Acupuncture in Mountain Lakes, NJ

PISCATAWAY – Marco Dzamba traces this season’s version of the Mountain Lakes football team all the way back to the third grade.

At that time, the senior two-way standout and most of his elementary-school teammates started playing organized football. That team scored on its first play, never scored again, and didn’t win a single game the rest of the season.

Since then, a lot has happened. Dzamba and Mountain Lakes are now on a whole other level.

A year after coming up short in New Jersey's first-ever state championship game, the Herd’s return to the Group 1 title game at Rutgers' SHI Stadium yielded the Morris County school its first state title with a 24-6 win over Glassboro on Sunday.

“It’s amazing. I’m so proud and happy of all the boys who made a deal at the beginning of the season and a first meeting back in June that we’re going to get back to this point after last year’s loss. We did exactly that. There’s no better way to end your high school career than this,” Dzamba said. “After last year, we made a promise to ourselves. I can’t stress that enough that this year’s team was not going to have that same feeling again of losing on this field, under the lights and the big stage and everything.

“This was all our hard work throughout the season. This game was a culmination of all the football we’ve been playing since third grade together and it truly shined on the big stage.”

Dzamba was the best player on the field Sunday in his final high school game. He finished with nine tackles (five solo), a sack, a blocked punt, two forced fumbles, an interception and a defensive touchdown.

The linebacker was one of four players to score for the Herd. He forced a fumble on a Glassboro punt at the 7-yard line, then recovered it in the end zone with 10:21 left in the game. That put the Herd up 16-0 and put the game out of reach.

“This group was on a mission. We hugged that day and said 'we’ll be back.' You say, but you don’t know if it’s ever really going to happen as it’s so much stuff to really get back here. But the kids really believed that,” Mountain Lakes coach Darrell Fusco said. “When the playoffs started, we found a different level. They’ve been just outstanding every week. Our defense was outstanding. Our kids just believed from day one. They really felt we were going to get back here and we said if we get back here we were going to make sure we enjoyed the trip.”

Aidan Malnati opened the scoring for Mountain Lakes when he barreled in from the 1-yard line to cap a three-play drive with 6:50 left in the first quarter. Malnati’s touchdown was set up when he recovered a punt blocked by Dzamba at their own 17-yard line.

Kicker Matt Shertzer added to the lead when he nailed a 27-yard field goal with :47 left in the third quarter for a 10-0 lead.

Senior Jordan Hernando closed out the Herd’s scoring on a 12-yard run with 3:18 left to play.

What it means

Mountain Lakes is the NJSIAA Group 1 state champion for the first time in program history. The Herd are the first Morris County team in history to win a state title in any group.

Mountain Lakes closes out the season at 11-2 and won five straight games on the way to the title.

“As soon as we lost the game last year, we had a lot of juniors playing in that game, we all said we’re going to get back here next year. Obviously, that was a long ways away,” senior two-way lineman and Penn commit Cosmo Fusco said. “We put in all the work that we needed to do, won the game we needed to win. No better feeling than getting that promise done.”

Glassboro, playing in its first state final, had its six-game win streak snapped and finishes the season with a 9-4 mark. The South Jersey school, made up of mostly underclassmen and several freshman and sophomores in the starting lineup, is expected to be a team to watch in the coming years.

Inside the numbers

Running back Ian Redzepagic rushed for a game-high 64 yards on 12 carries for Mountain Lakes.

Hernando rushed for 41 yards on 15 carries.

Mountain Lakes outrushed Glassboro 99-41 and amassed 194 total yards compared to the Bulldogs’ 132.

Glassboro receiver Xavier Sabb had five receptions for 99 yards.

Quarterback Kristopher Foster threw for a game-high 153 yards on 11-of-18 and a touchdown for Glassboro.

Damere Lassiter scored the lone touchdown for Glassboro, a 37-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

Final words

“It’s unreal. As a kid, I watched every Herd game. Watched my dad [Darrell Fusco] play and always dreamed of playing for him. It’s a better experience than anything. Obviously senior year to win our first state championship is a perfect ending. We’ve been playing together since third grade and always dreamed of playing in high school. We finally got here and got it done.” – Cosmo Fusco.

“It was a big difference being here last year. I thought last year we were a little bit on fumes after the game we played against Weequahic. We had a different approach coming here. The kids were zoned in and knew what to expect. Everyone wants to play at MetLife [Stadium], but we lost here and this was part of the mission to come back to Rutgers.” – Darrell Fusco.

HAWTHORNE - At 6-foot-1, it’s probably unfair to call Mountain Lakes tight end Marco Dzamba a secret weapon.

But when you’re a team that spends the majority of the time running the ball like the Herd with their Wing-T offense, Dzamba can get lost in the mix.

The senior shattered his career high in receiving yards in just the first half with 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Mountain Lakes defeated Hawthorne, 35-14, to win the North 1 Group 1 title Friday night.

The Herd, who captured their second straight sectional championship, will play North 2 victor Shabazz, which toppled Butler, 40-13, in the Group 1 semifinal next weekend.

“They were putting guys in the box and we had to get the ball to 89 (Dzamba),” Mountain Lakes coach Darrell Fusco said. “He’s a difference maker and you just can’t let him be. On any other team, he’d have a ton of targets.”

Dzamba was wide open for a 15-yard touchdown grab with 7:19 left in the first quarter. Herd quarterback Ben Miniter, who also had a career-best 204 yards in the opening half, unleashed a long toss along the right sideline to a streaking Dzamba with 2:24 left for the second score before halftime to start a string of three consecutive touchdowns for Mountain Lakes.

“When Coach Fusco calls that play, I smile each time,” the selfless Dzamba said. “We practice that play so many times, and I always end up open. But I’ll do whatever we need to do to win.”

Mountain Lakes used a pair of third quarter rushing touchdowns by Carson Fitch, including a 63-yard jaunt just 68 second into the half to extend the team’s lead at 28-14.

Hawthorne’s offense abandoned its running game and became flustered by constant pressure by Mountain Lakes’ defensive front. Cosmo Fusco had a pair of sacks as Bears quarterback Tyler Menne (18-for-34 passing for 248 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT) led his team past the Herd 43-yard line only once in the second half.

“We let up a few big plays in the first half but made some corrections and did what we needed to do,” Cosmo Fusco said. “This has been like a dream to be part of this but we’re not done yet and have a lot more left to accomplish.”

It was either feast or famine for the Mountain Lakes offense in the first half. The Herd scored on their first two possessions and then went three-and-out before Dzamba hauled in the 67-yard touchdown grab, giving Mountain Lakes a 20-14 advantage at the break.

Hawthorne maintained pace with Menne scoring on a 1-yard quarterback keeper and finding Dominic Passero on a 48-yard catch and run to account for the Bears’ first half scoring. But the Bears failed to get off to a strong start as they had in their two prior playoff victories, grabbing a 14-12 lead but losing it in the third quarter.

What it means

Mountain Lakes (9-2) claimed its ninth sectional crown since the current playoff format started in 1974. The victory gives Mountain Lakes its third straight win and sixth win in its last seven games. Mountain Lakes, which qualified for its second straight Group 1 semifinal, is undefeated in three meetings against Hawthorne - all occurring in the postseason.

Hawthorne, which finished its season at 8-3, notched the program’s highest win total since going 8-2 in 2015. The Bears had their four-game winning streak snapped.

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Key play

Nursing a six-point halftime advantage, Mountain Lakes received the ball in the second half, which went from the Dzamba Show to the Carson Fitch Show.

On second-and-10, Fitch took the handoff and found a massive hole created by senior linemen William Tate and Samson Veech. The 5-10 sophomore charged along the left sideline for a critical touchdown just 68 seconds into the second half. Fitch amassed 127 of his game-high 130 yards after halftime.

Hawthorne never recovered from the score as the Bears had two turnovers and a pair of fourth down conversions that went awry in the defeat.

By the numbers

? Miniter’s 204 yards in the first half was 70 yards more than his previous career best - a 134 yard performance in a win against Kinnelon on Oct. 27.

? Mountain Lakes allowed zero second half points for the victory. The Herd have held eight opponents to 14 points or less this season.

Game balls

? Dzamba, who entered the game with 440 receiving yards, had three catches for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns and a sack on defense for Mountain Lakes.

? Cosmo Fusco registered a pair of sacks and two more tackles for a loss for the Herd.

? Matthew Lorper had seven catches for 88 yards to pace Hawthorne.

They said it

“We knew they got off to fast starts, but once we got comfortable, we locked them down for the rest of the game,” - Dzamba, who is heading to Dartmouth College to play lacrosse.

“Shabazz is going to be a handful for us, but we’re glad to be getting a home game,” Coach Fusco said.

Up next

? Mountain Lakes (9-2) hosts Shabazz in a Group 1 semi-final next weekend.

? Hawthorne (8-3) concludes its season.

MOUNTAIN LAKES — Quarterback Ben Miniter threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another as Mountain Lakes, the No. 4 seed in North 1, Group 1, routed No. 5 seed Kinnelon, 48-21, in Friday's sectional quarterfinals.

"The regular season was past us and we were all focused on Kinnelon," Miniter said. "It's nice to see it all come together and have something we built towards."

Mountain Lakes opened the night with a five play, 60 yard scoring drive capped by Jordan Hernando's two-yard touchdown run. Later in the quarter, Miniter found Marco Dzamba for a 47-yard touchdown pass to give Mountain Lakes a 14-0 lead with 4:18 left in the first quarter. Kinnelon would respond and find the scoreboard to begin the second quarter as Zach Grande kept for a two yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-7 with 11:18 left in the half.

Miniter would roll out and score on a 22-yard touchdown run to regain a two touchdown lead. After a Carson Fitch touchdown run later in the second quarter, Miniter found Dzamba again for a 58-yard touchdown pass and a 34-7 lead. Kinnelon wouls score in the final seconds of the half on a Grande touchdown pass to Matt Goldstein from 14 yards out.

Mountain Lakes would continue the pressure in the second half, forcing interceptions on consecutive Kinnelon plays leading to a touchdown pass to Justin Brennfleck and a second touchdown run for Fitch. Kinnelon would complete the scoring with Grande's second rushing touchdown of the night making it 48-21 with 6:00 left.

Mountain Lakes (7-2) travels to top seed Park Ridge (7-2) in next week's sectional semifinals. Kinnelon's season is complete with a record of 5-4.

What it means

Last season's Group 1 runner-up moves on to the sectional semifinal but if the Herd want to be successful again, they'll have to do it in a different way. In all of the playoff tradition at Mountain Lakes, the Herd have never won a sectional title seeded outside of the top two spots in the bracket. With the top four seeds all winning Friday, Mountain Lakes is the lowest remaining seed in next week's North 1, Group 1 semifinals.

Mountain Lakes also continued its historic dominance over longtime rival Kinnelon. An old annual encounter that was a Thanksgiving day tradition for a time, the Herd extended its win streak in the series to 23 in a row with a victory on Friday night. Kinnelon last defeated Mountain Lakes back in 1996.

Key plays

With a 34-14 lead beginning the third quarter, Mountain Lakes nearly put this game to bed with its opening drive of the second half. After a fourth down stop by Kinnelon, momentum appeared to be shifting towards the Colts when they took over inside their own red zone. However, a fumble on the first play of the ensuing drive was recovered by Cosmo Fusco and would lead to a Mountain Lakes touchdown, negating a momentum shift.

"Turnovers were a big part of the discussion in practice this week," said Fusco. "It brings a lot of energy and you can do a lot with it. We turned that energy into points tonight."

After kicking the ball back to Kinnelon, a Sebastian Borie interception on the first play of the next drive gave the Herd defense turnovers on consecutive plays with touchdowns resulting from both turnovers.

Game ball

Marco Dzamba has been known for his defensive prowess, but the senior has shined on both sides of the ball. On Friday, two long touchdown grabs gave Dzamba his first multi-touchdown performance and a career-high 115 yards receiving. Dzamba dealt with injury early in the season and has eased himself back into more snaps on both sides of the ball to make the biggest impact for his senior season.

"It wasn't easy, but it came with a lot of support from my coaches and my teammates," Fusco said. "They paced my return and ultimately I feel great now. Being out here on a Friday night and able to do whatever I can for a win was always the goal."

Dzamba also sacked Kinnelon quarterback Zach Grande, who was held to just 81 yards passing.

They said it

"For all of the seniors, it was a huge night for us. It's our last time coming out on this turf and we wanted to come out flying and we did just that." - Dzamba.

"We won all our games last year here and won our title on this field. We're comfortable here and walking down the path in front of our fans. Now we get to focus on the challenge of taking on a top seed and trying to be road warriors." - Darrell Fusco.

Negotiations are at an impasse between the Mountain Lakes and Boonton Township school districts as they try to hammer out a new 10-year agreement for township students to attend Mountain Lakes High School.

Both districts issued public statements this past week on progress toward the new send-receive pact, which could include a large tuition increase for Boonton's K-8 district after what Mountain Lakes says has been years of underpayment.

"In a surprising and most disappointing turn of events, Boonton Township rejected the board’s counteroffer, withdrew its offer, and abruptly ended the negotiations," the school board wrote in an update to residents on Tuesday.

"Considering the decades-long relationship between the districts, Mountain Lakes could not be more disappointed than it is with Boonton Township’s decision to terminate the negotiations. Certainly, an agreement could have been reached with further negotiations."

The neighboring communities have shared a high school for more than three decades. Boonton Township currently sends 192 students to Mountain Lakes High, providing about a third of the secondary school's total enrollment of 565.

Competing proposals on tuition

At the heart of the impasse is how to set year-by-year final tuition rates. Mountain Lakes prefers a "cost per pupil" approach that would allow for increases if costs are higher than expected. Boonton Township is demanding a fixed tuition rate with a 3% annual increase, which would still be higher than the state-mandated 2% cap. That "allows for high school fixed and variable costs to remain constant while providing a ceiling to Boonton Township taxpayers on high school costs that do not decrease when enrollment decreases," the township district said in a statement it released on Friday.

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Mountain Lakes proposal

Mountain Lakes has said it is trying to avoid a repeat of the previous 10-year agreement, which ended with the last school year. That agreement limited annual increases to 2%. That, however, didn't cover the true costs to the district, resulting in a $1.9 million shortfall in revenue, according to the borough's school board.

The Cost Per Pupil approach would add a variable element to the yearly cost, based on certified tuition rates calculated by the state Department of Education.

"Mountain Lakes responded favorably to Boonton Township’s requested annual increases over a new 10-year agreement," the board wrote. "However, Mountain Lakes did not agree to Boonton Township’s request that Mountain Lakes forego all annual adjustments to which it may be entitled."

Township's counteroffer

But the cost-per-pupil approach could result in a "$1,000 per student limitation beyond the 3% increase for that year," the Boonton Township statement reads. "In Year 1, that could represent a final tuition amount that represents an 8.5% increase over the prior year."

"Cost Per Pupil, or the Certified Tuition Rate, is the maximum tuition rate that may be charged by Mountain Lakes," the township continued. "Throughout negotiations, Mountain Lakes has refused to move from its position that final tuition should be based on Cost Per Pupil."

What's next for negotiations

Both sides concluded their statements with qualified vows to continue negotiations.

"Mountain Lakes continues to hold the students and families of Boonton Township in the highest regard and remains willing to resume negotiations with Boonton Township, provided their representatives are prepared to do so in a meaningful way," the borough school board wrote.

The township countered that, "The Boonton Township Board of Education is open to continued discussions if Mountain Lakes is willing to consider fixed final tuition rate options rather than Cost Per Pupil."

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

PARK RIDGE – Bradley Rodgers was saved by a taped-up ankle and a little bit of luck.

A game-time decision made the game-sealing play on Friday night.

The Mountain Lakes linebacker picked off a pass with under two minutes left, helping the fourth seed knock off No. 1 Park Ridge, 21-14, in the North 1, Group 1 football semifinals.

The Herd averaged more than five yards per carry with a Wing-T offense that shortened the game and wore down the Owls.

But the fact that Rodgers was the one to clinch their championship berth against Hawthorne seemed unlikely on Thursday afternoon. Coach Darrell Fusco said the junior wasn't able to walk after tweaking his ankle at the end of practice.

"His dad, we're now calling him Dr. Rodgers," Fusco said. "He's not a doctor, but he iced him all day and got him ready. Just a great play to put the game away. And to fall down [at the 4] was tremendous. I don't think that was on purpose."

Park Ridge had used all three timeouts by the time Rodgers intercepted a pass near midfield and darted down the left sideline. And by getting tackled near the goal-line, Rodgers was able to let his team kneel out the last 1:53. Whether the final sequence was planned was in the eye of the beholder.

"Not necessarily," Rodgers said before changing course. "But now that I'm thinking about it, yeah."

What it means

Mountain Lakes (8-2) is heading back to the sectional final with a chance at its second straight title and the third in a decade. Hawthorne will host the title game on its home grass as the third seed.

Park Ridge finished the season at 7-3.

"I'm just proud of our kids," Fusco said. "This is a tough team to beat. [Park Ridge QB Cole Hughes] is a touchdown waiting to happen, as you saw. To go on the road is tough. It's an hour bus-ride and tonight we have no locker room. We're in a tent. Our kids just handled all of it."

Inside the game

There was no question about what the Mountain Lakes offense wanted to do, but no easy way to stop it. The Herd ran the ball on 47 of their 50 offensive plays with fullback Carson Fitch and running backs Jordan Hernando and Ian Redzepagic sharing the load.

Fitch churned out 135 yards, including the winning touchdown late in the third quarter. A bloodied forearm and bandaged wrist showed the toll of his physical running style.

"It's amazing," Fitch said. "We have three great backs and we all push as hard as we can. It's all hustle."

Mountain Lakes went up on its opening possesson on a short play-action touchdown pass to Fitch. It was the Herd's only pass on an 11-play drive.

"The way you stop our Wing-T is bring a lot of bodies," Fusco said. "We knew we had an opportunity if we bootlegged."

Redzepagic added 12 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown for Mountain Lakes.

Park Ridge scored on runs by Luke Macfie (1 yard) and Hughes, who turned a Tush Push into a 62-yard run.

"That can break you in a game, but our kids came back and scored right after," Fusco said. "Our kids just kept finding a way. I'm so proud of the group."