Northern NJ's Biggest Offensive Performances from Week 5

From each of the skill positions on offense, northern Jersey delivered with huge statistical performances in week 5. There have been major moves made by lesser known programs, with certain players elevating their status and putting themselves in the discussion for a playoff birth. Keep track of these names as we move through the final few weeks of NJ high school football.    [player_tooltip player_id='1522218' first='Nicholas' last='Patterson'] absolutely lit it up for Hackettstown Friday night in a 34-13 victory over Kittatinny. Starting the game off fast with 3 touchdown strikes in the first quarter, Patterson finished the night with five touchdown passes on only 12 completions and 303 yards through the air. Nicholas was able to find the holes in Kittatinny's defense and take advantage of their weaknesses, finding the open receivers and going for big gains every time they came down with it.   Hackettstown is back on track after an 0-2 start, as they are currently on a 3 game win streak and face a challenging foe in Newton this weekend. If they keep playing how they have, Hackettstown may be in a position to make a push for the playoffs.     [player_tooltip player_id='1522216' first='Jerron' last='Martress'] is the most impressive running back in the state that no one is talking about. High Point has been relying on Jerron very heavily for the first 6 games of the season, and for good reason; Jerron is averaging 157.5 yards per game on the ground and has found the end zone 14 times. In High Point's latest matchup, they went up against a talented Vernon team and were able to defeat them with once again exceptional play from their star running back. In this latest outing, Jerron was near impossible to slow down as he took 20 carries for 232 yards and 2 touchdowns.   High Point's run focused offensive scheme gives Jerron plenty of opportunities to break into the open space for a big gain. He is a larger back them most in the north (6'0" and 190lb), and uses that size to his advantage as he lowers his shoulder between the tackles and gains the hard earned yards. Even when the defense knows High Point is running it right up the middle, they have a tough time preventing Jerron from getting to the second level. To compliment his size and power is Jerron's quickness and 2nd gear he has in the open field. Jerron's jump cut is elusive, and when it is deployed on defenders it can leave them sliding across the turf as Jerron passes by untouched. To top it all off, once he delivers the elusive cut, his quick acceleration out of the change of direction allows him to break away from any trailing defenders.      When a quarterback throws for 5 touchdown passes, you know there's a receiver on the other end putting up massive numbers. For Hackettstown and [player_tooltip player_id='1522218' first='Nicholas' last='Patterson'], that receiver was [player_tooltip player_id='270932' first='Matthew' last='Guenther']. Matthew is a familiar name because he has been recognized on Prep Redzone quite often in the past for his play making abilities as a junior. In his latest matchup, Matthew was able to torch Kittatinny's secondary for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns. Making the most of every opportunity, Matthew capitalized on his 6 receptions, turning two of them into 65 yard and 50 yard touchdowns.   Matthew is a flash of lightning off of the line. With a burst of speed, Matthew darts by his opponent, catching them off guard with quick acceleration and well crafted routes. I think what stands out in particular in this past matchup is how well Matthew was able to improvise with his QB when the pocket broke down. Matthew seems to have a good feel for space downfield and was able to find the open windows in the coverage for Nicholas to throw into. Matthew is going to continue to impress the rest of his senior season.      After a big upset over the weekend against Passaic Tech, we have to come back to one of the biggest playmakers of the game in [player_tooltip player_id='1552333' first='Salvatore' last='Livoti']. Salvatore put up some of the biggest receiving numbers in the entire state this past weekend when he caught 12 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. You could describe Sal as a receiver that is sneaky fast. On his touchdown reception this past weekend, Sal took a bubble screen 45 yards to the house untouched until the goal line. The only way you can run that far without having to shake off a few defenders along the way is if each player in the secondary takes poor angles and misjudges the speed of the ball carrier. That is exactly what happened on the 45 yard scamper. From there, Sal continued to play a pivotal role in his offense's success Friday night as he went on to continuously take in one short pass after another and turn them into big gains. This is a player to keep an eye on the remainder of the season and into 2025 as well.      After a 4-6 record in 2023, Sparta has already surpassed what they accomplished last season as they've started 2024 with a 5-1 record. Winning the last 5 five games in a convincing manner, a lot of that success stems from the prolific aerial assault [player_tooltip player_id='1048181' first='Shane' last='Hoover'] has been providing. So far through 6 games Shane has thrown for a total of 1510 yards and has found the end zone through the air 19 times. In his latest game against Dover, Shane impressed by throwing for 270 yards and 4 touchdowns in their 40-0 win.   Shane delivers some of the best passes in the state. He has demonstrated crisp throwing mechanics and a rocket of an arm that can the place ball where it needs to be extremely quickly. From what I've seen so far, Shane has showed he can read defenses and make the right decision as he moves through his progressions. Not forcing the ball into trouble, Shane has proven to be a smart decision maker and extremely trusted as a leader on the field. Sparta and Shane are sure to build more buzz by the time we hit November.

From each of the skill positions on offense, northern Jersey delivered with huge statistical performances in week 5. There have been major moves made by lesser known programs, with certain players elevating their status and putting themselves in the discussion for a playoff birth. Keep track of these names as we move through the final few weeks of NJ high school football.