Circle Your Calendars: Week 4’s Top (Friday) Matchups, Part II

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season is officially off and running. All teams have now played at least one game and will do so until the end of their seasons. Unique about this weekend, we are fortunate enough to have four full days of games, starting Thursday and ending Sunday at Rutgers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Big Central Conference</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Friday: Hillside (2-1) at New Providence (3-1)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An interesting matchup Friday night pits the upstart New Providence Pioneers at home hosting the perennial Group III contender Hillside Comets. This summer I was fortunate enough to sit down and discuss the Pioneers with their head coach Chet Parlavecchio, Jr, and one of the players we discussed was senior defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='939309' first='Sean' last='Donnelly']. As a junior last fall, Donnelly recorded 52 tackles (22 solo), 2 sacks, 1 blocked kick, and 1 fumble that he returned for a touchdown. On pace the be even more productive than that, 4 games into his senior campaign he has made 26 tackles (16 solo), 1.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. He will look to live in the backfield and terrorize the new Comet quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1004630' first='Zion' last='Risher'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Risher, who I believed transferred to Hillside over the summer, is a junior who appears to be getting his first crack at varsity. Thus far Risher is an extremely efficient 31 for 42 on the season with 588 yards and 6 TDs to 1 Int. He is coming off of his most productive output on the season, a 45-6 win at Roselle, by going 10 of 16 for 210 yards and 3 TDs to 1 pick. Not much of a scrambler, Risher is blessed with big, fast, and explosive skills to get the ball to that make him a benefactor whose job is that much easier.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">North Jersey Interscholastic Conference</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Friday: Park Ridge (3-0) at Butler (3-0)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a matchup of undefeated NJIC Group I division foes, the Owls will be heading out to Butler to take on the Bulldogs. If Butler proves victorious, I would be willing to bet senior [player_tooltip player_id='220052' first='Bobby' last='Battipede'] will have a big part in thee outcome. As the quarterback for the Bulldogs, Battipede is having a strong campaign and impacting their 3-0 record in a number of ways. Through the air the senior is 25 of 38 for 329 yards and 2 TDs on the season, while also having slashed 44/320/7 on the ground. Accounting for better than 640 yards and 7 scores in a three-game season thus far, Battipede faces a big test against Park Ridge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking to slow down Battipede will a tandem of brothers who line up next to one another on the defensive side of the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='1004631' first='Andrew' last='Rozzi'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1005587' first='Matthew' last='Rozzi'], both juniors, will look to stop any brotherly in-fighting and take it out on their opponent as they have done all season long. Although Andrew is an offensive lineman and Matthew a wide receiver, both happen to play linebacker for the Owls. Together, they have acounted for 32 tackles on the season - or 21% of the Owls total stops. There will be no brotherly love coming from the Rozzi boys as they look to tag-team and stop Battipede.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Super Football Conference</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Friday: Roxbury (4-0) at Warren Hills (4-0)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In yet another battle of unbeaten teams, Roxbury will travel to Warren Hills in a cross-division battle from the Super Conference. This matchup features two seniors who, by all accounts, are jack-of-all-trade type players for their respective teams that impact the game in all three phases.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Starting with Roxbury, the Gaels are fortunate to have [player_tooltip player_id='1004621' first='Colin' last='Richter'] on their side. One question I have about Richter's game: is there anything that this senior <em>cannot </em>do? He has pitched in on offense, hauling in 18 balls for 284 yards and 4 TDs, he has amassed 219 return yards on 11 total returns, hauled in one, 2-point conversion, and even threw a touchdown pass thus far. However, Ricther's biggest impact may be on the defensive side of the ball where he stands out with 37 tackles (12 solo), 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception. Richter is a certified game-wrecker on either side of the ball that opposing offenses must avoid and defenses must stop.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The most comparable player to Richter for the Blue Streaks might be [player_tooltip player_id='1004617' first='TJ' last='Kachala']. As a runner, while scoring on the ground in the last three consecutive games Kachala has slashed 19/217/3; all the while he has hauled in 14 balls for 271 yards and 3 TDs in his last two games. Not beholden to just offense, Kachala appears to be a stifling man coverage corner too as he has hauled in 1 interception, but impressively made 22 tackles - all of which have been credited as solo stops.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Shore Conference</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Friday: Red Bank Catholic (2-1) at Rumson-Fair Haven (2-1)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a game that is sure to be a great barometer of their program this year, Rumson-Fair Haven will be welcoming in to a hostile environment one of the Shore Conference's parochial powers in Red Bank Catholic. After a loss last week, their first, to reigning Group V state champion Toms River North, the Bulldogs are looking to be battle-tested come playoff time. In order to slow down their latest challenge in the Casey's, the I expect Rumson-Fair Haven to rely on the play of linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='801496' first='Austin' last='Kiernan']. Having etched out a role for himself as a sophomore, Kiernan made 27 tackles, forced 1 fumble, and made 3 sacks. His production as a junior thus far - 22 tackles, one-half sacks, and 1 pick-six - are sure to outpace last year's output. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Red Bank Catholic the obvious choice is [player_tooltip player_id='380411' first='Emanuel' last='Ross'], their star receiver who is headed to Stanford; however, I want to highlight his quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='521913' first='Frankie' last='Williams']. The Casey's have done a nice job spreading the ball around to all their athletes across the field, but it is Williams, a junior, who feeds them all the rock. On the young three-game season where I believe he got pulled from the game early in two games due to lopsided scores, Williams is 28 of 45 for 391 yards and 2 TDs. He seems to be getting hot though, as he went 9 of 11 for 159 yards, 1 TD pass, and 1 rushing TD in his last game against Wall. Williams has now thrown a TD in his last two games and had his highest yardage total of the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">West Jersey Football League</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Friday: Hightstown (3-1) at Seneca (2-1)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Out in the West Jersey Football League two teams who might have a bone to pick square off, as 1-loss Hightstown visits Seneca. For Seneca, I imagine they feel as if they ought to be undefeated after suffering a 1-point loss to Paul VI last week. Looking to right that wrong will be [player_tooltip player_id='1004620' first='Zac' last='Fearon'], another multi-dimensional player who impacts all three phases of the game. Although Fearon has made 11 tackles on the season as a defensive back, has scored on a 83 yard kickoff return, and hauled in 7 passes for 69 yards and 2 scores, on the ground is where he gets his work. Fearon has scored 8 times on 320 yards and 42 carries thus far on the season. Fearon may be hitting a hot streak, as in his last game he ran for 2 scores and caught 2 scores. He has also ran for 100-or-more yards and scored on the ground in each game this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Opposing Fearon and the Golden Eagles are the Rams, who likely feel they should be undefeated too, as their only hiccup occurred against a 1-3 Robbinsville team in week 2. When I spoke to head coach Ryan Fullen over the summer he sang the praises of numerous players; however, the play of one linebacker has seemed to be a stabilizing force on defense - [player_tooltip player_id='1004619' first='Aidan' last='Carter']. On the surface Carter's defensive numbers may not be overwhelming - 19 tackles, 2 TFL, and 1 fumble returned for a TD on the season - but if you consider that his 19 tackles account for just over 23% of the Rams stops, you quickly realize that this prospect runs down everyone all over the field. Carter will look to be more than a hiccup for Seneca and Fearon's success in week 4. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->