Thursday, December 08, 2011

New Jersey Schools Vote Down Proposal to Create Overall State Football Championship

by Jeff Fisher
New Jersey High School Football Huddle

Discussion on creating a new playoff system that would crown an overall group champion in the Garden State will have to wait until at least 2013.

A proposal to change the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association constitution, so that its member schools could consider a plan for expanding the playoffs to include an overall group champ, didn't receive the necessary two-thirds votes at the NJSIAA's 94th annual business meeting.

The proposal needed 190 votes, but only received 167.  102 schools voted against and three abstained, which means the matter cannot be presented again any sooner than 2013.

Had the membership ratified the change to the constitution, the state would then have considered a plan to expand the playoffs that was being spearheaded by East Brunswick head coach Marcus Borden and Brick athletic director Bill Bruno.

Back in May, I spoke to both Borden and Bruno on the National High School Coaches Association Sports Hour about the plan.  Click here to listen to that interview.

Don Bosco Prep Finishes #1 in Final Star-Ledger High School Football Poll

by Jeff Fisher
New Jersey High School Football Huddle

After 46 straight wins and six straight Non-Public Group IV titles, there's no surprise that Don Bosco Prep finishes #1 in the Star-Ledger Top 20 High School Football Poll.  It's the 8th time that DBP has finished as the newspaper's #1 team.

Finishing behind the Ironmen was Bergen Catholic, which suffered two of its three losses at the hands of the Ironmen.

Don Bosco isn't finished though...there's a very good chance that the Ironmen will be crowned national champs in the next few weeks considering they are currently ranked #1 by MaxPreps and USA Today.

Final Star-Ledger Top 20

1. Don Bosco Prep (11-0)
2. Bergen Catholic (8-3)
3. St. Joseph (Hammonton) (10-0)
4. St. Joseph (Montvale) (10-2)
5. Wayne Hills (11-1)
6. Timber Creek (12-0)
7. Piscataway (11-2)
8. Delbarton (11-1)
9. Pennsauken (11-1)
10. Montclair (11-1)
11. Red Bank Catholic (10-1)
12. East Orange Campus (9-2)
13. Sayreville (10-2)
14. Elizabeth (9-3)
15. South Brunswick (10-1)
16. Holy Spirit (8-3)
17. Camden Catholic (10-1)
18. West Deptford (11-1)
19. St. Peter’s Prep (7-4)
20. North Bergen (8-4)

Saturday, December 03, 2011

North Bergen Sends Legendary Coach Out on a Memorable Finish

by Jeff Fisher
New Jersey High School Football Huddle

North Bergen head coach Vin Ascolese's 50-year coaching career came to an end in an incredible way on Saturday in the North Jersey I, Group 4 championship game.

Underdog North Bergen stunned previously unbeaten Montclair 14-13 when Debray Tavarez caught a 22-yard touchdown pass between three defenders with no time left on the clock.

Ascolese retires as New Jersey's third winningest coach with a career record of 359-128-7.  The title was the seventh for the 74-year old coach at North Bergen.

New Jersey High School Football Scores - Playoffs/Championships

New Jersey High School Football Scores
Saturday, December 3, 2011

Playoffs
Championships

North Jersey 1, Group 4
North Bergen 14 Montclair 13

North Jersey 1, Group 3
Wayne Hills 15 Old Tappan 12

North Jersey 1, Group 2
West Essex 26 River Dell 14

North Jersey 2, Group 4
Piscataway 41 Elizabeth 34

North Jersey 2, Group 3
Cranford 27 Parsippany Hills 0

North Jersey 2, Group 1
Cedar Grove 34 Weequahic 21

Central Jersey, Group 2
Matawan 3 Rumson 0

Central Jersey, Group 4
Sayreville 23 Manalapan 11

Central Jersey, Group 3
Neptune 47 Steinert 28

Central Jersey, Group 1
Asbury Park 42 Florence 18

South Jersey, Group 3
Timber Creek 33 Hammonton 7

South Jersey, Group 2
West Deptford 22 Haddonfield 14

South Jersey, Group 1
Glassboro 41 Pennsville 13

Non-Public, Group 3
St. Joseph (Montvale) 38 Delbarton 9

Non-Public, Group 1
St. Joseph (Hammonton) 51 St. Mary (Rutherford) 0

Don Bosco Prep Wins 6th Straight State Championship

by Jeff Fisher
New Jersey High School Football Huddle

There was a lot of hopes in Kentucky and South Carolina that #1 Don Bosco Prep would trip-up against its arch-rival Bergen Catholic in the New Jersey Non-Public Group IV championship.

A loss by the Ironmen would open the door for #2 Trinity (Kentucky) and #3 Gaffney (South Carolina) to have a shot at claiming MaxPreps' "mythical" national championship.  Of course, both would have to grab gold this weekend themselves.

Well, DBP wasted no time showing why it deserves its second national title in three years.  Head coach Greg Toal's team never struggled like it did in its September 30th regular season match-up against BC, rolling to a 42-14 win, which gave the school its sixth straight state title and pushed its win streak to 46 straight.

In the September 30th game, Bergen Catholic took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter before losing 33-22.



BTW...Trinity did its part by beating Scott County 62-21 Friday night to capture Kentucky's 6A title.  This afternoon, Gaffney will take-on Byrnes for South Carolina's Class AAAA Division I title.

Click here to read the game story from last night's DBP victory.

Friday, December 02, 2011

New Jersey High School Football Scores - Playoffs/Championships

New Jersey High School Football Scores
Friday, December 2, 2011

Playoffs
Championships

North Jersey 1, Group 1
Pompton Lakes 20 Glen Rock 0

North Jersey 2, Group 2
Madison 47 Summit 7

South Jersey, Group 4
Pennsauken 55 Millville 34

Non-Public, Group 4
Don Bosco Prep 42 Bergen Catholic 14

Non-Public, Group 2
Holy Spirit 51 Camden Catholic 7
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