Football: Livingston Blanks Barringer, 29-0, in Opener

LIVINGSTON, NJ -- Barringer's bus didn't arrive at Livingston High School until 7 p.m. Friday night.

That was supposed to be when kickoff would be, but the Newark team's late arrival pushed the start of the opening football game of the season back 35 minutes.

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When it finally got under way, the Lancers were ready. Livingston scored a touchdown on its second offensive snap of the game and, despite myriad penalties, dominated Barringer defensively and went on to a 29-0 victory.

Abel Paul and Christian Giordano each scored two touchdowns and Noah Ramos threw two touchdown passes for Livingston, which had a 22-0 lead at halftime.

After Barringer went three-and-out on its first series, Livingston took over on the Barringer 45-yard line. Ramos completed a 20-yard pass to Simon Ritz on the first play, then Abel Paul took a handoff on a jet sweep and went 25 yards around left end for a touchdown. Paul also ran for the ensuing two-point conversion to give the Lancers an 8-0 lead.

Matt Steiner, JohnMarco Maiello and Jason Graziano were among the Livingston defenders applying tremendous pressure on Barringer's next possession, leading to a punt and another Lancer possession that began right at midfield.

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Ramos completed three passes in three attempts on the seven-play drive that was capped by his 14-yard TD pass to Giordano on a slant pattern with 37 seconds left in the first quarter. Ramos took the ball in on a keeper for another two-point conversion and a 16-0 lead.

Livingston scored again on its third possession, a six-play, 77-yard drive highlighted by Ramos' 52-yard TD pass to Abel Paul on a deep route down the right sideline with 8:05 left in the first half.

Ramos completed 12 of 15 passes for 143 yards in the opening half. He finished the game with 19 completions in 27 attempts for 203 yards.

On its most time-consuming scoring drive of the game, Livingston marched 73 yards in 13 plays late in the third quarter to score on Giordano's 2-yard run followed by George Carr's extra-point kick for a 29-0 lead.

Carr had a superb game with his foot, landing two kickoffs in the end zone for touchbacks and unleashing some long punts, as well.

Livingston's last opening-night victory came in 2021 against Millburn. The Lancers will play at East Orange next Saturday, Sept. 7 at Robeson Stadium.

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