By Gridiron New Jersey Staff
Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2014 10:45 am
Gridiron New
Jersey will be unveiling our
final Top 20 in three parts, beginning with teams that missed the final
cut, but were under consideration. We'll follow with numbers 20 through 11 on Thursday and numbers 10 through 1 on Friday.
Top 20: Others Getting Consideration
Top 20: Numbers 20-11
Top 20: Numbers 10-1
20. Colonia (11-1)
Quarterback Tenny
Adewusi and running back Sam Pero led the Patriots to a huge year,
culminating in a GMC White Division title and a spot in the North 2,
Group 4 final. Colonia got big wins over Carteret, Matawan and
Woodbridge during the regular season, before beating Scotch
Plains-Fanwood and JFK (Iselin) in the playoffs. They pushed
Phillipsburg to overtime in the sectional final before losing, 28-21.
19. South Brunswick (11-1)
South
Brunswick won the GMC
Red, which is always one of the toughest divisions in the state, and got back to the Central, Group 5 title game with postseason
victories over East Brunswick and Trenton. Star running back Dontae
Strickland rushed for 1,200 yards, and the Vikings run game was
bolstered by over 700 from Phil Campbell. Their season concluded with a
21-7 loss to Manalapan in the sectional finals.
18. Timber Creek (11-1)
For the second
straight year, Timber Creek fell to Shawnee in the South, Group 4
finals, but it doesn’t take away from the Chargers’ memorable year. With
wins over Delsea and Cherokee, Creek boasts two wins over 2014
sectional champs, and they also beat Winslow Township and Kingsway in the
playoffs. The finals appearance was the Chargers’ fourth in four years.
17. Pascack Valley (10-2)
The Indians won a second straight North 1, Group 4 title, finishing off an impressive playoff run with a 22-6 win over Paramus. Along with a postseason victory over Passaic Valley, they defeated Old Tappan twice (once in the playoffs) and earned a big opening day win over Montclair. Running back/linebacker Rocco Swatek was a force on both sides of the ball, racking up 115 tackles to go along with 414 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
16. Linden (10-2)
The Tigers lost to
Elizabeth on Nov. 7, but got the Minutemen when it counted most, beating
them in the North 2, Group 5 final. Quarterback Juwan Dolbrice and
running back Kyle Phipps provided a one-two punch that was tough for
defenses to handle, and Linden beat quality teams in North Hunterdon and
Westfield in the playoffs.
15. Sparta (11-1)
Following an
opening-game loss to Roxbury, Sparta went on a tear, ripping through the
rest of its NJAC and playoff schedule to cruise to another North 1,
Group 3 title. Along with an American Division championship, the
Spartans defeated West Milford and Mahwah in the playoffs before picking
up a 31-23 win over River Dell in the finals. It was Sparta’s second
finals victory in a row over the Golden Hawks.
14. DePaul (8-4)
The Spartans won a
second straight Non-Public, Group 2 crown with little trouble, thanks in
large part to running back Kareem Walker, who ran for and 26 touchdowns
and over 1,600 yards. Despite going 0-4 against Big North United
opponents, DePaul landed a marquee win over eventual North 1, Group 4
champion Pascack Valley in September, highlighting a 5-0 start to the
season. They defeated Gloucester Catholic, Immaculata and Holy Spirit in
the playoffs.
13. Don Bosco Prep (7-4)
It is hard to
believe the Ironmen have finished 7-4 for the second consecutive year.
It would be a good year for most teams, but for Bosco, it's a tough
pill to swallow. They did reach the Non-Public, Group 4 semifinals, but
lost a close 18-17 contest to Paramus Catholic. That was the Ironmen’s
second loss to PC this season—a season in which they also lost to Bergen
Catholic and St. Joseph (Mont.).
12. Phillipsburg (11-1)
The Stateliners
ended the season with back-to-back big-time victories. Phillipsburg won
its second straight North 2, Group 4 crown with a 28-21 overtime win
over Colonia for its seventh win in a row, and that came just a week
after a 19-15 Thanksgiving victory over rival Easton (Pa.). A loss to
Hillsborough by just a point kept them from winning the Mid-State 38
Delaware Division, but P-Burg’s season was spectacular, nonetheless.
Running back Joe Maso led the way with 1,604 yards and 20 touchdowns.
11. Manalapan (11-1)
After three
consecutive losses in the sectional finals, Manalapan finally got the
monkey of its back by defeating South Brunswick and winning the Central,
Group 5 championship. The Braves won playoff games against quality
opponents Old Bridge and Hillsborough, picked up some impressive regular
season wins over Sayreville and Middletown South. Running back Imamu
Mayfield led the offense, rushing for 1,827 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Quarterback Dan Anerella was solid and efficient, throwing 18 touchdowns
to just two interceptions.