Football: Early line on 5 big games

Published Oct. 11, 2011, 9:50 a.m. ET

Here's an early look at 5 big games this weekend, all on Friday night:

1. Absegami (2-2) at Millville (4-0). This isn't a great Absegami team, by any stretch. But the Braves are every bit a Group 4 team, with those kinds of numbers and that kind of talent. And junior QB Rashad Kinlaw is the real deal. The real question here is Millville. I haven't seen them yet, but everything I'm hearing from the Cape-Atlantic is that the Thunderbolts are legit. They have an explosive back in Alquann Jones, who keeps scoring touchdowns. They have a QB who makes plays in Shaquille Lee, although he tends to be a little inconsistent (what high school QB isn't?). Mostly, they have big, strong front lines, led by four-year starter Nick Tyndal as well as talented junior center Jimmy Cessna. With the way their schedule is set, Millville can get to 7-0 and a showdown with Atlantic City if the Thunderbolts can take care of business in this game.

2. Kingsway (3-2) at Moorestown (3-2). This is one of those games that is a lot more important than it might seem at frist glance. One of these teams will emerge at 4-2 and on the right path to a solid berth in the SJ Group 3 tournament. Kingsway still has to deal with Williamstown, and Moorestown still has a big challenge ahead in Camden Catholic, so the loser of this game could be in deep water. Kingsway's season turned on that opening upset of Delsea. Since then, the Dragons have lost to Triton and Timber Creek and beaten Highland and Cumberland. That's about right, but that Delsea win puts the Dragons in good position. This team will run the ball with a bevy of backs, and QB Tyler Barnholt is coming off a big game against Cumberland. But as an old Tri-County Royal team -- it's still in the Dragons' blood -- can they adjust to the defensive challenges presented by Moorestown's spread, no-huddle passing attack? Moorestown might have been a little overrated early in the year but now I wonder if the Quakers aren't a little underrated. They lost to Williamstown and Timber Creek. Who wouldn't? Those teams are a combined 8-0 and ranked No. 4 and No. 3 in South Jersey. But it was the way the Quakers lost that raised some concerns. They kind of got pushed around a little. Still, this team is dangerous, with QB Andrew Lisa, skill guys such as Delaney Wallace and Zac Frantz and a lot of other talented players. Can their defense get a little healthier and sturdier for the stretch run? Part of the answer will be available this week as they face Kingsway's ground game.

3. Woodrow Wilson (4-0) at Timber Creek (4-0). This is my game of the week. These teams played a bit of a shootout last year, with Creek winning by a 32-25 score. Might be the same thing this year, especially if the field is dry. Wilson has taken care of business through four weeks. That 6-2 win over Bishop Eustace in a monsoon was an early key, but the Tigers struggled last week against CH West. That's a red flag entering a game against Creek. Wilson will be led by QB Aaron Spencer and WR TJ Chambliss. The challenge will be protecting Spencer against that imposing Creek front seven or eight. Creek has a pair of top junior DLs in Greg Webb -- who has made a monster impact as a transfer from Paul VI -- and Dajuan Drennon. LB Quanzell Lambert is a force. The key for Creek in this game, and really for the rest of the season, is a dependable offense led by QB Calvin Lowe and RB Khalil Pierce. If the Chargers move the football, avoid turnovers and are efficient in the red zone, they will be tough to beat in this game and every other one this season.

4. Cherry Hill East (3-2) at Williamstown (4-0). The Cougars have to bounce back from a devastating 20-16 loss to Shawnee on Thursday. It won't be easy. That game was galling to CH East, as they were on the verge of a signature win for the program on a couple of occasions, and just couldn't finish the deal. I'm not sure if the extra day off helps or hurts. CH East has a dangerous back in Brian Regan and QB Jesse Gold and WR Taj Frazier can make plays. I also liked the way CH East's interior defense, led by Frantz Felix, Isaiah Milligan-Smith and Carmen DiTore, held up against Shawnee. What the Cougars didn't do was rush the passer on that last drive, and that hurt them. Williamstown's Wing-T presents a big challenge for the East LBs such as Matt Satchell. If they can contain the Braves' running backs, Jon Chamberlin, Chris Inge and Marques Little, they have a shot. But Williamstown has a dependable QB in Dan Collins. Plus, the Braves' defense is operating at a high level these days, and gets a boost from the eligibility of LB Marcus Riley, who sat out 30 days after transferring from Paul VI. The Braves have it going pretty good right now.

5. Camden Catholic (4-0) at Delsea (2-3). The Crusaders have had one of those seasons where things just go wrong. It happens. Maybe they were a little overrated at the beginning. Maybe they really miss senior C/DL and captain Joe Moffa. Maybe this, maybe that. In any case, they were stung pretty good as Triton rallied for a 20-19 victory last week. Can they bounce back against Camden Catholic? I think they can in terms of effort. They're home, and there's a huge difference between 3-3 and 2-4. If they can get this one, they still have a shot at 5-3 (although Wilson is another challenge next week) and a decent seed in the SJ Group 3 tournament, where anything can happen. But they probably can't bounce back from 2-4. Camden Catholic looked great in that 40-0 win over Seneca on Thursday night. This team can run the ball with Mike Blandon and Jarred Alwan, and QB Pete Galiano can make plays with his arm and legs. Plus, there's good receivers such as Andrew Racobaldo and Tom Wescott. The best thing about this team might be its defense, but it's tough to tell for sure because they just seemed to match up well with Seneca. Delsea is a Wing-T team, too, so maybe they'll bottle up the Crusaders as well. The one thing the Irish can't do is get caught looking ahead. They have a monster matchup with Pennsauken on Oct. 21 in a game that could pit unbeaten rivals with lots of familiar players and coaches on both teams. But the Irish have to travel to Franklinville and take care of business before they can turn their attention to Pennsauken.

-- Phil Anastasia