South Jersey football: State tournament preview
The second season has arrived in South Jersey football. Here's a primer on the state tournaments that begin on Friday:
The second season has arrived in South Jersey football.
Here's a primer on the state tournaments that begin on Friday:
South Jersey Group 5
Field: 1. Toms River North. 2. Rancocas Valley. 3. Millville. 4. Vineland. 5. Howell. 6. Cherokee. 7. Southern. 8. Atlantic City.
Last year's champion: Toms River North.
Best first-round game: Cherokee at Millville. The Chiefs are a dangerous No. 6 seed with a deep tradition of postseason success and one of South Jersey's top all-around players in senior John Lovett.
History lesson: Vineland is angling for the program's first playoff victory since the creation of the modern format in 1974.
Player to watch: Rancocas Valley junior running back Iverson Clement, who has scholarship offers from programs such as Florida and Tennessee, has run for 1,197 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Finals prediction: Toms River North over Millville.
South Jersey Group 4
Field: 1. Lenape. 2. Timber Creek. 3. Shawnee. 4. Cherry Hill West. 5. Highland. 6. Clearview. 7. Absegami. 8. Woodrow Wilson.
Last year's champion: Timber Creek.
Best first-round game: Clearview at Shawnee. The Pioneers have experienced some success against the Renegades in recent years and their triple-option offense always is a challenge for teams to defend.
History lesson: Timber Creek is the only larger-school South Jersey program to make the sectional finals five years in a row.
History lesson 2: If form holds in the first round, Shawnee and Timber Creek will meet in the post-season for the fifth consecutive season in the semifinals. The teams have split the previous four games.
Darkhorse: Woodrow Wilson is a dangerous No. 8 seed coming off a 54-19 win over Cumberland as junior quarterback Jairo Ramos passed for four touchdowns and ran for two.
Player to watch: Lenape senior defensive back Mike Doulong has four return touchdowns.
Finals prediction: Timber Creek over Lenape.
South Jersey Group 3
Field: 1. Wall. 2. Burlington Twp. 3. Delsea. 4. Lakewood. 5. Hamilton. 6. Seneca. 7. Pemberton. 8. Camden.
Last year's champion: Delsea.
History lesson: Delsea is trying to become the first South Jersey public-school team to win five straight sectional titles since Paulsboro won six in a row from 1992-97.
Best first-round game: Seneca at Delsea. Four of the Golden Eagles' five losses were to teams that are a combined 30-2 and senior quarterback J.J. Scarpello is coming off the game of his career: 15-for-30, 238 yards and five touchdowns in a wild win over playoff-bound Pennsauken.
Darkhorse: Like their cross-town rival in Group 4, Camden is a dangerous No. 8 seed with a play-maker at quarterback in senior Drew Harris. Plus, their road to the final isn't as steep as normal for the last seed.
Player to watch: Burlington Township senior all-purpose Everett Wormley is a Rutgers recruit and natural playmaker.
Finals prediction: Burlington Township over Wall.
South Jersey Group 2
Field: 1. West Deptford. 2. Cedar Creek. 3. Willingboro. 4. Collingswood. 5. Cinnaminson. 6. Haddonfield. 7. Middle Twp. 8. Delran.
Last year's champion: Cedar Creek.
History lesson: This season marks the seventh time since 2008 that West Deptford has entered the South Jersey Group 2 tournament with an 8-0 record. The Eagles won the title in 2011 and 2012.
History lesson 2: Collingswood will host a playoff for the first time since 1978.
Best first-round game: Cinnaminson at Collingswood is a rematch of an Oct. 14 game won by the Panthers by a 12-8 score, thanks to a gal-line stand in the fourth quarter.
Darkhorse: Haddonfield is a No. 6 seed to watch, with a recent history of tournament success and a playmaker at quarterback in senior Brendan Gilmartin.
Player to watch: Cedar Creek senior all-purpose Bo Melton, a Rutgers recruit who was hampered early in the season by a knee ailment, has scored two touchdowns in each of the Pirates' last three games.
Finals prediction: West Deptford over Cedar Creek.
South Jersey Group 1
Field: 1. Woodbury. 2. Paulsboro. 3. Pennsville. 4. Salem. 5. Haddon Heights. 6. Woodstown. 7. Schalick. 8. Penns Grove.
Last year's champion: Pennsville.
Salem County championship: There are five public high schools in Salem County and all five are in this field: Pennsville, Salem, Woodstown, Schalick, Penns Grove.
History lesson: Paulsboro leads all South Jersey public-schools in sectional titles with 17.
Best first-round game: Haddon Heights at Salem looks like a high-scoring affair at the Walnut Street field as the Garnets are averaging 24.1 points and the Rams, 34.1 points.
Player to watch: Salem senior running back Jon Taylor, a Wisconsin recruit, leads South Jersey in touchdowns with 24.
Freshman flash: Woodbury has scored 123 points in winning its last three games as freshman quarterback Andre Parker has run for five TDs and passed for five.
Darkhorse: Woodstown has won six of seven, with the lone loss to undefeated Group 2 power West Deptford.
Finals prediction: Salem over Paulsboro.
Non-Public 4
Field: 1. Paramus Catholic. 2. Bergen Catholic. 3. St. Peter's Prep. 4. Don Bosco Prep. 5. Seton Hall Prep. 6. Delbarton. 7. St. Augustine. 8. St. Joseph Metuchen.
Last year's champion: Don Bosco Prep.
History lesson: The only South Jersey team to win a Non-Public 4 title is Holy Cross, which beat Don Bosco 41-40 in 2000.
Best first-round game: St. Augustine at Bergen Catholic affords the Hermits a real chance to make a statement about the growth of the program with a victory over one of the North Jersey superpowers.
Player to watch: Senior all-purpose Zeke Ennis represents St. Augustine's best path to a signature victory: By getting its explosive playmakers in space.
Finals prediction: Paramus Catholic over St. Peter's Prep.
Non-Public 3
Field: 1. St. Joseph Montvale. 2. DePaul Catholic. 3. Pope John. 4. Camden Catholic. 5. St. John Vianney. 6. Red Bank Catholic. 7. Bishop Ahr.
Last year's champion: DePaul Catholic.
History lesson: Camden Catholic has made two appearances in the state finals, losing to St. Joseph Montvale in the NP 3 title game in 2003 and to Holy Spirit in the NP 2 title game in 2011.
Best first-round game: St. John Vianney at Camden Catholic matches two talented teams with a combined 17-0 record battling for the right to travel to face rested North Jersey superpower St. Joseph Montvale in the semifinals.
Player to watch: Camden Catholic senior Nazir Streater is an all-purpose standout who likely will be playing his final game at Shamrock Field on Friday night.
Finals prediction: St. Joseph Montvale over DePaul Catholic.
Non-Public 2
Field: 1. Hudson Catholic. 2. Mater Dei. 3. St. Joseph. 4. Holy Spirit. 5. Montclair Kimberley. 6. Holy Cross. 7. St. Anthony. 8. Immaculata.
Last year's champion: St. Joseph.
History lesson: St. Joseph has won seven straight state titles and 18 since the creation of the non-public state tournament in 1993.
Best first-round game: Holy Cross will take a four-game winning streak during which the Lancers have averaged 34.5 points into the matchup with St. Joseph Saturday at Bill Bendig Field in Hammonton.
By the numbers: Mater Dei is 9-0 and has outscored opponents by an aggregate of 356-41.
Player to watch: Holy Spirit senior running back Reggie Jean-Charles has scored 12 touchdowns.
Finals prediction: Mater Dei over Holy Spirit.
Central Jersey Group 4
Field: 1. Brick Township. 2. Allentown. 3. Nottingham. 4. Pennsauken 5. Freehold Boro. 6. Jackson. 7. Moorestown. 8. Neptune.
Last year's champion: Jackson.
History lesson: Moorestown won the Central Jersey Group 3 title in 2007.
Best first-round game: Pennsauken can clinch its first winning season since 2011 and earn its first playoff victory since that same season by beating Freehold Boro on Saturday at Vince McAneney Field.
Player to watch: Pennsauken senior running back Martin Booker Jr. has gained more than 175 yards in five games.
Another player to watch: Moorestown senior all-purpose Brandon Outlaw has scored 13 touchdowns.
Finals prediction: Allentown over Brick Township.
@PhilAnastasia
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