2014 Phillipsburg Stateliners Football

Posted on by Big Central Gridiron
Last Friday, the Phillipsburg Stateliners defeated Northern Highlands to win the 2024 NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Sectional Championship. It was the first sectional title since 2018 for the Liners, which also won back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014. BCG looks back on the 2014 Phillipsburg Stateliners.


Tenth Anniversary of North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Champion Liners


Last Friday night, the Phillipsburg Stateliners edged Northern Highlands, 13-11 on a 46-yard field goal by Alexie Moreira as time ran out to win the 2024 North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Championship.  The Liners had lost back-to-back North Jersey Section 2 Group 5 Championship Games.  Phillipsburg last won a sectional title in 2018.  


Before that the Liners won back-to-back North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 championships in 2013 and 2014.  This season is the 10th anniversary of Phillipsburg’s 2014 NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Championship.  The Stateliners defeated Colonia in overtime (28-21) to win the title.  QB Anthony Guarino and RB Joe Maso each ran for two scores.  Guarino scored the game-winning TD from a yard out in OT.  Take a look at the 2014 Phillipsburg Stateliners football season below.

Highlights from Phillipsburg’s 34-13 victory over Woodbridge in the North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Semifinals at Maloney Stadium on November 21, 2014.

2014 Phillipsburg Stateliners Football Schedule

DateWinnerWinning ScoreLoserLosing Score
9/12/14Phillipsburg48Union6
9/19/14Phillipsburg27Bridgewater-Raritan7
9/26/14Phillipsburg48Watchung Hills20
10/04/14Phillipsburg32Franklin8
10/10/14Hillsborough14Phillipsburg13
10/17/14Phillipsburg19Elizabeth6
10/24/14Phillipsburg43Hunterdon Central21
11/07/14Phillipsburg61Scotch Plains-Fanwood0
11/14/14Phillipsburg33Mendham0
11/21/14Phillipsburg34Woodbridge13
11/29/14Phillipsburg19Easton15
12/06/14Phillipsburg28Colonia21 OT
A Look Back at the 2014 Phillipsburg Stateliners Football Team

Statistics

  • Final Record:  11-1 – North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Champions
  • Division Record: 6-1 – Finished 2nd in the Mid-State 38 Conference’s Delaware Division
  • Home:  5-0
  • Away/Neutral:  6-1
  • 2013 Record:  10-2 – Defeated Mendham for the North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Championship (39-0).  Won the Mid-State 38 Delaware Division title (7-0 record).
  • Points For:  405
  • Points Against:  131
  • PPG:  33.8
  • PAPG:  10.9
  • Average margin of victory:  22.9 points per game.
  • Largest margin of victory:  61 points vs. Scotch Plains-Fanwood on 11/7/14.
  • Closest margin of victory:  4 points vs. Easton in annual Thanksgiving Day Game.
  • Most points scored in a game: 61 vs. Scotch Plains-Fanwood on 11/7/14.
  • Longest winning streak:  7 games (from October 17 to December 6)
  • Shutouts:  Two (61-0 over Scotch Plains-Fanwood on 11/7/14 and 33-0 over Mendham in North 2 Group 4 Opening Round)
  • Offensive firepower:  Seven games where Phillipsburg scored 32 points or more.
  • Defensive grit:  Six games where Phillipsburg held opponents to 8 points or less.

Head Coach

  • Ryan Ditze – 4th year

Key Players

  • QB/DB Anthony Guarino
  • QB/DB/P Noah Conrad
  • HB/DB Joe Maso
  • RB/DB Manny Romero
  • RB/SS Garrett Boures
  • RB Steve Crouse
  • WR/SS Jake Clifford
  • WR/DB Stephen Friedman
  • WR/DB Montell Britton
  • TE/DE Zach Troxell
  • TE/LB Taji Lowe
  • LB/TE Alex Annan
  • OL/DL John Monaghan
  • OL/DL Tim Hinkle
  • DL/OL Isaiah Devore
  • K Nick Ozgar
  • K Mick Van Oosten

2014 North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 State Tournament

First Round (11/14)

    • FINAL
    • #1 Colonia (9-0) 48
    • #8 Scotch Plains-Fanwood (3-6) 13
    • Colonia HS
    • FINAL
    • #4 J.F. Kennedy (6-3) 42
    • #5 West Morris (6-3) 14
    • Lou Bartha Stadium
    • FINAL
    • #3 Irvington (7-2) 33
    • #6 Woodbridge (6-3) 34
    • Irvington HS
    • FINAL
    • #2 Phillipsburg (7-1) 33
    • #7 Mendham (5-4) 0
    • Maloney Stadium

Semifinals (11/21)

    • FINAL
    • #1 Colonia (10-0) 28
    • #4 J.F. Kennedy (7-3) 18
    • Colonia HS
    • FINAL
    • #2 Phillipsburg (8-1) 34
    • #6 Woodbridge (7-3) 13
    • Maloney Stadium

Championship (12/6)

    • FINAL
    • #1 Colonia (11-0) 21
    • #2 Phillipsburg (10-1) 28 OT
    • High Point Solutions Stadium at Rutgers University

NOTE:  The state playoff format back in 2014 was the eight-team sectional tournament still used today.  The format began in the 1998 season.  In 2018, this format was expanded to have the sectional winners play each other in regional finals.  By 2022, the NJSIAA had finally put together a state championship game for every group in football.  

The 2014 season was the last time that Phillipsburg defeated Easton before its latest two-game winning streak in the rivalry (2022 and 2023).  The Stateliners played Mendham twice during its two-year back-to-back run in 2013 and 2014 and won both games by a combined total of 72-0.  Phillipsburg defeated the Minutemen in the 2013 North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Championship.

Phillipsburg reached the finals of the 2015 North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 State Tournament and lost to Middletown South.  En route to its third straight finals appearance, the Stateliners defeated Woodbridge in the opening round (35-20) and Colonia (28-13) in the semifinals. 

During this three-year run, Phillipsburg was 5-0 against Woodbridge Township schools (defeated Kennedy 42-14 in the 2013 North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 semifinals).  The Liners defeated a Woodbridge Township school in the semifinals in 2013, 2014, and 2015.