Post 566 – Bull Session Week Two

The first weekend of the 2020 season has come and gone and Friday night felt weird, Saturday afternoon more normal, and Sunday afternoon felt like a Sunday afternoon game we have experienced without many fans…..Lakeland had to prepare for three teams in their first outing last week. They were originally scheduled to play Sparta before they had a COVID problem, followed by Ramsey, who also had their last minute issues, before settling on Westwood…..It may not be a vintage Westwood team, but they are very optimistic about the next few years. They have a good sophomore class and possibly a better freshman class. The Cardinals currently have seven positions filled by sophomores: three on offense and four on defense….. One of the games that rarely disappoints is Haddonfield-West Deptford. Two of the best small schools in New Jersey, Haddonfield won Friday night, 17-16…..Memorial had a late rally to beat Dickinson, 36-32. I am told it was a great game to watch and it is part of the Super Football Conference’s newly added Ivy division for struggling programs. This is a good example for competitive games these programs need…..Two programs who had good wins for their programs last weekend are Winslow and Nutley, beating Camden and Newark West Side, respectively…..I had a change of plans for Saturday afternoon, as I will be headed to the bucolic campus of Delbarton for their game against DePaul…..One player to watch in that game is Delbarton’s Gary Lewis, possibly their most electrifying player since Jermaine Pugh in 1999. Check out his Hudl video…..A player to watch in the next two years is Bergen Catholic’s Ryan Butler. This is a player who does everything well and he will make some headlines…..Kudos to Northern Highlands backup QB, Kyle Major. Subbing for the injured Enzo Arjona, Major threw a touchdown pass in the second half and ran for one in the fourth quarter as the Highlanders beat Hackensack, 28-19…..For St. Joe’s (Montvale), the two players who stand out on the field are running back Audric Estime and linebacker Frankie Monte. Estime is one of the state’s best backs, while the same can be said about Monte’s play at linebacker…..On another note at St. Joe’s (Montvale), I have complained about invocations before Catholic school games get too long-winded. This week at Joe’s, it was approximately 30 seconds – much better. It could still be a little shorter, but I hope it’s a step in the right direction….. I heard Red Bank Catholic played very well in their 10-3 win over a tough Mater Dei team…..Holy Spirit beat St. Joe’s (Hammonton), 18-6, in a rematch of last year’s state final…..Woodrow Wilson beat Shawnee battle between South Jersey Group 3 and Group 4 champions, respectively…..Pleasantville beat Cedar Creek, 21-19 in a game between very good Group 2 programs in South Jersey…..When I saw Cedar Creek last year, the player who opened my eyes was wide receiver Jojo Bermudez, currently a junior. Like Lewis at Delbarton, Bermudez can fly…..Hillside won its fifth straight over Bernards since 2017 last Saturday. Since 2018, Bernards is 16-5, but 0-4 against Hillside…..Back to Bergen Catholic, They have one talented front four on defense with senior Tywone Malone, junior Dominick Brogna, and sophomores DJ Samuels and Sydir Mitchell. Imagine if they still had Tyler Booker, who transferred to IMG in Florida…..That’s it for this week. I will be back next week with some more bull!