The score of Friday night’s Verona High School football game against Glen Ridge pretty much tells the story: It was Verona’s game from start to finish, including a hat trick by Mike Harrington.
Matt McKeown got Verona on the scoreboard first, in the first quarter. Glen Ridge answered back with a TD of its own, but then the Harrington machine kicked in. Harrington, who has already been a Verona Sports Booster Senior Athlete of the Week this season, scored from 16 yards out, picked up a 35-yard punt return and capped it with a 30-yard dash to the end zone as the final seconds of the first half ticked away.
Verona kept its momentum in the second half, with a close-in score by Frank Greco and another McKeown push into the end zone. When the fourth quarter started, the scoreboard read 42-7 Verona. Glen Ridge did put two more TDs on its side of the board, but it wasn’t enough to turn the maroon and white tide.
The Hillbillies dedicated the game to breast cancer awareness and breast cancer survivors, sending a clutch of pink balloons skyward in their honor. It was also the first Friday night game sponsored by a business. DeCozen Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge kicked off what might become a new Hillbilly tradition.
Photos copyright Donna Giuliano. Used by permission.
