New Jersey High School Football Games of the Week: Sept. 12-14
High school football season in New Jersey is well underway, with most teams in the Garden State already having played for two weeks.
Some of the state’s top schools have opened their seasons with varying results, including three of the state’s top teams facing out-of-state opponents on the first weekend. The second week featured more a handful of major victories and a few tough defeats.
They’re ready to roll again in Week 3, with the state’s top three teams facing New York schools and another facing a powerhouse in Connecticut. Below are the games to watch this week:
The On3 Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory. According to the model — four teams from Alabama rank inside the nationwide top 100.
CLICK HERE to watch your high school’s games on NFHS Network now!
Top high school football games in New Jersey
#1 Bergen Catholic @ Iona Prep (N.Y.)
The Crusaders opened this season with a huge test against Florida’s IMG Academy, but fell to the Ascenders 27-14. After regrouping, they traveled to Ohio to face the No. 2 team in the Buckeye State: Washington. They put on a dominant performance from start to finish, rolling to a 35-21 victory. But there’s no rest on the schedule this week, as they’ll travel across state lines again to play New York’s No. 1 team, Iona Prep. The Gaels rebounded nicely from a season-opening defeat, rolling past Springfield Central (Mass.) for a 44-20 win on the road last week.
#2 St Joseph Regional @ Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.)
Week 1 was arguably their toughest test of the season for St. Joseph with an out-of-state road game at Baltimore St. Frances Academy. They fell in a 31-21 decision, but rebounded quickly with a decisive 28-7 win over the state’s No. 9 team, Seton Hall Prep. Much like Bergen, their schedule doesn’t get any easier with a game against New York powerhouse Stepinac.
#3 DePaul Catholic @ Cardinal Hayes (N.Y.)
The Spartans opened against Pope John XXIII, routing the Friars 47-14. Over the weekend, they headed down to Maryland to face D.C.-area powerhouse Good Counsel and came out with an impressive 28-17 victory led by Ohio State wide receiver commit De’zie Jones. They’ll face a Cardinal Hayes squad that just picked up its first win of the season in Massachusetts, bouncing state contender Catholic Memorial for a 36-29 victory. Syracuse QB commit Rich Belin totaled four touchdowns in the win — two through the air and two on the ground.
#5 Hun School @ Avon Old Farms (Conn.)
They opened the season with a huge upset win over Illinois powerhouse Mount Carmel, then followed it by beating Wyoming Seminary Upper School this past weekend. They’ll get another big test road test this week when they head up to Connecticut to face No. 2 Avon Old Farms.
#12 Mainland Regional @ #6 Millville
Millville fell to Mainland Regional in the Group 4 quarterfinals last year to finish off a 9-2 season for the Thunderbolts. They’ll get their rematch this week after beating Holy Spirit 35-0 in Week 1, then downing Atlantic City 49-6 in Week 2. If Mainland is going to win again, they’ll have to slow down receiver Lotzier Brooks, an Alabama commit and New Jersey’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns. Brooks already has nine catches for 256 yards and four touchdowns through two games.