MAY 10, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015, 1:07 AM
BY JJ CONRAD
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
MAHWAH — The soon-to-be Ridgewood graduates, like Jordan Ford and Reid Simoncini, stood and posed for pictures with the trophy, just as the previous 10 senior classes had done before them.
The Maroons’ girls lacrosse team had just carried on an unprecedented dynasty, as Ridgewood captured its 11th straight Bergen County title with a near-flawless 16-2 win over previously unbeaten Northern Highlands (19-1) on Saturday.
Essentially everyone involved said the winning never gets old. But the experiences, they say, always differ.
Each one is special. Each one has different players in different roles.
One thing that remains constant, however, is the annual pressure to live up to the Ridgewood legacy.
“Not on your watch!” one parent shouted proudly during the seniors’ trophy photo shoot, declaring the Maroons’ run of county dominance was not going to end with the Class of 2015.
“The pressure that’s on us to keep this going makes it that much more exciting,” said Ford, the James Madison-bound middie who struck for a game-high five goals and one assist as Ridgewood (16-0) stormed out to an 11-2 halftime lead.
“I think in my mind all the time that there’s no possibility we’re going to lose. It’s a tradition we love and a tradition we want to hold on to. Losing is not an option. That’s our motto. Losing is not acceptable here.”
Land of make believe…