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WEDNESDAY
North Brunswick (6-3) at South Brunswick (9-1), 5 p.m.: In a rivalry dating back to 1975, North Brunswick leads the all-time series 23-18-1, but has dropped the last seven meetings. The Raiders have already equaled their victory total of the past four seasons combined. North Brunswick had a six-game winning streak snapped with a heartbreaking 17-13 first-round Central Group V playoff loss to Freehold Township. The streak was the Raiders’ longest since 2010 and the postseason appearance was North Brunswick’s first since 2011. Quarterback Christian Petrillo (766 passing yards) and running back Myles Bailey (1,343 rushing yards) pace North Brunswick. South Brunswick will be without starting quarterback Felix Quinones (1,291 yards from scrimmage), who injured his throwing elbow in the Vikings’ 21-10 Central Group V semifinal win over Old Bridge. In Quinones’ absence, Penn State University commit Justin Shorter (500 receiving yards) scored on a 65-yard run out of the wildcat formation and on a 69-yard interception return. The Vikings, who have won seven straight, are not looking ahead to next week’s sectional final against undefeated Manalapan. Prediction: South Brunswick 21-14.
Dunellen (3-6) at Middlesex (9-1), 6 p.m.: In a rivalry dating back to 1959, Middlesex leads the all-time series 17-15 and has won three of the last four meetings. The Blue Jays are one of the most remarkable turnaround stories in the state this season, having already reversed last year’s 1-9 record. Middlesex advanced to the Central Group I championship game with an impressive 41-20 victory over top-seeded Burlington City. The Blue Jays have already amassed 2,994 rushing yards with their vaunted no-huddle triple-option offense. Dunellen counters with a single-wing out of which the Destroyers have been effective running the ball of late. In its last outing, Dunellen nearly upset reigning Blue Division champion South River, which was undefeated at the time, leading 38-35 at the half before falling 50-38. Middlesex will face Point Pleasant Beach for the sectional title next week. Prediction: Middlesex 23-12.
THURSDAY
Highland Park (0-9) at Metuchen (1-8), 10 a.m.: In a rivalry dating back to 1937, Highland Park leads the all-time series 61-20-1 and has won 10 of the last 14 meetings. The Owls, who forfeited their season-opener to Bishop Ahr because they did not have enough healthy players, have scored a moral victory of sorts simply by taking the field for the ninth time this year. Since snapping a five-game losing streak with an impressive 9-3 road victory over Keyport, Metuchen has dropped three straight but been impressive in two of those setbacks, including a heartbreaking 40-33 loss to Dunellen and a 31-22 defeat to Spotswood. Metuchen quarterback Will Hronich is the league’s fourth-leading passer with 1,013 yards. Jaden Rojas, a running back and defensive back, has been among the Bulldogs’ most impressive performers. Metuchen will honor its second Hall of Fame induction class during a halftime ceremony. Prediction: Metuchen 28-8.
Old Bridge (7-3) at East Brunswick (2-7), 10 a.m.: In a rivalry dating back to 1994, Old Bridge leads the all-time series 20-3 and has won the last six meetings. The Knights are playing for a Red Division championship. With a victory over East Brunswick, Old Bridge will end the season in a three-way tie atop the division with Piscataway and South Brunswick, meaning the conference will declare all three schools co-champions. Old Bridge endured a heartbreaking 21-10 Central Group V semifinal defeat to South Brunswick in which the Vikings rallied from a 10-7 third-quarter deficit. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak. After winning two of three games to position itself for a possible playoff berth, East Brunswick dropped its next three games by a total of 13 points including a 20-14 overtime loss to New Brunswick. Quarterback James Schuld has amassed 1,870 yards from scrimmage for the Bears. Prediction: Old Bridge 24-13.
South Plainfield (4-5) at North Plainfield (1-8), 10:30 a.m.: In a rivalry dating back to 1956, North Plainfield leads the series 27-15-1 and has won 13 of the last 14 meetings. Injury-riddled South Plainfield, which has been competing without three two-way starters, snapped a five-game losing skid with consecutive victories over J.F. Kennedy and Hamilton. North Plainfield notched its first victory with a 54-0 drubbing of winless Princeton in a NJSIAA regional crossover game. The offensive output marked the fourth time the Canucks scored 25 or more points in a game. South Plainfield relies heavily upon running back Zach DelVecchio, who has rushed for 956 yards and seven touchdowns. Prediction: South Plainfield 18-13.
Edison (2-7) at J.P. Stevens (3-6), 10:30 a.m.: In a rivalry dating back to 1956, J.P. Stevens leads the all-time series 25-21-4 but has dropped the last four meetings. The Hawks, who have already won more games this season than in the past two years combined, must be regarded among the league’s most improved teams. J.P. Stevens quarterback Joey Young has passed for 671 yards. Counterpart Dean Escobar, who missed more than two games with a broken hand, rebounded to pass for 863 yards and six touchdowns. His favorite target, Ahmed Aly, who missed the first month and a half of the season with a dislocated elbow, is the league’s ninth-leading receiver with 361 yards. Edison’s Donavan Benoit is an outstanding two-way player who is the team’s leading tackler (74) and rusher (511 yards). Prediction: Edison 21-20.
Franklin (3-6) at Piscataway (8-2), 10:30 a.m.: In a rivalry dating back to 1962, Piscataway leads the all-time series 28-21-3 and has won the last 10 meetings. The Chiefs are looking to rebound from a North 2 Group V semifinal loss to Bridgewater-Raritan. Running back Juwon Jackson entered that game having already cemented himself as the conference’s leading rusher with 1,619 yards on the ground. Franklin has already equaled its victory total of the past two years combined and the three wins it has thus far are the most for the Warriors since 2012. Prediction: Piscataway 27-13.
Carteret (4-5) at Perth Amboy (3-6), 11 a.m.: In a rivalry dating back to 1927, Perth Amboy leads the all-time series 46-42-2 but has dropped four of the last five meetings. The Panthers have dropped their last three including a 42-0 setback to undefeated Manalapan in the opening round of the Central Group V playoffs. The postseason appearance was the first in school history for Perth Amboy. Tyler Jack, who has amassed 803 yards from scrimmage, leads the Panthers. Carteret’s Zamar Brake enters the contest as the league’s third-leading passer with 1,479 yards. He would need to pass for 367 yards to overtake South River’s Michael DeSantis as the conference’s top passer. Brake passed for a career-high 278 yards in a Central Group III playoff loss to Monmouth Regional. Perth Amboy will host an Alumni breakfast for all former football players, cheerleaders and band members of Perth Amboy and Carteret high schools on Thanksgiving morning from 9 a.m. until the 11 a.m. kickoff of the annual holiday gridiron meeting between the Panthers and Ramblers at Albert G. Waters Stadium. A light breakfast will be served in the Perth Amboy High School cafeteria. Perth Amboy will also be honoring its senior student-athletes 30 minutes prior to kickoff and at halftime. For further information, contact Grace Cunha at Carteret (732-541-8960, Ext. 4059) or Nephtaly Cardona at Perth Amboy (732 376-6274). Prediction: Carteret 25-24.
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