Shabazz 32 Cedar Grove 26
October 28, 2023
After trailing 16-8 in the second quarter, Shabazz came back behind their offensive line to beat Cedar Grove, 32-26, in a rematch of a game won by Cedar Grove earlier in the year. The ability to run the ball and control the time of possession was the difference.
First Quarter: Cedar Grove began with the ball and Stephen Paradiso hit Nick Iannacone on the second play for 25 yards to the Shabazz 42. Paradiso followed up with two runs of 9 and 12 yards, giving the Panthers a first down on the Shabazz 16. But three incomplete passes brought Sebastian Kovacs on the field for a 33-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Panther defense forced a three-and-out and Cedar Grove began with the ball on their 47. Paradiso scored a 1-yard run, but the extra point was no good and Cedar Grove was up, 9-0 with 6:14 left. Two key plays were consecutive completions to Iannacone for 10 and 28 yards to the 1, the latter featuring a one-handed catch on the right sideline. Shabazz got itself started with a drive that consumed the rest of the quarter, scoring on a 19-yard pass from Nazir Smith to Zaiden McDonald in the right corner of the end zone to make it 9-8. That was the tenth play of the drive and the first pass, as four different players carried the ball.
Second Quarter: The ensuing kick was a blooper through the air that Sahbazz recovered on the 32. But Shabazz turned the ball over on downs. The teams traded punts and Cedar Grove began another drive on their 47. Three plays later, they were up, 16-8, when Paradiso found Iannacone for a 38-yard touchdown and the Panthers extended their lead to 16-8 with 5:08 left. Shabazz consumed all but the last ten seconds of the half, going eleven plays, ten of them runs with five different players carrying the ball. Nayad Walker scored on a 4-yard run as if he was shot out of a cannon. The two-point conversion failed and it was 16-14 Cedar Grove.
Third Quarter: After the teams traded punts, Shabazz began on their own 2-yard line and drove the length of the field, consuming seven minutes and scoring on a 10-yard run by Rahmir Jackson to put the Bulldogs in front, 20-16. Key plays in the drive were a 22-yard run by Jackson, a 10-yard pass reception by Jackson on the touchdown’s previous play, a 24-yard reception by Walker and a 16-yard run by Walker. Three straight incompletions forced Cedar Grove to punt with 22 seconds left in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter: Shabazz bridged the quarters, going 63 yards on four plays. Walker had runs of 18 and 5 yards, Jeffery White ran for 23 yards to the 17 before Jackson went the final 19 for a touchdown to put the Bulldogs up, 26-16, with eleven minutes left. Cedar Grove came right back, starting with a 12-yard pass to Icolas Russo, followed by a 34-yard completion Jackson Morrice to the 22. Morrice caught another pass for 15 yards before Pierce Asfalg found Iannacone for a 16-yard touchdown in the right corner of the end zone, cutting Shabzz’s lead to 26-23 with 9:21 left. Asfalg stepped in for Paradiso briefly when the latter was shaken up. Shabazz moved the ball to the 26, but turned the ball over on downs with 1:55 left. After an incomplete pass, Walker stepped in for an interception and returned it to the 34. A Cedar Grove penalty brought the ball to the 19 and Bi’Shay Sanders scored on a 15-yard run two plays later to make it 32-23 with 1:28 left. Cedar Grove drove the field and Kovacs kicked a 42-yard field goal with four seconds left, but that was all the Panthers could do as Shabazz won, 32-26.
Comments:.The Shabazz offensive line of Yasim Collins, Michael Caulhoun, Felix Santiago, Judah Pruitt, and LaQuan Gaddy did an outstanding job of controlling the game, especially in the second half when they had the ball for over 19 minutes out of a possible 24. The Bulldogs possessed the ball for 16 minutes in the first half, giving them the ball for 35 minutes. The Bulldogs rushed for 365 yards and several shared the carries. Jackson had 113 yards and Sanders 93, and White 84. Much of their success running came between the tackles.
Cedar Grove had a big night from Iannacone, who caught 10 for 177 and two touchdowns, while Morrice had 5 receptions for 88 yards and Paradiso was 18-33-287-2 passing. However, Cedar Grove only rushed for 5 yards, only running the ball five times and taking three sacks.