GMC football Top 10 rankings for Saturday, October 22
by WoodbridgeFootball.com / MyCentralJersey.com / NJ.com on 10/22/16
1. Old Bridge (4-1-1): Nick Sodano carried 26 times
for 149 yards and a touchdown as the Knights rolled to a 41-14 victory
over New Brunswick. Artur Sitkowski completed 6 of 9 passes for 98 yards
and two scores. He also rushed nine times for 67 yards and two more
touchdowns. Liam Knowles and Anthony Imbimbo each had a scoring catch.
Nick DiMeglio paced the defense with five tackles including two for a
loss. Tyler Haughney (four tackles) and Jake Kodros also had two tackles
for a loss. Against Old Bridge, New Brunswick converted just 23 percent
(3 of 13) of its third-down attempts. The Knights won the turnover
battle 2-0 as Paul Ferrali and Imbimbo each recorded an interception.
The Zebras were outgained 321 to 215 in total yards and allowed 223
rushing yards. Next: at Jackson Memorial, Friday, 7 p.m.
READ: GMC football division standings
2. Piscataway (5-1): Elijah Barnwell, who holds a scholarship offer from Rutgers University, carried 10 times for 150 yards and four touchdowns as the Chiefs rolled to a 51-7 drubbing of Monroe. Sophomore safety Brevin Donerson recorded his third defensive touchdown of the season with a 38-yard fumble return. The Chiefs amassed 299 yards from scrimmage, 76 of which came through the air. They benefited from excellent field position with scoring drives of 17, 54, 38, 20, 38, 52 and 28 yards. Ibn Robinson had a 19-yard touchdown reception and Michael Stalenyj booted a 41-yard field goal. Next: vs. Manalapan at Rutgers University, 11 a.m.
READ: Barnwell rushes Piscataway football team to victory
3. South Brunswick (4-2): Justin Shorter, a Penn
State University commit, caught a 54-yard option pass from Jaylan Lawson
with 3:45 remaining as the Vikings snapped a 20-20 deadlock and held on
for a 26-20 win over Sayreville. Shorter finished with nine catches for
182 yards. The victory was the third straight for the Vikings, who
received a stellar game from Josh Liao. The senior quarterback completed
10 of 16 passes for 159 yards including a 7-yard scoring strike to
Anthony Blakey. He also rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns. South
Brunswick amassed 123 yards on the ground. Andre Eldridge (nine) and
Lawson (eight) were South Brunswick’s leading tacklers. Next: vs. Brick Memorial, Friday, 7 p.m.
4. Sayreville (5-2): Jayson DeMild completed 7 of 19 passes for 169 yards and also rushed for 50 yards in a 26-20 loss to South Brunswick. Michael Liberti carried 21 times for 84 yards and two touchdowns. He scored on runs of 8 and 4 yards. DeMild scored on a 1-yard keeper. Next: vs. Neptune, 7 p.m.
READ: GMC football schedule for Week 8 and beyond
5. St. Joseph (6-0): The Falcons set a single-game school record for points in a 52-14 victory over J.F. Kennedy. In the first half alone, quarterback Mitchel Epstein rushed for 178 yards, threw for 141 more and had a hand in all six of St. Joseph’s touchdowns. He scored on runs of 70, 34, 25 and 1 yards. The Falcons, who extended their winning streak to eight games, have allowed fewer than six points per game over that span. Jon Sot booted a 32-yard field goal, his seventh straight of the year, and converted all seven of his PATs, improving his mark to 34 of 34 in that department. The game marked the return from a shoulder injury of running back Manny Resto, who caught a 57-yard screen pass for St. Joseph’s first touchdown. With a win over Carteret on Saturday, the Falcons will clinch their second White Division title in four years. Next: Carteret, Saturday, 1 p.m.
READ: St. Joseph football sets school record for points as Epstein stars
6. South Plainfield (5-2): Despite playing without star Charles Lovett, the Tigers handed previously undefeated Carteret a stunning 10-0 setback and clinched a Central Group III playoff berth. Sophomore running back Zach DelVecchio carried 22 times for 120 yards and scored on a 15-yard run. The Tigers finished with 176 yards on the ground. Deshai Smith booted a 39-yard field goal with under two minutes left to provide the final margin. Quarterback Ryan Marston finished 5 of 12 for 65 yards passing. He also recorded eight tackles on defense. Mike DeAngelis (nine tackles) recorded an interception in the red zone and Smith picked off a late “Hail Mary” pass to ice the victory. Dillon Harris anchored the defense with 12 tackles. Ben Lundy, Jean Sapini and DelVecchio each recorded seven tackles. Next: Bye.
READ: South Plainfield football team stuns undefeated Carteret, clinches playoff berth
7. Carteret (5-1): The Ramblers, who entered the game averaging a league-leading 317 yards on the ground, dropped a 10-0 decision to South Plainfield. Quartius Byrd and Antoran Chandler were limited to a combined 63 yards on the ground. Angelo Golino passed for 247 yards. The Ramblers can position themselves to win the White Division title with a victory over St. Joseph on Saturday. Next: at St. Joseph, Saturday, 1 p.m.
READ: MyCentralJersey.com's GMC football Midseason Award winners
8. Woodbridge (3-4): Keshaun Henry scored three touchdowns and passed for another in a 35-0 victory as the Barrons blanked Perth Amboy for the second consecutive season. Henry finished with 145 yards from scrimmage. Messiah Daniels and Da’Avian Ellington also scored. Ellington accounted for 126 of Woodbridge’s 189 rushing yards. Quarterback Donovan Tabon completed 11 of 16 passes for 177 yards and two scores. Quaasim Glover had five catches for 66 yards. Nick Nyers anchored the defense with six tackles. Marquan Payne and Antonio Lopez each recorded a sack and a half, while Alex LaGrippo also had a sack. Chance Modica had an interception. With a win over J.P. Stevens on Friday, Woodbridge should clinch a North 2 Group IV playoff berth. Next: vs. J.P. Stevens, Friday, 7 p.m.
READ: Woodbridge football pitches shutout with strong defense and balanced offense
9. Bishop Ahr (5-2): With his team ineligible to win a Blue Division title as a newcomer to the division under conference rules, Andrew Brazicki and his teammates wanted to prove that they were still the best team in the division. The Trojans did just that as Brazicki amassed 374 all-purpose yards and scored five touchdowns in a resounding 46-30 victory over two-time defending division champion Spotswood, which had a 13-game division winning streak snapped. Next: vs. Asbury Park, Friday, 7 p.m.
READ: Rules keep Bishop Ahr from division title consideration
10. Spotswood (5-2): The
two-time defending Blue Division champions had their division winning
streak snapped at 13 games in a 46-30 loss to Bishop Ahr. Spotswood can
still win its third consecutive division crown with a victory over
Metuchen in its regular-season finale. Next: at Raritan, Friday, 7 p.m.
