By Tom Szieber
Posted: Thursday, November 19, 7:55 am
Check out more outstanding high school sports photos from Brian Carr.
GROUP 1
North 1
The Verona defense did it again last week, recording a shutout for the third time this season in a 19-0 victory over Hasbrouck Heights. Only three teams have even cracked double digits against the defending-champion Hillbillies, though one has to figure eighth-seeded Cresskill will test that statistic’s durability. The Cougars have dropped 135 points on their last three opponents, and have a major weapon in running back Brendan Coffey, who put up 135 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over Park Ridge. Cedar Grove is looking to put an exclamation mark on a major turnaround, sitting at 8-2 right now following a 3-7 year in 2014. Boonton proved it could win a low-scoring, defensive affair last week, beating Saddle Brook via shutout despite scoring a season low in points (13).
The Picks:
(8) Cresskill over (4) Verona
(2) Boonton over (3) Cedar Grove
North 2
It was all the way back on opening day when Brearley defeated Belvidere, 28-14, but Bears quarterback Sebastian Montesdeoca hasn’t slowed down one bit. He is a legitimate double-threat, and will need to be neutralized if Belvidere hopes to even the season series. Montesdeoca’s counterpart, Jake Thornton, has a similar skill set, and made play after play in the County Seaters’ first round win over Roselle Park. Weequahic still has a lot to prove, as two of its four wins have come over a still-young Newark Collegiate program. The Indians have a solid defense, though, setting up an interesting matchup with Hoboken’s high-octane offense.
The Picks:
(1) Brearley over (4) Belvidere
(2) Hoboken over (6) Weequahic
Central
Shore is one of the most dominant Group 1 teams in New Jersey, as shown by a defense that has allowed just 50 points in nine games. They ride a 17-game win streak into the semifinals, including a win in the title game last year. Florence, meanwhile, is surging after a slow start to the year, and has a high-caliber back in Joey Foga carrying the rock. Seventh-seeded Keyport surprised a lot of people with its upset of Asbury Park last week, and will look to do it again against a Palmyra team that got off to a bit of a slow start against Point Pleasant Beach last week. To do it, they’ll need to put the wraps on talented sophomore running back Elijah Karnjay, who has scored 12 touchdowns this season.
The Picks:
(1) Shore over (4) Florence
(3) Palmyra over (7) Keyport
South
They are only 4-5, but Glassboro is starting to have that “team of destiny” feel to them. After a rally over Penns Grove to make the playoffs, and a first round upset of top-seeded Salem, the Bulldogs will now attempt to chop down a Clayton squad that is having a breakout year of its own. With running back Tyreek Jackson leading the way with 110 yards and two touchdowns, the Clippers clipped a Gloucester City team in the first round that had beaten them just weeks earlier. Defending champion Paulsboro extended its winning streak to six games with a win over Penns Grove last week, and will face a Pennsville squad that, although very dangerous, had to survive a nailbiter with Woodbury in its playoff opener.
The Picks:
(8) Glassboro over (4) Clayton
(2) Pennsville over (3) Paulsboro
GROUP 2
North 1
Glen Rock and Hawthorne are two NJIC teams that are very familiar with one another. Aside from meeting many times over the years, they locked up in September, with the Panthers winning, 41-18. It has been the Bears’ only loss to date, and they’ve been rolling over the past month. Running back Abdullah Elailla scored four touchdowns in Hawthorne’s first round win over Sussex Tech, and will need to be at his best this week. Pequannock has been playing well, and knocked off two-time defending champion Westwood last week, but will have its work cut out for it in Mahwah. T-Birds running back Zayjay Colon-Carerro left last week’s game early with an injury, but no matter his status, quarterback James Ciliento is a do-it-all type of player that can take the Mahwah offense on his shoulders.
The Picks:
(1) Glen Rock over (4) Hawthorne
(2) Mahwah over (3) Pequannock
North 2
Rutherford has strut its stuff in back-to-back wins over Lyndhurst, but they’ll be tested by a Hanover Park squad that has surprised a lot of people. Rutherford has a good run game and a reliable quarterback in Nick Birchby, and will need to score often to keep up with a Hornets squad that can put points up in bunches. Lenape Valley has already beaten Madison this year, with halfback Steven Leyden and the Patriots’ Wing-T running wild. Save a one-point slip-up to Butler, the Dodgers have been near-unstoppable since, and this one should be down-to-the-wire.
The Picks:
(4) Madison over (1) Lenape Valley
(3) Hanover Park over (2) Rutherford
Central
Quarterback Zymire Gordon has been leading a Lincoln offense that has been running over opponents all year long. It hasn’t been challenged much as of late, but its performances against the likes of Hoboken, Hudson Catholic and Union City earlier in the year show that this team is capable of beating whoever it faces. Johnson, however, is one of the hottest teams in the postseason, winners of six straight following an 0-3 start. Raritan finally snapped a five-game skid last week, but will have its hands full with a Delaware Valley team that has yet to be held under 21 points.
The Picks:
(1) Lincoln over (5) Johnson
(2) Delaware Valley over (6) Raritan
South
West Deptford quarterback/defensive end Nick Diaco has been good on both sides of the ball this year, and provides a challenge for Buena in all facets of the game. The Chiefs have shown they can beat good teams, but they’re 0-1 this year against teams left in this bracket (Cedar Creek). Haddonfield running back Justin Gallo’s running was clutch last week, scoring the Bulldawgs’ only touchdown and pacing them on their go-ahead drive. Wide receiver Bo Melton of Cedar Creek is a tough player to defend, as he is an adept rusher and receiver, and can make big plays from his cornerback spot, as well.
The Picks:
(1) West Deptford over (4) Buena
(2) Haddonfield over (3) Cedar Creek
Non-Public
Can MKA capitalize on the momentum it obtained from its last-second victory over Mater Dei Prep last week? Time will tell, but it will have to be even better to take down a Hudson Catholic squad that rolled past a good St. Mary team. Funny how an 8-2 St. Joseph (Hamm.) team is seen by some as “down,” but an 8-2 Immaculata team is “back.” No matter how you frame their seasons, the Wildcats and Spartans are both playing with a ton of confidence.
The Picks:
(4) Hudson Catholic over (1) Montclair Kimberley
(3) Immaculata over (2) St. Joseph (Hamm.)
GROUP 3
North 1
Ramapo may have a bit of a psychological edge going into its meeting with third-seeded Pascack Valley this week. The Raiders won their regular season meeting, 42-21, and got a combined 335 rushing yards from quarterback Keith Woetzel (181) and running back Joe O’Hagan (154). PV had been in the game early, but simply couldn’t stop the Raiders’ run game. Sparta has won the section two years running, but hasn't looked quite the same at times this year. They will have to contend with a River Dell team that has come in second both times, and is thirsty for another chance to get to MetLife Stadium.
The Picks:
(1) River Dell over (5) Sparta
(2) Ramapo over (3) Pascack Valley
North 2
After falling short in last season’s sectional final, Cranford is one game away from another trip to the Meadowlands. This time, the Cougars may be even better than they were a year ago, and have a big-time playmaker in wide receiver Will Budries, who had three catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over Voorhees. Of course, the Cougar passing game will need to be extra cautious with Ridgefield Park cornerback Isaiah Drakeford (6 INT this season) manning the field. West Essex looked to be sliding after three straight losses to SEC opponents Seton Hall Prep, Montclair and Bloomfield, but reasserted itself with a three-touchdown victory over a Nutley team that had championship hopes. Chatham’s decimation of previously-undefeated Barringer put the section on notice.
The Picks:
(1) Cranford over (5) Ridgefield Park
(7) West Essex over (6) Chatham
Central
Both semifinal matchups are rematches from earlier in the year, though Matawan will look significantly different this time around. They lost to top-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven, 17-0, back in September, but that was without quarterback George Pearson in the lineup. The Huskies have now won seven straight games, and will look to continue their title defense against a Rumson group that has won two straight titles of its own (in Group 2). Red Bank beat Ocean Township on Sept. 25, and it marked the only time this year that the Spartans scored below 17 points. The win was the Bucs’ first over a high-caliber opponent, and springboarded the group to six more victories in its aftermath (including one over Shore parochial power Red Bank Catholic).
The Picks:
(1) Rumson-Fair Haven over (5) Matawan
(3) Red Bank over (2) Ocean Township
South
Pemberton will need to do a better job against Camden wide out Dustin Singleton than did Woodrow Wilson last week. Singleton nabbed two long touchdowns, and has the ability to do damage against the Hornets if not adequately locked down. The Hornets are fighting to keep their magical season going, as their last winning season prior to this year was in 2009. All those close wins early in the year -- not to mention earlier this month against Kingsway -- may prove to be valuable experiences for Delsea against a Seneca team that has won six of seven. The Golden Eagles have a workhorse running back in Sam Pawlikowski, who carried the ball 26 times for 152 yards and three scores last week.
The Picks:
(1) Delsea over (5) Seneca
(3) Camden over (2) Pemberton
Non-Public
Talk about intriguing matchups. First, you have a DePaul team that proved something last week that many already figured: that despite its below-.500 record, it is still among the top teams in New Jersey. Delbarton rolled over Bishop Eustace last week, but its total body of work hasn’t featured opposition nearly as daunting as that of DePaul’s. The Green Wave are very good, but may not have an answer for the likes of running back Kareem Walker and wide receiver Hasise Dubois. Top-seeded St. John Vianney has put together three straight shutouts, but it won’t easily stifle a Red Bank Catholic offense with weapons like running back Dylan Murphy and quarterback Eddie Hahn. The defending sectional champs are playing with a lot of confidence despite losing two of their past five games and not truly dominating their opponents over the past few weeks.
The Picks:
(1) St. John Vianney over (5) Red Bank Catholic
(7) DePaul over (3) Delbarton
Tom Szieber can be reached by emailing tom@gridironnewjersey.com.