Circle Your Calendars: Week 5’s Top (Friday) Matchups, Part I

<p>Another week, another slate of games. See what some of the top individual, prospect vs. prospect matchups of the weekend are below.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Big Central Conference</h2>   <ul> <li>Friday: Montgomery (5-0) at Watchung Hills (5-0)</li> </ul>   <p>This heavyweight matchup pits two 5-0 teams against each other as they both strive for a top seed in their respective Group 4 and Group 5 playoff brackets. Montgomery will be traveling from 202/206 to route 22 up the mountain to face Watchung Hills. </p>   <p>Although they feature numerous players who contribute all across the field, I want to call attention to a duo of seniors, [player_tooltip player_id='380410' first='Michael' last='Schmelzer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='380338' first='Brady' last='Post']. Schmelzer, the teams quarterback, is currently second in the Big Central Conference in passing yardage with 932 yards. He is 65 for 101 on the season with 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Additionally, he has rushed 30 times for 118 yards and scored 4 times on the ground. He works well with all this targets, having completed a pass to 5 different receivers throughout the season. With no receiver having less than 8 receptions, Schmelzer keeps everyone involved and ensures everyone is a threat. </p>   <p>Post makes Schmelzer's job easier as he leads an effective ground game for the Cougars. Post easily leads the team in rushing by nearly 300 yards, as he has 411 yards and 7 scores on the season in 65 attempts. Defensively, Post is far from a slouch at his linebacker spot, where he leads the team with 4.5 sacks on the season. He has an additional 3 tackles for loss, one interception, and upwards of 21 tackles on the season.</p>   <p>A team that I have watch a little film on, the Watchung Hill Warrior's defensive front is fast, physical, and sticks when they hit you. Two seniors that will line up and look to stop Montgomery's group of seniors are [player_tooltip player_id='1021021' first='Brady' last='Marshall'] and [player_tooltip player_id='712949' first='Cameron' last='Montague']. Montague, a defensive lineman, is a disruptive force at either nose or tackle in the Warrior's 30 front. He is quick off the ball, loads and fires from his hips, and scrapes down the line of scrimmage well. This has manifested in 22 tackles (15 solos), 4 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Behind him at linebacker is [player_tooltip player_id='1021021' first='Brady' last='Marshall']. Marshall has emerged as one the Warrior's top defenders in his senior campaign. Marshall has made 34 tackles - an impressive 24 of which were of the solo variety - 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and intercepted a pass. This lineman-linebacker duo has been harassing opponents all year long and will look to do the same against the Cougars. </p>   <ul> <li>Friday: New Providence (3-2) at Johnson (3-1)</li> </ul>   <p>Friday features two Patriot Silver divisional rivals looking to get a leg up on one another as they vie for both a division title and compete in a very tough South 2 playoff bracket, as Johnson will play host to New Providence on Friday. Offensively the home Crusaders' offense is paced by junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1021040' first='Robert' last='Gallagher']. In limited attempts as a passer thus far, Gallagher is 9 of 18 for 255 yards with a 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio; however, on the ground is where he has his biggest impact. Gallagher has scored in every contest this year, while leading New Providence with 401 yards and 6 touchdowns on 25 rushing attempts. </p>   <p>New Providence will roll into town after winning a tight, 23-16 battle last week against Delaware Valley. Two players that will look to corral Gallagher on the ground and raid him through the air for the Pioneers are junior [player_tooltip player_id='1021039' first='Jameson' last='Moore'] and senior [player_tooltip player_id='939310' first='Matt' last='Botvinis']. Starting with Botvinis, he finds a way to stay active, involved, and mix it up from his defensive back spot. He is one of the team's leading tacklers with 38. This total includes one tackle for loss and two interceptions. Something tells me that he is the type of player that fills the alley or forces it back to his help like no other. As Botvinis handles the back-end, Moore does a great job controlling the line of scrimmage - on both sides of the ball. Through four games Moore has 24 tackles, including 13 solo stops, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. Moore will look to add more to his stat line as he will be in hot pursuit of Gallagher on Friday night. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">North Jersey Interscholastic Conference</h2>   <ul> <li>Friday: Bogota (4-0) at Weehawken (3-0)</li> </ul>   <p>In another battle of undefeated teams, Bogota ought to leave early to avoid Friday rush hour traffic on NJ-495 as they travel to the stadium built atop the Lincoln Tunnel to face Weehawken. Leading the way for the Bogota is their all-everything senior leader [player_tooltip player_id='1021049' first='Joseph' last='Perpepaj']. As the Buccaneer's leading passer, rusher, and tackler, I imagine if Perpepaj would throw passes to himself he could. He is 21 of 40 on the season for 354 yards with a 3:2 touchdown to interception ratio. Rushing the ball, he has totaled 554 yards and 5 scores on 82 carries. This total includes 3 games over 130 yards. As a linebacker, he has made 26 stops (17 of which have been solo stops), 7 tackles for loss, forced a fumble, and intercepted a pass. As if that was not enough, Perpepaj has converted three, 2-point conversions as well. </p>   <p>Two younger players that Perpepaj will look keep off the field and slow down when they are on the field are the Indian's quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1021046' first='Christian' last='Ramirez'] and running back [player_tooltip player_id='1021055' first='Emmanuel' last='De La Hoz']. De La Hoz, just a sophomore, is by far Weehawkin's leading rusher with 310 yards and 2 scores on 46 rushing attempts; however, he is more than just a rusher. De La Hoz has also thrown a scoring touchdown, caught a receiving touchdown, and intercepted a pass. Ramirez, his junior quarterback, has had a remarkably efficient start to the season. Ramirez is 20 for 27 with 441 yards, 8 touchdowns, and no picks. He, too, adds an element on the ground that complements De La Hoz to the tune of 127 yards rushing on 15 carries with 2 scores. With young talent at key spots, Weehawkin may be a team to lookout for in years to come as well. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Super Football Conference</h2>   <ul> <li>Friday: Newton (3-1) at Lenape Valley (3-2)</li> </ul>   <p>In a bit of an underrated matchup this weekend, Newton will be traveling down to Lenape Valley for a American Blue division matchup. This is a key game as both teams are undefeated in league play and it undoubtedly will have key implications for the divisional crown. The Braves will be riding the backs of their dual-headed monster at running back, senior [player_tooltip player_id='1021063' first='Demarius' last='Posey'] and [player_tooltip player_id='783936' first='Dylan' last='Cotter']. Posey, also a wrestler, has a slight edge in yardage (359 to 338) and touchdowns (3 to 2). However, Cotter out-carries Posey at a rate of nearly 2:1. Posey has had back-to-back 121 yard performances, thrown for a touchdown, and has returned a pick for six the other way. Defensively Cotter has 4 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble. </p>   <p>Lenape Valley's linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1021068' first='Mason' last='Mclean'] will have his hands full trying to slow down the dynamic duo. The senior Patriot is having a fine season and finds way to disrupt the ball. He has amassed 25 tackles for the season - 18 of which were for a loss - to go with 6 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries. </p>   <ul> <li>Friday: Hanover Park (4-0) at Caldwell (4-0)</li> </ul>   <p>Hanover Park looks to beat the streak this week - Caldwell's 32 game winning streak - which is currently the longest in the state. Linebacker and junior classmates [player_tooltip player_id='1021109' first='Joey' last='Filippone'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1021111' first='Hector' last='Lopez'] are teaming up in hopes to slow down the Chiefs. Lopez is the team-leader in tackles for Hanover Park with 35 on the season. In terms of negative plays, Lopez made 4 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. He also disrupts the ball, as he has 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble. Equally as much of an inconvenience for opposing offenses is Filippone. Filippone is second on the team with 27 tackles and also has 5 tackles for a loss. He has also forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and scored two touchdowns on offense. </p>   <p>There are a trio of talented players who look to keep the streak alive for their hometown Chiefs. Starting with their quarterback, senior [player_tooltip player_id='1021087' first='Louie' last='Anemone'] looks to pace their run-heavy offense with the necessary tempo. Also a baseball player, Anemone is 30 for 41 with 377 yards and 4 TD tosses with no picks. Additionally, he has rushed for 277 yards and 5 scores on just 30 carries. The lead-Chief in the backfield is [player_tooltip player_id='1021082' first='Joey' last='Marinello']. Also a senior baseball player, Marinello has rushed 51 times for 376 yards and 6 scores - having scored in each game. He also has slashed 7/110/1 through the air and is a key contributor on defense, to the tune of 28 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 1 pick. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='1021095' first='Nick' last='Mignone'] finds his way on to the field in a variety of ways. As a sophomore he has spelled at quarterback, receiver, and running back (16/166/2). However, the youngster has found a key role on defense as he has made 27 tackles, 12 solo, and 6 tackles for loss. </p>   <ul> <li>Friday: Pope John (4-1) at Immaculata (4-0)</li> </ul>   <p>As you might expect, this matchup features tons of talent on both teams on both sides of the ball, all across the board. Immaculata's run-first offense is anchored by talented ball carriers. Leading the way is senior [player_tooltip player_id='1021142' first='Joe' last='Fleming'], who has 373 yards on 47 carries, 5 scores, and a two-point conversion. He is spelled by junor [player_tooltip player_id='1021138' first='Cole' last='Hayden']. While it appears Fleming is a grind-it-out, churn-and-burn type of runner, Hayden seems to be the Spartan's home run threat. Hayden has rushed for 245 yards on 26 carries with 4 scores. Leading their defense is [player_tooltip player_id='1021139' first='Luke' last='Laub'], a junior. The formidable linebacker has made 30 stops (16 solos) along with 1 sack and 3 tackles for loss</p>   <p>Two offensive players roaring for the Pope John Lions are senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='172835' first='Chris' last='Dietrich'] and junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='344220' first='Tylik' last='Hill']. Dietrich completes his passes at <em>nearly</em> a 66% clip, going 60 for 99 on the season with 878 yards. He has thrown 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions thus far. Dietrich likes to spread the ball around too, having hit 10 different receivers on the season - four of which have over 100 yards on the year and three of which have double-digit receptions. Part of why Dietrich has been able to be so effective through the air has been the fact that Hill takes a lot of pressure off of him with the way he runs - rushing for 704 yards on 95 carries and 11 touchdowns. Additionally, Hill has slashed 7/100/1 through the air. </p>   <p>The Lion's defense does not lack courage as there are two junior standouts, [player_tooltip player_id='624700' first='Tyler' last='Houser'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1021137' first='Joseph' last='Pappa']. Although he has rushed for a touchdown Houser, a linebacker, has accrued a total of 51 tackles (33 solos) through five games. He also has a propensity to make plays behind the line if scrimmage, as evidenced by his 1.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Lastly, he adds a pick-six to his ledger as well. Pappa, a defensive lineman, mixes it up past the line as well. He has made 30 tackles thus far, as 10 have been solo stops. Pappa has sacked the quarterback 3.5 times while matching his 10 solo stops with 10 tackles for loss. Something tells me that when he makes a big play, he loves it when his teammates call him big Pappa - as he throws his hands in the air 'cuz he's a true player. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Shore Conference</h2>   <ul> <li>Friday: Jackson Memorial (4-0) at Brick Township (4-1)</li> </ul>   <p>Two four-win teams face off down the shore as Jackson Memorial travels to Brick. On the outside-looking-in, Brick seems to have been in low-scoring slugfests each time out. Two players that seem to be moving the needle for their offense have been junior receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1021166' first='Jayden' last='Johnson'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1021168' first='Justice' last='Morgan']. Although both players have just three games worth of stats, Johnson leads the team in total yardage with 85 yards rushing on 13 carries, 128 yards on 7 receptions, and 31 return yards. Morgan leads the ground game for the Green Dragons with 127 yards on 28 carries and 1 score. </p>   <p>Although there are a few players from Jackson I am familiar with already, I want to highlight a few underclassmen that are sure to leave their impression on this game. On offense, the Jaguar's ground game is paced by [player_tooltip player_id='212391' first='Jonah' last='Glenn'], a sophomore, who has 723 yards and 5 scores on 87 carries in their four games. After getting his feet wet as a freshman playing varisty, Glenn has firmly entrenched himself as the man with four straight games with 20+ carries, 125+ yards, and 1+ touchdown. </p>   <p>Defensively I have a hunch that these two defenders will love to mix it up with the nitty-gritty game Brick likes to play. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1021164' first='Ethan' last='Kalinauskas'] is one of the Jaguar's top defenders as he seems to make plays all over the field and, similarly, comes up with big plays all over the field. The linebacker has 39 tackles (23 solo), but has also made 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble. Lining up in front of Kalinauskas in the trenches will be a sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id='1021169' first='Jacob' last='Zapata']. Aside from sharing the surname of a former teammate of mine, Zapata has made 36 tackles and dropped the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage 5 times thus far. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">West Jersey Football League</h2>   <ul> <li>Friday: Paul VI (3-1) at Moorestown (4-1)</li> </ul>   <p>In a battle for the National Division title, Paul VI will be taking their flock of Eagles down to Moorestown to take on the Quakers. The host team is armed with a three-pronged trident of a backfield featuring [player_tooltip player_id='1021172' first='John' last='Zohlman'], [player_tooltip player_id='1021170' first='Luke' last='Dengler'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1021171' first='Chase' last='Caulder']. Anchored by Zohlman, the senior has rushed for 279 yards on 45 carries while scoring twice. Additionally, as the team's quarterback has thrown for 457 yards on 30 of 62 attempts with 3 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. Juniors Dengler and Caulder are about neck-and-neck in terms of productivity as they have slashed 41/162/3 and 55/237 respectively. On defense Dengler has blocked a kick and Caulder has 3 interceptions and caught 3 touchdowns as a receiver.</p>   <p>While the Quakers look to control the game on the ground, the Eagles are primed to lead an arial assault. Led by quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1000461' first='Dom' last='Santiago'] - who I named a standout performer during week 3 - the senior has thrown for 848 yards and 12 touchdowns on 54 of 101 attempts with 4 interceptions. He has also added 20 carries for 93 yards and 2 scores on the ground. With five receivers already over 100 yards receiving on the season, Santiago spreads the ball around effectively; however, his favorite target is a young one, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='208399' first='Tyree' last='Roane']. I got a pretty good look at him at Pajic's Jersey Juice event in the spring and Roane has rode that wave into the season. He leads the team with 23 receptions, 298 yards, and 5 scores.</p>   <ul> <li>Friday: Haddon Heights (3-1) at Camden (4-1)</li> </ul>   <p>The game between Haddon Heights and Camden can be summed up as old vs. new. The visiting Garnets are led on defense by two seniors, [player_tooltip player_id='1021177' first='DeAndre' last='Stokes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='380391' first='Jayden' last='Trace']. On the heels of a 159 tackle campaign with 17 tackles for loss, I think it is safe to say that things start and end defensively with Trace. Across four games Trace has made 28 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and intercepted a pass. Albeit not the ridiculous pace from last year, consider that three of Haddon Heights' games have been lopsided and he likely got pulled early. Whatever plays and tackles Trace does not take care of, he has Stokes beside him to vacuum things up. Building off of his varsity debut campaign last year, Stokes has made 20 tackles thus far, including 3 tackles for loss and 1 sack.</p>   <p>The staunch defenders will face a group of key sophomores who are playing early for Camden - a backfield combo that will lead the Tigers for years to come. [player_tooltip player_id='1021186' first='Jaythan' last='Candelario'], their quarterback, has taken the reigns after getting limited burn as a freshman. As he is brought up to speed, he has thrown 5 touchdowns against 2 interceptions for 268 yards on 22 of 43 passing to go along with an 11-yard touchdown run. [player_tooltip player_id='1021187' first='Christian' last='Braxton'] is a back that Camden just cannot keep off the field. Braxton has 299 yards and 1 score on 34 carries. His production is nearly identical to that of senior [player_tooltip player_id='185725' first='Judah' last='Anthony'], who has rushed 36 times for 309 yards and 5 scores on the season. Be mindful that Caldenarlio and Anthony have produced such numbers in only four games of data; while Braxton only has three games worth of stats to his credit.</p>

Another week, another slate of games. See what some of the top individual, prospect vs. prospect matchups of the weekend are below.