The Super Football Conference’s Top Games: Week 8

In this article, we preview some of the Super Football Conference's top games going into Week 8 of football here in the great, Garden State.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Friday, October 25</h2>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Old Tappan (7-0) at Pascack Valley (6-1), 6pm Things could be shaken up a bit atop the North III bracket as the #1 seed Old Tappan Golden Knights travel to take on the #3 Pascack Valley Panthers. Things could get shaken up a bit here depending outcomes - not so much as dramatic falls down the bracket, but more so who-is-seeded-where with West Essex wedged between them at #2 hosting Morris Knolls, who is #3 in North IV. No slight to [player_tooltip player_id='539076' first='Alex' last='Orecchio'] because I love how he is an outstanding football player, but it seems as though Old Tappan has a more traditional quarterback now in [player_tooltip player_id='910743' first='Zach' last='Miceli'] under center. Miceli, just a sophomore, has had an impressive year going 59-92 for 1114 yards with 14 touchdowns and 1 interception. Enough of a runner to keep you honest, Miceli has a 10/104/2 slash line on the ground. Orecchio, on the other hand, has played a variety of roles it appears - adding to his versatility, showcasing all the different things he can do on film. As a rusher he is third on the team in carries, going 29/267/4 and as their leader in receptions and receiving touchdowns, going 22/295/5. Not to be outdone, the senior has also taken snaps at quarterback, going 8-17 for 147 yards. Most impressively, of those 8 completions, 4 have gone for touchdown passes and he has not thrown an interception. Lastly, Orecchio makes his impact felt on defense too with his team-leading 5 interceptions. He has also made 26 tackles with 1 for a loss. A new star might be in the making for Old Tappan, as [player_tooltip player_id='1540893' first='Shane' last='Small'] has emerged as their sack leader with 3 on the year. He also boats 3 tackles for loss and 24 tackles to his name during this, his sophomore season. Also a quality target, Small is second on the team in touchdown receptions with 4, to go with is 9 grabs and 204 yards. For the host Panthers, they deploy a dual-threat rushing attack that focuses on two players. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1530061' first='Kevin' last='Regula'] shoulders much of the burden, leading his team with a 102/697/11 stat line. More than a one-way, rushing specialist, Regula is also third on the team in receptions, producing 12 of them for 182 yards and a score. Nearly half the time, however, quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='534373' first='Adam' last='Shaw'] calls his own number. Shaw has done so 50 times for 452 yards, scoring 7 times. As a traditional quarterback, he has completed 61 of his 99 attempts for 804 yards with an 8:1 Touchdown to interception ratio. [player_tooltip player_id='1530066' first='Kai' last='Smith'] also gets some love out of the backfield, albeit to a more modest tune of 14/138/3; however, Smith makes his mark felt on defense. Smith is second on the team with 59 tackles and also has 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 2 interceptions, and one pick-six - all while leading the team with 7 tackles for loss.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Cedar Grove (8-0) at Boonton (6-2), 7pm Not calling it a miracle, but should Boonton successfully defend their home turf in an upset over North I's number 1 team Cedar Grove, the Bombers are sure to be big gainers from their current seed at 10. Looking to prevent such an occurrence is three-year starter for the Panthers [player_tooltip player_id='933995' first='Stephen' last='Paradiso']. Statistically speaking, aside from likely setting all sorts of school records, he is their offense's heart-and-soul. To put this into context, Paradiso is Cedar Grove's leading rusher this season with just 201 yards, producing that on 50 carries for 5 scores. In terms of passing, Paradiso is having another monster season. He has gone 130-207, a 63% completion percentage, for 1975 yards with 23 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Quickly mentioning his two favorite targets [player_tooltip player_id='1525016' first='Jackson' last='Morrice'] (50/949/13, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interceptions, 2 kickoff return touchdowns) and [player_tooltip player_id='1540895' first='Nick' last='Russo'] (42/439/7, 2 interceptions), I want to highlight some of their key defenders. First, [player_tooltip player_id='1540900' first='Thomas' last='Cannataro'] leads the team in sacks and tackles for loss with 4 a piece. Cannataro is also a amongst the team leaders in tackles with 55, has forced a fumble, and has two scoop & scores for the year. Additionally, [player_tooltip player_id='1540902' first='Jerry' last='Targia'] is a big contributor with 56 tackles (31 solo), 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 fumble recovery. As Cedar Grove gets it done through the air, Boonton gets it done on the ground with several backs. [player_tooltip player_id='991826' first='Sylas' last='White'] is the leading rusher, having shouldered the load 107 times for 863 yards and 14 touchdowns. White has also made 35 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions. This supporting teammates, who happen to all be seniors too, are [player_tooltip player_id='1012782' first='Metin' last='Ahmedi'] (30/205/5; 46 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception), [player_tooltip player_id='1540903' first='Colin' last='Bostrom'] (27/310/5; 37 tackles, 2 pick-sixes), and [player_tooltip player_id='1540904' first='Drew' last='Cabalar'] (90/651/6; 107 tackles, 11 tackles for loss). When Paradiso drops back to pass, he should be weary of [player_tooltip player_id='1540906' first='Josiah' last='Chaplan']. Chaplan leads the team in interceptions this year with 3 and also happens to lead Boonton with 2 fumble recoveries. He has also made 46 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 2 forced fumbles. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Wayne Valley (5-3) at Ridgewood (5-2), 6:30pm Many eyes in North Jersey will be keen to the result of this game between the visiting Indians challenge the Maroons. Although even with a loss Wayne Valley (#7 in North IV) is likely to retain a home playoff game, they have a shot at hosting two with a win. For Ridgewood, they need to win to in all likelihood retain a top 2 seed in North V; whereas teams like Elizabeth, West Orange, Passaic Tech, and Bridgewater-Raritan are all rooting against Ridgewood. [player_tooltip player_id='1540907' first='Brenden' last='Immediato'] is having a very solid final season for Wayne. Immediato has produced 43 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and recovered a fumble. Supporting him when by interrupting the passing lanes is [player_tooltip player_id='1540910' first='Bryce' last='Flower']. Flower has a team-leading 4 interceptions with 43 tackles (37 solo), 4 tackles for loss. Not outdone, [player_tooltip player_id='1540911' first='Brayden' last='Dunne']'s production has been strong as well. Dunne has made 37 tackles (25 solo), 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and blocked a kick. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='1540920' first='Elizer' last='Estevez'] has been the main bell cow out of the backfield. Estevez has ran for 647 yards and 7 scores on 145 attempts, while adding 12 receptions for 61 yards. Ridgewood runs a very disciplined Wing-T offense that features [player_tooltip player_id='1043555' first='Colin' last='Burns'] as their fullback. The Maroons leading rusher has gone for 613 yards on 76 attempts with 7 scores. However, it is their fierce defense that seems to be leading the way this season. They are getting early returns from sophomore linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1476922' first='John' last='DeVincenzo'], who leads them in sacks with 3.5. DeVincenzo has also made 6 tackles for loss and forced 2 fumbles with his 31 total stops. [player_tooltip player_id='1043533' first='Quinn' last='Conneen'] cleans up much of what is in front of him, having made 62 tackles with 7 tackles for loss. Conneen has also registered 1.5 sacks, forced a fumble, and also happens to lead the Maroons in intercepted passes with 2. However, expect [player_tooltip player_id='1011815' first='Nick' last='Brigliadoro'] to control the game. Ridgewood's leading tackler has 73 on the season, but also leads them in tackles for loss with 7.5. Brigliadoro has also recorded 2 sacks, forced a fumble, and intercepted a pass.</li> </ul>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Saturday, October 26</h2>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Dwight-Morrow (4-2-1) at Glen Ridge (4-3), 12pm A lot is at stake for these two games, but Dwight-Morrow might have just a bit more. The Raiders are currently North III's final seed at 16. Unless they get a bit lucky with the teams surrounding them, a loss probably puts them on the outside looking in. For Glen Ridge, first year coach head coach Chris Strumolo has done a fine job leading his Ridgers to the #7 seed in North I, and hope to, at the minimum, hold serve. The visiting Raiders are all about [player_tooltip player_id='1022238' first='Damani' last='Williams']. Williams might be Jersey's best example of a dual-threat quarterback. Williams has had a really nice year through the air, going 73-114 with 1359 yards. Perhaps more importantly, he has thrown 15 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions. As a rushing threat, Williams is, by far, Dwight-Morrow's top threat on the ground. He has accumulated 1137 yards and 11 scores thus far on just 86 carries. Be mindful that his next-closest teammate in term of rushing yardage, [player_tooltip player_id='1540931' first='Arieyon' last='Williams'], has just 401. Williams is not done, however. The dynamo also is a big-time contributor on defense, having intercepted 3 passes - to of which he took back for scores. Williams also has 4 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery, and has made 58 total stops. [player_tooltip player_id='1540923' first='Robert' last='Banks'] is a defensive sophomore prospect that, if today's results are any indicator of future success, is slated to be a plus prospect for the Raiders. Banks leads the team in sacks with 6, while also making 9 tackles for loss, 26 total stops, and recovering a fumble. Joining Banks along the defensive front is [player_tooltip player_id='993113' first='Maurice' last='Williams']. Williams is the team-leader in tackles with 70, but also leads the team in tackles for loss with 10. Additionally, he has 4 sacks of his own, intercepted a pass, and recovered 2 fumbles - one he took back for a score. Williams is also his quarterback's favorite target, leading the team in all receiving categories, having gone 23/705/9 thus far on the year. The future looks bright in Glen Ridge, as this small Group I school has several freshmen contributing on varsity in meaningful ways. First is [player_tooltip player_id='1540924' first='Aiden' last='Kelly']. Kelly a receiver and linebacker, has made 23 stops on defense and intercepted a pass, and on the other side of the ball gone 7/198/1 in a run-first offense. This next prospect may take many licks now in the trenches, but he makes sure to get his in too. [player_tooltip player_id='1540925' first='Tyler' last='Kamil'] has been a disruptive force his freshman year, making 9 tackles for loss (a team-high), has sacked the quarterback once, and made 45 total tackles. Enough with the new, as [player_tooltip player_id='1540926' first='Zach' last='Konetzni'] represents the upperclassmen. Konetzni has a team-leading 5 interceptions to go with his 43 stops and 1 tackle for loss. He also represents a bridge to the Ridgers' offense he is their leading rusher with 717 yards on the season. Konetzni has scored 6 times on 111 carries. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='1143116' first='Brad' last='Foster'] is the old dog on in the yard. The Ridgers' quarterback is a bit more of a runner, having gone for 6 scores and 556 yards on 83 rushes. When asked to drop back to pass, he has a 6:3 touchdown to interception ratio on 41-87 attempts for 830 yards.</li> </ul>

In this article, we preview some of the Super Football Conference's top games going into Week 8 of football here in the great, Garden State.