WHO: 3-Haddenfield (8-2) vs. 1-Raritan (6-4)
Time: Friday, November 19th, 7pm
Location: Joseph J. DeVirgilio Field-419 Middle Road, Hazlet, NJ 07730
RARITAN’s path to the final: defeated Barnegat 30-6 in the quarterfinals; defeated Hillside 41-34 in the semifinals.
Haddenfield's path to the final: defeated Middle Township 34-7 in the quarterfinals; defeated Bernards 24-14 in the semifinals.
RARITAN's best victory: 20-13 victory over Shore Regional; 30-6 victory over Barnigat; 41-34 over the hillside
Haddenfield's best victory: 28-14 victory over Delland; 34-7 over Midtown; 24-14 victory over Bernards
Playoff history: Haddenfield has participated in 16 playoffs with a record of 27-11 in the history of the project. They have won five division titles and will appear in their ninth championship game. The Bulldogs' last championship was in 2018, when they won 13-0. They also won the division championship in 2017, finished 12-0 in 2014, 10-2 in 2013, and 11-1 in 2010... Raritan will be seventh Appeared in the state championship game for the second time, and has two state division championships. They won the CJ-2 championship 12-0 in 2004 and shocked Lincoln to win the CJ-2 championship in 2015. Raritan has a 16-18 record in 20 playoff games.
Kieran Falzon, Jr., RB: 1,381 yards and 22 TDs
Joe Campanella, Sr., RB/DB: 50 passes for 676 yards and 4 TDs; 12 records. 244 yards and 5 TDs
Ben Hutchins, fourth, quarterback: 661 yard passes, 7 TDs, 5 INTs; 390 rushing yards and 1 TD
Dan Calcari, Jr., RB/DB: 195 yard rushes and 1 TD; 8 records. 190 yards and 2 TDs
Alex Dekis, Sr., LB: 86 steals, 2 TFL, 2 FR
Anthony Bavaro, Sr., LB: 55 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 TFL
Matt Agar, Jr., LB: 47 steals, 2 TFL
Rob Scarola, Sr., DB: 3 INTs
Carson Wolf, fourth, quarterback: 935 yard passes, 13 TD, 3 INT; 115 carry 600 yards, 3 TD
Bobby Hahn, Sr., RB/LB: 170 passes for 1,002 yards and 12 TDs; 13 records. 193 yards and 3 TDs; 78 steals, 3 TFLs, 1 INT
Dante Del Duca, Sr., WR/DB: 15 rec. 321 yards and 7 TDs; 5 INT defense
Johnny Mink, Jr., LB: 114 steals, 1 sacking, 3 TFL
Ryan Foley, Jr., DB: 8 INTs, 28 steals
Old Justin Walkerin: 75 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 TFL
Charlie Klaus, So., WR/DB: 13 rec. 161 yards and 1 TD; 4 INT defense
Jack Cutter, Sr., K: 29-for-30 XP, 4-for-6 FG
When the playoffs are announced and a 4-4 Raritan team becomes the No. 1 seed in the second group of Central Jersey, teams outside of the Coast Conference will definitely roll their eyes. But the Rockets can't ignore the opinions of the outside world and begin to prove that they are worthy of the top seed.
Two weeks later, the Rockets will keep serving and will run to their home court on Friday night and have a chance to win the program's third division championship. A challenging schedule, including Red Bank Catholic, Manasquan, Central Regional and Shore Regional, paved the way for the Rockets to hope to win again.
After defeating Hillside 41-34 in the semifinals, Raritan's shotgun and three-option attacks are now hot. Throughout the season, Raritan has proven that it can score on almost anyone. The problem is to prevent other teams from lighting the scoreboard. On the surface, the defensive stats are nothing special, but what the Rockets can do is come forward at critical moments, just like they did in the game against Hillside. With his excellent offensive ability, stopping in time is of great help to Raritan.
The offense is led by senior guard Joe Campanella, junior running back Kieran Falzon, and senior quarterback Ben Hutchins. Campanella is a versatile player that makes the Rockets offense so dangerous, and Falzon is their leader, rushing for 1,381 yards and 22 touchdowns. Hutchins seemed to perform well every week, even in the victory over Hillside.
On the other hand, there is a balanced Haddenfield offense and an eagle defense. Bulldawgs sprinted for 1,873 yards and 16 touchdowns, passing 1,073 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the defensive end, they were intercepted 21 times in 10 games. Raritan's massive running offense counteracts a strong pass defense, but this is something Hutchins needs to pay attention to in the low court.
Haddenfield has a long tradition, only two playoff games away from 13-0. Raritan has indeed won two championships, so this is not uncharted territory of the plan. Moreover, after entering the 2015 playoffs with a record of 3 wins and 5 losses, and then Cinderella won the championship, you will never be able to exclude the Rockets in a big game.
Draft picks: Raritan 35, Haddonfield 28