Circle Your Calendars: Week 7’s Top (Saturday) Matchups, Part II

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As cutoff week is just two weeks away, across the state teams are fighting it out for playoff positioning. Here are some big time matchups that impact not just those teams playing, but also the playoff prospects of several others.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Super Football Conference</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Ridgewood (3-3) at Montclair (5-2)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a possible North V playoff preview, the #14 Maroons visit the #7 Mounties. With the amount of defensive talent on the field, I expect this game to be a beautiful defensive struggle. Two underclassmen paying immediate dividends for Ridgewood on either side of the ball. First is junior [player_tooltip player_id='1043555' first='Colin' last='Burns']. Burns, who is also a wrestler, is paving the way for Ridgewood's ground game as his workload has spiked the last two weeks (39 carries in two games vs. 24 carries in his first four). On the season Burns has 63 carries for 421 yards and 7 scores. [player_tooltip player_id='1043533' first='Quinn' last='Conneen'], a sophomore, is having a total breakout season from his linebacker position. So far Conneen has made 60 stops on the season (18 solos) to go along with 2 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 1 blocked kick. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the Mounties two, two-way underclassmen skills are carving themselves out bigger roles with each passing week. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1043566' first='Jace' last='Auletta'] is who they look to when the need a big play in the vertical passing game. Despite being tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns with 4, Auletta is 22 yards off the team lead in receiving yards with his total of 265, despite having 7 less receptions and being fourth on the team in total receptions. This equates to about a 29 yards per reception average for Auletta, where the the three other leading receivers average 12-, 14-, and 17 yards per reception. Auletta is clearly a home run waiting to happen. Defensively Auletta makes a big impact too, as he has nabbed 2 interceptions and forced 3 fumbles to go along with his 27.5 tackles (17 solo). Fellow 2025 graduate [player_tooltip player_id='1043550' first='Ja-khi' last='Chance'] gets the job done when he gets his chances as well. The team's rushing leader by about 100 yards, Chance has slashed 69/356/3 on the season. Chance also is a factor in the passing game as he has lulled defensives to sleep with over 100 yards and 2 scores on the season. Also a factor on defense, Chance has been credited with 13.5 total tackles/12 solos, as well as forcing and recovering a fumble. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">West Jersey Football League</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Rancocas Valley (5-2) at Northern Burlington (4-3)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As Rancocas Valley looks to continue to ascend the South V playoff bracket, Northern Burlington is looking to create some room as they cling on to South IV's final entry. For the host Greyhounds [player_tooltip player_id='1043552' first='Andrew' last='Reynolds'] looks to run like a purebred as they rush into the post season. Reynolds has won the starting job as a junior and has seen his production increase as he has achieved double-digit totes in his last 3 games. For the season Reynolds has gone for 71/338/6 and also added a receiving touchdown on the season. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1043564' first='Manny' last='Saenz'] will look to reek havoc on the Red Devils' offensive assault as the team's defensive leader and team leader in sacks with 7 on the season. Saenz has also made 8 tackles for loss as he has 23 total tackles. Northern Burlington also has a freshman who has worked his way onto the field and gained increasing responsibilities as the season has gone on. As [player_tooltip player_id='1043512' first='Danny' last='Greene']'s playing time has gone up and up, so has his production. In just 5 games - 1 of which he played as a sub in a blowout victory - Greene has made 23.5 stops (14 solos), 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As I have covered Rancocas Valley this season, the Red Devils' defense reminds me of the Mon-stars from Space Jam (the Michael Jordan one). However, I realized that I have not given their red-hot offensive any shine yet. Believe it or not, they are anchored by a sophomore tailback who is producing like a senior. [player_tooltip player_id='1043531' first='Jameer' last='Bellamy'] has ran 73 times on the season for 588 yards and 7 touchdowns. He has earned tough yards and his team is better for it. Additionally, Bellamy has added an interception to his ledger this year as well. The Red Devils' favorite target is [player_tooltip player_id='1043544' first='Brody' last='Deiter']. Deiter, who if I had to guess is a prospect who is lovingly addressed by his last name by coaches and teammates, is following up a strong sophomore season with a solid junior campaign. Deiter has managed to 373 yards and 4 scores on just 28 receptions this season. Also a limited contributor on defense, Deiter has come up with 11 key stops - all solos - on the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->