Football Game Preview: J.P. Stevens Hawks vs. Metuchen Bulldogs

J.P. Stevens hasn't had much luck against Metuchen recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Hawks will head out on the road to face off against the Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. J.P. Stevens has given up an average of 43 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

J.P. Stevens is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Manville on Saturday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Hawks were beaten by the Mustangs 41-12. The Hawks were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 41-6.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Metuchen). They were the clear victors by a 36-13 margin over Highland Park on Friday. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Bulldogs considering their seven-point performance the game before.

Metuchen's win came from a few key players J.P. Stevens will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Cameron Hayes-Durina, who threw for 342 yards and three TDs while completing 77.8% of his passes, and also rushed for 50 yards. Those 342 passing yards gave him a new career-high. Metuchen's leading receiver Justus Leitner was Hayes-Durina's top target yet again, picking up 183 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Metuchen's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB 3.5 times. Eli Major refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself.

Metuchen moved to 2-4 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak. As for J.P. Stevens, their loss dropped their record down to 0-6.

J.P. Stevens was dealt a bruising 40-6 defeat at the hands of Metuchen in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Can the Hawks avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.