PARSIPPANY — Parsippany High School celebrated homecoming with a 6-0 victory over Hopatcong on Friday night, as the Redhawks’ defense delivered a complete shutout and survived a dramatic goal-line stand in the closing moments.
In a game where every yard mattered, Parsippany’s offense broke through for the only touchdown of the night. Jake Behnke came up with a huge catch that moved the Redhawks down the field and set up Shane Petzinger for the game’s lone touchdown.
With six points on the board, the defense took care of the rest.
Parsippany repeatedly shut down Hopatcong throughout the night, keeping the Chiefs scoreless and making the Redhawks’ narrow lead hold up. The defense saved its biggest stand for the final moments.
Hopatcong drove all the way to the Parsippany 2-yard line with a chance to tie the game, putting the Redhawks’ shutout and homecoming victory in jeopardy.
That was when the home crowd became a factor.
With Parsippany fans making as much noise as possible near the goal line, Hopatcong was called for a false start, pushing the Chiefs backward at a critical moment. The Redhawks’ defense then finished the job, keeping Hopatcong out of the end zone and sealing the 6-0 victory.
It was a fitting finish to a game that required contributions from everyone. Jake’s catch helped create Parsippany’s scoring opportunity, Shane finished the drive with the touchdown, the defense refused to give up a point, and the homecoming crowd made its presence felt when the game came down to its final defensive stand.
On homecoming night, Parsippany’s offense, defense, and crowd all came together when the Redhawks needed them most.
With the homecoming victory, Parsippany High School improves to 4-3 on the season. The Redhawks will look to build on their momentum when they travel to face Boonton (5-1) on Friday, October 16, at 6:30 p.m
Author’s Note: Special thanks to Pruthvi Sheyte and Harrison Gordon for providing game information, key plays, and additional details that helped make this article possible, and to Ryan Cobeo for his photography. For more of Ryan’s work, follow @ryanc.media on Instagram.
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