Firsker and Manalapan Hope to Take Next Step
Over the last two seasons, the Manalapan
Braves have just about done it all—just about. They’ve gone 18-5,
qualified for the postseason twice, produced two different 2,000-yard
rushers and won back-to-back Shore Conference Class A-North titles.
Meyers & Pompton Lakes Thinking Repeat
It’s often said that every dark cloud has a
silver lining. For Pompton Lakes football, though, there was—for a
while, at least—a disproportionate amount of darkness back in August.
Not only were the Cardinals coming off back-to-back non-winning seasons
(3-7 in 2010; 5-5 in 2009), but searching for some normalcy after
Hurricane Irene ripped through the tiny community at summer’s end.
Green, Cranford Excited for '12
October 28 was an important night for Cranford football. It
was that Friday that the Cougars were thrashed, 52-21, by a Summit
squad that ultimately made it all the way to the North 2, Group 2
championship game. But, unlike your ordinary blowout, that setback ended
up being just what the doctor ordered for Cougars team that, at the
time, was still learning how to win.
2011 Season in Review: A to Z
A is for
outgoing North Bergen head coach, Vin Ascolese. With 359 career wins and
eight state sectional championships, Ascolese went out in style this
year, retiring after an exhilarating last-second win by his Bruins over
previously-undefeated Montclair.
Bosco Tops Final Gridiron New Jersey Top 20
No
surprises here. The Ironmen rolled through the Non-Public, Group 4
playoffs with a 42-3 semifinal victory over Paramus Catholic and a 42-14
win over archrival Bergen Catholic in the finals, and also crushed St.
Joseph (Mont.), 41-0, on Thanksgiving. Greg Toal’s squad continues to
be the standard in New Jersey high school football, and until anyone
proves they can beat Bosco, the Ironmen will remain #1. They own
the longest active winning streak in the nation (46), and sophomore
running back/cornerback Jabrill Peppers will be back on the field for
Don Bosco next fall.
Championship Weekend Recap
What a weekend of high school championship
football in New Jersey! Just as we’ve come to expect, a slew of new
stars were born, while several already-shining stars added greater
luminescence to their respective legacies.
Group 4 Finals Preview
Montclair is doing something few teams ever
do these days—live up to, and surpass, the hype. The Mounties were
expected to be great all through this past offseason, but they’re even
better than most thought they would be. They’ve outscored Memorial and
West Orange by a combined 86-0 in the playoffs, and quarterback Khalif
Herbin is literally a potential touchdown on every play. North Bergen,
though, does have emotion on its side, having won two overtime games in
the postseason to get here, and wanting to send legendary head coach Vin
Ascolese into retirement with another state title.
Group 3 Finals Preview
If ever there was an interesting final, this would be the one. With all
the off-field distractions, Wayne Hills has shown its championship
mettle in handling Vernon and Paramus with relative ease, but this Old
Tappan team has a lot of motivation to get the job done. Hills receiver
Troy Zaffino, the face of the “Holy Lateral” play that won last season’s
final, 24-21, with just second left, is back, as is Old Tappan
quarterback Devin Fuller. And now, Fuller’s healthy. All this adds up to
one heck of a final. The fact that the nine players accused in that
October assault incident have been barred from playing could have a huge
impact on this contest, as well.
Group 2 Finals Previews
The Knights ran roughshod through their
Super Essex Conference schedule, but they probably haven’t seen an
offense as explosive as that of the Golden Hawks. Well, maybe once,
against Delbarton, when West Essex fell, 45-0. River Dell has a talented
quarterback in Tim Barnes, and their defense showed it’s exceptional,
too, picking off four Ramsey passes in their 20-0 semifinal win. Both
teams won their respective most recent titles in 2007, and despite all
their recent successes, haven’t met in the playoffs.
Group 1 Finals Preview
Glen Rock’s history speaks for itself. The
Panthers have eight playoff-era state sectional crowns to their credit,
but not many expected Jim Kurz and company to be in this spot after
missing the playoffs last year for the first time since 1997. But
they’ve had a magical playoff run, stomping out a potent Cresskill
running game in the first round, and besting Butler, 17-14, in the
semis. Pompton Lakes, meanwhile, has ridden star running back Nieko
Torres to its first state final appearance since 2005, when it defeated
Hasbrouck Heights, 27-7, to win the crown.
Semifinals Recap
Who would’ve thought, just a few months ago,
that we’d actually get a rematch of the infamous “Holy Lateral” game?
Old Tappan was 1-3; Devin Fuller was hobbled. But that was a long time
ago, and seems especially so now that the Golden Knights have won six
games in a row, and have punched a ticket to the North 1, Group 3 final
thanks to an impressive 34-10 victory over Pascack Valley. Wayne Hills,
meanwhile, has punched its own ticket amidst all the controversy
swirling around the Patriots program as of late. Hills, winners of seven
of the last nine titles in the section, got 115 yards and a score out
of running back Dom Santoro in a 48-21 win over Paramus.
Thanksgiving Football Predictions
Plainfield (2-7) @ Westfield (7-2). Westfield leads all-time series, 55-44-7. Westfield wants to end its season on a high note after a disappointing exit from the North 2, Group 4 playoffs at the hands of Bayonne. Plainfield has played some of its tougher opposition surprisingly close.
Semis Preview: Groups 3 & 4
Paramus running back Chris Durante is good,
but he’ll have a tough time repeating his 235-yard rushing performance
of last week on the Patriots defense. Hills beat the Spartans in
dominating fashion on Oct. 6, 38-0.
Semis Preview: Groups 1 & 2
Running back Steve Longa, wearing the jersey
of injured teammate Tyler Vitiello, rushed for 195 yards and three
scores in the Falcons’ dismantling of Mountain Lakes. His counterpart
this week, Pompton’s Nieko Torres, picked up 220 yards and three TDs of
his own in the Cards’ 28-14 victory over Hawthorne.
RBC's DiStefano Headlines 'Gridiron Greats'
John DiStefano knew recent history wasn’t on
Red Bank Catholic’s side last weekend when the Caseys played Pope John
in the first round of the Non-Public, Group 3 playoffs. He knew it’d
been 13 years since RBC’s last playoff win, a 21-7 victory over
now-defunct Paterson Catholic in the 1998 Non-Public, Group 2 tourney.
Maybe that’s why he played like man possessed, rushing for 278 yards and
four touchdowns in the Caseys’ 42-6 victory over the Lions.
Weekend in Review: First Round
There are so many storylines in the 2011 postseason, but nothing is more fun than a good, old-fashioned upset. Two
#8-seeds were victorious this weekend, one (Piscataway) in
significantly more dramatic fashion. Rarely is it an upset when the
Chiefs beat anyone, but it seemed this year that they’d snuck into the
postseason, and were likely to get bounced by a strong Hunterdon Central
squad. The Red Devils wanted a bit of revenge after the 34-6 beating
they received from Piscataway in last season’s North 2, Group 4 final,
but the Chiefs made it clear that, despite a rocky regular season, they
were starting anew now that they’d gotten into the playoffs. Running
back Tevin Shaw’s eight-yard score in overtime was the game-clincher,
and the victory has basically turned the Chiefs’ 1-2 start into a
distant memory.
First Round Preview: Groups 3 & 4
It looked for a while that we’d have no
opportunity to see a rematch of last season’s classic final between Old
Tappan and Wayne Hills, given the Golden Knights’ slow start. But now
that quarterback Devin Fuller’s health is no issue, Old Tappan is
looking to be a bracket buster. Hills’ invincibility was smashed
emphatically by St. Joseph (Mont.) last week, but the Patriots are still
the favorites, albeit not by as much as usual with Pascack Valley in
the mix. Sparta is a bit of an enigma in the section, as no one seems
quite sure how good the Spartans really are.
First Round Preview: Groups 1 & 2
Last season, Wallington showed everyone in
the section that it was, indeed, possible to stop the Mountain Lakes
machine in the postseason. But this year, the Panthers are on the
outside looking in. This year, it seems like this section could be the
deepest in New Jersey, with anyone from #1 to #8 capable of coming home
with a championship. Pompton Lakes and Saddle Brook both picked up big,
statement-making victories in Week 9 (over Hasbrouck Heights and Glen
Rock, respectively), and should have plenty of momentum. Speaking of
momentum, Pequannock should have a ton, too, with back-to-back wins over
Mountain Lakes and Rutherford going into the postseason.