Acupuncture in Butler, NJ

BUTLER — On Saturday, Naz Oliver will gather together with his family and bury his grandmother. On Friday night, the Shabazz head football coach gathered with his football family and won a championship.

Oliver, in his first season at Shabazz, saw the Bulldogs navigate numerous transfers and late season uncertainty into a 40-13 win over Butler in Friday's North 2, Group 1 sectional final.

"It means everything," Oliver said. "We've been through so much. We know all of the doubters slept on us all year but that as the season went on, nobody could beat us. We've proven that now."

Shabazz scored on its second drive with a 7-yard touchdown run by Bi'Shay Sanders on the final play of the first quarter. A two-point conversion gave Shabazz an 8-0 lead after one quarter. Shabazz kept the pressure on offensively as Zairean McDonald's 36-yard touchdown run made it a 14-0 lead with exactly eight minutes left before halftime.

In the second half, Butler came flying out the gate with a methodical drive down the field. Matt Barile capped the drive off with a 1-yard touchdown run. The extra point was short, but pulled the lead to within 14-6. However, that's as close as Butler would get. Daveion Porter's 52-yard touchdown run gave Shabazz a 20-6 lead after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, Butler struck one more time with a Bobby Battipede touchdown pass to PJ Coffey and trailed 20-13 with 11:24 to go. However, Shabazz put the game out of reach.

Running clock late, Nazir Smith surprised the Butler defense with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Nyad Walker, growing the lead to 26-13. As Butler tried to answer, an interception led to a short field and a 4-yard Rahmir Jackson touchdown run. McDonald added a 72-yard touchdown run late to put the game out of reach.

What it means

Shabazz began the season 1-2 as a lot of new pieces found their places. Oliver, a standout at St. Peter's Prep, had eight players transfer from his alma mater in the offseason. Not only did they sit out, but the team as a whole had to gel together.

"There was a lot of individualism when we first came together," Oliver said. "We had guys who were selfish and we went through adversity. The losses turned this team into what it is. The wins were great, but the losses were what we really held on to."

The result came with Shabazz's first sectional title since going undefeated in 2017. All of this success for the Bulldogs after being on the bubble of the Group 1 playoff picture entering their season finale against Glen Ridge.

Shabazz won to stay in the playoff picture and then took a sectional title as the No. 6 seed in the bracket. The Bulldogs, along with West Morris, are the lowest seeds to win sectional championships in the state.

"We were out of the playoffs after Week 9," Oliver said. "We were preparing for Butler in the first round [as a No. 8 seed], so seeing them in the final meant we were already ready for this game."

Butler's season ends with a 9-2 record as one of the NJIC's top teams. One regular season loss kept the Bulldogs out of the NJIC playoffs, but gave them a top seed in the North 2, Group 1 bracket. Butler finishes the season with at least nine wins for the first time since 2018, when they won 10 games and played for a regional title at MetLife Stadium.

Controversial calls

While the scoreboard shows a convincing win by Shabazz, a few controversial calls loomed large over the game.

Following Shabazz's touchdown to end the first quarter, a bad snap on the extra point attempt forced Shabazz to throw for a two-point conversion. The pass was hauled in by freshman Karriem Coston in the end zone, but there was a problem: Coston was the long snapper on the play. With jersey No. 10, complaints by the Butler sideline did not force a reversal by officials.

"I was given no explanation as to how that two-point conversion stood," Butler coach Jason Luciani said. "Literally every person in the stadium saw the snapper wearing an ineligible number and catching a forward pass in the end zone with other ineligible numbers around him."

Porter's long touchdown run near the end of the third quarter also came with some controversy. Porter was spun around on the play near the 25-yard line, but never marked down by officials. Players on the field stopped when a whistle was heard on the Butler sideline, but officials suggested the whistle did not come from any of them.

Those two plays in particular resulted in eight Shabazz points to go along with other calls throughout the game that Butler players and coaches disagreed with. The frustration on the Butler sideline was clear throughout Friday's championship game.

"I don't like to criticize officials. I don't want this to come across as sour grapes. We like to think of ourselves as a disciplined football team that doesn't make mistakes," Luciani said. "We have been that all season and now we are in the state final and now we are being told we are making these mistakes we haven't made all year. It's a tough pill to swallow and it's hard to be told you've done something wrong when you haven't."

Up next

Shabazz will head to Mountain Lakes for next week's Group 1 state semifinals.

The Herd won Friday's North 1, Group 1 sectional final, defeating Hawthorne, 35-14. Mountain Lakes competed reached last season's Group 1 championship game at Rutgers, falling to Woodbury.

Special to DailyRecord.com

BUTLER – Deron McLaughlin could run off a laundry list of characteristics to describe teammate Luke Macfie’s strengths on the football field.

“Vision, speed, he’s got everything,” McLaughlin said of his senior running back. “He’s always in the right place at the right time.”

Macfie grabbed an interception as time expired to thwart a late rally as Park Ridge edged Butler 14-10 in the NJIC Patriot Division matchup Friday night.

As the Owls crept inside the Butler 5, the Bulldogs appeared to be out of chances in the waning moments of the contest. But Matt Barile posted an interception near the goal line to resuscitate Butler with 1:14 left.

Butler quarterback Bobby Battipede managed to move his team 73 yards to the Park Ridge 26, but a long toss to P.J. Coffey fell into the leaping hands of Macfie for the victory. It was one of two interceptions by Park Ridge in the game.

“Defensively we did a lot to keep them out of their game,” said Park Ridge coach Tom Curry, Jr., whose team has allowed 25 points in four games this season. “McLaughlin was a dominant force on the line and that helped to get some pressure on them.”

Neither team had much success finishing drives in the first half as Park Ridge held a 7-3 advantage at halftime.

Butler (3-1) grabbed a 3-0 lead courtesy of a 22-yard field goal by Coffey. Park Ridge finished off a 10-play, 74-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown grab by Michael Montgomery from Cole Hughes with 4:06 remaining in the opening half.

What it means

With the victory, Park Ridge (4-0) boasts the only undefeated mark in the division at 3-0. A home win against Wallington next week will seal the outright crown, giving the Owls their third Patriot title in four seasons.

Park Ridge, which opened the season with four consecutive victories for the fifth time in six years, has won four straight in the rivalry between the two schools. Butler was hoping to start the season 4-0 for the first time since 2019.

Key play

It’s tough to pick one play but easy to pick one player as leaving his mark on the game Friday night. Macfie opened and closed the second half with two of the biggest plays of the season for Park Ridge.

After finishing the first half with just 11 rushing yards, Macfie found a gap on the left side courtesy of blocks by Leul Cetoute and Matt Rozzi for a 52-yard jaunt to put the Owls at the Butler 8 and set up Hughes’ rushing touchdown just 24 seconds into the third quarter.

Macfie clinched the game with an interception at his own 4-yard line to end the Bulldogs’ final drive.

By the numbers

? The four-point margin of defeat is the closest Butler has come to beating its rival since 2020.

? After registering just 78 yards in the first half, Park Ridge had eight plays that amassed 10 yards or longer after halftime.

Game balls

? Macfie had 115 yards on 12 carries and an interception for Park Ridge.

? Shane Stecz had an interception with 1:19 left for the Owls.

? Jason Murray had a fumble recovery, and Luca Toriello had a sack to foil a third-and-17 play and force a 12-yard loss in the first quarter for Butler.

They said it

“This got us one step closer to our goals. This was for the division. We’re going for the NJIC and then we’re going right to Rutgers for the (Group 1) championship.” – McLaughlin said.

Up next

? Park Ridge (4-0) hosts Wallington Friday.

? Butler (3-1) hosts Pompton Lakes Friday.

Butler’s resurgence and goal to return to the top as a small-school power officially got underway during the 2021 season.

That year, the Bulldogs finished with their first losing record (4-6) in seven years while fielding a team comprised of mostly underclassmen.

Fast forward two seasons and Butler is now a year removed from a 7-3 campaign and a trip to the Group 1 semifinals. This year’s Bulldogs are thinking big.

“A number of our starters last year were playing their second full season. They were obviously more comfortable having that full year under their belts,” coach Jason Luciani said. “But now a lot of guys are entering their third and some their fourth year on the field and we’re noticing the difference.”

Last fall, the Bulldogs lost two regular-season games on the road at Park Ridge (26-21) and Wood-Ridge (20-7) before falling to Weequahic, 45-28 in a sectional semifinal.

“Our two regular-season losses both came in the final minutes of the game,” Luciani said. “We grew up a lot as a team last year and learned that we must execute if we want to finish the job. I think last year was a good step in the right direction.”

The tradition

Butler has won eight NJSIAA sectional titles, the last in 2018 when the Bulldogs defeated Park Ridge, 35-28, in North 1, Group 1.

Butler claimed consecutive North 2, Group 1 titles in 1982 and ‘83, but its glory years came in the 1990s when the small Morris County school won five in an eight-year period, highlighted by four straight championships from 1994-97.

Since 1974, Butler has qualified for the postseason 46 times and has 14 state final appearances.

The challenge

The Bulldogs are fairly young with several juniors and sophomores expected to take on key roles on both sides of the ball.

“We’re not very deep, but that’s usually the situation for most small schools,” Luciani said. “Although there’s several seniors and experienced upperclassmen in the mix, we’ll still rely on some underclassmen and first-year starters to get the job done.”

Butler’s schedule is loaded with some of the top small-school programs in North Jersey playing alongside the Bulldogs in the competitive NJIC Patriot division.

“There’s no easy road competing in the NJIC,” Luciani said. “We’re not going to look ahead. We’ll be taking it one game at a time. Our priority is Week 1 at home against Wood-Ridge, a team we lost to last year in a close game.”

Expectations

With several three-year starters and experienced players returning, the Bulldogs expect to continue on their success and build on what they started last fall.

Senior dual-threat quarterback Bobby Battipede returns for a third season under center after throwing for 767 yards and 12 touchdowns, and rushing for 549 yards and five scores last fall.

“Bobby is a natural leader and he makes everyone around him better. He works hard and is everything we want in a quarterback,” Luciani said. “Bobby is a pleasure to watch. He commands the huddle and dictates our offense.”

Senior Kyle Perry, a three-year starter, is the featured running back and senior Jason Murray and junior Luca Toriello control the front line. Junior PJ Coffey (WR/CB) is a two-way standout who led the Bulldogs with three interceptions.

2023 schedule

Aug. 31: vs. Wood-Ridge

Sept. 8: at Wallington

Sept. 16: at St. Mary

Sept. 22: vs. Park Ridge

Sept. 29: vs. Pompton Lakes

Oct. 6: NJIC game TBD (away)

Oct. 13: NJIC game TBD (away)

Oct. 20: NJIC game TBD (away)

BUTLER, NJ — The Malcolm X. Shabazz High School football team won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 state championship.

The Shabazz Bulldogs defeated the Butler High School Bulldogs, 40-13, in the championship game on Friday night, Nov. 10, at Butler. Shabazz improved to 8-3. Butler moved to 9-2.

It’s not often when two opposing teams competing for the next step in the playoffs have the same mascots, but hail from two different locations. These two teams also share single yellow gold and white piping in their uniforms, but they also resemble the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. The resemblance is uncanny for the Malcolm X Shabazz High School Bulldogs, their matte black helmets, away white uniforms with yellow gold piping and black numbering. Much is to be said about Butler’s look, who came into the game wearing their traditional Charger Dark Powder Blue Jerseys with yellow gold numbers and white piping. But the road for these two squads was all but challenging as they are both looking forward to cementing their spot in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association North Group 1 Regional Championships next week. It was a big fight between these two Bulldog teams who played their hearts out at Butler Board of Education Athletic Complex in Butler, N.J.

The Newark-based Shabazz Bulldogs made the near hour-long ride north through the Route 24 and I-287 corridors into the center of Passaic County in the upper Pompton Valley area to take on the top-seeded Butler Bulldogs. For Shabazz they are surging at the right time as they only dropped three games this season in tight defensive struggles. Of the three games, one of them would later turn into a rematch and retribution in the first round of the playoffs two weeks ago. Shabazz is also hailing out of the Super Football Conference–National Red Division and has a playoff pedigree that rivals its competitor. Butler, on the other hand, has enjoyed homefield advantage, taking out two Essex County contenders and close rivals of Shabazz’s. Butler, a member of the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference, and has only one loss to this year’s resume to conference rival Park Ridge while running through their schedule with five of their games ending in blow out fashion. The stage was set for a big Bulldog fight to see who had the bigger bite and the right to advance in the playoffs.

The game kicked off under the lights on Butler’s new custom powder blue turf with Shabazz taking the game’s opening kickoff and going three-and-out on their first possession. The two squads would trade three punts between them before someone blinked. Butler would be the first to do so on Shabazz’s second three-and-out of the first quarter and the third punt of the third punt of the game. Butler would fumble the ensuing punt on the own 48 yard-line where Shabazz would pounce on the ball and make Butler pay for their costly mistake with 3:02 remaining in the opening quarter. Helped by a hefty personal foul penalty of the 15-yard variety, Shabazz, led by QB Nazir Smith; Running backs Davieon Porter, Bi’Shay Sanders, Rahmir Jackson, Zaiden McDonald, and wide receivers Nayad Walker, Kezah Hall, Nasir Gaines and Omari Gaines, along with standout lineman Judah Pruitt, would make quick work of the five-play drive where Sanders would dash the short 7 yards for the game’s first touchdown with no time on the clock to close out the first quarter after the successful scrambling 2-point conversion pass from Nasir Gaines to Karreim Coston and the 8-0 lead.

Butler, led by QB Bobby Battipede; running backs Kyle Perry and Jayden DiNatale; wide receiver Cameron Pittman, and TE Peter Calvi, would punt for their second time in the game giving Shabazz good field position from their own 45-yard line. Smith set up a 5-play, 55-yard drive that featured two passing completions to McDonald and Walker. But it would be McDonald who would break free of the chain for a 36-yard house call with 8:00 left in the half to give Shabazz the 14-0 edge. Butler would attempt to mount a balanced attack, but Shabazz flexed their defensive prowess when LB Lennox Bonsu would sky like he’s going up for a contested rebound in basketball to stick his big paw up bringing down the first turnover of the game. Although Shabazz would punt the ball away four plays later, Butler once again would play the clock utilizing their running finesse while dodging a near pick-6 to close out the first half.

With the ball still in their possession to start the second half, Butler fed on the momentum they had in the first half, by starting at their own 38-yard line. Butler QB Bobby Battipede led an 11-play, 62-yard march by sending RB Kyle Perry on a methodical run while finding his two favorite targets in Pittman and Calvi through the air for big gains. But Perry would find an opening and sprinted the remaining 23 yards up the powder blue-and-goid field for Butler’s first score of the game, cutting into Shabazz’s cushion 14-6 with 5:42 left in the third quarter. Shabazz’s Nazir Smith was worried, as he fed the ball to his running back committee four out of times, completing one pass to Walker for 4 yards. But the big back-breaking play on that drive was when Daveion Porter took the ball off his left side near the Butler sideline. He was met just beyond the line of scrimmage and was presumed to be down but would completely hit his power burst button and roll off the Butler defender for jaw dropping 52-yard house call to go up 20-6 with 2:06 left in the third quarter. Butler would find an answer while attempting to pull out their rally caps. Butler’s Battipede would dig in his bag of tricks to find open passing lanes while he and Perry would stay in attack mode on the ground. The 7-play series featured a double pass and an incomplete flea-flicker, then Battipede would find his open WR PJ Coffey for a 21-yard pitch catch score that went nearly the length of the field. Butler would close the gap 20-13 with 11:21 left in the game as the drive spilled over into the fourth quarter.

Shabazz would answer with a three-touchdown knockout combination to seal the sectional championship in their favor. The first touchdown in the fourth quarter was delivered in the form of an 8-play, 57-yard drive that was mostly on the ground, but Smith and Walker were enjoying the hot hands as they combined for a 38-yard icebreaking bomb to put the game squarely back in their firm grasp 26-13 with 6:35 left in the game.

Shabazz DL LaQuan Gaddy would snag the second interception of the night and rumble back 26 yards to set up Rahmir Jackson’s 5-yard skip-and-dive into the end zone for the 32–13 commanding lead. Butler couldn’t find an answer on their next to final possession as Shabazz’s defensive clout shut down Butler’s passing attack and forced a turnover on downs. With 4:23 remaining in the game, Shabazz needed two first downs to kill the clock, but that wasn’t going to sit well with the “Pride of the South Side.” Shabazz sophomore RB sensation or the fans called him “Superman”, Zaiden McDonald did his best runaway bulldog impression for a 72-yard galloping game, ending the sectional final. The icing on the championship cake would be the 2 point conversion pass from Smith to Nasir Gaines.

“This for all of those who doubted us,” said Shabazz rookie head coach Nazir “Naz” Oliver. “All season long, we had to deal with adversity and now we are the state sectional champions.” He went on to say that at the beginning of the season they didn’t know who they were and the difference is now they do. Oliver follows in the footsteps of former head coaches that includes Dave McCombs and Darnell Grant that led Shabazz to state championships within the first couple of years at the helm. Oliver is certainly the youngest to actually win the sectional title as a head coach. “I am looking for our team to win it all!!” he exclaimed. Butler’s head coach, Jason Luciani made it plain that his team made some crucial mistakes and as he puts it, “We got caught behind the sticks.” He said that he will start the offseason preparations in the coming weeks and go back to the drawing board. Butler was the top seed in the North Jersey Section ,2 Group 1 playoff bracket. They defeated two Essex County teams, eight-seeded Verona 47-21 and the high-powered fourth seeded Weequahic 21-14.

Shabazz will hit the road again and head up to Wilkens Field in Mountain Lakes to take on the Lakers in the North, Group 1 semifinal game Friday evening, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. The winner of this game will have the opportunity to play for the state Group 1 championship at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium against the winner of Central Jersey Group 1 champion Glassboro and South Jersey Group 1 champion Woodstown.

Photos Courtesy of Kerry E. Porter

Shabazz vs. Butler (North 2, Group 1 sectional championship, on Friday, Nov. 10, at Butler)

Shabazz High School football

Malcolm X. Shabazz High School football team rolls past Butler to win North 2, Group 1 sectional championship added by Kerry E. Porter on November 13, 2023View all posts by Kerry E. Porter →

A little positivity can go a long way!

Cold New Jersey winters can be enough to make anyone feel sad. I know I get a case of the blues anytime there are clouds outside my window. But, one Wawa employee isn't letting the frigid weather get to her.

We've had a relatively mild winter, but Jack Frost reared his ugly head earlier this week with a nor'easter. A state of emergency was declared for most of NJ. Parts of the state were only hit with rain and wind, but North Jersey saw some snow.

During the frigid winter, my heart always goes out to all the workers with outdoor jobs, especially gas station attendees. While we can warm up at home, they're left to brave the cold for hours. It can't be fun. And, to make matters worse, other states allow people to pump their own gas. So we're one of the only states that require these people to be outside, no matter what the weather.

MaryAnn from Ringwood, who works at a Wawa in Butler is making the most out of a chilly situation. News 12 shared a cheerful video of her dancing in the nor'easter, that's sure to put a smile on your face. Not only is she enjoying herself, but I'm sure those dance moves are keeping her warm.

The video of MaryAnn is a nice reminder that if we try hard enough, we can make the best out of almost any situation.

Keep dancing, MaryAnn - you go, girl!

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Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.