There will be West Orange’s vaunted defense which has posted five shutouts and allowed just one touchdown in the past four games, and that was in a 54-7 blowout over Barringer.
Now the second-seeded Mountaineers (8-1) host third-seeded Piscataway (7-2) in Friday night’s North 1, Group 5 sectional semifinals appearing to be a much better squad than the one which was shelled 35-0 at Suriano Stadium in a 2024 sectional semi.
Coach Darnell Grant’s 10th ranked West Orange squad (8-1) has a host of top defenders having banner seasons including Rutgers commit and elite edge rusher Sydney Padilla (8 sacks, 9 TFL, 2 Int. for TDs), senior linebackers Dylan Adams (47 tackles) and Xavier Davis (38 tackles, 2 Int.) and junior DB Kolbi Turner (26 tackles, 2 Int.).
Then there is always gritty West Essex (9-1), the top seed in North 2, Group 3, which continues to overcome injuries with perseverance, toughness and clutch players such as senior quarterback Gaetano Iavarone who returned to action last weekend after missing nearly three full games and bulled his way into the end zone in a critical juncture of the fourth quarter as the Knights held off a persistent Weequahic, 10-6.
Next up for Wessex is fifth-seeded Montville (7-3) which is no stranger since the Knights traveled to face the Mustangs in the season opener back on Aug. 29 and won fairly easily, 27-13.
However, Montville is playing much better football of late and is coming off a solid 23-13 triumph at fourth-seeded River Dell and features one of the top power backs in North Jersey in senior Clement Hofbauer who had 41 carries for 229 yards and 3 TDs vs. River Dell.
Other sectional semifinals involving Essex County teams will include matchups you won’t see very often if at all such as fourth-seeded Irvington (6-4) at top-seeded Ramapo (6-3) in West Orange’s N1G5 section, or third-seeded Phillipsburg (7-2), which like Ramapo made the jump up to Group 5 from Group 4 this season and makes the trip east on Saturday to take on second-seeded East Orange Campus (7-2) in a N2G5 semifinal.
Three other Friday night sectional semifinals will include third-seeded Rutherford (9-1) at second-seeded Caldwell (8-1), as the Bulldogs who won a close contest with a talented sixth-seeded Hillside Comets squad in the first round, will look to spring the upset against a Chiefs team that features one of North Jersey’s better aerial attacks with junior QB Aaron Sepe and a bevy of first-rate wide receivers including seniors Santino Russo and Nico Sozio and junior Dante Placenti.
State-ranked and third-seeded Shabazz (8-1), which was moved up to Group 3 from Group 2 this season, travels to face second-seeded Cranford (8-1) in an attractive N1G3 semifinal at Memorial Field in Cougar country.
The Bulldogs are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, while Cranford has a strong arsenal of quality players and one of the best coaches anywhere in longtime head man Erik Rosenmeier.
Rounding out the sectional semifinals involving Essex County squads will see fourth-seeded Wood-Ridge (8-2) from Bergen County facing an enormous task as it travels to meet top-seeded and 2-time Group 1 state runner-up Cedar Grove (8-1).
