New Jersey football coverage: Week 1

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NEW JERSEY FOOTBALL PREVIEW CENTRAL

MSG Varsity provides scores, recaps, stats, columns, video highlights and photo galleries from around the Garden State in Week 1:

Sunday, September 9

MID-STATE 38

Johnson 14, North Plainfield 7

Anthony Travisano scored two touchdowns in the first half on Friday and the Crusaders defense came up with clutch plays in the second half Sunday to carry Johnson in North Plainfield. The game was suspended after one half to do lightning storms. Travisano scored twice in the second quarter, going in on a 5-yard run and a 56-yard punt return. Anthony Fischetti spoiled North Plainfield's last-ditch rally effort with an interception to end the game.

Voorhees 19, Warren Hills 7

Daniel Barone passed for two touchdowns and Nicholas Ruggerio carried for one to lead the way for Voorhees in Glen Gardner. Voorhees had led, 12-0, when the game was suspended Friday night due to lightning storms. It was resumed Sunday.

Other scores:

Union 48, Bridgewater-Raritan 7

Delaware Valley 44, Roselle 14

Saturday, September 8

BIG NORTH

Gilman (Md.) 13, Don Bosco Prep 6

Quarterback Shane Cockerille recorded a 1-yard touchdown with 4:27 remaining in the fourth quarter and Gilman (Md.) upset defending national champion Don Bosco Prep, 13-6, on Saturday evening at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. The Ironmen entered Week 1 as the No. 1 team in MSG Varsity's Tri-State Top 25 poll. Don Bosco’s last loss came on September 13, 2008, when St. Xavier of Ohio walked away with a 17-10 win. The two longest winning streaks in the tri-state area were snapped in a 24-hour span. St. Anthony of Long Island had its 29-game run halted by fellow North Jersey powerhouse Bergen Catholic. Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks opened the scoring for Don Bosco by plowing through for a 1-yard touchdown run with 8:36 to go in the first quarter. However, Micah Kiser, a Virginia commit, evened things up when he intercepted Frank Nutile’s pass attempt and ran 68 yards for the score.

Full article: Don Bosco's remarkable streak comes to an end

Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.) 14, St. Joseph Regional 10

Kendall Fuller hauled in the go-ahead 94-yard scoring strike with no time on the clock in the third quarter and the Good Counsel defense strung together a tremendous web of frustration for St. Joe’s in a 14-10 victory. The Green Knights, No. 3 in the MSG Varsity Tri-State Top 25, fell out of its usual offensive rhythm in the second half and was never able to recover in the rain-soaked MSGVarsity.com Livecast showdown. Mark Fossati booted a 29-yard field goal and Jeff Farina scored from 3 yards out in the first quarter for St. Joseph. Clemson-bound running back Dorian O'Daniel notched a rushing touchdown for the Falcons, who improved to 2-1.

Full article: Green Knights can't muster rally against Maryland powerhouse

Paramus Catholic 36, Delbarton 23

After a three and out and a botched punt made the score 2-0 Delbarton in the first three minutes it wasn't looking so good for Paramus Catholic. However, two Jabrill Peppers touchdowns cut a 16-0 score to a two-point game before half and it was the momentum shift Chris Partridge's club needed. In Peppers' highly magnified debut, the Paladins rode that wave through halftime and came away with a 36-23 victory on Saturday afternoon. Keyon Washington also scored for the Paladins. Peppers added a 67-yard touchdown run in the fourth but the issue was still in doubt until Saleem Brightwell picked off a Mike Bicknese pass with two minutes left and Delbarton trailing 29-23.

Full article: Peppers dazzles Delbarton in PC debut

Ramapo 48, Passaic Valley 7

Ramapo used a 20-point first quarter to easily cruise by Passaic Valley, 48-7, in the season opener for both teams on Saturday. The Green Raiders took the first step toward establishing themselves as a legitimate contender in North 1 Group 3. Junior quarterback Anthony Lovecchio -- a Bergen Catholic transfer -- threw two touchdown passes, and senior running back Skylar Amador rushed for a touchdown and caught another.

Lakeland 42, Tenafly 7

Senior running back Dave Shellhammer had 201 rushing yards and two touchdowns as Lakeland blew by Tenafly, 42-7, on Saturday. The Lancers built a 22-point lead by halftime. Senior quarterback Cory Caddell notched rushing touchdowns of 35 and 49 yards in the third quarter.

Other scores:

Bergenfield 28, Demarest 27

Hackensack 33, Fair Lawn 12

Passaic Tech 59, Passaic 20

West Orange 20, Teaneck 9

GMC

Dunellen 23 , Metuchen 21

Deon Brown, Rob Young and Dylan Hoski each scored one touchdown and Tony McGuane kicked a 32-yard field goal to lead the way for Dunellen in Metuchen. Hoski's 34-yard run early in the fourth quarter opened a 23-14 lead. Zahir Powell ran 19 times for 82 yards and scored on runs of 33 and 1 yards for Metuchen, which had fallen behind, 17-6 in the first half. Daniel Briggs had a 14-yard scoring run in the third quarter for Metuchen. There were just five passes thrown the entire game, with Dunellen's Casey Wenzel completing both his attempts to Brown for 50 yards. Hoski led the rushing game for the Destroyers with 88 yards on 11 carries.

South River 35, Highland Park 0

Senior quarterback Wyatt Boyler passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third in South River. The Rams built a 21-0 lead in the opening half behind a 6-yard pass from Boyer to Bobby Applegate, a 3-yard run by Boyer and a 3-yarder by Doug Ryan. Ryan was the top rusher on the day with 20 carries for 142 yards.

JP Stevens 34, Marlboro 26

Junior running back Chiekuba Chukwuneke rushed for 194 yards on only 11 carried and scored all of his team's five touchdowns to propel J.P. Stevens in Marlboro. He broke off TD runs of 70, 89, 4 and 16 yards and sealed the game for the Hawks with a 96-yard interception return that opened a 34-18 lead in the fourth quarter.

Colonia 27, Iselin Kennedy 0

Sophomore running back Sam Pero was splendid in his first start for Colonia, carrying 21 times for 195 yards and three touchdowns in Colonia. His surprising performance had to have Patriot fans feeling better about the graduation of 2011 rushing star Greg Jones. Colonia raced to a 27-0 lead in the first half, getting runs of 13, 57 and 3 yards by Pero and a 4-yard TD run from Trent Barnes.

Spotswood 40, Middlesex 13

Junior running back Jack Dalrymple ran 19 times for 164 yards and three touchdowns to power the Chargers' offense in Spotswood. He scored on runs of 7 and 3 yards in the first quarter and put the finishing touches on his fine day with a 55-yard TD in the fourth. Kyle Brady scored both touchdowns for Middlesex on runs of 3 and 8 yards.

HCIL

St. Peter’s Prep 31, McDonagh (Md.) 6

Trejon Dinkins started SPP's season off with a bang, taking the opening kickoff 88 yards to the house and the Marauders never looked back. Dinkins would follow that up with 83-yard touchdown run before the first quarter was even out. McDonough began to drive after receiving the second-half kickoff but Brian Githens snatched an interception and took it for six, effectively ending McDonagh's afternoon. Jon Hilliman wrapped up the scoring in Annapolis with a rushing touchdown.

Montclair 21, North Bergen 6

Senior running back Michael Million was too much for North Bergen, and his 212 yards on 22 carries pushed Montclair past the Bruins on Saturday. Million would follow up North Bergen's only touchdown drive with a 51-yard score and would effectively ended the game when he scored his second touchdown with 1:26 to play in the game.

Full article: Montclair avenges title-game loss against North Bergen

Bayonne 17, Sparta 7

Jake Melville led the way for Sparta with two scores on the ground as Sparta cruised past Bayonne 17-7 on Saturday. The Spartans' secondary had three picks on the day, including two from Tommy Keller and one from NIck Shalala. 

Hudson Catholic 48, Newark Academy 7

Ravon Floyd-Bennett and Jalen Carter each had a pair of rushing touchdowns as Hudson Catholic cruised past Newark Academy, 48-7 on Saturday. Hudson Catholic racked up a 28-0 lead before halftime in head coach Lou Zampella's debut.

Marist 40, Immaculate Conception 0

Senior quarterback Kevin Parker tossed three touchdowns as Marist easily defeated Montclair Immaculate 40-0 on Friday night. D'Ondre Robinson had 160 yards of total offense and scored once through the air. Aaron Smith had 106 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Knights.

MID-STATE 38

Roselle Park 21, Pingry 20 (OT)

Pingry erased a 14-7 deficit in the fourth quarter, but fell in OT in Roselle Park. Tim Landers led the Pingry offense by hitting 7 of 10 passes for 140 yards and three touchdowns. Brian Matthews ran for 162 yards and a TD and Jordan Andre rushed twice for scores to lift Roselle Park.

Summit 41, Somerville 7

A.J. Iarussi rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns and fellow senior Ky're Negron churned out 132 yards and scored twice to guide the Hilltoppers' offense in Summit. Iarussi, who had 10 carries, helped Summit to a 34-0 lead in the first half with scoring runs of 13 and 15 yards. He broke off a 43-yarder in the third quarter. Negron aided the early surge with a 1-yard TD reception from Tyler Carbone and a 16-yard scoring run.

Rahway 32, Hillside 6

Justin Becker and Gabriel Gross each ran for a pair of touchdowns to spark the Indians in Rahway. Becker scored twice on runs of 2 yards and Gross went in on runs of 4 and 7 yards.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood 20, Gov. Livingston 13

Scotch Plains-Fanwood rallied from a 13-0 deficit behind the play of junior QB Owen Monahan in Scotch Plains. He sparked the comeback in the third quarter when he hit Robert Mrozek with an 11-yard TD pass to Robert Mrozek and connected with him on a 25-yard play early in the fourth quarter for a 14-13 lead following the PAT by John Murphy. Dein Rice finished the scoring for Scotch Plains with a 19-yard run in the fourth. Ryan Jennings had two rushing touchdowns for Gov. Livingston.

NJIC

Pompton Lakes 48, Emerson 2

Corey Flynn caught a pair of touchdowns from Rob Meyers, while Dane Torres added 92 yards and two scores to pace Pompton Lakes against Emerson on Saturday. Keith Lopez had a scoop and score for Pompton Lakes, which dominated throughout.

Other scores:

Saddle Brook 32, Lodi 7

New Milford 19, Bogota 14

St. Mary 33, Cresskill 21

NJAC

Madison 36, Dover 6

Madison extended its win streak to 26 games with a convincing 36-6 victory over Dover. Justin Goodwin nearly cracked 300 yards on the day on just 16 carries and scored three times. Carson Lassiter threw for a score and added another on the ground.

Seton Hall Prep 45, Morristown 38

Senior QB Peter Burkly hit Kevin Taylor on an 8-yard scoring pass to rally the Prep in the second overtime period in Morristown. The Colonials fumbled on their second play of the second OT and Sean Morrison recovered for Seton Hall to end the game. Burkly completed 13 of 18 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns in his first start after playing behind Sean Maguire, now at Florida State. Taylor caught six passes for 126 yards and two scores. Kamau Dumas paced the ground attack for Morristown with 213 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. Seton Hall forced OT when Burkly hit Frank Maldonado on a 4-yard pass to close to within 32-30 with 21 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Burkly hit Taylor with the conversion pass to tie the game.

Other scores:

Boonton 21, Morris Catholic 14

Mountain Lakes 47, Hopatcong 16

Parsippany Hills 30, Morris Hills 12

West Morris 34, Morris Knolls 7

SHORE CONFERENCE

Long Branch 18, Manasquan 13

Joscil Jackson made one heroic play after another on both sides of the football and helped Long Branch escape with an 18-13 victory over Manasquan in the season opener for both teams on Saturday. Besides motoring for 184 yards on 15 hauls, Jackson came up with big stops on defense. Manasquan, which relied heavily on its own ground game, one that yielded 249 yards on 48 carries, closed to within 12-7 on Joe Fittin’s four-yard scoring run with 10:25 left in the fourth. But Jackson rose to the occasion yet again, smothering Manasquan fullback Mike Ariante for a one-yard gain on fourth and two. Three plays later, Jackson burst through a hole on a power up the middle and raced 64 yards into the end zone to increase the advantage to 18-7 with 4:32 remaining.

Full article: Jackson helps Long Branch win season opener

Asbury Park 36, Keyport 7

Junior quarterback Robert Barksdale threw for 109 yards, including a pair of touchdowns to classmate Daquane Bland-Bennett, and sophomore running back Shaheim Tillman added 183 yards rushing, highlighted by a 94-yard TD run, as the Blue Bishops triumphantly unveiled their sparklingly-renovated stadium.

Red Bank Catholic 47, Red Bank 0

Michael Cordova rushed for two touchdowns and Jesse Flaherty added another on the ground as Red Bank Catholic, No. 11 in the MSG Varsity New Jersey Top 15, relied heavy on its mighty running attack. 

Lakewood 23, Freehold Boro 13

Senior Tyron Wimberly ran for a touchdown and returned an interception for another to pace Lakewood to its first season-opening win in seven years.

Keansburg 27, Mater Dei 18

Keansburg got two timely fourth-quarter touchdown jaunts from senior quarterback Ryan Kurtz, who totaled three in the game for the Titans. Keith Malave, a senior running back, added a touchdown in the victory for Keansburg, which went 1-9 last season.

Colts Neck 14, Toms River East 7

Senior quarterback Mike Campbell found senior running back Gio Zefferino on an eight-yard TD pass with just over a minute remaining in regulation to break a 7-7 tie for Colts Neck. Campbell also tossed a 43-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Tim Vangelas.

Other scores:

J.P. Stevens 34, Marlboro 26

Point Pleasant Boro 27, Monmouth Reg. 14

SUPER ESSEX

West Side 34, Bergen Tech 0

Erick Pressley rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries to propel West Side for Halim McNeil's first coaching victory at Untermann Field in Newark. West Side was 0-9 last season, McNeil's first at the helm, and had great difficulty scoring with a young, inexperienced offense. Such troubles were behind the Roughriders at least for one day. Shanei Hawkins completed 6 of 8 passes for 115 yards, hitting Jorge Campbell three times for 100 yards and a TD. Michael Jenkins and Shameek Johnson each added a scoring run for West Side.

Newark Central 19, Paterson Eastside 10

Taji Williams passed for 134 yards and three touchdowns and Gerard Gainer caught a TD pass and came up with three interceptions for the Blue Devils in Paterson. Jaquann Spann hauled in two of Williams' scoring passes, plays of 4 and 16 yards, to stake Central to a 13-0 halftime lead. Gainer hooked up with Williams on an 8-yard TD play in the fourth quarter. Central's defense held Paterson Eastside to 100 total yards and forced eight turnovers, six on interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Gainer caught five passes for 97 yards to go along with his three picks and Spann added two interceptions. Rajohn Shiggs had four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

Other scores:

Montclair Kimberley 21, Morristown-Beard 14

West Orange 20, Teaneck 9

St. Anthony (J.C.) 31, Glen Ridge 19

******

Friday, September 7

BIG NORTH

Bergen Catholic 59, St. Anthony’s (Long Island) 21

Jon Germano threw for four touchdowns and ran for one of his own as No. 2 ranked Bergen Catholic defeated MSG Varsity's No. 5-ranked St. Anthony's, 59-21. The Crusaders star quarterback shined in his season opener, completing 16 of 20 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 50 yards on six carries with a touchdown. The Friars' loss ended St. Anthony's 29-game winning streak, which had been the longest in school history. Jordan Gowins scored two touchdowns for St. Anthony's both on runs of 51 and 3 yards, respectively.

Full article: Germano, No. 2 Crusaders blow by No. 5 Friars

DePaul 33, Paramus 0

Running back Joe Moreno rushed for three of his four touchdowns in the first half and DePaul got off to a hot start in their season-opening, 33-0 victory over Paramus on Friday evening in an MSGVarsity.com Livecast showdown.Moreno got the Spartans started with a 1-yard touchdown plunge on the team’s first drive with 5:30 left in the opening quarter. The explosive senior then doubled the advantage with 37 seconds remaining. The second brought more of the same, as Moreno capitalized on a 20-yard scamper. The 2-point conversion try failed, but DePaul took its 20-0 lead – and complete command of the contest -- into halftime. Markey Clark added a 41-yard rushing touchdown midway through the third to balloon the Spartans’ cushion to 27-0 before Moreno punctured the opposition for a fourth time.

Full article: Moreno scores four, DePaul rolls past Paramus

River Dell 31, West Essex 7

Wayne Hills 56, Northern Highlands 7

Robby Schiller ran for 218 yards and two touchdowns, while and Miami-bound quarterback Kevin Olsen threw for 120 yards and two touchdowns as Wayne Hills cruised to a 56-7 victory over Northern Highlands on Friday. The Patriots did come out with a huge loss, though, as Olsen suffered a broken foot. It is believed he is out for the remainder of the season. Cristian Rodriguez added 114 yards and two scores on the ground for the Patriots. Bobby Brown scored in the fourth for the Highlanders.

Full article: Olsen to miss remainder of the season

Ramsey 28, Westwood 21

Quarterback Nick Dispoto threw for 161 yards and two scores and ran for 112 yards and another touchdown as Ramsey edged Westwood, 28-21, in the season-opener for both teams on Friday night. Dejan Adair added 42 yards and a score on the ground for the Rams, who took the first step toward matching last season's 9-2 clip. Dispoto notched the game-winning score when he connected with Brian McHale on a 54-yard touchdown pass in the second half. Craig Carmilani completed 18-for-30 attempts for 211 yards and two scores in the air for the Cardinals.

Other scores:

Old Tappan 46, Indian Hills 7

Mahwah 38, Pascack Hills 24

Pascack Valley 42, Clifton 0

Ridgewood 27, Kennedy 0

Wayne Valley 24, West Milford 12

GMC

Sayreville 35, Old Bridge 0

Deion Miller powered his team's strong, balanced ground game with 108 yards on just 11 carries and two touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Old Bridge in a Greater Middlesex Conference-Red Division clash at Lombardi Field in Old Bridge. The Bombers churned out 167 rushing yards in the second half and had 262 yards on 43 carries for the  game. Quarterback Isaiah Cureton was efficient through the air with 54 yards on 5-of-7 passing, while also running six times for 19 yards.

Full article: Miller steps in and carries Bombers to huge victory

Piscataway 32, Edison 7

Senior Keith Bates passed for 191 yards and four touchdowns in his first start and David Claybrook hauled in scoring passes of 38 and 82 yards to power the Chiefs, No. 9 in The Tri-State 25, in Piscataway. Bates was filling in four fourth-year starter Nadir Barnwell, who will likely miss the first three weeks of the season with a dislocated shoulder.

Edison snared a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 54-yard run by Dan Lordi, but Piscatway answered in the second with two TD passes by Bates for a 13-7 lead, a 15-yarder to Denzel Lockhart and a 25-yarder to Kyle LaPorte. Claybrook caught both his scoring passes in the third quarter, and Tyrell Judson (13 carries, 102 yards) capped the Chiefs' scoring with a 7-yard run in the fourth.

South Plainfield 27, New Brunswick 6

Anthony Torchia and Roemello Monroe paced a balanced running attack for South Plainfield in the head coaching debut of Gary Cassio in South Plainfield. The Tigers built a 21-0 lead in the opening half and did not yield a point until Najear Brown's 32-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter for New Brunswick.

Woodbridge 21, Perth Amboy 0

Zahneer Shuler, Brad Rayburn and Duquan Bailey each ran for a touchdown for Woodbridge in Woodbridge. The Barrons grabbed a 12-0 lead in the first half with Shuler's 5-yard run and a 2-yard run by Rayburn.

Carteret 49, St. Joseph 17

Jerod Johnson rushed for 170 yards on only nine carries and scored three first-half touchdowns to power the Ramblers in Carteret. Johnson clicked off runs of 57, 17 and 57 yards to send Carteret to a 28-0 lead and did not have a single carry after intermission. Even without Johnson, Carteret provided fireworks. Brandon Gilder opened the second half with a 95-yard kick return for a TD and teammate Dan SanFilippo later scored with a 45-yard interception return. Matt Olivo scored on runs of 19 and 20 yards for St. Joseph of Metuchen, a second-year program.

Other scores:

Monroe 44, North Brunswick 27

NJAC

Randolph 27, Pope John 18

After only 12 points between both teams in the first half the offenses came to life for Randolph and Pope John and the Rams celebrated the opening of their new turf field with a 27-18 win Friday night. Sean Murphy opened the scoring in the second half with a 35-yard touchdown grab and finished the day with 98 yards receiving. James Gangemi added the dagger with a 1-yard touchdown run with under a minute left to play.

Montville 14, Chatham 13

Senior Parker Meytrott scored twice and Brian Smith's two extra points sealed a narrow victory for Montville over Chatham Friday night. Junior quarterback Thomas Guida scored his second touchdown of the game on the ground to put Chatham ahead in the second quarter to put Chatham up 13-7 but the offense never got rolling in the second half and left the door open for Meytrott to score the game winner with 6:10 left on the clock.

Lenape Valley 35, Hackettstown 12

Nick Rafferty carried the load for Lenape Valley with 150 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns to lift Valley over Hackettstown 35-12 Friday Night. Mike Grieco had a huge night on the ground as well, Hackettstown couldn’t slow down the potent Patriots run game and Grieco went for 130 yards and a score himself. In a losing effort for Hackettstown Brian Wikkiser ran for 250 yards and two scores.

Mount Olive 26, Mendham 7

J.J. Moore paced the solid Mount Olive rushing attack with 21 carries for 133 yards and the senior scored three times to lead Mount Olive to a 26-7 victory over Mendham Friday night. It's a huge win for the Marauders after posting a 2-8 mark last season.

Kinnelon 14, Whippany Park 7

Connor Villante caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Seaon Robbins with under four minutes to play to give Kinnelon a huge opening day 14-7 win over Whippany Park. Robbins scored on the ground to open the scoring for Kinnelon and finished with 81 yards on the night.  Whippany Park's lone TD came Joe Stefanelli's 4-yard rumble.

Other scores:

Roxbury 33, Vernon 0

Jefferson 36, Newton 7

Butler 34, North Warren 7

Hanover Park 30, Parsippany 0

Wallkill Valley 40, Pequannock 0

SHORE CONFERENCE

Manalapan 30, Jackson 12

Manalapan struck its desired offensive balance to complement a gritty defensive showing and some big plays on special teams in a 30-12 victory over Jackson on Friday night in Jackson. Firkser hauled in five receptions for 154 yards. In a span of only seconds, he staked Manalapan, which avenged three straight season-opening losses to Jackson, to a first-quarter advantage it never surrendered. Firkser returned a punt 40 yards to set up Manalapan at its own 49 and on the very next play, slipped loose on a post where Mike Isabella hit him in stride for a 51-yard touchdown pass. The duo locked up again in the fourth. With Manalapan owning a 23-6 cushion, Isabella explored deep once more and found Firkser for a 52-yard TD grab that extended the lead to 30-6 with 3:58 remaining.

Full article: Firkser helps Braves win big on opening night

Rumson 13, Shore 10 (OT)

Junior Jake D’Amelio booted a 36-yard field goal in overtime and Rumson thwarted Shore’s ensuing possession to secure the triumph.

Neptune 41, Raritan 13

Ajee Patterson had some big shoes to fill entering the season and proved his feet can do some work. The senior quarterback picked up where 2012 graduate Jaheem Woods, who piloted Neptune to the Central Jersey, Group 3 title, left off, by scoring three touchdowns on the ground and another through the air to drive the Scarlet Fliers. 

Central Regional 29, Toms River South 26

Senior Austin DeRose kicked a 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left in regulation to lift Central. Javon Hardy scored on runs of 20 and six yards in the victory.

Brick Memorial 35, Brick Township 13

Brick Memorial erupted for 35 unanswered points to erase an early 13-0 deficit against its crosstown rival. Senior quarterback Ryan Cieplenski tossed a 21-yard touchdown to sophomore Joe Hans and scored twice on keepers for Brick Memorial.

Southern 28, Freehold Township 0

This contest was halted in the third quarter due to lightning. Senior running back Abe Gonzalez rushed for a touchdown and hooked up with quarterback Dan Higgins on a 15-yard scoring strike.

Jackson Liberty 21, Wall 6

Danny Niblak caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bob Davies to spark Jackson Liberty. Davies also connected with Matt Castronouva on a scoring strike that covered 40 yards and Jackson Liberty linebacker Bruce Almodovar returned an interception for a score. Jack Gifford, a junior, scored on a one-yard quarterback keeper for Wall.

Matawan 24, Bishop Ahr 6

Kevin Momat supplied big excitement for Bishop Ahr by opening the second half with a 90-yard kick return for a TD, but Matawan had already taken control of the game with a steady ground attack in the first half in Edison.Dan Incle, Glenn Cross and John Alston all scored on runs to stake Matawan to a 21-0 lead in the first half. Bishop Ahr had great trouble generating a consistent offense with the run game.

Other scores:

Holmdel 21, Barnegat 0

Point Pleasant Beach 48, Cardinal McCarrick 8

Ocean 30, Manchester Twp. 22

Lacey 58, Pinelands 8

HCIL

Hoboken 49, Memorial 0

Columbia 42, Kearny 6

Lincoln 27, Livingston 3

MID-STATE 38

Immaculata 37, Plainfield 8

Senior quarterback Antonio Natale displayed he full dimension of his skills with 140 yards rushing and three touchdowns and 116 yards passing in Somerville. He scored on runs of 1, 21 and 55 yards and he completed 6 of 14 passes.

Bernards 49, Dayton 14

Senior quarterback Devin Ray ran for three touchdowns and passed for three more to propel Bernards in Bernardsville. His sterling play overshadowed the fine performance of Dayton running back Anthony Cioffi, who broke off scoring runs of 55 and 52 yards in the first quarter. Ray also scored twice in the first quarter, though needed just one yard each time. He also had a 6-yard TD run in the third quarter. Ray hit John Maddaluna twice for 25-yard scoring plays in the first half and found the talented senior one more time for a 10-yard TD in the third. John Diamond scored on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter for Bernards.

Phillipsburg 42, Hillsborough 16

Dajuan Lee ran twice for touchdowns and Anthony Guarino scored once on the ground and once on a 77-yard pass from Tyler Troxell to lead the way for the Stateliners in Phillipsburg. Guarino had both his touchdowns in the first half to help his club open a 28-3 lead. Troxell, a junior, completed 7 of 14 passes for 140 yards in his first start and teammate Joe Mae ran 18 times for 84 yards and a TD.

Union 14, Bridgewater-Raritan 0 (1st quarter)

Jamauri Bogan got Union off to a fast start, but lightning delayed the rest of the season-opening contest. The game will resume on Saturday night.

Bound Brook 40, Manville 0

Jalen Wheeler completed 6 of 8 passes for 160 yards and four touchdowns as the Crusaders rolled in a weather-shortened game in Bound Brook. It was called after one half due to lightning storms in the area. Wheeler connected with Jack Welti three times for 83 yards and three TDs and also found Davian Williams on a 49-yard scoring play. Michael Johnson and Garry Roach each had a rushing TD.

Ridge 36, Montgomery 7

Nick Franzese scored two touchdowns and Conor Hughes threw for a score and returned an interception for a TD to lift Ridge in Montgomery. Franzese scored on a 40-yard run in the first quarter and hooked up with Hughes on a 15-yard TD pass in the second to help the Red Devils build a 21-7 halftime lead. Hughes contributed to the edge with a 33-yard interception return. Ryan Bell and Sean Menarquez each had a rushing TD in the victory.

Other scores:

Elizabeth 45, Westfield 6

Franklin 42, Hunterdon Central 41

North Hunterdon 13, Linden 12

NJIC

Hasbrouck Heights 27, Glen Rock 21

After coming off of an up and down 6-4 season a year ago Hasbrouck Heights got off to a fast start in 2012 with a 27-21 win over Glen Rock on Friday night.

Elmwood Park 26, North Arlington 20

Elmwood Park improved to 1-0 on the season with a slim 26-20 victory over North Arlington on Friday night. Both teams desperately wanted a win coming off tough seasons in 2011.

Lyndhurst 42, Wood-Ridge 6

Wood-Ridge won its last four games in 2011 but couldn't muster enough to keep up with high-powered Lyndhurst and fell, 42-6 on Friday night. Lyndhurst is looking to build off an 8-3 mark and a playoff exit a year ago.

Other scores:

Becton 21, Garfield 19

Secaucus 21, Park Ridge 6

Palisades Park 32, Hawthorne 26

Weehawken 47, Ridgefield 7

Rutherford 18, Waldwick 6

SUPER ESSEX

Cedar Grove 48, Ferris 12

Junior David Njuku showed his versatility with three TDs in different forms and the Panthers unleashed a balanced ground assault in Cedar Grove. Njuku scored on a 65-yard punt return, a 26-yard pass from Joe Slatttery and a fumble recovery in the end zone. Nine players carried for 221 yards for Cedar Grove, led by Mike Rowe with four carries for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Nutley 17, Belleville 12

Pete Russo scored on a 26-yard run in the third quarter to rally Nutley against its archrival in Belleville. The Maroon Raiders raised their lead in the longtime series to 49-19-4 and have claimed 15 of the last 16. Belleville opened a 12-11 lead in the first half with a 35-yard TD pass from Miguel Cosme to Aquil Ingram and a 2-yard run by Carlos Ruales. Nutley got a 2-yard scoring run from Mark Carnevale in the first quarter and a 31-yard field goal from Griffin Airey later in that period.

Weequahic 31, Orange 13

Senior running back Akrum Wadley ran 14 times for a career-high 220 yards and three touchdowns, all in the second half, to rally the Indians at Untermann Field in Newark. Wadley broke off a 50-yard run midway in the third quarter to pull Weequahic to within 13-12, then provided the lead with a 95-yard run later in the period and one for 20 yards in the fourth. Junior Kedar Clark carried nine times for 92 yards and two scores in his first start at QB for Weequahic. End Sidney Gopre spearheaded the defensive effort with 15 tackles. Safee Fisher threw a pair of touchdown passes for Orange.

Other scores:

Bloomfield 34, Irvington 0

Barringer 40, East Side 12

*****

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