A Look Back – Piscataway vs. Ridgewood – December 1, 2018

A Look Back - Piscataway vs. Ridgewood - December 1, 2018
Piscataway’s Juwon Jackson battled through an ankle injury to rush 16 times for 128 yards and a TD to help lift the Chiefs past Ridgewood in the 2018 NJSIAA North Jersey Group 5 Regional Bowl Game.

Chiefs-Maroons 2024 Rematch Brings Back Memories of P-Way’s Bowl Win in 2018

PISCATAWAY, NJ – Several weeks ago, the Piscataway Chiefs took a long trip up to North Jersey and Bergen County to take on Ridgewood of the Super Football Conference in a non-conference clash. Both teams were focused on the present with a key game in terms of the 2024 high school football playoff picture.

However, one couldn’t help but look back on the last time the two schools met. Nearly six years ago, the two teams took the field at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford to play in the 2018 NJSIAA North Jersey Group 5 Bowl Game, which is now the North Jersey Group 5 Regional Championship. It is also not the last game of the season like it was back then. Today, it is a mere stepping stone to the state championship.

The 2018 season was actually the first year that the Regional Championship was introduced. It was part of the NJSIAA’s efforts to finally crown one state champion in every group in high school football. Two GMC teams were part of those NJSIAA Regional Championship Bowl Games that year: Sayreville and Piscataway. Sayreville defeated Williamstown in the South Jersey Group 5 Regional Championship or Bowl Game.

The Chiefs jumped out to a 10-0 lead early against the Maroons, but it wouldn’t be that easy. Ridgewood climbed back into the game and took a 13-10 lead in the second quarter. Lineman Jordin Martell put Piscataway for good with a recovery of a Chiefs’ fumble inside the Maroons’ five-yard line and ran it into the end zone for a score and a 17-13 lead at the intermission.

Nasir Best put the game away with both of his touchdown runs in the second half while fellow backfield mate Juwon Jackson fought off an ankle injury to get back into the game and churn out some pivotal gains on the ground. The rushing duo of Best and Jackson combined for 241 yards rushing, 3 TDs, and an average of 6.7 yards per carry to lead Piscataway to a 31-21 win.

Below is footage from that game courtesy of the GMC Gridiron archives.

Highlights from Piscataway’s 31-21 win over Ridgewood in the 2018 NJSIAA North Jersey Group 5 Bowl.