The boys and girls state finals wrap up on Sunday, and JSZ has tons of action from both Franklin and Kean!
Cherokee 1 vs. West Orange 1 (PK’s 3-1) | Boys | Group 4 State Final
Cherokee defeated West Orange 1-1 (3-1) in penalty kicks for their first Group 4 Championship since 2011. A goal from Brandon Michael in the 7th minute of play put Cherokee ahead 1-0 early, but a head injury to starting goalie Logan Gebhart would see Cole Kurzawa take over keeper duties and after surrendering a second half goal to Evan Kops that eventually forced two overtimes, Kurzawa stood tall in penalty kicks to hold off West Orange 3-1.
JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights and postgame reaction:
Thank you to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston) for sponsoring our West Orange coverage.
Haddon Twp. 2 Waldwick 1 | Boys | Group 1 State Final
In a rematch of 2021’s state final, the Hawks got their revenge to capture their first crown since 2016. Landon Moroney scored off an assist from Delaware commit Luke Chatten, before Chatten added a goal to give Haddon Township (21-2-1) the lead in the second half. Daniel Perdomo converted a penalty kick for the Warriors (15-4-3) in the loss.
JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and the emotional reaction from Franklin:
Delran 1 Ramsey 0 | Boys | Group 2 State Final
Drew Roskos’ go-ahead goal in the 76th minute was game-changing score that the Bears need to repeat as state champions. Roskos scored goals in all six playoff games for Delran (14-3-5) this year. Erik Braga was stellar in goal, making eight saves in the win. Delran’s win on Sunday gave the program their 10th state championship.
JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights + reaction from Franklin High School:
Freehold Township 1 Ridgewood 0 | Girls | Group 4 State Final
Ainsley Moy’s goal in the sixth minute was all Freehold Township needed to complete a near-perfect season. Moy took a feed from Danielle Howard and shot to the far post from 19-yards out. The Patriots’ defense took care of the rest delivering a 17th shutout in their 21-1 season.
JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights and post-match reaction from Kean University:
Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Freehold Township is brought to you by Jag-One Physical Therapy
Immaculate Heart Academy 4 Paul VI 3 (OT) | Girls | Non-Public “A” State Final
Alex Barry’s second goal of the match in overtime off a Daniella Osorio corner kick capped off an amazing comeback to give the Blue Eagles a second straight state title. IHA trailed 3-1 in the second half before Sammy McGee and Lindsay Probst scored in the final 12 minutes to force overtime. Barry opened the scoring and finished her junior year with 35 goals. Olivia Brocious had two goals for Paul VI, who made an amazing run to the state final as a #7 seed.
JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has highlights from one of the most exciting matches of the weekend:
Rutgers Prep 3 DePaul Catholic 1 | Girls | Non-Public “B” State Final
The Argonauts controlled much of the match, but needed to rally from a one-goal deficit in the second half to bring home their first state title since 2019. North Carolina commit Melina Rebimbas netted a pair of goals, including a beautiful free kick to seal the deal late in the match. Addison Halpern provided the go-ahead goal in the win, as the sophomore finished with a state-leading 51 goals this season for Rutgers Prep (17-3). Jasmine Ouatu scored the lone goal in the loss for DePaul (17-2).
JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights and reaction from the rematch of the 2021 Non-Public “B” state final:
JSZ’s coverage of Rutgers Prep is brought to you by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
Ramapo 3 (6) Cherry Hill West (5) | Girls | Group 3 State Final
Madeline Kellogg made two saves in penalty kicks including a stop in round five to force sudden death to give Ramapo a state championship. Cherry Hill West had a 2-0 lead in the second half before Ramapo scored three straight goals to take the lead. Kellogg received a card in the final minute allowing the Lions to convert a PK to force overtime. After 20 scoreless minutes of overtime, the Raiders won the title in round seven.
JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis takes us through all the drama of PK’s for a state title from Kean University:
