By: Stephen SpiewakMaxPreps.comNew Jersey End of Season Stat LeaderboardsNew Jersey Videos on MaxPrepsTVNew Jersey Action PhotosNorth Jersey 1, Group 1: Mountain Lakes 35,
Glen Rock 21
Legendary head coach Doug Wilkins notched another bullet point for his resume, completing a 12-0 season and capturing another state title. It was an utterly dominant season for the Lakers, who outscored their opposition by a total of nearly 400 points.
North Jersey 1, Group 2: Jefferson 21,
West Essex 6
Coach Mattessich’s squad was able to hand West Essex its first loss all season thanks in large part to senior Kevin Murphy.
Murphy rushed for three touchdowns, and finished the season with over 1,200 yards.
North Jersey 1, Group 3: Wayne Hills 35,
Lakeland 6
Want to hear the best kept secret in the country?
Wayne Hills has the nation’s second longest winning streak.
With South Panola and Maryville both losing recently, Wayne Hills moves up the charts, thanks to a convincing win over Lakeland. Chris Olsen’s squad has won 52 games in a row.
North Jersey 1, Group 4: Livingston 28,
Hackensack 8
The city of Livingston celebrated on Saturday, as the hometown Lancers capped off a magical season with a 28-8 victory over traditional powerhouse Hackensack.
Matt Marinello has
full coverage of the Lancers’ big win.
North Jersey 2, Group 1: Verona 13,
Hoboken 12
In a battle between teams with playoff history, Verona edged Hoboken in a nail biter.
The Essex County school rallied from an early 12-0 deficit, and held on for a hard-fought, one point victory. The Hillbillies finished 11-1 on the year, and received major contributions all year long from star Carlo Calabrese.
North Jersey 2, Group 2: Caldwell 22,
Governor Livingston 7
Two excellent coaches did battle, in Caldwell’s Ken Trimmer, and Governor Livingston’s Terry Hanratty, but it was Trimmer who got the better hand in this battle of Essex County schools.
The win completed a magnificent turnaround for Caldwell, who started the season 3-4, and barely qualified for the playoffs. The victory was the team’s fifth straight win, as the Chiefs finished with an 8-4 record.
North Jersey 2, Group 3: Phillipsburg 20,
Rahway 6
After a disappointing loss to Thanksgiving rival Easton (Pa.), the Stateliners held off a talented Rahway team 20-6.
Phillipsburg featured a balanced rushing attack, highlighted by touchdowns from Nick Codis and Derek Brosseau. On defense, they were able to contain Rahway’s dangerous pair of brothers, Troy and Roy Eastmon, and skilled rusher Giovanni Smith.
North Jersey 2, Group 4: Piscataway 38,
Hunterdon Central 0
Putting a stamp on another fine season, Piscataway avenged a disappointing defeat in last year’s state finals by blasting Hunterdon Central 38-0.
Running back Steven Miller and quarterback Malcolm Briggs had big days on offense for the Chiefs, while as a whole, the team’s defense was absolutely punishing.
Central Jersey, Group 1: Asbury Park 42,
Metuchen 24
In just his second season at Asbury Park, head coach Don Sofilkanich has led the Bishops to a state with an impressive defeat of Metuchen.
The cupboards will remain filled next year for Asbury Park. Junior quarterback Jamar Small, who had six touchdowns and only one interception, returns for his senior campaign, along with George Smith, who led the team with over 1,000 rushing yards.
Central Jersey, Group 2: Manasquan 19,
Johnson 14
Manasquan used a third quarter rally to push past Johnson 19-14, capturing the Central New Jersey Group 2 crown.
The Big Blue received contributions throughout the season from a number of young players, and should be primed for another strong year next season.
Central Jersey, Group 3: Freehold Boro 21,
Middletown South 14
The Central New Jersey Group 3 championship came down to two Shore Conference heavyweights, but it was Freehold Boro who held off Middletown South 21-14.
This was the second time the two teams met this season. On opening night, Freehold Boro came away with a 22-7 victory. The two loses to Freehold Boro were the only two setbacks for Steve Antonucci’s Middletown South squad that finished 10-2.
Central Jersey, Group 4:
Brick Memorial 24,
Sayreville 0
The Shore Conference had another huge victory, as Brick Memorial blanked a tough Sayreville team 24-0.
The Mustangs shut down Sayreville’s Javon Hodges, who rushed for 148 yards in the team’s convincing semifinal victory over West Windsor-Plainsboro North.
Brick Memorial rebounded for the win one week after dropping its rivalry game with Brick, in the last game ever coached by legend Warren Wolf.
South Jersey, Group 1: Glassboro 28,
Penns Grove 8
Herb Neilio’s squad does it against, as Glassboro rolled over Pennsgrove 28-8, completing their second straight 12-0 season.
The team expanded on a 6-0 half time lead by outscoring Penns Grove 22-8 in the second half, holding Rutgers recruit Aaron Hayward in check in the process.
South Jersey, Group 2: Delsea 17,
West Deptford 14
Relying on an outstanding ground game brought Delsea to the verge of a state title, but it was a the leg of Mike Straubmuller that brought them over the edge.
Straubmuller kicked a 23 yard field goal as time expire to give the Crusaders a dramatic 17-14 win.
Austin Medley, Sean McPherson, and Casmir Okoro were a three-headed monster all season for Delsea, each rushing for nearly 2,700 yards combined.
South Jersey, Group 3: Shawnee 28,
Hammonton 7
One of the biggest playoff favorites did not disappoint, as Shawnee ripped Hammonton 28-7 to complete an undefeated season.
Tim Gushue’s team may have been the strongest public school in the state this year, beating the likes of Cherokee and Camden Catholic during the regular season. Chris LaPierre is a serious candidate for New Jersey Player of the Year, after rushing for 30 touchdowns.
South Jersey, Group 4: Mainland 21,
Southern Regional 14
The Mustangs took home a state title in South Jersey’s largest classification, beating Southern Regional 21-14.
Mainland, who was not challenged all season, benefited from a close game against Egg Harbor Township, who they beat 30-27 on Thanksgiving weekend. It was the first game the team played that was not a three touchdown blow out.
That helped Mainland adjust to the atmosphere of a tight match up. The Mustangs went up 21-0, but held on after Southern received touchdowns from Glen Carson and Dave Troutman late in the game.
Non-Public, Group 1: Paterson Catholic 19,
St. Mary 7
In a game played on November 22, Paterson Catholic beat Rutherford’s St. Mary for its second straight state title.
With only three teams qualifying for the playoffs in the Non-Public, Group 1 bracket, Paterson Catholic got a bye week to prepare, while St. Mary beat Morristown-Beard for the right to play head coach Benjie Wimberly’s squad.
The Cougars may be even better next season. Junior sensations Greg Moore (17 TD’s) and Jaquiess Gerald (24 TD’s) both return, along with two-way lineman Trevor Clemmings, who at 6-6 is also a star on the basketball team.
Non-Public, Group 2: Holy Cross 7,
Hudson Catholic 0
Hudson Catholic’s bid for a first ever state title--just months after the school nearly closed--fell just short, as Tim McAneny’s Holy Cross Lancers pulled out a 7-0 victory at Rutgers Stadium.
It was the second straight title for the Lancers, who last year beat Gloucester Catholic in the championship game. In his first year with Holy Cross and taking over a team that lost a lot of talent from last year‘s squad, McAneney led the Lancers to an 8-3 final record.
Non-Public, Group 3: St. Joseph Regional 27,
Immaculata 6
Even the fleet-footed Theo Riddick could not outrun a swarming Green Knights defense, as St. Joseph Regional won yet another state title under head coach Tony Karcich, beating Immaculata 27-6.
William Giles returned an interception for a touchdown, and that would be all the Green Knights would need, as their defense was swarming all game long.
K’Waun Williams, Kamal Hogan, and David Wood all add touchdowns for St. Joseph, whose only blemish the entire season was a loss to rival Don Bosco Prep.
Non-Public, Group 4: Don Bosco Prep 34,
Bergen Catholic 13
Don Bosco Prep continued its dominance over the rest of New Jersey, with a 34-13 victory over Bergen Catholic.
The win secured a third consecutive state title for the Ironmen, who will lose star quarterback Brett Knief and running back Dillon Romain, but are expected to reload at those positions next season.
The game was slightly closer than the first meeting between the two teams, when Don Bosco came away with a 38-7 win.
