PARSIPPANY — Parsippany Hills High School earned a commanding victory over crosstown rival Parsippany High School on Thursday, September 10, defeating the Red Hawks, 27-0.
The victory improved the Vikings’ record to 2-1, while Parsippany fell to 2-1 after suffering its first loss of the season.
The game remained scoreless throughout the first quarter before Parsippany Hills broke through in the second. Anthony Caponegro powered into the end zone on a 2-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Vikings a 7-0 lead.
Later in the quarter, quarterback Nick Napolitano connected with Donovan Martell for a 9-yard touchdown pass, extending the advantage to 14-0 at halftime.
Parsippany Hills continued to pull away in the second half. Napolitano added another touchdown pass when he found Will Maass, while Dante Gutierrez later reached the end zone to complete the scoring.
The Vikings’ defense controlled the rivalry matchup from start to finish, preventing Parsippany from scoring and securing its first shutout of the season.
The buildup to the crosstown game also included tension away from the field. In the days leading up to the matchup, vulgar images targeting students associated with both schools circulated on social media. Parsippany Focus will not publish or reproduce the images because of their explicit nature and to protect the privacy and safety of the students involved.
The loss halted a strong opening stretch for the Red Hawks, who began the season 2-0 for the first time since 2003. Parsippany Hills, meanwhile, rebounded from its loss to Mendham and secured its second victory through three games. Parsippany will look to bounce back when it hosts Whippany Park on Friday, September 18, at 7:00 p.m.
Author’s Note: Special thanks to Sameer Dhode and Aarnav Sinha for providing in-game information, to Ryan Cobeo for his photography, and to the Parsippany High and Parsippany Hills Barstool accounts for the off the field drama
