Group V Playoff Performers to Watch in Round 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the calendar turns to November, the second season begins: playoff football. Below I review each matchup in this specified region within this article's title, highlighting one offensive and one defensive player from each team that I anticipate rising to the occasion when everyone's record resets this week, again, to 0-0.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">North I, Group V</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#4 East Orange at #1 Ridgewood</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Offense</td><td>Defense</td></tr><tr><td>East Orange</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1032189' first='Shakur' last='Taylor'], 2025, WR<br><br>36 receptions, 550 yards, 4 TD<br>2 carries, 26 yards<br>18 tackles (8 solo)</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1201348' first='Ernst' last='Jeune'], 2025, LB<br><br>22 tackles (5 solo), 5 TFL, 3 sacks</td></tr><tr><td>Ridgewood</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1552372' first='Owen' last='Laffey'], 2025, RB<br><br>66 carries, 318 yards, 4 TD<br>2 receptions, 18 yards<br>58 tackles (25 solo), 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 Int<br>5, two-point conversions</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1043533' first='Quinn' last='Conneen'], 2026, LB<br><br>77 tackles (29 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF, 2 Int<br>2 receptions, 62 yards</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#3 Piscataway at #2 West Orange</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Offense</td><td>Defense</td></tr><tr><td>Piscataway</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1196461' first='Landon' last='Pernell'], 2027, QB<br><br>93-138, 1329 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int<br>23 carries, 19 yards, 1 TD</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1212502' first='Riley' last='Wingate'], 2025, LB<br><br>29 tackles, 2 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 FR, 1 scoop &amp; score</td></tr><tr><td>West Orange</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1307608' first='Farad' last='Green'], 2026, RB<br><br>175 carries, 1065 yards, 9 TD<br>5 receptions, 35 yards, 1 TD</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='766454' first='Christopher' last='Barrino'], 2025, LB<br><br>60 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks, 4 Int<br>48 carries, 327 yards, 6 TD</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">North II, Group V</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#4 Bridgewater-Raritan at #1 Union City</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Offense</td><td>Defense</td></tr><tr><td>Bridgewater-Raritan</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1524424' first='Nicholas' last='DiEsso'], 2025, WR<br><br>44 receptions, 742 yards, 7 TD<br>58 carries, 292 yards, 3 TD<br>52 tackles (39 solo), 1 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 4 blocked kicks<br>14 Kickoff Returns, 438 yards, 2 TD<br>1, two-point conversion</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1552374' first='Matthew' last='Kronengold'], 2025, DB<br><br>66 tackles (45 solo), 5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FR</td></tr><tr><td>Union City</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1198088' first='Jazaire' last='Aurelus'], 2025, RB<br><br>67 carries, 628 yards, 11 TD<br>21 tackles (14 solo), 1 TFL, 3 Int, 2 pick-six<br>1, two-point conversion</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='829410' first='Omar' last='Tillman'], 2025, DL<br><br>52 tackles (28 solo), 16 TFL, 4 sacks</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#3 Passaic County Tech at #2 Elizabeth</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Offense</td><td>Defense</td></tr><tr><td>Passaic County Tech</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='994290' first='Joel' last='Perez'], 2025, WR<br><br>29 receptions, 527 yards, 5 TD<br>33 tackles (25 solo), 1 TFL, 2 FF, 5 Int</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1552378' first='Michael' last='Moro'], 2026, LB<br><br>74 tackles (45 solo), 6 TFL, 5 sacks, 1 FF</td></tr><tr><td>Elizabeth</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1216635' first='Jamad' last='Lyles'], 2025, RB<br><br>39 carries, 127 yards, 3 TD<br>5 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD<br>14 tackles (9 solo), 1 Int</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1216637' first='Tysheed' last='Hawkins'], 2025, LB<br><br>46 tackles (22 solo), 3.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Central, Group V</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#5 Cherry Hill East at #1 Washington Township</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Offense</td><td>Defense</td></tr><tr><td>Cherry Hill East</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1540494' first='Isaiah' last='Donaldson'], 2025, RB<br><br>60 carries, 559 yards, 10 TD<br>15 receptions, 501 yards, 8 TD<br>32 tackles (18 solo), 2 Int</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1552380' first='Dillon' last='Haddock'], 2027, LB<br><br>86 tackles (41 solo), 2 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 2 FF, 1 Int</td></tr><tr><td>Washington Township</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='402236' first='Paris' last='Pratt'], 2026, WR<br><br>36 receptions, 484 yards, 3 TD<br>20 tackles (8 solo), 2 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 1 FF</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1027686' first='Jaylen' last='Robinson'], 2026, LB<br><br>84 tackles (32 solo), 23.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 1 FF, 2 FR</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#6 Cherokee at #2 Atlantic City</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Offense</td><td>Defense</td></tr><tr><td>Cherokee</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='910854' first='Cooper' last='Burti'], 2027, QB<br><br>68-124, 791 yards, 3 TD, 8 Int<br>60 carries, 230 yards, 5 TD</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1552381' first='Micah' last='Lee'], 2026, DL<br><br>39 tackles (19 solo), 11 TFL, 2.5 sacks</td></tr><tr><td>Atlantic City</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='675553' first='Sahnye' last='Degraffenreidt'], 2025, WR<br><br>33 receptions, 728 yards, 12 TD<br>20 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD<br>11 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 Int</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1552382' first='Omar' last='Kelly'], DB, 2027<br><br>31 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 Int</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">South, Group V</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#5 Kingsway at #1 Toms River North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Offense</td><td>Defense</td></tr><tr><td>Kingsway</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='501876' first='David' last='Oravetz'], 2026, QB<br><br>105-172, 1001 yards, 9 TD, 4 Int<br>60 carries, 84 yards, 3 TD<br>2, two-point conversions</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='606185' first='Andrew' last='Wands'], 2026, DB<br><br>58 tackles (21 solo), 5 TFL, 1 FF, 1 Int</td></tr><tr><td>Toms River North</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='674968' first='Camryn' last='Thomas'], 2025, WR<br><br>25 receptions, 608 yards, 6 TD<br>15 tackles (3 solo), 1 Int, 1 pick-six<br>10 Punt Returns, 174 yards, 1 TD</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1530242' first='Brady' last='Cicala'], 2026, LB<br><br>80 tackles (20 solo), 8 TFL, 1 FR</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#3 Hillsborough at #2 Rancocas Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td></td><td>Offense</td><td>Defense</td></tr><tr><td>Hillsborough</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1552384' first='Ryan' last='Seamon'], 2025, QB<br><br>111-205, 1300 yards, 13 TD, 6 Int<br>42 carries, 58 yards, 1 TD</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1552386' first='Anthony' last='Guerrero'], 2026, LB<br><br>38 tackles (14 solo), 6 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 FR, 1 scoop &amp; score</td></tr><tr><td>Rancocas Valley</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1043544' first='Brody' last='Deiter'], 2025, WR<br><br>59 receptions, 1085 yards, 15 TD<br>3 carries, 28 yards<br>1-1, 11 yards<br>40 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 FR, 1 Int, 1 pick-six, 1 blocked kick<br>1, two-point conversion</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1151578' first='Michael' last='Beasley'], 2028, DL<br><br>76 tackles, 18 TFL, 7 sacks, 1 FF, 1 safety</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table -->