Garden State Gamers: Week 4’s Top Offensive Performers
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With the season in full swing, with most teams having played either 4 or 5 games, more and more prospects are hitting their stride and showing out. Here were some of the state’s top defensive performers from week 4. Week…
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Continue ReadingWith the season in full swing, with most teams having played either 4 or 5 games, more and more prospects are hitting their stride and showing out. Here were some of the state’s top defensive performers from week 4.
Week 4’s Top Passing Performances
it is hard to imagine that a 6’5″ quarterback who threw for a hair under 2500 yards and 24 touchdowns last year and plays on a 3-1 team is flying under the radar this year; however, some might say that is exactly what Conquest has done thus far. In Overbrook’s most recent conquest, a 28-6 victory at Maple Shade, Conquest had his first signature game of the season. The senior went 23 of 36 for 337 yards and 2 touchdown passes, while also pitching in with 6 yards on the ground. Conquest and the Rams look to keep it going next week on the road at Audubon.
Highlights
All the way up north is where Deprima of Ramapo is getting his work done in a sneakily efficient and quiet manner. Now 4-0, the Raiders most recently defeated Hackensack by a score of 48-0. It was their third straight shutout and third straight game of scoring 41 or more points. Deprima, their senior quarterback, had an efficient-yet-explosive game, completing 13 passes on 17 attempts for 278 yards and 4 touchdowns. This boils down to a 23.8 yards per completion average. Ramapo will look to stretch their winning streak to five games next week at Group IV perennial contender Northern Highlands.
As a regional scout I try my hardest to spread the love and write about a breadth of talent; however, the season Orange’s Williams is having makes my job extremely difficult, for the Tornado’s quarterback is having a season you simply cannot ignore. This week at Barringer, a 50-37 win, Williams finished second in the state in passing yardage (326) and first in the state in touchdown throws (5). He also ran 11 times for 100 yards. His season totals are now 84 for 135 with 1465 yards and 22 touchdowns to 2 interceptions.
Highlights
Then is the only sophomore to make today’s list. Ridgefield Park’s young signal caller put forth an extremely strong effort in their tough, 34-20 loss at Ramsey. In his first two games Then served as a game manager passing for less than 100 yards. He then exploded to the tune of 291 yards and two scores in the game. Then threw two picks and was 9 for 17 while rushing for 13 yards in the game as well. With a breakthrough performance under his belt, perhaps Ridgefield Park will allow Then to open things up a bit more this week at Tenafly.
Week 4’s Top Receiving Performances
With a 41-6 victory at Robbinsville, Notre Dame is off to a scorching hot 5-0 start and Quinn has been a key contributor to his team’s success. At Robbinsville, Quinn went off for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns on 5 receptions. This raises his season totals to 14/479/6, equating to a 34.2 yards per reception and a touchdown per every 2.3 receptions. Outstanding production by the senior.
Parsippany Hills finally was able to get a leg up to a 3-2 record on the season. Their star senior receiver, Ciccotelli, was an absolute playmaker in the 35-13 victory against Mendham. Ciccotelli snapped to the tune of 8 catches, 207 yards, and 3 touchdowns. This individual game output raised his season totals to 39 catches, 610 yards, and 7 scores. The 200 yard game last week was Ciccotelli’s first of the season and fourth straight game with 100 or more yards.
Another under-the-radar prospect starting to hit stride and turn heads is Elizabeth’s McDaniels. On the field behind the McDonald’s, McDaniels had his second 140+ yard game of the season and scored in his second consecutive game. The FBC-sized prospect slashed 5/146/1 in a a nail biter against St. Joseph’s of Metuchen. McDaniel’s stat line also featured a 29.2 yards per reception average and a 63 yard catch-and-run that was mostly accrued because of YAC yardage.
An undefeated Montgomery team’s hopes are awfully high after extending their winning streak to 5-0 to open the season. Most recently the Cougars defeated Hamilton West on the road by a score of 27-8. Accounting for 18 of those 27 points was d’Avino, their senior receiver. Although he had two games with 95 yards or more, in topping 100 yards for the second time this season d’Avino finished the game with a season high 143 yards on 9 receptions while scoring 3 times. d’Avino and the Cougars look keep things rolling this week in a matchup of undefeated teams as they travel to the mountains to face 5-0 Watchung Hills.
Highlights
Week 4’s Top Rushing Performances
In a convincing 33-7 victory against Newark Academy, Morristown-Beard stretched their record to 3-1 on the season. In this contest Laracca, the Crimson’s running back, absolutely went off. In a game that he will live to tell his children about, Laracca carried the ball 23 times for an incredible 350 yards and 5 scores. His longest run was 91 yards to pay dirt. To my knowledge, this is the state’s single highest individual rushing game of the season thus far.
In a 27-6 victory at Absegami, Highland was able to level their record at 2-2. A big part of this was the churn-and-burn play of their senior tailback Butler-Mayhew. In this contest, Butler-Mayhew rushed 34 times for 259 yards while scoring 4 times. This was his first 200-yard game of the season, third straight game with 100-yards-or-better, and his first touchdowns of the season.
After losing two out-of-state matchups, DePaul returned to their winning ways against a familiar opponent, Paramus Catholic, by a score of 28-12. James, their junior rusher, set the tempo and pace for Spartans as he went for 214 yards and 3 scores on 28 carries. This was his third game with 20+ carries, third game with at least 1 score, and fourth game with over 100 yards. James also caught 4 passes for 13 yards and a score in the game as well. To restate the obvious, James scored all four of DePaul’s touchdowns. The Spartans, now 2-2, are at Bergen Catholic this week.
Getting back to winning ways is always a positive thing. After a one-up, one-down start to the season, Montville got a leg up on Morris Hills, 42-20, on the road this week. Feaster, a junior tailback for Montville, feasted on the competition. After falling short of 100 yards in the first four games of the season, Feaster exploded for 208 yards on just 13 carries while scoring 3 times. This explosion translated to a 16 yards per carry.
Week 4’s Top Kicking Performances
Although he may be a two-way lineman by trade, Cruz seems to have found his niche as the kicker for Pompton Lakes. In their 45-20 win against Saddle Brook, Cruz had a perfect day going 6 for 6 on PATs and sinking his 20-yard field goal attempt – his only in the game. Cruz remains perfect on the season going 14 for 14 on PATs and 5 for 5 with field goals.
The Hilltoppers have one of the state’s more prolific kickers in Browne. Against Rahway, a 41-7 victory, he was 5 for 5 in PATs and 2 for 2 in field goal attempts. Surprising to many outside of Summit, all indications are that Browne set a new career distance in a field goal make when he nailed a 42-yard field goal true through the uprights.
The Hun School was off and running this week in a 52-6 victory over St. Thomas Moore (CT). Wetherill, their place kicker, did his part to ensure their opponent stood no chance. Wetherill was perfect on the day going 7 for 7 on PATs and drilling his only field goal attempt of 30 yards to further extend his team’s lead.
Getting their record back to the .500 mark this week was a big deal for Boonton, and Ahmedi took this week’s objective personal. Boonton defeated Parsipany by a score of 52-20 last week. As a kicker, Ahmedi was a perfect 7 for 7 on PATs and 1 for 1 on field goals. Additionally, he made 2 stops on defense and caught 2 passes. Those two passes, however, went for 126 yards an 1 score. Boonton will look Ahmedi, a junior, to come up big again this week at Northern Warren.