Real quick before I get to the playoff stuff, if you have a minute on Thursday night, Nov. 15, pop on NBC News (Channel 4 on most cable systems) at 5:30 p.m. to check out a feature that NBC filmed on Manchester junior linebacker Craig Leppert, his father, Mike, and the “Light up Manchester” project that helped bring lights to Manchester’s home field.
Now, on to the playoffs. With the Shore guaranteed to have at least two teams playing in state sectional finals in December with 11 teams still alive, I’ll get to some quick stuff from this past weekend outside of the game stories as well as a look ahead.
On Friday, I saw top-ranked Toms River North edge Atlantic City, 9-7, in a South Jersey Group IV quarterfinal, and I think the Mariners defense covers up for a lot, that’s for sure. It allows the Mariners’ offense to take more than a half to get going sometimes, and I wonder if that will catch up with them in these next few weeks. I don’t know how many of the teams left in the playoffs that they are going to hold scoreless until a minute or so left in the game.
However, one thing I’ve noticed is that they haven’t given up the big play in any game I’ve seen them. They never get beat for the 60- or 70-yard touchdown, and that’s what Atlantic City is built for. They tackled in the open field and even on a lightning-quick hook-and-lateral near the end of the game, they still kept Atlantic City out of the end zone on a play that would’ve went for a touchdown against a lot of teams.
Offensively, their receivers couldn’t get much separation from Atlantic City’s D-backs, but I think that might change this week against Southern. Speaking of the Rams, they came through on my pick and delivered their first state playoff win in school history, 21-7 over Washington Township, so congrats to them. They get the second crack at TRN that they were talking about after losing to them in the final game before the playoffs. I’m just wondering what Southern can do differently on offense that will allow them to put some points up early and put TRN on its heels after losing 17-7 to them in the first meeting.
On Saturday, I watched Lacey grind Delsea to dust with 277 yards rushng in a 23-13 win, and I think the move to put Justin Pandorf, a tight end, into the backfield a few weeks ago while shoring up their tight end situation has made them just as scary as last year. It was to the point where I was almost surprised when they didn’t get a first down or had to punt. Their defense has also picked up it noticeably, as Long Branch put 34 points on them in one of their losses and Howell QB Tim Lamirande threw for a school-record 350 yards on them in their other loss. They still have the tendency to allow the big play, as an 80-yard touchdown run by Delsea illustrated, but they have certainly improved heading into the semifinals against a dangerous Winslow Township team.
As for the rest of the playoff weekend, my picks were on fire through Friday night, but I lost Manasquan, Freehold and Jackson on Saturday to put a damper on things. I’m still a little surprised at Freehold’s 24-7 loss to Monroe, but you commit five turnovers, you lose almost every time.
Also, in the ”weird chain of games,” category, we have West Windsor South beating Jackson 28-14 in CJ IV for the only win by a Colonial Valley Conference team in the playoffs or consolation games. Making that crazier is that West Windsor South has a 21-9 regular-season loss to West Windsor North. West Windsor North got blasted, 54-7, by Monmouth Regional in a consolation game.
As for my overall predictions, I’m still looking pretty good. Howell, my pick to win CJ IV, is still alive with a dangerous game against a mirror image of itself, Montgomery, which also runs the spread offense. Long Branch, my pick to win CJ III, rolled past Princeton, 38-3, and now has Monroe. I have Rahway winning CJ II, but will reveal my pick to play them in the finals, which will either be Rumson or Holmdel, later in the week.
In CJ I, I am sticking with Asbury Park to win the whole thing. I think the Blue Bishops match up well with South River after a 41-0 win over Robbinsville in the first round. It could be an AP-Keansburg final, which would be a rematch of a game that Asbury Park won 42-26 during the regular season, if the ‘Burg can get by a Highland Park team that shocked four-time defending champion Florence and boasts a stud tailback in junior Bryant Fitzgerald. The Titans needed QB Anthony Valle to pick it up a notch with standout Justin Laguna out with an injury, and all he did was put up 335 yards of total offense in a 40-20 win over Bound Brook.
In South Jersey Group IV, I have Toms River North going to the final and losing to either Eastern or Mainland, probably Mainland if I had to pick. The Mariners survived Atlantic City and now have a tough game against Southern. In SJ III, my pick to win it all, Lacey, is going to have a tough game against Winslow Township and then probably a real tall order in Hammonton, but I think the Lions are up to it. As for SJ II, Point Boro matches up pretty well with Bridgeton in a game chocked full of good athletes and will most likely see nemesis West Deptford in the final for the second time in four years.
As for this week, I think the Rumson-Fair Haven-Holmdel semifinal in Central Jersey Group II should be a good one. Holmdel and its ferocious defense haven’t really seen a team that can throw the ball as well as Rumson can. Senior quarterback Matt Wassel is up there in the running as one of the top QBs in the Shore, and with top wideouts Ryan Kirchner and John Lembeck, the Bulldogs will present a challenge that Holmdel hasn’t faced yet. I’ll have more analysis of this game as the week moves forward, but here’s a fun tidbit: The wife of Rumson head coach Shane Fallon is an elementary school teacher in West Long Branch, and in her class is the daughter of Holmdel head coach Andy Carlstrom, so she may be flunked and held back a year if the Hornets win. By the way, the last time Rumson reached a sectional final was 1989, when Fallon was the starting quarterback.
Another interesting game is Middletown South at Moorestown in a CJ III semifinal. Simple math would say to pick Moorestown, as it defeated Wall, 42-13, while the Eagles needed to stop Wall on a last-second two-point conversion to win, 35-34, during the regular season. However, Middletown South’s defense did not allow an offensive touchdown in a 16-6 win over Lawrence in the first round, and the Eagles usually bring it to another level defensively in the playoffs. This game is a rematch of one that South won 38-0 last year in the CJ III final at Rutgers, so the Quakers will want some payback. I wouldn’t be so quick to jump off the Eagles’ bandwagon, however, with the kind of defense they are playing the last few weeks. I am picking the Eagles, mainly because I am scared to death to pick against them in the playoffs (unless they are playing Long Branch in the final).
This week, we will have playoff capsules, features, and plenty of other stuff to give you your football fix heading into the semifinals, so stay tuned.
E-mail: [email protected]
Processing your request, Please wait....
