Playoff Bound: Linden Faces Unbeaten Elizabeth After Senior Night Thriller
Coach Mark Ciccotelliโs Tigers seek to reverse regular-season loss in Fridayโs (Oct. 30) sectional quarterfinal
LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ (Oct. 29) โ Linden earned its playoff berth with seven seconds and one unforgettable play. Now comes a rematch with unbeaten Elizabeth.
Head coach Mark Ciccotelliโs Tigers travel to face top-seeded Elizabeth on Friday, Oct. 30, at 6 p.m. in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 quarterfinals. Linden enters at 4-4 after a dramatic 25-21 Senior Night victory over Union.
Elizabeth is 9-0. The Minutemen defeated Linden, 39-18, on Oct. 2 and have won the teamsโ last three meetings. Lindenโs most recent victory in the series came in 2023, a 27-22 win.
A Formidable Opponent
Elizabeth brings more than an unbeaten record. Quarterback Arique Fleming has thrown for 2,120 yards and 26 touchdowns, with touchdown passes to seven receivers. Erick Cespedes, QuaโYon Williams and Nahjae Smith lead his targets. An opportunistic defense has allowed just 17 points over the last three games.
The Minutemen have drawn comparisons to Elizabethโs 2012 sectional championship team, led by future NFL quarterback PJ Walker. Fleming has since surpassed Walkerโs school season and career passing records.
Linden counters with Aiden Waheedโs ability to move the offense by ground and air. Against Union, he rushed for 236 yards and three touchdowns and passed for another 96 yards and a score.
The Tigersโ defense supplied the other half of that comeback: a second-half shutout. Friday brings a demanding test against an Elizabeth offense that scored 39 points in their first meeting.
Seven Seconds to Extend the Season
Against Union on Oct. 23, Linden trailed 21-19 with seven seconds left. The Tigers had one final chance.
They turned it into a playoff berth.
Linden scored on a lateral play as time expired at Tiger Stadium. The play, credited as a 36-yard touchdown reception by Akhenaton DeRose from Waheed, capped a comeback from a 21-7 halftime deficit.
Cheers erupted from the packed stands, where family, friends and students had gathered on a chilly autumn night. At halftime, Linden honored seniors from its football team, marching band and cheerleading squad. The finish gave their celebration an extraordinary final act.
The Stops Behind the Comeback
Waheed opened Lindenโs scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run, followed by Ryan Henryโs extra point. After halftime, he scored twice from a yard out, first in the third quarter and again in the fourth.
Both conversion attempts failed. Union still led by two.
But Lindenโs defense refused to surrender another point. Amir Campbell recorded 13 tackles, one for a loss, and forced a fumble. Kayden McFarlane added 10 tackles, two for losses.
Those stops preserved the opportunity for the final-play touchdown. DeRose finished with two catches for 44 yards. Waheed completed seven of 15 passes without an interception as Linden scored 18 unanswered points after halftime.
Now Ciccotelliโs Tigers head to Elizabeth, their season extended and another opportunity ahead.
Priority 5: Community & Stakeholder Partnership: Senior Night brought families, students and supporters together to honor Lindenโs football, band and cheerleading seniors and celebrate a playoff-clinching victory.