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FOOTBALL

NJ football: Games to watch, schedules across New Jersey in Week 5

USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey

USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey takes a look at some of the most intriguing Week 5 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 PressCourier PostDaily RecordDaily 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 5 schedules in each region.

Sayreville (4-0) at Edison (3-1), 7 p.m.: The Greater Middlesex Conference White Division championship will be decided. Sayreville can win the division title outright with a victory. With a loss, Sayreville, Edison and North Brunswick would finish in a three-way tie atop the division standings and share the division crown. Edison will look to ride the backfield tandem of Armani Bell and Tylor Montford behind a veteran offensive line as the Eagles hope to put together sustained drives to keep the ball out of the hands of Sayreville’s quick-strike offense. Dean Escobar and Lucas Loffredo, who split time under center last week, bring different skills sets at quarterback. The Bombers counter with some of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons including slots Connor Holmes and Jacari Carter. Running back Zuriel Wright is coming off a career-high 177-yard performance. Quarterback Mark Whitford is a dual threat. Edison coach Matt Fulham, a Sayreville alum, led the Eagles to an upset of his alma mater in 2015 and a near upset (18-13 loss) the following season.

Sayreville's Jacari Carter runs the ball as Old Bridge defends during the first half of on Nov. 03, 2017.

Friday

Metuchen at Bishop Ahr, 7 p.m.

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

Carteret at Rahway, 7 p.m.

Old Bridge at J.P. Stevens, 7 p.m.

South River at Bernards, 7 p.m.

Sayreville at Edison, 7 p.m.

South Brunswick at East Brunswick, 7 p.m.

South Plainfield at North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.

North Brunswick at New Brunswick, 7 p.m.

Piscataway at Perth Amboy, 7 p.m.

Monroe at Woodbridge, 7 p.m.

Butler at Dunellen, 7 p.m.

Belvidere at Brearley, 7 p.m.

Cranford at Somerville, 7 p.m.

Dayton at Bound Brook, 7 p.m.

Hillside at AL Johnson, 7 p.m.

Hunterdon Central at Bridgewater-Raritan, 7 p.m.

Linden at Watchung Hills, 7 p.m.

North Plainfield at Voorhees, 7 p.m.

Phillipsburg at Hillsborough, 7 p.m.

Plainfield at Elizabeth, 7 p.m.

Ridge at Franklin, 7 p.m.

Roselle at Delaware Valley, 7 p.m.

South Hunterdon at Manville, 7 p.m.

Westfield at Union, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Middlesex at Spotswood, 1 p.m.

Immaculata at St. Joseph, 1 p.m.

Warren Hills at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 2 p.m.

Colonia at Summit, 2:30 p.m.

Long Branch (4-0) at Red Bank Catholic (5-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

It is going to be interesting to see these two Shore Conference powers get tested. Both have been, for the most part, on cruise control because they have proven to be far superior to the rest of the Shore Conference Freedom Division. Red Bank Catholic will clinch the outright Freedom Division championship with a win. Long Branch will clinch a tie for the Freedom Division title with a win. Red Bank Catholic, ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey Top 20, did have a big game in its opener against St. John Vianney, which at that time was ranked No. 2 in the APP Top 10. The Caseys recorded an impressive 41-14 win. Long Branch, the defending NJSIAA Central Group IV champion, did have an intriguing nonconference game in its opener against Hammonton, last year's South Group IV finalist. The Green Wave won 41-14. There is plenty of offensive talent on both sides in this game. Long Branch has junior tailback Jermaine Corbett - one of the best running backs in the Shore. Corbett did not play last week in the Green Wave's 42--0 win over Toms River South, but is expected to play Friday night. Green Wave senior quarterback Marc Dennis is a threat both running and throwing and has been extremeley accurate throwing the ball so far. Long Branch. led by 6-foot-5, 285-pound senior Kevin Cerruti, also feels it is better on the offensive line than it was a year ago. The Green Wave have also been solid on defense. They have recorded two consecutive shutouts and have allowed just 20 points on the season. Red Bank Catholic, which is averaging 40.6 points a game and has scored at least  35 points in every game, has its own high-powered offense, led by senior quarterback er and Boston College-recruit Steve Lubischer and a deep-receiving corp led by junior tight end Kevin Bauman and senior Jaden Key. A key for Red Bank Catholic could be senior placekicker/punter Ryan O'Hara, who had a big game against St. John Vianney.

Rumson-Fair Haven (4-0) at Brick (3-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

One of the good things that has come out of the Shore Conference alignment and schedule for this season is matchups between two upper echelon programs that have not met often. In the case of Brick and Rumson-Fair Haven, this is the first-ever meeting between the two. Rumson-Fair Haven will win the outright Shore Conference Colonial Division championship with a win. Brick would share the divisional title with Rumson-Fair Haven if it wins. Rumson-Fair Haven, ranked No. 18 in the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey Top 20, has been very impressive so far. It has averaged 40.3 points a game and has scored 42 points or more in its three home games on the FieldTurf. The one away game the Bulldogs played and the one game they played on grass was a 28-14 win at Brick Memorial in Week 3. The Bulldogs will test a Brick defense that has allowed just 14.3 points a game with its running game, led by senior Alex Maldjian, who has 14 TDs. Brick, which earlier this season was ranked in the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey Top 20, will test a Rumson-Fair Haven defense that is allowing just 8.5 points a game and led by linebacker Keegan Woods with the interchangeable quarterback-receiver duo of Jimmy Leblo and Cole Groschel.

Jimmy Leblo of Brick breaks free for extra yards against Middletown North in a game in Middletown on Sept. 28, 2018.

Middletown Souh (4-1) at Toms River North (3-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

A week ago it looked this would be a winner-take-all-game for the Shore Conference American Divisional championship, but then Toms River North was upended 16-14 by Freehold Township. Middletown South will win the outright divisional championship with a win. Toms River North would share the divisional title with Middletown South if it wins. Toms River North will try to rebound behind quarterback Jake Kazanowsky, who had big statistical games in wins over Howell and Central in Weeks 2 and 3 and was somewhat quiet last week as Toms River North emphasized the running game. The Mariners do have solid running backs in junior Jarrod Pruitt and senior Dashawn Wilder. Middletown South, led by senior linebacker Matt Tardy, has been outstanding defensively. The Eagles have allowed just 14 points and recorded three shutouts since a 62-14 loss at a very talented Coatesville (Pa.) team in the opener. Middletown South has outscored  its last four opponents 134-14. The Eagles have also gone back to their roots on offense and are now running the triple option out of the flexbone alignment, led by sejior quarterback Trevor Brey.

Mater Dei Prep (5-0) at Barnegat (4-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

Mater Dei Prep has not lost a divisional game or a game to a Shore Conference opponent in coach Dino Mangiero's two-plus seasons. Barnegat, which is off to its best start since it started the 2013 season 6-0 on its way to a 10-2 record, has been solid on both sides of the ball. The winner will win the Shore Conference Patriot Division outright. Running back Charlie Cotton, quarterback Brian Finucan and tight end Sean Morris provide balance for Banegat on offense. The Bengals’ defense, led by linebacker Brian Ewan, who has become the school's all-time tackles leader, has allowed just 7.5 points a game. The Seraphs' defense, led by Boston College recruits Izaiah Henderson, Shitta Sillah, is a formidable challenge for any offense. Mater Dei's offense also received a boost last week when quarterback Rob McCoy, a transfer from Camden Catholic, became eligible. Malik Ingram is a top-notch running back for Mater Dei Prep.

Friday

Manchester at Asbury Park, 6 p.m.

Howell at Freehold Township, 6:30 p.m.

Holmdel at Donovan Catholic, 6:30 p.m.

Brick Memorial at Middletown North, 7 p.m.

Rumson-Fair Haven at Brick, 7 p.m.

Long Branch at Red Bank Catholic, 7 p.m.

Central at Manalapan, 7 p.m.

Marlboro at Jackson Memorial, 7 p.m.

Middletown South at Toms River North, 7 p.m.

Toms River South at Ocean, 7 p.m.

Raritan at Point Boro, 7 p.m.

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

Point Beach at Shore, 7 p.m.

Wall at Southern, 7 p.m.

Mater Dei Prep at Barnegat, 7 p.m.

Pinelands at Jackson Liberty, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Colts Neck at Manasquan, 2 p.m.

St. John Vianney at Freehold, 2 p.m.

Keyport at Keansburg, 2 p.m.

Lacey at Lakewood, 2 p.m.

Matawan at Monmouth, 2 p.m.

Parsippany Hills (3-2) at Madison (2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.

Both teams are tied atop the SFC American White, with two divisional victories. It seems like the Vikings have found their footing in the post-Nick Verducci era, after opening with two tough losses to Bergen County opponents. Parsippany Hills junior J.D. Breslauer has completed 57.5 percent of his passes to a half-dozen targets. It’s Senior Night at Madison, with rented Friday Night Lights. Matt Mulcahy is small but explosive for the Dodgers, with 277 all-purpose yards last week against Chatham.

Randolph quarterback Anthony Sofia throws long vs. Mount Olive during their SFC Freedom Blue Friday night football game. September 28, 2018, Randolph, NJ

Roxbury (2-2) at Randolph (5-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

Welcome back to an old-school Morris County rivalry, transported to the SFC Freedom Blue. The teams have split their meetings this decade, with Roxbury winning three of the last four. But the Rams come in perfect, their best start since 1994 – and received votes in this week’s USA Today Network-New Jersey poll. Randolph senior QB Anthony Sofia, a newcomer to varsity, has gained 881 yards with his arm and 260 more with his legs. Roxbury relies on the senior dual threat of quarterback Nick Danna and running back Evan Vazquez.

Friday

West Morris at Mount Olive, 7 p.m.

Parsippany at Mountain Lakes, 7 p.m.

Parsippany Hills at Madison, 7 p.m.

Pequannock at Caldwell, 7 p.m.

Roxbury at Randolph, 7 p.m.

Mendham at Millburn, 7 p.m.

Montville at Whippany Park, 7 p.m.

Kinnelon at Boonton, 7 p.m.

Ridgefield at Butler, 7 p.m.

Chatham at Dover, 7 p.m.

Hanover Park at Hackettstown, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Morris Catholic at Montclair Immaculate, 1 p.m.

Morristown at Morris Knolls, 2:30 p.m.

Delbarton at Pope John, 2:30 p.m.

Jefferson at Morris Hills, 2:30 p.m.

Park Ridge (4-0) at Emerson (5-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

The North Jersey Interscholastic Conference is the only conference in New Jersey with a regular season system that leads to an overall conference championship game. With four 7-team divisions, the first six weeks of the regular season are intra-division games, then the four division winners meet in a Final Four style format. But really, the playoffs begin this week as these two undefeated teams play and the winner claims the Patriot Division title and spot in the Final Four to play Hasbrouck Heights (the other semifinal will pit New Milford and Rutherford). All eyes should be on Cavos running back Ryan Shaw, who has missed most of the last two games with an ankle injury. Last year Emerson edged Park Ridge, 27-20, and oh, these two schools also co-op in multiple sports, adding even more to the match-up.

Bergen Catholic (4-1) at St. Joseph Regional (4-1), Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

Before there was Don Bosco Prep, these two teams were the Big Two powerhouses in North Jersey and connected by the fact that Tony Karcich coached at Bergen Catholic for three years before leading the Green Knights. Saturday, St. Joseph will christen its home football field “Tony Karcich Field” before the game, and then two of the best teams in North Jersey will play….and likely play for a while. Four of the last six meetings have gone into overtime, in 2016, the teams played a double overtime thrillfest that included two blocked field goals that could have won the game. They have split the last six meetings.

Friday

Ridgefield Park at Pascack Valley, 6 p.m.

River Dell at Dwight Morrow, 6 p.m.

Passaic Tech at Kennedy, 6 p.m.

Ridgewood at Paramus, 6 p.m.

Fort Lee at Lakeland, 6:30 p.m.

West Milford at Wayne Valley, 6:30 p.m.

Teaneck at Ramapo, 6:30 p.m.

Butler at Dunellen, 7 p.m.

Lodi at Rutherford, 7 p.m.

Palisades Park/Leonia at Waldwick/Midland Park, 7 p.m.

Secaucus at New Milford, 7 p.m.

Harrison at Lyndhurst, 7 p.m.

North Arlington at Hasbrouck Heights, 7 p.m.

Park Ridge at Emerson, 7 p.m.

Bogota at Wallington, 7 p.m.

Bergen Tech at Hackensack, 7 p.m.

Eastside at Clifton, 7 p.m.

Memorial at Passaic, 7 p.m.

Mahwah at Pascack Hills, 7 p.m.

Ramsey at Dumont, 7 p.m.

North Bergen at Irvington, 7 p.m.

Cliffside Park at NV/Demarest, 7 p.m.

St. Peter’s Prep at Don Bosco, 7 p.m.

DePaul at Paramus Catholic, 7 p.m.

Passaic Valley at Wayne Hills, 7 p.m.

Pequannock at Caldwell, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Indian Hills at Fair Lawn, 1 p.m.

Northern Highlands at Bergenfield, 2 p.m.

Garfield at Manchester, 2 p.m.

Elmwood Park at Pompton Lakes, 2 p.m.

Tenafly at Long Island Lutheran, 2:30 p.m.

Becton at Saddle Brook, 2:30 p.m.

Wood-Ridge at St. Mary, 2:30 p.m.

Bergen Catholic at St. Joseph, 2:30 p.m.

West Deptford (3-1) at Haddonfield (5-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

Tyshawn Bookman, Ken Lim and TJ Hoyt lead the Eagles, who have to be in high spirits after three consecutive wins. It’s unlikely any team is on a loftier cloud than the Haddons. They dethroned then-No. 1 St. Joseph on the road Saturday, 22-15. Coach Frank DeLano admitted experience against the Wing-T offense of West Deptford brought familiarity that helped aid the cause. DeLano last saw the Eagles run it in December when Haddonfield took a come-from-behind 21-17 win in the Group 2 title clash. That marked the final matchup with longtime adversary Clyde Folsom. Coach Jay Morrell will get his first crack at the big game Friday.

Timber Creek (2-2) at Millville (2-3), Friday, 6 p.m.

Friday’s 16-15 heartbreaker of a loss to Gloucester Township-rival Highland may have hurt in the bragging rights’ column, but this one matters more for the Chargers’ divisional hopes in the WJFL Continental. Creek’s faced some growing pains, but a win here and most of that’s forgotten. The Thunderbolts took their lumps in the first three games but have now cobbled together a two-game streak. Some think they’re the group to beat in SJ Group 4. Solomon DeShields’ 90-yard kickoff return set the tone in a 32-7 blowout of Cherokee last week. There’s a Group 1 subtext within this affair on the sidelines – Creek’s Rob Hinson and Millville’s Dennis Thomas each coached Salem. Hinson in 2005; Thomas in 2013 and 2014.

St. Augustine WR, Jaylen DeCoteau (9) runs for a short gain against St. Joseph. The visiting Wildcats rolled past the Hermits 30-8 on Friday, September 14.

St. Augustine (3-2) at Rancocas Valley (3-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

For the second consecutive week, the Hermits took a game some believed would be a nice test and turned it into a runaway victory. At previously-unbeaten Ocean City, Prep rolled to a 38-6 result. Jaylen DeCoteau is a dangerous weapon, proven again by his two touchdown grabs versus the Red Raiders. The Hermits can’t peek forward to the big test of No. 6 Holy Spirit next week. They need this one to keep pace with Williamstown atop the American Division. RV’s offense gets plenty of credit with quarterback Bryce Mangene and his targets Danny Kondras and Cerome Hill. On defense, linebacker Jesse Eadric is a force at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds. He thumps in the run game with long levers that help on the rush and in pass lanes.

Shawnee (2-2) at Woodrow Wilson (5-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.

The lone non-divisional matchup on this list. Coach Tim Gushue’s Renegades took a step back on the right path when they doubled up Moorestown last week at home, 42-21. Quarterback Joe Dalsey racked up more than 300 total yards and six scores in the tilt. The obstacle grows this week with the top-ranked Tigers. Nick Kargman went over 2,000 yards for the season in a blowout and Stanley King grabbed nine passes for 253 yards and three scores last time out against Seneca. The most-recent matchup between these two came in 2001 in Medford. That marked the first night game ever for Wilson and ended up a 13-6 Tigers’ win. Coach Preston Brown played on that team, an eventual unbeaten sectional champ and No. 1 team in South Jersey. The Tigers lost in Week 2 of the next season, the last time they sat atop the rankings prior to Sunday.

Friday

Eastern at Atlantic City, 6 p.m.

Gloucester at Buena, 6 p.m.

Timber Creek at Millville, 6 p.m.

Triton at Cherry Hill West, 6 p.m.

St. Augustine at Rancocas Valley, 7

Pennsauken at Seneca, 7

Deptford at Sterling, 7

West Deptford at Haddonfield, 7

Haddon Heights at Lindenwold, 7

Audubon at Gateway, 7

Camden Catholic at Delsea, 7

Kingsway at Hammonton, 7

Washington Twp. at Holy Spirit, 7

Clearview at Burlington Twp., 7

Highland at Moorestown, 7

Paul VI at Winslow, 7

Ewing at Delran, 7

Bordentown at Florence, 7

Bishop Eustace at Cinnaminson, 7

Woodstown at Pennsville, 7

Penns Grove at Schalick, 7

Maple Shade at Clayton, 7

Absegami at Bridgeton, 7

Collingswood at Overbrook, 7

Riverside at Robbinsville, 7

Mainland at Oakcrest, 7:30 p.m.

Cherokee at Williamstown, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Northern Burlington at Pemberton, 11 a.m.

Pleasantville at Gloucester Catholic, 11 a.m.

Glassboro at Salem, noon

Vineland at St. Joseph, noon

New Egypt at Holy Cross, 2 p.m.

Shawnee at Woodrow Wilson, 2 p.m.

Cumberland at Cherry Hill East, 2 p.m.

Woodbury at Paulsboro, 2 p.m.

Wildwood at Haddon Twp., 2 p.m.