SEASON OUTLOOK
The Paladins will enter the season as New Jersey's top team.
Photo by Vincent Carchietta
A high-profile showdown against Don Bosco Prep did not go in the Paladins' favor last year,
as Don Bosco Prep won 31-8. That game will once again be the toughest on the team's schedule.
Question mark: How will Paramus Catholic handle the bulls-eye? Whereas last season, it surprised teams en route to its best season ever, it now enters as the favorite, a position it's not used to being in.
Local outlook: Even with the transfer of key playmaker Kiy Hester, St. Joseph Regional might still be the state's No. 2 team. Don Bosco Prep has had a strong summer, as have Bergen Catholic and St. Peter's Prep. Timber Creek, a South Jersey powerhouse, could be just as good in 2013.
Overall outlook: This team will have to face the toughest programs New Jersey has to offer, in addition to matchups with St. Ignatius, Friendship Collegiate Academy and Gilman. If it survives unscathed, it will be one of the more impressive seasons ever for a New Jersey team and will place Paramus Catholic squarely in the discussion for a national title.
Coach quote: "It was a chess match."
- Head coach Chris Partridge, to the Bergen Record, after his team's 37-34 victory over Bergen Catholic in the non-public Group IV state final.
