The West Morris Mendham Minutemen will head out to face off against the Warren Hills Regional Blue Streaks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. West Morris Mendham will be strutting in after a win while Warren Hills Regional will be coming in after a defeat.
West Morris Mendham took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They blew past Dover, posting a 51-12 victory. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Minutemen's considerable advantage in MaxPreps' New Jersey football rankings (they are ranked 115th, while the Tigers are ranked 305th).
Thomas Guido was his usual excellent self, rushing for 133 yards and three touchdowns on only five carries. His longest rush was for an incredible 80 yards. Rocco Racioppi got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: West Morris Mendham was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 212 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Dover only rushed for 19.
West Morris Mendham didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Blake Kotarski and Racioppi. West Morris Mendham received some extra help from Kotarski, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Warren Hills Regional and West Morris Central were almost perfectly matched up on Friday, but Warren Hills Regional suffered a 28-27 loss. The Blue Streaks haven't had much luck with the Wolfpack recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
West Morris Mendham will have to contain Cohl Stevens as he made an impact in Warren Hills Regional's last game. He rushed for 148 yards and a pair of scores on only 15 carries, and also threw for 125 yards and one TD.
West Morris Mendham's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 2-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 34.2 points over those games. As for Warren Hills Regional, the defeat was their first on the road , dropping their record down to 2-2.
West Morris Mendham was able to grind out a solid win over Warren Hills Regional in their previous meeting back in September of 2024, winning 24-13. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Minutemen since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
