NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ – It was a hot and steamy night for the opening week of the 2016 high school football season, but the attention was on the game at Lieder Field, with a lot on the line for both the Arthur L. Johnson Crusaders and New Providence Pioneers.
ALJ ran onto the field determined to start off the 2016 season on the right foot. For New Providence, the goal was to avenge last year’s 40-6 first round playoff loss to the Crusaders.
From the beginning to the end, though, it was all Johnson. In a flashback, the Crusaders maintained full control of the game on both sides of the ball; keeping New Providence at bay throughout critical drives. The final score of Friday’s night game: 38-0.
The Crusaders struck from the kick-off. Senior quarterback and captain Vin Crisafi controlled the football, cut through the defenders and sped to the end zone for the game’s opening touchdown. Junior Mike Casalino’s kicked for the extra point, making it 7-0 for Johnson.
“It’s not just the work they did this week, they’ve been working since our Thanksgiving game last year. They’ve been working hard every single day preparing for this moment and it wasn’t just the secondary guys, it was the entire defense.” -Johnson assistant football coach Joe Ascolese
Full Coverage of ALJ’s Season Opener Win Over New Providence
