JVAces

Cross Country '07 : A Wrap Up

Last year around this time, Cross Country/Track Writer Paul Schwartz posted a blog on the VarsityAces blog with his picks for the "Schwartz Awards" an unofficial, yet neat set of awards for NorthJersey Cross Country.   So, even though I will never have the legendary status of Paul... I've decided to make my own set of awards, maybe people will like to see from the point of a high schooler....

Disclaimer- These awards do not get any prize, they are not picks of Paul Schwartz or The Record.... These are just for fun

ALL PHOTS Courtesy of NJRUNNERS.com/MaroonNews

Runners of The Year:

Boys: Rob Molke of Don Bosco Prep- The Junior won the Bergen Meet of Champs in a blazing 15:25, he led the Don Bosco Ironmen to BMOC, Non-Public A and SMOC Titles.. He also led them to their at-large bid selection for Nike Team Nationals, the Ironmen are in Portland Oregon getting ready for the meet as I type this post.....   Runner Up: Jerome Perkins of Indian Hills

Girls: Sarah Pagano of IHA- Also a junior, Sarah Pagano had a tremendous season. Running an 18:25 in bad condtions @ BMOC, she led her team to a team title........ she also helped lead the team to League and County A titles. She also won the Non-Public A Individual Crown at Holmdel Park..... Runner Up: Patty Hannon of Paramus

Race of The Year: The Bergen Meet of Champs Boys race, a very hyped up "clash of the titans" was scheduled between Bosco's Molke, and Mike Mitchell of Bergen Tech. The weather was horrible making the intensity rise to another level...... the race went off and during the course of the race  Mitchell, along with other All County runners Max Bruno of Indian Hills and Christian Trautwein of Ridgewood had all had slips and falls, causing devastating race ending drop outs. Though unfortunate, this made the race much more intense and Molke ran 15:25 all by himself running away from the field......... The runner up was Don Bosco's dominating win at the State Meet of Champs

Teams of the Year:

Boys Large Schools: Don Bosco- This has to go to the Ironmen, they won the SMOC for the 2nd time in the History of the Ramsey School.... They won a bid to go to the Nike Team National Meet out in Portland, OR. Runner Up: Ridgewood

Boys Small Schools: Park Ridge- The Owls had one of the best seasons in school history, despite 2006's top runner Matt Lingam injured and not running to form, The Owls won the League Title by a point over Bogota, they then won the Bergen Group C title and took 2nd place to a very good Verona at the North I Group I meet.

Girls Large Schools: IHA- The Girls of IHA had a tremendous season. Dominating their league, county group and BMOC in great fashion. Led by a nice 1-2 Punch in Sarah Pagano and Mary Kaye Duff (Both Juniors) and a super freshman in Erin Thompson, the Blue Eagles will probably be a potent force again next year, and years to come.

Girls Small School: Waldwick- It seems that Coach O'Hagan with his Hawaiian shirts over at Waldwick is beginning to make a Bergen County Group D dynasty. His girls dominated the Bergen D meet winning with a score of 26. They were led by Brittany DeBord, a senior, and the girls return many with juniors Kelsey Dunn and Jenna Hascup leading the way next year.

Newcomers of the year award:

< Sam Jannsen, running with runners to watch next year Vargas and Rosas of DBP

Boys: Sam Jannsen of Park Ridge-  Sam, a former soccer player, came out for his senior year and ran cross country. Looking back it was probably one of the best choices he's made.. In his first year of Cross Country he took the tough role of top runner on a Park Ridge team that knew they could contend. He took 4th in the BCSL League Meet..... 2nd in Bergen County Group C, and  13th in the Bergen Meet of Champs.

Girls: Erin Thompson of IHA- The freshman ran a blazing 19:22 as IHA's third runner in their domination of the Bergen Meet of Champs. She can turn out to be one of the top runner's in North Jersey by her senior year.

COACHES OF THE YEAR

Boys: Kevin Kilduff of Don Bosco, and Mike Farrell of Park Ridge

Girls: Mark Ledgerwood of IHA and John Kirchoff of Ramsey.

LOOK OUT FOR NEXT YEAR
BOYS: Rob Molke,Taro Shigenobu, Leighton Spencer, Nick Ferrentino, Brian and Pat Rochford, Rafael Vargas, Howie Rosas and Alan Zaccone.

(to the left is Taro Shigenobu of Ridgewood, with a pack including Brian Rochford and Leonia's Mike Wilkens close behind.)

GIRLS: Sarah Pagano, Mary Kaye Duff, Erin McKenna, Alexandra Clinton, Erin Thompson, Jen Molke, Julie Sinkovitz, Jillian Rothschild, Suzana Marklovic.

(to the left is Erin McKenna of Ramapo finishing @ BMOC, almost caught by Mary Kaye Duff of IHA.)

Wayne Hills vs Wayne Valley Preview, A Dream Match Up of Cross Town Rivals

Two schools, one town separated by Ratzer Road, two undefeated teams, a 39 game winning streak, and the chance to hoist the North 1 Group 3 State Championship trophy all hinge on the two teams that will put on the pads to play in one of the biggest games in Wayne High School Football History.

The Wayne Hills Patriots and the Wayne Valley Indians will face off in the North 1 Group 3 State Championship game on Friday November 30 at Giants Stadium. The Patriots are in the state championship game for the fourth straight year and they are looking to win their fifth title in the last six seasons. The Indians defeated Wayne Hills in the state championship game 7-0 back in the 1991 season for their seventh ever championship, and this is Wayne Valley’s first appearance in the championship game since 1992. The last time these two teams met was in the 2001 state semi-finals when the Patriots overpowered the Indians 41-6 behind Chris Olsen and Greg Olsen at Patriots Stadium to advance to the championship game, where they eventually lost to the Ramapo Raiders at Ramapo Stadium.

The premiere match up in this game consists of two of the top running backs in the state in Dan DeCicco of Wayne Hills and Matt Dortch of Wayne Valley. DeCicco has 22 touchdowns (20 rushing) and 1154 rushing yards and Dortch has 30 touchdowns (21 rushing) and 1385 rushing yards on the season. DeCicco is a big threat to return kickoffs and punts for touchdowns, but he has not had many opportunities this season since teams have decided not to kick the ball to him or Carlton Marcin. Dortch has a few touchdowns on returns this year, and if DeCicco has to punt, he should definitely punt the ball out of bounds to avoid giving Dortch a chance to give Wayne Valley prime time field position or even a touchdown. Besides being Wayne Valley’s leading rusher, Dortch is also the team’s leading receiver with 497 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns. DeCicco will have the assignment of covering Dortch on passing plays, and he will have to stick with him and take Dortch down at the first chance of contact. Dortch is known for his blazing speed in the open field, and the Patriots are known for having one of the best run defenses in the state and have only allowed one rushing touchdown since the beginning of the 2006 season.

The Patriots have a lot of balance on offense thanks to a breakout season from Quarterback Mike Giampapa. Coming back from a major knee injury that caused him to miss the last six games of last season, including the playoffs, Giampapa has thrown for 23 TD’s and only 2 interceptions, and he broke Wayne Hills’ single game records for TD passes and yards in a game. Giampapa has great continuity with Jeremiah Kayal and Bryan Ogden, especially with Kayal who has 578 receiving yards and 9 TD’s. Kayal is a very fast receiver who is known for his route running and hands. After a slow start to the season on offense, Kayal has been fantastic on offense for the Patriots for the last two months with his best game coming against Indian Hills when he piled up 152 receiving yards and 3 TD’s on offense. Bryan Ogden has been the number two option for Giampapa, and he has had a great junior season. Ogden started off the season with three receiving touchdowns in his first two games, and he has really caught fire after having no touchdown receptions in October. Ogden has caught three touchdown passes in November, and he is renowned for making catches in traffic and holding on after big hits. Ogden has great hands and is known for his smarts on the field.

Derrick Bligh has had a great season for the Indians by throwing 18 TD passes and nine interceptions, and he has been known for his ability to stretch the field. However, he has also had six games where he has completed less than 50% of his passes, and he only has a 46% completion percentage, which is 20 points lower than his counterpart for the Patriots. Bligh will need to have a huge game for Wayne Valley to take pressure off of Dortch, and he will have to be mobile in the pocket to avoid the tough Patriots pass rush. Bligh has shown scrambling ability with 187 rushing yards and three touchdowns and the Patriots will have to make sure they do not give him any holes to run through. Bligh has to be smart with the football and not force throws into a talented and hard hitting Patriots secondary. Kayal has nine interceptions on the season, a Wayne Hills’ single season record, and Marcin is known as a hard hitter and also has four interceptions of his own. Tom Papa is a very quick receiver, and Kayal will have the assignment of trying to slow him down. Kayal is known as one of the top shut down corners in New Jersey, and he has a knack to thrive in big games. Dortch is a big threat for the Indians out of the backfield and he cannot be allowed to be in open space due to his speed and agility in open field. Chris Pantale is a huge target over the middle of the field and he has 310 receiving yards and six touchdowns. It will be interesting to see who the Patriots assign to cover Pantale due to the height advantage he has over other players on the field.

Switching to the defensive side of the ball, after losing three all state players on the defensive line due to graduation, the unit has still been fantastic against the run. Kyle Hanenberg is the lone returning member from last season, and he is joined by defensive tackles Ryan Salerno and Bowen Jones and defensive end Paul Drake. Drake leads the Patriots in sacks with eight, and all four players have really stepped up in pressuring the quarterback and stopping the run. The line limited Jaime Rowe in two meetings this season, and they cause Kyle Jansen to have two of his worst games of the season. While this unit is not as big as past lines the Patriots have had, they are a lot faster, which helps them plug up running lanes. The linebackers for Wayne Hills are some of the top in North Jersey, and they are well known for their play making abilities. Mike Roman leads Wayne Hills with 87 tackles, and Tim Waller has 81 tackles despite missing two games with an ankle injury. Dan DeCicco has come up with many timely plays for the Patriots, especially on 3^rd and 4^th downs, and Ryan Daddurno has done a great job being a physical player, and he recovered the fumble that thwarted the Knights first drive of the 3^rd quarter. The secondary is very hard hitting and great at causing turnovers. Ronnie Driesse plays on the opposite side of the field, and despite standing at only 5’8’’, Driesse has great leaping ability and is one of the fastest players on the field. Driesse has two interceptions this season, and he out leaped players that had major height advantages over him. Wayne Hills has only allowed one team to score more than seven points in a game, and has posted six shutouts on the season.

Wayne Valley also has a very talented defense, but they have given up a lot more points than Wayne Hills. Chris Pantale has been a stud at defensive end with 16 sacks, which is a single season Wayne Valley record. Mike Landberg has 126 tackles this year and has been tremendous for Wayne Valley in stopping the run. Landberg and Pantale were one of the top running back duos in the state last season, but coach Brian O’Connor wanted to move Pantale to defensive end to improve the Indians’ pass rush. Pantale has had a sensational season at defensive end, and Landberg has been the key player in a group of linebackers that also includes Sam Stallard and Joe Fusco. Dortch is a star in the secondary with six interceptions, and Ryan Durr also has five interceptions, including two in the playoffs. Bligh also has played some defense for the Indians, and it will be interesting to see how much defense he plays this week, since he really needs to have a big game in order for the Indians to have variety on offense.

The bottom line is that Wayne Hills needs to shut down Dortch and force Bligh to make plays. Coach O’Connor needs to find ways to utilize Dortch in order to get him out in open space, and Bligh needs to stretch the field to get Wayne Hills off balance. Wayne Hills has only allowed one rushing touchdown since the beginning of last season, and Matt Dortch has a knack for the end zone. Dortch has scored touchdowns in five different ways (pass, rush, receive, interception, return), and he needs to come up big for Wayne Valley in order for them to have a chance. Wayne Hills did a great job controlling the tempo against Old Tappan as they scored on their first drive and killed over six minutes on the clock. The Patriots experience should help them out tremendously and this group of Wayne Valley players has never played in a state championship game, let alone a game in a venue like Giants Stadium. Wayne Hills has already shut down Jaime Rowe two times this season, and that should give them tremendous confidence going into this game against Dortch. The one thing the Patriots need to do is make sure they convert on 3^rd and 4^th down, and finish drives in the red zone. They had three drives stall in the red zone last game, and if Tim Divers did not knock through field goals of 27, 31, and 32 yards, the Patriots would have been in a battle all the way with Old Tappan. Divers is 5-5 in field goals on the season and 54-57 in extra points. It will be interesting to see how he kicks with the narrower goal posts, but most of his kicks have been right down the middle this season. Doron Sharel is 4-6 on field goals this season with a long of 37 and 46-56 on extra points, so he is also capable of converting on a long field goal. It should be a great game under the lights at Giants Stadium. All the fans will be very excited to see the Battle of Wayne, but in the end the Patriots just have too many weapons on offense, are too talented on defense, especially against the run, and their experience and coaching cannot be matched by Wayne Valley. As long as Wayne Hills executes their game plan, does not turn over the ball, and plays smash mouth Patriots football, they will complete the Drive for Five and win their 40^th straight game.

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone has a great holiday and enjoys this great celebration with their family and friends. I know I'll be watching the NFL games rooting for the Lions and Jets, so the Giants can get some much needed help in the NFC.

After Thanksgiving it is all about high school football in New Jersey with many huge games to be held at Giants Stadium and Rutgers. Andrew and I will have a preview ready sometime this weekend for one of the biggest games in Wayne high school football history. There are also many rivalry Thanksgiving games tomorrow and the rest of the weekend.

I know there has always been talk about Hills and Valley playing on Thanksgiving, and imagine if they did, then they would be playing two weeks in a row. I'm sure both teams will use the bye week to rest up and get healthy for November 30 at Giants Stadium. Both teams have not had a week off since school started. Andrew and I are very excited and honored to call the game. It will be the last high school football game we ever announce together, and we will definitely look to go out on top.

Check out Channel 77 in Wayne for some previous Patriots victories against Parsippany Hills and Old Tappan. WAYNE HILLS VS OLD TAPPAN IS ON TONIGHT, NOVEMBER 22, AT 8PM ON CHANNEL 77. Andrew and I are very thankful for everyone's support, and we wish everyone and their family a Happy Thanksgiving.

Wayne Hills 23 Old Tappan 6 Final

In one of the most intriguing semi-final games around North Jersey and a rematch from a thriller earlier in the season, the Wayne Hills Patriots did not falter under pressure. In a gritty defensive battle, the Patriots pulled away 23-6 to move into the North 1 Group 3 State Championship vs. a team that is just 3 miles down Valley Road in Wayne, the Wayne Valley Indians, who were winners 20-7 over Paramus.

The Patriots began the game in unfamiliarity. For only the second time all season, the Patriots received the opening kickoff. Despite this change, they still found a way to be successful. Led by a series of great passes by Mike Giampapa, the Patriots eventually had a 4th and 1 on the OT 1 yard line. Coach Olsen decided to give the ball to his slick running RB Danny DeCicco. Olsen's plan worked, as DeCicco plunged into the end zone to give the Patriots an early 6-0 advantage. Mr. Automatic Tim Divers, the sophomore stud kicker came on with the extra point to expand the lead to 7-0.

It was then Old Tappan's turn to answer. Jamie Rowe showed at times his grace at running the football, but he as well as the rest of the Golden Knights could not find an answer to the Wayne Hills Patriots defensive scheme. After a couple of punts, the Patriots then took the ball into the Golden Knights zone. They could not convert which then led Coach Olsen to give his trust into Divers. Divers once again continued his fine season, booting a 27-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 10-0 lead in the second quarter. This could not have happened however, if Jeremiah Kayal had not converted on a big 4th and 12 on the previous set of downs.

It was a defensive struggle throughout the first half, with the Patriots having the big advantage in time of possession as Mike Giampapa operated the offense like a general. There were so many key third down plays that he and Jeremiah Kayal made to keep the Patriot offense marching down the field. Before halftime, the Patriots would score again on a beautiful run by Carlton Marcin, who had intercepted Kyle Jansen earlier in the game. At halftime the Patriots led the Golden Knights 17-0, and they were 24 minutes away from playing for their 5th title in 6 years. Still, there was business to be taken care of.

The Golden Knights came firing on all cylinders in the beginning of the second half, due to the good passing by Kyle Jansen and the effective running by Jamie Rowe and fullback Dan Zanone. The Knights were driving once again all but to end up in a failure when Ryan Salerno popped Rowe to make the ball loose, which eventually landed into the hands of linebacker Ryan Dadduro, to stop the Golden Knights drive and to give the Patriots a sigh of relief. This basically was the story of the game for the Golden Knights. They came out, played tough football, but just could not execute when it really mattered.

It was the total opposite for the Patriots. On the next possession, the Patriots had a 4th and inches inside their own territory. Olsen once again decided to give the ball to Marcin, and trust his offensive line in giving enough push to get the first down. Marcin leaped over the pile, and it almost seemed like the play was in slow motion. The defensive line of the Golden Knights had great penetration but Marcin's outstretched arms were over the line which gave the Patriots a huge first down.

On the next possession, Kyle Jansen received the protection he needed to keep the Golden Knights in the ball game. He threw a deep ball down the middle of the field for Jordan Scaduto, which gave the Golden Knights great field position. A couple of plays later, Jansen was absolutely dropped in the pocket after he got the pass off to Chris Martinez into the end zone for OT's first score of the night. Jansen was shaken up, but the penalty would be assessed on the ensuing kickoff. Mike O'Reilly's PAT was low, and the Golden Knights cut the lead to 17-6.

Mike Giampapa then continued his unbelievable play. He connected with Bryan Ogden and Kayal on key catches, and Marcin and DeCicco picked up the yards necessary to set up the ball for Mr. Divers. He booted his second field goal with ease, a 32-yard boot which gave the Patriots a much needed 20-6 lead in the 4th quarter.

Old Tappan continued to fight back, but nothing was going their way. Four turnovers in this ballgame was the story, as they just could not finish drives. Divers added another 32-yard field goal late to give the Patriots a 23-6 lead, and little did Tim know that he broke a Wayne Hills Record with field goals in a game, which was set by Dave Adamo back in 2002. Jansen threw a pick late to Jeremiah Kayal which was the nail in the coffin for Old Tappan.

It really hit me late in the game. I was staring around Patriots Stadium, trying to take in my last broadcast ever at the field. The next time I would be there would be in June when I receive my diploma, and it really started to get me emotional. As David and I did the post game on the field, I could only shed some tears, as it was a reality. I am privileged to say that I have enjoyed doing what I love for 4 years, and to go 36-0 broadcasting these games for the Patriots, never witnessing a loss, I sometimes believe I am the reason for the streak. Just kidding. But I know that whatever happens in my future, it all started here at Patriots stadium, with our TV Club Advisor Mr. Jim Hoogstrate, and all the opportunities that I was presented with. But wait, there is one game left. Giants Stadium, the weekend of November 30, versus the Wayne Valley Indians for the North 1 Group 3 State Championship, and bragging rights in the township of Wayne.

IHA vs. Gloucester Catholic Preview

I will get to the IHA/Gloucester Catholic Preview in just a second.  But first, I have to apologize.  I was reminded this afternoon by my Journalism class (SHOUT OUT!) that I was supposed to update the blog with the IHA/Morris Catholic game.  Well I'm a few days late, but here it is:

IHA beat Morris Catholic 3-1 on an unusually chilly Thursday in the Northern Sectional State Finals.  Goals were scored by Tara Schwitter and two were scored by Jen Orlando.  Schwitter and one of Orlando's goals were scored off of Corner Kicks made by the master, Claire Reinhard.   Jaclyn Wood and Julianna Griego both played great defense.  One play that deserves mentioning:  Late in the second half, IHA had a throw-in on the right sideline.  The ball was thrown into Rachel Wechsler who dribbled it into the closest corner and a Morris Catholic defender tried to steal it away from her kicking it out of bounds.  IHA corner kick, giving them a scoring opportunity.  Great strategy by Coach Steve Silver and Rachel. 

Moving on, IHA will play Gloucester Catholic, the South Sectional State Champs, for the whole title of State Champion tomorrow at The College of New Jersey at 8 PM.

IHA comes with a full arsenal of phenomenal players.  The upperclassmen, which include, Jen Orlando, Ashley Burt, Claire Reinhard and Kaitlin Cooney all have stepped up to the plate when needed.  Jaclyn Wood has been practically perfect at protecting the goal and saving Kate Courter a LOT of work   The Underclassmen have also shown their true talents.  Sophomore Ashley Clarke had a game tying goal against Ramapo in the Bergen County Championship Game.  Kate Courter has been consistently outstanding, with numerous shutouts.  Freshmen Gabriela "Gabby" Cuevas had a key goal against Pingry.  And who could forget the most well known underclassmen, Tara Schwitter, who has helped IHA reach this point in more ways than I can count.   

But the #1 team in the country (still), will be facing a Gloucester Catholic team who is plagued by injuries of their star players.  Senior Jennie Vartebedian came back this season from a knee injury which sidelined her last season.  Junior Nikki Stone, one of the top players in South Jersey, is out with a ACL injury she sustained prior to the season.   Chelsea Duffy and Nicolette DeLaurentis are both important in their offense. 

PREDICTION: IHA 3, Gloucester 1. (Yes, I know, I'm being biased, but I'm entitled).

Wayne Hills/Old Tappan: Round 2 Preview

Arguably one of the most anticipated games in North Jersey this past October, it was the battle of unbeatens as Wayne Hills took on an upset minded Old Tappan team. It was a tight game throughout, but in the end the winning streak continued and the Patriots prevailed 24-7. To be frank, the better and more prepared team won. Six weeks later, the Golden Knights still have the mindset of beating the favored Patriots in the North 1 Group 3 Semifinal matchup, which will take place this Friday at 7 PM at Patriots Stadium.

Just as before, the game features two football teams that have been on fire. The Patriots, who have not lost a game since 2004, carry a 38 game winning streak into the matchup while the Golden Knights have not lost a game since their first time around with Wayne Hills. Before game one, people were talking about the key to the Patriots winning was to eliminate Jamie Rowe. The plans have not changed for the Patriots. Rowe had 4 touchdowns against Mt. Olive in a 56-7 quarterfinal victory, and if the Patriots minimize Rowe, then they will have a much less of a burden on their shoulders in defeating this Old Tappan football team. On the other side, not only will the Golden Knights have their hands full on defense, but if Rowe happens to be shut down, then the limelight is going to be right on QB Kyle Jansen. Now don't get me wrong, Jansen is a fine quarterback and has bounced back beautifully since the loss to Wayne Hills, but in three starts against the Patriots he has thrown for 3 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Like many other quarterbacks in the NBIL and beyond, Jansen cannot seem to find a way to be successful against the stingy Patriot defense. If Rowe is shut down, Jansen is the Golden Knights only hope in being the savior for this team.

  On offense, the Patriots have too many weapons which causes problems for the Old Tappan defense. Despite OT having a strong defensive line and quick defensive backs, the Patriots can just wear a team down with its speed, strength, and coaching. It is no secret that Coach Olsen loves to run the football. Many teams know that coming into a game, you are going to see a lot of Danny Decicco and Carlton Marcin. These two gentlemen just find a way to keep wearing down a defensive squad, which leads to eventual big gains and first downs. Give a lot of credit to the O-Line of the Patriots as well because filling in for three all-state linemen is no easy task, and through 10 games they have done a fine job of accomplishing it.

What is different about this Patriot team this year is they are not totally focused on the run. Recently, QB Mike Giampapa has shown people why he should earn some consideration for Player of the Year. The young man has thrown for 24 touchdowns against 2 interceptions, and could have more if he like many of the starters, played an entire 4 quarters. With Giampapa throwing the ball effectively, and Decicco and Marcin wearing down defenders, the Patriots become just more of a dangerous offensive weapon then they already are.

Back to Old Tappan. The last time these two teams met, Kyle Jansen threw 4 interceptions. Three of them fell into the hands of Jeremiah Kayal. Kayal is the glue that keeps this Patriots team together. After filling in for Mike Giampapa last season at QB when Gpoo went down with a knee injury (ironically against the Golden Knights), Kayal had to study the offense night after night because he was not even part of the offensive unit last year, strictly playing defense and special teams. Well Mr. Kayal did just that and helped the Patriots to a third straight North 1 Group 3 State Championship. This year, with Giampapa back, Kayal has moved back into the wide receiver position and has performed magnificently to say the least. 11 touchdowns on offense, 8 interceptions on defense, handling the duties as the kicker for kickoffs, he's a jack of all trades. Maybe it should be a "Jer of all Trades." Anyway, my point being is Jansen cannot throw the football towards Kayal if he wants to put his team in a position to win the game.

Finally, the main difference between these two teams is the conditioning. Old Tappan held with Wayne Hills for the majority of the game the first time around, but it was the Patriots who were the ones who were still on the field while the Golden Knights were gasping for air. Despite Old Tappan sticking together after the loss, and playing better football down the stretch, they have the most arduous task of the season lieing ahead of them in two days. If Old Tappan wants to win this one, they have to not only travel into a hostile Patriots Stadium, but also keep up with the quick and disciplined Patriots team. And for the Patriots, they have to remember the task at hand; the drive for 5 ends at 40, not 39.

I will be at the game Friday Night, covering the game with my colleague and fellow JV Ace David Suntup, as we will be broadcasting the game for WHTV on channel 77. The broadcast can also be seen as a live simulcast at www.waynetownship.com . Check out late Friday night or Saturday morning as I will write about my thoughts on the game, and a little synopsis of my 4 years of announcing at Wayne Hills, as this Friday will be my last ever game being broadcasted at Patriots Stadium. Enough about me before I start getting too emotional. Anyway, stay tuned for Friday night, and best of luck to the Patriots and the Golden Knights.

Local runners prepare for SMOC...

(Photo of Rob Molke, Center Teammate Anthony Belgiovene.. Both will lead Don Bosco Saturday to a possible SMOC Title. Photo Courtesy of MaroonNews/NJRUNNERS.COM)

Saturday is The NJ STATE MEET OF CHAMPIONS @ HOLMDEL PARK

Girls Race Stats @ 10

Boys Race @ 10:40

Girls Local Qualifiers-  Patty Hannon of Paramus, Erin McKenna of Ramapo, Suzana Markolovic of Holy Angels and The IHA Girls Team.   

Boys Local Qualifiers- Matthew Wyatt of Demarest, Paul Kuehnle of Saddle Brook, Jerome Perkins and Max Bruno of Indian Hills, Anthony Andrews of Paterson Catholic and The Don Bosco Prep Boys Team.

Local Individuals to Watch: Boys: Robert Molke, Anthony Belgiovene of DBP; Jerome Perkins and Max Bruno of Indian Hills and Matt Wyatt of Demarest....

                                            Girls: Sarah Pagano of IHA

Local Teams: Don Bosco had great run the other day, but didn't run to their full potential. Regular #1 Rob Molke ran a little off, but should bounce back Saturday.. Anthony Belgiovene ran a school record a very impressive 16:19 which is very fast. They had a big step up in Stephen Wyka, and if he can do it again the pieces should all fall together and give the Ironmen the State Crown.

                 Another local team, the IHA Girls ran well but not to their full potential in the girls Non-Public A race. The girls finished 3rd in a very tight race. The Blue Eagles should bounce back as well, and with a Sarah Pagano led effort, may suprise people and leave Holmdel with a State Championship on Saturday.

TOP 10 PREDICTIONS

BOYS

1. Doug Smith, Gill St. Bernards

2. Brian Leung, WWP- South

3. Andrew Brodeur, Brick Memorial

4. Rob Molke, DBP

5. Brett Johnson, Ocean City

6. Dan Stiles, Somerville

7. Ray Coles, Monsignor Donovan

8. Jonathon "Boo" Vitez, Haddonfield

9. Anthony Belgiovene, DBP

10- ( Dark Horses- Dave Oster, Verona, Joe Rosa- WWP-North, Ryan Birchemer- Ocean City, Teddy Brinokofski, Bishop AHR and Jerome Perkins, Indian Hills.)

Girls

1. Jillian Smith, Southern

2. Kathleen McAfferty, Oak Knoll

3. Melanie Thompson, Vorhees

4. Briana Jackuckwiecz, Colts Neck

5. Chelsea Ley, Kingsway

6. Lauren Penny, Roxbury

7. Sarah Pagano, IHA

8. Jillian Prentice, Montgomery

9. Lindsay Lambert, Howell

10. (Dark Horses- Katie Kellner WWP- South and Marielle Hall of Haddonfield)

Preview of the Week Ahead

It has been a while since I last posted so I figured I needed to give the readers an update. Well, if you haven't read the Varsity Aces yet, Darren Cooper has cordially invited myself and David Suntup to High School Gameday this Wednesday at Wayne Hills. To say we are both ecstatic is a big understatement. Hopefully the people at Wayne Hills can make it a lasting and memorable experience.

I have been a bit under the weather lately, but I'll battle and  get myself back into the swing of things. After HS Gameday, check the JV Aces Blog Wednesday Night as I will be handeling the duties of writing Round 2 of the Wayne Hills/Old Tappan Preview. This will occur after I attend Ray Riker's final Cross Country Pasta Dinner. Should be a good one.

Wayne Hills Ousts Parsippany Hills 49-0

            Parsippany Hills came into Patriots Stadium motivated to get revenge on the team that ruined their state championship hopes the past two stadiums. They walked out of Patriots Stadium as victim number 38 on the winning streak list of the Patriots. In a very physical and at times sloppy game, the Patriots set the tempo right from the start. On 3^rd and 2 from the Vikings 40, the Patriots play action fake totally caught the Vikings off guard and Mike Giampapa threw down the field to Carlton Marcin for a 40 yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Jeremiah Kayal did a great job paving the way for Marcin to leap into the endzone. The Vikings were able to run the ball with decent success on their first drive with Eugene Fowler, and quarterback Greg DePugh looked confident in the pocket, but due to foolish penalties, the Vikings were forced to punt.

            On the Vikings second offensive possession, DePugh looked off his first read, and he forced a pass that was picked off by Kayal and taken back 50 yards for his second defensive touchdown in as many weeks, as the Patriots extended their lead to 14-0. Kayal tied an individual season record with 2 INT returns for TD’s, and he might have tied the single season record for interceptions with 8 INT’s. Later in the quarter, DePugh went deep down the field to Danny DePugh, but Ronnie Driesse showed great elevation and picked off the pass at its apex, by out-leaping DePugh who had a seven inch size advantage. After DePugh’s second interception of the night, coach Dave Albano stopped trusting his quarterback, and he tried to run the ball with the snaps going to Fowler. While Fowler was a very resilient runner, he was not able to break a big run to get the Vikings on the board. The Patriots added a touchdown before the half on a 13 yard pass from Giampapa to Kayal, and they went into halftime up 21-0.

       Parsippany Hills was able to move the ball into Wayne Hills’ territory on their first drive of the second half, but the Vikings failed to convert on 4^th and 2 after Dan DeCicco sacked DePugh in the backfield for a huge stop. The Vikings frustration really started to boil over in the second half as they started taunting Wayne Hills, and they committed numerous personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Giampapa threaded the needle with a fantastic pass to Kayal as he broke a tackle and wounded up in the end zone for his third touchdown of the game. Later in the quarter, Giampapa probably made his best play of the night. Giampapa looked to the left side of the field, both in the flat and deep down the sideline, but his receivers were covered, so he scrambled to the right, gave Bryan Ogden time to get open, and he led him beautifully into the end zone for Giampapa’s 4^th TD pass of the night and 9^th TD pass in the last two weeks for a 35-0 lead.

            After having a few quiet weeks on offense, Carlton Marcin took over the 4^th quarter for the Patriots. Marcin scored on a 36 yard scamper to go over the century mark on the evening to give Wayne Hills a 42-0 lead. Many teams have chosen not to punt to DeCicco and Marcin this season, so their punt return opportunities have been limited. Marcin dropped a punt in the middle of the 4^th quarter, but Kayal was right there to recover the ball. Later in the quarter, Marcin would have his moment on special teams. Thanks to agreat block by Kyle Hanenberg, Marcin was able to beat numerous Vikings down the sideline and get into the endzone for his third touchdown to give the Patriots a 49-0 lead. Wayne Hills had another great offensive performance, and their defense came through with their 6^th shutout of the season. The Patriots have so many options on offense, that its just so hard to focus on just stopping one particular player.

            Old Tappan also beat Mount Olive thanks to four touchdowns from Jaime Rowe, so the rematch is on at Patriots Stadium. If Old Tappan wants any chance to win, Kyle Jansen cannot throw four interceptions like he did in the first meeting, and the Knights need to execute better in the middle of the field. Jansen has proven that he could never win the big game for the Knights, but he will get one more chance in a hostile environment at Patriots Stadium. If I was Jansen, I would not even throw the ball to Kayal’s side of the field because Kayal has picked him five times in three games over the past two years. I’ll write up more about Hills/OT in a preview later this week.

            In addition, last week’s game against Indian Hills will be on television in Wayne on Channel 77 on Saturday, November 10 at 8 p.m. Do not miss the half time show as I caught up with Chicago Bears Tight End Greg Olsen and Wayne Hills Middle Linebacker Tim Waller in the In the Locker Room Report. Also, watch the pre-game show as Andrew Gayo sat down with Mike Giampapa in the third edition of 1 on 1 With Number 1.

            

Wayne Hills vs Parsippany Hills Preview

37 wins in a row, three straight North 1 Group 3 State Championships, 9 straight playoffs wins. You would think any team would be satisfied with those statistics on their resume, but the Patriots are just getting started. Wayne Hills opens the postseason against the team whose hearts it broke the last two seasons in the Parsippany Hills Vikings. Wayne Hills demolished the Vikings at Giants Stadium back on December 3, 2005 46-0, and then last year Parsippany Hills stayed in the game until the end when they fell to the Patriots 23-12 at Rutgers Stadium on December 2, 2006. This time, Dave Albano finally gets a chance to come back to his alma mater to face the team that he played high school football for. Albano used to play for Wayne Hills and the last time he brought his team to Wayne, they defeated the Wayne Valley Indians 27-7 back in 2005 to help the Vikings advance to the championship game at Giants Stadium.

          Parsippany Hills qualified for the state playoffs by one power point over Ramapo. If Ramapo did not lost to Fair Lawn 19-18 at Ramapo Stadium, Ramapo could have been looking at possibly the 6^th seed and a date in Paramus. Now Ramapo is missing from the playoffs for the second straight year and Parsippany Hills has a meeting with Wayne Hills for the third year in a row. The Vikings are a vastly different team from last year. I have not received much of a scouting report on Parsippany Hills yet, but they do not have the vertical passing game due to the graduation of Mike Gerardi, Thomas Tran, and Billy Magill. They will need a strong performance from running back Will Fowler in order to have a chance against the Patriots, but the Patriots have only allowed one rushing touchdown in the past two seasons.

            Mike Giampapa comes off the best game of his career against Indian Hills in which he went 12-14 for 278 yards and 5 TD’s. Giampapa was injured with a leg injury during the playoffs last season, and only got in for one snap during the championship game against the Vikings. Giampapa will definitely be pumped for his first playoff start, and look for him to continue his fantastic stretch from the last three games. Dan DeCicco is over the 1,000 yard plateau for the season, and he scored a touchdown in every playoff game last season. Expect a heavy dose of DeCicco and Carlton Marcin along with vertical passing game involving Giampapa, Jeremiah Kayal, and Bryan Ogden. The defense will need to improve in pass coverage, but the run defense is one of the best in the state, and the credit has to go to the defensive line. Kyle Hanenberg, Bowen Jones, Ryan Salerno, and Paul Drake have really stepped up their game as the season has gone on. The Patriots could bring extra pressure in order to rattle an inexperienced QB for Parsippany Hills.

             The bottom line is the Patriots are a very experienced and well coached team that is not fazed by a playoff atmosphere. Parsippany Hills has won in tough hostile environments in the past, victories at Wayne Valley in 2005 and at Teaneck in 2006, but the Vikings lack the vertical passing game and the defense to stop the potent Patriots attack. Look for the Patriots to beat Parsippany Hills for the third straight year in order to advance to the state semi finals with a match with the Golden Knights of Old Tappan.