Ridgewood returning to state sectional final by Jim McConville special to The Record
RIDGEWOOD – On a night where Ridgewood was tested to its core, Jack Barclay picked the perfect time to hoist the Maroons on his back.
The junior quarterback made a number of huge plays, leading his team back from a 20-7 fourth quarter deficit to a 31-20 victory over Montclair that keeps Ridgewood undefeated and sends the Maroons back to MetLife and a rematch with defending champion Passaic Tech in the North 1 Group 5 final.
Barclay came of age in an intense matchup with the Mounties. He got Ridgewood going with six seconds left on a gutty touchdown run and ignited the team with a 54-yard touchdown pass in the opening minute of the fourth quarter to begin a 24-point comeback.
“There was no way we were going to go down without a fight,” Barclay said. “These guys have had my back all season, and I’m just glad I could give a little bit back.”
A little is an understatement. The Maroons trailed 14-0 thanks to a pair of big play touchdowns by Montclair (6-4) as the first half was winding down. They had fumbled away a scoring opportunity at the Mountie 2 and were in danger of seeing their season come to an end.
A 43-yard Dan Romero kickoff return put them at midfield and they drove to the Montclair 3. On third and goal, Barclay rolled right, found no receiver and took off left, diving to the pylon for the touchdown with six seconds left in the half to make it 14-7.
“Huge, absolutely huge,” Ridgewood coach Chuck Johnson said. “That was a big time play. It changed everything and gave us life.”
The Ridgewood defense stopped Montclair at the Maroon 1 midway into the third quarter, and on the first play Barclay kept and ran over a defender for a 12-yard gain. That toughness rubbed off on the whole team.
“He was amazing,” fullback Zach Feagles said. “He came in that huddle and he just got every one of us going.”
Montclair would make it 20-7 late in the third period, again challenging Ridgewood’s mettle, but the Maroons responded with a rare touchdown pass. Barclay found Drew Granski on a wheel route behind the defender and he finished off a 54-yard score.
“I was supposed to stay in the pocket but got flushed left,” Barclay said. “I was getting pressure from behind and I saw Drew and just laid it up there.”
That made it 20-14, and the defense made sure the momentum stayed squarely in the Maroons’ corner. On the first play following the kickoff, James Mondi forced a fumble and Jack Simpson recovered at the Mountie 11.
On third down, Feagles scored from the 5 and Ridgewood had its first lead at 21-20. Wylie Sherman added a 27-yard field goal to make it 24-20 with 4:39 left, and Parker Scott forced another fumble that Sherman recovered at the Montclair 27.
Feagles added another 5-yard touchdown run on his way to a 118-yard rushing effort and a 31-20 lead with 2:14 to go. When Dan Gioia intercepted with 1:18 left (Montclair’s fifth turnover), Ridgewood’s comeback was complete.
“I can’t be any prouder of a team,” Johnson said. “They faced adversity and they never blinked.”