For the second week in a row, New Providence got three touchdown runs from senior quarterback T.J. Munn, as the second-seeded Pioneers beat third-seed Hasbrouck Heights 21-14 in the North 2, Group 1 sectional semifinals. New Providence will visit top-seed Cedar Grove next Friday night in its first trip to a sectional title game since 2010.
Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Max Scheiner call all the play-by-play live from Leiber Field in New Providence on November 8, 2024:
Run, Munn, Run.
That’s the mantra for the New Providence football team, as the second-seeded Pioneers beat third-seed Hasbrouck Heights Friday night in the North 2, Group 1 semifinals, 21-14, and advanced to a sectional final for the first time since 2010.
The Pioneers will play at top-seed Cedar Grove (11-0) next Friday night; the Panthers beat fourth-seed Verona in the other semifinal in the section, 42-14.
Senior quarterback T.J. Munn was nearly impossible to bring down on several occasions, running unofficially for 128 yards and three touchdowns, staking his team to a 14-0 lead at halftime.
The Pioneers actually led 21-0 with 4:23 in the third before Hasbrouck Heights started to make it close. A two-yard run by Jake Summers less than a minute into the final quarter got the Aviators within two scores, then they punched another one in with 1:22 to play on a 12-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a nine-yard TD pass from Daniel Amendola to Michael Napolitano, their stud runningback, who took several snaps in a wildcat.
But Hasbrouck’s on-side kick attempt was recovered by New Providence, which came up with big plays when the needed them in the win, and the Pioners were able to run the clock out.
It’ll be the first sectional finals appearance for New Providence under eighth-year head coach Chet Parlavecchio, Jr., who won his 50th game as head coach in last Saturday’s opening round against Boonton.
Junior runningback A.J. Whitehead finished with 73 yards on 17 carries for the Pioneers.
Click below for postgame reaction, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:
It’s been a minute since New Providence has played for a state title, but they’re a win away from getting that opportunity.
And if this week’s North 2, Group 1 semifinal game for the second-seeded Pioneers (8-2) against third-seed Hasbrouck Heights (7-2) goes anything like last week’s opening round playoff game, they will get that chance.
New Providence scored seven touchdowns last week, three off turnovers, never punted, and reached the end zone every single possession except for the two that ended each half. They won the turnover battle (+3) and their quarterback T.J. Munn and starting runningback A.J. Whitehead chewed up yard after yard in a 49-24 win over Boonton Saturday afternoon.
You can hear that game as our “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, with kickoff at 6:00 Friday night and pregame at 5:45 pm. Mike Pavlichko will be on the call with analyst Max Scheiner; click here to listen.
Munn has thrown for just 528 yards this year as the Pioneers focus on the ground game, where he’s second on the team in rushing with 925 yards to Whitehead, who leads the team with 971 yards on the ground, along with 12 touchdowns. Munn has rushed for a team-best 13 TDs.
The Avaiators, meanwhile, are even more focused on the run game, throwing for barely 800 yards as a team while rolling off almost 2,400 yards on the ground. Defensively, they have a beast defensive end in Joseph Russo, who’s tallied an eye-popping 13 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. Eoin Maloney (pronounced “Owen”) and Nico Nipitella each have three interceptions on the year.
New Providence last made the finals in 2010, finishing 11-1 and winning the North 2, Group 1 title with a 21-8 win over Lincoln under the legendary Frank Bottone. The program’s founder, Bottone retired after that game; he passed away in 2017.
Click below to hear previews of Friday’s game from both coaches: