Post 974 – Bull Session Week Five

A few weeks back, I said how good it was to see a couple of guys back in the high school football game in Jimmy Cavallo and Joe Hofmann. One I missed was Scott Stump, the Shore Conference journalist who is now with former Barnegat Boach Rob Davis with the Shore Football Report …..With three teams in the state named Eastside or East Side, I noticed the two  Eastsides won exciting games by two points each: Camden Eastside beat Willingboro, 14-12 and Paterson Eastside beat Ridgewood, 12-10….I like to attend Bergen Tech games on Thursday night home games. Granted, their home games are in one of the county parks on the Lyndhurst/North Arlington border and Bergen Tech is based in Hackensack. They have not been good in recent years, but myself and Jim Avitable have gone to these games. There is an innocence that some of high school football has lost over the years. They are a better team this year, but have recently run into injuries. The scene is livelier this year with a student body section, a few parents lined up behind the fence, and a busier concession stand, etc. Next Thursday, I will attend their game against Pascack Hills….There are high school bands that are good, but some of them play slow show tunes or whatever it is they play. I get bored by it and it’s a shame for the kids in the band who have to play them. It’s like Jeb Bush: low energy! That is one reason I look forward to seeing Clifton playing Passaic Tech this weekend. One is the football game itself and another is getting to see the Clifton band. Easily one of the state’s best bands, if not the best, they are as entertaining as the game itself and play with high energy….My two public school number-ones lost this weekend and hopefully, I don’t become something like the Sports Illustrated jinx. Groups 3-4-5 number-one Irvington lost to Union City, 19-15, and Groups 1-2 number-one Salem lost to Woodstown, 7-6….One barnburner was Hopewell Valley’s 34-32 win over Nottingham….Kevin Pacan of Cherokee made a name for himself Friday night. He started out this year as the third-string running back, but injuries to the top two forced him into action against Williamstown and he proceeded to rush for 229 yards and three touchdowns….Haddonfield stayed undefeated by beating West Deptford, 14-7. West Deptford is 1-4, but they have lost to Woodbury, Camden, Paulsboro, and the aforementioned Haddonfield, staying competitive in all but one of those games. Salem comes up soon for them and many Group 2’s would struggle with that schedule….Courtesy of nj.com, there were some impressive individual performances last week. In the passing department, Ayden Shansey of Burlington City was 19-26-413-4 and Sparta’s Austen Frattura went 19-22-317-3. On the rushing side of things, Kyon Barnes of Cumberland rushed for 293 yards and 4 touchdowns on 18 carries. Others were Anthony DiLascio of Hasbrouck Heights going 22-285-3, Stefano Montella of West Morris getting 253 yards and 4 touchdowns on 29 carries; Kwinten Ives of Palmyra gaining 252 yards and 4 touchdowns on 21 carries; and Westwood’s Jack Dugan rushing for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 carries – all in the second half ….Monday night featured a game between Lincoln and Shabazz, with the game featuring three defensive touchdowns from Lincoln’s Nay’son Randolph scored three defensive touchdowns: one on an interception and two on fumble recoveries, with one of them a fumble he forced….That’s all for this week! I will be back with more bull next week!!