By Steve Spiewak
MaxPreps.com
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Giants Stadium will play host to a triple-header of great magnitude Saturday, when six area high school teams square off in three intriguing battles at the 2006 High School Football Kickoff Classic.
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The opening game pits the Bergen Catholic Crusaders against the Phillipsburg High School Stateliners. Led by long time coach Fred Stengel, Bergen Catholic has a long history of excellence of the football field, and is no stranger to the spotlight.ÿ
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"We're used to closing the season there [Giants Stadium], but opening up there is something special," Stengel said.
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Once the subject of an MSG documentary, Bergen Catholic often finds itself nationally ranked, and has produced a long list of notable Division I-A standouts, including current USC linebacker Brian Cushing.
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In stark contrast, Phillipsburg, located near the border between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has quietly amassed one of the more successful programs in state history without the media hype that accompanies other of the states top programs.
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Coach Bob Stem's team will have to worry about stopping Bergen Catholic quarterback Bill Shaultz, who will try to connect with standout Jevonah Livingston.
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Phillipsburg, the defending Group IV state champs, led by running back Art Wright, will certainly test the Bergen Catholic defense as well. It should be a very competitive matchup between perhaps New Jersey's most famous team, and arguably its most underrated one.
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The second game features another prominent New Jersey football program, St. Joe's-Montvale taking on Poly Prep from Brooklyn, N.Y.ÿ
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Each of these teams has garnered national rankings in the recent past. While neither team enters this season with such lofty acclamations, don't expect to see anything less than a hard-nosed, well-coached showdown between two teams with great football legacies.
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St. Joe's will be playing without Doug Koplacz, a second team All-State selection on defense who is now at Penn State, as well as halfback Anthony Ferla, now at Temple. However, look for St. Joe's senior quarterback Rob Cervini to pace the Green Knights' air attack.
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Poly Prep certainly is so slouch either, and should challenge St. Joe's on both sides of the ball.
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The prime time match up includes the St. Peter's Prep Marauders, ranked No. 11 nationally by MaxPreps.com, and the Delbarton Green Wave.ÿ
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The talented Prep squad is led by senior linebacker Will Thompson and versatile junior Will Hill. The Marauders ended their season at Giants Stadium last December, capping off an upset of Don Bosco Prep to finish undefeated.
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Delbarton, who finished last season 11-1, boasts dangerous dual threat quarterback Jack McBride, returning for his senior season. The Prep secondary, led by Hill, will certainly be tested throughout the game.
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If Delbarton can control the tempo of the game, and keep the high-octane Prep offense off the field, look for a much closer game than many anticipate.ÿ
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Regardless of the outcome, the Prep-Delbarton game will cap off an exciting event that hopefully will become a New Jersey tradition.