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N.J. HS Football Coaches Excited about Greg Schiano Hire
There’s no doubt about it — New Jersey high schools produce some of the most talented and competitive players in college football. In the two weeks new Rutgers University head coach Greg Schiano has been on the job, he and his assistant coaches have been hitting the pavement to recruit the Garden State’s best to stay home. So we had to ask some of New Jersey’s top high school coaches — what do you think about the Schiano hire? Let’s just say they’re excited. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the story: JSZ’s 1-on-1 with Greg Schiano Greg Schiano was a surprise special-guest speaker at Jersey Sports Zone’s third annual All-Zone football banquet on Dec. 10 in Woodbridge. JSZ’s Chief Operating Officer, Rich Chrampanis, spoke with Schiano about his excitement to be back at the helm with the Scarlet Knights.
Diggs wins Zoneman, Schiano speaks at JSZ Football Banquet
The third annual JSZ Football Banquet featured the top players in New Jersey, an inspiring JSZ Courage Award and Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano opening our ceremony. It all capped off with Woodrow Wilson’s Fadil Diggs winning the Zoneman Trophy. Watch Jersey Sports Zone’s team coverage now! Rutgers Greg Schiano speaks at third annual Jersey Sports Zone Football Banquet The top high school football players from every part of New Jersey were assembled at the Delta Hotel in Woodbridge for the JSZ Football Banquet. Before the highlights of the 2019 JSZ All-Zone team, Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano got things started with a great message to the honorees. The Scarlet Knights have made it known that recruiting the best players in -state is a top priority. Schiano was joined by assistant coaches Nunzio Campanile and Fran Brown to celebrate New Jersey’s best on the gridiron: Fadil Diggs wins JSZ Zoneman Trophy Woodrow Wilson defensive end and wide receiver Fadil Diggs took home the JSZ Zoneman Trophy. The Texas A&M commit helped lead the Tigers to a South Group 3 Regional Championship and won the balloting among NJ head football coaches and statewide media members. St. Joe-Hammonton running back Jada Byers was the runnerup. Byers and Diggs had equal first-place votes but Fadil was on nine more ballots in the Heisman style voting which gave him the top honor: The Zoneman Trophy was presented by NJM Insurance. Thanks to NJM’s Joe Dotro for being on hand to honor the best players in New Jersey! Zoneman Voting Name High School 1st 2nd 3rd Total Fadil DiggsWoodrow Wilson252411134 Jada ByersSt. Joe-Hammonton251610117 Jalen BergerDon Bosco Prep13182499 Cody SimonSaint Peter's Prep12142080 Luke WyplerSt. Joe-Montvale251026 Kyle MonangaiDon Bosco Prep42521 Thanks to everyone from around the state who was part of the Zoneman process Zoneman Ballots JSZ Staff: Rich Chrampanis, Nery Rodriguez, Mike Frankel, Jay Cook Statewide Media: Chris Melvin, Asbury Park Press, Dave McCarthy, McCarthy Report, Todderick Hunt, NJ.Com, Bob Badders, Shore Sports Network, Kevin Minnick, NJ.Com, Andrew Koob, NJ.Com, Pat Lanni, NJ.Com, JJ Conrad, NJ.Com, Mike McGarry, Press of Atlantic City, Ryan Patti, Rivals.Com, Tom Williams, PrimeEvents.Net, Tom McGurk, Courier-Post, Brian Carr, NorthJerseySports.Com, Shawn Brown, 247 Sports, GMC Gridiron, Joe Zedalis, NJ.Com, Mike Kinney, NJ.Com, Mike Fenske, MJF Recruiting, Brian Dohn, 247 Sports, JP Parachini, Worrell Media Coaches: John McKenna, DePaul Catholic, Vito Campanile, Bergen Catholic, Dallas Whitaker, Somerville, Dan Russo, Vineland, Pete Lancetta, St. Augustine Prep, Jim Raso, Hammonton, Tim Gushue, Shawnee, John Emel, Penns Grove, Rob Hinson, Timber Creek, Dennis Thomas, Millville, Steve Scanlon, Clearview, Chuck Smith, Mainland, Joe Hoyle, Dwight Morrow Bill Fitzgerald, Seton Hall Prep Montrey Wright, Salem Kevin Smith, Ocean City Kevin Stetser, Egg Harbor Twp. Joe Wojceichowski, Lenape Jay Graber, Matawan Kevin Kostibos, Summit Dan Higgins, Piscataway Ken Loomis, Wildwood Vin Mistretta, Jackson Memorial Jeff Rainess, Holmdel John Fiore, Montclair Brian Bowers, Delbarton John Whitehead, Paramus Catholic Barris Grant, Hillside Len Zdanowicz, Brick Township John Adams, Woodstown Benji Wemberly, Hackensack Rob Davis, Barnegat Marion Bell, West Side Jamil Jackson, Elizabeth Drew Gibbs, Ramapo Rich Hansen, St. Peter’s Prep Wilber Valdez, Union City Kevin Carty, Hillsborough Frank Duffy, Phillipsburg Augie Hoffmann, St. Joe’s (Mont.) Ed Guerreri, Manalapan Jim Sharples, Jackson Liberty Brian Russo, Rahway William Nahan, Randolph Drew Lachenmayer, Allentown David Schuman Red Bank Regional Kenny Scott, Winslow Twp. Brian Leary, Highland LJ Clark, Lakewood Dan Sabella, Don Bosco Sean Clancy, Notre Dame Chris Thomas, Pitman Dan George, Long Branch Clifton Tabb, Pennsauken Mike Schatzman, Washington Twp Tim Hagerty, Glassboro Ralph Cinque, Clifton Sights and Sounds from JSZ Banquet Before the players came inside to eat dinner and watch JSZ’s All-Zone presentation, Nery Rodriguez gave us some red carpet coverage having fun with some of the best players in the state! JSZ Courage Award Winners Coach Dwayne Savage, Kenneth Smith – Camden Coach Chris Sacco, Ernest Howard, Pleasantville Jersey Sports Zone’s Mike Frankel was shooting highlights of Camden and Pleasantville in the state playoffs when gunshots rang out during the third quarter wounding two and killing 10-year old Micah Tennant. Through adversity, both towns turned to their football teams to help unite communities and begin the healing process. JSZ was proud to honor four great leaders with this award. In case you missed it, Jersey Sports Zone chronicled the resumption of the Camden/Pleasantville game at the home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles Meet the 2019 JSZ All-Zone Team QuarterbackRunning BackWide ReceiverTight EndOffensive LineZoneman Finalists Michael Alaimo, St. Joe-MontvaleJaiden Abrams, HammontonTedy Afful, DePaul CatholicKevin Bauman, Red Bank CatholicChandler Bird, Saint AugustineJalen Berger, Don Bosco Prep Louie Barrios, Cedar CreekMyles Bailey, North BrunswickAhmad Brown, Holy SpiritDominic Busby, Seton Hall PrepBryan Felter, Bergen CatholicJada Byers, St. Joe-Hammonton JD Breslauer, Parsippany HillsMatt Colantuono, Seton Hall PrepEJ Comerford, Parsippany HillsShawn Collins, MontclairBardhyl Gashi, West EssexFadil Diggs, Woodrow Wilson Tahjamell Bullock, Saint Peter's PrepCorey Dempster, BoontonCarnell Davis, St. Augustine PrepCharles Finley, DePaul CatholicJalen Genao, Union CityKyle Monangai, Don Bosco Prep Andrew Butler, DePaul CatholicAudric Estime, St. Joe-MontvaleMalik Harvey, Woodrow WilsonLucas Giordano, Seton Hall PrepCody Simon, St. Peter's Prep Ryan Clark, Donovan CatholicEthan Harris, Northern HighlandsKyree Hinton, SomervilleNajae Hallenbeck, Toms River NorthLuke Wypler, St. Joe-Montvale Charles DePrima, RamapoMalik Ingram, Mater Dei PrepConnor Kennedy, LenapeDeclan McCauley, Westfield Devin Kargman, Woodrow WilsonAli Lee, Jr. WoodbridgeChris Long, WillingboroJosh Toner, Cherokee Connor Katz, CranfordMuheem McCargo, Woodrow WilsonJelani Mason, Saint Peter's PrepColin Tunc, Bergen Catholic Vincent Pinto, Park RidgePiotr Partyla, LyndhurstMalachi Melton, Cedar CreekGeno VanDeMark, St. Joe-Montvale Andrew Sanborn, UnionTrebor Pena, OceanAhmirr Robinson, UnionDevon Willock, Paramus Catholic Hank Shapiro, WestfieldFrank Riggio, VeronaGriffin Rooney, WestfieldIsaiah Wright, Saint Peter's Prep Zakee Swann, IrvingtonByron Shipman, Saint Peter's Prep Jake Tirone, RamapoTarheeb Still, Timber Creek Cortaz Williams, Notre Dame Zahir Swann, Irvington Defensive LineLinebackerDefensive BackKicker/PunterJSZ All-Prep Team Jeremiah Grant, Bergen CatholicTirek Austin-Cave, CamdenNahree Biggins, HillsideVincenzo Rea, ManalapanAaron Armitage, Blair Academy Jahmir Greene, Don Bosco PrepBobby/Tommy Coury, PhillipsburgDarian "Duce" Chestnut, CamdenSebastien Tasko, St. Joe-MontvaleNick DeGennaro, Hun Dominick Giudice, Mater Dei PrepJake DeLuccia, Wayne ValleyNasir Clerk, IrvingtonChristian Forbes, Lawrenceville Cameron Horsley, CinnaminsonSolomon DeShields, MillvilleJermaine Corbett, Long Branch Ian Franzoni, Hun Aaron Lewis, WillamstownGordon Forsyth, Rumson-Fair HavenCasey Larkin, WallSanoussi Kane, Blair Academy Leon Lowery, North BrunswickMikai Gbayor, IrvingtonClarence Lewis, Mater Dei PrepChristopher Mayo, Peddie Tywon Malone, Bergen CatholicCharlie Gordinier, Red Bank CatholicJoe Lusardi, SummitMatt Sluka, Peddie Andrew Messineo, RidgewoodTyreem Powell, VinelandElijuwan Mack, St. Joe-MontvaleKorey Smith, Peddie Collin McCarthy, Jackson MemorialColin Ramos, Don Bosco PrepJordan Morant, Bergen Catholic Isaiah Raikes, Saint Augustine PrepMakhi Scott, Penns GroveRJ Moten, Delran George Rooks, Saint Peter's PrepDalton Short, ShawneeAlex Odom, Kingsway Khurram Simpson, Mater Dei PrepClyde Washington, LenapeRomaine Robinson, Don Bosco Prep Amin Vanover, Saint Joe-MontvaleJack Wittmaack, RidgewoodEric Rogers, Burlington Twp. Ryan Ruane, Rumson-Fair Haven Keon Sabb, Glassboro DJ Woodbury, Burlington City JSZ Top Plays from 2019 We had the Top Play Belt winners of 2019 and the end of year Plays of the Year winners attend the banquet. Thanks to everyone who voted all year long! Jersey Sports Zone Weekly Top Play Winners Week 0: Sam Williams, PingryWeek 1: Thomas Amankwaa, HillsboroughWeek 2: David Hicks, Red Bank RegionalWeek 3: Nate Summerville, ShawneeWeek 4: Nasir Calhoun, Donovan CatholicWeek 5: Nasir Abney, Holy CrossWeek 6: Mike Casanata, Wayne HillsWeek 7: Jada Byers, St. Joe-HammontonWeek 8: Jake Cook, MainlandWeek 9: Jimmy Pepe, Randolph Week 10: Lonnie Cebulski, Jackson Memorial Jersey Sports Zone Plays of the Year Winners Touchdown Run of the Year: Billy Guidetti, Red Bank Catholic Touchdown Pass Play of the Year: Hank Shapiro/Griffin Rooney, Westfield Defensive TD of the Year: Wally Doman, Jackson Memorial Special Teams TD of the Year: Damon Murray, Hoboken Sack/Big Hit of the Year: Amin Vanover, St. Joe-Montvale Clutch Play of the Year: Jahmir Brown, Woodbridge Viewers Choice Play of the Year: Brandon Martins, Nutley 2019 JSZ Zoneman Trophy Finalists In case you missed it, watch JSZ’s profile of our six Zoneman Finalists: Jalen Berger, Don Bosco Prep Jalen Berger has been one of New Jersey’s most prolific recruits throughout his four-year varsity career as the starting running back at North Jersey power Don Bosco Prep. Berger, named a 2020 All-American, delivered the goods in his senior season while accounting for 1,218 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns for the Ironmen. Berger remains uncommitted yet holds offers from college football’s best — Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, LSU and Michigan are among the schools recruiting him. The announcement will come on live TV during the All-American bowl on Jan. 4 from San Antonio, TX. Jada Byers, St. Joseph (Hamm.) There’s no other way to put it — Jada Byers is the most dynamic scoring threat to ever grace South Jersey. Byers, a Sacred Heart commit, was an electric runner with the football who scored a South Jersey record 102 touchdowns in three years of varsity play with the Wildcats. His mark of 644 career points ranks second in South Jersey history only behind Kevin Harvey. The highlights of Byers’ 2019 season was a 10-touchdown performance against Morris Catholic in the sectional semifinals. Fadil Diggs, Woodrow Wilson There might not be a better two-way player in the Garden State. The Woodrow Wilson star and future Texas A&M Aggie shined on both sides of the ball in a stellar 2019 season. He collected 95.5 tackles and 17.5 sacks on defense while also catching 65 passes for 1,031 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense. Woodrow Wilson head coach Preston Brown told JSZ Diggs is the best player in Camden’s history. Kyle Monangai, Don Bosco Prep Talk to anyone in North Jersey and they’ll tell you Don Bosco Prep doesn’t get back to it’s winning ways without Kyle Monangai on the field. After transferring to the Ramsey private school from Seton Hall Prep after his sophomore season, Monangai put up eye-popping numbers. He put up 2,903 scrimmage yards on 310 touches with 35 touchdowns in arguably the toughest conference in America. He holds 25-plus D-I offers yet remains uncommitted. Cody Simon, St. Peter’s Prep He’s the best player on the best team in New Jersey — does anything else need to be said? Simon’s boasts one of the most polished resume’s we’ve seen in years. He was a preseason for the 2019 Butkus Award, was one of five N.J. players named an All-American and is committed to play at Ohio State. Simon led the Marauders with 106 tackles, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions and four touchdowns on defense and special teams. Luke Wypler, St. Joe’s (Mont.) What does it take to be ranked the No. 1 center in the entire country? Watch the way Luke Wypler dominates on the gridiron. Wypler’s intelligence and intensity on the field is a major reason why St. Joe’s had the toughest offensive line in the state — that translated to a Non-Public Group 4 championship in 2018. Wypler, also named a 2020 All-American, is committed to play at Ohio State after a stellar career in Montvale.
Meet the 2019 JSZ Zoneman Trophy Finalists
Jersey Sports Zone is excited to formally announce the six finalists for the 2019 Zoneman Award — our version of the N.J. high school football player of the year. The winner will be announced on Dec. 10 during our All-State Football Banquet held at the Delta by Marriot Woodbridge Hotel. Watch all six features from our team of multimedia journalists to learn more about New Jersey’s top football honor! The Story of the Zoneman Trophy and Our Football Banquet By Rich Chrampanis | Jersey Sports Zone Chief Operating Officer In the year 2000, I received the great honor of a Heisman Trophy ballot as I started my tenure on television at WPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach. I was so excited to get the chance to weigh in on such a significant award and it got me thinking of bringing the same kind of excitement to our high school football coverage. So we built a trophy and instead of the Heisman, the Zoneman was born. During my 15 years, we were fortunate to have some outstanding winners of our award starting with former Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins linebacker Lawrence Timmons, former Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson and current Oakland Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, who caught the game winning TD pass in the 2016 National Championship game. The Zoneman tradition is still going strong in South Carolina, began its New Jersey chapter on the Jersey Shore and is now a statewide honor. We’re excited to continue this tradition in New Jersey high school football as we will present the most outstanding player in the state with our Third Annual Zoneman Trophy. Somerville quarterback Jalahn Dabney won the 2018 Zoneman Trophy for his outstanding senior season with the Pioneers. The Zoneman Balloting Our 2019 Zoneman was voted on by head coaches from every part of the state (WJFL, Shore Conference, Greater Middlesex Conference, Mid-State 38 and the SFC) as well as the JSZ staff and media representatives from around the state. Every ballot has a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place vote with three points awarded for 1st, two for 2nd and one point for 3rd. We are excited to announce the finalists for the 2019 Zoneman Trophy in alphabetical order: Meet the 2019 Zoneman Finalists Jalen Berger, Don Bosco Prep Jalen Berger has been one of New Jersey’s most prolific recruits throughout his four-year varsity career as the starting running back at North Jersey power Don Bosco Prep. Berger, named a 2020 All-American, delivered the goods in his senior season while accounting for 1,218 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns for the Ironmen. Berger remains uncommitted yet holds offers from college football’s best — Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, LSU and Michigan are among the schools recruiting him. The announcement will come on live TV during the All-American bowl on Jan. 4 from San Antonio, TX. Jada Byers, St. Joseph (Hamm.) There’s no other way to put it — Jada Byers is the most dynamic scoring threat to ever grace South Jersey. Byers, a Sacred Heart commit, was an electric runner with the football who scored a South Jersey record 102 touchdowns in three years of varsity play with the Wildcats. His mark of 644 career points ranks second in South Jersey history only behind Kevin Harvey. The highlights of Byers’ 2019 season was a 10-touchdown performance against Morris Catholic in the sectional semifinals. Fadil Diggs, Woodrow Wilson There might not be a better two-way player in the Garden State. The Woodrow Wilson star and future Texas A&M Aggie shined on both sides of the ball in a stellar 2019 season. He collected 95.5 tackles and 17.5 sacks on defense while also catching 65 passes for 1,031 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense. Woodrow Wilson head coach Preston Brown told JSZ Diggs is the best player in Camden’s history. Kyle Monangai, Don Bosco Prep Talk to anyone in North Jersey and they’ll tell you Don Bosco Prep doesn’t get back to it’s winning ways without Kyle Monangai on the field. After transferring to the Ramsey private school from Seton Hall Prep after his sophomore season, Monangai put up eye-popping numbers. He put up 2,903 scrimmage yards on 310 touches with 35 touchdowns in arguably the toughest conference in America. He holds 25-plus D-I offers yet remains uncommitted. Cody Simon, St. Peter’s Prep He’s the best player on the best team in New Jersey — does anything else need to be said? Simon’s boasts one of the most polished resume’s we’ve seen in years. He was a preseason for the 2019 Butkus Award, was one of five N.J. players named an All-American and is committed to play at Ohio State. Simon led the Marauders with 106 tackles, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions and four touchdowns on defense and special teams. Luke Wypler, St. Joe’s (Mont.) What does it take to be ranked the No. 1 center in the entire country? Watch the way Luke Wypler dominates on the gridiron. Wypler’s intelligence and intensity on the field is a major reason why St. Joe’s had the toughest offensive line in the state — that translated to a Non-Public Group 4 championship in 2018. Wypler, also named a 2020 All-American, is committed to play at Ohio State after a stellar career in Montvale.
Watch JSZ’s Top 10 Plays from MetLife and Rutgers
The 2019 high school football season is over and Jersey Sports Zone closed it out in style with highlights and post-game reaction from 13 games over two weekends at MetLife Stadium and Rutgers University. The JSZ team put together our Top 10 Plays captured by our cameras. Thanks to everyone who watch our videos and take one more look at an incredible display of New Jersey’s best on the biggest stages: JSZ’s Top 10 Plays from MetLife and Rutgers – NJSIAA Regional and State Championships #10: Ahmad Brown, Holy Spirit #9: Cody Simon, Saint Peter’s Prep #8: Vincent Pinto, Park Ridge #7: Colin Ramos, Don Bosco Prep #6: Matt Wesley/Mike Giunta, Shawnee #5: Tommy Moran/Elijah Lugo, Wayne Valley #4: Fatir Bell, Hillside #3: Malik Harvey, Woodrow Wilson #2: Demie Sumo, Willingboro #1: Quentin Lemon/Avery Powell, Saint Peter’s Prep
Watch Sunday 12.8 JSZ Championship Football Highlights
It’s the final day of the New Jersey high school football season and we’ve got four fantastic games to close out the 2019 season. The highlights are posted from a full day of action at Rutgers! Holy Spirit 38 St. Joe (Hamm.) 0 | Non-Public Group 2 Championship In a rematch of the 2018 Non-Public Group 2 final, the Spartans got their revenge and then some. Patrick Smith rushed for a pair of touchdowns, E’lijah Gray scored a TD, and Trevor Cohen connected with Elijah Steward for a touchdown on offense. Spirit blocked a punt for a touchdown on special teams. And perhaps most impressively, the Spartans defense shut down the Wildcats all night long. Spirit dedicated the win to former player, head coach, and assistant coach Bill Walsh, who died less than a month ago after a courageous battle with ALS. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from Rutgers: Hillside 25 Cedar Creek 3 | South-Central Group 2 Regional Championship Hillside has reached perfection! The Comets close out a stellar 2019 campaign with a signature performance to end the year with a 12-0 record. James Louis found the end zone twice in the win while Nahree Biggins and Co. led a suffocating defensive outing. JSZ’s Jay Cook has all the highlights and post-game reaction: Woodrow Wilson 12 Wall 7 | South-Central Group 3 Regional Championship After falling to Rumson-Fair Haven a year ago, Woodrow Wilson returned to the South/Central Group 3 Regional Championship and defeated Wall. The Tigers scored in the first quarter on a Malik Harvey touchdown, but Wall would take a 7-6 lead at halftime. Defense ruled the second half with both teams coming up with big stops on fourth down. Quarterback Devin Kargman’s one-yard keeper put Wilson ahead 12-7 in the fourth quarter. Despite the Knights moving the ball well with under two minutes remaining, Malik Harvey would end the game with a strip to hand Wall its only loss of the season. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Willingboro 50 Penns Grove 14 | South Group 1 Championship Au-Shaun Davis threw five first-half touchdown passes and the combination of Demie Sumo and Chris Long had three TD’s apiece as the Chimeras ended the 25-game win streak of Penns Grove and avenged last year’s Group Championship loss at MetLife Stadium. Long finished with 7 catches for 212 yards and 3 TD grabs making him the South Jersey single -season receiving yards leader. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights of the final high school football game of 2019 in the Garden State:
Watch Saturday 12.7 JSZ Championship Football Highlights
The final weekend of the season is underway at Rutgers. JSZ has complete coverage from a pair of regional championship games, plus a Non-Public title game. The highlights are posted from all three Saturday games! DePaul Catholic 27 Mater Dei Prep 25 | Non-Public Group 3 Championship Andrew Butler threw for 363 yards and 3 TD passes along with a TD run and the DePaul defense made a critical stop on a game-tying two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter to win their fifth state championship this decade. Mater Dei stormed back from a 20-6 halftime deficit with long TD’s from Clarence Lewis and Naran Buntin to rally in the second half, but the Seraphs could not punch in the game-tying two-point conversion attempt. DePaul WR Tedy Afful had 10 catches for 203 yards and a TD in the win. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Rutgers: Williamstown 30 Cherokee 14 | South-Central Group 5 Regional Championship The Braves took it to the Chiefs from the start, building a 23-0 lead at Rutgers. Sophomore Turner Inge turned in a monster performance, rushing for 141 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Dougie Brown and Brody Colbert also found the end zone for Williamstown in the win. Billy Osborn threw a pair of touchdown passes for Cherokee in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction: Shawnee 34 Hammonton 0 | South-Central Group 4 Regional Championship What a third quarter it was for Shawnee. The Renegades took a 14-0 lead into halftime but exploded after the break with two turnovers and three touchdowns to power a 34-0 rout of Hammonton. Matt Welsey chipped in four touchdowns in the win while Matt Papa (19 tackles, 1 INT) and Matt Suriano (35-yard fumble return TD) led a suffocating defensive effort. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and post-game reaction: JSZ’s coverage of all Shawnee athletics for the 2019-2020 athletic year is proudly brought to you by Cooper University Health Care.
Watch Saturday 11.30 JSZ Championship Football Highlights
There was plenty of hardware to hand out on Saturday with two regional championship games and a non-public sectional final at MetLife Stadium, plus another sectional final taking place in South Jersey. Check back throughout the night for all of the highlights and reaction! St. Peter’s Prep 21 Don Bosco Prep 14 | Non-Public Group 4 Championship St. Peter’s Prep’s magical season has ended in glory. The Marauders completed a heart-pounding fourth quarter comeback (for the fourth time this season) to capture the Non-Public Group 4 crown. Tahj Bullock was masterful late in the game, scoring on a touchdown run with five minutes to play. Jelani Mason took in the game-winning two-point conversion right away to give St. Peter’s a lead it would never squander. JSZ’s Jay Cook has all the highlights and post-game reaction from MetLife Stadium: JSZ’s coverage of the Non-Public Group 4 state championship at MetLife Stadium was made possible by QuickChek. Wayne Valley 21 Northern Highlands 17 | North Group 4 Championship In a meeting of two teams who each snapped title draughts of over 20 years, Wayne Valley defeated Northern Highlands 21-17 for the North Group 4 Regional Championship. The Indians trailing 17-0 in the second quarter scored 21 unanswered points to eventually take their first lead late in the fourth when quarterback Tommy Moran found Elijah Lugo on a 38 yard touchdown with 5:51 left. Moran finished with 180 yards passing, two throwing scores and completed 12 of 16 passes. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: JSZ’s coverage of the Regional Championships at MetLife Stadium was made possible by QuickChek. Park Ridge 28 Boonton 21 | North Group 1 Championship Vincent Pinto accounted for 379 yards of total offense and all four Owls touchdowns including the game-winning 36-yard TD pass to Justin Wagner with 1:38 remaining to give Park Ridge the North Group 1 trophy. Pinto had 201 yards on the ground and 179 yards in the air. Boonton rallied from 14-0 down and took a 21-14 lead on a Danny Portas 77-yard touchdown pass to Michael Kreitz early in the fourth quarter. But Pinto responded with a 63-yard TD run on a fake reverse to tie the game and the Owls QB engineered the game-winning drive that culminated in the pass to Wagner. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the full recap from East Rutherford: JSZ’s coverage of the Regional Championships at MetLife Stadium was made possible by QuickChek. Cedar Creek 31 Camden 23 | Central Group 2 Sectional Final The Pirates held off the Panthers down the stretch to capture the second sectional championship in program history. Louie Barrios rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the win. Purdue commit Malachi Melton scored on an 81-yard touchdown run, while Jamal Chapman returned a fumble for a TD to seal the victory. Jalin Brownlee threw three touchdown passes for The High in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from Egg Harbor City: Coverage of Camden is made possible by Cooper University Health Care.
Watch Friday 11.29 JSZ Football Regional Championship Highlights
The New Jersey regional championships kick off with six games over two days at MetLife Stadium. JSZ will bring you highlights and post-game reaction from every single game in East Rutherford and next weekend at Rutgers. The action gets started with three games on Friday. Ridgewood 41 Union 37 | North Group 5 Championship Ridgewood defeated Union 41-37 to hand the Farmers their only loss of the 2019 season. The Maroons, trailing for most of the game, didn’t take their first lead until the fourth quarter. Four lead changes later Reuben Pillai scored on a five-yard touchdown run with 28 seconds left to put Ridgewood ahead by four. Union, in a last chance effort, had its Hail Mary pass intercepted by Tommy Bourque, who pinned the ball against his helmet. Ridgewood dedicated the win to longtime head coach Chuck Johnson, who has been out since October with an illness. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Ramapo 38 Parsippany Hills 21 | North Group 3 Championship Ramapo’s football program has entered elite territory. The Raiders have won 26-straight games (dating back to Sept. 1, 2018) and along the way have captured two-consecutive regional championships. Ramapo is also the first team in state history to complete back-to-back perfect 13-0 seasons. Jake Tirone (193 yards, 3 TD’s) and Charles DePrima (266 yards, 2 TD’s) led the way in an electric win. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and post-game interviews: Verona 41 Lyndhurst 0 | North Group 2 Championship Frank Riggio ran for 155 yards and 4 scores on the ground to go along with a fifth TD on a 19-yard pass to lead the Hillbillies to a dominant effort and a perfect 12-0 record. Riggio topped the 2000 yard mark in his junior season and a total of 38 touchdowns. Verona’s defense produced five turnovers in the win. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights and post-game reaction: Thanks to QuickChek for supporting JSZ’s coverage of the football state playoffs
Watch 11.28 JSZ Thanksgiving Football Highlights
Happy Thanksgiving from the Jersey Sports Zone team! Our cameras were on hand for six rivalry games around the state. Enjoy the highlights! Easton (PA) 16 Phillipsburg 13 Nahjee Adams ran for two touchdowns including a 48-yard run in the third quarter to give the Red Rovers a fifth consecutive Thanksgiving win over their bitter rivals. It’s 113th time these two teams have met in one of the nation’s oldest and most storied Thanksgiving traditions. JSZ’s Kenneth Bradley was there to bring you the highlights from Lafayette: Jersey Sports Zone thanks the Garnet Booster Club for helping us bring you Stateliner highlights all year long! Vineland 27 Millville 26 In one of the country’s oldest rivalry games, the Fighting Clan rallied not once, but twice to stun the Thunderbolts. Nahzir Broome rushed for two touchdowns in the victory. Virginia Tech commit Tyreem Powell threw two touchdown passes, including a TD toss to Levi Manson with just over one minute left in the game. Pitt recruit Solomon DeShields finished with two touchdown catches in the loss. Shamore Collins also had a TD catch and an interception return for a touchdown for Millville. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from a thriller in Cumberland County: Middletown South 21 Middletown North 7 Middletown South’s offense was hungry on Thanksgiving Day as the Eagles’ offense gobbled up yards and first downs in the first half to take a 21-0 lead into the break. Senior Chris Lotito scored two touchdowns and had two interceptions on defense to lead the Eagles to their 31st win over Middletown North on Turkey Day. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Middletown: Red Bank Regional 21 Long Branch 8 Jack Chamberlain threw two touchdown passes in windy conditions and the Bucs scored 21 unanswered points to reach the seven-win mark for a second consecutive season. Makai Mickens had a 14-yard TD run to go along with TD catches by AJ Abarno and Gordon Ogden. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from the 97th edition of RBR and Long Branch: JSZ was able to bring you this great game thanks to two great partners. Thanks to Rosario Realty (Long Branch) and Ryser’s Landscape Supply (Red Bank Regional) for their support! Lenape 24 Shawnee 7 Lenape defeated rival Shawnee 24-7 to not only earn bragging rights, but to also win a share of the WJFL American Division title. The Indians took a 21-0 lead thanks to two touchdowns from Xavier Coleman. Shawnee, set to play in the upcoming Central-South Group 4 Regional Championship, did not play its starters in the fourth quarter. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Cooper University Health Care for sponsoring our Shawnee coverage. Holy Spirit 27 Atlantic City 0 The Spartans used a 21-point second quarter to topple the Vikings and win the Boyd-Marczyk Memorial Trophy for the second year in a row. Senior E’lijah Gray rushed for three touchdowns, including a 63-yard run to open the second quarter. Holy Spirit now prepares for the Non-Public Group 2 title game next week against rival St. Joseph (Hamm.) at Rutgers University. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Atlantic City:
Watch Wednesday 11.27 JSZ Football Highlights
Everyone loves a good appetizer! JSZ has a pair of Thanksgiving Eve games to hold you over until the main course on Thursday! Absegami 42 Oakcrest 14 The Braves jumped on the Falcons from the start, thanks to Jordan Marcucci’s 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the game. Sophomore QB Ray Weed had a night to remember, rushing for three touchdowns and throwing for two more. Weed’s TD tosses went to Marcucci and Jaden Stanley. Oakcrest QB Angel Casanova rushed for a touchdown and threw a TD pass to Sebastian Terrones in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from Galloway: Cherry Hill West 19 Cherry Hill East 7 For the seventh year in a row, “The Boot” is staying with the Lions. Joshua Jean-Baptiste sparked Cherry Hill West with a 50-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter, then followed that with a 70-yard receiving touchdown in the second. Hakim Melvin turned in a great all-around performance, intercepting a pass in the second quarter and icing the game with a touchdown catch in the fourth. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Cherry Hill:
Vote now for JSZ’s 2019 Football Plays of the Year!
As we get ready for the Regional Championships and the end of the high school football season, JSZ has gone deep in its archives to pick out the best plays captured by our cameras during the 2019 football season. We’ve got seven categories for you to vote on. The polls are open NOW through Wednesday night at 9:00 p.m. The winner of each category will get an invite to Jersey Sports Zone’s third annual football banquet on December 11 in Woodbridge. Thank you again to all the great athletes for giving us so many incredible plays to choose from. Watch all the videos below and cast your vote now! TD Run of the Year Take Our Poll TD Pass Play of the Year Take Our Poll Defensive TD of the Year Take Our Poll Special Teams TD of the Year Take Our Poll Sack of the Year Take Our Poll Clutch Play of the Year Take Our Poll Viewers Choice Play of the Year Take Our Poll JSZ’s Top Play Belt winners from the regular season are not in the Plays of the Year. Those winners will be invited to the banquet and be honored along with our Plays of the Year winners. JSZ 2019 Top Play Belt Winners Week 0: Sam Williams, Pingry Week 1: Thomas Amankwaa, Hillsborough Week 2: David Hicks, Red Bank Regional Week 3: Nate Summerville, Shawnee Week 4: Nasir Calhoun, Donovan Catholic Week 5: Nasir Abney, Holy Cross Week 6: Mike Cassanata, Wayne Hills Week 7: Jada Byers, St. Joe-Hammonton Week 8: Jake Cook, Mainland Week 9: Jimmy Pepe, Randolph Week 10: Lonnie Cebulski, Jackson Memorial
Watch Saturday 11.23 JSZ Playoff Football Highlights
Two more sectional championship trophies were up for grabs on Saturday, plus two more Non-Public semifinal games were held. Check back throughout the night for all of the action! Don Bosco Prep 10 St. Joe’s (Mont.) 8 | Non-Public Group 4 Semifinal Don Bosco Prep continues to raise eyebrows in North Jersey with their stellar defensive play. The Ironmen have now won five straight games, holding their opponents to 14 points or less in each of those contests. Arsheen Jiles’ 40-yard fumble return touchdown in the second quarter was Don Bosco’s only trip to the end zone. The Ironmen staved off a late two-point conversion inside two minutes to secure the win. Don Bosco Prep will face St. Peter’s Prep in the Non-Public Group 4 state final at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 7:05 p.m. JSZ’s Jay Cook has all the highlights and post-game reaction from Montvale: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all St. Joe’s (Mont.) athletics is proudly brought to you by Rothman Orthopaedics. Woodrow Wilson 54 Somerville 30 | Group 3 South Final Woodrow Wilson claimed its second consecutive South Group 3 Championship with a 54-30 win over Somerville. The Tigers broke open an eight point lead in the third quarter to go ahead 42-22 behind an impressive day from Temple University commit Muheem McCargo and Texas A&M commit Fadil Diggs. McCargo finished with 150 total yards and four touchdowns while Diggs had 127 yards receiving and two scores. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Penns Grove 30 Paulsboro 0 | Group 1 South Final The Red Devils dominated the Red Raiders to win their second straight South Jersey Group 1 championship. Kavon Lewis threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score in the win. Nasir “Hollywood” Robinson rushed for a TD, while Torvon Ransome and Jymir Gilliam each had a touchdown catch. Makhi Scott and the Penns Grove defense were equally impressive, shutting down the Paulsboro offense. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from Carneys Point: St. Joseph (Hamm.) 76 Morris Catholic 22 | Non-Public Group 2 Semifinal It was a historic day in Hammonton as Jada Byers scored ten total touchdowns and 520 yards of offense to break the single-game touchdown record in New Jersey and set a new career touchdowns record in South Jersey. Byers had 21 carries for 326 yards and eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 7 catches for 194 yards and two scores via the air. The Wildcats advance to the Non-Public Group 2 Final and will face Holy Spirit at Rutgers University on Sunday, December 8th at 4 p.m. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Hammonton:
Watch Friday 11.22 JSZ Playoff Football Highlights
It’s arguably the most exciting night of the 2019 season. Sectional champions crowned on the Public side. State semifinal action on the Non-Public side. JSZ has all of the thrilling highlights for you! Watch our teaser and then scroll down to watch eight games from around New Jersey. We’ll have four more big playoff games on Saturday right here on JSZ! St. Peter’s Prep 35 St. Augustine 28 | Non-Public Group 4 Semifinal It wasn’t pretty, but in the playoffs that certainly doesn’t matter. Despite completing seven out of 20 passes, St. Peter’s Prep QB Tahj Bullock showed once again why he very well may be the most clutch player in New Jersey high school football. Bullock threw for 253 yards and four touchdowns and also scored the game-winning touchdown with a one-yard keeper with four seconds left in regulation. The Marauders will face the winner of St. Joe’s (Mont.)/Don Bosco Prep in the state final. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Caven Point: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of the state playoffs is made possible by QuickChek! Mater Dei Prep 10 Red Bank Catholic 3 | Non-Public Group 3 Semifinal Malik Ingram’s 8-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was the only touchdown of the game as the Seraphs defense produced eight sacks to avenge last year’s state championship loss to the Caseys. Ingram finished with 137 yards on the ground and Dominick Guidice led the sack brigade with three. Mater Dei will face DePaul Catholic in the state finals. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Red Bank: Thanks to Jersey Shore Institute of Health & Wellness for supporting JSZ’s coverage of Red Bank Catholic all year long. Hammonton 28 Jackson Memorial 12 | Central Group 4 Final The Blue Devils knocked off the Jaguars to capture their first sectional championship since 2009. Jaiden Abrams rushed for a pair of touchdowns and caught a TD pass from Ryan Barts. Barts also connected with Hunter MacDuff for a score. Lonnie Cebulski threw two touchdown passes to Zack Novak for Jackson Memorial in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from Hammonton: Jackson Memorial coverage is brought to you by Louro Chiropractic Center. Northern Highlands 37 Woodbridge 7 | North 1 Group 4 Final For the first time in 41 years, the Northern Highlands football team won a sectional championship. The top-seeded Highlanders defeated second-seeded Woodbridge 37-7 behind a career-high game from running back Ethan Harris. Harris finished with 351 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 31 carries. Northern Highlands moves on to face Wayne Valley for the North Group 4 regional title. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Union 42 Clifton 28| North 2 Group 2 Championship Diante Wilson had 13 carries for 210 yards and 2 TD’s to lead the Farmers to their first sectional championship in 26 years. JSZ’s Kenneth Bradley has the highlights: Williamstown 14 Lenape 10 | South Group 5 Final The Braves needed a total team effort to erase a ten-point deficit and win its second consecutive South Group 5 sectional championship. Turner Inge scored the go-ahead touchdown with 42 seconds left in regulation. Michigan commit Aaron Lewis made huge plays down the stretch defensively in his final home game for Williamstown, including the game-ending sack and forced fumble. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights and reaction from Williamstown: Ramapo 28 Pascack Valley 23 | North 1 Group 3 Championship Jake Tirone had three touchdown runs including the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter to give the Green Raiders back to back sectional titles for the first time since 2001. Jake Williams had three TD’s in a losing effort for Pascack Valley. JSZ has the highlights and post-game reaction from Ramapo’s 25th straight victory: Wall 14 Rumson-Fair Haven 13 | Central Group 3 Championship Logan Peters threw two touchdown passes to Casey Larkin in the first half and the Wall defense was able to buckle down in the fourth quarter to get the Crimson Knights to 11-0 and a sectional championship. Larkin caught passes for 31 and 41 yards to give Wall a 14-0 lead at the half. Parick Crowley scored on a 1-yard TD run and Patrick Jamin made a 4-yard pass from Collin Coles but the extra point hit the upright to make it a one-point game. Wall will face the winner of Somerville and Woodrow Wilson in a Group 3 regional championship. Watch the highlights of a Shore Conference showdown:
Jackson Memorial QB earns final JSZ Top Play Belt of 2019
Jackson Memorial quarterback Lonnie Cebulski had an 18-yard TD run with :34 left in the fourth quarter to give the Jaguars a 27-21 win over Toms River East in the Central Jersey Group 4 state playoffs. Cebulski’s last-minute heroics gave the Jaguars signal-caller JSZ’s final Top Play Belt of 2019. Kenneth Bradley was at Jags practice and captured the presentation prior to practice. Jackson Memorial travels to Hammonton in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship on Friday night: Take Our Poll We want to thank everyone who voted for Game Balls and the JSZ Top Play Belt throughout the 2019 high school football season. We will have one more round of voting after this weekend’s state playoff games with the JSZ Football Plays of the Year. The winners from those categories will earn an invite to the 3rd annual JSZ Football Banquet on December 11 in Woodbridge
“17 Minutes for Micah”: A Jersey Sports Zone Exclusive
Wednesday night at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia provided two communities in South Jersey with a pair of themes — the sadness surrounding the loss of an innocent life to gun violence and the passions and drive to prosper through tough times. Six shots rang through the air during the third quarter of Friday night’s NJSIAA sectional playoff game between Camden and Pleasantville. Micah Tennant, 10-year-old bystander in the stands, was shot, leading the game to be suspended. The shooting sent shockwaves through South Jersey. Ultimately, the Philadelphia Eagles lent a helping hand and host the remaining 17 minutes of game play while giving the players a first-class experience. Tennant, who battled for days in a local hospital, succumbed to his wounds and passed away only hours before the game resumed Wednesday evening. Jersey Sports Zone presents “17 Minutes for Micah,” a long-form feature giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how players from Pleasantville and Camden — with aid from the Philadelphia Eagles — bonded together to persevere in a tragic time:
NFL’s Eagles Help Heal After Shooting
The Philadelphia Eagles opened Lincoln Financial Field on Wednesday for the resumption of the Camden-Pleasantville state playoff game following a shooting in the stands last Friday night that claimed the life of 10-year old Micah “Dew” Tennant. Jersey Sports Zone provides team coverage from all the activity in Philadelphia Camden 22 Pleasantville 0 | Central Jersey Group 2 Semifinal Dashaun Harris and Duce Chestnut scored on touchdown runs at the home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles to lead Camden to the Central Jersey Group 2 championship game. The game resumed in Philadelphia with 4:58 remaining in the third quarter and Camden leading 6-0. The Panthers were able to put together two scoring drives on Wednesday to earn a road trip to Cedar Creek in the title game on Saturday, November 30. The Philadelphia Eagles hosted the resumption of this playoff game. Head coach Doug Pederson led Eagles players including Carson Wentz, Zach Ertz, Brandon Graham, Malcolm Jenkins, and Jason Peters to meet with both teams. A moment of silence took place for Micah Tennant, the 10-year old who was shot last Friday night at the game and died earlier on Wednesday. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has a recap from the entire day in Philadelphia: Coming on Thursday to JSZ: “17 Minutes for Micah” Coming up on Thursday, Jersey Sports Zone will have an in-depth look at the day in Philadelphia for the Camden and Pleasantville football teams. We will take you inside the locker rooms of the Panthers and Greyhounds and we’ll have more on how the Eagles tried to help unite two proud communities from this tragedy. Here’s a sneak peek of what we’ll have in our extended feature:
Philadelphia Eagles to host conclusion of Camden-Pleasantville state playoff game
The NJSIAA has announced Camden and Pleasantville will resume their Central Group 2 playoff game on Wednesday, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The game is closed to the public, but a limited number of passes will be made available for players on both teams to distribute to their family members. The game was stopped suddenly due to gun violence on Friday night. The game will resume in the third quarter with Camden holding a 6-0 lead. Larry White, executive director, NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) issued the following update on plans for completing the approximately 17 remaining minutes of the scholastic football playoff game between Pleasantville H.S. and Camden H.S. This contest was halted on Friday (11/15) evening, following a shooting in Pleasantville, where the game was being held. “Following NJSIAA’s statement on Saturday related to the completion of the game on Wednesday, November 20, at a neutral site, we can now announce that the Philadelphia Eagles have offered to host the suspended Pleasantville H.S. / Camden H.S. football playoff game at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20, at Lincoln Financial Field. Each high school will be provided a defined number of free passes, specifically for distribution to players’ parents and family members; the game will be closed to the general public. Specific details on the game passes will be provided shortly to both schools. The game will also be streamed live and free-of-charge on NJ.com. “The NJSIAA would like to thank many of our member schools that offered their assistance, including the Black Horse Pike School District for its willingness to step in to host this game on such short notice and under difficult and unusual circumstances. “It’s extremely unfortunate that a senselessly violent act has impacted this game, and there will certainly be a wide range of emotions along both sidelines. However, thanks to the Eagles’ generosity and community spirit, Pleasantville and Camden student-athletes and their families will have an opportunity to write their own ending to this game. They’ll compete on a world-class stage, sending a clear message that violence will not win.”
Vote now for final JSZ Top Play Belt of 2019!
As we head towards the sectional championship games and the second edition of NJ’s bowl series, we have one more group of nominees for JSZ’s Top Play Belt. The polls are open now through Tuesday at 3:00 pm and we’ll hand out one more Top Play Belt at a mid-week practice. Thanks to everyone who has voted all year long and all of our Top Play Belt winners will be invited to JSZ’s Football Banquet coming up on December 11 in Woodbridge. Take Our Poll Last Week’s Top Play Winner – Jimmy Pepe of Randolph
Watch 11.16 JSZ Playoff Football Highlights
Playoff action continues with sectional semifinal games on the Public side, and quarterfinal games on the Non-Public side. We’ve got four more games of action. Watch our teaser then scroll below to watch all the highlights! St. Augustine 20 Seton Hall Prep 15 | Non-Public Group 4 Quarterfinal Is this the biggest win in St. Augustine football history? It just might be. The Hermits lead 14-0 late in the third quarter before Seton Hall Prep scored 15 unanswered points to take the lead with just over four minutes left in regulation. St. Augustine answered with the play of the day, an 80-yard touchdown from Austin Leyman to Carnell Davis for the win. The Hermits will face No. 1 seed St. Peter’s Prep in the semifinals next Friday. JSZ’ Jay Cook has all the highlights and post-game reaction from this thriller in West Orange: Jersey Sports Zone’s state playoff coverage is made possible by QuickChek. Mater Dei Prep 49 Pope John 14 | Non-Public Group 3 Quarterfinal Malik Ingram was dominant in his final home game with 20 carries for 302 yards and 4 touchdowns to give the Seraphs a rematch with Red Bank Catholic in the state semifinals next week. Last year, RBC topped Mater Dei Prep 14-10 at MetLife Stadium in the state finals. Mater Dei led 28-14 at the half before adding three more scores. Clarence Lewis, Kyree Drake and Isaiah Noguera had the other Seraphs touchdowns. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Middletown: Jersey Sports Zone’s state playoff coverage is made possible by QuickChek. Cedar Creek 50 Bernards 10 | Group 2 Central Semifinal The Pirates stormed out to a 28-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Louie Barrios rushed for a pair of touchdowns. Purdue commit Max Melton had an interception and a kickoff return for a score. Jamal Chapman found the end zone on a pick-six. Jojo Bermudez and Jeremy Taylor rushed for touchdowns as well. Creek advances to face either Camden or Pleasantville in the sectional final next weekend. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from Egg Harbor City: Woodrow Wilson 42 Holmdel 0 | Group 3 South Semifinal The Tigers turned in a dominant performance to punch its ticket to the Group 3 South Final. Devin Kargman was fantastic through the air, passing for 449 yards and 4 touchdowns. His top target on the day was Malik Harvey, who racked up 5 catches for 187 yards and 4 touchdowns. Woodrow Wilson looks to win its second-consecutive sectional title as they host Somerville next week. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Camden: Coverage of Holmdel is brought to you by the Law Office of Lawrence Luttrell.
Watch 11.15 JSZ Playoff Football Highlights
Our cameras were on hand for sectional semifinal action all across the state as the journey to MetLife and Rutgers continues! Watch our teaser and then scroll down to watch all of our coverage. Don Bosco Prep 24 Bergen Catholic 7 | Non-Public Group 4 Quarterfinal Don Bosco Prep has their revenge. After suffering through a four-game losing streak to Bergen Catholic — including a blowout loss to the Crusaders in last year’s semifinal round — the Ironmen are back even. Jalen Berger led N.J.’s hottest team past their long-time rivals with a trademark 82-yard touchdown run in the second half, while Jahmir Greene and Colin Ramos helped a dominant defensive effort. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Ramsey: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all Bergen Catholic athletics is brought to you by Rothman Orthopaedics. St. Peter’s Prep 43 Notre Dame 35 | Non-Public Group 4 Quarterfinal Notre Dame’s undefeated season came to a close when top seeded St. Peter’s Prep defeated the Irish (9) 43-35 to advance to the Non-Public Group 4 Semifinals. The Marauders struggled to find their footing in the fist half but were able to put up 23 unanswered points to take control. Quarterback Tahj Bullock threw three touchdown passes. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Notre Dame coverage. Ocean City 21 Long Branch 20 | Group 4 South Semifinal Ocean City QB Joe Repetti had a TD pass and two TD runs including the game-winner midway through the third quarter as the #7 seed moves to the South Jersey Group 4 championship game. Long Branch took a 20-14 lead late in the second quarter on Jermaine Corbett’s second touchdown of the game, but a late first-half interception knocked Green Wave QB Kyle Davidson out of the game with an arm injury. Long Branch was inside the 30-yard line in the final two minutes, but a fumble secured the win for Ocean City. The Raiders will face Shawnee in the title game. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Long Branch: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Long Branch is brought to you by Rosario Realty Shawnee 27 Millville 18 | Group 4 South Semifinal The Renegades found themselves in a battle against the fifth-seeded Thunderbolts. Shawnee built a 20-6 halftime lead but needed to weather a second half storm from Millville to advance to the Group 4 South Final. Matt Welsey led the way for the Renegades throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Shawnee now faces Ocean City for the Group 4 South title, where the Renegades will look to win its third-straight sectional crown. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Medford: Coverage of Shawnee is brought to you by Cooper University Health Care. Jackson Memorial 27 Toms River East 21 | Central Group 4 Semifinal Lonnie Cebulski’s 13-yard TD run in the final minute gave the Jaguars a comeback victory and a spot in the Central Jersey Group 4 championship game. Toms River East raced out to a 14-0 lead behind QB Mike Goodall who had 178 yards rushing and 2 TD’s, but the Jags rallied in the second half. A muffed punt with :52 seconds left gave the Jags the ball at the 13 and Cebulski scored on the first play after the turnover to seal the victory. Jackson Memorial will travel to top seed Hammonton in the title game. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from a fantastic ballgame: We were able to get all the highlights from this great game thanks to the support of Louro Chiropractic Center who sponsors our Jackson Memorial coverage Wayne Valley 7 Phillipsburg 0 | North 2 Group 4 Semifinal Tom Moran’s 1-yard TD run was the only score of the game to lead Wayne Valley to an upset of the number one seed. Wayne Valley will travel to Old Tappan for the North 2 Group 4 championship. JSZ’s Kenneth Bradley has the highlights: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of the Stateliners is made possible by the Garnet Booster Club Hillside 35 Haddonfield 0 | South Group 2 Semifinal Isn’t revenge sweet? Hillside sure thinks so. After losing to Haddonfield in the inaugural South Jersey Group 2 bowl championship last season, the Comets came out blazing to blowout the reigning champs. This win marked Hillside’s sixth shutout of the season. JSZ has the highlights from Haddonfield: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Haddonfield is brought to you by NJM Insurance.
Gun Violence Mars Camden-Pleasantville Playoff Game
It was a normal New Jersey high school football playoff game; until it wasn’t. Camden was leading Pleasantville 6-0 in the third quarter when at least six shots were fired in the stands behind the Greyhounds sideline. Fans, players, and coaches ran for cover. Referees dropped down onto the turf field. Police officers, security guards, and emergency personnel quickly rushed to the stands. At least two people, including a child, were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Saturday Update: Five people were arrested in connection with the shooting. A total of three people were shot. Here’s the latest update courtesy of NBC News The NJSIAA has announced that the Camden-Pleasantville game will resume on Wednesday at an undisclosed neutral location with no fans allowed to attend. Camden leads the state playoff game 6-0 in the third quarter Statement by Larry White, executive director, NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) pic.twitter.com/NfMiBLf8Un— NJSIAA (@NJSIAA) November 17, 2019
Jimmy Pepe of Randolph Wins Week 9 Top Play Belt!
Randolph’s Jimmy Pepe was a driving force in the Rams first round 42-28 upset against Montgomery. The Senior finished with 250 all purpose yards and 4 touchdowns. On the game’s opening possession Pepe scored on a 52 yard touchdown from quarterback Matt Kleiven. The fans have spoken and he is our Week 9 Top Play Belt Winner! JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez stopped by practice for another electric ceremony: Take Our Poll Thank you to Quick Chek for sponsoring all Jersey Sports Zone playoff coverage!
Wall Wallops Allentown in Atypical Sunday Playoff Game
It’s been an odd week surrounding three high school teams — Wall, Allentown and Robbinsville. Robbinsville and Allentown played a “play-in” game Wednesday night, with Allentown securing a 28-10 win advancing to play Wall in the Central Jersey Group 3 quarterfinal. Then, in the interest of time, the Crimson Knights and Redbirds had to play their quarterfinal game before the end of the week, so that took place, rather unusually, on Sunday afternoon. Wall, one of the state’s top public school programs, punished Allentown Sunday afternoon. The Crimson Knights forced six turnovers and Logan Peters led the offense with a four-touchdown performance. No. 1 seed Wall advances to play No. 5 seed Lacey next weekend. JSZ’s Kenneth Bradley has the highlights: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Allentown is made possible by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.
Vote now for a playoff edition of JSZ Top Plays!
The New Jersey high school football playoffs are here and Jersey Sports Zone got some big moments from the opening round. We have the Top Plays captured by our cameras (with some help of a viral video courtesy of Monroe High!). Watch the best of the best from Week 9 and cast your vote through Tuesday at 3:00 pm. The winner of our poll will win the JSZ Top Play Belt. Thanks to the athletes we cover for another batch of outstanding highlights! Take Our Poll Thanks to QuickChek for sponsoring JSZ’s coverage of the state playoffs. Don’t forget to head to QuickChek and use our Buy One Get One Free Ciabatta! Last Week’s Top Play Winner Thanks to everyone at Mainland who voted for Jake Cook to win the Top Play Belt along with his teammates Sean Bradley who earned a JSZ Game Ball:
Watch Saturday 11.9 JSZ Playoff Football Highlights
The opening round of the state playoffs concludes with Saturday action all around the state. JSZ has two fourth-quarter rallies, an upset by Notre Dame and a revenge win for Ocean City. Watch our teaser and then scroll down to watch all the action Westfield 27 Bridgewater-Raritan 23 | North 1 Group 5 The Blue Devils rallied from a 23-0 deficit late in the third quarter to put together 27 unanswered points and one of the great comebacks in NJ high school football playoff history. Hank Shapiro threw for 317 yards and 3 TD passes including the 29-yard TD pass to Griffin Rooney on the game-winner. Rooney and John Czarnecki both topped 100 yards receiving in the win. Westfield will take on top seed Ridgewood in the sectional semifinal. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from one of the most exciting games of 2019: Jersey Sports Zone brought you this incredible game thanks to the support of Princeton Orthopaedic Associates (Bridgewater-Raritan) and Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (Westfield). Notre Dame 34 Delbarton 31 | Non-Public Group 4 Notre Dame (9) captured its first playoff win since 2004 with a 34-31 victory over Delbarton (8). The Irish got a lift from running back Cortaz Williams who finished with 210 rushing yards, four touchdowns and an interception. ND advances to face St. Peter’s Prep (1) in the quarterfinals. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Notre Dame coverage. Special thanks to Tip of the Spear Football for sponsoring our Delbarton coverage. Irvington 22 Cranford 21 | North 1 Group 4 The Blue Knights rally for 14 fourth-quarter points capped off by a Taiyon Battle touchdown run with 2:16 left in the game to rally into the sectional semifinal. Connor Katz threw three first-half touchdown passes to give the Cougars a 21-8 halftime lead but Irvington got a 50-yard TD from AJ Henderson and Battle’s game-winner to earn a date with top seed Northern Highland in round two. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the comeback from Irvington: Thanks to Quick Chek for supporting JSZ’s high school football playoff coverage Ocean City 21 Mainland 14 | South Group 4 Just eight days after losing to the Mustangs 21-6, the Red Raiders exacted revenge against their rivals. Joe Repetti threw two touchdown passes to Jake Schneider and ran for a score to lead the way for Ocean City. Zack Graziotto threw two touchdown passes for Mainland in the loss. The Mustangs had the ball inside the Red Raiders ten yard line with under a minute left, but Chris Armstrong recovered a fumble to seal the win for OC. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction as Ocean City earned its first playoff win since 2001: Paramus Catholic 42 St. Joseph (Met.) 7 | Non-Public Group 4 Paramus Catholic might be the No. 10 seed in the Non-Public Group 4 bracket, but the Paladins sure didn’t play like it. Michael Hudson was thrust into the starting quarterback role Saturday and led the way with a four-touchdown performance in a blowout win against No. 7 seed St. Joseph. The Paladins will face No. 2 St. Joe’s (Mont.) next Saturday. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Metuchen: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of the state playoffs is proudly sponsored by QuickChek. Hillside 36 Cinnaminson 2 | South Group 2 Hillside has a habit of jumping up five scores on their opponent before halftime — it was the opposite on Saturday as the Comets exploded for 36 points in the second half to blowout Cinnaminson in the opening round of the state playoffs. JSZ’s Kenneth Bradley has the highlights from Hillside: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Cinnaminson is provided by NJM Insurance. Delran 29 Manasquan 14 | South Group 2 University of Michigan commit R.J. Moten’s 51-yard touchdown late in the first quarter was the spark fifth-seeded Delran used fly right past No. 4 seed Manasquan in the opening round of the state playoffs. Dustin Desher, Eren Ibas, Jake Bauman and Kenny Fletcher all contributed to a Bears attack that outgained Manasquan 334-157. Delran advances and will face top-seeded West Deptford next Friday. JSZ has the highlights from Manasquan: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of the state playoffs is made possible by QuickChek. Paulsboro 20 Glassboro 14 | South Group 1 The Red Raiders jumped out to an early 12-0 lead over the Bulldogs, but needed a stout defensive effort in the second half to preserve the win. Bhayshul Tuten scored twice for the Red Raiders to highlight a productive day on the ground. Paulsboro advances to the Group 1 South semifinals and will host 3-seed Gateway next Saturday. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Paulsboro: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of the state playoffs is proudly sponsored by QuickChek.
Watch Friday 11.8 JSZ Playoff Football Highlights
It’s playoff time in New Jersey! Our cameras were on hand for opening round quarterfinal action all across the state as the journey to MetLife and Rutgers begins. Watch our teaser to get you ready and then scroll down to watch all of our highlights and post-game reaction from around the state. Wayne Valley 13 Wayne Hills 6 | North 2 Group 4 One of New Jersey’s most tightly-contested cross-town rivalries again went down the wire, but this time there was much more on the line than local bragging rights. No. 5 seed Wayne Valley secured a win over No. 4 seed Wayne Hills for the first time since 2012. The Indians were powered by a lights-out defensive effort in the second half that shutout their rivals for the final 24 minutes of regulation. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Wayne: Thanks to QuickChek for supporting our coverage of the NJSIAA football playoffs! Seneca 27 Ocean Township 23 | Group 3 South Malin Jasinski engineered a 71-yard drive in 1:10 capped off by a 10-yard TD pass to George Thorp with :10 left to give the #6 seed an upset win over previously unbeaten Ocean. Jasinski threw a 47-yard bomb to Johnny Kennevan to set up the game-winning score. Ocean took a 23-21 lead in the fourth quarter on a field goal and got three TD’s from Trebor Pena. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights and post-game reaction from a thriller: Thanks to QuickChek for supporting our coverage of the NJSIAA football playoffs! Holmdel 22 Red Bank Regional 14 | Group 3 South Tom Ammirati had a TD pass and two TD runs and Myles Day blocked a field goal and came up with two interceptions as Holmdel beat their Shore Conference rival for a second time this season. Ammirati scored two straight touchdowns in the third quarter to help Holmdel open up a 22-7 lead. Jack Chamberlain had two touchdown passes in the loss for the Bucs. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights: Jersey Sports Zone brought you highlights from Holmdel and RBR thanks to the support of our partners. Thanks to Ryser’s Landscape Supply (RBR) and the Law Offices of Lawrence Luttrell (Holmdel) for their support! Timber Creek 27 Raritan 26 | Group 3 Central The third-seeded Chargers outlasted the sixth-seeded Rockets in a game that came right down to the wire. Raritan’s Steve Coponi scored on an 86-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to bring the Rockets within one. Timber Creek’s defense held on the two-point conversion attempt though, as Dior Boyd intercepted the pass in the end zone. Donovan Leary threw three TD passes in the win; two to Marcus James, and one to Maryland commit Tarheeb Still. Elijah Williams rushed for a score in the victory. Coponi rushed for three touchdowns for the Rockets in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from Gloucester Township: Timber Creek coverage is made possible by Cooper University Health Care. Rumson-Fair Haven 27 Delsea 6 | Group 3 Central John Volker had two first-half touchdown runs as the Bulldogs raced out to a 19-0 halftime lead on the way to an opening-round playoff victory. RFH will host Timber Creek in the Central Jersey Group 3 semifinal. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights: Thanks to NJM Insurance for supporting our coverage of Delsea all year long Randolph 42 Montgomery 28 | North 1 Group 4 Randolph (6) busted the North 1 Group 4 playoff bracket with a dominating 42-28 upset win over Montgomery (3) in the opening round. The Rams were led by running back Jimmy Pepe who racked up 250 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns including an 85-yard kickoff return. Quarterback Matt Kleiven threw for 158 yards, two touchdowns and also ran in a score. Randolph will face Woodbridge (2) in the semifinals. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Montgomery coverage. Jackson Memorial 20 Moorestown 0 | Group 4 Central Now this is how you use the big play! Jackson Memorial found the end zone three times Friday night with big plays that gained chunk yardage. The Jags defense had their best game of the season, holding Moorestown to a goose egg on the scoreboard. JSZ’s Kenneth Bradley has the highlights from Jackson: Coverage of Jackson Memorial is made possible by Louro Chiropractic Center. Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Moorestown is brought to you by NJM Insurance.
West Essex’s Tyler Logan Brings Home Final JSZ Game Ball of 2019
It all came down to Tyler Logan. On fourth down in the first overtime period, the West Essex kicker lined up from 36 yards out with the game on the line. Logan delivered in crunch time, helping his Knights win a conference championship in a nail-biting win over Newark West Side. Logan collected 9,632 votes (or 58.2 percent) and was awarded with the final North Jersey football game ball of the 2019 season with his heroic kick. Take Our Poll JSZ’s Jay Cook visited West Essex to award Logan:
Allentown knocks off unbeaten Robbinsville in playoff play-in
The NJSIAA playoffs are officially underway. The Central Jersey Group 3 bracket had a play-in game between Allentown and Robbinsville under the Wednesday Night Lights. JSZ has the highlights of the Redbirds victory to earn a spot in the quarterfinals. Allentown 24 Robbinsville 10 Ramsey Ben Flah had two TD runs and Dan Merkel threw a 46-yard TD pass to Sal D’Adamo to lead Allentown to a play-in victory against the previously unbeaten Ravens. Allentown had the #16 seed in power points in Group 3, but Robbinsville went a perfect 9-0 earning a bid into the bracket despite being outside the top 16. NJSIAA officials determined that Robbinsville would play Allentown in a play-in game. With the victory, the Redbirds now have to turn around and play top seed Wall on Sunday afternoon. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Allentown: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Robbinsville and Allentown is made possible by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates
Chris Moyer of St. Joe’s Metuchen Wins Final Central Jersey Game Ball
After beginning the year with a loss, St. Joseph (Metuchen) won its last eight games to end the regular season at (8-1). The Falcons are the seven seed heading into the Non-Public Group 4 playoffs. In their Week 8 clash against Rahway, the Falcons locked in to a tight battle and were able to pull out a 9-7 victory thanks to a 28-yard game-winning field goal from kicker Chris “No Miss” Moyer in the final 30 seconds. The fans have spoken and Chris is our final Central Jersey Game Ball winner of the football season! JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez stopped by practice for another unforgettable ceremony: Take Our Poll
Top Play Belt and a Game Ball; Mainland’s Cook & Bradley Earn Week 8 Awards
Mustangs fans came out in force on the JSZ Week 8 polls! Sean Bradley recorded four sacks in Mainland’s win over Ocean City. Bradley received nearly 4,000 votes to earn the NJM Insurance South Jersey JSZ Week 8 Game Ball. Jake Cook broke a tackle along the sideline en route to a dazzling touchdown catch against the Red Raiders. Cook received well over 18,000 votes to edge out Woodbridge’s Jahmir Brown for the JSZ Week 8 Top Play Belt. Check out the Mainland double presentation here: Take Our Poll South Jersey Game Balls are made possible by NJM Insurance. Take Our Poll
An incredible array of big moments vie for JSZ Week 8 Top Play Belt
Another fantastic week of high school football action in Jersey Sports Zone. The Week 8 Top Plays features last-second heroics and great individual efforts from all around the Garden State. Once again, we have the best plays captured by JSZ cameras in every part of the state. Watch them now and cast your vote! The polls are open now through Tuesday at 3:00 pm. The winner of our poll will receive the JSZ Top Play Belt and a visit from Jersey Sports Zone at a mid-week practice. Thanks again to all the great athletes who give us these great plays each and every week! Watch our ten nominees and then cast your vote below: Take Our Poll Last Week’s JSZ Top Play Belt Congratulations to the amazing Jada Byers of St. Joe-Hammonton for winning last week’s vote
Vote for the final JSZ Game Balls of the 2019 football season!
Just like that, the 2019 high school football regular season in New Jersey has come and gone. Jersey Sports Zone is highlighting another batch of stellar performances with game ball voting where players in every corner of the state are honored. The polls stay open through Tuesday at 2:00 pm. Thanks to everyone for voting! South Jersey Our South Jersey game ball poll includes players from the West Jersey Football League. Thanks to NJM Insurance for sponsoring our South Jersey Game Balls! Take Our Poll North Jersey Take Our Poll Central Jersey Take Our Poll
Watch Saturday 11.2 JSZ Football Highlights
That’s a wrap on the regular season! Week 8 finishes up with some terrific games, as teams jockey for playoff positioning. We’ve got nine outstanding games including two major upsets in North Jersey, a last second thriller at Montclair plus two South Jersey thrillers. Watch our Teaser then scroll down to watch all the action! St. Joe’s (Mont.) 24 St. Peter’s Prep 6 An uncharacteristic two-game losing skid for St. Joe’s quickly came to a halt underneath the lights Saturday night in Jersey City. The Green Knights silenced their doubters and got back to their brand of football to beat the state’s No. 1 ranked team in nearly flawless fashion. Star junior tailback Audric Estime found pay dirt twice while the St. Joe’s defense limited St. Peter’s Prep to only 171 yards of offense. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Jersey City: Sponsor Shoutout! JSZ’s coverage of all St. Joe’s (Mont.) athletics is proudly brought to you by Rothman Orthopaedics. DePaul 31 Bergen Catholic 28 There have been upsets all season long in the Super Football Conference, so why not close out the 2019 regular season with one of the most significant. After hovering around a .500 record for most of the season, DePaul delivered their best game of the year to defeat a Top-Three program in Bergen Catholic. DePaul QB Andrew Butler accounted for three total touchdowns in the win. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Oradell: Sponsor Shoutout! Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all Bergen Catholic athletics is proudly brought to you by Rothman Orthopaedics: Montclair 24 Irvington 21 Shawn Collins made a 16-yard TD catch over the middle with :04 left to give Montclair a dramatic three-point win. The Rutgers commit had two TD catches and a pair of quarterback sacks. Mike Robinson had three TD passes in the win. JSZ has the highlights and post-game reaction from one of the great finishes from 2019: North Brunswick 38 Westfield 21 North Brunswick capped off the regular season with an impressive 38-21 victory over Westfield. The Raiders were able to outscore Lehigh University commit Hank Shapiro thanks to a great day of rushing from running back Myles Bailey, who would finish with 140 yards and a touchdown. North Brunswick enters the playoffs on a seven-game win streak and should be a number one seed in Group 5. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to the office of Assemblyman Jon Bramnick for sponsoring our Westfield coverage. Penns Grove 27 Salem 21 The Red Devils held off a furious Rams comeback attempt to stay undefeated on the season at (9-0). Makhi Scott made a game-saving tackle near the goal line as time expired. Nasir Robinson led the way offensively for Penns Grove, scoring three touchdowns. Kaciir Street scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, as Salem rallied from a 27-6 deficit but came up just short. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from Carneys Point: St. Joseph (Hamm.) 22 Holy Spirit 19 The rematch of last year’s Non-Public Group 2 Final exceeded expectations as the Wildcats (8-1) engineered a fourth quarter comeback to beat the Spartans (4-4). Trailing 19-7, Jayden Shertel threw TD passes to Cohl Mercado and Amhad Ross on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter to give St. Joe a late 22-19 lead. Chase Lomax forced a fumble near the goal line with 40 seconds left to seal the victory. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights and reaction from Bill Bendig Memorial Football Field: Peddie 41 Blair Academy 7 Matt Sluka had 22 carries for 260 yards and three TD’s on the ground and added one more via the air. The Falcons completed a perfect (8-0) season for the first time since 1988 and captured the MAPL title. JSZ’s Kenneth Bradley has the highlights: Thanks to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for supporting JSZ’s coverage of Peddie all year long Mater Dei Prep 17 Manalapan 0 Clarence Lewis and Naran Buntin had long TD’s in the second half and the Mater Dei Prep defense was dominant to close out the regular season. Leading 3-0 at the half, the Seraphs Alex Brown threw a 67 yard bomb to Lewis to make it a 10-0 game at the end of three. Buntin closed out the scoring with a 60-yard run on a jet sweep. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the Shore Conference highlights: Red Bank Regional 42 Monmouth Regional 13 Makai Mickens returned from a knee injury to score two touchdowns and Jack Chamberlain had two TD runs and two TD passes to give RBR its 5th win of the season. Mickens was feared to miss his entire senior season when he suffered an injury in June but his rehab allowed him to get back on the field for the Bucs regular-season finale. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Tinton Falls: Thanks to Ryser’s Landscape Supply in Little Silver for supporting JSZ’s coverage of Red Bank Regional
Watch Friday 11.1 JSZ Football Highlights
The regular season comes to a close in Week 8, and of course, our cameras were on hand to capture all of the action. Watch our teaser below – it sets the table for our Friday night highlights and interviews then scroll down to watch all of our coverage! Lyndhurst 34 Park Ridge 12|2019 NJIC Championship What a day from Piotr Partyla. New Jersey’s leading rusher did not disappoint as he posted 316 rushing yards and 5 TD runs behind a dominant offensive line. Lyndhurst controlled Park Ridge for 48 minutes as the Golden Bears won their first NJIC conference championship. Partyla now leads the state with 1,665 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and reaction from Lyndhurst: Woodbridge 22 Bridgewater-Raritan 18 Anthony Santino fired a 43-yard TD pass to Jahmir Brown with 1:30 left to give Woodbridge a perfect 8-0 regular season. Ali Lee, Jr. had a pair of TD runs for the Barrons. JSZ”s Kenneth Bradley has the highlights and post-game reaction from a thrilling regular season finale: Hillsborough 21 Piscataway 6 In a matchup that featured two 6-2 teams, Hillsborough defeated reigning North Group 5 Bowl Game Champions Piscataway 21-6. Despite falling behind 6-0 on two field goals in the first quarter, the Raiders were able to take the lead following a rushing and passing touchdown from quarterback Tom Ramsey. Ramsey would also record an interception and sack as Hillsborough secures home-field advantage for the upcoming playoffs. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Hillsborough coverage. Mainland 21 Ocean City 6 In one of South Jersey’s fiercest rivalries, the Mustangs stayed undefeated with a win over the Red Raiders in the “Battle for the Bridge”. Mainland registered seven sacks in the game, including four from Sean Bradley. Jake Cook hauled in a pair of touchdown catches from Zack Graziotto. Freshman phenom Jabriel Mace rushed for a touchdown as well. Joe Repetti connected with Jake Schneider for Ocean City’s only score in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from Linwood: Willingboro 24 Camden 12 The Chimeras (8-1) break a four-game losing streak to the Panthers (6-2) to clinch a share of the West Jersey Football League Constitution Division. Both defenses dominated much of the first half, but Willingboro put together an impressive 12-play, 96-yard drive to take an 8-0 lead. Demie Sumo scored twice to help the Chimeras pull away in the second half. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Shaun Phillips Field: Coverage of Camden is brought to you by Cooper University Health Care. Jackson Memorial 22 Rumson-Fair Haven 14 Lonnie Cebulski threw three touchdown passes including two to Zack Novak to give the Jaguars a fifth consecutive win heading into the playoffs. Jackson Memorial had a 13-7 lead at the half and added a field goal and Novak’s second TD grab to extend the lead to 22-7 before RFH responded with an 81-yard kickoff return for a score. But Jackson Memorial’s defense was lights out the rest of the way. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the Shore Conference highlights: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Jackson Memorial is made possible by the Louro Chiropractic Center in Jackson Red Bank Catholic 42 Freehold Township 7 The Caseys spread the wealth on Senior Night with five first-half rushing touchdowns to close out the regular season with a 5-3 mark. RBC begins defense of its Non-Public Group 3 state championship after winning four of its last five games. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from the Shore Conference: Thanks to the Jersey Shore Institute of Health & Wellness for supporting JSZ’s coverage of Red Bank Catholic Holmdel 24 Freehold Boro 7 The Hornets busted open a 7-0 halftime lead with 17 points in the second half to reach 5-3 and lock down a home game in next week’s South Jersey Group 3 playoffs. Ian Flanagan booted a 30-yard field goal and Thomas Ammirati and Evan Jennings scored short TD runs in the second half. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Holmdel: Jersey Sports Zone brings you this game thanks to the support of the Law Office of Lawrence Luttrell (Holmdel) and Playa Bowls in the Freehold Raceway Mall (Freehold Boro)
Holmdel’s Evan Jennings wins JSZ Week 7 Central Jersey Game Ball
We got to the defensive side of the ball for this week’s JSZ Central Jersey Game Ball. Evan Jennings had both touchdowns in the Hornets 17-14 win over Raritan. Jennings had a 10-yard TD run and a 70-yard scoop and score as well as another fumble recovery. We paid a visit to Holmdel practice to give Evan his JSZ Game Ball: Take Our Poll Thanks to everyone who voted. This week’s we’ll have 10 more nominees from Central Jersey. The winner of our poll will get another JSZ Game Ball Thanks to the Law Offices of Lawrence Luttrell for supporting JSZ’s coverage of Holmdel all year long
Holy Spirit’s Trevor Cohen Wins JSZ Week 7 Game Ball
Trevor Cohen threw four touchdown passes to lead the way for Holy Spirit in Week 7. The Spartans sophomore helped Spirit beat Kingsway 47-27 in Absecon. Cohen edged out Hammonton’s Caleb Narty in a close vote, to earn the NJM Insurance South Jersey JSZ Week 7 Game Ball. Check out the presentation here: Take Our Poll South Jersey Game Balls are brought to you by NJM Insurance. Please submit nominations with statistics to MikeFrankel@jerseysportszone.com by Saturday evening.
Jada Byers of St. Joseph (Hamm.) Wins Week 7 JSZ Top Play Belt
Jada Byers has a reputation for making spectacular plays, and his pick-six against Timber Creek was jaw-dropping. The St. Joe (Hammonton) senior intercepted a pass in the end zone, then weaved 101 yards the other way for a touchdown. Byers received nearly 22,000 votes to earn the Week 7 JSZ Top Play Belt. Check out the play and the presentation here: Take Our Poll
JD Breslauer Brings Home JSZ Game Ball Honors
It was a career game for Parsippany Hills signal caller JD Breslauer. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 357 yards while tossing five touchdown passes in a 35-7 blowout of West Essex. Breslauer’s dominant effort from the pocket caught the eye of JSZ Game Ball voters, as he received 20,891 of the 47,141 votes (or 44.3 percent) to win the Week 7 North Jersey honor. Take Our Poll JSZ’s Jay Cook presented Breslauer with the Game Ball on Wednesday:
Catch Them If You Can: Week Seven’s Top Plays from JSZ
Another fantastic week of high school football action in Jersey Sports Zone. The Week 7 Top Plays features plenty of star power. Once again, we have the best plays captured by JSZ cameras in every part of the state. Watch them now and cast your vote! The polls are open now through Tuesday at 3:00 pm. The winner of our poll will receive the JSZ Top Play Belt and a visit from Jersey Sports Zone at a mid-week practice. Thanks again to all the great athletes who give us these great plays each and every week! Watch our ten nominees and then cast your vote below: Take Our Poll Last Week’s Top Play Winner Congratulations to Wayne Hills’ Mike Casasanta for winning the Week 6 Top Play Belt and thanks to everyone who voted!
The TD’s Keep Coming! More Stellar Performances Up for Week 7 Game Balls
Just like that, Week 7 of the 2019 high school football season in New Jersey has come and gone. Jersey Sports Zone is highlighting another batch of stellar performances with game ball voting where players in every corner of the state are honored. The polls stay open through Tuesday at 2:00 pm. Thanks to everyone for voting! South Jersey Our South Jersey game ball poll includes players from the West Jersey Football League. Thanks to NJM Insurance for sponsoring our South Jersey Game Balls! Take Our Poll North Jersey Take Our Poll Central Jersey Take Our Poll
Watch Saturday 10.26 JSZ Football Highlights
It’s official! Week Seven of the high school football season in New Jersey has come to a close and JSZ has all corners of the state represented in yet another thrilling weekend. We’ve got six more games of action. Watch our teaser then scroll down to watch all the highlights! Seton Hall Prep 28 St. Joe-Montvale 27 The Pirates executed a double pass on 4th and goal from the 6 that resulted in a Jack Larsen TD catch to give the Pirates a stunning upset over the #2 team in the state polls. Zander Zebrowsky threw for 190 yards and 2 TD’s, both to tight end Dominic Busby and Matt Colonatuono had a TD run and the pass to Larsen in the victory. St. Joe’s Audric Estime ran for 247 yards and 3 TD’s in the loss. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis takes us through the twists and turns from an NJ Game of the Year candidate: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of St. Joe-Montvale is made possible by Rothman Orthopaedics Peddie 35 Hun 32 Peddie remained undefeated on the year with an exciting 35-32 win over Hun thanks to a late fourth quarter interception from Justin Shorter. Quarterback Matt Sluka finished with 142 passing yards, 156 rushing yards and four touchdowns. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Hun and Peddie coverage. Hillside 53 Bound Brook 0 Hillside continues to prove they’re one of the top teams to beat in Group 2. The Comets closed their regular season out with arguably their most dominant performance of the year, powered by three first-half touchdowns from Fatir Bell. Hillside has outscored their opposition 325-28 through 2019. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Conant Park: St. Joe (Hamm.) 41 Timber Creek 16 Jada Byers turned in another monster performance, scoring four touchdowns to lead the Wildcats past the Chargers. Two of Byers’ scores came on defense, including a 101-yard interception return for a score. Jayden Shertel threw a touchdown pass to Tyrell Russell, with Ahmad Ross finding the end zone in the win for St. Joseph as well. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from Hammonton: Coverage of Timber Creek is made possible by Cooper University Health Care. Parsippany Hills 35 West Essex 7 JD Breslauer continues to light defenses up in his stellar senior season with the Vikings. Breslauer arguably had the best game of the 2019 campaign, tossing 357 yards and five touchdowns in the win. Parsippany Hills (6-2) matches their win total from last year in the victory. JSZ’s Kenneth Bradley has all the highlights: Cedar Creek 47 Delsea 12 It was a sensational Senior Day for Cedar Creek (6-2) as they dominated Delsea (2-5). Senior quarterback Louie Barrios racked up five touchdowns through the air to pace a Pirates offense that resembled a Man-O-War on Saturday afternoon. Senior Manny Reid and sophomore JoJo Bermudez reeled in two touchdowns apiece in the win. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Egg Harbor City: Coverage of Delsea is brought to you by NJM Insurance.
Watch Friday 10.25 JSZ Football Highlights
The penultimate week of the regular season features some great match-ups all over the state. We’ve got nine games of action from every part of New Jersey. Watch our teaser to get a taste of our coverage and then scroll down to watch all of our extended highlights and interviews! Westfield 20 Phillipsburg 14 (OT) Phillipsburg (7-0) had been steamrolling opponents in 2019 but met their match and more Friday night as Westfield (4-2) and its dynamic passing attack handed the Stateliners their first loss of 2019. Griffin Rooney hauled in the game-winning touchdown pass from Hank Shapiro to seal the win in this classic Mid-State 38 battle. JSZ’s Kenneth Bradley has the thrilling highlights and post-game reaction from Phillipsburg: Sponsor Shoutout! Jersey Sports Zone was able to be on hand for this heart-pounding game thanks to two loyal sponsors. Here’s to Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (Westfield) and the Garnet Booster Club (Phillipsburg) for sponsoring JSZ’s coverage tonight! Red Bank Catholic 27 Donovan Catholic 16 Anthony Borriello threw a 39-yard TD pass to Kevin Bauman and added a 30-yard TD run early in the 4th quarter as the Caseys score 20 straight points in the second half to hand the Griffins their first loss of the season. Elijah Jules had a pair of TD runs for Red Bank Catholic who improve to 4-3 on the season. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from one of Week 7’s marquee matchups: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of RBC is brought to you by the Jersey Shore Institute of Health & Wellness. JSI is the reason we can bring you Caseys highlights in all sports all year long! Union 51 Bridgewater-Raritan 35 Many wondered how two of the best programs in the Mid-State 38 would matchup in a late season meeting, but no one could have predicted the offensive performance that would take place in Bridgewater. A first half that saw no punts had Union leading the Panthers 31-28. In the third quarter the Farmers would get a stop that eventually led to 14 unanswered points and proved to be a deciding factor entering the fourth quarter. Union quarterback Andrew Sanborn finished with 265 passing yards and four touchdowns while Bridgewater-Raritan quarterback Alex Fromberg had 274 yards and four touchdowns as well. Union stays undefeated at 8-0 while the Panthers drop to 4-4. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Bridgewater-Raritan coverage. Williamstown 17 Shawnee 0 The Braves recorded their fifth shutout of the season with a win on the road against the Renegades. Dougie Brown ran for a touchdown to give Williamstown a 7-0 halftime lead, before Brendan Amico kicked a field goal to extend the lead to 10-0 in the third quarter. The Braves stopped Shawnee on a late fourth quarter drive, and then Chris Forman scored a touchdown to serve as an exclamation point. Williamstown stays undefeated at (8-0). JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from Medford: Coverage of Shawnee is sponsored by Cooper University Health Care. Bergen Catholic 50 Paramus Catholic 12 Bergen Catholic continues to roll. The Crusaders notched their most lopsided victory of 2019 Friday night on the heels of great defense and a suffocating rushing attack. Ryan Butler and Amar Gist each tallied a pair of touchdowns while AJ Longo, Tywone Malone and Javon Cruz anchored a relentless defensive effort. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Paramus: Sponsor Shoutout! Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all Bergen Catholic athletics is brought to you by Rothman Orthpaedics. Pleasantville 21 Buena 14 The Greyhounds (6-1) clinch a share of its first division/conference title in 42 years with come-from-behind win over the Chiefs (6-2). Down 14-7 at halftime, Pleasantville rallied in the third quarter to take the lead. Freshman quarterback Marlon Leslie connected with senior wideout Keon Henry on a 35-yard strike to spark the comeback. After a turnover on downs, Ernest Howard powered into the endzone his second touchdown of the night to give the Greyhounds the lead. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights and reaction from Buena: Ridgewood 27 Kennedy 0 After suffering a surprise 13-0 shutout to Clifton last week, Ridgewood rebounded in a big way with a shutout of their own over Kennedy. The Jack Wittmaack-led defense kept the Knights out of the redzone in the second half while captain Gabe Santiago finished the night off with a 16-yard TD run. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Ridgewood: Holmdel 17 Raritan 14 Evan Jennings had a 10-yard TD run and a 70-yard scoop and score and the Holmdel defense produced three critical turnovers on forced fumbles to get a big home win and snap a two-game skid. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from the Shore Conference: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Holmdel is made possible by the Law Offices of Lawrence Luttrell Mater Dei Prep 37 Middletown North 0 Alex Brown threw two TD passes and Naran Buntin had a TD run and TD catch to help Mater Dei Prep break a three-game losing streak. The Seraphs improve to 5-3 on the season while Middletown North is now 4-4. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights during the celebration of the 100th year of football in Middletown:
Matt Yascko of Edison takes home Central Jersey Week 6 Game Ball!
With a grueling schedule that featured three recent state championship winning programs, Edison (3-4) managed to snap a four game losing streak with an impressive 40-12 victory over South Plainfield. Quarterback Matt Yascko threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns against the Tigers. The fans have spoken and he is our Week 6 Central Jersey Game Ball Winner! JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez stopped by practice for another electric ceremony: Take Our Poll
Mike Casasanta Wins Week 6 Top Play Belt!
What a week it was for Wayne Hills’ Mike Casasanta. He rushed for 220 yards against Ramapo Friday night, the most for a Patriots’ player in a single game in program history. Casasanta also broke off a 67-yard touchdown run in the second half, and nearly over 13,000 voters picked his run as the Top Play of Week 6. Take Our Poll JSZ’s Jay Cook stopped by Wayne Hills to present Casasanta with his JSZ-themed Top Play belt:
Andrew Sanborn Takes Home North Game Ball Honors
After a 313-yard, three touchdown game against Hunterdon Central, the Jersey Sports Zone North Jersey Game Ball makes a trip to Andrew Sanborn of Union High School. Sanborn has been one of New Jersey’s top passers throughout 2019 and last Friday’s game was one of his best of the season. He collected 6,529 votes — or 45.7 percent — of the Week 6 votes. Take Our Poll JSZ’s Jay Cook made a stop to the Farmers this week:
The JSZ Top Play Belt is up for grabs again – vote for Week 6’s best!
Offense, Defense and Special Teams – we’ve got it all covered in JSZ’s Week 6 Top Plays. Once again, we have the best plays captured by JSZ cameras in every part of the state. Watch them now and cast your vote! The polls are open now through Tuesday at 3:00 pm. The winner of our poll will receive the JSZ Top Play Belt and a visit from Jersey Sports Zone at a mid-week practice. Thanks again to all the great athletes who give us these great plays each and every week! Watch our ten nominees and then cast your vote below: Take Our Poll Last Week’s Top Play Belt Winner Congratulations to Holy Cross’ Nasir Abney for taking the Week 5 Top Play Belt
Wild TD Totals Highlight Week 6 Game Ball Polls
Just like that, Week 5 of the 2019 high school football season in New Jersey has come and gone. Jersey Sports Zone is highlighting another batch of stellar performances with game ball voting where players in every corner of the state are honored. The polls stay open through Tuesday at 2:00 pm. Thanks to everyone for voting! South Jersey Our South Jersey game ball poll includes players from the West Jersey Football League. Thanks to NJM Insurance for sponsoring our South Jersey Game Balls! Take Our Poll North Jersey Take Our Poll Central Jersey Take Our Poll
Watch Saturday 10.19 JSZ Football Highlights
Week 6 wraps up with plenty of action all over the Garden State. Our highlights are posted – watch JSZ’s teaser and then scroll down to watch some big-time games along with post-game reaction Don Bosco Prep 35 St. Joe’s (Mont.) 14 Game of the year? Win of the year? You tell us. All-American Jalen Berger and fellow running back Kyle Monangai combined for 423 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in a truly dominant performance over New Jersey’s No. 1 team. Don Bosco’s defense only gave up a handful of chunk plays, limiting the St. Joe’s rushing attack. Berger and Monangai have staked their claim as the top backfield in New Jersey with arguably the best performance of 2019. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Montvale: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all St. Joe’s athletics is brought to you by Rothman Orthopaedics. Seton Hall Prep 16 Delbarton 14 Saturday’s battle between North Jersey Super Conference rivals Delbarton (4-2) and Seton Hall Prep (5-1) was an electric sight from start to finish. Delbarton got ahead early to take a 14-7 at halftime and when Seton Hall Prep finally scored again in the fourth quarter it seemed the Pirates’ luck had run out as Austin Kuterka missed the game-tying extra point. Following a blocked punt on the ensuing drive Kuterka who also missed two field goals earlier crushed a 20 yard attempt in the final seconds to send the Pirates home with a thrilling W. Running back Matt Colantuano finished with 140 yards rushing and two touchdowns. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the call: Thank you to Tip of the Spear Football for sponsoring our Delbarton coverage. Toms River North 43 Long Branch 39 Dominick Jacob had three TD passes including the game-winner with :13 left in the game as the Mariners clinch the Shore Conference American Division title in an epic shootout. The game featured four lead changes in the final 3:32. Kyle Davidson threw a pair of TD passes to Jayon Farrar to give the Green Wave the lead twice in the late stages, but TRN QB Jake Kazanowsky had a reply with a 50-yard strike to Ray Carlson and the game-winner to Jacob. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from a Shore Conference shootout! Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Long Branch is brought to you by Rosario Realty. Woodstown 27 Gloucester Catholic 6 The Wolverines pulled away from the Rams in the second quarter to secure their fourth win in a row. Abu Hall returned a punt for a touchdown and rushed for a score. Malik Parsons added a touchdown run, and Tyreek Husser threw a touchdown pass to Tony Aquilino. Brayden Foster rushed for a TD for Gloucester Catholic in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from Gloucester City: Coverage of Gloucester Catholic is brought to you by NJM Insurance. Penns Grove 36 Schalick 8 There were plenty of reasons for the Red Devils (7-0) to celebrate on homecoming this year. Penns Grove extended its winning streak to 20 games with a dominant victory over the Cougars (1-5), setting a new school record previously held by the 1968-69 Red Devils. Quarterback Kavon Lewis also broke the school record for career passing touchdowns (63) with a strike to Jymir Gilliam in the third quarter. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Jim Devonshire Field: Eastern 16 Trenton 6 Not a lot of offense to be had Saturday in the nation’s capital, but it was Eastern pulling through with a gutsy defensive performance to secure the Vikings’ third consecutive win. Senior tailback and defensive back Mike Suarez tallied a rushing touchdown along with two interceptions. JSZ’s Kenneth Bradley has the highlights from Trenton: Thanks to a pair of great sponsors, Jersey Sports Zone was able to be on hand and capture these WJFL highlights. Here’s a shoutout to Cooper University Health Care (Eastern) and Princeton Orthopaedic Associates (Trenton)! Manasquan 16 Holmdel 6 Cam Teza threw a pair of TD passes and the Manasquan defense produced two picks, two fumble recoveries and a safety on the way to their second win of the season. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the Shore Conference highlights: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Holmdel is made possible by the law offices of Lawrence Luttrell