How two football underdogs advanced to the NJIC conference final
Neither team was in the NJIC tournament a year ago. Now two of the highest-scoring offenses in the area will play for their first conference title.
Garfield and Waldwick/Midland Park, two football underdogs, will face each other in the NJIC conference final on Friday, Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m. Both teams entered the tournament undefeated and are among the highest-scoring offenses in the area. Garfield, the No. 14 seed, defeated Hasbrouck Heights, the No. 8 seed, 36-14, while Waldwick/Midland Park, the No. 17 seed, upset unbeaten Wood-Ridge 21-7.
The championship game will feature two star running backs, Garfield's Jorheny Rodriguez and Waldwick/Midland Park's Luciano Mayer, who are dominating their offenses. Garfield's Rodriguez has been one of the most productive backs in Bergen County, while Mayer is just as dominant.
Both teams are averaging over 38 points per game and have scored 30 or more points in seven straight games. Garfield is playing in its first NJIC tournament and has won seven games for the first time since 2019, while Waldwick/Midland Park has reached the final for the second time in 20 years.
Garfield's semifinal victory over Hasbrouck Heights was driven by Rodriguez's impressive performance, scoring five touchdowns and exceeding 1,000 rushing yards for the season. Waldwick/Midland Park's win against Wood-Ridge was secured by Mayer's powerful running and strong defense, which held Wood-Ridge off the board until late in the game.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
