North 1, Group 4
(1) Roxbury 10-1 vs. (7) East Orange 6-4
Brian Kenney's Pick: Two words "Baker the Touchdown Maker" Yes, more than two words, but whatever. Rox rolls by 10
Dennis Jones' Pick: I've been telling you these two teams were on a collision course since Week 7. Only I thought they would meet in the quarterfinals not in the State finals for the North 1 Group IV Championship. This is a perfect matchup for a site like this. Two old IHC-Iron division rivals playing for all the marbles. The Gaels have won five of the last three meetings between the two schools. EO won its first State Championship two years ago, and Roxbury won in 1998 on a controversial touchdown for a one point win. Both teams have a D1 ready two-way linemen. Roxbury's Angelo Mangiro and East Orange's Chris Woods are both imposing figures on the OL/DL. Roxbury has dominated opponents this year. They easily defeated North Bergen and Fair Lawn by identical 42-7 scores. MLB Robert Wallace is the motor on this powerful Roxbury defense. Sean Moore, Kevin Baker, and Chris Biank will be out to make things tough on this speedy Jaguar offense. RB by commitee approach has worked all season with Rich, Biank, and Baker sharing the running duties and Parker Gordon under center moving the chains with his legs and arm. For Roxbury to win this game they must play ALL facets of the game. Offense, Defense and Special Teams. East Orange can score points using all three. Trailing 7-0 in the 2nd quarter, Damien Thomas blocked a punt and Roy Petty picked it up and ran 47 yards for a TD. They soon forced a fumble and took advantage of the good field position to go ahead 14-7 and never looked back. Later in the game, Najee Williams returned two INT's for TD's to put the game away. The Jag's are one hard hitting defensive team. Receivers pay a heavy price catching anything over the middle. Their weakness is sustaining enough offensive momentum to keep their drives going and keep their defense off the field. This is Roxbury's title for the taking and I think they will need to be up by at least two touchdowns to feel comfortable in the fourth quarter. In the end East Orange will play hard, but will fall to costly mistakes. Roxbury's only loss this year came against a Sparta team that almost knocked off the mighty Wayne Hills Patriots two weeks ago. Roxbury is just too good this year. My pick: Roxbury 28-14
George Muha's Pick: Here is all the scouting report you have to know about this game. The fastest guy on Roxbury is fast as the slowest guy on E.O. E.O. will come out and try to get Roxbury to play long ball with them. If the Gaels get suckered into playing basketball down the field with these guys they’ll be in trouble. But don’t think E.O. is all flare and no fight. Chris Woods runs a 4.4 forty and is the size of Justin Tuck, only he’s meaner. Damien Thomas plays like a college senior. I personally think this is the Gaels biggest test of the season. Ball control will be key for both teams. To me the key to this game is the Roxbury secondary. I know Angelo “Blind Side” Mangiro and Trevor “Me Eat You Now” Bartol have the ability to control the ball…even against Big Daddy Woods. But this game begins and ends with Eric “No Mercy” Guerci, Ryan “Rumor Has It” Roumes and Chris “He Hate Me” Meringolo. In fact, I have a message for these guys: Okay, listen. I know General Wallace will be calling defensive plays. But for your assignments, just look at me in the stands. I’ll be wearing a throwback Brandon Beal jersey. Be prepared because I’ll be calling a lot of prevent defenses for you secondary guys. Let Wallace and the gang run the plays the coaches call, but we’ll be running our secondary a little differently. My secret play will be when I show you two thumbs up. That means we are blitzing the entire secondary. Some of the plays may sound a little crazy, but I will ask that you just trust me. Actually, forget all that bunk! Just go out there and bring us home a ring boys! We’re all behind you fella’s! Goooooooooooooo Gaels! PICK: Roxbury by 7Rocky & Sherm's Pick: Roxbury 31-EO-28Will Harrigan's Pick: There is so much at stake in this game. A State Championship, a school record for wins, the difference between a dream season & dissapointing one. All of this is on the line for Roxbury in this game. No group deserves to bring it home more than these groups of seniors, who have put in countless hours of hard work to erase the memory of the trainwreck that was the 2007 season. As they play their final game, the turnaround is nearly complete, the program coming full circle in just two years is one victory away. It won't be easy though. Chris Woods is a monster up front for the Jags, and sophomore QB Justin Laroda has matured very quickly over the course of the season. But the difference between this Roxbury teams and past ones is the secondary, which East Orange haunted the Gaels for years with. Chris Meringolo can run step for step, if not faster, than the Jaguars' Damien Thomas. Ryan Roumes has been great at the other corner spots, and Eric Guerci continues to be a hard-hitter in the middle of the field. Combine this Biank and Baker's legs, Parker Gordon's Arm, and Robert Wallace's bone rattling hits, and you got your self a good chance. I like Roxbury to win, setting off a massive celebration mid afternoon at the Meadowlands. Pick: 27-20 Roxbury

North 1, Group 1
(1) Mt. Lakes 11-0 vs. (3) Butler 10-1
Brian Kenney's Pick: The Lakes are alive, with the sound of a beating. PICK: The Lakes by a baker's dozen.Dennis Jones' Pick: The first ALL-NJAC State Final game. These two independence division opponents have been battling for first place all season long. On Oct. 31st Mt Lakes handed Butler their only loss of the season. It was a hard fought 14-7 loss in which Butler QB Peter Brand connected with WR Andrew Turzilli for 5 catches 106 yards and a 21 yard TD. The 6'5" Turzilli (48 catches for 888 yards, 11 TDs) frequently went up and over the Mt Lakes defenders for catches. If Butler can find away to get Turzilli the ball in space he can eat up chunks of yardage in a hurry. The Bulldogs want to spread the field and create running and passing lanes for the agile Brand who lately has found as much success running the ball as he has throwing for first downs. (Brand 152-of-242 passing, 2,466 yards, 25 TD, eight INT, 51 carries for 258 yards, four TDs) He'll have plenty of help on the ground from Keith Damiano and Ryan Lowery. And if Turzilli draws too much attention, WR Ed Demarchi (48 catches for 847 yards, eight TDs, 73 tackles, four interceptions) will step up and deliver a big play. There is no secret to what Mt Lakes wants to do when it has the ball. Of the 467 offensive plays they ran this year, 402 of them were running plays!! Yet you cannot stack the line of scrimmage against them becuase you must respect the big play ability of QB Scott McWilliams (39-of-56 passing, 781 yards, 10 TDs, four INT, 35 carries, 314 yards, four TDs. The biggest story of this game is the return of Kevin Ryan (76 carries, 761 yards, 16 rushing TDs, 14 catches for 350 yards, six TDs, 26 tackles) who gets a chance to end his HS football career the right way after suffering two ACL injuries cutting short his sophomore and junior seasons. He returns to play in the title game after watching from a wheelchair last year. In the earlier meeting between these two teams, Mt. Lakes found ways to blitz Brand and forced him to hurry some throws. Bogota came out throwing on them in the semi-finals and the Herd was up to the test. This should be an entertaining game, but based on the erlier meeting and recent game results, I'm going with Mt. Lakes to keep their winning streak alive. My Pick: The Herd 22-8George Muha's Pick: This game is impossible to pick. If there is ever a game that I want both teams to win, its this one. You cannot help to root for Butler coming off an O’fer season and making it to the State Finals. Did that ever happen before does anyone know? But you also cannot help root for Kevin Ryan and his comeback from not one, but two ACL surgeries. Did you ever see someone recover from an ACL surgery? It’s brutal. This kid did it twice. But there is nothing these two teams don’t know about each other. I think this is how it will break down. If Butler goes into this thing with a loose, nothing-to-lose type of attitude, they’ll be in the driver seat. I never have seen an offense that spreads the field like these guys. If they can get the Herd playing on their heels, this game is theirs. However, if Mt. Lakes comes into this game in their usual business like fashion, I don’t see them losing. I want to root for the underdog (probably because I never won anything), but I think the Herd continues their win-streak. PICK: Mt. Lakes by 10Rocky & Sherm's Pick: ML 21-Butler 20Will Harrigan's Pick: This is what high school football is all about. Mtn. Lakes needed runs by Kevin Ryan and Jack Nagle to hang on to the 14-7 win. This was the first close game the Herd had seen in two years, and I think this could turn into a great rivalry with the NJAC being formed. Butler has completely turned around their program, going from 0-10 to 10-1. The Bulldogs feature two big play threats. Quarterback Peter Brand is a dual threat that can break down a defense and can run and score at anytime. Who's his target when he throws the ball? Andrew Turzilli, a 6'5 D-1 wideout going to Lawrence next year to play for Kansas. He will be crucial toward the outcome of this game The key to this game is the revenge factor. I love the fact that Butler is trying to avenge the October 30 loss and bring home a title to complete the improbable turnaround. PICK: Butler by 3

North 2, Group 3
(4) Passiac Valley 7-3 vs. (2) West Morris 9-2
Brian Kenney's Pick: West Morris is going to take it to the house in this one. PICK: The Valley goes down by 12Dennis Jones' Pick: Both these teams are led by outstanding RB's. Passaic Valley's Dom Coiro (201 carries, 1460 yards, 15 TD's) and WMC's Michael Burton (187 carries, school record 1,635 yards, 19 rushing TD's, 10 catches for 143 yards, 2 receiving TD's, 2,250 all-purpose yards) Passaic Valley's defense is its main strength with players like Max Wassel (83 tackles, 1 INT, 1 blk punt), Dan Webb and Brandon Spinella can all cause havoc on the defensive side of the ball. Against Irvington, the defense came up with 6 turnovers by six different players and won 17-8 in an upset. For West Morris it begins and ends with the play of Michael Burton. Thier offensive line can take alot of credit for the big lanes Burton is able to drive thru each week. Herbie Skinner, Christian Truglio, Kelvin Veras, and Jeremy Brown are the invisible faces that get it down week after week for the Wolfpack. WMC won its last Section 2 Group 3 championship in 2004 and they get another this week. Pick: West Morris 31-12George Muha's Pick: I got one question. What parking lot section is the WMC tailgate party for this game? And can I buy a youth Michael Burton jersey for my 7-year old son and an XL Herbie Skinner jersey for myself? If not, I’ll have to wear my throwback Kevin Barnes jersey. In all seriousness, every once in a while I share a quote with a team to motivate them. This one, I have been saving up for a long time. Now is the perfect time. This is what I want you to do Wolfpack; just say this over and over in your head until kick so you are just ready to kick it: “Maybe a good rule in life is never become too important to do your own laundry.” - Barry Sanders Oops, that is not it but that is not a bad one to remember either. Here it is (this is seriously one of my favorite quotes of all time): “Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!” Rocky Balboa Speaking to his son in Rocky Balboa (2006) PICK: WMC by 20 (prove me right Wolfpack!)Rocky & Sherm's Pick: In a fit of crazed hackdom we happily welcome you you to our final Magical Misery Tour of the 2009 football season. And while we’ve often wondered what the world would be like if there were no hypothetical questions, we’ll confine ourselves to echoing the noted philosopher Jerry Garcia and opining “What a long strange trip it’s been.” Passaic Valley (7-3 and fourth seeded) enters its first sectional title game since 1996, when first-year coach Al Cappello was a sophomore on the team. This year’s edition of the Hornets, which allowed a miserly single touchdown in each of its two first two playoff games, has a reputation for swarming to the ball and making big, game-changing fumble recoveries and interceptions. Linebackers Dom Coiro, Anthony DiSanti, Dan Webb, and Max Wessel are the solution to everything except eczema and anchor the PV defense, which also benefits mightily from the contributions of defensive tackle Tom Romeo, defensive end Brandon Spinella and defensive back Rob Moran. Even though they’re unrelated, when the Hornets have the pigskin, watch relations between quarterback Matt Coiro and tailback Dom Coiro (1,460 yards and 15 TD’s this season and who ran for a mere 320 rushing yards in a regular-season contest against DePaul). Rocky, a tiny fellow of exceeding dignity and baldness who by day works as a door-to-door door salesman, observes with a mucilaginous chuckle that it’s an open-and-shut case that if the Valley needs to deploy an air attack, favorite targets include dangerous wideout Mike Governali and the versatile, multi-talented DiSanti, who also handles field goals and shares PAT duties with Ryan Pavelchak. Third-seeded West Morris (9-2) has outscored its opponents 92-7 in each of its two playoff contests and we sense its “Six Big Men” (aka Herbie “Dancing With the Stars” Skinner, Gerardo “Lunchtime” Antoniello, Jeremy Brown, Chris Truglio, Kelvin Veras, and Dylan “What?” D’Alessio) are itching to bang the gong and get it on against the Hornet defensive juggernaut. Although we can’t sing the praises of the switched on and smashing efforts of Mike Burton, Tom Cabarle, and Shane Thompson on both sides of the ball any more than we have all season, Sherm, who ate a mound of meat the size of a poodle on Thanksgiving Day, notes that quarterback Mark Rosenbaum is the somewhat unheralded glue that makes things stick and kicker Connor Young improves every week. We happen to think Passaic Valley is a far better team than generally given credit for by the hoi polloi. That being said, as the palindromic Robert Trebor anagramically observes: “The eyes they see.” Look for the Wolfpack to howl. PICK: WM 28-PV-18Will Harrigan's Pick: West Morris is back in the final for the first time since '04. How did they get there? Simple, on the ground. I witnessed West Morris simply outclass Nutley two Saturday's ago by just running the ball around the corner on the Raiders. I saw Burton break a tackle or two into touchdowns quite a few times. I honestly don't expect to see Valley have a good answer for Burton on defense. I do expect the Hornets' ground game to put points on the board as well. But, as Wolfpack lineman Jeremy Brown reminded all of Morris County last week, West Morris made me look silly the last two weeks being off 92 points after I picked them to lose (twice), which I must give them credit where it is do. So Mr. Brown and the rest of my growing fan club over at West Morris, I am picking you guys to get it done in this one!! Pick: West Morris by 10

How We're Doing in the Playoffs

Brian: 13-6 (68%)
Dennis: 14-5 (73%)
George: 14-5 (74%)
Rocky & Sherm: 16-2 (84%)
Will: 13-6 (68%)

The All NJAC Sports Center Awards will be posted the week after the State Finals. Send us who you think should be honored by emailing us at awards@hsjox.com