State Semifinal Recap: Which Players Balled Out?

I could have highlighted any player that stepped on the field for Glassboro Friday night. The offense was on fire from the start, with [player_tooltip player_id='426571' first='Xavier' last='Sabb'] and [player_tooltip player_id='967081' first='Kenny' last='Smith'] both scoring touchdowns and racking up over 100 offensive yards each. Defensively, every player feasted as multiple players had sacks and we saw [player_tooltip player_id='807032' first='Maurice' last='Davis'] Jr. return an interception for a touchdown. However, I want to shine light on one of the most destructive defensive linemen in the entire state in [player_tooltip player_id='402196' first='Brandon' last='Simmons'].   Brandon has been an absolute force for Glassboro all season long. With 17 sacks on the season and 119 total tackles, Brandon is relentless off of the line, using his big bodied frame to hold his ground and shake blockers off of him to clog up the hole. Brandon is sneaky quick for an interior defensive lineman. His first step out of his stand is explosive, with the capability of catching the blocker off guard and tearing by into the backfield. We don't typically see such one sided affair this late into the playoffs, but Glassboro was able to display the best performance of the weekend on all fronts. Shutting Woodstown out 36-0, Brandon helped in a big way by finding his way to the quarterback 2 times, totaling 8 tackles, and recovering a fumble as well.      In another absolute thrashing in the playoffs, Pascack Valley kept it close with Old Tappan through the first half of play, but Old Tappan was able to pull away and punch their ticket to the state championship with a 43-12 statement win. Old Tappan dominated offensively through a full team effort, especially on the ground. The team finished the day with 256 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id='539076' first='Alex' last='Orecchio'] once again performed at his best, as he ran for 70 yards and found the end zone 3 times. Lead RB Nick Rossi also dominated on th ground with 121 yards and a touchdown.   The final piece to the three headed monster was [player_tooltip player_id='910743' first='Zach' last='Miceli']. The sophomore Qb once again impressed through the air and on the ground against Pascack Valley. Zach went 7-10 for 142 passing yards, but more importantly, ran in the first two touchdowns of the game and finished the day with 65 yards on the ground. Onto Mainland to compete for the state title, a position they were in just two years ago.      [player_tooltip player_id='1054133' first='TJ' last='Valerio'] put up one of the most impressive games of the entire state semifinal weekend. In a powerful 27-10 win over Washington Twp., TJ did it all for Toms River North as he picked Washington Twp.'s defense apart with a 3 touchdown performance and 200 yards through the air. To go with the aerial assault, TJ used his legs to scamper for 53 yards as he continuously helped TRN move the ball down the field. TJ has played with poise and moxie all season long, delivering dimes downfield under duress and even on the run. As long as TJ can continue maneuvering away from danger in the backfield, the play is never dead and the odds of him making a play increases. A very strong armed QB as well, TJ hit his receivers for 26 and 50 yard touchdowns in the 2nd quarter to pull away from their opponent. Toms River North will look to extend their 18-game winning streak when they square off against Union City on Friday.      Jett can solidify himself as one of the greatest QB in Phillipsburg's history if they can pull off one more win next weekend. On the road to that matchup, Jett and co. took down a talented Ramapo in a dominant fashion. In the 35-6 victory, Jett didn't have to do much through the air as he torched Ramapo's defense on the ground. A near impossible force to stop, Jett was able to take off for 149 rushing yards and an astonishing 4 touchdowns on the ground. With a combination of designed and unscripted runs, Jett was able to evade danger and use his feet to out run Ramapo defenders. Ramapo just had no answer for Jett up the middle. Phillipsburg's O-line was moving the defenders at will, opening up huge holes for Jett to run through. Jett ran the ball with authority, and he will need to continue running that way if they want to take down Winslow.      In the most exciting matchup of the entire weekend, Mainland was able to push undefeated Somerville to the absolute limits, as they were able to pull off the upset in OT to win it 36-35. [player_tooltip player_id='1002362' first='Rocco' last='DeBiaso'] poured everything he had into the game, and finished the day with 24 carries for 139 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rocco has been an aggressive, hard nosed runner all season long, and was able to wear out Somerville's D in the semifinals. Rocco is not only a power back, but also has the pick up necessary to break away from defenders in the open field. With a combination of vision and quick lateral movements, Rocco can react in a split second to make guys miss and continue on down field. Rocco scored the first and last touchdown of the game, and will need to continue finding the end zone next weekend against Old Tappan if they want to defend their state title.