Matt Smith | For NJ Advance Media
Park Ridge’s Justin Wagner (3) indicates a first down during a game against Butler on Nov. 17, 2018, in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 final at Pequannock High School in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.
The perfect season in Park Ridge continued on.
And this one — in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference semifinals — is one that will be remembered for quite some time.
Senior QB Vincent Pinto scored on a go-ahead two-point conversion run with 1:54 left in the fourth, capping an improbable 15-point fourth-quarter comeback to lead Patriot Division champion Park Ridge (7-0) to an unforgettable 29-28 win over Meadowlands Division champion Cresskill (6-1).
The Owls trailed, 28-13, with less than seven minutes left, but stormed back to take the lead on an 18-yard run by Justin Wagner (and successful two-point conversion run from Pinto) to pull within seven with 4:28 left followed by a 56-yard touchdown pass from Pinto to Wagner to pull within 1 with less than two minutes left.
Then, the decision came.
Kick the extra point to tie or go for two for the lead?
Park Ridge coach Tom Curry opted for the latter — and his team delivered in the clutch to give Park Ridge its first NJIC playoff win and secure its first trip to the NJIC Championship Game, where they will meet Lyndhurst next week after the Golden Bears downed Waldwick/Midland Park in Friday’s other semifinal.
“We wanted to put the ball in our best players hands,” Curry said. “And tonight, Wagner and Pinto had great games. Vince has had a great year for us, a great career for us, and we wanted the ball in his hands. We were teetering with the decision for a bit, but then it was just like, ‘Let’s give it to our best guy and go for it.’”
Wagner had a monster night for Owls, accounting for all four Park Ridge touchdowns — two receiving and two rushing. He scored on a 44-yard catch the second to tie the game at 7 and a 64-yard run in the third to pull Park Ridge within in at 14-13 before his two touchdowns in the wild fourth-quarter comeback.
“He was just unbelievable,” Curry said. “We just give him the ball and special things happen. He’s very dynamic. Makes a lot of players miss. And with him, Vince and [Brendan] Hughes, I can’t think of three better players who you would want with the ball in their hands in crunch time and with the game on the line.”
Speaking of Hughes, it was his interception with 1:10 following — following Park Ridge’s go-ahead two-point conversion — which sealed Park Ridge’s victory. With the win, Park Ridge will be the first Patriot Division representative in the NJIC Championship since this in-season playoff system began in 2016.
“That’s special in its own right,” Curry said. “A lot of these guys were part of last year’s team in the little run we had in states getting to the championship game. And now, they’re a resilient bunch. We’ve had a couple hiccups here and there, but we always preach every day to keep your head down, do the right thing, do your assignment and good things will happen. Even tonight, it was like, ‘Okay, we’re in it. We’ll be alright.’
“When push came to shove, our players made plays.”
It was a night of big plays from both teams with five total touchdowns coming from 44 yards out or further. Cresskill led, 14-7, at halftime on a pair of 48-yard touchdown passes from Aidan Feulner to Jon DiTore and Mark McDermott.
The Cougars later took a 28-13 lead in the second half following 1-yard touchdown runs from Feulner and Tim Coffey. Cresskill’s 28 points scored eclipsed what Park Ridge had allowed in its previous six games combined, with the Owls’ defense having allowed just 21 points all season entering Friday.
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.
