Games to Watch: Week 3 Part II

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St. Thomas Aquinas (3-0) vs. Summit (2-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>9/15 4pm at Summit</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Thomas Aquinas has an impressive unit. Shutting out two teams and only letting up 7 points so far this season, they have a very talented defense and are also as powerful on offense as they've put up 118 points. Letting up an average of 2.33 points a game, St. Thomas Aquinas is led by their stout linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='999497' first='Christian' last='Magliacano']. Christian has been flying all over the field thus far this season, racking up 31 total tackles and bringing the QB to the ground 2 times. In the defensive backfield, Zacai Manigo has been playing a big role in coverage as he picked off a ball and returned it to the end zone earlier this season. Offensively, St. Thomas Aquinas has been extremely successful on the ground with [player_tooltip player_id='976963' first='Chase' last='Young'] and Elijah Abass-Shereef leading the charge. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='976963' first='Chase' last='Young'] has put up an astounding 7 touchdowns on the ground already and 331 rushing yards. Elijah is not far behind, finding the end zone 4 times and rushing for 248 yards. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Summit has very similar strengths as St. Thomas Aquinas. A strong running game led by [player_tooltip player_id='997496' first='Carter' last='Shallcross'] and a defense that can lock down opponents. Summit has put up 46 points in both games this season, while Carter has accounted for 4 touchdowns and 327 yards. The defense is held down by 2024 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='712951' first='Tyler' last='Kessel'], as he has brought in 25 tackles and 3 of those for a loss. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St. Augustine (2-1) vs. Millville (2-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>9/16 6pm at St. Augustine</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A battle of one loss teams. Games like these have the ability to set the tone for the rest of the season. There is a big difference between 2-2 and 3-1, so both teams will do all they can to maintain more wins than losses. St. Augustine suffered a 16-21 loss to Donovan Catholic in the season opener, but have rallied since and have only let up 15 points in the last two games. St. Augustine's offense is explosive with a balanced run and pass attack. 2025 running back [player_tooltip player_id='1085730' first='Julian' last='Turney'] has been a hard player to stop on the ground, as he has amassed 346 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns in three games. In the pass game, [player_tooltip player_id='402236' first='Paris' last='Pratt'] has been slowly making his presence known. A member of the 2026 class, Paris is averaging 51 receiving yards a game and also has one touchdown on the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Millville is one of my favorite teams in New Jersey to cover. They have talent at every position, and really can contend with the best of them in the state. They are arguably the strongest one loss team in New Jersey. Hitting their stride these last two games after a 7-14 loss to Toms River North, Millville is another team that can hurt you on the ground and through the air. Taking a lead role in the backfield, junior [player_tooltip player_id='1054404' first='Demere' last='White'] has ran for 184 yards and 3 touchdowns so far this season. On the receiving end of [player_tooltip player_id='378676' first='Jacob' last='Zamot']'s passes are [player_tooltip player_id='218554' first='Lotzeir' last='Brooks'] and [player_tooltip player_id='220098' first='Ta'Ron' last='Haile']. Both have made a big impact not only on offense but defense as well. Lotzeir has two interceptions so far and returned one for a touchdown, while Ta'Ron also has a pick six under his belt. Lastly, A'Cear Cornish, the senior defensive back, has been on the rise as he has racked up 28 total tackles and 5 of those for a loss. A game with quite a lot on the line, make sure to tune in to St. Augustine vs. Millville. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->