By Tom Szieber
Posted: October 20, 2017 8:30 am
There isn’t much more time for teams to pile up power points, and some will finish game 8 this week. The playoffs are just around the corner, but here are some previews and picks for some great matchups in Week 7.
South Brunswick (4-1) @ Sayreville (4-2)
Strong safety Jaylan Lawson (3 INT) is the type of defensive back that can make it tough on opposing passers. Sayreville knows it, and will expect a big game out of running back Connor Holmes, who has 671 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground this year.
The Pick: Sayreville
Ramapo (5-1) @ River Dell (6-0)
Ramapo has been very good against good teams, going 3-1 against Demarest (5-1), Snyder (4-2) and Englewood (4-2) and losing very close to 4-2 Wayne Hills. River Dell QB David Estevez is one of the best dual-threats in the NJFSC.
The Pick: River Dell
Wayne Hills (4-2) @ Passaic Valley (5-1)
The stingy Hornets defense will need to be on its a-game as it attempts to slow down the talented Wayne Hills wide receiver corps of Charles Njoku, Zach Zachmann, Nick Azzopardi and Justin Vorabouth. A win would go a long way in helping PV (63 power points), currently eighth in North 1, Group 4, to separate itself from ninth-place Randolph (58).
The Pick: Wayne Hills
Somerville (5-1) @ Johnson (5-0)
Somerville will need to slow down Crusaders running back Joe Turek who has already rushed for 825 yards and nine touchdowns. The Pioneers have played well against a tough schedule, going 3-1 over teams that are currently .500 or better.
The Pick: Somerville
Manchester Regional (6-0) @ Rutherford (5-0)
Both teams vying for the NJIC Colonial Division title have tough, physical defenses, with the Falcons being led by DE Roberth Umana, who has five sacks to his credit this season. The Bulldogs have their own feared pass rusher in linebacker Regan Landrigan who has 5.5 takedowns of opposing quarterbacks of his own.
The Pick: Rutherford
#2 St. Joseph (Mont.) (4-2) @ #3 St. Peter's Prep (4-2)
Safety/linebacker Evan Stewart leads the St. Joseph (Mont.) defense with 59 tackles. He will also lead the effort to stop Marauders QB Maasai Maynor, who has thrown for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns this year.
The Pick: St. Peter’s Prep
St. John Vianney (6-0) @ Red Bank Catholic (6-0)
Red Bank Catholic has an outstanding passer in QB Steve Lubischer who is 50-of-71 for 948 yards and 12 touchdowns. Lancers signal-caller Haaziq Daniels is a mutli-pronged offensive threat, as shown by the 11 passing and six rushing touchdowns.
The Pick: St. John Vianney
Delsea (3-3) @ Eastern (5-1)
Fullback Aidan Borguet has led Delsea’s patented triple option, and rushed for 283 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s win over Kingsway. Eastern safety Moe Howard is a ball hawk, and has seven takeaways (4 FR, 3 INT) this year.
The Pick: Eastern
Tom Szieber can be reached by emailing tom@gridironnewjersey.com.