Statements Made in Week 1: Reviewing the Top Matchups

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>St. Peter's Prep vs. Union City 42-18</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While the score of the game wasn't close, it is the beginning of something hopeful for St. Peter's Prep. After losing by only one point to Paramus Catholic a week before, St. Peter's Prep bounced back to defeat Union City in a convincing fashion. After falling behind by a touchdown in the opening quarter, St. Peter's Prep's [player_tooltip player_id='212405' first='Tyler' last='Bell'] went on an absolute rampage through the air. [player_tooltip player_id='212405' first='Tyler' last='Bell'] tied the school record of 5 passing touchdowns in a single game. St. Peter's Prep is gaining momentum and is starting to look like they are on an upward trajectory. After throwing for those 5 touchdowns and 277 yards, [player_tooltip player_id='212405' first='Tyler' last='Bell'] is now a name to know and follow along the remainder of the season. Luckily for St Peter's Prep, they have talent across the board that is reversing the misfortunes of the previous season. Receiver Hunter Watson was able to bring in nearly half of Tyler's yardage through the air and also found the end zone on a 23 yard strike. Jordan Rodriquez led the defensive effort with 10.5 tackles and an interception. Jordan is a larger than life DB that is destined for D1 success. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Bernards vs. Hillside 30-14</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While this game wasn't necessarily close or come down to the wire, it was a statement nonetheless by Bernards. Some might have expected the Mountaineers to fall off after a sectional title a year ago and a loss of talent from the previous year's graduation class. However, Bernards proved the doubters wrong after a compelling victory over Hillside Friday night. Bernards took it to a talented Hillside with a balance offensive attack through the air and on the ground and a strong defensive effort. New starting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1551126' first='Nolan' last='Walsh'] was able to stay calm in the face of adversity and threw 10 for 13, 122 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Bernards' running backs gained and maintained momentum as [player_tooltip player_id='1557287' first='Patrick' last='Carlisle'] took 16 carries for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns, and [player_tooltip player_id='1087578' first='Logan' last='Stevens'] was able to take off for 94 yards on 10 rushes. Maybe most impressive overall is the defensive play out of Max Austin. The Bernards DB was able to pick the ball off twice and return one of them for points. Bernards has picked up right where they left off from last season and will look to get back into a deep playoff position. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Pequannock vs. Mountain Lakes</em></strong> <strong><em>35-18</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pequannock and Mountain Lakes are both in uncharted territory. While Mountain Lakes is historically the stronger of the two programs, Pequannock has taken over that role this season as they dominated the Herd 35-18 last Thursday night. While Mountain Lakes' [player_tooltip player_id='1087585' first='Carson' last='Fitch'] was able to find success on the ground with 96 yards and a touchdown, it was not enough to keep up with what Pequannock was producing. Pequannock's [player_tooltip player_id='1466365' first='Angelo' last='Cundiff'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1466367' first='Eddie' last='Shalongo'] dominated on the ground as they combined for nearly 300 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. Through two games, this duo has shown that that will be extremely difficult to slow down for four quarters. This running combo could take Pequannock a step further in the playoffs this season if they continue with their balanced attack and hard nosed running style. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>DePaul vs. Our Lady of Good Counsel 28-17</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I cover strictly New Jersey teams, and while this matchup was between an NJ school and another from Maryland, the significance of it deserves our attention. DePaul payed this past weekend at home and in an intense matchup of powerhouses. DePaul came out the other end victorious with a statement win over a top 10 ranked team in the country. While the game was tight for the first two quarters, DePaul was able to pull away in the third after they scored 14 unanswered points. DePaul was firing on all cylinders, as each of their prime talents on offense contributed immensely to their success Friday night. [player_tooltip player_id='275127' first='Derek' last='Zammit'] commanded the game as he ran in a touchdown and found the end zone twice through the air to his two favorite targets, De'zie Jones and [player_tooltip player_id='1033349' first='Elijah' last='Burress']. [player_tooltip player_id='396564' first='Nolan' last='James'], arguably my favorite RB in the entire state, ran wild as well as he rushed for 174 yard and a touchdown DePaul is quickly gaining traction and will soon be recognized on the national level. This may be the team to watch in 2024. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Paramus Catholic vs. Pope John 49-29</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A matchup of two of my favorite programs in the state, this was truly a statement game by Paramus Catholic. Pope John opened the game up with the only points in the first quarter with [player_tooltip player_id='212393' first='Luke' last='Irwin'] finding [player_tooltip player_id='1034488' first='Prince' last='Joshua'] for a 11 yard touchdown. However, from there on out it was all Paramus Catholic. The game was tied up 14-14 at half time after star running back [player_tooltip player_id='960397' first='Xavier' last='Williams'] took off for a 77 yard touchdown, and Pope John's equally as impressive running back, [player_tooltip player_id='344220' first='Tylik' last='Hill'], took a kickoff back for an 89 yard touchdown. [player_tooltip player_id='960397' first='Xavier' last='Williams'] went on to run loose for 264 yards, 55 receiving yards, and 6 touchdowns. Yes, you read that correctly. [player_tooltip player_id='960397' first='Xavier' last='Williams'] already has 516 yards and 8 touchdowns through two games. Paramus Catholic squares up against St Josephs next week, which is a program they have not beaten in a very long time. Pope John is still looking for their first win of the season and will look to get it next weekend against Kellenberg (NY). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->