North Jersey - Colonial recap October 8, 2013
Fans got a thrill when Mike Dare and Brandon Ricketts connected against Rutherford. The connection was good for 74 yards, the longest such play in North Jersey - Colonial this season.
Garfield moved up to 247 from 302 in the state rankings this week, the biggest jump in the league. The Boilermakers climbed the ranks as a result of defeating Glen Rock 20-14.
Dare threw for 315 yards and 5 touchdowns. He went 16-20 with 0 interceptions.
Brandon Velez was the best receiver in the league this week as Elmwood Park defeated the Bulldogs. Velez tallied 8 receptions for 120 yards. Ricketts helped Elmwood Park's passing attack out by catching 4 balls for 115 yards.
Elmwood Park's offense has been unstoppable this season and the Crusaders feature the season leaders in passing, rushing and receiving yards. Dare has thrown for 1,177 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, while Velez has 25 catches for 491 yards.
The top two teams in North Jersey - Colonial will face off this week when first place Lodi takes on second place Elmwood Park. Last week, Lodi bested Hawthorne, while the Crusaders beat Rutherford.
Two of the top units in the league will face off this week when Elmwood Park takes on the Rams. Mike Farrington's team's offense has recorded 174 points this season, making them No. 1 in the league, while Lodi has permitted only 38 on the year.
Fans will be treated to a premier battle in the secondary when the Crusaders' Velez goes up against Pat Tirico's team's Jessey Asare.
Next week's game between Elmwood Park and the Rams will feature a good passing match up as Dare will test his arm against Asare's defensive ability.
There should be lots of points scored when Lodi and the Crusaders face off this week. The top two offenses in the league, the Rams comes in having scored 140 this season, while Elmwood Park has scored 174. Lodi scored 34 points last week as it topped the Bears.
Adding to the longest winning streak in the league this week, the Rams beat Hawthorne 34-0. This was the team's fourth consecutive win.
Story is based on stats entered in MaxPreps by Tuesday 5am PST each week.
