NJSYFL 8th Grade All-Star Game: North O-Line and D-Line Standouts

The North Jersey Suburban Youth Football League has long been one of the top multi-County youth football leagues in North Jersey. With over 20 teams from four different Counties in the "A Division", it really does serve as a glimpse into the future of North Jersey High School Football. In the annual NJSFYL 8th Grade All-Star Game this past weekend, some of the biggest and brightest stars from the league came out to play. Below is a look at some of the Offensive and Defensive Line standouts from the North Team.    On top of having George Englekraut at QB1 and [player_tooltip player_id='1566350' first='Ryan' last='Gabriele'] at RB1, the undefeated Chatham Cougars also had one of the most dominant defensive players in the game at Edge, Charlie Hughes. As was the case with his teammates, it didn't take long for Hughes to get involved right away. On the North Team's first defensive play of the game, a botched toss put a loose ball on the turf and it was big #4 who was there to credit for the TFL, after screaming into the backfield. With the South falling on the fumble, it was almost a smarter play because Hughes was ready to pounce. With his teammates controlling the ball offensively and subsequently the time of possession, Hughes didn't make another tackle until the second quarter--which was the defense's second time on the field. In no surprise at all, he stood tall at Defensive End and walked the Offensive Tackle backwards, making his second stop of the night out of the first five plays. Fittingly enough, Hughes also made the first tackle of the second half--which was also for a loss. He's a big, strong kid packed full of muscle and explosion.     There were a ton of offensive fireworks for the North Team during the NJSYFL 8th Grade All-Star Game, and that doesn't happen without the big guys up front. The first Offensive Linemen I noticed was the starting Left Guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1566384' first='Matteo' last='Raimondi']. I was impressed by the way he simply did his job play after play after play. Despite tough wind conditions, the North Team had a prolific day through the air and by my count only gave up one sack (on a bad snap) on nine offensive possessions. When the North did run the ball, it wasn't the most successful outcome, but Raimondi did a nice job of digging out the Defensive Tackles lined up across from him.     Part of a very active defensive front for the North Team, Piccirillo made a number of convincing plays on the afternoon. Hailing from Hillsborough, the Somerset County native has a bit of that tweener size (somewhere between Defensive End and Defensive Tackle) but that's what made him valuable in the NJSYFL 8th Grade All-Star Game. In the second quarter specifically, Piccirillo made three big tackles: one for a loss, another for no gain and a third tackle that also caused a fumble. The tackle and subsequent forced fumble, couldn't have come at a more opportune time with the South Team driving inside the 10 yard line late in the opening half. Showing off his ability to move and his never-quit hustling mentality, Piccirillo also made a trio of stops late in the game. A downfield tackle late in the fourth quarter, a monstrous hit on a scrambling South Team Quarterback in the final minutes and finally a TFL on what appeared to be a failed HB pass, to essentially ice the game for the North Team.     As mentioned above in [player_tooltip player_id='1566384' first='Matteo' last='Raimondi']'s write-up, the North Team was nothing short of explosive in the passing game during the NJSYFL 8th Grade All-Star Game. While Raimondi manned the Left Guard position, West Orange's [player_tooltip player_id='1566386' first='Brandon' last='Johnson'] was a strong spot on the Offensive Line at the Right Guard spot. Johnson looked very strong during the game, tossing some smaller Defensive Tackles from the South Team around like a rag doll. Played with a strong, wide base that was tough to get around. He won't be able to win most battles by tossing guys around as he progresses to higher levels of football, so improving technique and leg drive will become important. However as for what I saw in the game, he did a solid job.     Another Essex County kid that showed off a lot of ability and potential, [player_tooltip player_id='1566561' first='Jacob' last='Jean-Louis'] had a very good game in NJSYFL 8th Grade All-Star Game. His first standout moments came in the final minute of the opening half of football. With the North Team holding a 14-6 lead and the South Team looking to tie it up before heading into the half, Jean-Louis came alive. His tackle on first down, which was a three-yard gain by the offense, wouldn't mean much to anyone unless you saw the way he extended his arms and fought off a drive block to make the stop. While one could argue that he shouldn't have let the offensive linemen get into his chest in the first place, the way he fought off the block was excellent. Jean-Louis followed that up with a huge sack on the final play of the half, dropping the South QB for a 10 yard loss. After the break, Jean-Louis wasn't done feasting in the backfield, as he recorded his second sack of the contest on third down of the South Team's first offensive possession of the second half. For good measure in the third quarter, he added yet another tackle for loss. With the ability Jean-Louis has to defeat blocks with his length and quickness, the upside is huge if/when he adds strength from the weight room.

The North Jersey Suburban Youth Football League has long been one of the top multi-County youth football leagues in North Jersey. With over 20 teams from four different Counties in the "A Division", it really does serve as a glimpse into the future of North Jersey High School Football. In the annual NJSFYL 8th Grade All-Star Game this past weekend, some of the biggest and brightest stars from the league came out to play. Below is a look at some of the Offensive and Defensive Line standouts from the North Team.