GMC Gridiron–Week Ten–Quick Picks–Consolation Games

November 16, 2012 Greg Machos GMC Gridiron 0

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–GMC Gridiron now comes to the toughest part of its schedule with the first round of playoff games along with the consolation contests. Below are the quick picks for this year’s consolation games.

  • St. Joseph’s at DePaul–The Falcons have a shot at securing a winning season, which would be quite an accomplishment for a program only in its second season.  However, DePaul will be a difficult challenge on the road.  While the Spartans are 4-5, they play in the Big North against the likes of state powers Don Bosco Prep, Bergen Catholic, and St. Joseph’s Montvale as well as a Paramus Catholic squad that is 7-1 overall.  DePaul at home should win here.  Prediction:  DePaul wins, 35-10.
  • New Brunswick at Princeton–A win for either of these teams will be a nice way to end what has been a difficult season.  The Zebras have made some progress ending a losing streak that dated back almost three years.  For all intents and purposes both teams have the same record since New Brunswick got a tie against a Matawan team that handily defeated Bishop Ahr earlier this year thanks to the effects of Hurricane Sandy.  The Zebras play a tougher schedule in the GMC, and should get the edge here.  Prediction:  New Brunswick wins 9-7.
  • Westfield at J.P. Stevens–The Hawks are coming off a close defeat on the road at Old Bridge last Saturday.  Stevens also defeated Monroe by five the previous week, and only lost to Sayreville, 16-7.  The Blue Devils had a 37-12 victory over playoff team Bridgewater-Raritan a couple weeks ago.  The Hawks are playing at home, and have a better record.  Prediction:  J.P. Stevens wins, 17-14.
  • Howell at Perth Amboy–Both of these teams come into this contest searching for their first wins of the season.  Amboy has been outscored by a score of 183-58 this year while Howell has been outscored by a margin of 217-80.  However, the Rebels and Panthers have played common opponents Marlboro and St. Joseph’s with Howell losing to the Mustangs by a 16-8 score and the Falcons by a 24-20 margin.  Amboy lost to both teams by  a score of 21-7 and 22-14 respectively.  Howell should win here.  Prediction:  Howell wins, 27-17.
  • Freehold Township at East Brunswick–For all intents and purposes, both  teams enter this contest with the same record.  Both teams have also played Manalapan and Sayreville with EB losing to both of those teams by the combined score of 96-12 while Freehold Township lost to both by a combined total of 68-6.  Freehold Township has won two of its last three while EB has lost three of its last five.  EB is at home, but Freehold should get the edge here.  Prediction:  Freehold Township wins, 24-14.
  • West Windsor-Plainsboro North at North Brunswick–The Raiders have had a very difficult season after moving up to the GMC Red, and having its top tailback LaShawn Boyd injured.  North Brunswick has a win on the season thanks to a victory at Stevens (33-21).  West Windsor-Plainsboro North is still searching for its first win.  NBTHS has been outscored by a margin of 297-123 this season while the Knights have been outscored 299-102.  North Brunswick is playing at home.  Prediction:  North Brunswick wins, 28-7.
  • Ridgefield at Middlesex–Middlesex comes into this game with two wins on the year while the Royals enter the contest with only one.  The Blue Jays have been outscored 199-102.  Ridgefield has been outscored by margin of  323-84.  The Jays are playing at home, and should have the edge here.  Prediction:  Middlesex wins, 28-7.
  • Spotswood at New Egypt–The Chargers were just three points shy of qualifying for the playoffs.   Spotswood has outscored its opponents by a margin of 180-37 in its four wins while being outscored 128-47 in three of its five losses.  New Egypt has won 4 of its last six games after starting the season by being outscored 85-0 by Florence and Allentown.  Spotswood, which has outscored its foes by a margin of 281-222, had lost three straight before beating Mater Dei last week.  The Warriors, which have been outscored 157-143 this season, are playing at home, but the Chargers can put points on the board, and get the edge.  Prediction:  Spotswood wins, 35-17.
  • Whippany Park at Metuchen–Both of these teams have struggled as of late after being at .500 one point in the season with Metuchen losing three straight while Whippany Park has lost 4 of its last five.  The Bulldogs had a head scratching loss two weeks or so ago to Mater Dei.   Metuchen has been outscored by a margin of 223-175 while the Wildcats have been outscored by a margin of 184-136.  The Bulldogs are playing at home, and can put more points on the board.  Prediction:  Metuchen wins, 21-14.
  • Highland Park at Monmouth Regional–The last time these two teams met, the Golden Falcons visited Highland Park, and held off a Nate Smith led comeback for the crossover win.  The Owls have struggled in years past against teams from the Shore Conference, and those struggles continued this year with defeats at the hands of Keyport (25-23), Keansburg (20-14), and Point Beach (49-23) while Monmouth has tallied a lot of points against teams from the GMC in years past.  Highland Park avoided a winless season by winning its last two games.  They have the ability to score a lot of points with the likes of Nadre Hepburn and Quatay Nesmith.  However, Monmouth has played a tougher schedule.  Prediction:  Monmouth Regional wins, 28-14.
  • Cardinal McCarrick at Roselle–Both of these teams are looking to finish the season on a positive note.  McCarrick is searching for its first win since week two when it rallied to defeat Mater Dei while the Rams have played more competitively, and won their only game three weeks ago.  Prediction:    Roselle wins, 31-14.