5 Storylines From 2020 Season
The 2020 season featured a ton of storylines around the state. Between players and teams – and a season like we’ve never seen in the past – there was a lot to keep an eye on. Let’s take a look…
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Continue ReadingThe 2020 season featured a ton of storylines around the state. Between players and teams – and a season like we’ve never seen in the past – there was a lot to keep an eye on. Let’s take a look at five storylines from the 2020 season.
1-The pandemic affected the season as much as we thought it would. There were schedule changes on a daily basis, and some teams were luckier than others to get their games in. The state playoffs were cancelled, although some teams still had a lot to play for with the postseason pods and league titles. In the last two weeks of the season, a game was cancelled minutes before kickoff and another was called off at halftime in a bizarre scenario. While the season was ultimately a success just for having one in general, the pandemic certainly added an uncertain element to it all.
2- Audric Estime Audric Estime 6'1" | RB St. Joe's Montvale | 2021 State NJ is as good as advertised. The St. Joseph-Montvale star running back and Michigan State commit lived up to his hype going into the season. Teams simply had no answer for him. Estime rushed for 1,838 yards and 22 touchdowns, adding another two scores in the passing game. It’s not like he was playing weak competition. Estime went up against some of the best programs in the state, and he delivered every time. His acceleration when he gets the ball makes him tremendously difficult to take down. Add that to his physical abilities and you’re looking at a nightmare for opposing defenses. He absorbs contact as well as any back in the state, and his combination of power and speed is lethal. Estime received a ton of Power 5 interest – it’s easy to see why. Michigan State will be getting an incredible playmaker.
3-Holy Spirit’s Patrick Smith Patrick Smith 5'11" | RB Holy Spirit | 2021 State NJ was just as good. Smith, who will play at the Power 5 level next year in a decision to be decided soon, capped off a career where we ran for over 4,000 yards and scored 55 touchdowns. As a senior, the Holy Spirit senior rushed for 1,719 yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s an electric player who led the Spartans to an undefeated campaign. Smith is very quick, has great cutting ability and once he sees open field he turns on the jets and finds the end zone. Smith was a Colorado State commit before recently reopening his recruitment.
4-While a number of teams finished undefeated, it’s tough to say if there was a definitive team at the top. It appeared St. Peter’s Prep and Bergen Catholic were the top two teams for a while before both suffered losses. Holy Spirit, Delbarton and Wall all finished undefeated. Delbarton had its season cut short due to the pandemic. Bergen Catholic had a number of quality wins and its one loss came against a dangerous Don Bosco squad, however.
5-Somerville football continues to prove it’s a program to stay. It’s hard to believe the Pioneers had trouble winning games from 2013-15. The turnaround has been something. Head coach Dallas Whitaker has been tremendous in three seasons with a 28-3 record. That included a 7-0 mark in 2020. The Pioneers averaged nearly 47 points per game, and they scored 30-plus points in every game this year. Somerville ended the season with its most impressive victory, defeating Woodbridge 39-26 in a battle of undefeated teams. Somerville took advantage of having a number of playmakers on both ends, and the future is extremely bright for this program.