New Providence will be playing in its first sectional championship game since 2010 when it travels up to Cedar Grove High School in Northern Essex County to take on the Panthers in the 2024 NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2 Group 1 Championship Game. The Pioneers are looking for their first sectional crown in 14 seasons.
Pioneers Travel to Cedar Grove for North 2 Group 1 Championship
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ—On Friday night, New Providence will be playing in its first sectional final in 14 years when it travels north into Essex County. The second-seeded Pioneers will be visiting top-seeded Cedar Grove for the 2024 NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2 Group 1 Championship. The Pioneers and Panthers are playing each other for the first time since 2011. New Providence is looking to win its first sectional title since 2010.
Game Specifics
| Date | Opponent | Time/Score | Location | Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 15 Nov |  Cedar Grove |
NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2 Group 1 Championship L 14-35 |
Pete Recchia Field | D1 Media Pro |
Game Venue – Cedar Grove High School
| Venue | Address | Map (Click for larger view.) |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Recchia Field | 90 Rugby Road Cedar Grove, NJ 07009 |
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How They Got Here
| Round |  | |
| First Round | Defeated Boonton (49-24) | Defeated Walkill Valley (38-6) |
| Semifinals | Defeated Hasbrouck Heights (21-14) | Defeated Verona (42-14) |
Past History
| Year | Game Type | Winner | Winning Score | Loser | Losing Score |
| 1965 | Regular Season | New Providence | 0 | Cedar Grove | 0 (tie) |
| 1966 | Regular Season | New Providence | 13 | Cedar Grove | 13 (tie) |
| 1967 | Regular Season | New Providence | 44 | Cedar Grove | 2 |
| 1968 | Regular Season | New Providence | 37 | Cedar Grove | 14 |
| 1969 | Regular Season | New Providence | 33 | Cedar Grove | 27 |
| 1970 | Regular Season | Cedar Grove | 14 | New Providence | 6 |
| 1971 | Regular Season | Cedar Grove | 21 | New Providence | 14 |
| 1983 | North 2 Group 1 Championship | Cedar Grove | 3 | New Providence | 0 |
| 1987 | North 2 Group 1 Semifinals | New Providence | 30 | Cedar Grove | 0 |
| 1988 | North 2 Group 1 Semifinals | New Providence | 17 | Cedar Grove | 0 |
| 1993 | North 2 Group 1 Semifinals | New Providence | 14 | Cedar Grove | 7 |
| 1999 | North 2 Group 1 Semifinals | New Providence | 26 | Cedar Grove | 23 |
| 2000 | North 2 Group 1 Semifinals | Cedar Grove | 12 | New Providence | 0 |
| 2002 | North 2 Group 1 First Round | Cedar Grove | 39 | New Providence | 0 |
| 2009 | North 2 Group 1 First Round | Cedar Grove | 34 | New Providence | 13 |
| 2011 | North 2 Group 1 Semifinals | Cedar Grove | 20 | New Providence | 14 |
BCG Tale of the Tape – New Providence @ Cedar Grove
| School | | |
| Mascot | Pioneers | Panthers |
| Conference | Big Central Conference – Patriot Silver Division | Super Football Conference – National Red Division |
| Head Coach | Chet Parlavecchio Jr. (8th Year) | Rob Gogerty (9th Year) |
| Record | 9-2 | 11-0 |
| Conference Record | 7-1 | 8-0 |
| Division Record | 2-1 | 4-0 |
| Place in Division | Finished 2nd in BCC Patriot Silver | Won SFC National Red |
| Section | North Group 1 | North Group 1 |
| Rank in Section | 4th | 1st |
| Bracket | North Jersey Section 2 Group 1 | North Jersey Section 2 Group 1 |
| Seed in North 1 Group 2 | 2nd | 1st |
| Points Per Game | 27.2 | 42.7 |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 15.5 | 12.4 |
| Shutouts | 1 | 1 |
| Point Differential | 11.6 | 30.3 |
| Largest Margin of Victory | 33 points (Defeated Roselle 39-6 on 9/27/2024) | 38 points (Three times – Defeated Schalick 41-3 on 8/30, Defeated Newark Collegiate 52-14 on 9/27 and Defeated Newark Central 44-6 on 10/18) |
| Yards Rushing Per Game | 210.5 | 93.4 |
| Yards Passing Per Game | 56.9 | 258 |
| Total Yards Per Game | 267.4 | 351.4 |
| Run/Pass Ratio | 88% Run / 12% Pass | 40% Run / 60% Pass |
| Strength Index | 63.65 | 86.86 |
| Power Points | 13.67 | 17.67 |
| OSI | 48.85 | 64.28 |
| UPR | 4.2 | 1.4 |
| W-L Record in one-score games | 4-1 | 0-0 |
| Common Opponents | Lost to Verona (26-13) and Defeated Boonton (49-24) | Defeated Verona twice (41-0 and 42-14) and Boonton (56-23) |
Key Players – New Providence
- QB/CB/P TJ Munn
- RB/OLB A.J Whitehead
- RB/OLB/MLB Michael Petses
- RB/SS Gianni Carreno
- RB/CB Owen Silver
- WR/FS/CB/K Jack Fitzgerald
- WR/CB Daniel Porretti
- WR/DB Ryan Bournique
- TE/DE Andrew Gullo
- TE/DE James Keneally
- C/G/T Chris Colangelo
- MLB/G Gui May
- G/DT Jameson Moore
- OL/DL Sam Sicoli
Key Players – Cedar Grove
- QB/FS Stephen Paradiso
- RB/TE/MLB Anthony Tronio
- FB/MLB Connor Kerney
- RB/OLB Jerry Targia
- RB/WR/OLB Michael Cantarelli
- WR/RB/CB Jackson Morrice
- WR/OLB Nick Russo
- WR/CB Xavier Andujar
- WR Michael Ruggiano
- MLB/OLB/FB Thomas Cannataro
- G/DT Jake Jordan
- CB Pierce Asfalg
- T/DT Santino Catalano
- OLB/RB Michael Leno
- K Sebastian Kovacs
Additional Facts – New Providence
New Providence moved back down to Group 1 after being in Group 2 for the past several years. In addition, the Pioneers are back in North Jersey Section 2 after being in Central and South Jersey during the last few seasons.
New Providence is historically one of the top programs in Group 1 and Group 2 and has come back to the top under head coach Chet Parlavecchio, who was 1-9 in his first season back in 2017. The Pioneers were 1-9 the year before as well, which was rare by their standards.
The Pioneers finished 2nd in the BCC’s Patriot Silver Division for the second time in the last three seasons. New Providence last won a division title back in 2021 when they competed in the BCC’s Division 1A.
Head Coach Chet Parlavecchio Jr. recently won his 50th career game at New Providence when the Pioneers defeated Boonton in the first round of the playoffs. Parlavecchio’s father, Chet Sr., coached at Bloomfield, Irvington, Passaic Valley, Clifton, and Elizabeth. Parlavecchio Jr. played high school football at Delbarton.
Additional Facts – Cedar Grove
The Panthers are the top seed in the North Group 2 Supersection. Cedar Grove has been dominant all season. The Panthers rolled to the Super Football Conference’s National Red Division title and have averaged over 42 points per game this season including a 40 points per contest average in the state playoffs.
The Panthers are coached by Rob Gogerty, who is in his 9th year at the helm. Gogerty took over the program from Ed Sadloch. Cedar Grove is a powerhouse program in Group 1 with 32 playoff appearances including 13 in the sectional finals. The Panthers have 8 sectional crowns. Cedar Grove is looking to win its first sectional title since 2021.
BCG’s Prediction
Offensively, both teams are very different. Cedar Grove is more pass-oriented with a run-pass ratio that is skewed toward the pass at 60 percent. Meanwhile, New Providence’s offense is titled almost completely to the run. The Pioneers go to the ground about 88 percent of the time.
Cedar Grove QB Stephen Paradiso has thrown for 33 TD passes this season. Meanwhile, New Providence’s T.J. Munn has only thrown for 3 TDs but has rushed for another 16 TDs. A.J. Whitehead has come into his own this season with over 1,000 yards rushing and gives defenses something else to think about when it comes to the Pioneers rushing attack.
Panthers wideout, Jackson Morrice is a beast on offense. Morrice has rushed for nearly 230 yards and 4 TDs while catching 66 passes for another 1,300 plus yards and 17 TDs. New Providence will need to have a big game from its potent ground attack. The Pioneers will need to control both sides of the line of scrimmage and utilize their run game to take time off the clock and keep Cedar Grove’s offense off of the field. The Pioneers cannot afford to fall to far behind in this game.
Prediction: Cedar Grove wins 35-17.
