Offensive Player to Watch in Each North 1 Section Championship

Putting our attention now towards North 1, multiple undefeated seasons are on the line this weekend and the chance for some programs to get farther in the playoffs then they've ever been before.   Group 1:   Butler: Dave Smith QB '26   Junior quarterback Dave Smith has been one of the most impressive QBs in the northern part of the state through 2024. A QB that rarely makes mistakes, Dave has punished defenses all season long as he has tossed 25 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions and 1331 yards. Teams need to be careful not to zero in strictly on Dave's passing abilities though, as he has also found a ton of success running the ball in 2024 as well (507 yards and 5 touchdowns.) Butler will look to extend their win steak as they take on a talented Mountain Lakes in the section championship.   Mountain Lakes: [player_tooltip player_id='1087585' first='Carson' last='Fitch'] RB '26   A running back I have talked about since early 2023, [player_tooltip player_id='1087585' first='Carson' last='Fitch'] is that "X-factor" for Mountain Lakes offense. Before last weeks win against New Milford, Carson had racked up 839 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. The junior RB has all of the qualities you'd look for in a lead back, as he really has the ability to take the ball play after play and find positive yardage. Carson has been balling since his sophomore season and I am sure he will continue to impress on the ground.   Group 2:   Shabazz: [player_tooltip player_id='345433' first='Romelo' last='Tables'] QB '25   [player_tooltip player_id='345433' first='Romelo' last='Tables'] is living up to the hype in his senior season. While he hasn't put up incredible numbers statistically (723 yards and 11 touchdowns), he has been extremely efficient with the ball in his hands. Romelo is a clear leader on this Shabazz unit, which really showed after their 14-6 upset over Westwood last weekend. Shabazz has another difficult foe to face off against as they have undefeated Bernards on their schedule next.   Bernards: [player_tooltip player_id='1551126' first='Nolan' last='Walsh'] QB '27   Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1551126' first='Nolan' last='Walsh'] is leading one of the most impressive campaigns in the entire state. Taking the lead as an underclassman is never an easy task, but Nolan stepped right in to fill the void left from their star QB of 2023 and now has set his sights on taking home a state championship. To get there, Nolan will have to continue performing like he has when he goes up against Shabazz this weekend. The 6'1" QB is a straight pocket passer, delivering dimes all across the field with a rangy arm and clean mechanics. So far through 2024 Nolan has thrown for 1785 yards and 17 touchdowns. Nolan has a chance to truly build a dynasty at Bernards, as the team has only lost one game over the last two seasons.    Group 3:   River Dell: [player_tooltip player_id='811608' first='Chris' last='Kelm'] RB '25   River Dell will look to redeem themselves in the section championship when they square off against Pascack Valley for the second time this season. While they walked away from the first contest with a 7-35 defeat, the team has built momentum over the last few weeks and feels ready to take them on for the second time. River Dell will have to lean heavily on players such as [player_tooltip player_id='811608' first='Chris' last='Kelm'] if they want to get past Pascack Valley. The senior RB has the potential to be a reliable source of yardage this weekend, as he has ran for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns so far this season. River Dell will need to get the run game going if they want to pull off the upset.   Pascack Valley: [player_tooltip player_id='534373' first='Adam' last='Shaw'] QB '26   I continue to come back to [player_tooltip player_id='534373' first='Adam' last='Shaw'] because I truly think he is one of the most polished QBs in the state. The junior quarterback has orchestrated scoring drive after scoring drive and has the ability to take complete control of the outcome of the game. Adam has been absolutely dominant through the air and on the ground in 2024, as he has thrown for 1148 yards and 12 touchdowns, and has also ran the ball for 745 yards and 12 more touchdowns. Leading a 28-12 win over Montville in the semifinals, colleges need to start paying more attention to Adam, and this weekend is a great time to start.    Group 4:   Morris Knolls: [player_tooltip player_id='993115' first='Chris' last='Kaiser'] RB '25   The third undefeated team trying to extend the win streak this weekend, Morris Knolls will need every running back to play at their peak performance if they want to overcome a resilient Ramapo squad. While we have shined a lot of light onto lead running back [player_tooltip player_id='1043551' first='Bobby' last='Brickner'] recently, it's time to look towards the other RBs playing a pivotal role in the run game. In total, Morris Knolls has ran for 3289 yards and 41 touchdowns on the year. Accounting for 12 of those touchdowns and 658 yards is the second ball carrier in the backfield, [player_tooltip player_id='811608' first='Chris' last='Kelm']. Chris shined against Mt. Olive in their 42-14 win last weekend, as he ran loose for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 9 carries. Morris Knolls will need players like Chris to continue performing at that high of a level if they want to move onto the next round.   Ramapo: [player_tooltip player_id='1552333' first='Salvatore' last='Livoti'] WR '26   I have talked extensively about [player_tooltip player_id='1546513' first='Casey' last='Grusser'], but just like some of the other teams on this list, I want to put emphasis on the other players that helped get these teams to the position they are in. On the receiving end of Casey's throws is the talented receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1552333' first='Salvatore' last='Livoti']. Salvatore is another exceptional junior on the roster that is setting Ramapo up for success not only in this season but in 2025 as well. So far this season, Salvatore has caught 43 passes for 610 yards and 5 touchdowns. He had a big semifinal performance last weekend against Ridge where he took 5 receptions for 105 yards. Look for Salvatore to put up similar numbers this weekend in the finals.    Group 5:   East Orange: [player_tooltip player_id='1303085' first='Sa'eed' last='Cole'] ATH '25   [player_tooltip player_id='1303085' first='Sa'eed' last='Cole'] is truly a swiss army knife athlete playing the quarterback position extremely well. The senior athlete has tormented defenses on the ground and through the air, as his run capabilities and ability to evade the pass rush makes him one of the toughest QBs to scheme against. Sa'eed will be the key to East Orange's success if they want to get by West Orange. He has thrown for 1237 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, but more importantly, has found the end zone 13 times on the ground and ran for another 533 yards.   West Orange: [player_tooltip player_id='796165' first='Terrell' last='Wilfong'] WR '25   West Orange was able to defeat East Orange in a narrow victory earlier in the year, and if they want to repeat that success, they will have to rely on their star receiver [player_tooltip player_id='796165' first='Terrell' last='Wilfong'] to make big time catches. Terrell has been everything West Orange needed out of WR1. Near impossible to cover with his 6'5" frame, Terrell has caught 49 passes this year for 889 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is a prime target in the back of the end zone, and I wouldn't be surprised if West Orange targets him there a few times in the section championship.

Putting our attention now towards North 1, multiple undefeated seasons are on the line this weekend and the chance for some programs to get farther in the playoffs then they've ever been before.