PISCATAWAY –  The high intensity that typically marks playoff football was on display from the early going in the 10th Annual New York-New Jersey Football Classic, formerly known as the Governor’s Bowl. At that point in the game, it was just some pushing and trash-talking taking place on the Rutgers Stadium turf.

By game’s end, however, there would be good reason for the heightened emotion. New Jersey overcame an early 14-point deficit and took the lead on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Parsippany Hills’ Mike Gerardi to Edison’s Michael Campbell with 1:59 to play in the fourth quarter. The Garden Staters then had to withstand a 12-play, 68-yard drive from New York, helped along by a debatable pass interference call, before North Bergen’s Evan Rodriguez intercepted a pass in the end zone on a fourth-and-1 play from the 5-yard-line. The 21-14 win was the second straight for New Jersey, which won last year's game at West Point behind an MVP performance from former Middletown South star running back Knowshon Moreno.

“I’m not used to being on the sideline at the end of the game,” Manasquan’s Brad Newman said. “I think I was more nervous than the guys on the field.”

Newman and Freehold Township’s Joe Faiella were the only two Shore Conference products on the field from New Jersey. Newman, a standout tight end and defensive tackle for the South Jersey Group II champions, was restricted to offensive duty, where he is expected to play for Boston College. He and Faiella, a Maryland recruit who primarily lined up at left guard, helped lead an attack that gained 155 yards on 31 carries.

It was a rough start for Faiella, who drew a false start penalty on a three-and-out to start the game for New Jersey. New York, meanwhile, found the end zone on its first two possessions, an 8-yard run by North Carolina State recruit Curtis Underwood and a 44-yard strike on a crossing pattern from Syracuse-bound David Legree to Freddie Santana, who was selected as New York’s offensive MVP after finishing with five catches for 95 yards. After finding themselves down 14-0, however, Faiella helped lead the way as Weequahic’s Adonis Thomas switched direction on a 60-yard touchdown run that turned the tide. Thomas started left behind Faiella and 6-6, 335-pound Rutgers recruit Anthony Davis of Plainfield, before reversing field and streaking down the right sideline. Thomas finished with 79 yards on six carries, while Pope John's Jeremy Tucker rushed for 78 yards.

“I heard the roar and I knew he went back across the field,” Faiella said. “I just got up and followed him looking for someone to hit.”

The score woke up the Jersey defense, which limited New York to 18 total yards on its next seven possessions. Weeqhahic linebacker Amara Kamara, who terrorized Raritan in the Central Jersey II final last December, led the way with six tackles, while defensive MVP Al-Ghaffar Lane of Paterson Catholic, one of eight future Scarlet Knights on the New Jersey squad, recorded two tackles, one forced fumble and several pass deflections.

“In the beginning our defense was a little bit lethargic and out of alignment,” said Lacey head coach Lou Vircillo, one of the game’s founders and a member of the New Jersey coaching staff. “Then we stepped it up and kind stopped their inside attack. (Lane) is a little lighter than most of the kids so he was concerned he wouldn’t get in the rotation. I told him not to worry about it because there’s plenty of opportunities for pass rush. We were really happy that he got the MVP. At least I was.”

Two plays after the Thomas touchdown, Rodriguez, headed to West Virginia University, picked off his first pass of the game and brought it 42 yards up the right sideline to the New York 1. After a 2-yard loss on the ground, Paterson Kennedy’s Chris Johnson, who will join Newman at Boston College, found Iowa-bound fullback Mike Daniels of Highland in the left flat for a 3-yard touchdown.

On a possession that bridged the third and fourth quarters, Monmouth-bound kicker Eric McCutcheon of J.P. Stevens hit the left upright on a potential go-ahead 31-yard field goal. After Lane’s forced fumble, Jersey got another great scoring chance, but could not convert a fourth-and-inches on the New York eight.

Getting the ball back with 4:00 to play, Gerardi went 3-for-3 for 41 yards on the 50-yard touchdown drive, finding Campbell on a pump-and-go route into the right corner of the end zone. Campbell was wide open in the middle of the field to haul in the 2-point conversion.

After New York quarterback Terrance Schmand, headed to William and Mary, went 4-for-7 for 41 yards to move his team down the field, New Jersey appeared to seal its victory as a pass bounced off the pads of intended receiver Marcus Rivers on fourth-and-5. A pass interference penalty was called although it appeared the ball reached Rivers before New Jersey's defenders made contact. A nine-yard pass to Rivers on the following play put New York on the Jersey 5 with 12 seconds to play. Schmand threw two incomplete passes before the interception ended the game.