South Jersey Football Preview Part 1
Let’s be upfront – this is not the best of weeks for marquee matchups in South Jersey Football. That said, there are many games with playoff and conference implications as the third full week of the Jersey season is upon us. Here are some of the top games in Part I of our preview.
Millville (2-0) at St. Augustine (2-1), Friday, 6. After losing to one of the top teams from the tri-state area, Malvern Prep, 27-7 in its opener, St. Augustine has defeated Atlantic City and Williamstown by a combined 75-13 total. One name to watch for St. Augustine is freshman Patrick Smith, who rushed for more than 150 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s 45-7 win over Williamstown. Millville is the defending South Jersey Group 5. The Thunderbolts have barely broken a sweat, beating Egg Harbor Township and Kingsway by a combined 88-21 margin
Atlantic City (1-1) at Bridgeton (1-2), Friday, 7. After opening with a 30-6 loss to St. Augustine, Atlantic City defeated Washington Township, 26-14 last week. That was a significant win because Atlantic City is a candidate for a SJ Group 5 playoff spot and it’s important for as many wins as possible over fellow Group 5 schools. Bridgeton is coming off a 12-6 win over fellow SJ Group 4 school Clearview. If the Bulldogs have playoff designs, they likely have to win this game since they will be underdog in future meetings with St. Augustine and Millville before the playoff cutoff date.
Lenape (2-0) at Burlington Township (2-0), Friday, 7. Last year Burlington Township went 9-2 and one of the losses was a 20-3 defeat in the third week of the season to Lenape. Once again Lenape will be the favorite with a dangerous running game led by JoJo Kellum, who has rushed for 184 yards (6.1 avg.) and four touchdowns. Senior Jake Topolski has seven receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns. After this week Lenape has a bye before a showdown with Rancocas Valley, but the Indians won’t be able to look past Burlington Township. Falcons junior quarterback Danny Grozozski has completed 18 of 27 for 313 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Camden (1-1) at Seneca (1-1), Friday, 7. After opening with a 26-8 win over Cahokia of Illinois, realty hit Camden with a 45-6 loss to Camden Catholic, one of the top teams in South Jersey. This is a big game for both teams since Camden has designs of qualifying for the SJ Group 2 playoffs and Seneca is a candidate in SJ Group 3. Camden senior Najyere Edwards has rushed for 150 yards (5.6 avg.) and six touchdowns. Senior quarterback Premire Wilson has thrown for 322 yards and four touchdowns, while sophomore Emmett Prather has a team-high 18 tackles. After an opening 31-28 win over Cherry Hill West, Seneca suffered a 15-7 loss to Moorestown. The Golden Eagles defense only allowed one touchdown, as the second was scored on a punt return.
advertisement
Related Articles
Author: Marc Narducci
Archives
More Articles
