10 Unknown Seniors That Finished Strong
The senior class certainly impressed this fall. With a number of high-profile players who will go on to play at a high major Division 1 program, we saw some amazing performances all season. There were also some unknown players who…
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Continue ReadingThe senior class certainly impressed this fall. With a number of high-profile players who will go on to play at a high major Division 1 program, we saw some amazing performances all season. There were also some unknown players who stepped up and got into the conversation. Let’s take a look at 10 unknown players that finished their careers off strong in 2020.
Antrell Monroe, Passaic: Monroe had some really impressive performances in his senior year at Passaic. He finished with 873 rushing yards and nine rushing scores. He did a strong job of absorbing contact and finding openings down the field. Notable performances came against Bloomfield (17 carries for 178 yards and two TDs), Paterson Kennedy (11 carries for 273 yards and three TDs) and Teaneck (14 carries for 279 yards and three TDs).
John Testa, Wayne Valley: Testa finished with 864 rushing yards and seven scores, 112 receiving yards, 47 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions for Wayne Valley, including a pick-six. Testa ran for 100 yards in every game and scored in every one with the exception of the season opener against Old Tappan. Testa found the end zone twice against Wayne Hills and Ridgewood, and he finished with 194 rushing yards on 21 carries, eight tackles and 1.5 sacks in a win over Hackensack.
Charlie Rex, Morris Hills: Rex ran in 10 touchdowns and totaled 719 yards on the ground in six games. He ran for 184 yards and three scores on 24 carries in the team’s season opener against Montville and found the end zone four times in a 50-31 win over Ramsey in the season finale. He rushed for 180 yards on 30 carries in that game. Morris Hills finished with a 5-1 record on the season.
AJ McKay, Mount Olive: McKay was a deep threat for Mount Olive quarterback Gavin Lockwood. He finished with 631 receiving yards on 43 receptions with six scores, also adding 34 tackles and a fumble recovery on defense. He made nine receptions for 206 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s 51-21 victory over Morris Knolls. He made plays on go routes and on slants. He made some incredibly difficult catches where he had great field awareness on where he needed to be to make plays.
Pat Caldwell, Bernards: Caldwell made a major impact for a Bernards team that finished 8-1 and ended the season on an eight-game winning streak. Caldwell totaled 328 rushing yards on 21 carries and five touchdowns. He made plays on the receiving end with 31 receptions for 587 yards and seven scores. He had two games with 100 receiving yards. On defense, Caldwell made 40 tackles and forced a fumble.
Sean McDade, Pennsville: McDade was a two-way threat for Pennsville. On offense, he accumulated 836 rushing yards on 145 carries, scoring six times. He started off strong, with a 198-yard, two-touchdown performance against Lower Cape May and a 204-yard, three-score performance against Clayton. He had three other 100-yard rushing performances on the season. On defense, McDade had 91 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception. He finished with six double-digit tackling performances, including 17 apiece against Woodstown and Middle Township.
Louce Julien Louce Julien 6'2" | DL Orange | 2021 State NJ , Orange: Julien, a UMass commit, did his damage defensively for a 5-3 Orange squad. He finished with 12 sacks, which tied for fourth-best in the state. He also had 33 tackles, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and an interception.
Veron Garrison, Dwight-Morrow: Garrison, who will be headed to Georgetown, had a strong season at defensive tackle and on the offensive line. He did a great job of simply overpowering the offensive line and getting to the ball carrier on defense. He finished with eight sacks, with four coming against Memorial in the season finale, 52 tackles (four double-digit tackling games), two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Andrew Weber, Jefferson: Weber finished off his Jefferson career with six interceptions, which tied three others for second-best in the state. He had two picks apiece in wins over West Milford and Lakeland.
Tony Gryzskin, West Milford: Gryzskin was also able to get to the quarterback for West Milford. He totaled eight sacks to go along with 37 tackles. He had three sacks against Paramus, two against Passaic Valley and a sack apiece in games against Vernon, Chatham and Lakeland.