North Warren overcame a 13-0 half-time deficit to beat Parsippany High School 14-13 in the final seconds of the fourth quarter this past Friday.
The nail-biter improves the Patriots’ record to 2-1 heading into Friday’s road game at Kinnelon.
“I give a lot of credit to our team,” Head Coach Gene Fluri said after the game. “They didn’t falter. They went out there and played four quarters. I’m really proud of them. It’s a win but we’re on to next week. We can’t celebrate too long.”
A few minor adjustments were made in the locker room during halftime to work out the kinks that had prevented the Patriots closing the deal several times in a first, having been half-strewn with penalties and miscues.
With a 0-0 third quarter, the Patriots opened the fourth and made steady progress across Redhawk territory with rushing by Angelo Fluri. On third down and six, Fluri stormed 25 yards for a touchdown.
After a quick four-and-out by Parsippany, the North Warren quarterback Jared Van Valkenburg connected with Anthony Klecka for a five-yard touchdown pass. This time the deal was sealed the extra point.
Photos by J. Phalon for Ridge View Echo, September, 2022
Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer
Joe was lured out of retirement by the opportunity to be a part of The Ridgeview Echo. During a decades-long career in publishing and journalism, he has covered government on many levels from local school boards to the United States Supreme Court.
Along the way, Joe has worked at American Lawyer Magazine, The National Law Journal and The Record among other publications, and as the Press Officer of Columbia Law School. His work has been recognized with several first place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New Jersey Press Association.
Being part of the Ridgeview Echo brings Joe back to his roots and the kind of news coverage he loves: Telling the stories of people and local communities as well as keeping an eye on how their money is spent by their government officials.
Joe lives in Blairstown with his wife Rose, the founder of Quilting for a Cause, and their two wiener dogs. He is an artist in his spare time.
