Week seven and to borrow a phrase from the sport of kings, down the stretch they come. With the cutoff for playoff spots nearing, teams need to add precious power points in order to solidify their seeding.
Pequannock’s best chance for a win was last week against Madison and they fell, 24-0. This week Orange comes to play and they just lost to Lakeland 10-0. There could be many reasons for that, we’ll get into that in the Lakeland pick, but the thing the Tornadoes do have is speed. The Panthers will have to contend with that as well as the mounting pressure that comes with each loss. The questions as to when they are going to win can now be replaced by if they are going to win. I have been supporting them all season, and I still want to be there when they win. I just don’t think it’s this week, so the pick is Orange.
Butler travels to Madison to take on the Dodgers. After losses to DePaul and New Providence, the competition is more to their liking, but the Bulldogs, on the road, will probably not get this one. That means Halloween night, Butler and Pequannock will square off for what will be each team’s biggest game of the season.
Kinnelon has their biggest game of the year on Saturday at Verona. The Colts are unbeaten but in the playoff race, have 18 power points, putting them in seventh place. Problem is there are three teams with 17 points and with games against Newark Academy and Boonton, Group 1 schools with a combined 3-9 record, if they don’t get this one, Kinnelon can expect seven to eight addition points. That may get them in, but would put them at the seventh or eighth seed and that means Hasbrouck Heights or Glen Rock in the first round. This will be a close game but as long as the Hillbillies can’t do what everyone else has yet to do, stop Brian DeVeau, the Colts take this one but barely.
Lakeland plays Caldwell and with DePaul next week, the fear would be the Lancers might be looking ahead. But with the closer than expected score in the win over Orange, coach Tom McCormack has a great coaching point to use this week, that is, do not take anything for granted. Had they blown the Tornadoes out last week I would think of this game as a trap, not that they would lose, but play a bit off their norm. Last week’s game was that let down and I don’t see it happening two weeks in a row; they win this one, big.
Pompton Lakes faces an uncharacteristically struggling Hawthorne team at home on Saturday. The Cardinal defense pitched its third shut out of the year last week against Garfield. The passing game exploded and the running game was solid as well. PL will win this game, raise their record to 6-1 and secure a playoff spot. The next game, they go to Glen Rock where a win would give the Cardinals a top seed, but that’s for next week. This week they beat the Bears and make the playoffs.
West Milford had a tough loss, in OT, to Montville. This week West Orange is the opponent. The Mountaineers lost to PCT last week, a team which the Highlanders beat 14-0. History has been on their side winning four of the last five. A win here will be worth many power points and could vault the Highlanders into second or third place. They are quietly having a pretty good season and I think it continues this week.
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