Every Team’s Player to Watch: North 2 Group 1 Playoffs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Butler (1) vs. Verona (8)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Butler</em>: One of the most dominant teams in the northern part of the state, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1530300' first='Luca' last='Toriello']</strong> has been terrorizing quarterbacks while in pursuit. The 2025 defensive lineman has racked up 28 tackles this season, and brought the QB to the ground 4 times so far. Look for him to make a big in this quarterfinal matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Verona</em>: If Verona wants to pull the upset, they'll have to throw the ball and throw it often. They have a star out wide in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='811596' first='Zach' last='Garmont']</strong> who has the ability to make game changing plays. Through the regular season, Zach was able to snag 6 touchdowns and catch for 1110 yards. He will be the main target and the player Butler needs to keep the most attention on. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wood Ridge (5) vs. Weequahic (4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Wood Ridge</em>: A battle of duel threat QBs,<strong> James Masucci</strong> is entering the matchup with nearly as many rushing yards as he has passing (900 rushing yards and 906 passing.) However, in the touchdown category, James has more on the ground than through the air, as he's ran in 12 touchdowns and has thrown for another 8. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Weequahic</em>: As James has been more of run factor for his team, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='284071' first='Paul' last='Jones'] III </strong>has been unleashing it through the air for Weequahic. With 1097 passing yards 19 touchdowns through the air, Paul will be the biggest playmaker in this game. The 2025 QB has also ran the ball into the end zone 5 times as well, so beware of his running ability. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cedar Grove (3) vs. Shabazz (6)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Cedar Grove</em>: Next to Caldwell, Cedar Grove is one of the most talented teams in the north. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='933995' first='Stephen' last='Paradiso']</strong>, the commanding QB, has lit up opposing defenses through the and air and ground. One of the leading passers in the state, Stephen has thrown for 2128 yards and 27 touchdowns. On the ground, Stephen is the team's leading rusher and has found the end zone 8 times as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Shabazz</em>: Don't push Shabazz to the side quite yet. These two teams played earlier in the season, where Shabazz fell to Cedar Grove in a close 24-25 contest. They will look to redeem themselves this week and move onto the next round of the playoffs. For this to happen, Shabazz will rely on <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1087589' first='Nazir' last='Smith']</strong> to have himself a game. Through 7 games, Nazir threw for 898 passing yards and 12 touchdowns. There's a good chance this will be another tight matchup that will come down to the wire. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Glen Ridge (7) vs. Waldwick (2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Glen Ridge</em>: Another team looking to pull an upset this weekend, Glen Ridge has an elite pass rusher in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1032185' first='Jake' last='Lilioa']</strong>. The junior defensive end has been putting pressure on QBs all season, as he has 8 sacks through the regular season and a fumble recovery. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Waldwick</em>: An absolute monster of a team, Waldwick is stacked with talent on both sides of the ball. This team has the ability to not only hurt a defense multiple ways, but are extremely tough to score against. The team had a tough loss to Butler last weekend, but will look to bounce back and will rely heavily on their top receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1475660' first='Ryan' last='Fleming'].</strong> Ryan is part of the 2025 class, and has amassed 630 yards and 5 touchdowns this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->