Paramus Catholic senior quarterback Steve Shanley and the Paladins will face DePaul on Saturday in Paramus. (PHOTO: CHRIS PEDOTA/The Record)
The high school football schedule goes back to the normal Friday and Saturday slate of games later Week 3. Week 2 included games on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday due to the observance of Yom Kippur and weather issues. Here’s a quick look at some of the best upcoming matchups among teams within The Record’s coverage area, all of which include at least one team ranked in The Record Top 25:
No. 5 DePaul (1-0) at No. 1 Paramus Catholic (2-0), Saturday, 4 p.m.: The Paladins defeated DePaul, 35-13, on the road in Week 2 last season. This Big North United Division game is a huge test for the visiting Spartans, who lost to Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco, Paramus Catholic and St. Joseph last season. This is the first of four more games against those teams this season.
Miami Central (2-1) at No. 3 Don Bosco (1-1), Saturday, 7 p.m.: Two years removed from dominance, the Ironmen will try to avoid losing back-to-back games and four out of their past five games overall, dating back to last season. Don Bosco lost at Mission Viejo (Calif.), 28-25, in overtime late Saturday night. Miami Central is ranked No. 7 in USA Today’s Super 25 national poll.
Bishop Gorman (3-1) at No. 4 Bergen Catholic (1-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.: The host Crusaders will face a team eager for redemption in their third straight game against an out-of-state opponent. Bergen Catholic beat Bishop Gorman, 42-35, last Sept. 14 in Las Vegas. Bishop Gorman hasn’t cracked USA Today’s Super 25, but it is the consensus top team in Nevada this season.
No. 12 Pascack Valley (1-0) at No. 6 Old Tappan (1-0), Friday, 6 p.m.: The visiting Indians aren’t quite as loaded with senior talent as last season, yet they’ll present a difficult early challenge for the Golden Knights. Pascack Valley easily beat Old Tappan at home last year, 46-13, and has won its last two games at Old Tappan, but Old Tappan is a much improved.
No. 10 Passaic Tech (2-0) at No. 13 Hackensack (2-0), Friday, 7 p.m.: Hackensack led Passaic Tech, 27-6, midway through the third quarter of a road game in Wayne last Sept. 14. The Bulldogs responded by scoring 26 unanswered points to win, 32-26. The Comets cannot wait for another shot at them.
THREE MORE TO WATCH: No. 14 Mahwah (1-0) at No. 17 River Dell (0-1), Friday, 6 p.m.; No. 21 Wayne Valley (1-0) at No. 15 Wayne Hills (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m.; No. 23 Cresskill (1-0) at No. 16 Pompton Lakes, Saturday, 1 p.m.
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