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    • Southern, Central Jersey Group 2 previews
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    Southern, Central Jersey Group 2 previews

    Harry Posted on

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    South Jersey Group 2

    Bracket: (8) (1) Middle County in Camden; (5) Willingboro and (4) Johnson; (6) West Deptford, (3) Manchester County; (7) Gloucester, (2) in Point Pleasant County.

    Favorite: Camden. You want the High. You got High. Benefiting greatly from a very challenging schedule, the Panthers have the talent and swagger to take on any opponent. With a dynamic offense and a stifling defense, Camden looks to color this division in Purple and Gold.

    Note the following: Point Pleasant Boro. With four straight wins and six wins out of seven, the Panthers put together a strong resume with a 24-21 loss to Toms River North, their lowest-scoring game. If the Panthers get ahead, they can take the air out of opposing attacks, no matter how good the team is.

    by numbers

    Central District (5-3): Panthers senior Remi Rodriguez has 1,198 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns, plus 208 yards and a TD receiving. Tommy Gontz emerged as the starting quarterback in October with four touchdowns and 332 yards. Township has won two in a row and four of the last five.

    Camden (6-2): Panthers senior Makhi Brunson is a dual threat with 1,381 passing yards, 454 yards on the ground and 21 total touchdowns. Brunson is far from a one-man show. Christian Braxton (120 carries, 836 yards, 6 TDs) and Jaiden Steele (49-420, 3 TDs) contribute to a strong ground attack. Malik Redd (30 catches, 547 yards, 9 TDs) is a game changer in all phases.

    Gloucester (3-5): Senior Mason Widman has been the Lions’ top rushing threat this fall, rushing for 629 yards and five touchdowns. Kevin Boulden thrived at quarterback, throwing for 669 yards as The Lions halted a five-game streak with last week’s win over Pleasantville.

    Johnson (7-1): The Crusaders averaged 34.5 points per game and scored less than 28 points only once during the season. Ryan George is the primary offensive threat with 952 yards on 11 carries. George has 15 rushing touchdowns. Robert Gallagher was influential; he scored three goals while making fewer than three passes per game.

    Manchester County (7-2): The Hawks scored 42 points in each of their last three games, all wins. Aidan Lunn threw for 1,158 yards and a dozen touchdowns. More than half of those totals (578 yards and six TDs) went to Marquis Goins. The Hawks won six of seven games.

    Point Pleasant County (7-2): The Panthers are led by a three-way rushing attack of sophomore Jake Clayton (692 yards, 13 TDs), senior Dylan Reitmeyer (697, 12) and sophomore Nick Spanola (537, 5). In total, Point Boro completed 2,642 of its 2,825 yards on the ground.

    West Deptford (5-4): Eagles sophomore Zamir Davis has nine touchdowns and 685 rushing yards on just 98 carries, plus 122 yards and a receiving TD. Cole Paskiewicz added 594 yards rushing and five TDs. Brady Cobb threw for 716 yards and 10 touchdowns.

    Willingboro (6-3): Chimeras senior Sean Taylor has thrown for 19 touchdowns and 1,134 yards, while Mekhi Cottle (146 carries, 755 yards) has eight rushing TDs. Under first-year coach Kenny Scott, the Chimeras haven’t slowed down one bit. Watch James Pemberton (30-for-477) and Terrance Knighton (17-for-303) for six touchdowns each.

    Episode final prediction: Camden on Point Pleasant County.

    Central Jersey Group 2

    Bracket: (8) (1) Spotswood in Rumson-Fair Haven; (5) (4) Delaware Valley in Delran; (6) (3) Hillside at Haddonfield; (7) Haddon Hills, (2) On the Wall.

    Favorite: Rumson-Fair Haven. The Bulldogs, unbeaten in eight games, are likely the favorites to win the Group 2 state title. RFH offers an impressive list of the best players you can trust, whether in the air or on the ground. Anything short of a win in this division (and beyond) would be a major upset.

    Note the following: haddonfield The Dawgs, South Jersey’s best bet in a bracket dominated by true Central Jersey teams, will have to play a near-perfect 48 minutes to add a regional championship to their cup case. Still, a good bounce there could make for an interesting tournament.

    by numbers

    Delaware Valley (6-2): Terriers senior Eric Klemmer had 25 receptions for 475 yards and eight touchdowns. Kelton Ibach leads the show with 1,147 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, along with three rushing TDs. DelVal had its five-game winning streak ended last weekend.

    Delran (8-1): Bears junior quarterback Vinny Sacca has 1,624 all-purpose yards and 23 total touchdowns, including 12 TD passes. Justin Mary (17-for-259, 3 TDs) and Denny Vittese (23-for-287, 2 TDs) are Sacca’s primary targets. The Bears have won four straight.

    Haddon Hills (2-6): Garnets senior Damier Outterbridge-Ali showed off his versatility by taking snaps at point guard for a playoff berth with a win last weekend. Cinque Matthews had 304 yards rushing and Robert Klaus added 234 yards for a team whose record did not live up to its potential.

    Haddonfield (5-3): Bulldawgs junior Van Lefakis is just 53 yards away from 1,000 on the season with 10 TD passes. Brody Leonard is the top rushing threat with 451 yards and three touchdowns. Martin Foust has 14 catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns.

    Yamaç (5-4): The Comets got 655 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns from sophomore Mitchell Jenkins. Quarterback Zion Risher threw for 744 yards with 11 touchdowns. The Robinsons, Kamari (21 catches, 236 yards, 6 TDs) and Quaron (14-197, 1 TD), provide Jenkins with two key targets.

    Rumson-Fair Haven (8-0): The Bulldogs have won by at least 13 points in each of their eight games this season. Owen O’Toole tops 2,000 passing yards with 1,910 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. Jordan Angstreich has 44 catches for 839 yards and 10 TDs. Kellen Murray has 19 rushing scores and 898 yards on the ground.

    Spot Tree (8-1): The Chargers have won eight straight games and have scored just 45 points, including four shutouts. Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage is a dual threat with 763 passing yards and 10 TDs through the air and 617 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. Sebastian Seracino adds 640 yards and five rushing TDs.

    Wall (6-1): The Scarlet Knights have put together a strong resume that has only one flaw: the loss of Holmdel. Francesco Scaramellino has 792 yards and nine touchdowns. Mason Adam leads the ground game with 455 yards and five TDs.

    Episode final prediction: Rumson-Fair Haven Beyond the Wall.

    Tom Rimback grew up reading the sports sections of the Burlington County Times and Courier Post and began writing for BCT in 1996. He’s covered everything from Super Bowls and Final Fours to Tri-County Swimming, but he’s happiest on the sidelines interviewing school athletes in South Jersey. Follow him on Twitter @Rimbacksports. Email him story ideas at [email protected] and, most importantly, support local journalism with a subscription to the Courier-Post.

    Harry
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