Glassboro's Kenny Smith (Photo by Andee Fagan/OnNJ Sports)
November 30, 2024

Glassboro puts emphatic cap on undefeated season with dominating win over Cedar Grove in the Group 1 Final

By Sunil Sunder Raj
Amari Sabb , Cedar Grove , Davon Barr , Glassboro , Group 1 Final , Jack O'Connell , Kenny Smith , Met Life Stadium , Nick Russo , Stephen Paradiso , Xavier Sabb

The Glassboro Bulldogs (13-0) cemented an undefeated season and first group championship title in program history with a convincing 56-14 victory over the Cedar Grove Panthers (13-1) in the Group 1 Final at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Cedar Grove received the opening kickoff and proceeded to march down the field in nine plays and 66 yards, which consumed over two minutes of the clock and culminated in an eight-yard touchdown run by quarterback Stephen Paradiso.

Glassboro responded with an impressive drive on their first offensive possession of the game. They methodically moved the ball in eight plays and 80 yards, which consumed over four minutes of the clock. This resulted in a ten-yard touchdown run from Amari Sabb.

The Bulldogs elected to go for the two-point conversion, which worked seamlessly. Sabb barreled into the end zone, putting Glassboro up 8-7 with five minutes left.

The back-and-forth action ensued as the Panthers’ offense continued to fire on all cylinders, starting at their 29-yard line. Stephen Paradiso completed four out of five passes, including a critical fourth-down play that kept the drive alive.

On first and ten at the Bulldogs 33-yard line, Paradiso took the snap, dropped back in the pocket, and fired a pass to wide receiver Nick Russo. Russo eluded a defensive back and darted to the end zone for the score, but the extra point was no good, leaving the score at 14-8.

Glassboro wasted no time igniting a rebuttal. Running back Kenny Smith received the handoff, maneuvered his way through a sea of players, broke into the clear, and sprinted down the right side of the field and into the end zone for the electrifying 80-yard touchdown that tied the game up at 14-14 with a minute and a half remaining.

Cedar Grove made a risky move to go for it on fourth down inside its own territory early in the second quarter, but the move backfired with an incomplete pass.

The Bulldogs offense patiently advanced the ball deeper into Panthers territory, with Kenny Smith carving up yards on the ground. On second and goal at the two-yard line, Smith took the handoff and churned straight ahead into the end zone for the score, finishing off another stellar drive that consumed almost four minutes of the clock.

Cedar Grove attempted to right the ship but, in a split second, went horribly wrong. Linebacker Davon Barr intercepted a Stephen Paradiso pass at the Panthers’ 45-yard line and returned the pick-six to the house, extending the Glassboro advantage to 28-14 with less than seven minutes to go.

With time winding down in the first half, the Bulldogs’ offense hit paydirt again. Quarterback Jack O’Connell completed a pass to wide receiver Xavier Sabb, who zig-zagged his way across the field. Then, Sabb put on some dazzling moves and accelerated down the left side of the field and into the end zone for the amazing 55-yard touchdown. Glassboro held a commanding 35-14 lead at halftime.

The Bulldogs fed off the momentum from the first half, with Kenny Smith displaying his speed and athleticism by taking the handoff, powering his way through a wall of players, shaking off would-be tacklers, and bolting to the end zone for the spectacular 80-yard score.

Glassboro poured it on late in the third quarter as Jack O’Connell threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Amari Sabb.

In the fourth quarter, Kenny Smith cemented the Bulldogs’ dominating victory by taking the handoff, bursting through a hole in the line, and scampered to the end zone for a sensational 60-yard touchdown.

About the Author

Sunil Sunder Raj