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GMC FOOTBALL: Greg Tufaro's Week 3 picks and analysis

Greg Tufaro
@GregTufaro

Friday (all games 7 p.m.)

No. 5 Colonia (2-0) at Perth Amboy (0-0): Following a season-opening loss to Middletown North, during which the Panthers endured injuries to starting quarterback Albert Thomas and running back/linebacker Larry Johnson, Perth Amboy used a much-needed bye-week to get healthy. Both players will return from high ankle sprains. In Johnson's absence, Deyonte McMillian carried 13 times for 45 yards. The Panthers have dropped 19 of their last 20 games. Colonia, which won last year's meeting 40-6, is simply a balanced and well-oiled machine, performing exceptionally well on both sides of the ball. Running back Sam Pero (47 of the team's 66 carries for 336 yards rushing) and quarterback Tenny Adewusi (281 yards passing) have accounted for 87 percent of Colonia's yards from scrimmage and have had a hand in 6 of the team's 9 touchdowns. Pharoah Napolean is Colonia's leading receiver (7 catches, 130 yards, 3 TDs). Linemen Jim Becker and Michael Quinn have totaled five pancake blocks. Linebackers Raul Cardona (23 tackles) and Solomon Manning (17 tackles) anchor a defense that has allowed 10.5 points per game. Colonia has defeated Bishop Ahr (35-14) and J.F. Kennedy (26-7). Colonia 28-6.

No. 8 New Brunswick (1-1) at No. 10 Carteret (1-1): The Zebras rebounded from a heartbreaking 24-21 loss on a 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds left to J.F. Kennedy with a stunning 21-19 victory over South Plainfield. Quarterback Trevon Blakey was brilliant, completing 5 of 8 passing for 142 yards and two scores. He has been the perfect complement in the wing-T to gifted running back Maurice French, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of New Brunswick's games and totaled four touchdowns on the year. After opening the year with a hard-fought 14-7 win over Woodbridge – a game in which the Ramblers were penalized 19 times for 125 yards, Carteret endured a 31-6 loss to Long Branch in a rematch of last year's Central Group II quarterfinal. Carteret's usually stout defense allowed 238 rushing yards. The Ramblers, by contrast, have rushed for just 293 yards over their first two games. After falling behind 24-0 in the third quarter, Carteret was forced to the air. Quarterback Nelson Baez has completed 11 of 35 passes for 130 yards this season. He connected with Brandon Gilder for his team's lone score against the Green Wave. The Ramblers must find ways to get the ball in the hands of Gilder, their best all-around player. Sam Kamara and Michael Nowak lead the team with 16 tackles apiece. New Brunswick 15-14.

No. 9 South Plainfield (1-1) at No. 7 J.F. Kennedy (1-1): After opening the year with a resounding 36-14 victory over defending White Division champion St. Joseph, the Tigers turned in a comparatively lackluster performance in a 21-19 loss to New Brunswick. Look for South Plainfield to get back on track offensively behind the running of Zaire Cone, the play of gifted wideout Johnny Chillemi and with Kyle Dickerson and Jason Lee at quarterback. The Mustangs opened the year with a 24-21 win over New Brunswick on Matt Scalia's field goal with 10 seconds remaining, but dropped a 26-7 decision at division-leading Colonia last weekend. Quarterback Andrew Roberts completed 14 of 24 passes for 144 yards in defeat. Just as St. Joseph misses graduated tailback Matt Olivo, the Mustangs similarly miss Anthony Roberts, as their ground game has yet to get on track. South Plainfield 23-16.

Point Pleasant Boro (2-0) at Bishop Ahr (1-1): After being knocked out of action with an injury early in the team's season opening 35-14 loss to Colonia, quarterback David Holder returned to complete 6 of 8 passes for 127 yards and two scores, including a winning 47-yard touchdown pass to Tim Howard in a 19-18 victory over Woodbridge. Bishop Ahr's defense will face a stern challenge against Point Pleasant Boro's triple-option flexbone, which quarterback Jack Fitzsimmons has run with precision. Bishop Ahr ran triple option for the second half of last season, so the team is familiar with the offense. Point Pleasant Boro went 1-9 a year ago after compiling a brilliant 70-29 record over the nine previous seasons. A team that allowed 27.8 points per game last fall has allowed just nine points and one touchdown in victories over Pinelands (17-6) and Donovan Catholic (21-3). Both of those schools are a combined 1-5. Point Pleasant Boro 17-16.

Saturday

No. 4 Old Bridge (2-0) at No. 3 South Brunswick (2-0), noon: The Home News Tribune Game of the Week pits dynamic triple option offenses against one another. While Vikings quarterback Amir Johnson sometimes lines up behind center, counterpart Mike Gargano operates almost exclusively out of the gun. Old Bridge has spread the offensive wealth among eight rushers and five receivers while rolling to impressive wins over North Brunswick (28-0) and Edison (41-7). Gargano (14 of 25 for 185 yards and 3 TD on the year) has yet to rely heavily upon running back Myles Williams (194 all-purpose yards through two games). Rangy 6-foot-4 wideout Tyler Hopman is among the league's best. South Brunswick has looked even more impressive on offense, averaging 312.5 yards on the ground and 75.5 more through the air. Unlike Old Bridge, however, the Vikings have relied predominantly on Johnson and Syracuse commit Dontae Strickland. The duo have had a hand in 64 of the team's 92 plays from scrimmage with Johnson accounting for 221 total yards and Strickland amassing 470 more. With the possible exception of Penn State commit Myles Hartsfield (Sayreville), Strickland has simply been the league's top offensive performer. Phil Campbell and Matt Golden anchor South Brunswick's defense with 16 tackles apiece. The Vikings have defeated a quality Middletown North team (36-24) and J.P. Stevens (46-20). South Brunswick 21-20.

East Brunswick (0-1) at North Brunswick (0-2), 1 p.m.: The injury riddled Bears used a bye week to heal from a 48-0 season-opening loss to Piscataway. The Chiefs recorded 18 hits behind the line of scrimmage in that game. After outgaining Old Bridge 248-239 in total yards from scrimmage in a season-opening 28-0 loss to the Knights, North Brunswick endured a 48-12 loss to Sayreville. Max Emmanuel had a breakout game with 119 yards and one TD on 10 carries, while quarterback Kevin Poindexter remained efficient with 7 of 10 passing for 84 yards (Poindexter has completed 19 of 26 passes for 207 yards on the year). North Brunswick has committed three turnovers without registering a takeaway and has allowed 756 yards from scrimmage against two exceptional offenses. North Brunswick 21-13.

Dunellen (1-1) at Metuchen (2-0), 1 p.m.: With three outstanding players in the offensive backfield, Dunellen proved it was much better than the two scores it put on the board in a 28-14 season-opening loss to Spotswood with an impressive 50-38 victory over Mater Dei. Wingback Rob Young rolled up 240 yards on the ground, while quarterback David Johnson and wingback Nassan Anderson added 100 more apiece. Metuchen proved its defensive effort in a 9-0 season-opening victory over South River was no fluke with a 34-6 drubbing of perennial Central Jersey power Asbury Park. Linebacker Joe Cammarano anchored the defense with 13 tackles, while end Devin Miller recorded 14 tackles (three for a loss) and two sacks. Quarterback Jake Lebovitz and running back Danny Briggs, who rushed for 100 yards last weekend, provide offensive balance. The play of wideout Tyler Valovcin, who complements standout Evan Collier, has enabled Metuchen to not skip a beat with the move of Briggs to the backfield. Dunellen won last year's meeting 34-18, but the Bulldogs are vastly improved. Metuchen 19-18.

Middlesex (2-0) at South River (1-1), 1 p.m.: The Blue Jays, led by lineman Jack Sweeney (10 tackles, 4 for a loss), were impressive on defense in last weekend's 14-6 victory over defending Central Group I champion Point Pleasant Beach. Fullback Matt Hode rushed for more than 100 yards for the second straight game and quarterback A.J. Abate kept the defense honest out of the triple option, completing his only pass of the day (a 33-yarder) to set up his own 1-yard TD run. After opening the year with a 9-0 setback to Metuchen, South River got back on track offensively in a 26-12 win over Keyport. Running back Mario Nigro had a breakout performance, rushing 21 times for 116 yards a score. South River's defense is stellar. Punter Richie LeoGrande must help the Rams win the field positon battle and Nigro must duplicate his performance of a week ago if South River is to emerge victorious. South River 14-13.

Highland Park (0-2) at Spotswood (1-1), 1 p.m.: After impressing on offense in a 28-14 season-opening win over Dunellen, the Chargers dropped a 10-0 decision to Shore, an excellent defensive team. Quarterback Ryan Smolin (217 passing yards) and running back Chase Fee (231 rushing yards) have accounted for 448 of the team's 501 yards from scrimmage. Fee has had a hand in 40 of the team's 99 plays from scrimmage. Highland Park, which has gone 0-15 over the past five years against Shore Conference opponents, endured a heartbreaking 22-20 loss to Keansburg last weekend. Rookie quarterback Ryan O'Shea had a breakout game, completing 14 of 20 passes for 165 yards. The Owls are vastly improved from a year ago when they dropped a 45-8 decision to the Chargers. Spotswood 28-13.

Woodbridge (0-2) at Colts Neck (0-2), 1 p.m. The Barrons, along with New Brunswick, are among the GMC's most improved teams. After opening the year with a 14-7 loss at Carteret, Woodbridge endured a heartbreaking 19-18 loss to Bishop Ahr. Quarterback Tracy Fudge (10 of 18 for 157 yards) and running back Nate Lanier (239 yards from scrimmage last weekend) have impressed. Colts Neck has lost to Howell (20-16) and Red Bank (38-6). Much has changed at Colts Neck since the team set a school record for wins (10-2) and reached its first NJSIAA sectional final, falling 26-15 to Brick in Central Group IV last year. The graduation-depleted Cougars have a new coach, a new set of starters and are competing in a new division. Rookie coach Pete Shaw has implemented a spread attack that features junior quarterback Max Mullaney, senior running back Abdul Quddus and senior Christian Sanchez, last year's starting quarterback who has variety of roles in the offense. Colts Neck 17-16.

No. 1 Piscataway (2-0) at Edison (0-2), 2 p.m. The Chiefs dominated on defense in last weekend's 24-14 victory over Monroe, which used two big plays (an 80-yard kickoff return and a 60-yard pass) to account for its scoring. Piscataway recorded 10 plays for negative yardage (including a safety on a snap that sailed over the punter's head and out of the end zone). Piscataway limited preseason All-Area running back Akeer Franklin to nine yards on 10 carries. Monroe finished with minus-15 rushing yards on 16 attempts. The Falcons went three-and-out on eight drives and committed two turnovers, the biggest of which was Tyrell Bush's third-quarter interception near midfield after Monroe had just closed a 17-0 deficit to three points. Piscataway has yet to give up a first-half first down this year. Edison has not clicked on offense, falling 35-14 to Monroe and 41-8 to Old Bridge. Freshman quarterback Hazziq Daniels has shown promise. Piscataway 30-6.

No. 6 Monroe (1-1) at J.P. Stevens (0-2), 2 p.m.: Monroe's linemen, who played both offense and defense, impressed in last weekend's 24-14 loss to Piscataway. The Falcons, however, must get their running game on track. Akeer Franklin has rushed for just 86 yards this season. Against Piscataway's active front four, quarterback Stephen Karoly did not enjoy the same success he had (240 passing yards) in a 35-14 season-opening victory over Edison. The Hawks began the year with losses against No. 1 Sayreville and No. 3 South Brunswick. They have been outscored 88-27. Monroe 28-15.

No. 2 Sayreville (2-0) at Manalapan (2-0), 6 p.m.: One of the most intriguing games in the state pits perennial powers against one another. Manalapan has reached a sectional final each of the past three years, falling to Sayreville in the 2011 Central Group IV championship game. The Bombers had their string of three consecutive sectional titles thwarted with a 34-7 loss to Manalapan in last year's Central Group V semifinals. Sayreville features Penn State commit Myles Hartsfield, one of the state's most dynamic offensive players who has already amassed 425 all-purpose yards and eight TD on the ground. The Bombers, who also feature Linwood Crump in the backfield, are averaging 401 rushing yards per game. Rookie quarterback Jayson DeMild has been efficient, completing 8 of 19 passes for 165 yards and two TDs without an interception. Sayreville defeated winless J.P. Stevens and North Brunswick by a combined 90-19 score. Similarly, Manalapan has yet to be tested, with its wins by a combined 92-0 margin over schools (Marlboro and Freehold Township) with a combined 1-5 record. Imamu Mayfield paces the offense with 269 yards and five TDs on 24 carries. Ben Sieczkowski (10 tackles) anchors the defense. Sayreville 23-22.