By Jeff Moeller
MaxPreps.com
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Teaneck Proves Speed Can Be Deadly
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While Don Bosco Prep and St. Peter's Prep have dominated the headlines and discussions throughout the state, Teaneck has quietly staked its claim as one of the state's best.
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Teaneck exhibited and utilized its speed in a 33-20 victory over Morris Hills last weekend, and they will host Parsippany Hills this Saturday in the North Jersey Section 1 Group 4 semifinals. The winner of that game will earn a trip to Giants Stadium for the state finals during the first week of December.
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The Highwaymen scored four of the games first five touchdowns to take a commanding, 27-7, third-quarter lead. Morris Hills staged a late comeback to cut the deficit to 27-20, but they could get no closer.
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Teaneck fullback Tony White scored two touchdowns on the evening and All-State candidate Rashad White also had a pair of touchdowns on the ground. White had an impressive evening as he rushed for 227 yards on 36 carries.
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It's Gonna Be a Showdown
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Teaneck isn't the only team with a December date at Giants Stadium circled on its calendar. Don Bosco Prep and St. Peter's Prep continue to inch ever closer to their much-anticipated showdown for the Non-Public Group 4 title.
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Many believe it will be a showdown between Bosco's overall talent against St. Peter's explosive tandem of quarterback Will Hill and running back Rasheed Harris, considered to be among the top five players in the state. Any way the match up is analyzed, there are many similarities between the two teams, which met last year for the state title.
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St. Peter's took advantage of untimely Don Bosco turnovers in the second half to capture a 22-15 victory.
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Don Bosco (9-0) bullied its way to eight first-half touchdowns in a 70-23 thrashing of Camden Catholic. It marked the fifth time that Bosco has posted more than 40 and the second time they have posted more than 60 points in a contest this season.
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Quarterback Matt Simms, who has relied on his running in recent weeks, connected on 9 of 11 passes for 220 yards and five touchdowns, as the Ironmen opened a 56-14 lead at halftime. It was the second time in his career that he threw five touchdown passes in a game. Bosco accumulated 497 yards of total offense.
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Freshman running back Tony Jones, whose continues to impress each week, hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass and scored on a 52-yard scamper, his lone touches of the game.
Steve Proscia intercepted his sixth pass of the season and returned it 27 yards for his third defensive touchdown this season. Pierre Fils had 10 tackles and a pair of sacks. Matt Puglese, a 300-pound defensive tackle, had a three-yard touchdown run.
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Bosco's coaching staff wasn't overly thrilled with the prospect of playing the same opponent twice in a span of just six days, but the Thanksgiving Day clash with nearby Paramus Catholic will be for the league title. Bosco will tangle with them initially in the next round of the playoffs Friday night.
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St. Peter's (9-0) made amends previous defeats to Bergen Catholic with a resounding 63-14 victory. It marked the sixth time St. Peter's has posted more than 40 points, and the second time they have notched more than 60 in a contest this season.
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Junior quarterback Will Hill again showed his overall versatility as he rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, threw for 103 yards and two scores, and even caught a touchdown.
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Running back Shariff Harris rushed for 220 yards on 15 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns as St. Peter's marched out to a 49-0 halftime lead.
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Hill has caught 13 touchdown passes this season, and he is the lead on defense from his free safety position.
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"Given everything he can do, I'm convinced he's the best football player in New Jersey," charged St. Peter's head coach Rich Hansen. "Aside from his talent, Will's ability to improvise and create something on his own is unbelievable."
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Tucker Era Ends
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Pope John (9-1) uncharacteristically ended its season with a 49-28 loss to Delbarton in the Non Public Group 3 playoffs.
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Behind the running of all-state running back Jeremy Tucker, Pope John loomed as a favorite to capture a title. But Delbarton won the war in the trenches over an undersized Pope John squad, creating time for quarterback Jack McBride and holes for running back Terry White.
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McBride completed 10 of 17 passes fro 175 yards and three touchdowns, while White rambled 204 yards on 22 carries. The victory vaulted Delbarton (7-3) into the semifinals this weekend against third-seeded Holy Cross.
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Tucker, who has not yet declared his college choice, has narrowed the field to Temple, Syracuse and Boston College. He carried 27 times for 256 yards and scored three touchdowns, closing out his career as the state's third all-time leading rusher with 6,337 yards.
