๐๐๐๐ง๐ง๐โ๐จ 94-๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ฃ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฌ๐, ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐จ 42โ7
Lindenโs 2025 football season roared to life when ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐๐-๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ค๐ข๐๐ค๐จ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
But after the fireworks, Elizabethโs precision passing game proved too much, spoiling the Tigersโ season opener with a 42โ7 defeat in a Big Central Conference cross-divisional battle at Tiger Stadium โ just days before the start of the new school year.
๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ค ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ
Elizabeth struck first on its opening drive of the first quarter to grab an early 7-0 lead. But Linden responded immediately with Pierreโs dazzling runback, capped by Geno Carreno-Jarrinโs extra point, to tie the score at 7โ7. The packed stands shook as fans roared, believing the Tigers had seized the momentum.
That spark, however, lit a fire under Elizabethโs junior quarterback Arique Fleming. From there, he orchestrated an offensive clinic โ completing 12 of 14 passes for 272 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 48 yards and another score. His efficiency and poise kept Lindenโs defense working overtime all night.
๐๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ขโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ
For first-year head coach Mark Ciccotelli, the opener was less about the score and more about setting a tone for growth.
โ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ, ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ,โ ๐พ๐๐๐๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐. โ๐ฝ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐โ๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข. ๐๐โ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐โ๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง.โ
Among those in the stands cheering the Tigers were Superintendent of Schools Dr. Atiya Y. Perkins, Board of Education member Brianna Armstead, and Derek Armstead Mayor of Linden, whose presence underscored the strong community support behind Lindenโs student-athletes.
๐๐ข๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
The Tigers (0โ1, 0โ1 Big Central) now turn their attention to a crucial September stretch:
Sept. 5 โ at Sayreville
Sept. 12 โ at Colonia
Sept. 19 โ vs. Watchung Hills (Home)