SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–After a super start to the season with my 54-10 record over the last five weeks, I’m looking to continue my good run with another solid week. There are ten games on Friday including three matchups involving teams in the GMC Blue, and one involving a team from the GMC Gold. One of the matchups involves a monumental clash between the GMC and the Shore Conference as unbeaten Sayreville hosts undefeated Howell. Overall, there will be six GMC-Shore matchups this weekend including five on Friday night. Meanwhile, the GMC White Division Championship will be settled as Monroe visits New Brunswick. So, let’s get at it.
Here is a brief breakdown of the Friday Night matchups:
Monroe (5-1) at New Brunswick (5-2)–GMC Hoops is a bit tentative in this one after losing last week’s feature game pick (Woodbridge upset Piscataway, 10-3). Both teams are coming into this contest red hot with the Falcons winning four in a row after losing to East Brunswick on September 25th, and New Brunswick winning five straight since starting the year at 0-2. Monroe has outscored its opponents by nearly 23 points per game while giving up the fewest points in the GMC. New Brunswick, on the other hand has steadily improved with a 20 points per game average while giving up less than two touchdowns. During the four game winning streak, Monroe has averaged more than 37 points per game while giving up less than a touchdown including two shutouts. Over the past five contests, the Zebras have averaged 25 points per game while giving up about a touchdown. Both teams have played Edison, Stevens, Perth Amboy, and North Brunswick, and have each gone 4-0, but Monroe has been more impressive by outscoring those four teams by a margin of 149-23. New Brunswick has beaten those teams by a lesser margin of 103-34. The Zebras are 1-1 at home while the Falcons are 2-1 on the road. Both teams played North Brunswick on the road with Monroe winning 29-15 and New Brunswick winning 31-7. NBHS has played a schedule with a combined record of 20-24 while Monroe’s foes have a combined mark of 16-23. The Purple Birds are also 0-1 in games covered by GMC Hoops while New Brunswick is being covered for the first time by the web site. MTHS is averaging 209 yards on the ground, and 97 yards in the air. New Brunswick is led by the likes of Simuel Williams, John Simpson, Isiah Simpson, Jalen Long, and Dante Weaver while Monroe has the likes of running back Blake Bascom, quarterback Alex Vizcaino, tight end Chris Gregor, receiver Cory Bennett, fullback Shane Garcia, kicker and punter Chris Mattos, and Matt Stolte on defense. The Zebras will win in a very tight defensive war thanks to their tougher schedule, home field, and slightly more momentum going into this game. Prediction: New Brunswick wins 18-17.
Howell (6-0) at Sayreville (7-0)–If it wasn’t for the big matchup in the GMC White, and the fact that the site hasn’t seen New Brunswick yet this season, GMC Hoops might have traveled over to Sayreville War Memorial High School again for this matchup. Both teams come in undefeated with Sayreville currently the top seed in Central Jersey Group IV, and Howell seeded third behind Hunterdon Central. It could very well be a preview of the CJ Group IV Championship. However, both teams still have big games ahead of them including New Brunswick for Sayreville and Southern Regional for Howell. Both teams have played Piscataway, Woodbridge, and Brick Memorial. Each has gone 3-0 against those three teams, but Howell defeated them by an average margin of 33-16 while Sayreville won by a average score of 22-14. So far this season, Howell has played a schedule with a combined record of 18-21 while Sayreville’s ledger has a combined mark of 20-26. In addition to beating Piscataway and Woodbridge, Howell has also beaten Toms River North on the road (7-3). Shore American is 2-5, but Howell is 2-0 versus the GMC. Sayreville is 2-0 versus the Shore, and the GMC Red is 5-2 versus the Shore Conference. Outside of Howell though, the GMC Red has played the bottom four teams in the Shore American (Brick Memorial, Jackson Memorial, Manalapan, and Freehold Township) with a combined record of 6-19. Sayreville enters the game averaging 28 points per game after its 56-7 rout of South Brunswick while giving up only about 12. On the other side of the field, Howell has averaged 29 points per game while giving up just 12 as well. Joe Geiger leads the Sayreville offense at quarterback with targets such as Dave Milewski, Delon Stephenson, and Shakir Goodrich on offense. Alex Yanuzzelli and Basim Fain also help out in the Bomber running game while Syd Holt, George Koblentz, and Darryl Stephenson anchor the defense. This is a very even matchup, but Howell gets a slight edge. Prediction: Howell wins 21-14.
Piscataway (4-3) at Toms River North (5-1)–Both teams have played Howell at home, and lost. However, the Mariners only lost 7-3 while Piscataway lost 26-14. The Chiefs really struggled in the rain and wind last week versus Woodbridge with four turnovers including two that led to all of Woodbridge’s points. It might not get any easier either since TRN’s defense is very stingy as they proved against Howell. The Mariners have allowed only 21 points total this season, and have recorded three shutouts. Toms River North has not been scored upon in the last 11 quarters. TRN has outscored its opponents by an average of 23-3 per contest. On the other hand, Piscataway has played better winning four of its last five despite last week’s defeat to the Barrons. The Chiefs enter the contest with a 21 points per game average on offense while yielding just 15 points per game on defense. Piscataway has played a tough schedule to this point that has a combined record of 29-16 while Toms River North’s foes are a combined 14-23. The Mariners are 1-1 at home while the Chiefs are 1-2 on the road. In those two games at home, TRN has outscored its foes 17-7 while P-Way has been outscored on the road 34-23. Anthony Tillman was the prime weapon on offense for P-Way last week, particularly in the second half. However, Malcolm Griggs needs to get the ball in the hands of big play receivers Juvuan Wynn, Taj Watkins, and Anthony Gratz to take some of the pressure off Tillman, and against TRN that won’t be easy. Prediction: Toms River North wins 17-7.
Old Bridge (3-3) at Southern Regional (3-3)–The Knights are coming off a bye week, which may help them after losing three straight following a 3-0 start. Southern Regional is also .500, but has won 3 of its last 4 with the only defeat coming on the road at 5-1 Toms River North (14-0). Other than that, they’re fairly even matched up against each other. Both teams are averaging about the same amount of points per game scored and given up. The Rams from Manahawkin are slightly better offensively scoring a bit more than 21 points per game while Old Bridge is averaging 20. Each team gives up about 19. Southern Regional has played opponents with a combined record of 18-20 while Old Bridge’s foes are 19-21. Old Bridge is playing against a Shore Conference team for the first time tonight while Southern Regional is taking on a GMC team for the first time this season. The Knights are 2-1 away from home while Southern Regional is 2-1 at home. The Rams are in third in the Shore American while Old Bridge is fifth in the GMC Red. The GMC is 5-0 against the bottom four teams in the Shore American, but 0-2 against the top three. Michael Larson, Julian Daley, and Joe Reyes lead Old Bridge. Prediction: Southern Regional wins 21-19.
South Brunswick (2-4) at Jackson Memorial (2-4)–Both teams have played Manalapan and East Brunswick, and have gone 1-1 against them. Each defeated Manalapan, but lost to the Bears. The kicker here is that Jackson Memorial was leading East Brunswick in the fourth quarter before losing in overtime, 19-13 in EB. The Bears went on the road and defeated South Brunswick, 23-13. Both teams are 2-4 overall with the Vikings in last place in the GMC Red while Jackson Memorial is in fifth place in the Shore Conference’s seven team American Division. In the two losses on the road, SBHS has been outscored 64-39 while in their games at home, Jackson has outscored their foes 55-35. The Jaguars are 2-1 at home while South Brunswick is 0-2 on the road. The Vikings opponents have a combined record of 23-15 while Jackson Memorial’s foes are a combined 17-20. Jackson enters the contest with an offense that averages a bit more than 12 points per contest, but has given up only 18 per contest. On the other side of the field, the Vikings are averaging 16 per contest while giving up 26. Mike Muha has Willie Roberson and Jevon Tyree as targets on offense for South Brunswick. Prediction: Jackson Memorial wins 19-13.
North Brunswick (3-3) at Bishop Ahr (5-1)–Neither one of these teams have played common opponents so far this season. One thing that you could go with here is the fact that the GMC White is 2-0 with Edison winning at Colonia, 27-21 and New Brunswick winning at Carteret, 14-0. However, the Raiders have struggled over their past two games including a 21-19 victory at Stevens that saw a 21-0 third quarter lead nearly evaporate, and a 31-7 loss at home to New Brunswick. Meanwhile, the Trojans have won five straight since losing their opener at home to Raritan (41-6). In those five wins, BGA has outscored their foes by a margin of 214-60, or an average of 43-12. NBTHS’s strength of schedule has a combined record of 18-21 while BGA’s is 13-25. Ahr is averaging 37 points per game on offense while giving up 17 per contest on defense. Meanwhile, North Brunswick is averaging 21 points per game on offense, but has given up 22 points per game on defense. The Raiders are 1-1 on the road while the Trojans are 2-1 at home. Armand Gorrell leads the North Brunswick attack with Ross Kurtz coming out of the backfield and Michael Curran a target at wideout. Glen Edwards is also dangerous returning punts. Robbie Meade leads the charge on offense for Ahr while Stephen Dumchus helps out at running back. Brandon Vitabile and Nick Napurano lead a huge offensive line for Ahr while Kenny Virden, Adonis Revis, Taylor Black, and Mike Galant are targets for Meade on offense. The Blue Division may be the weakest division in the league with second place Kennedy losing to Spotswood and South River in addition to the aforementioned losses to the GMC White, but Ahr is in a class by itself. More importantly, the Trojans need a win against a school of this size to improve their standing in terms of power points for the state playoffs. Prediction: Bishop Ahr wins 33-21.
Perth Amboy (1-5) at J.P. Stevens (1-5)–This game may depend on the health of the Hawks top player Charles Conley who doubles as a running back, and quarterback on passing downs, but was out last week in the 40-0 loss to Monroe. The Hawks started the year with such promise in a 12-7 loss at Middletown North (which is 4-2 on the season), and a 31-6 victory at Marlboro. However, reality has set in on a program that enters this game 2-14 over the past two seasons. The same is said for Perth Amboy, which opened the season with a 38-0 win at home over Marlboro, and a 7-0 defeat to Colts Neck. The Panthers also lost close games to North Brunswick (34-25) on the road, and New Brunswick (20-14) at home. However, over the past two weeks, the bottom has fallen out with a 35-8 drubbing at the hands of Monroe, and a 14-13 defeat to Edison after having a 13-0 lead in the second half. The Hawks played competitively against North Brunswick at home, and most importantly, didn’t give up. Down 21-0 after the second half kickoff was returned for a touchdown by the Raiders, JPS rallied with 19 straight points, and came within a two point conversion of forcing overtime. Perth Amboy has averaged about 16 per game on offense, but has yielded 19 per contest on defense. Most importantly, they have turned over the ball in a number of spots. Stevens has only scored 11 per game while giving up 23. Amboy’s foes have a combined record of 17-22 while Stevens opponents have a combined mark of 20-18. JPS is 0-3 at home while Perth Amboy is 0-3 on the road. The Hawks are averaging more yards on the ground (156 vs. 137 per game) while the Panthers are averaging more in the air (96 to 45). Raymond Arce, Matt Cumber, Chris Arocho, Luis Betances, and Robert Almanazar lead Amboy while Conley, Kevin Murriell, Keith McClain, Zach Maher, Dahmill Bowles, and Vito Parese lead J.P. Stevens. If Conley’s healthy that could be the difference. Prediction: J.P. Stevens wins 20-19.
J.F. Kennedy (3-4) at Carteret (2-4)–The Ramblers are starting to show signs of life. Most importantly, on offense, where they have averaged nearly 26 points per contest over the past two games. However, they have been against teams in South Plainfield (25-0) and Colonia (26-13) that are a combined 0-12 entering today’s action. Meanwhile, the Mustangs are reeling a bit after two straight losses by a combined margin of 76-28. Carteret is playing at home, where they are 1-1, and have outscored their foes 25-14 while Kennedy is going on the road 1-2, and have been outscored 68-39. JFK has played a schedule with a combined record of 17-28 while Carteret’s foes have a combined mark of 16-22. The Ramblers and Mustangs have played common opponents in Holmdel, Bishop Ahr, Colonia, and South Plainfield. Kennedy is 3-1 versus those teams while Carteret is 2-2. Here’s something to think about though. Carteret lost to New Brunswick of the GMC White only 14-0 while Kennedy has lost to Spotswood (34-7) and South River (42-28). The Mustangs are averaging 25 per game while giving up just as much. Carteret on the other hand has scored just 11 points per contest, but has given up 22. Take out the 49-6 loss at Ahr, and the 41-6 defeat at Red Bank Catholic, and the Ramblers are much more stingier giving up 10.3 per contest. JFK has been phenomenal on the ground by averaging a bit more than 267 yards per game. However, they’ve only thrown about 22 yards per game in the air. The Ramblers are more balanced with 96 yards on the ground, and 83 yards in the air. Billy Merz, Lamont Crews-Webb, and Naji Johnson lead Carteret while Mark Weber, Matt Creighton, Marcus Gaudin, Dante Lavecchia, Rasheed Howard, and Frank Maglione lead Kennedy. Defense and the home field will prove to be the edge for the Ramblers. Prediction: Carteret wins 18-14.
Colonia (0-6) at South Plainfield (0-6)–Something has to give here as two winless teams will go at it tonight in Tigertown. Both teams have struggled tremendously this season, but Colonia has come closer to victory than South Plainfield has. The Patriots have scored more per game (9 vs. 8 points per game), and has given up less (33 vs. 43 points per game). The Pats have played a schedule with a combined record of 24-15 while South Plainfield’s opponents have a combined mark of 22-16 so both teams have played pretty tough schedules. The Tigers are 0-3 versus the Shore Conference while Colonia is 0-2. Both teams have played Kennedy, Carteret, and Bishop Ahr with the Patriots losing to those three teams by a combined margin of 92-19 while South Plainfield has lost by a combined total of 118-28. The Patriots have been outscored on the road by a margin of 110-19 while the Tigers have been outscored 139-21 at home. Colonia is averaging 212 yards per game versus 190 per game by the Tigers. SPHS is better on the ground (90 yards per game vs. 79) while Colonia is better in the air (133 yards per contest vs. 100). CHS has the likes of Corey Jones running the ball and J.T. Kotowski throwing it on offense while Daquan Howell and Torey Underwood spearhead the defense. South Plainfield is led by Troy McNair at running back, and Brandon Downes at Quarterback while Malcolm Austin and Mark Tomei chip in as well. The Tigers are playing at home, but Colonia is slightly better defensively, and has played a slightly tougher schedule. Prediction: Colonia wins 20-14.
St. John Vianney (2-4) at Middlesex (2-4)–Both teams still have slim chances of getting into the state playoffs, but Middlesex has been playing the better of the two schools as of late. The Blue Jays have won 2 of their last 3 despite injuries with their lone loss coming on the road at Manasquan (28-0). The Lancers of Vianney, based in Holmdel, lost to the Big Blue at home last week 34-7. So both teams have felt the wrath of Manasquan. St. John Vianney has lost three of its last four including two in a row. Middlesex is also 2-1 at home while Vianney is 0-3 on the road. In the games at home, MHS has only been outscored 70-65 while Vianney has been outplayed on the road by a margin of 91-50. The Jays have played a schedule with a combined record of 23-15 while the Lancers have played foes with a combined mark of 19-17. Against teams better than .500, Middlesex is 1-4 while Holmdel is 0-2. The Jays are 1-0 against teams at .500 or below while the Lancers are 2-2. MHS enters the game scoring an average of a bit more than 15 points per game while yielding 23. SJV enters the contest averaging 17 per game while giving up 27. Middlesex is led by Dan Skazenski, Mike Passanante, Matt Cleveland, Dave Fekete, and Chris Petiya. Wear black to the game! Prediction: Middlesex wins 17-13.
Last week’s record (9-3)
Record since Week #3: 54-10