Super Football Conference Games of the Week, Week 4

With as much football action as our Great Garden State has this coming weekend within the high school ranks, here are a handful of games – and as a fan what I am looking for in each one – throughout the Super Football Conference this weekend.   Be sure to follow me on <a href="https://x.com/BrendanScoutsNJ">Twitter</a> for the latest New Jersey high school football prospect news and not miss a beat!   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Friday, September 26</h2>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Hackensack (3-1) at Wayne Valley (3-1) With their lone loss being to perennial Group IV contender Northern Highlands, Hackensack is off to a strong 3-1 start as they approach the meat of their schedule. Their next opponent, a consistent Wayne Valley team matches the 3-1 start. of the Comets, with their lone loss also coming to the hands of Northern Highlands. Regardless, this game will go a long way in determining the Liberty Red Division title. Different from years' past, Hackensack seems to have opened up their offense much more, incorporating more passing attempts than I recall the last time I covered them. It is due to, perhaps, the abilities of [player_tooltip player_id='1567353' first='Brian' last='Brancato']. Brancato, a senior, has gone 39-63 for 557 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions on the year. Additionally, he is second on the the team in rushing, having gone for 194 yards with 1 score on the ground with 30 carries. The team leader in touchdowns, however, is young sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1280822' first='Laron' last='Young']. Young had scored 4 times, tying Brancato's 30 carries, for 167 yards. Moreover, senior lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1213680' first='Caleb' last='Collins'] has arrived, as he leads the team in the following categories: tackles (36), tackles for loss (6), sacks (5), and forced fumbles (1). Additionally, he is tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries and also has an interception to his name. For Wayne Valley, the seem to prefer to move the ball through the air. With a quarterback like [player_tooltip player_id='1515098' first='Danny' last='Ferrauilo'] at the helm, who could blame them? Ferrauilo, now a senior, is 63-82 on the year with 939 yards and has thrown 9 touchdowns to just 1 interception, scoring on the ground once as well. He has two receivers that he gets the ball to just about equally. First, fellow 2026 graduate [player_tooltip player_id='1540910' first='Bryce' last='Flower'] appears to be the big play threat for Wayne Valley. Flower leads the team in yardage (361) and touchdowns (4), while sitting second on the team in receptions (19). A standout on defense too, Flower has made 18 total tackles with a pick and a scoop & score. Opposite him is junior wideout [player_tooltip player_id='1907949' first='Jadon' last='Cabrales']. Cabrales has a team-leading 22 receptions for 285 yards and 3 scores. Lastly, we focus on [player_tooltip player_id='1540911' first='Brayden' last='Dunne'], a senior linebacker. Dunne headlines the defensive unit with his 41 stops (20 solo), 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 1 pick-six.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Bergen Catholic (4-0) at Don Bosco (3-0) After starting the season with three-straight out-of-state opponents, Don Bosco put on and repped Jersey to death, sweeping those games in both thrilling and convincing fashion. Don Bosco's next test will be a rematch against their arch rival, a team in Bergen Catholic, that ended their season a year ago in the state championship game. For Don Bosco, they too have beaten out-of-state opponents in close fashion, before returning hope to flex their muscle against the state's top public school team and a familiar foe. For both teams, the youth movement seems to in full effect at quarterback with both teams starting sophomores to lead their respective offenses. For Bosco, it appears that [player_tooltip player_id='1907950' first='Carson' last='Schoen'], son of New York Giants General Manager Joe Schoen, has seized the reings from incumbent starter [player_tooltip player_id='121685' first='Dylan' last='Wrona']. Schoen was the catalyst for a second-half surge down in Texas when Bosco visited Melissa (TX) to come from behind and win a 14-10 contest. On the year, Schoen has gone 21-34 for 345 yards with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception, while adding a 5/21/1 slash line on the ground. For Bergen Catholic, it seems as though [player_tooltip player_id='412019' first='Trey' last='Tagliaferri'] has settled in and won the quarterback job. Tagliaferri is 48-75 for 787 yards with 9 touchdowns and no picks. Replacing Quincy Porter will be no small task; yet his brother [player_tooltip player_id='437687' first='Bryan' last='Porter'] and teammate [player_tooltip player_id='703169' first='Austin' last='Busso'] are up to the task. Starting with Busso, he leads the team with 18 receptions for 378 yards and 4 scores as we approach the middle of the season. As consistent as he has been, Porter seems like a big play and redzone threat. The younger Porter may only have 5 catches on the season; however, 4 of those catches have been for scores while, accumulating 142 yards. Defensively, [player_tooltip player_id='836216' first='Jackson' last='Vaughn'] has picked up this season where he left off last - terrorizing the backfield. Vaughn has made 12 tackles (6 solo) while leading the team in tackles for loss (5) and sacks (3). It seems as though Don Bosco trusts their line up front and prefers to run the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='1259105' first='Aidan' last='O'Neil'] is a big part of the equation on both sides of the ball. Statistically speaking, the junior lineman has made 6 tackles for one loss while managing to pen up gaping holes for a pair of talented backs to run through. Incumbent prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1572176' first='Dante' last='DeLuca'], a senior, leads the way with his 184 yards and 1 score on 40 carries. He walks so that St. Thomas Aquinas Transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1013479' first='Ca'si' last='Thomas'] can run. Thomas, just a sophomore, gives big-play treat potential any time he touches the ball. With 31 totes, he has 159 yards and a score. Comparatively speaking, Thomas' longest run has been 32 yards while DeLuca's has been 8. Looking to reign in the treat of Porter and Busso are [player_tooltip player_id='916571' first='Phoenix' last='Evans'], a sophomore, and [player_tooltip player_id='1237598' first='Jack' last='DeMenna'], a senior. Last year as a freshman on varsity, you could see that Evans will likely project out as one of the country's best corners. To-date, he has 5 tackles credited to him and blankets receivers all over the field. For DeMenna, a prospect I saw at the FDU Mega Camp, DeMenna continues to have a productive and impactful prep career. Of his 5 tackles, 2 have been solo stops and 2 have been tackles for loss. Additionally, he leads the team with his 2 picks and has returned 1 for a score.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Sparta (3-1) at Vernon (3-1) For Sparta and Vernon, both teams' season so far have sort of mirrored each other. After disappointing opening day losses, both teams have rattled off 3-straight wins in somewhat convincing fashion. Now, the Spartans and the Vikings come head-to-head in a game that very well might change the trajectory of their respective seasons. The future is now and present for the Vikings offense. The Hersir (look it up) of the Vikings' offensive assault is [player_tooltip player_id='1907954' first='Nathaniel' last='Kimkowski']. Kimkowski, a quarterback, has had highly impressive debut season. When asked to drop back to pass, he has gone 40-71 for 551 yards with 6 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in this, his sophomore season. These numbers get a bump when you realize that Kimkowski is also their leading rusher, slashing 50/328/7 on the ground thus far. Kimkowski does have the benefit of a trio of seniors that he throws to, spraying the ball to them equally as they al have between 8 and 11 receptions. The most productive target out of the bunch seems to be [player_tooltip player_id='1907958' first='Dean' last='Grundy'], who has amassed an 11/219/4 slash line, which leads the team. A linebacker on a mission this season for Vernon appears to be [player_tooltip player_id='1476927' first='Gavin' last='Wilczewski']. Wilczewski leads the team with 7 sack, has a tackle for loss, and a pick-six, while leading the team with 16 tackles. [player_tooltip player_id='1907969' first='Quinn' last='DiGiovanni'] patrols the trenches, likely both ways, as he has recorded 3 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, and 9 stops. If you thought Kimkowski did a great job of spreading the ball around, Sparta's [player_tooltip player_id='1048181' first='Shane' last='Hoover'] just said, "watch this." Hoover, now a senior, has gone 77-102 for 1077 yards with 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Other than being one of the higher yardage totals and better completion percentage I have seen thus far, he has only worked the ball to 5 different targets. Modest, yes, but note this: the range of completions is not stratified at all. Excluding his running back as an outlier with only 5 receptions, his top 4 receivers respectively have 28, 17, 15, 12 receptions. I say all this to say that when facing Hoover and the Spartans, do not sleep on any of his targets because he will keep you honest. Leading Sparta's defensive charge is [player_tooltip player_id='1907962' first='Jace' last='Stiansen']. Stiansen, a sophomore, leads the team in the following categories: 31 tackles, 20 solo tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery, 1 scoop & score, and 1 pick-six, while also recording a sack.</li> </ul>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Saturday, September 27</h2>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>St. Joseph's Regional (4-0) at St. Peter's Prep (4-0) Due to two major injuries last week, if St. Joseph's Regional wishes to win this game and go 5-0 in the process, the "next man up" mentality will need to be successful. After cruising through their first 4 games, winning handedly, St. Peter's will get their first test against an old foe this Saturday. A UMass commit, [player_tooltip player_id='212405' first='Tyler' last='Bell'] has been a prospect Prep Redzone has been on since his freshman season. Four years later, Bell is in complete command of St. Peter's offense and it is showing. The senior has gone 35-56 for 575 yards with an impressive 13 touchdowns and no interceptions. Furthermore, he has added 110 yards and 3 scores on the ground in 23 attempts. Also the team's punter, Bell has been called upon to punt 4 times for 125 yards, downing one inside his opponent's 20-yard line. His favor target is fellow 2026 graduate [player_tooltip player_id='877036' first='Hunter' last='Watson']. Watson may only have a modest 10 receptions for 310 yards, but when you consider the proportion that is relative to Bell's output, he is clearly their dude. Additionally, Watson has scored 7 touchdowns on those 10 catches. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='691039' first='Abdul' last='Turay'] was one of the most prized possessions up for grabs after Bobby Acosta left St. John Vianney this offseason. In the state's toughest division, Turay has already turned out 399 yards and 3 scores on 46 carries. Still getting love is senior tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1282755' first='Tyler' last='Barksdale']. Barksdale leads the team with 4 rushing scores on 39 attempts for 262 yards. Statistical information on St. Joseph's Regional is very limited through the first 4 games, but it seems as though [player_tooltip player_id='910749' first='Kyshawn' last='Bryant'] is their leading rusher. At one point, Bryant turned 21 carries into 75 yards and a score - all tops on the team. Should [player_tooltip player_id='402227' first='Lamar' last='Best'] be unable to go this weekend, Look for [player_tooltip player_id='595189' first='Mason' last='Geis'] to step up. The two have combined for a 11-18, 189 yard, 1 touchdown season through the air and a 6 carry, 38 yard, 1 touchdown output on the ground. [player_tooltip player_id='1544073' first='AJ' last='Revella'] might be St. Joseph's most disruptive defender. Revella leads the team in sacks (1), tackles for loss (1), tackles (13, 5 solo), forced fumbles (2), and fumble recoveries (1). Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='909967' first='Ryan' last='Barry'], a junior, will look to make things difficult for Bell with his pick-six and 4 tackles from the secondary. </li> </ul>

With as much football action as our Great Garden State has this coming weekend within the high school ranks, here are a handful of games – and as a fan what I am looking for in each one – throughout the Super Football Conference this weekend.