No. 8 Piscataway’s defense solves Wing-T, gets big red zone stand for 16-8 win over Ridgewood

The Piscataway offense has been up and down this year, but sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Special teams, too.

Up 14-8 early in the fourth Saturday afternoon at home against Ridgewood – after a close 4th-and-1 play gave the Maroons a first down in the red zone – the defense came up with a fourth down stop with 9:33 to play.

The offense played defense by running the ball, running it more, and then running it some more. They marched a good portion down the field, punted, and downed the ball inside the one with just 2:07 to go, taking over seven minutes off the clock.

That was the offense and special teams.

Then, the defense finished it off, getting a safety on the first play from scrimmage with 1:58 to go. With Ridgewood out of time outs – having called all three on the Chiefs’ long drive – P’way got a first down, and took a couple of knees to end it.

Piscataway junior Zaire Young scored the opening touchdown at 2:52 left in the first to make it 7-0, but Ridgewood answered just 51 seconds into the second quarter with a five-yard run and two-point conversion by sophomore Marcus Flusche to make it 8-7 Maroons.

The Chiefs would score after another long drive, this one nearly eight minutes, with junior QB Landon Pernell finding senior receiver Bryce Payne to make it 14-8.

Then came the long Ridgewood drive the Chiefs would stop in the red zone, their own long drive to eat the clock, the solid punt coverage, the safety, and – finally – the final horn.

Young finished with 158 yards and the one touchdown on 27 carries.

Click below for postgame reaction from Piscataway head coach Dan Higgins, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!