Four Consolation Games Involving GMC Teams on Saturday
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–On Saturday, there will be four consolation games involving GMC teams in addition to several playoff games to round out Week Ten. The big matchup of these games is St. Joseph’s versus Notre Dame. The Falcons were originally seeded eighth in the Non-Public Group IV playoffs, but got approval from the NJSIAA to opt out of an opening round game versus Paramus Catholic, and play a consolation against the Irish. Below are game capsules with predictions:
St. Joseph’s (3-5) at Notre Dame (3-6)–Both teams are looking to finish up subpar years on a positive note. The Irish are at home, where they are 2-4 with those two wins coming over the past two weeks against Steinert (33-7) and CJ Group III qualifier, Nottingham (21-14). The Falcons are coming off a road win at New Brunswick (45-13), and they have a chance to end up at .500 with a win here, and a victory over Bishop Ahr on Thanksgiving Eve in North Edison. Since starting the season at 0-2 and being outscored 76-24 in those two contests, St. Joe’s has played much better with a 3-3 mark including solid victories over J.F. Kennedy, Perth Amboy, and New Brunswick while suffering close losses to playoff teams Carteret (17-14 in OT) and Woodbridge (14-7). Javon Hicks returned from injury to earn Player of the Week honors for his performance against New Brunswick last week. He will team up with Breein Tyree on offense. Nick Krimin and Joe Papa will lead the Falcons on defense. This could be an interesting game with two more evenly matched squads. St. Joe’s has been outscored 22-21 so far this year while Notre Dame has been outscored 25-17. Give the edge to Joes. Prediction: St. Joseph’s wins, 23-19.
Hunterdon Central (4-5) at Edison (3-5)–Both of these teams spent this season rebuilding after reaching the state playoffs last year. Hunterdon Central went all the way to the Central Jersey Group V Championship last year behind the likes of Penn State recruit Jason Cabina and Michael Knight. This year, the Red Devils lost their first four games before winning 4 of their last 5. The only loss in that stretch was to North Jersey Section 2 Group IV playoff contender, Phillipsburg (43-21). Four of HCHS five losses have come at the hands of playoff teams including: Phillipsburg, Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough, and Elizabeth. Last weekend, the Red Devils defeated another playoff team in Westfield (7-6). Meanwhile, Edison has three wins on the year including a forfeit to Sayreville, and victories on the field over North Brunswick (37-27) and Freehold Township (22-20). The Eagles have played their share of playoff teams including: East Brunswick, Monroe, Old Bridge, Piscataway, and South Brunswick. EHS lost to all five of those teams including a 14-13 loss to EB. Eagles are at home with Joe Kim and Godwin Asamoah leading the way, but Hunterdon Central gets the win here. Prediction: Hunterdon Central wins, 21-6.
South River (3-6) at Burlington City (1-7)–The Owls travel down to Burlington County to take on Burlington City. These two teams have played each other on the hardwood this season, but this is a rare sight on the gridiron. The Rams have been plagued by key injuries including a devastating one to Doug Ryan, who is out for the year. The Rams have still managed to notch a few wins with victories over Keyport (26-12), Keansburg (22-16), and Highland Park (20-7). Burlington City, which plays in the Freedom Division of the West Jersey Football League, only has a victory over playoff team, Florence (20-14) on opening weekend. The Blue Devils have lost seven straight since then. They also have a date with CJ Group I top seed Palmyra on Thanksgiving. Burlington City also lost a close one to another CJ Group I playoff team in New Egypt. South River has played its share of playoff teams in Dunellen, Mater Dei, Metuchen (only lost 9-0), Middlesex, Shore Regional, Spotswood, Burlington City has been outscored 223-94 this season while the Rams have been outscored 260-116). South River is led by QB Nick Lepore, TE, RB, LB Sean Darrar, WR Richie Leogrande, and RB Khaliyl Everett. The Blue Devils are at home and have given up fewer points this year, but the Rams have battled through injuries and a tough schedule so they’ll get the edge. Prediction: South River wins, 21-20.
Highland Park (0-8) at Wallington (4-5)–The Owls have played competitively in losses to Keansburg (22-20), Keyport (14-12), and South River (20-7), but have yet to get a “W”. Meanwhile, Wallington has played the likes of Bogota and St. Mary’s, which reached the Non-Public Group I final last year before losing to powerhouse St. Joseph’s of Hammonton. Highland Park also has to travel all the way up to Bergen County for this game. The Owls will be led by Ryan O’Shea, Nasir Boykins, Dylan Boynton, and Justin Simms. Prediction: Wallington wins, 28-12.