The finals of the Super Football Conference – North Tournament will see a marquee matchup that highlights the growth of the sport across the N.J. girls flag football landscape.

On one side, you have the stalwart of the sport, Ridgewood, who has been the standard of flag football in the SFC since the team hit the gridiron in 2021.

The Maroons are 43-2 since 2021 and have won back-to-back North Jersey state championships.

Ridgewood’s opponent, Newark Central, is one of the rising programs in the sport, led by freshman phenom Taylor Jones.

Newark Central rides into the SFC-North title game on a 10-game win streak and is coming off a 6-0 double-overtime win over West Orange in the semifinals.

“There has been a lot of growth in the game (flag football) and the gap is closing between the elite teams and the newer programs,” Ridgewood head coach Mickey McDermott said. “Newark Central is doing a great job in helping this sport grow. This is a great game between premier teams in North Jersey.”

Here’s a look at both teams heading into the SFC-North championship game. The winner will advance to the North/Central state tournament.

No. 9 Newark Central (10-1) at No. 1 Ridgewood (10-0)| BRACKET

Newark Central

Head Coach: Mark Ingram (17-4 since last season)

Playoff road

• Bye
• Millburn in SFC-North quarterfinals (W, 24-1)
• West Orange in SFC-North semifinals (W, 6-0)

Offense: Freshman Taylor Jones has taken the N.J. girls flag football landscape by storm this spring. She was the first quarterback to record over 1,000 yards passing and rushing this season, standing at 2,812 total yards of offense and 25 total touchdowns heading into the SFC-North final. Jones has recorded five game-winning drives this spring, he latest coming with her game-winning touchdown pass to senior Serenity Muhammad in the SFC-North semifinals.

“She’s the face of girls flag football here in New Jersey,” Ingram said of Jones.

Muhammad has been Jones’ go-to target all season. The senior has 24 catches for 640 yards and has hauled in six of Jones’ 12 touchdown passes. Sophomore Zaniyah Dixon (17 catches, 234 yards, and a touchdown) and senior Briyuanna Carter (nine catches, 152 yards, and three touchdowns) add more explosion at the skills position for Jones and Newark Central.

Defense: As Jones leads the charge offensively, the Blue Devils have quietly grown into a top-tier defensive unit across the state. Junior linebacker Aishat Hassan ranks second in the state with 96 total flag pulls and leads the Blue Devils with 20 sacks. Junior Harmony Roundtree (74 total flag pulls) led Newark Central with 15 total flag pulls in the victory over West Orange in the SFC-North semifinals. Carter (54 total flag pulls and eight sacks) and Muhammad (five interceptions) are also key factors to the Newark Central defensive unit.

What to expect

This is the third year on the gridiron for Newark Central. Ingram and his Blue Devils have built off their 7-3 campaign last season by advancing to the program’s first conference championship game this spring. Ingram knows that the added x-factor of having Jones under center gives his squad a shot in any game that it’s in. A chance to knock off a perennial powerhouse and advance into the state tournament is a challenge Ingram believes his squad is ready to take on.

“We’re going to be prepared for them (Ridgewood),” Ingram said. “Winning 10 in a row is no fluke. We belong playing on the big stage. ”

Ridgewood quarterback Katie Bisgrove (center) is doused with the Gatorade cooler after she led the Maroons to the the North Jersey State Flag Football Championship over Wayne Valley, Saturday, June 15, 2024, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Ridgewood won, 26-0.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Ridgewood

Head Coach: Mickey McDermott (23-1 since last season)

Playoff road

• Bye
• Weequahic in SFC-North quarterfinals (W, 26-6)
• BelovED Charter in SFC-North semifinals (W, 26-6)

Offense: Sophomore quarterback Penelope Pace has asserted herself very well in her first season under center for the Maroons. Pace has 22 total touchdowns this spring and has 13 touchdown passes over her last five games.

“Penelope (Pace) is doing a great job for us,” McDermott said. “She can make any throw. A wheel route, a deep corner route, or throwing the ball vertically. She can rip it.”

Ridgewood’s depth of talent around Pace at the skills position is hard to top. Seniors Destiny Handy (six total touchdowns) and Lucia Mastellone (10 total touchdowns) have each continued to make Ridgewood explosive on offense, just as they did last year when they helped Katie Bisgrove eclipse 2,000 yards passing and throw 39 touchdowns. Sophomore Gabby Winn has become Pace’s top target, hauling in a team-high 28 receptions and six touchdowns. Junior Danielle DeNoy (five touchdown catches) has grown into another star weapon on the outside for Pace and the Maroons, while senior Audrey Schildkraut provides more athleticism for the unit at the tight end position.

Defense: Ridgewood has not allowed a state opponent this season to score more than a touchdown in a game. Dating back to last spring, the Maroons have only once allowed more than a touchdown in a game against a team from the N.J. girls flag football landscape. Schildkraut leads the unit for 43 total flag pulls. Winn has a team-high eight interceptions and Pace leads the team with seven sacks. Senior Ally Zegarra is recording a solid season for the Maroons with 28 total flag pulls and six sacks.

What to expect

Ridgewood is on the doorstep of stamping another impressive mark to its ledger of accomplishments over the last five seasons. McDermott knows his defense will have its hands full with the stellar dual-threat abilities that Jones possesses at the quarterback position for Newark Central. Being disciplined on scramble rules will be an important factor for Ridgewood in slowing down Jones, McDermott said. It’s a challenge, however, his squad is looking forward to. This is another opportunity for the Maroons to show the state why it is still the standard of the sport as flag football continues to grow to new heights this spring.

“These girls have worked hard and sacrificed a lot over the last three years to continue to build a legacy for this program,” McDermott said. “It would be a lot for them to win this game and play for another state championship.”

Steven Bassin can be reached at SBassin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @SBassin_Sports

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