Varsity Aces

SUNDAY PIGSKIN BRUNCH: Why no linemen nominated for AOW?

Why do North Jersey football coaches only nominate quarterbacks, running backs and receivers for The Record's Male Athlete of the Week?

Why not a two-way lineman?

Welcome to the "Sunday Pigskin Brunch," and today we make the case for why a coach should nominate a lineman for AOW if that lineman has a terrific game. (Click below for more.) 

FOOTBALL STATS: Butler's Gergatsoulis tops among kickers

Butler's Dimetrius Gergatsoulis leads North Jersey kickers in scoring with five field goals and nine extra points for 24 total points.

The senior took over the top spot after kicking three field goals in last week's 24-14 victory over Pequannock.

Click below for the kicking scoring leaders list, which is based on box scores reported to The Record:

SUNDAY PIGSKIN BRUNCH: High schools see, high schools do

Many high school rules differ from the NFL and emulating the pros in certain situations often can lead to disaster.

Consider the rule on "Intentional Grounding," which is must stricter for high school passers.

In the past two weeks, I've seen three quarterbacks flagged for intentional grounding because they mistakenly mimicked the pros by throwing the ball out of bounds to avoid a sack.

Welcome to the "Sunday Pigskin Brunch," and today's menu focuses on two rules that are significantly different in high school from the NFL. Knowing - or not knowing - these two rules can change the outcome of a game. (Click below for more).

FOOTBALL STATS: Kicking game scoring leaders

Pascack Valley's Zach Costa leads North Jersey kickers in scoring with two field goals and 10 extra points for 16 total points.

Click below to see which kickers are in the top 10 in scoring:

FOOTBALL STATS: TD pass and TD catch leaders

Butler senior quarterback Peter Brand leads North Jersey in touchdown passes with six.

Pascack Valley senior receiver Paul Koehler tops the area in TD catches with four.

Click below to see the list of leaders in TD passes and catches through the first two weeks of the season, based on line scores reported to The Record:

SUNDAY PIGSKIN BRUNCH: Getting your kicks is essential

Congratulations were given to Lyndhurst kicker Michael Walker after the sophomore easily converted all four of his extra points in a season-opening win.

"You can't believe how many teams cannot kick an extra point," I told Walker after his four XPs helped the host Golden Bears defeat Weehawken, 28-6, Friday night in BCSL National football.

Hello again and welcome to the "Sunday Pigskin Brunch," and today's main menu item is a kicking game that is too often treated like a side dish. (Click below for more.)

SUNDAY PIGSKIN BRUNCH: Bergen football scores a perfect 11

What we just witnessed is arguably the greatest opening weekend in the history of Bergen County high school football.

A perfect 11-0.

From Don Bosco's 30-6 dismantling of fellow national power De La Salle of California, to tiny Dwight-Englewood's 14-12 overtime win over Newark Academy, Bergen was 11-0 versus teams outside the County.

Hello and welcome to the kickoff of the second season of the "Sunday Pigskin Brunch," where the menu features a buffet of appetizing dishes  on North Jersey football. (Grab a warm plate and click below to dig in):

FINAL: St. Joseph 34, DePaul 21

St. Joseph rode a trio of big-play scores to defeat DePaul, 34-21, in tonight's season opener at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford.

St. Joseph senior QB Devin O'Connor threw TD passes of 38 yards to senior WR Kai Dominguez and 39 yards to senior RB Kamal Hogan.

Senior RB Blair Wynn put St. Joseph, ranked No. 5 in The Record preseason Top 25, in command by scoring on an 81-yard run midway through the fourth to extend the lead to 28-13.

DePaul senior QB Dan Farley ran for a 6-yard score on the game's first possession to provide a 7-0 lead. Farley threw fourth-quarter TD passes of 8 yards to freshman RB Joe Moreno and 15 yards to junior TE Dan Foesel.

But Farley threw two first-half interceptions deep in St. Joseph territory and that forced ninth-ranked DePaul to settle for a tie at halftime, 7-7. St. Joseph then dominated the third quarter and took control.

St. Joseph extends to 28-13

Blair Wynn ran 81 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth to extend St. Joseph's lead to 28-13 over DePaul.

Wynn's run came after DePaul had scored on an 8-yard TD pass to cut the deficit to 21-13.

Wynn ran up the middle, then cut to the outside and raced up the right  sideline for the score.

DePaul pulls within 21-13

DePaul still has a chance against St. Joseph after scoring early in the fourth to cut its deficit to 21-13.

On a fourth-and-4 at the St. Joseph 8-yard line, DePaul's Dan Farley tossed an 8-yard TD pass to Joe Moreno. The extra point was wide left.