PARAMUS — Senior quarterback Trevor Bopp and Paramus couldn’t wait for the second half after a turnover-filled first half.

Bopp ran for three touchdowns during a dominating second half and the Spartans defeated Mahwah, 40-13, Friday night in North Jersey Super Football Conference interdivisional action.

Bopp scored on runs of 26, 19, and 24 yards to help Paramus, No. 12 in the North Jersey Public Top 20 rankings, erase a 13-6 halftime deficit against No. 14 Mahwah (0-1).

Senior Kyle Jacob was a three-way standout for Paramus (1-1). Jacob, a running back, linebacker, defensive back and punt returner, scored on a 39-yard run in the first half and 65-yard punt return after intermission.

"We went in the locker room [at halftime], our team was pumped up, and we knew we were going to come out fired up in the second half," Jacob said.

Mahwah led at halftime thanks to four interceptions. Junior defensive back Nick Peltekian returned one for a 14-yard score in the first quarter, and senior quarterback Kyle Teel ran for a 24-yard score late in the second quarter.

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Peltekian had two interceptions, the second and third for Mahwah. Senior Ryan Cabrera had the first pickoff, and junior Sal Cantone had the fourth.

"We didn't start the game off very well and I think you have to give a lot of credit to Mahwah," Paramus coach Joe Sabella said. "They came out very fired up, they had a very good plan."

What it means

Paramus has its sights set on a return to the North Group 3 playoffs, despite graduating all but a handful of starters from a school-best 10-1 season.

Perhaps these new Spartans are capable of securing a postseason bid and being competitive in a first-round game. Most impressively, the defense only allowed one TD.

"We hurt ourselves with four turnovers right off the bat, but our defense played phenomenal," Sabella said. "All the credit goes to our defense tonight. They kept us in the game long enough to find our offensive identity and we hit at the right time."

Added Jacob: "It was every man to the ball, we were hitting hard, playing smart, and we did our job."

Key stats

Paramus' second-half identity featured a lot more running by Bopp and Jacob, their two returning marquee players. Bopp ran for 158 of his 210 yards in the second half. Jacob ran for 97 of his 155 yards after intermission.

"We had a lot of mistakes in the first half, mental scheme stuff, and we came out in the second half and we ran the ball well and the line blocked and made huge holes and me and Kyle were able to run through those holes and score touchdowns," Bopp said.

"We've got two good backs in our quarterback and our tailback, and our line opened some holes, and I think we wore them down in the end," Sabella said. "But it's the two guys, Trevor and Kyle lead the way, and we kind of follow what they do."

They said it

"After that first half, I was pretty down," Bopp said. "Coach Sabella made sure to come over to me and made sure I was all right and that my head was still in it and that I wasn't mentally out of it because I had a bad first half. And he wanted to make sure I came out fired up for the second half."