Toms River North Football Wins State Group 5 Championship

TOMS RIVER, NJ — If you heard sirens and saw lots of emergency vehicles Sunday evening and wondered what was happening, they were sounds of celebration: The Toms River North football team won a state championship.

The Mariners' football team captured the first NJSIAA Group 5 championship in state history, beating Passaic Tech 28-7 at Rutgers University.

Toms River North did not lose a game all season, going 14-0 en route to winning the Group 5 title, as New Jersey played to group champions for the first time. Before this year, teams could only win sectional championships, and Toms River North has won several of those over its history.

Quarterback Micah Ford passed for 117 yards and three touchdowns, and running back Josh Moore scored an 80-yard touchdown for Toms River North, which was held under 40 points in a game for the first time all season, according to an NJ.com report.

As the Mariners returned from winning the championship, they were greeted at Exit 82 by a full parade of fire trucks and police vehicles that escorted the team the rest of the way to the high school.

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