NJIC Football
There were big wins in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference in Week 5.
And then there was Cresskill.
The Cougars overcame a pair of 10-point, fourth-quarter deficits against upset-minded Butler and scored the game-winning touchdown with 27 seconds left on an 8-yard touchdown pass from QB Aiden Feulner to Jon DiTore to win in improbable fashion, 39-34, to clinch the NJIC Meadowlands Division title.
Check out the story in the link below of what will simply go down as “The Cresskill Comeback.”
PARK RIDGE CLAIMS LIBERTY TITLE: In a battle of the last two unbeaten teams in the NJIC Liberty Division, Park Ridge put forth a dominant defensive performance — overcoming four offensive turnovers — to down Emerson, 21-7. QB Vincent Pinto rushed for 202 yards and accounted for all three Park Ridge touchdowns, scoring on a pair of touchdown runs and supplying one touchdown pass. Pinto suffered a dislocated right kneecap injury this summer in the Owls’ final scrimmage.
LYNDHURST OFFICIALLY WRAPS UP PATRIOT: The “Party-la” was on for Lyndhurst Friday night. The Golden Bears’ star senior RB Piotr Partyla rushed just 17 times, but racked up an eye-popping 247 yards and five touchdowns in Lyndhurst’s NJIC Patriot Division-clinching 54-7 win over Harrison. Lyndhurst, which missed out on a division title last year after a double-overtime loss to New Milford, is now bound for the NJIC playoffs in two weeks.
ONE DIVISION TITLE LEFT UP FOR GRABS: 75 percent of the NJIC playoff field will set with Cresskill, Park Ridge and Lyndhurst all securing their berths in Week 5. The last one up for grabs will be decided next week, when Garfield takes on Waldwick/Midland Park in a battle of the last two unbeatens in the NJIC Colonial Division — the one that Rutherford has dominated the past three years. Garfield was a 28-14 winner over Manchester in Week 5, while Waldwick/Midland Park rolled past Palisades Park/Leonia, 42-0, to set up next week’s division championship game.
JJ Conrad focuses on the Super Football Conference and North Jersey Interscholastic Conference. He may be reached at jconrad@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JJ_Conrad.
