GMC Football: Old Bridge stuns top-ranked, previously unbeaten Piscataway

Linebackers Liam Knowles and Tino Sacasa each had long interception returns for touchdowns to highlight the stellar play of a defensive unit that bent but did not break as the Old Bridge High School football team stunned Piscataway for the second straight year, handing the previously undefeated Chiefs a 24-20 defeat at Ciardi Stadium on Friday night.

Piscataway, ranked No. 1 in the Home News Tribune Top 10, owned a 306 to 167 advantage in total yards and ran 30 more plays from scrimmage than the Knights.

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“I’m really proud of our guys,” Old Bridge head coach Anthony Lanzafama said. “They showed toughness, resiliency and a competitive nature against a real good opponent. They ran more plays than us and they had more yards than us. Our philosophy this week was to make them line up again, play the next play and good things will happen.”

Knowles and Rich Cardaci recorded six tackles apiece for the opportunistic Old Bridge defense as the fifth-ranked Knights improved to 3-2 overall and 3-2 in the division while snapping the Chiefs’ nine-game winning streak that dated back to last season.

Old Bridge was the only Greater Middlesex Conference school to defeat Piscataway last season, handing the Chiefs a setback by the same 24-20 score in another defensive-minded victory.

Quarterback Anthony Imbimbo completed just one pass out of the triple option, but it was a huge 48-yard scoring strike to Ryan Rougeau that helped the Knights take a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Knowles followed with a 58-yard interception return for a score to help Old Bridge extend its lead to 24-14.

Juwon Jackson scored on a 2-yard run late in the fourth quarter to help the Chiefs close the deficit to 24-20.

Old Bridge rolled up 119 yards on the ground. Chancellor Cooper paced the Knights with 66 rushing yards on 16 carries, while Imbimbo finished with 45 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Excluding Imbimbo’s 33-yard run, Old Bridge’s longest rushing play from scrimmage was a 12-yarder from Cooper.

Piscataway quarterback Joseph Hatcher completed 14 of 25 passes for 154 yards including an 8-yard scoring strike to Matthew Peterson that gave the Chiefs a 14-10 lead late in the opening half. Hatcher, however, was picked off three times.

Jackson opened the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown run, which proved to be the only points of the first quarter.

Calogero Caruso, Old Bridge’s reliable placekicker, booted a 38-yard field goal early in the second quarter to help the Knights close the deficit to 6-3. Caruso also converted all three of his PAT attempts.

Sacasa returned an interception 40 yards for a score as Old Bridge built a 10-6 advantage midway through the second quarter.

Jackson finished with 120 yards on 27 carries. The game-breaking running back’s longest run from scrimmage was a 10-yard gain as the Knights bottled him up for much of the night.

“The defense is playing better and getting better every week,” Lanzafama said. “Accounting for the two touchdowns was huge. The offense made plays when they needed to. I tip my hat to Piscataway, they fought for four quarters. They played extremely well. We were fortunate to get the win.”

The Chiefs fell to 4-1 overall and 4-1 in the division.