The pinnacle: Preview the New Jersey high school football state finals

The state championship action will take place Nov. 29-Dec. 4 at both MetLife Stadium and Rutgers University

Quarterback Owen O'Toole will lead Rumson-Fair Haven against Shabazz in the Group 2 championship game on Dec. 4 at Rutgers University. / Tom Smith/TSP Sports Images

We have reached the pinnacle of the New Jersey high school football season.

Fourteen teams with state championship aspirations will play between Nov. 29 and Dec. 4 to win a championship in either one of the state’s five public groups or the two non-public groupings.

It’s a mixture of perennial powerhouses crammed with FBS talent and upstart programs looking for the biggest moment in program history. This is the third season that New Jersey will play to overall Group champions since the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association expanded the playoffs beyond just playing for sectional crowns.

Here’s what to watch for in each championship game.

Non-Public A

Bergen Catholic (10-1) vs. Don Bosco Prep (8-3), 8 p.m. on Nov. 29 at MetLife Stadium

Two of the fiercest rivals in New Jersey and two perennial powers will slug it out at the home of the New York Jets and Giants in a rematch of a regular-season game Bergen Catholic pulled out with a 24-20 comeback win.

Bergen Catholic has been the consensus No. 1 team in New Jersey all season, while Don Bosco Prep is No. 2. The Crusaders are trying to become the first team to win four straight state titles in Non-Public A since Don Bosco’s legendary run of six straight from 2006-11.

Dominic Campanile, Najee Calhoun and Bergen Catholic will battle Don Bosco Prep for the New Jersey Non-Public A state championship at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 29. / Chris Pedota / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bergen Catholic had to rally out of a 14-point hole to beat St. Joseph-Montvale 20-14 in overtime in the semifinals in their closest call against a New Jersey opponent all season. The Crusaders feature a balanced offense with 1,900 yards passing and 1,900 yards rushing, led by senior quarterback Dominic Campanile, a Holy Cross recruit who is the son of head coach Vito Campanile, and junior tailback Najee Calhoun, who has offers from Boston College, Duke, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and others.

Calhoun has 1,182 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns and has been playing his best football in the postseason with four straight 100-yard rushing games. He scored the game-winner in overtime in the semifinals. Bergen Catholic also boasts senior wideout Quincy Porter, an Ohio State commit who has 55 catches for 941 yards and 11 touchdowns, and 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman Chris Vigna, a Rutgers commit.

Defensively, Bergen Catholic is led by senior cornerback Naiim Parrish, a Minnesota commit, 6-foot-6, 270-pound junior defensive tackle Jermaine Kinsler, a four-star prospect, and safety Jordan Thomas, another four-star recruit.

Don Bosco Prep’s defense will look to get another stalemate at the line of scrimmage like in their first meeting, when they held Bergen Catholic to 73 yards rushing and Calhoun to just 55 on the ground. The Ironmen’s defense is led by sophomore defensive lineman Aidan O’Neil, junior linebacker Matt Occhipinti and senior defensive back Renick Dorilas.

Offensively, Deven Sisler has thrown for 1,516 yards and 20 touchdowns against only four interceptions. Junior Dante DelDuca (840 yards, 14 TDs) is the primary ballcarrier, while the sophomore tandem of Isaiah Alvarez and Zakai Murphy have combined for 88 catches, 1,106 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

Both teams will try to control the line of scrimmage with the running game, while Sisler is good at getting the ball out quick to his playmakers in space. The game-breaking Porter could swing things in Bergen Catholic’s direction with his ability to get yards after the catch.

Non-Public B

Pope John XXIII (5-7) vs. DePaul (10-1), 11 a.m. on Nov. 29 at MetLife Stadium

Pope John has made an inspiring run to the final as the No. 6 seed, but DePaul is the heavy favorite in this one. The Spartans are in their fifth straight state final and are looking for their second title in the last three seasons and their ninth in program history. DePaul beat Pope John 47-14 during the regular season.

DePaul features one of the more star-studded rosters in New Jersey, which includes senior wide receiver Elijah Burress, a Notre Dame commit and the son of former New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, as well as another Notre Dame recruit, senior Nolan James Jr., at running back.

Pope John XXIII head football coach Dom Gaston has his team in the Non Public B state final, despite a 5-7 record. The Lions will face 10-1 DePaul. / Tanya Breen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Senior cornerback DeShawn Stewart and senior wide receiver De’Zie Jones are both committed to Ohio State, and senior offensive lineman Michael Troutman is a Penn State recruit. On top of all that, junior quarterback Derek Zammit is a four-star prospect with 2,461 yards passing, 34 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Burress and Jones could possibly both go over 1,000 yards receiving for the season for an offense that averages 40 points per game.

Pope John’s best chance to keep it close is senior running back Tylik Hill. He is one of New Jersey’s best with 2,161 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns. He is coming off a 245-yard, three-touchdown game in a semifinal win over St. John Vianney. Defensively, the Lions are led by senior linebacker Tyler Houser (110 tackles), a Wake Forest commit who had a pick-six in the semifinals.

Group 5

Toms River North (13-0) vs. Union City (11-1), 2 p.m. on Nov. 29 at MetLife Stadium

Toms River North is bidding to win its third straight Group 5 title in the only three years that Group titles have been contested in New Jersey. The Mariners enter with the state’s longest current winning streak at 18 games and have won 38 in a row against fellow public schools, so they enter as the favorite in a showdown of top 10 teams in the state.

They feature a pro-style spread offense that averages 37.3 points per game led by senior quarterback T.J. Valerio, who has nearly 3,000 yards of total offense, along with senior wideouts Nasir Jackson and Camryn Thomas and senior running back Mordecai Ford. The offensive line is anchored by 6-foot-6, 330-pound senior Jaelyne Matthews, a Rutgers commit.

Toms River North’s Nasir Jackson scores on a pick-six play, one of two he had against Rancocas Valley on November 15, 2024. His team will put its perfect season on the line when it faces 11-1 Union City in the Group 5 championship on Nov. 29 at MetLife Stadium / Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

They will face a challenge from a Union City defense that has six shutouts this season and is led by senior linebacker Jeremiah Hayes, who has 100 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. Senior defensive linemen Reynaldo Mercedes and Omar Tillman have combined for 20 sacks, and Union City averages 8.5 tackles for a loss per game.

Toms River North also has a rugged defense that only allows 7.4 points per game and has not allowed a team to score more than 21 points all season. Senior linebacker/defensive end Blaise Boland leads the way with 105 tackles and 25.5 tackles for a loss, and Jackson and Thomas have combined for nine interceptions in the secondary.

They will be tasked with stopping a Wing-T running attack from Union City that has two 1,000-yard rushers in seniors Mark Boyd and Ja’Zaire Aurelus, who each average more than 10 yards per carry. Quarterback Xavien Rodriguez has only completed 23 passes all season, so it will come down to whether Union City can use the deception of the Wing-T to find running lanes. Playing with a lead is crucial for Toms River North to force Union City to have to throw the ball.

Group 4

Winslow Township (13-0) vs. Phillipsburg (11-1), 7 p.m. on Dec. 4 at Rutgers University

Winslow Township has the most stacked roster of any public school team in New Jersey but had to battle rival Millville to pull out a 13-7 win in the Group semifinals. The Eagles still enter this game as a heavy favorite to finish undefeated and win their first Group title.

They feature superstar WR/CB Cam Miller, a Wisconsin commit, along with safety Marcus Upton (Boston College), wide receiver Karon Brookins (Iowa State), three-star junior cornerback Julian Peterson, three-star junior wide receiver Nyqir Helton and sophomore quarterback Jalen Parker, who has 2,679 yards passing and 41 TD passes.

They average 40 points per game, but the Eagles’ defense might be even more impressive. Group 3 finalist Mainland is the only team this season to score more than 14 points against them. Junior defensive lineman Rob Carstarphen and sophomore Ben Carter each have more than 100 tackles, while sophomore linebacker Ausar Heard, who has offers from Georgia, Penn State and others, has 110.

Phillipsburg is a run-heavy team that has churned out 2,762 yards on the ground with four different rushers over 300 yards. The Stateliners can hurt teams through the air with quarterback Jett Genovese (1,720 yards, 16 TDs), a dual threat who had 149 yards rushing in the Group semifinals. His main target by far is senior wide receiver Matt Scerbo Jr., who has 1,058 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Stateliners did not face nearly as tough a schedule as Winslow, which could be a factor. Their defense has not allowed more than 14 points in any playoff game behind senior linebacker Jayden Lucas, who has 104 tackles, 10 for a loss.

Group 3

Mainland (10-3) vs. Old Tappan (11-1), 1 p.m. on Dec. 1 at Rutgers University

Mainland went undefeated and won the overall Group 4 title last season before getting realigned into Group 3 this year. The Mustangs pulled out a 36-35 overtime thriller against previously undefeated Somerville to reach the championship game.

Mainland’s prolific offense is led by junior quarterback John Franchini, a three-year starter who has 2,133 yards passing and 20 touchdowns, and his favorite target is junior wideout Jake Blum, who is having a huge year with a school-record 1,236 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns. The Mustangs also have a 1,000-yard rusher in senior Rocco DeBiaso, who has had more than 700 yards in the postseason, and establishing the run is always the key for Mainland.

Old Tappan, which enters as the slight favorite in this game, has a 2,000-yard passer of its own in sophomore Zach Miceli, who has 18 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. Nick Rossi is close to 1,000 yards at running back, while senior Alex Orecchio is the engine as an all-around threat with 1,071 yards between rushing and receiving.

Orecchio also plays kicker as well as safety and linebacker for an Old Tappan defense that bottled up a strong Pascack Valley offense in the semifinals. Rossi has 84 tackles to lead that unit, which has weathered some injuries to key players in the postseason.

Both of these teams have championship pedigree so this looks to be one of the more hard-fought and exciting finals of the seven.

Group 2

Rumson-Fair Haven (12-0) vs. Shabazz (10-2), 4 p.m. on Dec. 4 at Rugers University

Both teams are shooting for their first Group titles, while Rumson-Fair Haven is gunning for its first unbeaten season since 1959 to cap the best year in program history.

The Bulldogs feature one of the state’s top quarterbacks in senior Owen O’Toole, who is the school’s all-time leading passer and has 2,779 yards and 25 touchdown passes. He has a deep receiving corps led by senior Jordan Angstreich, who has a school-record 1,164 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns. Senior Nick Thomas is over 800 yards receiving, and senior Nick Economou has 30 catches.

Rumson also has a standout tailback in junior Kellen Murray, who has 1,411 yards and 28 touchdowns for a unit that averages 42 points per game. The Bulldogs have not been held under 26 points all season and have scored at least 34 in all their other games.

Shabazz’s defense was the story in an 8-7 win in the Group semifinals and will need to play its best game of the season to stop Rumson. Shabazz, also nicknamed the Bulldogs, is led by Stanford commit Omari Gaines, a safety who has a team-high five interceptions, along with sophomore linebacker Zykir Best.

Shabazz has a run-heavy offense led by senior Jalen Cline (967 yards, 7 TDs) and senior quarterback Romelo Tables, who has offers from Temple and UConn. Rumson’s defense, led by linebackers Jacob Tobias and Austin Kiernan and defensive back Evan Ridgway, is coming off one of its best efforts of the season in a 44-10 win over Point Boro in the semifinals.

This game all comes down to whether Shabazz can become the first team to slow down Rumson’s offense all season.

Group 1

Glassboro (12-0) vs. Cedar Grove (13-0), 5 p.m. on Nov. 29 at MetLife Stadium

Both teams are unbeaten, but Glassboro enters as the strong favorite in the small-school showdown.

Glassboro, which lost in last year’s Group 1 final, will look to finish the job with a complete team that averages 37.7 points per game and has five shutouts on defense and only allows 5.2 points per game. No team has scored more than 10 points on Glassboro all season, and the Bulldogs have outscored their playoff opponents 131-17.

They have a 1,400-yard rusher in senior Kenny Smith, who is only 19 away from 5,000 yards for his career. Glassboro also has two 1,000-yard passers in sophomore Kristopher Foster and junior Jack O’Connell, and two electrifying playmakers in the passing game in junior Amari Saab and his brother, sophomore Xavier Sabb. They are the younger brothers of University of Alabama safety Keon Sabb.

Amari has 1,049 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns on an average of 18 yards per catch, while Xavier has 774 yards and 11 scores on 18 yards per catch. Both have offers from Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan and others, which is impressive talent for a small public school. Junior linebacker Brandon Simmons is having a huge year with 119 tackles, 34 tackles for a loss and 17 sacks, and sophomore Ta’sheem Butler is right with him at 105 tackles and 20 tackles for a loss. Xavier Sabb also has five interceptions on defense.

Cedar Grove will try to solve the Bulldogs with an all-out aerial attack led by New Jersey’s leading passer, senior Stephen Paradiso, who has 3,501 yards passing and 40 touchdowns. Senior Jackson Morrice is having the biggest season of any wide receiver in New Jersey with 1,748 yards and 21 touchdowns on 89 catches. Also, senior Nick Russo has 785 yards receiving and 11 scores.

Senior linebacker Connor Kerney has 145 tackles to lead a defense that will try to slow down the Sabb brothers. This game could be a shootout if Cedar Grove’s passing attack can have success against a Glassboro defense that has given up nothing all season, but if not, Glassboro should take care of business.