Games to Watch: Week 4 Part I

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Phillipsburg(3-0) vs. Hillsborough (3-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>9/24 12pm at Hillsborough</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Phillipsburg is one of the most talented public schools in the state. This is a team that has the potential to not only make a run for a state championship, but possibly finish the season undefeated. They were able to get by Ridge earlier in the season, and now face a similar opponent in Hillsborough. Hillsborough lost to Ridge last weekend, so they will be looking to redeem themselves this upcoming Saturday. Phillipsburg is led by a talented 2025 QB in Jeff Genovese. Jeff is setting the pace for Phillipsburg's offense, as he has tossed 7 touchdowns and 506 yards through three games. His favorite target, [player_tooltip player_id='1189138' first='Matthew' last='Scerbo'], is racking up the stats as well as he has caught 3 of those touchdowns with 217 receiving yards. This offense is quite balanced as well, as Caleb Ivera has brought the ball across the goal line 2 times and has run for 302 yards. Scoring 117 points through 3 games, you can see how dangerous Phillipsburg can be. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Hillsborough suffered their first loss of the season last week, there is hope for an upset this weekend. Hillsborough has a dominant run game led by [player_tooltip player_id='1005830' first='Jackson' last='Jankowicz']. Jackson is no easy player to stop, as he has ran for 407 yards and 5 touchdowns through 4 games. Shayne Powell, an athlete that has thrived on both sides of the ball, has not only ran in 2 touchdowns so far this season, but defensively has sacked the QB twice and has also picked the ball off twice as well. This offense runs through the ground game, so as long as they can get it going, this game will remain within reach. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mountain Lakes (3-0) vs. Hanover Park</strong> <strong>(3-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>9/22 7pm at Hanover Park</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Through three games Mountain Lakes is averaging 31.4 points per game and only allowing 7.7 points per game. This weekend may be their first true challenge on the season for them. Mountain Lakes is another favorite of mine to go all the way to the state championship. As always, Mountain Lakes has a strong run game that they can rely on. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1097195' first='Ian' last='Redzepagic'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1097192' first='Jordan' last='Hernando'] have been leading the charge, but sophomore Fitch Carson is also showing his worth as he has found the end zone a few times this season. The defensive unit is just as dominant, as [player_tooltip player_id='606204' first='Cosmo' last='Fusco'], [player_tooltip player_id='270943' first='Trey' last='Schneider'], [player_tooltip player_id='1097197' first='Aidan' last='Malnati'], and [player_tooltip player_id='533691' first='Marco' last='Dzamba'] have been shutting opponents down all season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hanover Park is also coming into the game undefeated and ready to show the state they are in the conversation just as much as Mountain Lakes is. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1002361' first='Joey' last='Borrello'] has been lethal from the quarterback position. He has racked up 719 offensive yards with 7 total touchdowns to go with it. On the defensive side of the ball [player_tooltip player_id='1021111' first='Hector' last='Lopez'] III, a player I highlighted in the offseason, has been holding it down. With 30 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF and 2 interceptions, offenses have to be aware of where he is at all times. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1042038' first='Luke' last='Riordan'] and Finn Kenney have also been making a huge impact, as Luke has brought the QB down 2 times and Finn has picked the QB off twice as well. This game has the ability to set the tone for the rest of the season for both teams, so be prepared for a hard fought matchup. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->