SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–We have another big weekend of high school football on tap for the eleventh week of the 2010 GMC Gridiron season. The state playoffs continue with semifinal round action around the state along with one regular season game. Action begins on Friday night around the GMC. There are 6 games on tap this week, and three of them are crossovers with the Shore Conference. There are five playoff matchups involving GMC teams this weekend. Four games are on Friday night, and two games are on Saturday afternoon. So, let’s take a look at the matchups on Saturday afternoon.
Here is a brief breakdown of the Saturday afternoon matchups:
Phillipsburg (8-1) at Piscataway (9-0)–North Jersey Section 2 Group IV Semifinals. This is a rematch of last year’s opening round state tournament game at Phillipsburg won by the Stateliners en route to their sectional championship over Ridge. These two squads have met three times since 2004. Two of those contests have gone to overtime including last year’s. Phillipsburg is 2-1 in the previous three meetings winning in 2005 (15-6) and 2009 (19-16). P-Way won in overtime in 2004 (27-26). The Chiefs advanced via their opening round win over East Orange Campus (39-28). Meanwhile, the Stateliners won their opening round matchup over Franklin (42-27). It was Phillipsburg’s second win over the Warriors this year. Franklin is set to play Piscataway next Thursday in the annual Thanksgiving Day matchup between the two schools. Phillipsburg comes in averaging 42 points per game while yielding only a little over 14. Meanwhile, Piscataway has scored less (37 ppg), but has also given up fewer (11 ppg). The Chiefs are also healthier with the return of star running back Tevin Shaw, wideout Tajae Sharpe, and defensive end, Jonathan Kinslow. The Stateliners will be playing without its top quarterback Justin Scourzo, who has completed 53 of 88 passes for 1,214 yards and 8 touchdowns. The Chiefs are at home, are healthier at key positions, and are slightly better defensively. Add this one to the ever growing chapters of thrillers between these two schools. Prediction: Piscataway wins 17-14.
Woodbridge (4-5) at Colonia (4-5)–This is the annual Bragging Rights game for Woodbridge Township. Both teams are looking to avoid a losing season. Woodbridge has won its last two in a row while Colonia has lost two straight including a tough opening round playoff defeat to Nutley last week (48-42). The Barrons did not qualify for the state tournament this year after making a great run in last year’s North Jersey Section 2 Group IV bracket. Other than its two losses to Piscataway (34-17) and Sayreville (41-14), WHS has been in every game with close losses to East Brunswick (7-0), South Brunswick (15-7), and Monroe (23-21). The Patriots, meanwhile, has given Central Jersey Group IV semifinalist North Brunswick its only loss of the season (38-34). WHS has scored more points per game (24.1 vs. 23.3), and given up less (15.7 vs. 25.4). Colonia leads the all time 43 game series with a 22-17-4 record. However, Woodbridge has won 4 of the last 7 including the last two seasons. Colonia is 3-2 at home while Woodbridge is 1-3 on the road. This game features fine quarterbacks in WHS’s Kyle Anderson and CHS’s J.T. Kotowski. Both teams have good targets as receiver with the Barrons having Anthony Nyers and Praise Martin-Ogunike while Colonia has C.J. Gray and Geoff Fairbanks. Prediction: Woodbridge wins 27-19.
Last week’s record 20-3
This season’s record 111-31
Last year’s record 102-32
All time record 228-74