Top Performers from North 2 Section Championships

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Offense:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='933995' first='Stephen' last='Paradiso']: Cedar Grove QB '25</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always, we have to come back to the play of elite quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='933995' first='Stephen' last='Paradiso']. Stephen has been putting up phenomenal numbers all year long, and he once again shined in one of the most important games of his careers. In the 35-14 win over New Providence, Stephen started the game off quickly by hitting wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1525016' first='Jackson' last='Morrice'] for an 80 yard touchdown in the first quarter. Stephen ended up lighting up the opposing defense for 336 yards through the air and found the end zone 3 times as well. Onto Butler in the group semifinals, where one team will have to walk away with their first loss of the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1525016' first='Jackson' last='Morrice']: Cedar Grove WR '26</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As mentioned a moment ago, Cedar Grove's [player_tooltip player_id='1525016' first='Jackson' last='Morrice'] helped get an early lead on New Prov. this past weekend, and they continued to press on the pedal from there on out. Jackson may have put on the most impressive performance in the entire state this past weekend, and that's not an exaggeration. With a title on the line, Jackson went all out and put everything he had into the game as he dominated as a receiver and runner. Bringing in 14 passes that evening, Jackson totaled an astonishing 256 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns, and also found success on the ground by rushing for 28 yards and another touchdown. Jackson has the potential to give Butler headaches next weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1002361' first='Joey' last='Borrello']: Hanover Park QB '25</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second QB on the winning side of things this past weekend, Joey used a combination of his passing skills and run capabilities to lead his team to a 24-3 victory over Glen Rock. In the win, Joey accounted for each of his team's three touchdowns. Throwing two touchdowns and running in another, Joey finished the championship game with 168 yards through the air and another 50 on the ground. If Joey continues to play like this, Hanover Park may be winning themselves a state title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='539076' first='Alex' last='Orecchio']: Old Tappan RB '25</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the stars for a loaded Old Tappan these past few years, [player_tooltip player_id='539076' first='Alex' last='Orecchio'] once again shined in the spotlight. This time playing as a true athlete for his team, Alex ran in two touchdowns from the goal line and also caught 3 passes for 91 yards and another touchdown. To top it all off, Alex even kicked two field goals, helping his team win in a decisive fashion against West Essex. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Ja'Zaire Aurelus: Union City RB '26</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a game that went back and forth for a full four quarters, Union City was able to rely on Ja'Zaire Aurelus to continue to provide positive yardage the entire game. Going score for score against an explosive Passaic Tech, Union City was able to squeak out the win by dominating on the ground. Striking first for his team with an 84 yard touchdown in the second quarter, Ja'Zaire never slowed down as he took 18 carries for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns. Union City will need another performance like that if they want to find success against East Orange next weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defense:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Gianna Carreno: New Providence LB '25</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Gianna Carreno may have been on the losing end of the section championship, he still deserves recognition for the valiant effort he put into the game. The senior LB finished his career with a strong defensive day by making 11 tackles, sacking the quarterback once, and also forcing a fumble. Gianna had one of the better statistical performances of the entire weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1021109' first='Joey' last='Filippone']: Hanover Park LB '25</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Allowing no touchdowns in the section championship against Glen Rock, Hanover Park had multiple defenders shine through all four quarters of the game. One of the players that stood out the most was linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1021109' first='Joey' last='Filippone']. Joey not only racked up 9 tackles as he flew all across the field, but was also able to penetrate the backfield and bring the QB down for a sack as well. Hanover Park will need their defense to continue dominating the line of scrimmage as they go up against Shabazz next. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Special Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1561430' first='Alexie' last='Moreira']: Phillipsburg Kicker '26</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Making arguably the most important play of the entire championship weekend, it's vital that we recognize the greatness that was on display for Phillipsburg this past weekend. Not only did [player_tooltip player_id='1561430' first='Alexie' last='Moreira'] account for more than half of his teams points against Northern Highlands (7 points in the 13-11 win), but he brought home a section championship for Phillipsburg by nailing a 46 yard field goal as time expired. If that's not clutch, I don't know what is. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here is the call courtesy of Mike Moore and Matt Johnson.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DIG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DIG</a> <a href="https://t.co/clhvXOkIFu">pic.twitter.com/clhvXOkIFu</a></p>&mdash; Phillipsburg Athletics (@PHSStateliners) <a href="https://twitter.com/PHSStateliners/status/1857761096565735529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->