Ridge High School cross-country runner Tyler Gibbons, who this October took the Somerset County and Skylands Conference championships, was the school's first participant in the Nike Cross National cross-country competition, which he attended with his two coaches from Ridge. Gibbons qualified for the national event, held the first weekend in December in Portland, Ore., after his finish in Nike's Northeast regional competition on Nov. 26. Tyler said he then finished at 16:11 as one of the top five individual runners, and two top cross-country teams from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, …

The Ridge High School Touchdown Club held its annual "Senior Breakfast" on Saturday morning at William Annin Middle School. The event brings together the senior members of the band, cheerleading and football squads and their families to share some together-time, food and some laughs after the season is over. TD Club president Paul DeMarco thanked all the people who make the season a success, both behind the scenes and on the sidelines. He expressed his appreciation for the integration of the three different squads and how important they are to Ridge. "We are one football community," DeMarco …

The Ridge High School girls soccer team fell to Lenape 2-0 Saturday in the NJSIAA Group 4 championship at The College of New Jersey. Lenape, which beat Ridge in the 2008 final, scored two first-half goals for the victory Saturday. 1st 2nd FINAL Lenape (24-2-1) 2 0 2 Ridge (16-5-3) 0 0 0 IN SHORT Ridge was slow to gain steam at the start the game. Lenape took advantage and Courtney Kovac scored in just the fifth minute of play. Ridge made some offensive runs, but Lenape took a commanding lead with 10 minutes left in the half when Katie Rigby scored to make it 2-0. "The first half we came out a…

Ridge High School Girls Tennis Team wrapped up it's 'winning-ist' season in seven years with a banquet this week at Maggiano's Little Italy in Bridgewater, also saying goodbye to three seniors. Wrapping up its season with a record of 11-6, the Ridge varsity girls tennis team celebrated the participation of three graduating seniors — Kelli Williford, Lyndsey Byrnes and Maddy Schwartz. Coach Chad Griffiths in his seventh year coaching the RHS girls tennis team, and was thanked for being an encouraging coach to both junior varsity and varsity tennis teams, taking great pride in the team and the …

The Ridge girls soccer team will face the team from Lenape Regional at The College of New Jersey for the Group 4 final championship match at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Ridge team beat the previously undefeated Montclair girls soccer on Tuesday when Kelly McWhorter scored the sole goal of the game in the 67th minute of the game to clinch a 1-1 victory. The Ridge High School girls soccer team now advances to the Group 4 championship game, which will be played in the college in Ewing. The Lenape girls soccer team, from Burlington County, won the state championship against Ridge in 2008. Ridge's …

The Ridge Red Devils cross country team participated in the Group IV championship meet this past Saturday, qualifying several runners—including the girls’ team and star runner Tyler Gibbons—for the Meet of Champions this Saturday in Holmdel. The girls' team finished fifth at the group meet, capturing the last wild card berth into the Meet of Champions. It was a great accomplishment for the Red Devils’ girls, despite what their coach said was not their best day. “We just didn’t show up that day, unfortunately,” said Red Devils’ head cross country coach Tim Mooney. “It was probably our weakest …

Friday's game on a chilly night — which ended up as a victory against Kearny that boosted the Ridge Red Devils football final record to 3-7 for this year — was the last time that many of the players and other supporters who had participated this fall would be together on Lee Field. (unless you count as graduating seniors next June.) The 48-14 win at home over Kearny was a nice touch, as was the continuing support from parents, cheerleaders, the Ridge Marching Band and a chunk of diehard fans, some of them wrapped in blankets. Moms sold football sweatshirts and other memorabilia, and cooked …

This week's final Red Devils football fans are three friends who made it to their team's last game for 2011. Dwayne Feaster and Grant Rappert, eighth graders at the William Annin Middle School and Nico Abbate, a freshman at Ridge High School, were at the edge of the field even before the post-season game started on Friday night. The post-season game against Kearny would be the Red Devils last game for this year. So why did they come out on a cold winter night? "The pride of the Red Devils," said Grant. Dwayne said he had been at every game. Nico's reason? "The cheerleaders, mostly." Nico …

"When you support your team, you're going to be there in good times and bad," said Red Devils football (and Ridge marching band) fan Mike Mason, one of the brave who watched the football team's final game of the year on Friday night. As temperatures dipped into the lower 40s, and after the end of the Red Devils' regular season, the crowd was sparse, although the stands had started filling in by the end of the first quarter. By that time, the Devils were giving the diehard fans a show for their money, leading the Kearny Cardinals by 21-7 after the first quarter. Johnny Graves ended the last …

The Ridge High School girls soccer team turned the tables on rival Bridgewater in the North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 sectional final Thursday afternoon, winning on penalty kicks after the two teams played a scoreless draw in regulation and overtime. Last year, Bridgewater eliminated Ridge on penalty kicks in the sectional semifinal round.   1st 2nd OT-1 OT-2 P-Kicks Final Bridgewater (14-6-3) 0 0 0 0 2 2 Ridge (15-4-3) 0 0 0 0 3 3 IN SHORT This was an intense game between two very evenly matched teams as the Red Devils and visiting Panthers played to a scoreless draw for 100 minutes, 80 in …

Looking for something to do with the kids during the teacher's convention? The Ridge girls varsity soccer team is playing in the NJSIAA North 2, Group 4, State Sectional Championship against Bridgewater-Raritan High School at 2 p.m. on Thursday at home at Lee Field at Ridge High School.   Ridge is a Group 4 high school, which is the largest of the four public school ratings (small schools are Group 1, large schools are Group 4). Sixteen Group 4 schools qualified for the North 2 tournament, and we're down to Ridge and Bridgewater (the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds of the 16).   Visit the Ridge soccer …

The Ridge High School Booster Club is scheduled to present an educational program on sports performance development and enhancement at 7 p.m. next Thursday, Nov. 17, in the main gymnasium at Ridge High School on South Finley Avenue. Ridge High and William Annin Middle School student-athletes, coaches, and parents are invited and encouraged to attend the free event, according to an announcement forwarded by Richard Shello, athletic director at the high school. The community-funded Ridge Booster Club provides funding to support programs for the athletic community. The program will be offered by…

The Ridge High School varsity soccer team traveled to Bridgewater-Raritan for their opening game in the NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 state soccer tournament on Tuesday afternoon. Ridge arrived as the No. 16 seed and was unable to get past Bridgewater, the No. 1 seed. The two teams were in a lock for part of the first half, and then Bridgewater-Raritan moved ahead to a 4-0 victory. 1st 2nd FINAL Ridge (7-11-1) 0 0 0 Bridgewater (16-2) 1 3 4 IN SHORT It was a beautiful cloudless and breezy afternoon when the two rivals took the field at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. The game was extremely close …

The weather tried to be the story at the Skylands Conference Cross Country Championships held at Natirar Park Thursday afternoon. And although the rain made its mark during a race punctuated by downpours, Tyler Gibbons of Ridge and Dana Giordano of Bernards High School showed that their athletic talent will shine in any weather. BOYS VARSITY The boys race came across the open field with senior stars Tyler Gibbons (Ridge), Jon Harper (Phillipsburg) and Darrell Gooding (Franklin) leading the runners. As the race wound back around to the start area, Gibbons moved to the lead, never to look back…

The Ridge High School boys soccer team celebrated 'Senior Night' hosting Monroe Township for the last game of their 2011 regular season. A game that should have on paper gone to the highly-rated Monroe was taken by the Devils in overtime, 2-1. 1st 2nd OT FINAL Monroe (12-6-1) 0 1 0 1 Ridge (7-10-1) 0 1 1 2 IN SHORT The Ridge team has been a winning streak and look like the team they were expected to be in the pre-season. Tonight, facing a Central, Group 4 NJSIAA State Tourney 3rd seed, Ridge looked solid from the start.  Senior Randy Regner broke the ice scoring the Ridge goal. Shortly …

It took two overtimes, but the Ridge High School football team made sure its fans went home happy on homecoming Friday night, defeating Linden 27-21 at Lee Field. For a full photo gallery, including a photo of the homecoming king and queen, head here. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT 2OT FINAL Linden (2-5) 0 7 0 7 7 0 21 Ridge (2-5) 0 14 0 0 7 6 27 IN SHORT In one of the most exciting games of the season, Ridge played strong on both sides of the ball from the opening kickoff through both overtimes. Ridge drew first blood on a run from JD Moore. With just 1:52 left in the first half, Linden got on the board…

Despite leading at the end of the first quarter, the Ridge High School football team fell to Hunterdon Central in Flemington, 48-16, on Friday night after Central scored 41 points in the last three quarters. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th FINAL Ridge (1-5) 14 0 2 0 16 Hunterdon Central (5-1) 7 14 14 13 48 IN SHORT Ridge did not look like the underdog in Friday's game when they faced the No. 16 team in N.J. as ranked by the Star-Ledger. Rob Mullaney returned to action, pounding the ball inside for a touchdown to open up the scoring at the 8:21 mark of the first quarter. Just two plays and 21 seconds later, …

The Ridge High School girls varsity soccer team celebrated senior night Wednesday at Lee Field hosting Montgomery. The game was a solid nonstop battle between two top 20 teams that went to regulation and double overtime before ending in a 0-0 tie. 1st 2nd 1st OT 2nd OT FINAL Montgomery (10-1-1) 0 0 0 0 0 Ridge (9-4-1) 0 0 0 0 0 IN SHORT Ridge opened the evening by honoring the ten Devil seniors and their families on the field.  What followed was a highly anticipated contest between two top 20 teams and there was no disappointment. Ridge, ranked No. 11 by the Star Ledger, and Montgomery, …

Opponent Samantha DePinho from Watchung Hills scored two goals  and the Ridge High School girls soccer team could not find an answer Tuesday, as the Red Devils were blanked 4-0 by the Warriors at Tozier Stadium in Warren. On the same day, the boys soccer team reversed the score to beat the Watchung Hills Warriors 4-0 in a home game in Basking Ridge. Jameson Lochhead, Zach and Derek Lyons and Randy Regner scored goals for the boys' team, according to a parent. GIRLS SOCCER RIDGE (9-4) 0-0 –0WATCHUNG HILLS (8-2) 2-2  —4 IN SHORTPlaying for the first time without senior midfielder and co-captain…

The Ridge High School junior varsity football team hosted the Hillsborough JV team at Lee Field Monday afternoon. Scoring rushing three touchdowns, Ridge got back to their winning ways, with a 18-6 victory over the visitors. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th FINAL Hillsborough 0 0 0 6 6 Ridge 6 0 6 6 18 IN SHORT Ridge has promoted many of the JV starters to starting spots on the Devils' varsity squad, notably quarterback Conor Hughes, end/defensive end Ryan Bell and fullback/linebacker Matthew Soulas. Even so, the JV team still is winning. Ridge dominated with their offensive line making plenty of running room…