By Tom Szieber
Posted: Thursday September 10, 2015 8:45 am
It’s the “real” opening week, and the obvious story is #1 vs. #2. The top two squads in the Vita Athletics - Gridiron New Jersey Top 20, Bergen Catholic and St. Peter’s Prep are ready to do battle. They’ve had plenty of big playoff confrontations, but to have this kind of in-state matchup this early in the fall is pretty special.
Montclair, meanwhile, is looking to avoid some negative history and a second straight loss to #18 Pascack Valley. The Mounties would find themselves in unfamiliar territory with two losses to start the year. And #7 Middletown South is a lot of people’s pick for top public school squad in the state, but they’ll need to beat a good #20 South Brunswick team in their opener to get their season off to the start they covet.
Let’s look at some of the many great matchups New Jersey will see in week 1.
PICK STANDINGS
Last Week: 5-5
Season: 5-5
#2 St Peter’s Prep (1-0) @ #1 Bergen Catholic (1-0)
BC is worried about the here and now, but don’t think the Crusaders have forgotten about going 0-2 last season against the Maruranders, including a 31-14 defeat in last year’s Non-Public, Group 4 semifinal. Prep cannot afford another slow start this week, as Bergen’s high-powered offense can rack up points in a hurry.
The Pick: Bergen Catholic
#20 South Brunswick (0-0) @ #7 Middletown South (0-0)
Phil Campbell and Chrisjon Summers give the Vikings a well-rounded running back corps. Middletown South running back Cole Rogers is among the Shore Conference’s best, having rushed for 1,867 yards and 26 touchdowns last season.
The Pick: Middletown South
#18 Pascack Valley (1-0) @ Montclair (0-1)
Quarterback Colin Dedrick showed that among other things, he is clutch, throwing a late touchdown to beat Hackensack last week. The Mounties haven’t started 0-2 since 2004.
The Pick: Pascack Valley
Phillipsburg (0-0) @ Union (0-0)
Phillipsburg may be running a quarterback-by-committee approach, with Zach Ringhoff and Danny Fisher both having solid preseasons. Union wants to quickly rid itself of the taste of its first sub-.500 season in 10 years.
The Pick: Phillipsburg
Rahway (0-0) @ Roselle (0-0)
The Rams were a team on the rise in 2014, and bring back quarterback Gerald Hairston III, who threw for 2,353 yards last season. New head coach Brian Russo is on a mission to rebuild an Indians squad that went 1-9 last season.
The Pick: Roselle
North Bergen (0-0) @ Bloomfield (0-0)
The Bengals will have a tough task in front of them as they try to stop talented Bruins quarterback Anthony Ramos. You’ll hear the name of Bloomfield tight end Ollie Williams a lot this year -- the 6-3, 230-pounder has the potential to be one of the SEC’s best at the position.
The Pick: North Bergen
#9 Shawnee (0-0) @ Williamstown (0-0)
Shawnee linebacker David Gajderowicz had 72 tackles last season for a Renegades team that won another South, Group 4 title. The Braves want to avenge a 42-7 blowout loss that occurred when these teams met in last year’s opener.
The Pick: Shawnee
Kingsway (0-0) @ Hammonton (0-0)
Junior running back Anthony Seas scored 10 touchdowns last season, and looks primed for a big year for the Dragons. The Blue Devils will have a new coach in Jim Raso, who will be tasked with the mission of getting a hot start out of a team that lost four of five to end 2014.
The Pick: Hammonton
Bishop Ahr (0-0) @ Colonia (0-0)
Colonia has a tackling machine in linebacker Solomon Manning, who recorded 100 stops a year ago. The Trojans have lost four straight games to the Patriots, last beating them in 2010.
The Pick: Colonia
Mountain Lakes (0-0) @ Madison (0-0)
The Herd will look to extend its NJ-best 24-game winning streak against a team that not too long ago was the active leader in that category. With both teams major contenders in North 2, Group 2 (and Mountain Lakes the reigning two-time champs), this may not be their only meeting this year.
The Pick: Mountain Lakes
Tom Szieber can be reached by emailing tom@gridironnewjersey.com.