October Sports Summary (10/22/21)

Owls Football

The Park Ridge Owls football team is off to a red-hot start so far to begin their 2021 campaign. The Owls have shocked the league with a 6-0 start, substantially outscoring their opponents 199-21, amassing four shutouts. They currently ride a 3-game shutout streak, heading into their biggest test of the year against Hasbrouck Heights on Friday. Park Ridge had their biggest win against that Heights team, week 3, on the road by the score of 14-7. Park Ridge has had an elite run game led by senior Matthew Manning, who has ran for 640 yards on 93 attempts, as well as 11 touchdowns.

Standout sophomore quarterback Cole Hughes has also ran for 290 yards and 4 touchdowns. Hughes has had a very nice season through the air, throwing for 951 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. His most impressive stat has been his ability to complete an incredible 72% of his passes; that has been mainly due to senior wide receiver Kyle Bratcher who has 500 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. The strong defense has been led by defensive back Nick Pantaleo and linebacker Trevor Ludwig both bringing in two interceptions each. The defensive line has been led by senior Andre Baskapan who has 8 sacks, leading the team.

The Owls will have the ultimate test this week to prove they are capable of competing with the league’s top teams.

Owls Boys Soccer

The Park Ridge soccer team has had a 10-6-1 start to the season. Holding the 4th place spot in the Patriot Division, they have also had their fair share of meaningful victories. Most notably their victory over North Arlington in the first round of the Bergen County tournament, as well as a tie against Cresskill on a late game-tying goal by sophomore Thomas Ippolito. Park Ridge has collected shutouts in 8 of their 9 victories led by junior goaltender Ryan Amorese. They have thrived off their youth talent, as junior forward Zachary Mallis has 24 points, including 10 goals and 4 assists. Junior Daniel Geormaneanu has 23 points with 7 goals, and Ippolito has 22 points to go with 6 goals. Junior defenseman Matthew Garito has also tallied 11 points with 5 goals. A young Park Ridge Owls team led by their youth will have a chance to prove to everybody if they are state contenders.

Owls Girls Soccer

The Owls have been off to a good 12-5 start to the season. With a potent offense and a strong defensive core, they have a 10-3 league record and are in third place in the Patriot division. Varsity strikers Ella Madden, who has had a whopping 63 points including 25 goals, and 38 point-scorer Kerry Perez, have led the owls this season. Sophomores Amanda Cicero and Anna Francica have been a perfect supporting cast to provide extra depth. The Owls have two remaining tests left against Midland park and Mahwah.

You can follow Park Ridge Owl sports on Twitter @PROwlsAthletics