Penns Grove-Glassboro game will make history

History will be made when Penns Grove travels to Glassboro for Saturday's South Jersey Group 1 football championship game.

The only question is which team will make its mark on the record book.

With a victory, Glassboro will become just the fourth team in the seven-county South Jersey region to complete back-to-back 12-0 seasons. The Bulldogs will take their place alongside Paulsboro (2001-02), West Deptford (2003-04) and Florence (2003-04 and 2004-05) as the only teams to win 24 games in two seasons.

Penns Grove can claim a slice of immorality, too. With a victory, the Red Devils will win the first sectional championship in the history of the program.

"We're honored to be playing this late in the season," Penns Grove coach Kemp Carr said. "But if we're playing, we're planning on winning."

As the defending champion and home team, Glassboro (11-0) would appear to be heavy favorites. The Bulldogs beat the Red Devils, 35-6, in a Tri-County Conference Classic Division game on Oct. 24.

But Glassboro coach Herb Neilio notes that the score of that game was 7-6 at halftime, and also that Penns Grove was missing its top player, two-way back Aaron Hayward, who has committed to Rutgers.

"They are one of the toughest teams we'll play," Neilio said of Penns Grove. "They gave us a tough game when we played them before, and we don't expect anything less than that this time."

Hayward, who missed the first Glassboro game with an injury, has returned to full health and is one of South Jersey's top running backs. He gained 230 yards on 23 carries in a 28-21 victory over Woodbury in the sectional semifinals.

"He was phenomenal," Carr said.

Carr also said that the Oct. 24 meeting was the first game back for guard Tony Hayward, who missed the previous four games with an injury. Tony Hayward, no relation to Aaron, and Sam Ridgeway are "probably the two best guards we'll face," according to Neilio.

Penns Grove also features a top lineman in two-way tackle Ken Jefferson.

"Our defense has been outstanding," said Carr, noting that Penns Grove has an active streak of 10 consecutive quarters without allowing a point.

Glassboro has been led by senior quarterback Tim Breaker, who has thrown 16 touchdown passes with just one interception. Senior wide receiver Ricky Tunstall has seven touchdown catches.

The Bulldogs have a balanced ground game. Running backs Stephen Davis, Chris Baxter and Loronday Gaines have combined for 20 touchdowns.

"We feel like at any time somebody will make a big play for us," Breaker said. "We've been doing it all year."

Defensively, Glassboro is led by end Danien Green as well as linebackers Joshua Bell and Gary Scruggs. The Bulldogs have posted six shutouts.

"They've got speed all over the place," Carr said of Glassboro. "We know they are going to take their shots down the field. They're not going to methodically move the ball down the field on us."

Glassboro ran the table in 2007 and capped that season with a victory over arch-rival Paulsboro in the title game. This year, the Bulldogs won at Paulsboro in the semifinals, putting themselves in position to rank alongside the Red Raiders as well as Florence and St. Joseph's as the most dominant smaller-school programs in recent South Jersey history.

"We know we have an opportunity to do something that not many teams have ever done," Breaker said.

Penns Grove (9-2) at Glassboro (11-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.

Coaches:

Glassboro, Herb Neilio (64-14 in seven seasons). Penns Grove, Kemp Carr (30-22 in five seasons)

Seeds:

Glassboro is No. 3, Penns Grove is No. 5

Road to the final:

Glassboro beat sixth-seeded Gloucester, 34-0, and second-seeded Paulsboro, 21-13.

Penns Grove beat fourth-seeded Woodbury, 28-21, and eighth-seeded Haddon Heights, 14-0.

Last year's final:

Glassboro 24, Paulsboro 7

Previous titles:

Glassboro: 6 (2007, 1999, 1987, 1983, 1981, 1975). Penns Grove: 0.

Regular-season meeting:

Glassboro 35, Penns Grove 6 on Oct. 24

Of note:

Glassboro has won 23 games in a row.

- Phil Anastasia

Here is how Glassboro and Penns Grove have fared during the season:

Glassboro (11-0)

W-Sept. 12, Salem, 48-0

W-Sept. 19, at Pennsville, 48-12

W-Sept. 27, at Clayton, 51-0

W-Oct. 3, Wildwood, 60-0

W-Oct. 10, at Schalick, 33-0

W-Oct. 18, Gloucester, 35-13

W-Oct. 24, Penns Grove, 35-6

W-Nov. 7, at Pitman, 51-0

W-Nov. 14, Gloucester, 34-0 (Group 1 playoffs)

W-Nov. 22, at Paulsboro (Group 1 playoffs), 21-13

W-Nov. 27, Deptford, 34-14

PENNS GROVE (9-2)

W-Sept. 13, Schalick, 41-0

W-Sept. 20, at Clayton, 36-0

W-Sept. 27, at Gloucester, 13-12

W-Oct. 4, Pitman, 40-0

L-Oct. 17, at Buena, 13-6

L-Oct. 24, at Glassboro, 35-6

W-Nov. 1, Wildwood, 52-6

W-Nov. 8, at Salem, 22-8

W-Nov. 15, at Woodbury (Group 1 playoffs), 28-21

W-Nov. 22, Haddon Heights (Group 1 playoffs), 14-0

W-Nov. 27, Pennsville, 28-0