On a rainy afternoon at SHI Stadium, the defending NJSIAA Group I state champion Glassboro Bulldogs knew they had a target on their back. They didn’t care. The undefeated crew from Gloucester County came out with a ferocious competitive fire from whistle to whistle, and earned their second consecutive trophy.
The Cedar Grove Panthers, last year’s runners-up, battled hard to make the margin far tighter, but ultimately couldn’t change the result. Amari Sabb and JoJo DeLecce led the charge with a pair of touchdowns apiece in the 29-14 victory which sealed a 14-0 campaign.
Cedar Grove came out of the gate sloppy, with fumbles on their first two plays to set up a three-and-out. Glassboro also had their wobbles with two false starts, but they came up with key plays at the right time to take the early lead. A brilliant draw play led to a successful fourth down conversion, then a 35-yard run from Devon Barr got the Dogs inside the 5.
To their credit, the Panthers battled to force another fourth down at the 4-yard line, but a simple pitch pass to Amari Sabb and a cut to the outside broke the seal and gave the defending champs a 7-0 lead. That would be the scoreline at the end of the first quarter.
After another quick stop, the highest-scoring offense in the Garden State got back on the field to begin the second stanza. Senior quarterback Jack O’Connell found Xavier Sabb in triple coverage for a 12-yard connection, but then the other Sabb brother stole the show. Amari burst through the C-gap into the second level, made a slick spin move to shed a tackle past midfield, and took off into the wild red yonder for a 78-yard rushing touchdown.
For the Panthers to stay in the conversation, it felt crucial to get points on the board ahead of the second half—Glassboro was set to receive the opening kick. They got great field position near the red zone with two minutes remaining, and quarterback Pierce Asfalg nearly found senior Michael Ruggiano with a perfect ball to the left side of the end zone, but he lost control of the ball as he hit the ground.
A defensive pass interference call nudged Cedar Grove closer, and Asfalg tried his luck again in the same spot, this time with another senior in Xavier Andujar. It wouldn’t pay off. The ball sailed away from Andujar and into the arms of Amari Sabb, who tapped his toes to stay inbounds and complete the interception. The 14-0 score held at the intermission, with a demoralized Panthers squad in disbelief heading down the tunnel.
That wrapped up a half for the ages for Sabb, who claimed two scores and a pick with 101 total yards on offense. He and his brother Xavier—still a junior—will get their pick of any top-tier FBS program they please, and with good reason.
Glassboro indeed received to begin the second half, but it was Cedar Grove who came out of the break with the big plays. Following a fourth down stop, Asfalg hit Jerry Targia for a 26-yard completion, then two plays later found a streaking Mike Cantarelli, who galloped into the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown. Buffalo-bound kicker Sebastian Kovacs—who sent Cedar Grove to the state finals with a 48-yard field goal to stun Butler last week—easily knocked through the extra point to make it 14-7.
But that scoreline wouldn’t hold for long. Four plays into the ensuing Glassboro drive, JoJo DeLecce took an outside handoff down the far sideline and accelerated into the open field. The last man back for Cedar Grove, safety Drew Turi, tried in vain to shove DeLecce out of bounds, but the junior back showed remarkable balance to stay inside the chalk and ferry the rock all the way to paydirt. The 69-yard rampage re-established the Bulldogs’ two-score advantage.
The pressure quickly mounted on Cedar Grove to respond, but their offense stalled out at midfield. Coach Rob Gogerty kept the offense out on fourth down, but by the time Asfalg took the snap, Glassboro’s defensive front was all over him. Maurice Davis Jr. sent him and the ball tumbling to the turf, and Junior Serrano pounced on top of it at the Cedar Grove 44. DeLecce took the handoff right on the spot and promptly left the Panthers in his wake for another house call. Glassboro tacked on a two-point conversion to stake the defending champs to a 29-7 lead.
So what do you do if you’re stuck in a rut, 22 two points back of an undefeated juggernaut, and searching for answers on offense? What do you do?
How about throw an interception?
Bear with me here.
Asfalg tried to air it out toward Ruggiano on the far sideline, but was picked off by Xavier Sabb. Sabb then started to return the ball along the middle of the field, but he didn’t sense the danger coming. Xavier Andujar timed up his attack, and POP! Sabb tumbled to the turf, jarring the ball loose. Cue absolute chaos.
The Panthers swarmed to the ball, but it kept squirting away from them. And yet, this Fumblerooski-esque™ sequence sent the ball closer and closer to the end zone. Finally, on the Panthers’ fifth try, Cantarelli got the tumbling football to come to a stop. Just how they drew it up; 29-14 Dogs.
Then, Cedar Grove recovered onside. All of a sudden, that two-point conversion started to feel like an important piece of insurance. Asfalg guided the Panthers deep into Glassboro territory, but one of the state’s stingiest defense weathered the storm. The Panther offense reached into the bottom of their bag of tricks and attempted a double pass. A crowd developed in the end zone as the ball sailed their way—and Xavier Sabb soared into the skies to knock it down and seal the deal.
For Glassboro and Coach Timmy Breaker, this triumph marked their 27th consecutive victory; a spectacular run for a small team packed to the gills with collegiate-level talent. A spectacular senior class led by Amari Sabb, Jack O’Connell, Brandon Simmons, and more ended their varsity careers on top. And don’t forget: Xavier Sabb, DeLecce, and many other playmakers will be right back next season.
Coach Timmy Breaker’s sleeveless leather vest has “let’s go to work” emblazoned on the back. In due time, Glassboro will get back to work, and set sights on a threepeat. For now, they’ll celebrate a successful title defense, as the biggest dog of the small schools.
(Photo Credit: Zack Smolen)
(Left to Right: Ta’Sheem Butler, Davon Barr, Maurice Davis Jr., Jojo DeLecce)
