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Thursday, May 24
2007 Website
We are transitioning our online home to www.Wood-Ridge.net.
Please look for updates to be placed there. We're currently
mirroring all all information to the new location. Please
bear with us during our switch-over.
Please forward any comments, information, questions to
sean@wood-ridge.net
Monday, November 13
Senior Blue Devils Headed to Super Bowl
For the second year in a row the Wood-Ridge Senior Blue Devil football team will be playing in the MFL Super Bowl. The Blue Devils knocked off a very tough Wallington Panther team in the Northern Division Semi-Final Playoff game with a 18-10 come from behind victory. Both teams played an aggressive, physical game that was plagued by fumbles and turnovers due the the wet weather conditions. The first quarter of play was scoreless as it took both teams some time to get adjusted to the wet field as a result of a down pour at the beginning of the game. Early in the second quarter, the Devil defense forced the Panthers to turn the ball over on downs deep in Devil territory when Eric Puga and Danny Tattoli stopped the Panthers on fourth and short yardage. On the very next play, the Panthers were the first to get on the scoreboard when they tackled James Potchoiba in his own endzone for a safety after a bad snap from center. The Devils gave the Panthers good field position on the free kick from their own 20 yard line and the Panther offense capitalized with a touchdown pass to take a 10-0 lead. The Blue Devil team who has shown poise and character all year in some close games were not going to let the 10 point lead ruin the hopes of going to another Super Bowl. Once the Devil offense was able to take possesion of the ball, they went on an eight play scoring drive that was highlighted by a 50 yard pass from Nick La Testa to Tattoli that brought the ball down to the Panther 11 yard line. Anthony Montufar and Potchoiba alternated carries for the remaining 11 yards behind Steve Bakalian, Patrick DiMase, Todd Muio, and Puga. Montufar plunged in from one yard out to cap the drive and close the gap to four points. Wallington took a 10-6 lead into the locker room at halftime. Wood-Ridge received the ball to start the second half and picked up where they left off and want on a 12 play scoring drive. La Testa hit Potchoiba for a 15 yard gain that started the drive, while Montufar chewed up tough positive yardage to bring the Devils closer to the endzone. La Testa then scrambled for 20 yards behind a great DiMase downfield block bringing the ball down the 5 yardline where after three short gains, Pothchoiba snuck in from the one to take a 12-10 lead. Wood-Ridge's defense led by Zach Setzer (6 tackles,1 sack and a fumble recovery), Tattoli (5 tackles and a forced fumble), and Bakalian (6 tackles), kept the Panther offense at bay for most of the second half. Midway into the fourth quarter, the Devils gave the Panthers excellent field position again when a Potchoiba punt fell way to short. Once again, the Devil defense was called on to stop what could have been Wallington's winning drive. The Panthers drove down to the Devils 2 yard line where a penalty pushed the ball back to the seven. On the very next play, Tattoli hit the Panther quarterback as he took the snap forcing a fumble that Setzer pounced on giving the Blue Devils the ball with four minutes left in the game. The Devils went to a ball control offense but with the pouring rain kicking up again the ball became very slippery making things interesting. Tattoli took a handoff and five yards into the run lost the ball. As it bounced off both teams players, Eric Puga hustled to jump on the loose ball enabling the Devils to maintain possession. As Wood-Ridge tried to burn the clock to preserve their 2 point lead, Montufar exploded off the right side for an eighteen yard gain and a crucial first down. Two plays later, Potchoiba followed Tattoli, Mike Cellitti, and Bakalian down the sideline for a 67 yard touchdown run and a 18-10 Blue Devil lead. On their last possession, the Panthers went to the air to try and score, but the Devil defense shut the air attack down. Chris Cruz, Montufar, and La Testa all broke up pass attempts forcing the Panthers to run out of time giving Wood-Ridge the win and a trip to the Super Bowl where they will play the undefeated Southern Division Champion Rutherford Bulldogs in North Arlington on Saturday, November 18th.
Sunday, November 12
Sr. Blue Devils Super Bowl Bound!!!
For the second year in a row, the Senior Blue Devils earned a shot to play in the MFL Super Bowl. By beating a tough Wallington Panther team 18-10 this past Sunday in Saddle Brook in the Northern Division Playoffs, the Blue Devils will represent the MFL Northern Division against the Southern Division Champion Rutherford Bulldogs. Thank you to all of the cheerleaders, family, and friends who sat through the rain soaked game to cheer the team on. We hope to see all of you and more next Saturday night, 11/18 in North Arlington.
Monday, November 13
Super Bowl Event Schedule
As always, there will be hoopla all week long leading up the 2006 MFL Superbowl on Saturday, 11/18. The Board would like to thank the Super Bowl Event Planning Committee for scheduling a great week of events. Here is the calendar for the week:
Monday, 11/13:
Team Practice at the Blue Devil Indoor Training Facility
8:00 pm - Wood-Ridge Alumni Player of the Century Award Banquet - Meet and greet past Blue Devil greats such as John Kennedy, Ken Schulz, Bryon Parisi, Sean Groom, and Rick Reiter. Guest Speaker Sean Groom will recite war stories of his days as a Blue Devil. (This event is a must attend if you have absolutely nothing else to do.)
Tuesday, 11/14:
Team Practice at the Blue Devils Southern Training Facility
7:00 pm - Future Blue Devil Networking Social - Bring your young children to meet the 2006 Senior Super Bowl team and let them know what it will feel like when they wear the Blue and Black. Special Guest will be Jake Kennedy, the most advanced and athletically gifted child on the east coast (according to his father). For $10 you will be able to take a picture with Jake and his dad (bring a wide angle lens).
Wednesday, 11/15
Team Practice at the Blue Devils Southern Training Facility
7:30 pm - Media Night - All players and coaches will be available to speak with the public and take pictures. This is a great opportunity to ask the Blue Devil coaches about their coaching philosphies and how they take full credit for winning back to back Northern Division Championships. Make sure you allow yourself enough time, because there are more coaches then players.
Thursday, 11/16
Team Practice at the Blue Devils state of the art "Simulated Mud Field" Home Training Facility
8:00 pm - The MFL Experience - for the first time ever the MFL will open it's doors to the public so that they can witness first hand the strategic planning and mastermind discussions that take place at their weekly meetings.
Friday, 11/17
Team Practice at the Blue Devils state of the art "Simulated Mud Field" Home Training Facility
Super Bowl Gala - For $2.99 a plate, you can spend the evening mingling with Wood-Ridge celebrities and dignataries at the luxurious WRHS All-Purpose Room.
Keynote Speaker will be Bryon Parisi who will discuss meeting the challenge of filling the large shoes (and pants) of outgoing Wood-Ridge Jr Football President Ralph La Testa.
Saturday, 11/18
MFL Super Bowl
Tuesday, November 21
Wood-Ridge Sr. Blue Devils Finish as Super Bowl Champions
Although it took seven years to accomplish their goal, this year's Blue Devils graduating class along with the rest of the Senior Blue Devils finished their season as the 2006 MFL Senior Divsion Super Bowl Champions by beating the Rutherford Bulldogs 13-8. The Blue Devils knew that having to face the undefeated Southern Division Champion Bulldogs for a second time this season wasn't going to be easy, but they also knew that nothing good comes easy. Losing to the Bulldogs the first game of the season was the only blemish on the Devils record as they used the loss as motivation and went on a 10 game winning streak with a league leading eight consecutive shut outs. The Blue Devil defense also finished the season as the league leader in points scored against.
As indicated by their defensive stats, the Blue Devils were confident in their physical defensive unit, but had some concerns offensively since starting tailback and the Devils leading scorer Nick La Testa had suffered a torn ACL in the first round playoff game and wasn't at 100%. It only got worse for the Devil offense when they lost starting fullback and linebacker Anthony Montufar after the first half when he suffered an allergic reaction to something on the field and had to be rushed to the hospital with breathing problems. In true Blue Devil fashion, the offensive unit stepped up their game and were led by an incredible performance by quarterback/running back James Pothcoiba who rushed for over 120 yards and had both Blue Devil touchdowns. The first on a 30 yard run and the second on a 60 yard run. La Testa put in a heroic effort as well playing on a bad knee switching from tailback to quarterback to receiver. He rushed for over 50 yards and ran in the extra point after Potchoiba's second touchdown.
None of the offensive production would have happened if it weren't for the outstanding blocking of the Devils offensive line made up of Patrick DiMase, Eric Puga, Steve Bakalian, Mike Melber, Todd Muio, Mike Celliti, and Chris Cruz. Collectively, they kept the Bulldog linebackers and linemen out of the backfield all night and didn't allow a tackle for a loss or a sack. On the defensive side of the ball, the Devils started out slow allowing the Bulldogs to score on their opening drive to take a 8-0 lead early in the first quarter. That was all it took to wake the defense up because for the rest of the game they attacked the ball on the ground and in the air wearing down the explosive Bulldog offense and holding them scoreless the rest of the game. Bakalian, Potchoiba, and DiMase led the way with multiple tackles each, many for a loss. Potchoiba and DiMase also added a sack each, while Puga, Celliti, Danny Tattoli, and Zach Setzer created havoc on the line all night. The Devils secondary of Matt Alvarez, Cruz, and La Testa shut down the passing game and didn't allow the Bulldog running backs and room to run to the outside. The Devil defense forced Rutherford into several fourth down situations all of which were stopped forcing the ball to be turned over on downs to the Blue Devils. Losing 8-6 midway into the third quarter the Devils forced another turnover on downs when they stopped the Bulldogs a yard short of the first killing the potential scoring drive. Taking the ball over deep in their own territory, it only took the devils two plays to put the go ahead and eventual game winning score into the endzone when Potchoiba broke multiple tackles and scampered all over the field for and eventual 60 yard touchdown. La Testa's extra point made it 13-8 in favor of the Blue Devils. As both teams exchanged possesions deep into the fourth quarter, the Devils started to smell the victory. The Bulldogs weren't going to lay down as they started an impressive drive crossing over into Devil territory with only minutes left in the game. But once again as it has done all year, the Devil defense forced a turnover when Tattoli blitzed through the line like a mack truck which forced the lead blocker to hit into the ball carrier jarring the ball loose for Potchoiba to pounce on and give the Devils possesion. The Devils proceeded to burn the clock by running the ball and picking up two crucial first downs by La Testa and Potchoiba. The second one giving the Devils the ball with 5 seconds left in the game and a 13-8 Super Bowl victory over the previously unbeaten Bulldogs.
Graduating eighth grade players Nick La Testa, Patrick DiMase, Steve Bakalian, Danny Tattoli, Mike Celliti, Eric Puga, Zach Setzer, Parth Patel, Anthony Montufar, and James Potchoiba all had an incredible season and will be missed in the Blue Devil Junior football program. Winning the Super Bowl is an obvious highlight of their junior football career, but the hard work, dedication, commitment, and effort that they have put in over the years to achieve this goal is by far their biggest accomplishment. Four of these boys, La Testa, DiMase, Potchoiba, and Montufar have all played together since their first year on the PeeWees and have played in five playoff games and three Super Bowls and have been the foundation that this team has built off over the years to make them the champions they are today.
Monday, November 6
Senior Blue Devils Advance
The Senior Blue Devil team improved their record to 8-1 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs by beating Ridgefield Park 14-0. The Blue Devil offense got a scare early in the game when it lost starting running back Nick La Testa for the game. The Devils didn't let the loss affect them and responded well to the challenge and on the very next play after La Testa left the game, Danny Tattoli sprinted 27 yards into the endzone following a great block by Chris Cruz to give the Devils a 6-0 lead. The Devils added another score in the second quarter when the strong running of Anthony Montufar and the combination of James Potchoiba to Patrick DiMase brought the ball down the Scarlets 1 yard line where Potchoiba followed Mike Melber, Steve Bakalian and Eric Puga into the endzone. Montufar converted the extra point kick and the Devils took a 14-0 lead. DiMase finished the game with 50 yards receiving for his biggest output of the year. That was all the scoring the Devil defense was going to need to preserve the win, since for the eigth week in a row they have not allowed a point to be scored on them and they continued to force turnovers. Leading the defense with multiple tackles were Montufar, Zach Setzer, Bakalian, and Tattoli. Tattoli also had two interceptions and Cruz had one. Although it wasn't the prettiest win of the year, the Blue Devils did what they had to do to get the win and advance in the playoffs where they will meet the Wallington Panthers on Sunday, Nov.12 at Saddle Brook.
In other Blue Devil playoff action, the PeeWees lost to Elmwood Park 27-0 and the Juniors lost to Hasbrouck Heights 14-0 which ended both of their seasons.
Sunday, October 29
Blue Devil Seniors Northern Division Champs!!!
Congratulations to the Senior team for winning the Northern Division. Their 34-0 win over Ridgefield Park clinched the top spot in the division and gives the Senior team back to back Northern Division Championships.
Monday, November 6
Playoff Recap
The Senior team beat Ridgefield Park 14-0 to advance to the next round of the playoffs, while the PeeWee and Junior teams both lost. We would like to congratulate both the PeeWee and Junior teams for having successful seasons and want to wish the best of luck to the Senior team against Wallington this week.
Monday, October 30
Wood-Ridge Senior Blue Devils clinch Northern Division Championship, All Three Jr. Football Teams Head to Playoffs
Having completed their regular season play this past weekend in Ridgefield Park, all three levels of the Wood-Ridge Jr. Football program have qualified for the playoffs. The Pee Wees thrilling 19-18 win over the Scarlets put them at 5-3 on the season and earned them a third seed in the playoffs. The Junior team lost a tough one in double overtime 26-25 to the Scarlets, but still finished in the fourth seed in the Northern Division, and for the second year in a row, the Senior team took home the Northern Division Championship with a 34-0 win over the Scarlets.
In the Pee Wee game, Ridgefield Park used the entire first quarter to score and take a 6-0 lead. On the Blue Devil's first possession, the offensive line of Tony Parisi, Kyle Halpin, Bruno Gerardi, Christian Autino, Justin Barat, William Cook, and Eric Petterson opened a huge hole that allowed Jake Trotter to go 40 yards for a touchdown to tie the score 6-6. Ridgefield Park scored next to take a 12-6 lead, however the Devil defense responded and played strong for the rest of the half with Jesse Reiter making a touchdown saving tackle and with time ticking away in the half, Josh Gallopoli intercepted a Scarlet pass and ran 30 yards for a touchdown once again tying the score at 12.
In the second half, the battle continued as the Scarlets scored late in the third quarter to take a 18-12 lead, but once again as they have done all season, the PeeWee Devils didn't give up. In the 4th quarter, the Devil offense drew strength from the crowd and each other establishing a drive that was capped off by a Jake Trotter run around and through the left side of the Scarlet defense. He would not be denied breaking three tackles and marching into the end zone to once again tie the score 18-18. Trotter was called on again to convert the crucial extra point and was successful which put the Devils in lead for good 19-18. With minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Devil defense took the field with determination and heart. They knew it was all up to them to seal the win. Kyle Halpin had a tackle in the backfield for a big loss and then Alisa Giordano and Drew DeCaorlis blanketed the Scarlet receivers which resulted in a Justin Barat sack which ended the game and the Scarlet play-off hopes.
The Junior team battled back and forth all game with the Scarlets. The Blue Devils jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead but found themselves down 13-7 late in the game. Playing for pride and .500 record, the Blue Devils fought back and scored late in the fourth quarter to tie the game a 13 and force the game into overtime. Both the Blue Devils and the Scarlets scored and missed their extra points in the first overtime making the score 19-19 going into the second overtime. Once again, both teams scored but the Scarlets were able to covert their extra point on a botched play when the Blue Devil defense apparently sacked the Scarlet quarterback who fumbled when he hit the ground allowing another Scarlet player to pick up the ball and run it into the endzone for the game winning point.
The Blue Devil Senior team who finished the regular season at 7-1, registered their seventh win and seventh shutout in a row with their 34-0 win over the Scarlets. The Blue Devil defense led by Patrick DiMase, Zach Setzer and Matt Alverez forced the Scarlets to punt deep out of their own territory on their first possesion which allowed Nick La Testa to come in untouched to block the punt and recover the ball on the Scarlets 17 yard line. The Blue Devil offense didn't waste any time getting into the endzone when James Potchoiba took the first play down to the 5 yard line and then La Testa raced across the goal line on the next play for a 6-0 lead. The Blue Devils next possesion resulted in a 24 yard touchdown run by Danny Tattoli and an extra point kick by La Testa giving the Devils an early 14-0 lead. The first quarter saw the Devils score one more time when Anthony Montufar followed the great blocking of Steve Bakalian and Todd Muio for a 26 yard scamper down to the 3 yard line where Potchoiba followed Mike Melber into the endzone for a 20-0 lead. The Blue Devil defense continued to stuff the Scarlet offense with Montufar, Bakalian, Setzer, Ajo Joseph, and Tattoli registering multiple sacks and tackles for losses. The Devils offense struck again in the second qaurter when Montufar sprinted down the middle of the field and made a great cut off a Mike Cellitti block for a 33 yard touchdown. La Testa converted the extra point kick and the Devils took a 28-0 lead. Late in the second quarter, the Scarlets tried to move the ball through the air, but the Devil defense wasn't going to allow it. With only minutes left in the half, La Testa intercepted a Scarlet pass and sprinted 55 yards to paydirt and a 34-0 halftime lead. In second half action, PJ Incremona, Ron Bakalian and Nick Telesmanic helped to preserve the shutout, while Anthony Rispoli lead the ground and pound offensive attack. Noteworthy News: Parth Patel's debut at running back was soured when his 17 yard touchdown run out of the reverse tailback set was called back when a Scarlet player was pushed in the back into the referee.
All three Blue Devil teams will be in first round playoff action this weekend, the #1 Blue Devil Seniors will take on the #4 Ridgefield Park Scarlets and the #4 Blue Devil Juniors will take on #1 Hasbrouck Heights. Both of these games will be played in Hasbrouck Heights on Saturday, 11/4. On Sunday, 11/5 the #3 Blue Devil PeeWees will take on the #2 Elmwood Park Bombers at Wood-Ridge.
Monday, October 23
Wood-Ridge Jr. Football Teams Sweep Little Ferry
The Wood-Ridge Blue Devil Jr. Football program swept the Little Ferry Devils in their last regular season home game. Although the Pee Wee Blue Devils got in the win column with a forfeit (Little Ferry doesn't have a Pee Wee team), the Juniors and Seniors both put on an impressive show in front of a sell-out crowd. The Juniors, who needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, pulled out a 15-6 win, while the Seniors cruised to a 45-0 win.
The Junior Blue Devils played with a purpose this past week and that purpose was to make the playoffs. Led by first time quarterback CJ Madalena, the Blue Devils improved their record to 3-4 and guaranteed themselves a playoff spot with their win. Ryan Hennessy who rushed for 87 yards in the game opened the Blue Devil scoring with a 45 yard scamper into the endzone and then found Nick LoSurdo in the endzone for the extra point giving the Blue Devils a 7-0 lead. Wood-Ridge took a 7-6 lead into the locker room and came out in the second half ready to win the game. LoSurdo who had 42 yards rushing and 85 yards receiving helped the Blue Devils control the ball throughout the second half. The Blue Devils extended their lead when Zach Garvin bulled in from the 3 yard line and then followed up with a Hennessy extra point kick making the score 15-6. The Blue Devils defense led by Joey Barbire who had a sack and Tyler Zoltowski who blocked a punt and an extra point attempt, stuffed Little Ferry for most of the game only allowing one long run.
The Senior Blue Devils win improved their record to 6-1 and kept them on top of the Northern Division. After forcing Little Ferry to punt on their first possession, Blue Devil quarterback James Potchoiba scrambled 38 yards down to the nine yard line on the first play from scrimmage and then on the very next play found Patrick DiMase open in the end zone for the Blue Devils first score and an early 6-0 lead. Little Ferry's next possession resulted in another punt that Nick La Testa returned 60 yards for the Blue Devils next touchdown. La Testa then converted the extra point kick making the score 14-0. The Blue Devils defense led by Steve Bakalian and Zach Setzer, forced a Little Ferry fumble that Matt Alvarez recovered giving the Blue Devils the ball on their own 20 yard line. Anthony Montufar got the call next and ran north, south, east, and west for an 80 yard touchdown to give the Blue Devils a 20-0 lead. The Blue Devils ran two more plays in the first half, the first resulting in a 46 yard La Testa touchdown run and the second resulting in a 34 yard Potchoiba touchdown run. Danny Tattoli added an extra point and the Devils took a 33-0 lead into the locker room. Anthony Rispoli and PJ Incremona led the offensive attack in the second half and they each got into the endzone behind the solid blocking of Ajo Joseph, Rodney Galeano, and Ron Bakalian. Incremona dove in from the 5 yard line for a 39-0 lead, and Rispoli used every ounce of his 82 pounds to bull through the Little Ferry defense into the endzone for a 45-0 lead. The Blue Devil defense which was led by Mike Melber, Parth Patel, and Todd Muio in the second half helped preserve the Blue Devils sixth shutout of the season. The Blue Devils will be on the road next Saturday night in Ridgefield Park for their last regular season game.
Monday, October 16
Blue Devils Take Three From Vikings
All three levels of the the Blue Devil Jr. Football program registered wins against the North Arlington Vikings this past Sunday. The PeeWees started the day with a 27-0 win, followed by a 20-0 win by the Juniors, and ending with a 27-0 win by the Seniors.
The Pee Wees recorded their third shut-out of the season with their big win over the Vikings and improved to a 3-3 record. The Pee Wee offense got off to a fast start on the first offensive series when Drew DeCarolis went off tackle fowllowing key blocks by Kyle Halpin, Christian Autino and Eric Petterson for the first touchdown of the game. Justin Barat barreled in for the extra point, making the score 7-0. When the defense took the field they didn't allow the Vikings to go anywhere, stopping them at every turn with keys plays, a sack by Drew DeCarolis and a tackle in the back field by Jake Trotter. Just before the half, Alisa Giordano took a quarterback keeper around the right end following Joshua Gallipoli, Tony Parisi, Bruno Gerardi and William Cook for the Blue Devils second touchdown. Justin Barat scored his second extra point of the day making it 14-0 at the half. The Blue Devils started the second half with an on-side kick that was recovered by Mike Donato keeping the momentum of the game up for the Blue Devils. The offense capitalized scoring quickly with a Jesse Reiter touchdown making the score 20-0 in the third quarter. As the game continued, the Devil defense continued shutting down the the Viking offense with big sacks by Justin Barat and Jesse Reiter. In fourth quarter action, Evan Delouise added to the Blue Devil score with a touchdown followed by a Michael Timpson extra point which gave the Devils a commanding 27-0 lead and the eventual shut-out.
The Seniors improved their record to 5-1 with their 27-0 win to stay in first place in their division. The Senior Devils defense played with their usual intensity registering their fifth shutout of the season and forcing four Viking turnovers. The first Viking turnover was caused by Zach Setzer on the second play of the game when he hit a Viking running back in the backfield and jarred the ball loose for Danny Tattoli to jump on and recover on the Vikings 40 yard line. A pass completion from James Potchoiba to Nick La Testa combined with two La Testa rushes brought the ball down the Vikings 3 yard line where Potchoiba followed Mike Melber, Steve Bakalian and Todd Muio into the end zone for the Devils first score and a 6-0 lead. The Devils second score came after the Vikings were stopped on downs on the Devils 31 yard line. La Testa (6 carries for 116 yards, 2 TD) started right then changed direction and found running room left on his way to a 69 yard run into the endzone. Anthony Montufar drilled the extra point kick through the uprights for a 14-0 Devil lead. On the Vikings next posession, Steve Bakalian intercepted a Viking pass and gave the Devils the ball on the Vikings 27 yard line. Potchoiba scrambled out of the pocket and raced 22 yards down the sideline to the the 5 yard line where two plays later La Testa followed great blocking from Setzer and Patrick DiMase into the endzone for the Devils third score. After a penalty on the extra point attempt moved the ball back, Potchoibe hit DiMase in stride for the extra point and a 21-0 lead. La Testa intercepted another Viking pass just before the end of the first half allowing the the Devils to take a 21-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. The third quarter saw a renewed Viking defense that forced the Devils to punt twice. The second punt however pinned the Vikings deep in their own territory where the Devils eventually took posession back and PJ Incremona bulled in from the 3 yard line for the Devils last score a 27-0 lead. Anthony Montufar closed out the third quarter with a third Devils interception. The Blue Devils will take on Little Ferry at home next Sunday with the Junior Game starting at noon.
Monday, October 9
Senior Blue Devils Move into First Place with Win over Heights
The Wood-Ridge Senior Blue Devil football team brought a positive attitude, a high level of intensity, and a strong desire to win into Hasbrouck Heights this past Saturday resulting in a Blue Devil victory and a seat on top of the Meadowlands Football League Northern Division with a 4-1 record. In what was by far the most important game of the season so far for both teams, the Devils defense played recklessly for four tough quarters and registered their fourth consecutive shut out by holding the explosive Heights offense scoreless in a 8-0 win. The only score in the game came very early in the first quarter when Nick La Testa returned the opening kickoff 60 yards down to the Hasbrouck Heights 20 yard line where the last Heights defender made a great play catching him from behind. Three plays later, La Testa (82 yards rushing on 12 carries and 1 TD) bulled through the middle of the Heights defense into the endzone from 6 yards out. La Testa then converted the two point kick and the Devils had an early 8-0 lead. As it turned out that would be the final score as the rest of the game was a series of hard hits, gang tackles and touchdown saving tackles by both teams. Offensively, the Devils got great blocking from Patrick DiMase, Eric Puga, Steve Bakalian, Mike Melber, Todd Muio, and Mike Cellitti who created big holes for Anthony Montufar (68 yards rushing on 7 carries) and La Testa to move the ball forward for positive yardage and crucial first downs throughout the game. Defensively, the Blue Devils line of DiMase, Zach Setzer, Melber, Puga, and Cellitti forced the Heights running backs to look outside for yardage. When Heights did find some running room, corners Matt Alvarez and James Potchoiba forced them back inside where linebackers Danny Tattoli, Bakalian, and Montufar combined for 13 tackles on the night. Nick La Testa also came up big on defense with five solo tackles, three of which saved touchdowns, and a fumble recovery that Setzer caused when Heights was driving inside the Blue Devils 10 yard line. On several other occasions throughout the game, Heights threatened to score but great defensive efforts by Danny Tattoli, Patrick DiMase, and Chris Cruz on two crucial fourth downs ruined any chance of them getting into the endzone. Tattoli came up with a big interception on one fourth down attempt, and Chris Cruz with the help of DiMase forced a Heights runner out of bounds two yards short on another fourth down attempt. As the last seconds ticked off the clock, both team's players and coaches congratulated each other on a great game.
In other Blue Devil action this past Saturday, the Juniors dropped to 1-4 with a tough 26-0 loss and the PeeWees fell to 2-3 with a 19-2 loss.
Wood-Ridge will be home this Sunday against the Southern Division North Arlington Vikings.
Monday, October 16
Board Member Jackets
As a result of all of the attention surrounding the Blue Devil Board's new jackets, they will be made available once again to order for anyone who wants them. If you didn't have an opportunity to order one at the jacket fitting last month where board members were available for two and half hours assisting children and parents in choice and sizing of their jackets, please see any board member and provide them with a $50 check made payable to Stan's Sports Center. The jackets that the Board members are wearing were purchased by Ralph La Testa as a thank you for the ongoing dedication and support that they have provided to get this program to the point that is today. We should all be proud of our organization and what it provides to all of our cheeleaders and football players.
Sunday, October 1
Senior Blue Devils Beat Harrison 39-0
The Senior Blue Devils didn't let the rain and wind that started up at their Saturday night game against the Harrison Blue Tide slow them down at all. The Devils put together a very balanced attack in their 39-0 win and tallied over 320 yards of all purpose yardage. The Blue Tide took possesion of the ball to start the game, but it took the Blue Devil defense only two plays to get the ball back when Anthony Montufar recovered a Blue Tide fumble on their own 42 yard line. On the Devils first play from scrimmage, James Potchoiba (two touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown) threw a perfect pass that hit Nick La Testa (2 receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns)in stride deep in the Blue Tide's secondary for a 42 yard touchdown and an early 6-0 lead. It didn't take long before the Devil defense forced another Tide turnover resulting in a Steve Bakalian fumble recovery, his first of three on the night. The Devils took over on Harrison's 41 yard line and behind the great lead blocking of Todd Muio, Steve Bakalian, Patrick DiMase and Danny Tattoli, La Testa sprinted around the outside 22 yards down to the Tide's 17 yard line. On the next play, Potchoiba kept the ball himself and scampered 17 yards into the endzone clearing the only Harrison defender out of the way with a great stiffarm. La Testa's kick was good and the Devils took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter. The Devil's defensive line of DiMase, Mike Melber, Zach Setzer, Eric Puga, and Mike Cellitti along with the linebacking corp of Bakalian, La Testa, Potchoiba, Tattoli and Anthony Montufar created havoc in the Tide's backfield, forcing four fumbles and not allowing a Harrison first down all night. Harrison's third fumble was recovered by Bakalian again which allowed Potchoiba to connect with La Testa for a 43 yard touchdown pass and a 20-0 lead. The Blue Devils took possesion of the ball one more time before the end of the half when Tattoli popped a 30 yard run down to the Harrison 10 yard line. Two plays later, Montufar sprinted 8 yards to the corner of the endzone for another Blue Devil score. La Testa took the high snap and scrambled until he found Potchoiba in the end zone for the extra point and a 27-0 halftime lead. The Devils opened the second half on a Tattoli 60 yard kickoff return down the right sideline and a commanding 33-0 lead. The rest of the game saw running backs PJ Incremona, Matt Alvarez, Sean Porteus and Anthony Rispoli rush for over 90 yards behind the great blocking of Chris Cruz, Ajo Joseph, Ron Bakalian, Nick Telesmanic and Parth Patel. Alvarez made the score 39-0 when he broke free for a 41 yard touchdown run. The Devils defense registered it's third shutout in as many weeks. The Blue Devils will travel to Hasbrouck Heights this Saturday when they will battle their Northern Division rivals for first place.
Monday, September 25
Jr. Blue Devils take 2 out 3 vs. Elmwood Park
 |  | | J. Potchoiba, N. La Testa, P.Incremona ,S. Bakalian...Picture by Nellie L. | |
The Wood-Ridge/Moonachie Jr. Blue Devil Football program took 2 out of the three games this past Sunday when the Elmwood Park Bombers visited Wood-Ridge. The Junior and Senior teams both had convincing wins, while the PeeWees lost to a very good Elmwood Park team.
With the Pee Wee 20-0 loss, their record dropped to 1-2. The Pee Wee Devil's lost some key players to injuries during the game which set them back on both sides of the ball. Tony Parisi, Drew DeCarolis, and Jesse Reiter all played well on defense, while Alisa Giordano ran hard from the quarterback spot until she had to leave the game with a finger injusry. The team looks to get back on a winning track this Saturday night as they will travel to take on the Blue Tide of Harrison.
The Junior Blue Devils got a much overdo first win by beating the Jr. Bombers 21-6, improving their record to 1-2. Unfortunately, the win came at a cost when the Juniors lost starting running back Edward Cox to a broken arm early in the game. With the loss of Cox, the Devils had to resort to the air in order to move the ball downfield. Ryan Hennessy stepped up big time and through strikes to both Zach Tondi and Danny Guerra throughout the first half to chew away at positive yardage. In addition, Mike Incremona, Nick Losurdo, and Nick Champino all contributed to the running game when Cox was lost. Defensively, Joey Barbiera and Zach Garvin led the way in holding the Bombers scoreless late into the game.
The Senior Blue Devils didn't need many plays to put the ball in the endzone three times to take home a 20-0 victory and improve their record to 2-1. The Devils didn't waste anytime when Nick La Testa took the opening kickoff and sprinted untouched 65 yards for what appeared to be a quick score, but after further review was ruled out of bounds on the Bombers 42 yard line. On the Devils second play from scrimmage, Danny Tattoli, Patrick DiMase, Todd Muio, and Eric Puga sealed the outside allowing La Testa (3 carries for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns) to scamper 42 yards to paydirt and an early 6 - 0 Blue Devil lead. After forcing the Bomber offense to punt after three downs, the Devils took posession of the ball on their own 49 yard line. On their first play, La Testa followed a great lead block by PJ Incremona (4 carries for 12 yards) and broke free for a 38 yard gain bringing the ball down to the Bombers 13 yard line. On their next play, quarterback James Potchoiba (1 carry for 13 yards and 1 touchdown) kept the ball himself and behind a great downfield block by Parth Patel sprinted to the corner of the endzone for the Blue Devils second score and a 13-0 lead. The stingy Devil defense once again forced the Bombers to punt giving the Devils the ball on their own 43 yard line. This time, lead blockers Anthony Montufar and Chris Cruz opened a lane for La Testa who sprinted down the right sideline for a 57 yard touchdown run. La Testa converted the two point kick giving the Devils a 20-0 lead midway into the second quarter. On the Devils last drive of the half, Danny Tattoli got the call twice each time churning out 15 yards with the last carry getting the Devils to the one yard line when time ran out. The second half saw Anthony Rispoli take the helm at quarterback and Matt Alvarez and Sean Porteus take over running responsibilities behind the blocking of Rodney Galeano and Ron Bakalian. The Blue Devil defense led by Zach Setzer and Ajo Joseph, only allowed the Bomber offense to convert one first down all day. Numerous quarterback pressures by Steve Bakalian and Mike Melber led to a Mike Cellitti sack and a La Testa interception that was returned 60 yards for another Devil score but called back on a penalty. The entire Blue Devil program will look to continue their winning ways on the road in a Southern Division matchup against Harrison this coming Saturday.
Sunday, October 1
Pee Wee Blue Devils Roll Back the Tide
The Pee Wee Blue Devils improved to 2-2 to get back on the winning track with a big 23-0 win Saturday night over the Harrison Blue Tide. In the 1st quarter the Devil defense kept driving back the Blue Tide offense resulting in a Drew DeCarolis safety and an early 2-0 Blue Devil lead. As the Devil offense took over, Alisa Giordano took a 22 yard quarterback keeper right up the middle for a touchdown behind key blocks by Tony Parisi, Bruno Geradi and Kyle Halpin. Justin Barat barreled through for the extra point and a 9-0 Devil lead. The offense kept rolling and just before the half, Jake Trotter followed William Cook, Eric Petterson and Christian Autino for a 30 yard touch-down run. The extra point by Joshua Gallopoli capped it off 16 - 0 at the half. The Blue Devil offense started the second half with another touch-down by Jake Trotter, his second of the night, followed by Joshua Gallopoli's second extra point and a commanding 23-0 lead. The tenacious Blue Devil defense consisting of Jesse Reiter, Mike Donato, Justin Barat, Bruno Geradi, Kyle Halpin, Christian Autino, Tony Parisi, Drew DeCarolis, Alisa Giordano, Joshua Gallopoli, Eric Petterson, and Jake Trotter blanketed the Tide's offense all night and posted the second shut-out of the season.
Sunday, September 17
PeeWee and Sr. Blue Devils Splash Into Victory, Juniors Drop to 0-2
The Wood-Ridge Senior Blue Devil football team came away with a big win this past Saturday beating their Northern Division rivals Saddle Brook 6-0 in overtime. Due to all of the rain late in the week, the field conditions were better suited for canoe races rather than a football game. In any case, the Senior Devils were able to amass 255 yards of total offense, while the defense kept the Falcons out of the end zone and gang tackled all night. The offensive line lead by Patrick DiMase, Steve Bakalian, Eric Puga, Michael Melber, Todd Muio and Mike Cellitti opened huge holes in the interior of the Falcons defensive line so that running backs Anthony Montufar (11 carries for 91 yards and 1 TD) and Nick La Testa (18 carries for 88 yards) could churn out hard fought yardage in the slushy conditions. In addition, Danny Tattoli had a some key blocks and a couple of key carries for crucial first downs to keep the Blue Devil offense on the field. Although the Devils seemed to continue to grind out alot of yardage, they were unable to get into the endzone the entire game. Two scoring opportunities were halted by the game clock at the end of the first half and at the end of the second half when the Devils found themselves on the Falcon one yard line with no time on the clock. In addition, a penalty caused a 37 yard La Testa touchdown run to be called back late in the second quarter. When the second half ended in a 0 - 0 tie the newly established overtime rule went into effect and each team would have an opportunity to score from the 10 yard line in four downs. The Falcons started the overtime with the ball and after the Devil defense stopped them on the three previous downs, Matt Alvarez intercepted a Falcon pass ending an chance they had of scoring. When the Devils took over the ball in overtime, their first posession resulted in a holding penalty and pushed the Devils back to the 20 yard line. After chipping away some positive yardage on their first two downs, James Potchoiba hit DiMase with a 9 yard strike on third down to put the ball at the three yard line with one down left. Montufar asked for the ball and bulled his way into the endzone behind Bakalian, DiMase and Cellitti to win the game. Bakalian (7 tackles, 1 interception), Montufar (7 tackles), DiMase and Zach Setzer stuffed the middle all night on defense, while Alvarez, La Testa, and Potchoiba knocked down several passes and made some great open field plays on the wet surface. Both teams fought hard to the end and never gave up in what turned out to be a wet and exciting game.
The Junior Blue Devils dropped to 0-2 with a 18-0 loss to Saddle Brook. The offensive line did a good job blocking for Edward Cox who had a number of long runs, but the Junior Devils couldn't convert them into points. Defensively, the Devils played well only giving up two long passes for touchdowns. The Falcons scored their third touchdown with only seconds left in the game.
The Pee Wee Blue Devils also had their first win Saturday night in Saddle Brook to improve to 1-1. The defense took the field first driving back the Falcon offense. At every turn the Falcons had no where to go. The Blue Devil offense got off to a fast start, scoring on their first drive. At the half, the score was 12-0. Although there was no scoring in the second half, the Blue Devil defense played tough and had many tackles in the backfield. Their hard work paid off resulting in the shut-out.
Tuesday, September 12
Opening Day Disappointment
The Senior Blue Devils opened their 2006 season with a disappointing 30 - 0 loss to the Rutherford Bulldogs. After working hard all summer, the Blue Devils felt confident that they would play a solid offensive and defensive game in their first outing of the season, but mental mistakes and a lack of aggressiveness combined with a swarming Bulldog defense shut down the potentially potent Blue Devil offense, while lack of experience in the secondary created wide open passing lanes for the Bulldogs to exploit. In the end, the Bulldogs put up three scores, two in the air and one on the ground, and converted all three extra point attempts to take a 24 - 0 lead into the fourth quarter. In the few opportunities that the Blue Devil offense had to put a drive together, signal caller James Potchoiba did a good job of getting the ball into the hands of running backs Nick La Testa and Anthony Montufar who worked hard for positive yardage behind the solid blocking of Patrick DiMase. Unfortunately, penalties and some missed blocking assignments put an end to any offensive strike that the Devils started up. Defensively, the Blue Devils stopped the Bulldogs rushing attack with the exception of two hard run quarterback draws. Early in the game the Blue Devil defense showed signs of playing up to their potential when Danny Tattoli blitzed through an open gap and fought through two blockers to meet a Bulldog running back in the backfield for a loss and Potchoiba caused a Bulldog fumble when he hit the Bulldog quarterback as he tried to reel in a high shotgun snap. Both Zach Setzer and Eric Puga had a hand in the fumble recovery. Later in the first half, La Testa had a few stinging tackles when he broke up a pass in the endzone with the help of Matt Alvarez and then saved a touchdown in the last seconds of the first half by knocking a Bulldog offensive tackle out of bounds at the 1 yard after he had received a pass. The Blue Devils are looking forward to getting back to their winning ways this coming Saturday when they travel to Saddle Brook for their first division game.
Thursday, August 31
WR Juniors open against Rutherford
By W. L. Bill Allen Jr.
Special to the Leader
WOOD-RIDGE — Coming off a campaign in which they went a combined 16-13, the three Junior Blue Devils youth football league teams will kick off their 2006 campaigns by playing host to their Rutherford counterparts on Sunday, Sept. 10, at the W-R High School field.
The Junior Blue Devils compete in the Meadowlands Junior Football League’s North Division, along with teams from Elmwood Park, Hasbrouck Heights, Saddle Brook, Little Ferry and Ridgefield Park, while Wallington, Carlstadt/East Rutherford, Lyndhurst, North Arlington and Harrison make up the South Division.
All towns in the league field teams at the Senior (seventh- and eighth-grade), Junior (fifth- and sixth-grade) and Pee-Wee (third- and fourth-grade) levels, with some towns also having a flag-football team for even younger players.
When the Little Devils play on Sunday afternoons, the Pee-Wee tilt kicks off at noon, followed by the Juniors battle at 1 p.m. and the Seniors skirmish at 2:30 p.m. When they play on Saturday nights, games are set for 5:30, 6:30 and 8 p.m.
Week two of the MJFL season will find the locals traveling to take on Saddle Brook on Saturday, Sept. 16, before returning home to face Elmwood Park on Sunday, Sept. 24 and traveling to take on Harrison on Saturday, Sept. 30.
In October, the Junior Blue Devils will face homestanding Hasbrouck Heights on the 7th, prior to hosting North Arlington on the 15th and Little Ferry on the 22nd and traveling to battle Ridgefield Park on the 28th.
In a change from the past, the top four teams from each division at each level will earn playoff spots.
In the first round of the playoffs on Nov. 4 and 5, the top seed from each division will face the fourth place team and the second-slotted squad will take on No. 3.
Then, in the semifinals on Nov. 11 and 12, the top remaining squad in the North will battle the lower seed left in the South and visa-versa, with the two survivors facing off in the MJFL Super Bowl games on Saturday, Nov. 18, in North Arlington.
The Junior Blue Devils organization boasts 24 players on the Seniors level, 26 Juniors gridders, 36 Pee-Wee players, 50 flag players and a total of more than 175 cheerleaders.
“As an organization, we’ve been consistently growing over the past several years; in fact, this is our largest Pee-Wee turnout in at least 10 years,” reports WR Junior Football League President Ralph LaTesta, a member of the Becton Regional Class of 1982 who has been at the Junior Blue Devils helm for four years.
Last year, when the playoffs were just a two-week affair, the locals went a near-perfect 8-1 in regular season action on the Seniors level, copped the North Division crown, beat North Arlington in the semifinals and then lost to Rutherford in the league’s overall title tussle.
“We had a lot of depth on the Seniors last season, and we’ve got some good talent coming back this year,” notes LaTesta, who is also the Seniors squad head coach.
Among the W-R Seniors gridders who should see substantial playing time this season are QB/LB James Potchoiba, HB/LB Nick LaTesta, FB/LB Anthony Montufar OG/LB Steve Bakalian, two-way end Patrick DiMase, two-way tackles Eric Puga and Mike Cellitti and OG/DT Zach Setzer.
The W-R Juniors head coach is Jerry Incremona, while the Pee-Wee team head coach is Byron Parisi, with Rick Reiter heading the flag program and Jacki Goldklang directing the cheerleaders.
“Overall, the Junior Blue Devils program has been pretty strong for the past five or six years, and we’re aiming for more success this season,” LaTesta sums.
Saturday, June 10
Finn-Scanlon Football Camp
This past weekend, a few Blue Devils wanted to get a jump on football season and attended the Finn-Scanlon Football Camp that was held at Bergen Catholic H.S. in Oradell.
Jim Finn and Rich Scanlon who play for the NY Giants and KC Chiefs, respectively, hosted the camp that was open to all 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Also teaching at the camp were a host of Bergen Catholic alumni who are currently playing college ball.
 | | USC Trojan Brian Cushing with Brian, Danny, Nick and Jimmy |
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