Pictured: Butler’s Nick Ballistreri; Kinnelon’s Cristian Graupe
Photos: North Jersey H.S. Football games to watch, week of Oct. 4
Here are some intriguing games scheduled for Week 5 this weekend (rankings refer to The Record Top 25):
No. 17 Pascack Valley (2-1) at No. 3 DePaul (2-1), Friday, 6 p.m.: DePaul lost to all four Bergen County parochial powers last season, but the Spartans’ 33-28 loss to Pascack Valley was the loss that really kept them out of the Non-Public, Group 3 playoffs. They’ll look to avenge that defeat and build on the momentum they established Friday, when they upset Don Bosco, 35-25, on the road.
St. Peter’s Prep (4-0) at No. 5 Bergen Catholic (1-3), Saturday, 2:30 p.m.: The visiting Marauders have out-scored their four opponents a combined 230-60 and could be the third-best team in New Jersey, behind Paramus Catholic and St. Joseph. Three of Bergen Catholic’s four losses have come against teams that are ranked among USA Today’s top 50 in the nation, but if the Crusaders lose to St. Peter’s they could finish the season with a losing record, based on what’s left on their brutal schedule.
No. 10 Ramapo (3-0) at No. 13 Northern Highlands (2-1), Saturday, 6 p.m.: Star senior QB Bobby Brown (knee) is expected to return for the Highlanders, whose lone loss was a 17-14 defeat to No. 12 Wayne Hills in their opener. The host Raiders have gotten off to a strong start, despite their youth. They’re averaging 36 points per game. They’re also 8-3 on the road since the start of the 2011 season.
No. 11 Mahwah (3-0) at Ramsey (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: This is one of Bergen County’s best rivalries. This game also will have big North 1, Group 3 power-point implications. The visiting Thunderbirds have won five straight road games, but Ramsey is 17-2 at home since the beginning of the 2009 season. The Rams have bounced back from a tough 33-7 loss to Westwood in their opener by beating Pascack Hills, 40-20, and Ridgefield Park, 20-14.
Kinnelon (2-1) at Butler (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m.: The development of the Kinnelon program under eighth-year head coach Kevin White has made this rivalry much stronger. The Colts, who won the North 1, Group 2 championship last year, have lost this season only to perennial power Mountain Lakes. Butler, unbeaten under first-year head coach Jason Luciani, won a wild game in this rivalry, 28-22, at Kinnelon last season. That was the Bulldogs’ fourth straight defeat of Kinnelon since the teams began playing regularly in 2009.
FIVE MORE TO WATCH: No. 14 Hasbrouck Heights (3-0) at Becton (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m.; Passaic Valley (2-1) at No. 18 Wayne Valley (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m.; No. 21 River Dell (1-2) at No. 20 Westwood (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m.; No. 23 Paramus (1-2) at Teaneck (1-2), Saturday, 7 p.m.; Queen of Peace (2-1) at St. Mary (2-1), Saturday, 2:30 p.m.