Ocean City, N.J. — Cedar Grove kicked off its season in style Saturday afternoon at Carey Stadium, holding off a scrappy Gloucester City squad to open the sixth annual Battle at the Beach with a 35-14 victory. The win pushed the Panthers to 2-1 all-time in the South Jersey showcase event and served notice that this year's team, led by a poised sophomore quarterback, is ready to make another run deep into the Group I playoffs.
Trick Play Sets the Tone
Cedar Grove needed just one play to show it meant business. On the opening kickoff, senior Jake Catanzarite took a reverse and raced past midfield, setting the Panthers up in plus territory before the offense had even taken a snap. Gloucester's defense dug in near the goal line, though, and after a dropped fourth-down pass into the end zone appeared to derail the drive, head coach Rob Gogerty elected to go for it rather than take the automatic points off the board.
The gamble paid off immediately. Sophomore quarterback Daniel Lastella rolled out on a bootleg and found junior Andrew Loftus wide open for the score, giving Cedar Grove a 7-0 lead just over three minutes into the game.
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Lastella Shows Poise Beyond His Years
Making his varsity debut under center, Lastella was one of the stories of the day. The 6-foot-2 sophomore spread the ball around all afternoon, connecting with Loftus, senior Jake Catanzarite, and senior Jack Velonas for touchdowns — three scores to three different targets. His second touchdown pass came late in the first half, a beautifully placed ball to Catanzarite in the back of the end zone that made it 14-0 heading into the break.
"For a sophomore quarterback, that's a lot of poise," the broadcast crew noted after the throw, pointing to Lastella's ability to keep his eyes downfield under pressure, a trait that will serve the Panthers well as the season goes on.
Gloucester City Answers, But Cedar Grove Has an Answer of Its Own
Give credit to Gloucester City, the Lions never stopped fighting. Junior quarterback Kevin Boulden battled shaky snaps most of the afternoon but kept plays alive with his legs, and running back Ibrahim Hudwell scored on a 14-yard run late in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 14-7, briefly turning Battle at the Beach into a one-score game.
Cedar Grove had a response ready. On the ensuing possession, the Panthers marched right back down the field, capped by a acrobatic touchdown run from junior Chris Miller, who cut back against the grain and broke through a crowd of Gloucester defenders to make it a two-score game again at 21-7. Two plays after Gloucester tried to answer, Miller was in the middle of the action again, recovering a fumble to help the Panthers seize control of the second half.
Lastella added a third touchdown pass — a screen to Velonas — early in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 28-7, and after Gloucester scored again to make it 28-14, senior linebacker James Policano put the game away for good with a fourth-quarter interception he returned for a touchdown, the exclamation point on a 35-14 final.
Defense and Trenches Set the Tone
While the passing game generated the highlight-reel plays, Cedar Grove's front seven controlled the game up front for long stretches, repeatedly forcing negative plays and living in the Gloucester backfield. Senior Evan Skabich and junior Dane Catanzarite each had a sack, and the Panthers' pursuit turned several would-be Gloucester gains into losses throughout the afternoon. Senior kicker Julian Cruz was a perfect 5-for-5 on extra points.
Final Score
Cedar Grove 35, Gloucester City 14
Up Next: A Familiar Foe in Glen Ridge
Cedar Grove now sits at 1-0 on the young season and will quickly get a measuring-stick test against a familiar rival. The Panthers host Glen Ridge on Thursday, Sept. 10, in a rematch of what has become one of the more entertaining series in North Jersey's Group I ranks.
Glen Ridge enters the game with some momentum of its own, having opened its season with a 20-14 win over West Side of Newark — notable in that West Side is a considerably larger Group III program, making the Ridgers' road win a solid confidence-builder heading into their non-league slate.
The two programs know each other well. Cedar Grove has multiple wins against Glen Ridge dating back to last season.
With both programs squaring off for the third time in less than a year, expect Glen Ridge to come into Cedar Grove, hungry for a win. For Cedar Grove, they hope it will be another step toward the deep Group I playoff run this program has become known for.