Week 3 Preview: Big Time Matchups + Big Time Players, Part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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. This article features matchups from across the Big Central Conference (BCC), North Jersey Interscholastic Conference (NJIC), and the Shore Conference (Shore).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Be sure to follow me on&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BrendanScoutsNJ">Twitter</a>&nbsp;for the latest New Jersey high school football prospect news and not miss a beat!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Big Central Conference</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Rahway (3-0) at Linden (2-0)<br><br>A battle of bordering Union county municipalities occurs on Friday, as the Chiefs head up Route 27 to take on the Tigers. Both undefeated and vying for top-half seeds in their respective playoff brackets, a win will go a long way toward advancing their team goals.<br><br>In the post-Andrew Avent era, Rahway has still shown to prefer to get it done on the ground, this year opting for three prospects to replace the production of one. [player_tooltip player_id='910152' first='Jyvon' last='Cooper'] has led the way in carries so far, going 40/240/1 on the ground. He has been supported by [player_tooltip player_id='2396530' first='Cimair' last='Tate'], a junior, who has been their most explosive prospect on the ground in terms of yards-per (21/215/3), while [player_tooltip player_id='1703722' first='Ja'Quan' last='Robinson'] appears to have earned the majority of the reps at quarterback, rushing 31 times for 239 yards and 3 scores, while going 5-12 for 82 yards with 3 TD to 2 picks. [player_tooltip player_id='1301807' first='Jaylen' last='Eastman'] has been a disruptive force, currently sitting third on the team in tackles (20 with 12 solo and 5 for loss), while adding a sack and a scoring on a fumble recovery. Meanwhile, [player_tooltip player_id='2396535' first='Jayden' last='Daniels'], a sophomore, has stepped up early in his career as he has the team's only interception to go along with his 5 tackles (4 solo).<br><br>It is a full-circle moment for Linden's quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='2396537' first='Aiden' last='Waheed']. After getting his first taste of varsity football on the road last year on week 0 at Linden when apart of the Elizabeth Minutemen, Waheed is now entrenched as the Tigers' quarterback. The dual-threat has gone 14-23 passing for 378 yards with 5 scores, while adding 67 yards on 7 carries with 2 scores on teh ground. There is no doubt that Waheed's favorite target is [player_tooltip player_id='910895' first='Zion' last='Francis'], who leads Linden in all three passing categories, going 6/214/3 when targeted. Francis has also been a playmaker on defense, taking his only interception back for a score. [player_tooltip player_id='1031703' first='Joe' last='Boyd'], a four year contributor, appears to have more of a dual role this season. Boyd, defensively, has made 9 tackles (5 solo, 2 for loss) and a sack, while rushing 13 times for 86 yards with 2 scores of his own. [player_tooltip player_id='2396539' first='Chris' last='Valdez'] has emerged as a name along the defensive line that we should be aware of. Valdez leads the team with 1.5 sacks to go along with his 7 tackles (5 solo, 1 for loss).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. Joseph's Metuchen (2-0) at Elizabeth (3-0)<br><br>Coming off of a big rivalry win against a formerly undefeated team, Elizabeth comes in hot and with buzz having drawn first blood in the division. Similarly, St. Joseph's, the reigning division champion, has shown that they can win in shootouts and also stymie offenses, also notching a victory against a divisional foe. In terms of the American Gold division, this matchup may go a long way to ultimately deciding who will come out on top.<br><br>For the visiting Falcons, their offense has evolved from a Wing-T, to a pass-first, back to the Wing-T, and now seemingly back to preferring to pass. Their quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='2172988' first='Cole' last='Seyler'], has gone for big plays this season. Seyler has 460 yards with 7 touchdowns on 25-37 passing, with 3 picks. Seyler's favorite target has been [player_tooltip player_id='2395908' first='Nick' last='Brust'], who shows a burst, slashing 10/211/4 when targeted. Their most effective runner, [player_tooltip player_id='1020966' first='Dominic' last='Rodriguez'], has slashed 11/102/1 on the ground, while also performing very strongly on defense, finding himself third on the team with 15 tackles (4 solo) and having their only interception. Furthermore, [player_tooltip player_id='1575746' first='John' last='Cummings'] is primed for a big year. Cummings has made 15 tackles (4 for a loss) with a sack. <br><br>When discussing Elizabeth football, you cannot neglect to discuss [player_tooltip player_id='934015' first='Arique' last='Fleming']. Aside from his standard efficient-and-explosive quarterback play, Fleming had a breakthrough game last week on defense - finding himself a weekly candidate for Prep Redzone New Jersey's Garden State Player of the Week. On the season, Fleming has gone 48-60 for 622 yards with 7 scores and 1 interception - which was on his very first pass of the season. He adds a team-leading 36 carries for 186 yards and 3 scores on the ground, while also serving as the team's primary punter - of which the Minutemen have only had to do four times this season. As if that was not enough, Fleming is second on the team with 13 tackles (8 solo, 1.5 for loss) and is first on the team with 1 fumble forced, 1 fumble recovered, 3 interceptions and 1 pick-six. [player_tooltip player_id='2396540' first='Isaiah' last='Butler'] lines up next to Fleming at linebacker. The fellow senior leads the team with 14 tackles (4 solo, 1.5 for loss), and has been a game changer in terms of stopping the run this season for Elizabeth. Look for [player_tooltip player_id='2396541' first='Yvenson' last='Prophete'], a 6'7" talent, to be disruptive off th edge. Leading the Minute men with 2.5 tackles for loss, he has 8 on the season (5 solo). </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">North Jersey Interscholastic Conference</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Cedar Grove (2-0) at Hasbrouck Heights (2-1)<br><br>Perennial North I contender Cedar Grove is back off to a strong 2-0 start, doing so in convincing fashion. They take on their toughest opponent yet, Hasbrouck Heights, on the road. Hasbrouck Heights suffered a setback against New Milford to open the season, but has been rolling since as they have put up better than 40 points in their last two contests.<br><br>Cedar Grove appears to be winning games with efficient passing and tough defense. [player_tooltip player_id='2396544' first='Dan' last='Lastella'] appears to be the man at quarterback for the foreseeable future. Just a sophomore, Lastella has thrown 7 touchdowns to 1 interception for 320 yards on 25-33 passing. Furthermore, if you are on the field, you are an option. Lastella has spread the wealth amongst his receivers, competing a score to five different targets. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2396545' first='Dane' last='Catanzarite'] has been something of a revelation at linebacker. Catanzarite sets the pace with a team-high 21 tackles (8 solo, 1 for loss) and is tied with the team lead with 2 sacks. Flanking him is senior [player_tooltip player_id='2396549' first='James' last='Policano']. Policano is on his heels with 17 tackles (11 for loss, 1 solo) and 1 sack. However, Policano has been a disruptor in the passing game as his only interception went back for a score. He has also rushed 12 times for 56 yards. Making this easy for the linebackers behind him has been lineman [player_tooltip player_id='2396551' first='Andrew' last='Sodano']. Sodano is tied with Catanzarite with 2 sacks, but leads the team with 3 tackles for loss and 1 safety.<br><br>Hasbrouck Heights has reached a new level of heights when it comes to their program as of late. Much of their success can be attributed to the play of [player_tooltip player_id='2381771' first='Nick' last='Haines']. Haines, still only a junior, leads his squad in every rushing and every receiving category (63/540/8 rushing, 8/181/1 receiving). As if that was not enough, Haines is second on the team with 24 tackles (11 solo, 1 for loss) and has intercepted a pass. Their defensive leader is [player_tooltip player_id='1921829' first='Michael' last='Colaneri'], who has a whopping 52 tackles (16 solo, team-leading 5 for loss) and has blocked a kick. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='2396557' first='Jack' last='Focarino'] has been a major cog on offense with 23 tackles (1 solo, 2.5 for loss) and 1.5 sacks.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Shore Conference</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Donovan Catholic (3-0) at Jackson Township (2-1)<br><br>After a hot start, the Jaguars of Jackson Township were tamed just a bit by Southern, coming up short in a 42-14 contest. They do, however, get to make a statement as they host Donovan Catholic who, after coming up with two big wins, eeked out a 14-7 victory on the road at Brick Memorial.<br><br>It is the first healthy season in a while for quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='205460' first='Kahden' last='Davis']. After being plagued by injuries early in his career, Davis is ready to live up to the hype. Davis has gone 36-54 for 494 yards with 5 scores, while turning the ball over 4 times. He has also been selective when rushing, going for 126 yards and 3 scores on 20 attempts. His favorite target, clearly, has been [player_tooltip player_id='2247949' first='Aidan' last='Kelly']. Kelly, a senior, has clashed 11/204/2 when targeted thus far. Defensively, Donovan has gotten early contributions from several sophomores on defense. [player_tooltip player_id='1597318' first='Xavier' last='Fowlkes'] has been a load in the trenches. The big man is within the top 5 in tackles (20, 8 solo, 4 for loss) and has recorded 2 sacks. In the secondary, fellow 2029 graduates [player_tooltip player_id='1020538' first='Kamren' last='McBride'] and Torrence Turner have rendered early results. McBride leads the team with 2 interceptions, also making 14 stops (7 solo), while Turner leads the team with 2 fumble recoveries to go along with his 11 tackles (4 solo, 2 for loss) and 2 sacks.<br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2372169' first='Farrin' last='Blake'] has continued his strong senior season. the Jaguars leading rusher has a 34-carry lead in the backfield, going for a team-high 183 yards on 43 carries and a score, while sitting third on the team with 20 tackles (16 solo, 1 for loss and 1 forced fumble). [player_tooltip player_id='1538023' first='Brayden' last='Ramos'] is making his name on defense. The sophomore sets the pace with 24 tackles (14 solo, 2 for loss) with 1 sack and one pick-six. Furthermore, Ramos has been a big-play threat on offense, taking 9 carries for 106 yards and 1 score. Lastly, [player_tooltip player_id='2396585' first='Gavin' last='Dill'] has been a disruptive force along the Jaguars defensive front. Dill is no pickle, going for 22 tackles (13 solo, team-leading 4 for loss) and a pick-six.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Manasquan (2-1) at Middletown North (2-0)<br><br>Middletown North is pumped up and ready to go. After putting up 34+ points and winning by two-or-more scores in their first two contest, they are ready to host, perhaps, their toughest opponent yet in Manasquan. For 'Squan, they have a shutout, 1-point win against a perennial North power, and a loss to a Shore juggernaut on their ledger.<br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2396588' first='Dax' last='Klein'] has been a machine for 'Squan. Klein has a big lead in all major rushing categories, slashing 52/247/3 on the ground, while his only reception was a 23-yard scores. One of their better players, Klein is a defensive player too, making 12 tackless (9 solo) and has forced a fumble. Klein has also thrown a 25-yard touchdown pass. Along the trenches, [player_tooltip player_id='2044303' first='Lucas' last='Kubu'] has been the man-in-charge. Kubu leads the way with 2.5 sacks and is second on the team with 5 tackles for loss, adding 15 stops (10 solo) and 1 forced fumble to his name. Although he is not the team's quarterback anymore, [player_tooltip player_id='2396590' first='Chris' last='Matthaei'] has accepted his new role at linebacker, flourishing nicely. Matthaei has 18 tackles (10 solo, 1 for loss) and has been credited with 0.5 sacks this season.<br><br>Middletown North's junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1256834' first='Derek' last='Grasso'], the son of a deep coaching family, has found success as their signal caller. Grasso has gone 17-24 with 5 touchdowns and 1 pick, throwing for 421 yards in the process. When a big play is needed, Grasso looks to senior [player_tooltip player_id='2395903' first='Danny' last='Sigler'] to bust it. Sigler, second on the team with 6 receptions, has scored 3 times on 222 yards. Middletown North looks to [player_tooltip player_id='2044330' first='Kade' last='Little'] to come up big on defense. Little sets the pace with 15 tackles (6 solo) thus far on the young season. Coming from the secondary to disrupt things near the line of scrimmage is [player_tooltip player_id='2044381' first='MJ' last='Parulis']. Parulis has been unparalleled across two games, leading the way with 2 sacks and 3 tackels for loss, while making 11 total tackles (6 solo).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->