran for two more in the second half.
All of these scores were timely as the fourth-seeded Panthers held off the scrappy fifth-seeded Ridgers 35-20 to advance to the semifinal round of the North 2 Group 1 playoffs.
“Glen Ridge is a good team,” said Cedar Grove coach Rob Gogerty. “If you look at the schedule and the teams they beat, they’re definitely a good team.
“This bracket is not easy and is one of the toughest I think in the state with us, Glen Ridge, New Providence and Mountain Lakes. They could win a section. Glen Ridge is that good. They’re coached very well and it’s two teams that know each other.”
Cedar Grove will travel to top-seeded Mountain Lakes next Friday night (Nov. 7) to face the Herd which advanced with a 42-0 blanking of eighth-seeded Brearley.
It wasn’t until Asfalg’s fifth score, a 13-yard scamper on a quarterback draw with 2:07 left, that the Panthers could exhale.
Trailing 28-20 with 8:39 remaining, Glen Ridge had a chance to get the tying score starting from their 25. Senior QB Zach Konetzni (19 carries, 129 yards) gave the Panthers defense fits all night long with his outside speed and shiftiness. His 20-yard burst to midfield and a 17-yard pass to Luke Foster moved the ball to the Panther 33. Konetzni was sacked by Cedar Grove’s Michael Leno for a 4-yard loss on first down, and the Ridger drive stalled at the 34.
The Panthers took over and drove 66 yards for the clinching TD, all on the ground, led by the running of Asfalg, Thomas Cannataro and Jerry Targia. Asfalg’s 17-yard jaunt to the 15 gave the Panthers a first down, and on 3rd-and-8 from the 13, the quarterback draw surprised the Ridger defense as Asfalg found the end zone to put the game out of reach.
Cedar Grove led most of the way, but the lead was never more than two scores, as Glen Ridge refused to go away.
The Panthers took the opening kickoff and drove 72 yards to open the scoring. A key play was a 4-yard blast by Cannataro on 4th-and-2 from the 36. Asfalg (7-12, 168 yd. 3 TD) then found Michael Cantarelli for 15 on 3rd-and-11 from the CG 39. Facing a 3rd-and-7 from the GR 43, Michael Ruggiano caught a quick screen on the left, shook a tackler and raced down the sideline for the score and a 7-0 lead.
Early in the second quarter, the Ridgers would draw even. Following a short punt, they started at the CG 32 and aided by a pair of pass interference penalties, moved the ball to the 7. On 4th-and-goal from the 1, Hunter Sicoli blasted in for the TD and it was 7-7 with 8:04 left in the half.
It took the Panthers only four plays to regain the lead. Starting from their 47, a 34-yard pass to Targia moved the ball to the GR 20, and two plays later Asfalg found Cantarelli open over the middle for a 17-yard TD and it was 14-7.
Cedar Grove wasn’t done as they would extend the lead in the final minute of the half. Starting from the GR 34, they only needed two plays to reach the endzone. On second down from the 30, Xavier Andujar caught a pas over the middle on a crossing pattern and outran the Ridger secondary to paydirt to make the score 21-7 at the break.
Glen Ridge struggled offensively in the first half but was able to put together a pair of drives in the second half behind the passing of Konetzni (11-24, 127 yd. 2 TD). TE Matthew Pereira hauled in a pair of touchdown passes (10 and 31 yds.) to keep the Ridgers with striking distance.
Cedar Grove completed just one pass in the second half, but was able to run the ball effectively with both scoring drives done all on the ground. The Panthers were able to take advantage of what the Ridgers defense gave them, and were able to subdue a determined opponent.
“We did a nice job,” added Gogerty. “I think we made the plays when we had to.
“I was kind of happy with that. Whenever they kind of closed the gap a little bit I thought we responded offensively. We couldn’t get the knockout punch early but I was happy with the way we responded.”
Cedar Grove will now prepare to face Mountain Lakes (7-2) in the semifinal round of the sectional in the rustic setting of Wilkins Field. The teams last met there in 2021, with the Panthers grinding out a 15-7 win to capture the North 2 Group 1 sectional championship.
Asfalg is confident the Panthers can repeat their success on the road.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” said the Panthers’ senior QB. “They’re another wing-T team so it’s going to be more of a defensive game. If my defense can stop them I’ll make sure that I do all I can do on offense.”
Glen Ridge ends the season at 5-4 but coach Chris Strumolo has to be pleased with the record, which includes a win over North Group 4 playoff participant Newark Central.
North 2, Group 1 Playoff First Round:
Glen Ridge (5-4) 0 7 7 6 20
Cedar Grove (7-3) 7 14 7 7 35
CG – Michael Ruggiano 43 pass from Pierce Asfalg (Sebastian Kovacs kick)
GR – Hunter Sicoli 1 run (Jimmy Gist kick)
CG – Michael Cantarelli 17 pass from Asfalg (Kovacs kick)
CG – Xavier Andujar 30 pass from Asfalg (Kovacs kick)
GR – Matthew Pereira 10 pass from Zach Konetzni (Gist kick)
CG – Asfalg 31 run (Kovacs kick)
GR – Pereira 31 pass from Konetzni (pass failed)
CG – Asfalg 13 run (Kovacs kick)
North 2, Group 1
(1) Mountain Lakes 42 (8) Brearley 0
(4) Cedar Grove 35 (5) Glen Ridge 20
(6) Secaucus at (3) New Providence, 1 p.m., Saturday (Nov. 1)
(2) Hasbrouck Heights 45 (7) Wood-Ridge 14
Semifinals, Friday night, Nov. 7:
Cedar Grove at Mountain Lakes
New Providence-Secaucus winner at Hasbrouck Heights
