Recapping Week 3's Best Matchups

As always, New Jersey high school football delivered with another impressive slate of games between some of the best teams in the state. These are the games that delivered on their promise and give us a sense of how the rest of the season could play out.   Holy Spirit (3-1) vs. Camden (3-1) 23-12   Holy Spirit continued their winning ways with a 23-12 victory over Camden this past weekend. Getting to the quarterback 7 times in the contest, Holy Spirit's pass rush was relentless in their pursuit of the QB. The big bodied [player_tooltip player_id='819146' first='Jahcere' last='Ward'] ran the ball with aggressive as he was able to fight his way into the end zone two times. Jahcere is the type of back you look to rely on anytime you get near the goal line. The star of the game may have been kicker [player_tooltip player_id='1537307' first='Mason' last='Forte']. Mason accounted for nearly half of his team's points as he went 3/3 on field goals and 2/2 on extra points.   While Camden may not have come out of the game victorious, they can walk with reassurance that they are a legitimate contender within their division. They have one of the best defensive backs in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='822785' first='Azir' last='Lee'], an electric player in the secondary that was able to pick the ball off once and rack up 5 tackles. On the opposite side of the ball [player_tooltip player_id='1228164' first='Malik' last='Redd'] was near impossible to cover as he put up 123 receiving yards and scored one of Camden's touchdowns. Camden will look to bounce back next weekend against a tough Rancocas Valley.   Seton Hall Prep (2-2) vs DePaul (4-0) 14-34   A highly anticipated matchup in the state, DePaul got the best of Seton Hall Prep last weekend with a 34-14 statement win over the Pirates. Depaul got off to a quick 13 point lead with strikes from elite quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='275127' first='Derek' last='Zammit']. Derek was able to find his favorite targets in [player_tooltip player_id='1033349' first='Elijah' last='Burress'] and De'zie Jones early and continued the momentum through all 4 quarters. Speaking of momentum, [player_tooltip player_id='396564' first='Nolan' last='James'] Jr. once again produced on the ground at an elite level. One of the silkiest smooth runners in the state, Nolan put on a show once again as he carried the ball for 249 yards and 1 touchdown. On top of it, he also found success on defense as well as he was able to pick the ball off of from SHP's QB. Speaking of defensive performances, DePaul's [player_tooltip player_id='1099787' first='Anthony' last='Nittoli'] put on a show as he racked up 10 tackles and forced a fumble as well. DePaul is dominant on all fronts, and is a team that is quickly becoming a a favorite for a state championship.   While Seton Hall Prep did not come out of the game victorious, there is a still a lot off positives to pull from the game. One, they have an extremely talented receiver in [player_tooltip player_id='1558148' first='Matthew' last='Bergwall']. Matthew was tough to defend last weekend, as he had 8 receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, SHP has a rising star in the secondary in [player_tooltip player_id='1475723' first='David' last='Manzo']. David was able to pick [player_tooltip player_id='275127' first='Derek' last='Zammit'] off twice in the game, stopping DePaul's progression down the field. Seton Hall Prep squares off with Delbarton this week; a team that is coming off a big win against St. Peter's Prep.   St. Augustine (3-1) vs. Winslow (4-0) 7-21   A matchup of undefeated programs, Winslow was the one that walked away with a zero still in their loss column. Winslow performed up to their standard as usual, as they were able to find the end zone when it mattered most and was stout in their defensive game plan and execution. Slinging the rock for Winslow was star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='910875' first='Jalen' last='Parker']. Jalen threw the ball with precision against St. Augustine's secondary, as he went 16/18 for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jalen did a great job keeping the DBs on their toes as he was able to spread the ball out evenly amongst 4 receivers. Where the team really put on a dominant performance was in the pass rush game. Between [player_tooltip player_id='211802' first='KaRon' last='Ali'], [player_tooltip player_id='1570684' first='Marcus' last='Upton'], and Ben Carter, Winslow's pass rush was able to sack the quarterback 5 times and continuously put St. Augustine in tough 3rd down positions. St. Augustine really had a tough time building momentum and flow on offense. [player_tooltip player_id='1085730' first='Julian' last='Turney'], St. Augustine's talented back, was held to 59 rushing yards on 17 carries. Winslow knew how to stop this team and they did exactly what they intended to do.   Chatham (2-1) vs. Mt. Olive (3-1) 31-6   Delivering one of the first big upsets of the season, Chatham was able to take down section championship favorite Mt. Olive in a convincing fashion. Chatham started the game off quickly with a 98 yard touchdown from Will Allen to receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1552343' first='Nick' last='Lagunowich']. Chatham fired on all cylinders with Caden Gabrielle leading the charge and having a big impact on both sides of the ball. Rushing for a touchdown and also returning an interception for a 63 yard touchdown, Caden was pure magic and was exactly what Chatham needed to spark the upset. Most impressive, Chatham was able to slow down a Mt. Olive offensive unit that is known for putting up big numbers. This may be the game Chatham needed to start building momentum towards a playoff birth.

As always, New Jersey high school football delivered with another impressive slate of games between some of the best teams in the state. These are the games that delivered on their promise and give us a sense of how the rest of the season could play out.