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By Tom Szieber
Posted: Thursday, September 4, 2014 10:08 am
It was a longer offseason than we at Gridiron New Jersey expected, but football season is finally here. And just to make up for some lost time, we decided to go big for opening week. Here are some picks for every single game on the slate.
Here's to another exciting season of New Jersey high school football!
Pope John @ DePaul
The Lions have an ambitious first few weeks on their schedule, and a win over a non-NJAC parochial like DePaul would provide a lot of momentum heading into their second game against Paramus Catholic. It will be a test for Pope John to keep junior linebacker Quayshon Alexander (nine sacks in 2013) off of its star junior quarterback, Sonny Abramson.
The Pick: DePaul
Teaneck @ River Dell
River Dell is on a mission after getting handily defeated in last season’s North 1, Group 3 final. Another new regime begins in Teaneck, as Joe Purcella hopes to lead the Highwaymen past the three-year stretch (2011-2013) that saw them win just seven games.
The Pick: River Dell
St. Joseph (Mont.) @ McDonogh (Md.) (1-0)
New head coach Augie Hoffman has a talented squad, led by linebacker Joseph Giles-Harris, that is looking to begin the road to a fourth-straight Non-Public, Group 3 crown. McDonogh quarterback Jansen Durham completed 66% of his passes and threw two touchdowns to lead his team to a 27-14 win over Benedictine (Va.).
The Pick: St. Joseph (Mont.)
Paramus Catholic @ Gilman (Md.) (0-1)
The Paladins defense will be one of the best in the state, lead by senior linebacker Saleem Brightwell and junior defensive tackle Rashan Gary (who may or may not be in action this week given the ongoing controversy over his transfer from Scotch Plains-Fanwood). Gilman (Md.) will be looking for a better result than the 28-0 loss they suffered against PC on opening day last year.
The Pick: Paramus Catholic
Bowie (Md.) (0-1) @ Hackensack
The Comets “D” will be led by a pair of seniors, linebacker Goran Krasic and defensive tackle Elijah Simmons, who combined for 100 tackles and 12.5 sacks last year. The Bulldogs were 6-4 last year, but graduated 32 seniors from that squad.
The Pick: Hackensack
Don Bosco Prep @ St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) (1-0)
Senior quarterback Jack Clements went 11-of-15 for 206 yards and three touchdowns in Joe’s opening day win over Mount Carmel (Ill.). He may have a tough time replicating that performance against Bosco cornerbacks Daivon Ellison and Lawrence Stevens.
The Pick: Don Bosco Prep
LaSalle (Pa.) (1-0) @ Bergen Catholic
Behind junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, BC is looking to rebound from a highly disappointing 2-7 season. LaSalle (Pa.) got its season off to a good start last Friday night with a 29-7 win over North Penn (Pa.).
The Pick: LaSalle (Pa.)
Bergen Tech @ Cliffside Park
The Knights made some big strides in 2013—their first season on an independent schedule. Their 15-12 victory over the Red Raiders last Sept. 12 foreshadowed what would be a winless campaign for Cliffside Park.
The Pick: Bergen Tech
Holy Spirit @ Malvern Prep (Pa.) (0-1)
The Spartans will need to have eyes on Malvern senior linebacker Trevor Morris (10 sacks, 1 INT in 2013) at all times. Without St. Joseph (Hamm.) on the schedule this year, this may be Holy Spirit’s biggest test before playoff time.
The Pick: Holy Spirit
Cedar Grove @ Cedar Creek
With star junior receiver Ahmir Mitchell and an entire front five returning, the Pirates offense should be one to reckoned with. With quarterback Joe Slattery and wide receiver David Njoku gone, the Panthers offense will run through senior fullback Dominick Ferrara and junior halfback Mike Slattery.
The Pick: Cedar Grove
Cardinal McCarrick @ Newark Academy
The Eagles are hoping to begin a new era after having to suspend their program midway through last year. The Minutemen haven’t earned a win over anyone not named Dwight-Englewood since 2011.
The Pick: Newark Academy
Snyder @ Belleville
Snyder coach Eric Pawlowski is hoping year two will yield better results than year one, when the Tigers failed to hold a single opponent under 36 points. His counterpart, Joe Fischer (the last coach to lead the Bucs to the playoffs), is back at the helm in Belleville, hoping to pull the squad out of the mire of back-to-back 1-9 seasons.
The Pick: Belleville
Newark East Side @ Kearny
The Red Raiders have had a tough time in coach Ricky Scotton’s first three years (going just 1-29), but they did play some tough, close games at the end of last season. The Kardinals came along a bit offensively late last season as well, but will need a much better start than the one they endured in 2013 (when they lost five straight games via shutout).
The Pick: Newark East Side
Newark Collegiate @ Marist
The Panthers are looking to build on an inaugural season that saw them go just 1-5. Marist has a strong linebacker returning in Steven Harper, who notched 127 tackles last year.
The Pick: Marist
Seton Hall Prep @ Union City
Offensive lineman Jared Southers gives the Pirates an anchor on an offense that has some inexperience in several key areas. The Soaring Eagles too, have a skilled and powerful front five, led by seniors Alvaro Pittar and Steven Gonzalez.
The Pick: Union City
Wise (Md.) @ St. Peter’s Prep
Wise (Md.) suffered a heartbreaking 14-12 playoff loss to DuVal (Md.) to end its 2013 season, but were the 2012 Maryland Class 4A champs. The Marauders, led by senior quarterback Brandon Wimbush, have 14 starters back from a team that came within a touchdown of a sectional title last season.
The Pick: St. Peter’s Prep
Sussex Tech @ Pennington
The Fighting Mustangs have made great strides the last two years, with their nine total wins eclipsing the amount they had in their first four years of existence. Despite some other players with star power, Pennington’s headline-grabber at the moment is junior kicker Sabrina Tucci—the 135-year-old school’s first female player.
The Pick: Pennington
West Essex @ Delaware Valley
The Knights seemed like a sectional champion until getting derailed in the playoffs by Parsippany Hills last year. They only return five starters into their opener against a Terriers team that feels it has something to prove after failing to finish above .500 for the first time since 2009.
The Pick: Delaware Valley
Freehold Boro @ Middletown North
Middletown North has the potential to have one of the Shore’s best offenses thanks to sophomore quarterback Donald Glenn (the top returning signal-caller in the league) and junior running back Chad Freshnock. Boro is trying to get back on track this year, having won just seven total games in the three seasons since their last sectional title.
The Pick: Middletown North
Howell @ Freehold Township
Running back Jarvis Leaks is making a move from wide out to running back for his senior season, but he’s got a strong line in front of him that includes the likes of guard Jorge Hidalgo and tackle Jeremy Subjinski. The Patriots haven’t won a season opener since 2008.
The Pick: Howell
Pinelands @ Donovan Catholic
The Griffins have toughness on both sides of the ball in senior offensive lineman/linebacker Matt Post. Donovan has beaten Pinelands in each of the past three seasons.
The Pick: Donovan Catholic
Red Bank Catholic @ Wall
RBC is poised for another strong start, as they haven’t lost a Shore Conference game in nearly four years. Wall’s 2013 collapse last year (seven straight losses after a 3-0 start) was somewhat remarkable considering that then-defensive coordinator and new head coach Dan Curcione’s unit was fairly solid all year.
The Pick: Red Bank Catholic
Middletown South @ Marlboro
The Eagles have a strong offensive line, led by 6’4,” 280-pound tackle Thomas Lopez. After an 0-6 start last season, the Mustangs showed how far they’d come by splitting their final four contests.
The Pick: Middletown South
Newark Central @ Newark West Side
Central took a bit of a step back last year, but has made big strides throughout the tenure of head coach Julius Monford. The Roughriders are coming off their best season since 2007—the year they won their last sectional championship.
The Pick: Newark West Side
Tom Szieber can be reached by emailing tom@gridironnewjersey.com.