New Jersey Week 4 Wrap Up

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Passaic Tech (5-0) vs. Ridgewood (4-1) 14-0</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A battle of undefeated programs, Passaic Tech walks away with the perfect record and their coach, Matt Demarest, winning his 100th career victory. Ridgewood had trouble getting things going offensively, as Passaic Tech's defensive unit prevented Ridgewood from moving the ball down the field. An interception by [player_tooltip player_id='1187352' first='Ian' last='McDuffie'] late in the game stopped any momentum Ridgewood was building towards a comeback. Passaic Tech once again played phenomenally on offense, as quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1538176' first='Gabe' last='Miles'] dominated through the air and on the ground. Throwing for 166 yards and rushing for another 40, Gabe was able to account for one of his team's touchdown as he brought it in on the ground. On the receiving end of Gabe's throws was [player_tooltip player_id='994290' first='Joel' last='Perez']. Joel proved in the contest that he is no easy receiver to cover, as he was able to break free for 100 receiving yards on the night. While Ridgewood didn't come away from the game victorious, there is still a lot to look forward to and build on. For example, their defense played very stout as linebacker Nick Bridliadoro accumulated 15 tackles and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1552372' first='Owen' last='Laffey'] was able to intercept one of Gabe Mile's throws. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Winslow (5-0) vs. Millville (4-1) 35-7</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Winslow may have just solidified themselves as the top contender for a state championship this past weekend. Playing a near perfect game against an undefeated Millville, Winslow has separated themselves from the rest of the back and, in my opinion, stands in their own category in the state. This game had arguably the most talent at the receiver position that you'd see in any matchup in the state this year. Wisconsin commit Cam Miller showed that he belongs as one of the best receivers in the state, as he had 51 receiving yards and found the end zone as well. On the other side of things was Alabama commit [player_tooltip player_id='218554' first='Lotzeir' last='Brooks']. Millville had a tough time getting Lotzeir going, as Winslow's defensive unit kept the top receiving target in check. To continue the talented receiver trend between these two teams, keep your eyes on [player_tooltip player_id='402235' first='Nyqir' last='Helton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='972304' first='TJ' last='Maddox']. These two young receivers are guaranteed D1 talent and and give Winslow the chance to dominate through the air for years to come. Both caught touchdowns against Millville, which now brings us to their star quarterback in [player_tooltip player_id='910875' first='Jalen' last='Parker']. Jalen lit it up with a productive 4 touchdown performance. What's most impressive so far this season is how good Jalen is at spreading the rock around evenly amongst his receiving targets. Each touchdown went to a different receiver, making it very challenging for any defense to contain or zero in on any one receiver. However, what stands out the most out of this game is how talented Winslow's defense is. To hold Millville to only 7 points speaks volumes about their program and how good they can be as we near the playoffs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St. Augustine (4-1) vs. Mainland (3-2) 21-3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The tide seem to be turning as Mainland suffered their second loss of the season to St. Augustine Friday night. After going undefeated in 2023 and winning the state championship, Mainland's 2024 squad has struggled against their top opponents thus far this season. St. Augustine never gave Mainland the opportunity to breath or gain any momentum, as they held them to only a field goal through four quarters. St. Augustine's defense put on a show, as they picked off Mainland's [player_tooltip player_id='855776' first='John' last='Franchini'] 4 times and constantly applied pressure to the pocket. They never let off of the gas, as they forced 15 of John's 20 passes to fall incomplete.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offensively, St. Augustine's game plan oriented around the running attack that has been so lethal against their opponents through the first 5 games of the season. As always, [player_tooltip player_id='1085730' first='Julian' last='Turney'] put on a show with 136 yards off of 17 carries and a touchdown. Emerging in the backfield is [player_tooltip player_id='852416' first='Roman' last='Coney']. Roman is a sophomore running back for St. Augustine that is slowly gaining more and more opportunities out of the backfield. Roman had his most productive game of the season as he ran the ball 9 times for 55 yards and a touchdown. This is a name to keep an eye on once [player_tooltip player_id='1085730' first='Julian' last='Turney'] advances to the D1 level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->