East Rutherford Cavaliers 2025 Season Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's July, which means it's team preview season! Here, I'm taking teams from across the state and highlighting their talent and potential in 2025. We're player-focused, so the biggest piece is highlighting future college talent. However, no good preview leaves out important info about the team and its chances during the season, so that will also play heavily into these previews.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The East Rutherford Cavaliers are senior-laden team that may have benefitted from realignment. What can the Cavaliers do in 2025?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">East Rutherford Cavaliers Season Preview</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Key Info</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Head Coach:&nbsp;</strong>Philip Russ</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 Record:&nbsp;</strong>8-4</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 Conference:&nbsp;</strong>Western Piedmont 3A/4A</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key 2025 Games:&nbsp;</strong>Asheville (8/22), Draughn (10/3)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Key Storyline</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On paper, it looks like realignment was kind to East Rutherford. There are only two teams on the schedule this year that were .500 or above last season. But, we won't know if this senior-heavy team can take advantage of that schedule until we see the teams play this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While many teams are turning over a lot of their talent, East Rutherford remains remarkably stable. Offensively, the Cavaliers return their quarterback, a 1,900-yard rusher, and over 60% of their receiving yards. On defense, five of seven leading tacklers, 13.5 of 22 sacks and most of the turnover production returns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The combination of those two factors puts East Rutherford in a favorable spot. I'd call the Cavaliers clear Western Piedmont 3A/4A favorites, and think they can compete in a new 3A classification.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top East Rutherford Players</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Offense</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You have to start with the quarterback/running back duo for the Cavaliers. 2026 QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1206967' first='Landon' last='Flynn']</strong> completed 56% of his passes last season, averaging 9.4 yards per attempt. He's not the highest-volume guy in the classification, but he's efficient and gives East Rutherford legitimate balance on offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The star is running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1706156' first='Brandon' last='Pinkerton']</strong>, who touched the ball nearly 320 times last season, running for 1,927 yards and 30 touchdowns. If East Rutherford is in a positive game script, the coaching staff has no qualms about giving Pinkerton 30 touches in a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At receiver, both <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1709415' first='CJ' last='Jackson']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1706621' first='Matthew' last='Pinkerton']</strong> return with a combined eight touchdowns and 952 yards last season. Tight end <strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jason-lee-arrowood-jr/">Jason Arrowood</a></strong> adds some size, though he makes his biggest impact on defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the offensive line, 2027 offensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1706360' first='Colby' last='Pack']</strong> and senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1709434' first='Alton' last='Freeman']</strong> form an impressive interior duo. They have excellent size and can displace defenders with ease, creating running room. It's an experienced offense. If there are any question marks, the Cavaliers could use a third receiver to step up and some more depth and production along the offensive line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the former, two-way player and standout defender <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1706349' first='Jaylen' last='Hinton']</strong> could get more run on offense after a five-catch 2024 campaign. He's an All-County safety and has the athleticism to play extensively on both sides of the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Defense</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, the Cavaliers return a good bit of production. Arrowood returns as the top sack artist from a year ago, with six sacks. He played well against the run as well, finishing the year with 14.5 tackles for loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freeman and Pack each contribute on the interior, while rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1706348' first='Pacey' last='Collins']</strong> should contribute some this season as well on the defensive line. He's one of a few talented underclassmen with the chance to play in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1709449' first='Prince' last='Stringer']</strong> flashed last season with six tackles and a fumble recovery and the sophomore could find more playing time in 2025. Neither <strong>Jakier Mooney</strong> nor <strong>Travis Baker</strong> contributed on the varsity team last season, but each edge rusher could make the rotation as situational pass rushers this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both Brandon and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1706621' first='Matthew' last='Pinkerton']</strong> made plays on defense last season, the former as an all-state linebacker and the latter as in the secondary. Jackson was a big-play machine in 2024 on defense, scoring three times on that side of the ball (two fumble recoveries and a pick) while contributing five total takeaways as a corner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finally, kicker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1706347' first='Ian' last='Queen']</strong> was a top kicker in the area last season, showing good accuracy on his field goals and flashing a big leg. He's a true weapon for the Cavaliers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Verdict</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Realignment really messed with the status quo in the lower-middle classifications. Accordingly, we just don't have much of an idea about which teams are the favorites. A lot of these teams were recently 2A teams under the former 4-class system, a fairly unpredictable class that featured three double-digit seeds among its final eight teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Several of those powers remain, and Shelby, Northeastern, Kinston, and Whiteville (among others) are considered potential favorites to make deep playoff runs. But, the combination of talent and experience at East Rutherford is among the best in the state, especially on offense. Simply put, the Cavaliers were a good team last year, falling in the round of 16, and return such a large portion of their production that they could easily be considered a great team in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I certainly wouldn't call them the state favorites, but it wouldn't surprise me to see East Rutherford among the final teams remaining in the 3A playoffs in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>A special shout out to the East Rutherford coaching staff, who made sure I had all the information I needed to publish this report.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>We want to cover more schools. If your team wants a season preview, reach out to me on Twitter (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>) with your prospect list and any other relevant information. Want to send this report to someone who isn't a subscriber? 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