The Perfect Way to Sum Up the 2020 Season

Greg Patuto

November 30, 2020 @ 09:07 PM

As we approach December, it is officially nine months since this pandemic has turned the country upside down. Winter sports in New Jersey were shutdown prior to tournament time and the spring season did not happen at all. The uncertainty continued through the summer and near the fall. Prior to the football season, a plan came out of putting together a six-game schedule followed by a two-week postseason schedule and Thanksgiving games. Now that all games have been completed, it is time to marvel at just how lucky we were to see football back under lights on Friday nights. The Class of 2021 was able to get their final seasons in and solidify their reputations as prospects. For some, the commits came early. [player_tooltip player_id="27881" first="Tahj" last="Bullock"] entered the season as the No. 1 quarterback in the state and a Virginia Tech commit. He made his decision over the summer and looked like a Division I player all season. He opened up with 213 yards and five touchdowns against West Orange. Michigan State landed the top running back and offensive lineman in New Jersey, both from St. Joe’s Montvale. [player_tooltip player_id="27865" first="Audric" last="Estime"] had an incredible season running behind [player_tooltip player_id="27863" first="Geno" last="VanDeMark"]. Estime finished with 1,838 yards and 22 touchdowns. Greg Schiano is in the midst of completely turning the Rutgers’ program around and it includes many commits from his home state. [player_tooltip player_id="27861" first="Khayri" last="Banton"] and [player_tooltip player_id="27873" first="Alijah" last="Clark"] are four-star defensive commits for the Scarlet Knights. The fact that we got to see these tremendous players one final time is a testament to the job done by the NJSIAA to get the schedule done and teams on the field. There were some shutdowns and postponements. There were not traditionally state tournaments and rings will not be handed out. Even with all the uncertainty, this was one of the most successful seasons we have seen. Now, we set sites on 2021.