Battle of undefeateds: Pennsauken vs. Camden Catholic

Clint Tabb looks at Camden Catholic and sees the green in those uniforms.

He also sees blue and orange.

"They remind me of an old Shawnee or Cherokee," said Tabb, whose Pennsauken team will visit Camden Catholic on Friday night for a West Jersey Football League showdown. "They are coming to run the ball, and they are strong up front on both sides of the football."

Both teams are 5-0. Pennsauken is No. 2 in The Inquirer's South Jersey rankings. Camden Catholic is No. 9.

The game looks like a classic matchup between Pennsauken's high-powered offense and Camden Catholic's sturdy defense.

Behind senior quarterback Manny Cortez and senior wide receiver Amar Williams, Pennsauken is averaging 36.4 points. The Indians have scored at least 32 in every game.

Behind senior defensive lineman Marcus Coleman and junior linebackers Jarred Alwan and Sean Collins, Camden Catholic has allowed just 19 points (3.4 average). The Irish have pitched two shutouts and allowed one touchdown in three games.

"They do a great job of spreading you out," Camden Catholic coach Gil Brooks said of Pennsauken. "They have great skill-position players, and a lot of them."

Cortez has passed for 1,340 yards and 18 touchdowns, with just two interceptions. He also has 299 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Williams has 21 catches for 440 yards and six touchdowns, and also is a dangerous return man.

"He's as good a player as there is in South Jersey," Brooks said.

Pennsauken's defense has been led by middle linebacker Tyrik West, whom Brooks describes as "as good a defensive player as we've seen all year. He blows you up."

Under Brooks, a first-year coach who turned St. Joseph's Prep into a national-caliber program, Camden Catholic has focused on strong defense and ball control on offense.

The Irish offense is led by quarterback Pete Galiano, who is 19-for-36 passing for 386 yards and four touchdowns. Galiano also has 173 rushing yards.

The ground game features Alwan, a junior who has 346 yards and six touchdowns, and senior Mike Blandon, who has 335 yards and six touchdowns. Tight end/defensive end Andrew Racobaldo is a top two-way player for Camden Catholic.

The game is expected to draw a huge crowd to Shamrock Field for Camden Catholic's first top-10 matchup under its new coach.

"There's nothing more exciting," Brooks said. "These kids are competitors, and they want to step up and show what they are made of. This is what these kids play for, to be challenged in a game like this."

Analysis. On a cool, clear night on a fast track, Pennsauken's offense will be tough to contain for 48 minutes, even for a defense as solid as the one Camden Catholic will put on that artificial turf.

Pick: Pennsauken, 20-14.