By Jeff Moeller
MaxPreps.com
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Rematch Finally Arrives
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This weekend's Don Bosco Prep-St. Peter's clash for the Non-Public Group 1 championship will feature a number of intriguing storylines and showcase the state's two best quarterbacks.
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Possibly the biggest billed battle will the showdown between Don Bosco Prep and St. Peter's Prep in the Non-Public Group 1 Final Friday night at Giants Stadium.
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Both teams enter the Friday night contest at Giants Stadium with 11-0 records and a long list of blowouts in their wake. St. Peter's defeated Don Bosco, 22-15, in last year's championship.
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Don Bosco, seeking its third championship (2002, 2003) in the past five years, will look to ignite the running game behind fullback junior Guy Germinario and a posse of tailbacks highlighted by flashy freshman Tony Jones.
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Quarterback Matt Simms, who is headed to Louisville next fall, has orchestrated a balanced attack in recent weeks and has been very consistent down the stretch.
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The Ironmen's biggest task will be keeping the ball out of the hands of junior quarterback/wide receiver Will "The Thrill" Hill, who has put points on the board throwing touchdown passes, as well as catch them. He is also a dangerous return specialist.
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Hill's diversity was on full display in a 35-21 semifinal victory over Hoboken, throwing two touchdown passes, scoring on a 65-yard run, and taking a kickoff 99 yards for another score. It was their 23rd-straight victory and 61st in a row against Hudson County opponents.
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Hill has already received interest in inquries from USC, Notre Dame, Florida and Florida State. The 6-3 lefty could also be lured to nearby Rutgers, where his cousin, senior defensive end Al Ghaffar-Lane, played an integral part of the Scarlet Knights' success this season.
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"I've been talking to Coach (Greg) Schiano and I'm keeping them in mind," Hill said. "They've been doing real well and I think they'll keep this up, but I think I want to go out of state.
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"But we have to concentrate on Don Bosco. They will be coming at us hard, and both of us have been waiting for each other for a long time."
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Ironically, rain is in the forecast, winds should be swirling, and temperatures should hover around 50 degrees, a similar backdrop to last year's championship.
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Girardi's Stock Peeks Again
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Parsippany Hills quarterback Mike Girardi will be back among familiar surroundings as he will lead his Vikings into a rematch against Wayne Hills in the North 1 Group III rematch Saturday at Rutgers Stadium.
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Girardi's stock rose in the 2005 season when he lead his squad to a 10-2 record and a 46-0 pasting over Wayne Hills in the final. This season, his play continues to pay dividends for the program.
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With a brilliant four-touchdown performance against Teaneck in a 38-20 semifinal victory, the senior field general has completed 147 of 252 passes (58 percent) for 2,191 yards and 32 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. He completed 16 of 27 passes for 163 yards to five different receivers in the Teaneck victory.
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Girardi has an upcoming visit to the University of Connecticut and is also reportedly considering the University of Pittsburgh and Western Michigan University.
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Perry Seeks Moral and Overall Victories
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Weequahic quarterback Jamaal Perry doesn't have the overwhelming statistics of some of his counterparts, but the senior signal caller can lead his club to its North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 title with a victory over Raritan Sunday at Rutgers University. It could be a well-earned trek.
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Perry, who has passed for eight touchdown passes and ran for five others, has directed his club (10-1) to 10-straight victories. He began his career as a freshman starter, a year in which his club went 1-9. He then helped his club to records of 7-4 and 7-3 over the previous two seasons, a time when he developed into an effective safety as well.
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Perry expects to continue to play football for at least the next four years. He plans to attend a junior college in Pennsylvania, and hopes his play can land him at a four-year school.