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NJ football: Games to watch, schedules across New Jersey in Week 1

USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey
Sayreville quarterback Mark Whitford scrambles against Edison during  Friday's game in Sayreville on Sept. 15, 2017.

USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey takes a look at some of the most intriguing Week 1 high school football games across the state.

Beneath the synopses of those contests, readers will find an opening week schedule of games from Central Jersey, the Jersey Shore, Morris County, North Jersey and South Jersey.

USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey is comprised of reporters from the Asbury Park Press, Courier Post, Daily Record, Daily JournalMyCentralJersey.com, and NorthJersey.com.

Visit the websites of those media outlets for complete coverage of New Jersey high school football all season long.

Following is a look at the top games and Week 1 schedules in each region.

Sayreville (0-0) at North Brunswick (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

A week after snapping the 19-game regular-season winning streak of St. Joseph of Metuchen, which was among the schools also receiving votes in USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey's preseason Top 20 poll, North Brunswick will get a chance to defeat an actual Top 20 opponent when it hosts No. 18 Sayreville. North Brunswick features duel-threat quarterback Christian Petrillo and running back Myles Bailey, who holds scholarship offers from Boston College, Syracuse and Minnesota. North Brunswick combated St. Joseph's vaunted offensive line with an effective 3-3 stack defense. It may alter its scheme against Sayreville's spread, which features Division I prospects Connor Holmes and Jacari Carter as slots. Sayreville must be regarded as a favorite to win a fifth sectional title in a decade. The team is loaded with talent at the skill positions and it's secondary, featuring Antwan Golson, is among the Greater Middlesex Conference's finest.

North Brunswick High School running back Myles Bailey looks for yardage against Carteret in a game last weekend.

Somerville (1-0) at Rahway (0-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

The lone blemish on Somerville’s 2017 sectional championship season was a 27-6 loss to Rahway in Week 5. After an impressive showing in a 35-7 topping of Delbarton last weekend, the Pioneers are poised to open their Mid-State Conference Mountain Division slate looking for payback. Quarterback Jalahn Dabney began his senior campaign strong, throwing for 222 yards and four touchdowns, rushing for 117 yards and another score.

Friday

Dunellen at Bishop Ahr, 7 p.m.

Carteret at J.F. Kennedy, 7 p.m.

Metuchen at Bernards, 7 p.m.

Woodbridge at New Brunswick, 7 p.m.

Old Bridge at South Brunswick, 7 p.m.

Sayreville at North Brunswick, 7 p.m.

Spotswood at South Plainfield, 7 p.m.

J.P. Stevens at Perth Amboy, 7 p.m.

Hillside at Middlesex, 7 p.m.

East Brunswick at Piscataway, 7 p.m.

Edison at Monroe, 7 p.m.

Belvidere at Dayton, 7 p.m.

Cranford at North Plainfield, 7 p.m.

Delaware Valley at A.L. Johnson, 7 p.m.

Elizabeth at Union, 7 p.m.

Franklin at Phillipsburg, 7 p.m.

Governor Livingston at Voorhees, 7 p.m.

Hillsborough at Bridgewater-Raritan, 7 p.m.

Hunterdon Central at Ridge, 7 p.m.

Manville at Bound Brook, 7 p.m.

New Providence at South Hunterdon, 7 p.m.

Plainfield at Watchung Hills, 7 p.m.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood at North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.

Somerville at Rahway, 7 p.m.

Summit at Montgomery, 7 p.m.

Warren Hills at Immaculata, 7 p.m.

Westfield at Linden, 7 p.m.

Saturday

South River at Roselle, 1 p.m.

Colonia at St. Joseph, 1 p.m.

Brick (0-0) at Brick Memorial (1-0). Saturday, 11 a.m.

These two sister schools meet in what is always an intriguing game. Brick, ranked No. 15 in the USA TODAY NETWORK  New Jersey Top 20, has defeated Brick Memorial five consecutive seasons in what had been the season-opener for both teams. However, Brick Memorial, off its impressive 49-0 win at Central, comes into this with a game under its belt while Brick will be playing its season-opener. A large part of this game, as always, will come down to how Brick defends the triple-option rushing attack of Brick Memorial. The Mustangs’ quarterback Tyler Sindel had a solid all-around game last week in running the offense. He also rushed for 98 yards. Brick will be relying on quarterback Jimmy Leblo and wide receiver/running back/defensive back Cole Groschel.

St. John Vianney’s Kavon Chambers breaks downfield ahead of Red Bank Catholic defenders during first half action in their game in Holmdel Friday night, August 31, 2018.

St. John Vianney (0-1) at Rumson-Fair Haven (0-0): Friday, 7 p.m.

Two of the better teams in the ultra-tough Shore Conference Colonial Division meet here. St. John Vianney will be trying to rebound from a 41-14 loss to Red Bank Catholic that snapped its 38-game winning streak against Shore Conference opposition that dated back to the start of the 2014 season. The Lancers will be relying on junior running back Kavon Chambers, who rushed for 152 yards last week in his first game at St. John  Vianney after spending last season at Central. Rumson-Fair Haven, which will be playing its season-opener, will rely on a defense, led by linebacker Keegan Woods and defensive end Henry Sullivan.

Friday

Central at Howell, 6:30 p.m.

Freehold Township at Middletown South, 7 p.m.

Lakewood at Wall, 7 p.m.

Toms River East at Long Branch, 7 p.m.

Holmdel at Manchester, 7 p.m.

Toms River North at Manalapan, 7 p.m.

Raritan at Neptune, 7 p.m.

Ocean at Red Bank Catholic, 7 p.m.

Manasquan at Point Boro, 7 p.m.

Red Bank at Toms River South, 7 p.m.

Pinelands at Shore, 7 p.m.

Jackson Memorial at Southern, 7 p.m.

St. John Vianney at Rumson-Fair Haven, 7 p.m.

Jackson Liberty at Barnegat, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Brick at Brick Memorial, 11 a.m.

Monmouth at Colts Neck, 12 p.m.

Point Beach at Keyport, 12 p.m.

Middletown North at Freehold, 1 p.m.

Donovan Catholic at Keansburg, 1 p.m.

Matawan at Mater Dei Prep, 1 p.m.

Marlboro at Lacey, 2:30 p.m.

Morris Knolls (0-0) at Morris Hills (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

Though it seems like this rivalry has existed as long as there were two schools in the district, it was actually renewed with the launch of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference in 2009. Morris Hills took an edge, five wins to four, last fall. Senior Sam Valerio led the Scarlet Knights with one rushing and one passing TD in the season-opening victory against Woodbridge.  "If you live in Rockaway, Wharton or Denville, you're excited about being there. I'll tell you that," said Bill Regan, the Morris Knolls head coach for 44 years. "It's Mardi Gras, New Year's Eve, and a football game all rolled into one."

Morris Hills running back Sam Valerio follows his blocker in a game against Sparta last fall.

West Morris (1-0) at Mendham (0-1), Saturday, 2 p.m.

Both the sister schools are in transition, but more off the field than on it. West Morris is getting an artificial turf field, while Mendham will have lights installed. This hasn't been much of a rivalry, with the Wolfpack winning nine of the last 10 meetings – and outscoring their opponent 264 to 57, with five shutouts. However, that lone Minutemen victory came in a NJSIAA North 2 Group IV  semifinal in 2013.

Friday

Morris Knolls at Morris Hills, 7 p.m.

Morristown at Randolph, 7 p.m.

Chatham at Mount Olive, 7 p.m.

Hopatcong at Parsippany, 7 p.m.

River Dell at Parsippany Hills, 7 p.m.

Pequannock at Newton, 7 p.m.

Sparta at Roxbury, 7 p.m.

Morris Catholic at Whippany Park, 7 p.m.

Weequahic at Boonton, 7 p.m.

Butler at North Arlington, 7 p.m.

Delbarton at St. Anthony, 7 p.m.

Dover at North Warren, 7 p.m.

Jefferson at High Point, 7 p.m.

Kinnelon at Montville, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Morristown-Beard at Montclair Immaculate, 1 p.m.

West Morris at Mendham, 1 p.m.

Mountain Lakes at Madison, 2 p.m.

Northern Highlands (0-1) vs. Clifton (0-0), Friday, 12:30 p.m. at Tom Benson Stadium, Canton, Ohio

These two schools agreed to move their Super Football Conference matchup to the shadows of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, showing once again that the North Jersey football brand likes to travel. The teams will tour the museum Thursday and eat dinner together there before playing Friday afternoon. This game was originally scheduled for Clifton, but the schools have a friendly wager that the winning team gets to be the host next year – unless maybe they can play at West Point or Yankee Stadium. The Highlanders were rolled by NV/Old Tappan in Week 0 and need a win badly. Clifton has had all summer to get ready. The Mustangs return the core of a 6-4 team a year ago, including running back David Martinez who had 16 touchdowns last season and quarterback Armani Brinson.

Clifton's David Martinez scoring the winning touchdown against Kennedy last season.

Wayne Valley (0-1) at Wayne Hills (0-1), Friday 7 p.m.

Perhaps the most heated rivalry in all of North Jersey sees the Indians make the short trek across town to take on the Patriots. Both teams lost tough out-of-state games in Week 0 and the Indians have lost 10 of their last 11 games. Despite their proximity (less than four miles apart) the two schools have not played that often, being in different leagues until the statewide reorganization in 2010. On the field, Wayne Hills leads the overall series 12-2, including a 31-24 victory in overtime in the 2016 North 1, Group IV final.

Thursday

Fair Lawn at Bergen Tech, 6 p.m.

Friday

Northern Highlands vs. Clifton, at Canton, Ohio, 12:30 p.m.

Garfield at Glen Rock, 6 p.m.

Ridgewood at NV/Old Tappan, 6 p.m.

Dwight Morrow at Pascack Valley, 6 p.m.

Bergenfield at Ramapo, 6:30 p.m.

Rutherford at Palisades Park, 7 p.m.

New Milford at Harrison, 7 p.m.

Elmwood Park at Hawthorne, 7 p.m.

Lyndhurst at Secaucus, 7 p.m.

Becton at Cresskill, 7 p.m.

Butler at North Arlington, 7 p.m.

Wood-Ridge at Weehawken, 7 p.m.

Wallington at Park Ridge, 7 p.m.

Passaic Tech at Hackensack, 7 p.m.

River Dell at Parsippany Hills, 7 p.m.

East Orange Campus at Passaic, 7 p.m.

Ramsey at Ridgefield Park, 7 p.m.

West Milford at Vernon, 7 p.m.

Westwood at Dumont, 7 p.m.

Paramus at Mahwah, 7 p.m.

Pascack Hills at NV/Demarest, 7 p.m.

Marist at Tenafly, 7 p.m.

Pope John at Paramus Catholic, 7 p.m.

Wayne Valley at Wayne Hills, 7 p.m.

Bloomfield at North Bergen, 7:15 p.m.

Saturday

Imhotep Institute Charter (Pa.) at St. Joseph, 1 p.m.

Waldwick at Lodi, 1 p.m.

Emerson at Bogota, 1 p.m.

DePaul at Seton Hall Prep, 1 p.m.

Lakeland at Passaic Valley, 1 p.m.

Indian Hills at Cliffside Park, 1 p.m.

Fort Lee at Sussex Tech, 1 p.m.

Don Bosco at Gonzaga College HS (D.C.), 2 p.m.

Archbishop Wood (Pa.) vs. Bergen Catholic, at Rutgers, 4 p.m.

Cherokee (0-0) at Shawnee (0-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

This is a unique new chapter in the rivalry as Brian Glatz will serve as Cherokee’s head coach in orange for the first time. His counterpart, Tim Gushue, is in his 36th year in charge of the Renegades. Neither side opened in Week Zero. Instead they’ll take this Lenape Regional School District clash to kick off the slate. Cherokee snapped a three-game skid against Shawnee last year with a 42-41 overtime triumph. EJ Bard is expected to shoulder a good amount of the load at tailback. He rushed for 868 yards as a sophomore in 2017. Shawnee claimed the South Jersey Group 4 title with relative ease last December and figures to be a part of the mix again this go around. While a healthy number of key offensive players were lost to graduation, Shawnee brings back eight on the defensive side and is always ready for whatever’s thrown its way.

St. Joseph running back Jada Byers (3) rushes up field against St. Augustine at St. Joseph last season.

Millville (0-1) at St. Joseph (1-0), Saturday, noon

These two opened up with out-of-area clubs and found much different results. The Thunderbolts had their chances against powerful St. Peter’s Prep. A few missed opportunities in the first half resulted in a 12-6 halftime deficit. It ended 35-6 in favor of the Marauders. Coach Paul Sacco’s Wildcats extended their win streak to 13 games overall as they headed up to Connecticut and hammered Hamden Hall Country Day, 52-24. Millville’s Solomon DeShields, a senior wide receiver, is a serious big-play threat. He accounted for the club’s only touchdown in Week 0 with a 10-yard pass from Eddie Jamison Jr. Millville’s got talent, and although it lost a lot to graduation, these early-season tests could help galvanize the newcomers. St. Joseph’s Jada Byers, a Bridgeton native, went for six scores – four in the first half – and accounted for 267 yards on just 12 carries or 22.25 per touch against Hamden Hall. He set a goal of 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns or more, and the junior is well on his way behind a strong and senior-laden offensive line.

Friday

Vineland at Atlantic City, 6

Lenape at St. Augustine, 6

Pemberton at Cinnaminson, 7

Ewing at Northern Burlington, 7

Haddonfield at Sterling, 7

Delran at Bishop Eustace, 7

Cherokee at Shawnee, 7

Williamstown at Rancocas Valley, 7

Holy Spirit at Eastern, 7

Hammonton at Timber Creek, 7

Kingsway at Washington Twp.,, 7

Cedar Creek at Camden, 7

Delsea at Willingboro, 7

Woodrow Wilson at Camden Catholic, 7

Paul VI at Burlington Twp., 7

Highland at Clearview, 7

Moorestown at Winslow Twp., 7

Absegami at Mainland, 6

Pennsauken at Cherry Hill West, 6

Oakcrest at Bridgeton, 7

Ocean City at Egg Harbor Twp., 7

Pennsville at Glassboro, 7

Clayton at Gloucester, 7

Haddon Township at Buena, 6

Pleasantville at Maple Shade, 7

Riverside at Lower Cape May, 6

Wildwood at Middle Twp., 7

Cherry Hill East at Triton, 7

Cumberland at Seneca, 7

Salem at Schalick, 7

Overbrook at Deptford, 7

Gateway at Lindenwold, 7

Holy Cross at Bordentown, 7

New Egypt at Burlington City, 7

Palmyra at Florence, 7

Saturday

Collingswood vs. West Deptford at Haddon Twp., 11

Robbinsville at Gloucester Catholic, 11 a.m.

Millville at St. Joseph, noon

Woodstown at Penns Grove, noon

Woodbury at Audubon, 11 a.m.

Paulsboro at Haddon Heights, 11 a.m.