With the regular season wrapping up for most teams–sans for a few Thanksgiving matchups–three NJAC teams headed into Week 9 with the hopes of avoiding adding a blemish to their perfect records. This week we focus on the three remaining unbeatens: Delbarton Stops West Essex 45-0 There's been a pretty simple recipe to Delbarton’s success on the football field this season: run the football, play good defense, and avoid turning the ball over. And with ingredients like quarterback John Shaffer, running back Jamie White and linebacker Dennis Bencsko–a trio that accounted for five touchdowns in the …

Snow, snow and more snow. On a weekend marred by snow, cold weather and power outages, Week 8 of the NJAC football season brought with it an excuse for some of us to forget about our weather related issues and just enjoy some good old fashioned smash mouth football. This weekend was a big one, for a number of reasons. First, for most teams battling for playoff positioning, this was their last chance to earn some extra power points. But with the pre-Halloween snowstorm, teams were forced to battle the weather in addition to the opposition.  Pequannock Solves Mountain Lakes In possibly its …

With another exciting NJAC football weekend on the books, we’re going to change things up a bit and take a look at some of the most exciting and impressive individual performances from Week 7. Simms, Joyce Lead Par Hills Par Hills headed into its Week 7 matchup against division rival Randolph on Friday night needing a win to stay in contention in the ever-competitive American Division. At the end of the night, Par Hills earned its fourth win of the season stopping Randolph, 33-23, according to the Daily Record. Just as has been the case in each of the Vikings’ wins this season, quarterback …

Week 6 of the NJAC season was full of excitement, milestones and continued winning streaks as one coach reached an impressive milestone, another club extended long winning streak and one player out-witted everyone else on the field. Hennelly Earns Career Win No. 100 For the West Morris football team, Friday night’s 26-14 win over Roxbury wasn’t just the team's fifth win of 2011. It wasn’t just a terrific fourth quarter performance. And it wasn’t just a win that helped the Wolfpack continue its impressive play this season, seating them comfortably in second place in the American Division. …

With Week 5 the mark of the unofficial second half of the high school football season, every matchup, whether divisional or not, carries with it a little more significance, as teams get set for a push for the playoffs. Carter Leads Colonial Assault In our Week 5 preview, we highlighted the Morristown Colonials coming off back-to-back losses to Par Hills and Randolph, heading into this week's matchup against Morris Knolls. It was in that preview that we noted the importance of running back Zac Carter, who seemingly disappeared in the second half of Morristown’s Week 4 loss to Randolph, …

Anytime rivals go head-to-head, there’s more at risk than just a win or a loss. This weekend was a prime example, as some big-time blowouts and come-from-behind victories carry with them heavy consequences heading into the second half of the NJAC football season. Kinnelon Continues its Winning Ways After a Week 1 loss to Hopatcong, Kinnelon has assembled three straight wins, including an 18-14 victory over rival Pequannock Friday night in a game that had serious ramifications within the division. Even with the divisional implications, the Colts continued to produce at a high level this …

While still early in the season, this past weekend was a defining moment for many NJAC teams, as some colossal matchups were highlighted by wet weather, exciting games and some shocking results. Week 3's Biggest Upset It may have been the weekend’s biggest NJAC upset as Par Hills dominated previously unbeaten Morristown, 31-13. Led by quarterback Tyler Simms’ 200-plus yard, four-touchdown day—including a 76 percent completion percentage—the Vikings swarmed the usually stout Morristown defense to the tune of 19 first-half points. While the offense was rolling, the Par Hills’ defense …

Just as everyone hoped, Week 2 of the NJAC football season delivered with tons of great matchups. For some teams, this weekend was a way to right the ship early in the season. For others, getting to 2-0 was attained, and done so in grand fashion. Butler defense stays stingy After a 7-3 record in 2010, Butler head coach Jim Matsakis came into this season wondering were his Bulldogs rebuilding, or just reloading? “We’ve got a lot of maturity coming back, but I guess that’s the beauty of high school football,” he said during a preseason interview. “You never know what you have until the first …

While some teams entered this season with the goal of repeating as champions, others headed into 2011 with a chip on their shoulder, unwilling–or unable—to erase specific losses from their memories. No matter what the motivation, Week 1 of the NJAC football season started with a bang, as upsets, drubbings and nail-biters highlighted the football weekend. For two straight years, the Delbarton Green Wave have seen their season end at the hands of state power Pope John. Last season’s 21-13 loss in the first round of the Non-Public, Group III playoffs left Delbarton looking for immediate …