On Saturday afternoon, Verona football traveled to Glen Ridge to play in a competition that was as challenging physically as it was mentally. The teams dueled through frigid rain and thick mud, and though Verona fought for every yard, they came up just short of a victory.
Verona elected to receive the ball at the start of the game, and #23 Zach Garmont returned the ball to the 40-yard line. An offsides penalty on Glen Ridge originally moved Verona forward, but a botched snap followed up by a sideline interception caused the drive to end in a turnover. Tackles by #22 Dean Algieri as well as penalties by Glen Ridge forced a Ridger punt to the 15-yard line. On offense, rushes by #44 Bodie Maisano got Verona to the 35-yard line. Verona’s drive however resulted in a punt due to numerous gang tackles. While punting, a penalty on Verona brought the team into their own red zone, but another punt by #2 Kieran Patel led Glen Ridge to start at the 38-yard line. Glen Ridge’s counter-offensive would be stopped by tackles from Maisano, Algieri, and #52 Shane Costigan. During the fourth down punt, #12 Ethan Fersch put out his hands and just managed to block it, giving Verona great field possession at the 25-yard line. A rush by Maisano got Verona within 5 yards of a touchdown and on the next play #10 Connor Demasi threw a pass to Garmont to give Verona the lead. Patel’s extra point made the score 7-0. When kicking off to Glen Ridge, a reverse return was very close to being a score, but #13 Salvatore Santos-DiTrani saved a touchdown by tackling the returner #3 Brad Foster at the 50. Gang tackles, penalties, and individual tackles by #11 Jesse Wagner resulted in another Glen Ridge punt. This punt was out of bounds, so Verona started at the 50. To close out the quarter, Maisano barrelled through defenders to get Verona to the 45.
In the second quarter, a botched snap followed by a pass to Garmont that just nearly missed resulted in Patel punting the ball to the Glen Ridge 6-yard line. Tackles by Fersch, Maisano, and #81 John Paul Alfano, as well as another botched snap forced Glen Ridge to punt back to Verona at the 48-yard line. A 5 yard rush by Maisano got Verona to the Ridger 47. Another rush by Maisano and a catch from Garmont moved the chains past the 30-yard line. However, a fourth down conversion by Verona fell incomplete and Glen Ridge took over the ball. Nevertheless, Ridger incompletions and a tackle for a loss by Maisano caused a Glen Ridge punt to the 10. Passes to #5 Gianluca Checchetto, as well as rushes by Maisano did generate some yardage, but Verona was short of the first down and punted to the Glen Ridge 39-yard line. Tackles by Fersch, Garmont, and #20 Jayden Nigro, as well as good pass coverage by Wagner, developed a Glen Ridge turnover at the 20-yard line. A rush by Maisano capped off the first half with Verona still holding a one score lead.
Verona kicked off to start the second half and Glen Ridge began their drive slightly past their 30. Gang tackles by Verona held back the drive, but penalties on Verona kept it going. Finally, a screen by Glen Ridge resulted in their first touchdown of the day. A successful 2-point conversion gave Glen Ridge an 8-7 lead. A return from Garmont started the drive at the 32-yard line. Jumps and maneuvering by Garmont nearly got Verona to the 50, but it was called back to the 35 due to a penalty. Another penalty on Verona moved them back 5 yards to the 30. Multiple consistent rushes by Garmont then finally got Verona across the 50-yard line into Ridger territory. Unfortunately for Verona, its progress would stop there as swarms of Glen Ridge defenders limited Verona’s rushing ability. Patel’s punt then brought the ball to the 13-yard line. Group tackles by Verona brought the 3rd quarter to a finish.
At the start of the 4th quarter, tackles by Costigan and Santos-DiTrani looked like they were going to cause a Glen Ridge stop, but a pass across the middle kept the drive going. Finally, a tackle by Maisano, followed by pressure in the pocket from #50 Aidan Cifaretto forced the conclusion of Glen Ridge’s drive. A jumping return from Garmont got Verona to the 25. After an incomplete pass, a sack, and a penalty, Verona found itself in a third and long. A 40-yard pass to Garmont then brought Verona back nearly to the 50. A rush by Maisano crossed midfield and Verona looked poised to put points on the board. Unfortunately, a wet ball slipped out backfield and was recovered by Glen Ridge. Verona’s defense refused to give up and tackles by Alfano, Wagner, and Costigan turned the ball over one more time. Despite a 7 yard pass to Garmont, Verona could not convert on fourth down and Glen Ridge kneeled the ball to close out the game, an 8-7 loss for Verona.
“The loss against Glen Ridge was just an ugly loss,” said Captain Shane Costigan. “ We can say there were excuses but to win a football game you have to want it, and to win against Hanover we need to want to win.”
Next Friday, Verona will take on rival Hanover Park at Sellitto Field at 7 p.m. The game will be Verona’s senior night as Verona football seeks to give the students an underdog victory on this day. One thing is for certain, and that is Verona will continue to give 110% to close out this year.
Photos copyright Mike Perry. Used by permission.
