Sectional Final Football Preview

Area public school teams will be competing for sectional championships this weekend in South and Central Jersey. Here are the matchups:

South Jersey Group 1
Schalick (8-3) at Glassboro (10-0)
Friday, 6 p.m.
This is a rematch of last year’s sectional final that Glassboro won 20-0. Glassboro will again be favored after outscoring its first two playoff opponents, 119-15. On Oct. 18, Glassboro won at Schalick, 20-10. Schalick advanced to this year’s final with a 33-28 semifinal victory over Paulsboro. 

South Jersey Group 2
Point Pleasant Boro (9-2) at Camden (8-2)
Friday, 6 p.m.
Camden is the defending South Jersey Group 3 champion. The Panthers have defeated Middle Township and Willingboro, by a combined 87-19 score in their first two playoff wins. QB Mahki Brunson has thrown for 1,688 yards and 21 touchdowns. Point Boro has breezed in its two playoff games, beating Gloucester and Manchester Township by a combined 90-27 score. 

South Jersey Group 3

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Seneca (8-3) at Mainland (8-3)
Friday, 6 p.m.
Seneca is coming off a 28-25 win over top seeded Hopewell Valley to earn its third straight sectional final appearance. Senior Jamar Wathen scored two touchdowns, on a 35-yard interception return and a 70-yard pass from Anthony Tirico. A sophomore, Tirico has thrown 13 TD passes and run for 11. Mainland, the defending Group 4 state champion, has beaten Barnegat and Holmdel by a combined 97-27 score in its first two playoff games. 

Central Jersey Group 4
Brick Memorial (9-2) at Millville (8-2)
Friday, 6 p.m.
Brick Memorial has won four in a row following a 41-21 semifinal win over Jackson. Junior Jason Lajara has thrown for 1,573 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 733 yards and 17 scores. Millville is led by receiver Lotzeir Brooks. The Alabama commit has 48 receptions for 1,159 yards and 14 TDs. 

South Jersey Group 5
Rancocas Valley (9-2) at Toms River North (11-0)
Friday, 6 p.m.
Toms River North is the two-time defending Group 5 state champion. Senior TJ Valerio has thrown for 1,843 yards and 21 touchdowns and run for 580 yards and eight scores. Rancocas Valley is coming off a 35-30 semifinal win over Hillsborough as Savian Adams completed 5 of 8 for 152 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 102 yards on eight carries. 

Central Jersey Group 5
Atlantic City (8-2) at Washington Township (9-2)
Friday, 6 p.m.
Atlantic City has won eight in a row following a 28-18 semifinal win over Cherokee. Rutgers commit Sah’nye Degraffenreldt has caught 37 passes for 772 yards and 12 TDs. Washington Township has won its two playoff games over Hunterdon Central and Cherry Hill East by a combined 75-7 score. This game should be much closer as the teams are evenly matched. 

Central Jersey Group 3
Delsea (4-6) at Somerville (11-0)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Delsea is seeded just seventh, but the defending state Group 3 champs have caught fire at the right time. Delsea has won three of its last four and the only loss was a 21-14 OT defeat to Group 4 sectional finalist Mainland. Somerville is coming off a 30-14 semifinal win over Ocean City. Senior Brenden Pacheco has thrown for 1,415 yards and 22 TDs and rushed for 335 yards and two scores. 

Central Jersey Group 1
Shore (10-0) at Woodstown (9-1)
Friday, 7 p.m.
Shore is coming off a 17-7 semifinal win over Woodbury. Woodstown beat Woodbury, 28-16 in the regular season. Filling in for injured running back Bryce Belinfanti, Woodstown’s Alex Torres rushed for 111 yards and three TDs in a 21-6 semifinal win over Pennsville. Woodstown is the defending South Jersey Group 1 champion. 

South Jersey Group 4
Shawnee (8-3) at Winslow Township (11-0)
Saturday, 1 p.m.
Shawnee, which earned a 27-17 semifinal win at Middletown North, will be a big underdog against a Winslow Township unit that is the consensus No. 1 team in South Jersey. The top seeded Eagles have won every game this season by two touchdowns or more. Winslow Township sophomore Jalen Parker has thrown for 2,330 yards and 37 TDs. 

Photo: Seneca's Anthony Tirico / Marc Narducci

Author: Marc Narducci