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By Tom Szieber
Posted: Friday, November 1, 2013 10:10 am
Hard as it is to believe, the end of the pre-cutoff season is upon many of the teams in New Jersey. But the headline games are, of course, the showdowns between St. Joseph (Mont.) and DePaul and Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep. South Jersey has its own parochial prize fight as well, with St. Joseph (Hamm.) and St. Augustine Prep going at it. Let’s get to some picks for those and a host of other top games.
#1 St. Joseph (Mont.) (6-0) @ #3 DePaul (6-1)
With wins over Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco already, a sweep of Bergen County’s historic powerhouses would be monumental for the Spartans. Former Green Knight Kiy Hester already has five picks on the season, and will be looking for another big performance in his first encounter with his old team.
The Pick: St. Joseph (Mont.)
Bergen Catholic (2-5) vs. #5 Don Bosco Prep (3-3) @ Palisades Park Sportsplex
The Ironmen’s offensive line will need to be on top of its game against a Bergen Catholic pass rush that has generated 22 sacks despite the Crusaders’ 2-5 start. After dropping 113 points in three straight losses, they’ve given up just 21 in their two consecutive wins.
The Pick: Don Bosco Prep
#10 Montclair (6-0) @ West Orange (6-1)
The West Orange rushing attack is one of the SEC’s most dangerous, but the Montclair “D” has yet to surrender more than seven points in a single tilt. The Mountaineers will have a shot if they can do something no one has been able to do thus far—stop defensive end Darius Slade from getting into their backfield.
The Pick: Montclair
#12 St. Joseph (Hamm.) (5-1) @ St. Augustine Prep (6-0)
The Hermits have been terrific all season, but they’ve lost three straight to their CAL rival. A win for St. Joseph (Hamm.) would mean a lot in their effort to gain some separation from Morristown-Beard in the race for the top seed in Non-Public, Group 1.
The Pick: St. Joseph (Hamm.)
#20 Ridge (7-0) @ Hunterdon Central (5-2)
The well-documented injuries in the Hunterdon Central backfield have put its hope for a home playoff game in jeopardy. The Ridge running game has already rushed for over 1,800 yards and will be a major test for the HC defense.
The Pick: Ridge
Pascack Valley (5-2) @ Ramapo (6-1)
After an inconsistent start, the Indians have drubbed their last three opponents by a combined 96-14. Ramapo will need to do a better job of scoring touchdowns after several red zone failures in last week’s loss to Paramus.
The Pick: Pascack Valley
Hoboken (5-2) @ Jefferson (6-1)
The Red Wings defense probably hasn’t seen a quarterback capable of beating them in as many ways as J.R. Reese. Hoboken is just 1-2 against teams with above-.500 records this season.
The Pick: Jefferson
Brick Township (5-2) @ Lacey (5-2)
The Lions have struggled over the last several weeks, and gave up 62 points to Jackson last week. Brick has a good shot at locking up the top seed in Central, Group 4 if it can win this week.
The Pick: Brick Township
Keyport (5-2) @ Point Pleasant Beach (6-1)
The Raiders’ assent has been a bit under-the-radar, but their only two losses have come by a total of two points (to Asbury Park and South River). Point Beach can eliminate Keyport from the Class B Central race with a win.
The Pick: Point Pleasant Beach
Long Branch (5-2) @ Matawan (4-2)
A Huskies loss would be devastating to their playoff hopes. The Green Wave can keep them in the Class B North divisional race with a victory.
The Pick: Long Branch
CLOSEST CALL
Collingswood (5-1) @ Haddonfield (4-2)
Say what you will about Collingswood’s schedule, but aside from a loss to West Deptford, its defense has been downright suffocating. Both teams desperately need a victory to keep themselves in the South, Group 2 conversation.
The Pick: Haddonfield
UPSET SPECIAL
Lincoln (6-1) @ Passaic Valley (4-3)
It might not be fair to call this one an upset, but the Hornets can prove that their win over Wayne Hills was no fluke if they can do the same to the one-loss Lions. Passaic Valley hasn’t wont three games in a row since 2010.
The Pick: Passaic Valley
Tom Szieber can be reached by emailing tom@gridironnewjersey.com.