Top Performers from North 1 Section Championships

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Offense:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1199938' first='Alex' last='Hanks']: East Orange WR '26</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a section title on the line, East Orange's [player_tooltip player_id='1199938' first='Alex' last='Hanks'] delivered with the greatest performance of his young high school career. The junior wide receiver was able to find ways to get open this weekend, accounting for his team's two touchdowns in the 13-7 win over rival West Orange. Most important, Alex took a catch 92 yards to the end zone late in the 4th quarter to put his team ahead for the victory. Alex finished the day with 3 receptions and 142 yards, making the most of each opportunity he was given.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='345433' first='Romelo' last='Tables']: Shabazz QB '25</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Amazingly, [player_tooltip player_id='345433' first='Romelo' last='Tables'] accounted for each of his teams 4 touchdowns in their 28-14 upset over undefeated Bernards in the section championship. Balanced between running and passing the ball, Romelo ran in touchdowns from 20, 12 and 52 yards out, and also threw a 21 yard touchdown strike in the 2nd quarter. Shabazz squares off against Hanover Park in the section semifinals, which is sure to be one of the top matchups next weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1001393' first='PJ' last='Coffey']: Butler ATH '25</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An athlete in the truest sense, [player_tooltip player_id='1001393' first='PJ' last='Coffey'] once again played a pivotal role in his team's success in their big win this weekend. PJ accounted for all of Butler's first 21 points, as he scored 3 touchdowns and kicked each extra point. That type of performance makes PJ one of the most deadly weapons in the state. By the end of the evening, PJ had 78 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 35 receiving yards, and one more touchdown. Butler has a special talent in [player_tooltip player_id='1001393' first='PJ' last='Coffey']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='993115' first='Chris' last='Kaiser']: Morris Knolls QB '25</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Morris Knolls wasn't on the winning side of things this past weekend, they still had players perform at an extremely high level for a full four quarters. One of those players was quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='993115' first='Chris' last='Kaiser']. While not a true passing QB, Chris was able to find a ton of success following his blockers and using his legs to fight for yardage and sprint to the open field. With touchdowns of 50 and 54 yards, Chris finished the day rushing for 155 yards off of 14 carries and 3 touchdowns. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1043551' first='Bobby' last='Brickner']: Morris Knolls RB '25 </em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second player on Morris Knolls roster that put up impressive numbers in their loss to Ramapo, [player_tooltip player_id='1043551' first='Bobby' last='Brickner'] once again did everything he could to keep his team alive in the section championship. Taking 25 handoffs for 163 yards and a touchdown, Bobby's relentless running style once again proved to be a challenge to slow down, as few RBs in the state could handle the volume Bobby received game in and game out. Bobby is now up to 1363 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1557909' first='Liam' last='Hayward']: Ramapo RB '26</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After talking about two players from Morris Knolls sideline, we have to discuss one of the big playmakers from the winning side of the field on Saturday. Ramapo's [player_tooltip player_id='1557909' first='Liam' last='Hayward'] had one of the most impressive games of the season in the section championship, as he played the role of a workhorse and carried the ball 25 times for 123 yards and a touchdown. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17866550/673a07533c3db560338feaa6' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-673a5e7945e22"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='534373' first='Adam' last='Shaw']: Pascack Valley QB '26</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In one off the most dominant performances by any team in the section championships this weekend, Pascack Valley took it to River Dell with a compelling 38-0 win. This team continues to play above expectations, and that begins with the play of their star quarterback. Adam has played near to perfection throughout the playoffs, and continued that trend against River Dell. Adam's resume just keeps getting better, as he accounted for 143 yards and 1 touchdown through the air, but more importantly, ran the ball 13 times for 177 yards and another 2 touchdowns. The sky is the limit for Pascack Valley and [player_tooltip player_id='534373' first='Adam' last='Shaw'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18193369/6738a5e82e6d268f865de189' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-673a5e7945e5c"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defense:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Aston Kazinco: Pascack Valley DB '25 </em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aston Kazinco contributed in a big way in Pascack Valley's complete shutout of River Dell in the championship. Not only was he able to make 6 tackles on the day, but he returned an interception 73 yards to the end zone in the 4th quarter to put the nail in the coffin. Look for the senior DB to continue leading the charge into next weekend's matchup against Old Tappan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1556617' first='Mikey' last='Henehan']: Butler ATH '25 </em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another defender that deserves some recognition, [player_tooltip player_id='1556617' first='Mikey' last='Henehan'] was another athlete on the side of a dominant defensive performance. Also racking up 6 tackles in Butler's matchup against Mountain Lakes, Mikey's presence on the field was most impactful rushing the quarterback. Butler's D was able to apply pressure and force Mountain Lakes to pass the ball, allowing Mikey to bring the QB down for a sack. Butler's defense will need to continue performing at a high level, as they face off against an undefeated Cedar Grove next weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->