Football Game Preview: Paramus Catholic Paladins vs. Delbarton Green Wave

The Paramus Catholic Paladins are taking a road trip to take on the Delbarton Green Wave at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Paramus Catholic is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Jersey's top teams: Don Bosco Prep, who was ranked first at the time (Paramus Catholic was ranked 14th). The Paladins had to suffer through a 28-0 loss at the hands of the Ironmen. The matchup marked the first time this season in which the Paladins were not able to get on the board.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Delbarton, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 28-6 margin over DePaul Catholic on Saturday. The result was nothing new for the Green Wave, who have now won four contests by 21 points or more so far this season.

Paramus Catholic better keep an eye on Matthew Tafuri. He was instrumental in Delbarton's win, rushing for 174 yards and two scores on only 12 carries, while also picking up 51 receiving yards and one touchdown. Tafuri's longest rush was for an impressive 64 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Girard Yoo also deserves some recognition as he hauled in his first receiving touchdown of the season.

Delbarton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 204 rushing yards. They are 2-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.

Delbarton is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 4-4 record this season. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 22 points. As for Paramus Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 3-6.

Saturday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Paramus Catholic has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 165.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Delbarton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 164.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Paramus Catholic came up short against Delbarton when the teams last played back in November of 2024, falling 17-13. Can the Paladins avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.