FRIDAY
Central Group V
No. 6 Edison (6-2) at No. 3 South Brunswick (5-4), 7 p.m.: Defending sectional champion South Brunswick is coming off a heartbreaking 34-28 loss to Sayreville, which cost the Vikings the top seed in the section. For the last seven years, South Brunswick has been among the state’s most consistent programs, reaching the sectional semifinals each season while going 3-1 in sectional title games. Edison and South Brunswick have met 13 times over the past 15 years with the Vikings winning every game. South Brunswick has won the last seven meetings by a 25.3-point average margin. The triple option has posed a challenge for Edison over the years. The Vikings have a stable of gifted running backs. Temple University commit Thomas Joe-Kamara leads the pack with 634 rushing yards. Katibu Martin (292 yards), Majid Howard-Baker (209 yards) and Dejhon Thomas (234 yards) provide balance in the backfield. Quarterback Gabe Katzenall-Hall has excellent command of the offense and remains a threat to throw. He has completed 35 of 86 passes for 651 yards. South Brunswick’s schedule has prepared it well for the postseason. The Vikings have a win over defending South Group V champion Lenape on their resume. They’ve also scored more points (21) on undefeated Piscataway than the Chiefs have allowed (12) in their seven other games combined. South Brunswick’s other losses are to Union, which USA TODADY NETWORK New Jersey ranked among the Top 20 in the state at the time, and St. Joseph of Metuchen. Edison’s losses are by a combined six points to Sayreville (13-12) and North Brunswick (26-21), which have a combined 15-2 record. Edison has tied the record for single-season victories under 14th-year head coach Matt Fulham and has a chance to win at least eight games for the first time since 2000. Edison has limited each of its last five opponents to 14 points or less. The Eagles are balanced offensively. Quarterback Lucas Loffredo has completed 38 of 78 passes for 603 yards with nine touchdowns and just two interceptions. Edison has used a stable of backs to amass 1,362 rushing yards. Armani Bell (381 yards) and Tylor Montford (312 yards) pace the ground game. Orion Gilliam leads Edison’s receivers with 305 yards. Kamille Pryor has 134 receiving yards and Noah Stansbury has 154 receiving yards. Edison’s veteran offensive line and the Eagles’ ability to create turnovers (nine interceptions – including six from Stansbury – and eight fumble recoveries) have been integral to the team’s success. Edison 21-20.
No. 8 Hillsborough (4-4) at No. 1 Sayreville (7-1), 7 p.m.: The Bombers clinched the top seed in the section with a thrilling 34-28 comeback victory over defending sectional champion South Brunswick last week. Quarterback Mark Whitford has completed 88 of 158 passes for 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has countless playmakers at his disposal including Jacari Carter, who paces the team with 726 all-purpose yards. Sayreville has rushed for 1,915 yards with Zuriel Wright leading the way with 601 yards on the ground. Sayreville’s only loss is to undefeated Piscataway, which returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a deceptive 27-6 victory. Hillsborough opened the year with a 27-25 comeback win over Colonia on a field goal in the game’s closing seconds. The Raiders snapped a four-game losing streak with a 41-7 drubbing of Watching Hills last weekend. Hillsborough’s schedule includes losses to state-ranked Ridge and Phillipsburg, as well as losses to highly regarded Hunterdon Central and Linden, which was ranked in the state earlier this year. Running back Sean Levonaitis leads the Raiders with 970 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Sayreville 28-21.
No. 7 Trenton (4-4) at No. 2 North Brunswick (8-1), 7 p.m.: The Raiders are enjoying one of their finest seasons in school history. North Brunswick has won seven in a row since dropping a 34-14 decision to Sayreville, which USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey ranks No. 10 in the state. Dual-threat quarterback Christian Petrillo has emerged as one of the GMC’s finest. Running back Myles Bailey, a junior who holds offers from Boston College, Syracuse and Minnesota, is on pace to break multiple school records. Linebacker Chris Arnold anchors a stellar defense that has limited five opponents to a touchdown or less. Trenton is fast and physical. The Tornadoes and Notre Dame shared the West Jersey Football League’s Capitol Division championship. North Brunswick 27-12.
North 2 Group III
No. 7 South Plainfield (4-4) at No. 2 West Essex (8-0), 7 p.m.: The Tigers earned their way into the playoffs with a 34-0 blanking of Carteret last weekend. South Plainfield had been shut out offensively in its previous two games. Ashwin DeGroot has 931 all-purpose yards for the Tigers. He and Zach DelVecchio have combined for 1,234 yards on the ground. TJ Massaro (77 tackles), Luke Niemeyer (58 tackles) and Brenden Hedden (51 tackles) anchor South Plainfield’s defense. South Plainfield’s schedule, which featured four playoff qualifiers including highly regarded Linden and St. Joseph of Metuchen, has prepared it well for the postseason. West Essex, ranked No. 15 in USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey’s statewide Top 20 poll, has limited five opponents to a touchdown or less and has never scored fewer than 34 points against any opponent this season. The Knights have multiple weapons with big-play ability who can score from anywhere on the field. Tailback Will Perez (698 rushing yards, 9 TDs) and quarterback Zach Lemanski (907 passing yards, 9 TDs) give West Essex offensive balance. Predominantly a running team, the Knights have amassed 2,146 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground. The defense, which Dorian Gashi (74 tackles) and Vince Panzarino (61 tackles), anchor, has recorded 31 sacks, 13 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries. West Essex 28-14.
Central Group I
No. 5 Middlesex (5-3) at No. 4 Florence (5-3), 7 p.m.: The defending sectional champion Blue Jays ride a five-game winning streak into the playoffs, during which they have scored 42 or more points against each opponent. Middlesex is a vastly improved team from the one that opened the year with three consecutive losses to playoff qualifiers with a combined 21-3 record including undefeated New Providence and unbeaten Hillside. Quarterback Cary Hamrah has a firm grasp of the triple-option out of which fullback Jose Andujar (more than 700 rushing yards) remains the key. Michael Schweyher had a hand in five touchdowns during last weekend’s 47-26 victory over Metuchen. Josh Irvin, a transfer from Immaculata, has made a tremendous impact on both sides of the ball since becoming eligible in the middle of the season. Making its 29th postseason appearance, Florence has a rich playoff history which includes six sectional championships. Florence clinched the West Jersey Football League Freedom Division title and secured home field for the first round of the playoffs with a 28-13 win over New Egypt last weekend. Veteran head coach Joe Frappolli, who has won 307 games, leads the Flashes. Florence features a veteran offensive line to protect quarterback Noah Jackson, a transfer from Bordentown. Running back Davien Vernon has impressed in recent weeks. Florence has a deep and balanced offensive backfield. Should the game come down to a field goal, Florence’s Daniel Jantos, a converted soccer player, has been a reliable kicker. Florence 17-15.
Non-Public Group III
Bishop Ahr (4-5) at DePaul (6-3), 7 p.m.: After winning four of its first six games, injuries and attrition have taken their toll on Bishop Ahr, which rides a three-game losing streak into the postseason. Ranked No. 20 in the state, DePaul has lost two in a row including setbacks to nationally ranked Bergen Catholic and state-ranked Don Bosco. A member of the North Jersey Super Conference’s United White Division, DePaul plays on a different level than the GMC’s Gold Division teams. DePaul 28-6.
SATURDAY
North 2 Group V
No. 8 Bridgewater-Raritan (2-6) at No. 1 Piscataway (8-0), 3 p.m.: The game is a rematch of a regular-season contest the Chiefs won 47-0 against a Bridgewater-Raritan team that was missing 12 starters due to injury. The Panthers have since healed and earned their way into the postseason with a stunning 21-19 upset of Union, which knocked the Farmers out of the statewide Top 20 rankings. Bridgewater-Raritan remains without star running back Anthony Goffe, who has a hairline fracture of his ankle. In his stead, Brett MacMath rushed for a career-high 223 yards and three touchdowns last weekend, during which the offensive line turned in its finest performance of the season. Juwon Jackson leads the Chiefs with 1,211 yards and 21 touchdowns rushing. Joseph Hatcher has completed 87 of 812 passes for 812 yards and 10 touchdowns. Lord Jones is Piscataway’s leading receiver with eight catches for 212 yards. Piscataway has recorded 18 sacks, 11 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. The Chiefs have converted 19 of 23 red-zone scoring chances. Their average starting field position is the Piscataway 44 yard line. Piscataway has outscored opponents 223 to 14 in the first half this season. The defense has pitched five shutouts and held seven opponents to a touchdown or less. Piscataway 27-13.
Central Group II
No. 8 South River (5-3) at No. 1 Hillside, 2 p.m.: Defending sectional champion Hillside posted a 40-13 victory in a regular-season meeting between the schools earlier this year. Since then, the Rams have reeled off back-to-back wins over Metuchen and Bishop Ahr, outscoring both opponents by a combined 95-0 margin. Hillside handed South River a 28-7 loss in the first round of the playoffs a year ago. The Comets have won 12 straight dating back to last season. South River has been more balanced offensively this year, but the Rams still rely heavily upon quarterback Michael DeSantis, a dual threat who has completed 67 of 124 passes for 1,047 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hillside 30-18.
North 2 Group IV
No. 7 Colonia (6-3) at No. 2 Randolph, 7 p.m.: Colonia rides a three-game winning streak into the playoffs. University of Alabama commit Antonio Alfano, who set the school single-season record for sacks after recording six in last weekend’s win over Woodbridge, anchors the defense. Colonia is balanced offensively with dual-threat quarterback Eric Hamilton having amassed 634 yards through the air and 374 yards on the ground. Justice Harris eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark last week. He and backfield mate Matt Croteau have combined to score 25 touchdowns. Randolph had its eight-game winning streak snapped in a 42-0 loss to undefeated Ramapo, which USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey ranks third in the state. The Rams have transitioned from a power running team to spread the field on offense. Quarterback Anthony Sofia has passed for more than 1,400 yards and rushed for more than 500 yards. His favorite target is Ryan McDermott, who has been on the receiving end of 11 touchdown passes. Matt Kuntz is the feature back on offense with 455 yards on the ground. Randolph 28-26.
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