Five Key Prospects from Essex County Playoff-Bound Front Runners

When you talk about North Jersey's Super Football Conference, the conversation typically begins with the far-north non-public schools - and rightfully so. Although these programs are headliners, in many respects Essex County public schools are the fabric that makes the Super Football Conference so deep. In this article we highlight five returning players from five Essex County football programs - each of which qualified for the state playoffs last season.   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" />    After two straight trips to the state final, [player_tooltip player_id='1557285' first='Zykir' last='Best'] looks to elevate his game to yet another level in order to call himself a state champion. As a linebacker, Best is very aggressive with oncoming blockers, almost as if he is looking to completely destroy them; that same physical nature manifests when he is defending the pass, as he breaks up pass attempts with his body. Playing the run he gets down hill quickly, plugging gaps and forcing ball carriers to play a game of chase. A very active and very aggressive prospect, he is a tough one corral and block.     East Orange has been a staple in the North II playoff bracket for some time now, as [player_tooltip player_id='910041' first='Sadiq' last='Dues'] has paid his dues as a quality contributor for the last few seasons. An edge player that can also play from a 4i, Dues' quickness makes him difficult for offensive tackles to block. As a pass rusher he has a strong understanding of when the pocket is overset that he must work back upfield. Although I would describe Dues' style of play as a big disorganize it works for him and, resultantly, he creates a lot of chaos when he plays.     Bloomfield had a major breakthrough last fall and the play of [player_tooltip player_id='909637' first='Mekhi' last='Wilson'] was a bit part of that. The defensive end strides when pass rushing, really threatening ground and pressuring the edge. Understanding his speed is something Wilson understands well, as we see him play contain effectively.     Once a perennial power, Montclair has been a bit unstable since the departure of New Jersey high school football legend John Fiore. However, last fall Montclair was still in the state tournament and [player_tooltip player_id='1880322' first='Samad' last='Jiles']' raw talent gives them promise for this fall. As a corner back who plays up to 9 yards off, Jiles is aggressive on plays away from him as he looks to make plays underneath, rather than way down field. That said, however, he does not give up on plays. On tape it is clear that Jiles understands and plays match coverage very well, not hesitating to bail on #1 if #2 breaks out. On offense he was used in variety of ways, while giving an earnest job of blocking.     Livingston was something of a revelation this fall, as they broke into the back into the playoff picture, as Gbanite was one of two lineman who set them up for success in the trenches. As a 4i, he shows a great burst in his first two steps, making him too quick and explosive for offensive tackles to gap-hinge backside. At his best, Gbanite moves his feet much more quickly than that of his offensive matchup, allowing him to beat them to his spot. 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When you talk about North Jersey's Super Football Conference, the conversation typically begins with the far-north non-public schools - and rightfully so. Although these programs are headliners, in many respects Essex County public schools are the fabric that makes the Super Football Conference so deep. In this article we highlight five returning players from five Essex County football programs - each of which qualified for the state playoffs last season.