Plate #2: Thanksgiving Games I am Ready to Feast On

Dear Thanksgiving,   Is there any more of an American holiday than you? One day a year, we are joined by family and friends that are overlayed on top of a backdrop of egregious amounts of hearty food and football. All the while, you synergize all those elements like the ingredients to Grandmama's gravy recipe, creating fun moments that last a lifetime. Only you, my beloved Thanksgiving, unites four of my favorite, fundamental F-words: family, friends, food, fun, and football.   Celebrating you in the state of New Jersey, you, my sweet Thanksgiving, represents something akin to an appetizer round - a precursor of sorts - to the main dish of NJSIAA State Championship games played in the immediate days after we celebrate you. However, in many cases people enjoy appetizers more than entrée.   Perhaps what makes you so special in some households are what you represent on the gridiron, my dearest Thanksgiving. Bitter rivalries are renewed. Bragging rights are either transferred or maintained. Seniors have their last opportunity to leave their inalienable mark on their high school football programs; whereas similarly, underclassman have an opportunity to announce their arrival for years to come.   To you, wholesome Thanksgiving, I present some of my favorite Thanksgiving Day games that find absolutely delectable this year.   With all my love and in all sincerity,   Brendan Mankarious   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Big Central Conference</h2>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Plainfield (5-4) at Westfield (5-5) Renewing their battle of the "-fields," the Cardinals travel in to take on the Blue Devils. Looking back a few years from now, this game has the potential to be a game that changes the trajectory of both programs. Despite a slower-than-expected start, much was expected of Plainfield this season. Once the playoffs started, they went right down the the wire, suffering a 18-12 defeat to eventual sectional runner-up Passaic County Tech, where the team with the ball last had a shot to win. Expect a healthy appetite of [player_tooltip player_id='1093216' first='EJ' last='Brown'], the Cardinals' senior running back. Brown has been a consistent force, producing 124 carries for 887 yards and 11 scores. A heathy dose of handoffs to Brown will be a positive thing as he looks to lead his Cardinals one last time to come out victorious. [player_tooltip player_id='1187538' first='Kamai' last='Lowery'] looks to plant his flag in this bitter rivalry. The junior gun slinger has gone 69-126 for 1026 yards with 9 TD and 6 Int, while also adding 4 rushing scores on the ground. What has allowed Lowery to flourish has been the selflessness of [player_tooltip player_id='1048201' first='Ala-Meen' last='Watkins']. Watkins received the majority of snaps at quarterback last year, but has since acquiesced the role to Lowery. For these moves, Watkins has been a benefactor, particularly flourishing on defense. Watkins leads the Cardinals in sacks with 4.5, to go along with his 40 tackles, a team-leading 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 safety, and 2 blocked kicks; whereas he has been used in a variety of ways on offense producing 22/147/4 on the ground, 8/116 through the air, and 12-32 for 142, with 1 TD and 2 picks as a passer. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='883312' first='Joel' last='Cordoba'] has done a helluva job following in his older brother Josue's - who is not at Kent State - shoes. A true, two-way threat as an athlete, Cordoba leads Plainfield with 51 tackles with 4 tackles for loss. Additionally, he leads the team in forced fumbles (4), fumble recoveries (2), interceptions (1), and pick-sixes (1). That said, Cordoba has also been Lowery's favorite target on offense, leading everyone with a 23/428/5 slash line as a receiver. The "next man up" mentality was in full force during first-year Head Coach Matt Andzel's debut season. Not only was he the next man up as the hand-chosen understudy to replace legend Jim DeSarno, but their roster paralleled a similar story. Robbed of his senior season due to injury, the talented [player_tooltip player_id='1093217' first='Enzo' last='Ferrero'] was left only to root for his teammates this year. That said, many other prospects picked up the slack. [player_tooltip player_id='1198348' first='Sebastian' last='Magherini']. Magherini produced 508 yards and 4 TDs on 24 receptions, seeing an immediate uptick in light of Ferrero's injury. Moreover, [player_tooltip player_id='1546525' first='Colin' last='Coyle'] led the Blue Devils as a tight end. Coyle made 29 grabs for 420 yards and 3 scores. Through it all, fellow 2025 graduate Blake Rudow was a stabilizing force for their offense out of the backfield, producing 127 yards for 766 yards and 3 TDs. Defensively Coyle was a major contributor at linebacker, finishing second on the team with 51 tackles (28 solo), 4 TFL, 2 sacks, and 1 FF. Moreover, senior [player_tooltip player_id='1181816' first='Lincoln' last='Meyers'] looks to hold the line by adding to his 27 tackle (8 solo), 3 TFL, team-leading 5 sack, and 1 FR performance this season. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='1546526' first='Jordan' last='Walsh'] looks to announce himself to this rivalry. Walsh has a narrow team-lead in tackles with 56 and forced fumbles with 2. He also has one of their scoop & scores and pick-sixes. </li> </ul>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Super Football Conference</h2>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Weequahic (3-6) at Shabazz (9-2) In what is adoringly referred to as the "Soul Bowl," two of the Newark city schools face off every Thanksgiving. There is, however, a bit more at stake this year than most. Weequahic has been the team to beat in recent seasons as they have dominated a Group I schedule. This year they still did qualify for the playoffs, however, the suffered a set back by finishing 3-6. This is not without context though, as the Indians took a big leap, moving up from Group I to Group III. This game might still be considered an appetizer for Shabazz, as six days after this one they will take on Rumson-Fair Haven in the Group II State Championship. The circumstances surrounding this game - injury concerns for Shabazz, continued success for Weequahic, intra-city bragging rights, and sadly and unfortunately, intra-city transfers - make this game, perhaps, the best of the Thanksgiving slate. Although Rashawn Marshall's production will likely not be matched any time soon at running back, the Indians have another outstanding, albeit different, type of runner in [player_tooltip player_id='1093218' first='Reynaldo' last='Carter']. When I did rankings, I really was impressed with his unique combination of power and speed. Carter led the team in carries with 67 on the season for 438 yards and 4 scores. Carter was also a thwarting linebacker, making 59 tackles on the season. Carter, unquestionably looks to make this, his final high school game, his going out party. I do not usually shout out kickers, but in this case [player_tooltip player_id='1001392' first='Ibrahim' last='Cisse'] deserves on. Cisse has been a plug-and-play kid for a number of seasons already. This year, he has gone 4-6 in field goals with a 46-yard long; while also converting 11-14 PATs. Should it be a one possession game, expect Cisse to have a part in the outcome either way. Defensively Weequahic is led by [player_tooltip player_id='1530051' first='SaJani' last='Millwood'], a senior who has had a breakout campaign. Millwood has made 36 tackles (29 solo) with 2 sacks. Adding to the disruption he causes, Millwood has recovered 2 fumbles - 1 for a score - blocked a kick and recorded a safety. When Shabazz looks to drop back to mass, expect heavy pressure from [player_tooltip player_id='1032176' first='Tyshaun' last='Boyd'], who has a team-leading 2 sacks with 21 tackles. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='1567192' first='Kareem' last='Anthony'] has made 28 tackles, but makes pass completions difficult with his 2 interceptions. I will have more to say on Shabazz next week as I prepare for State Final previews, but do know that Shabazz is a team that imported several pieces for this season - many of which had to sit out four games due to senior transfer rules. One player that has been there from beginning-to-end has been [player_tooltip player_id='218561' first='Omari' last='Gaines']. The Bulldogs top prospect made 10 grabs for 223 yards with 4 score this season, but has a lockdown defender in the secondary. Gains has produced 51 tackles (28 solo), 2 TFL, 1 FR, 1 scoop & score, 5 Ints, and 1 pick-six. As much as I love the background of this year's Soul Bowl, I feel it is my journalistic duty to reserve more detailed coverage of Shabazz for next week's state final.</li> </ul>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Shore Conference</h2>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Wall (8-2) at Manasquan (5-5) Wall will not have much time to lick their wounds after suffering a 38-14 defeat at the hands of the South Group II champion Rumson-Fair Haven, as they have a short work week as they prepare to take on Thanksgiving Day rival Manasquan. This will be lead back [player_tooltip player_id='814179' first='Mason' last='Adam']'s final high school game, capping off a tremendous season. Adam led the Crimson Knights this season with 577 yards and 5 TDs on 127 carries. Mason also contributed with 14 receptions - good for third on the team - for 80 yards and 1 TD. A key cog on defense, Adam made 32 tackles (24 solo) and intercepted a pass. The treat Adam poses has opened up things for quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1547360' first='Francesco' last='Scaramellino']. Scaramellino went 78-123 for 997 yards with 12 TD and 5 Int as a passer, while being a solid threat on the ground with a 62/233/5 slash line as a rusher. Defensively, a group of underclassmen look to lead the way and prove a point. [player_tooltip player_id='1453903' first='Dylan' last='Cohen'], their leading tackler with 96 (67 solo) on the season, has also made 5 TFL, 4 sacks, 1 FF, and 2 FR. Moreover, [player_tooltip player_id='1547361' first='Justin' last='Davis'] has been a terror for passers, as he has registered 8 sacks to go along with his 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception that add to his 60 tackle (33 solo) season. Finally, [player_tooltip player_id='1453901' first='Thomas' last='Plisky'] closes out the headline defenders with 77 tackles (47) of his own, to go with 4 TFL, 5 sacks, 3 FF, 1 FR, and 1 Int. For Manasquan to pull off the upset, offensively they will rely heavily on their ace-in-the-hole, running back [player_tooltip player_id='1524395' first='Ace' last='Etienne']. Etienne has had an outstanding junior campaign thus far, amassing 1119 yards and 18 scores on 130 carries, while tacking on 9 receptions for 86 yards and 1 TD. A force on defense, he has also made 43 tackles (22 solo), 5 TFL, and a team-high 2 sacks. Although the Warriors are a run-first offense, when they do go to the air they look to [player_tooltip player_id='1524399' first='JD' last='Teza']. Teza has scored 5 times on 380 yards with his 22 receptions as a downfield threat. The Warriors' defense is anchored by [player_tooltip player_id='1567193' first='Jackson' last='Battaglia']. Battaglia, who looks to rise to the occasion during his high school finale, has made 59 tackles (32 solo) on the campaign, highlighted by 5 TFL and 1 sack.</li> </ul>

Dear Thanksgiving,