Morris/Sussex football: 5 games and performances that stood out in Week 0

Another high school football season is upon us after a soft launch last week before the calendar rolls over to September.

Twenty-one Morris and Sussex teams kicked off their 2023 seasons over the weekend in Week 0. The rest are scheduled to get underway starting Thursday, when Butler hosts Wood-Ridge in Week 1.

Before we shift the focus to this week’s games, here’s a look at five games and individual performances that stood out in Week 0:

Mount Olive takes its air show on the road

The Marauders opened the season with a win, already matching last year’s total, a 46-14 victory over Chatham on Saturday.

Mount Olive's passing game was on full display as quarterback Jake Asbury clicked for 282 yards on 13-of-17 passing and three touchdowns to three different receivers. Jekori Zapata (6 receptions, 62 yards, 1 TD), Rondell Derrick (2 receptions, 101 yards, 1 TD) and Jack Mullery (5 receptions, 97 yards, 1 TD) combined for 260 receiving yards.

Mount Olive’s defense dominated, limiting Chatham’s fast offense to just seven first-half points. The Marauders held a commanding 33-7 halftime lead. Despite the stifling defense, Chatham quarterback Jackson Hodges rushed for 155 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns, and flashed his speed with 63- and 75-yard scoring runs to account for all of the Cougars’ scoring.

Last fall, Mount Olive (1-0) suffered through an uncharacteristic season, dropping all nine regular-season games before a 35-27 season-ending victory over Monroe in a NJSIAA crossover contest.

Randolph stages a comeback for the ages

Randolph, No. 2 in the preseason Morris/Sussex Top 10 rankings, rallied from 27 points down for an epic 42-40 come-from-behind home victory over Shabazz on Friday night.

Senior Jesse Wilfong’s 17-yard touchdown run with 4:20 remaining tied the game. Senior transfer quarterback Josh Anderson’s two-point conversion completed the comeback at John J. Bauer Stadium.

Sophomore transfer Mason Wilson sealed the deal by stifling the Bulldogs’ late-game rally with an interception inside the red zone with fewer than two minutes to play.

Leading 7-6 at the end of the first quarter, Shabazz (0-1) scored four straight times and held a 34-14 halftime lead. But the second half was all Randolph (1-0) as the Rams outscored the Bulldogs 28-6. Wilfong (22 carries, 183 yards, three TDs) and Anderson (15 carries, 130 yards, 2 TDs; 11-of-21, 177 yards, 1 TD) scored two rushing touchdowns each in the third and fourth quarters.

Last fall, Randolph reached the North 2, Group 4 final, falling to North Hunterdon, 49-35.

Sussex Tech edges Parsippany behind another strong ground attack

Andrew Baker picked up where he left off last season, rushing for a game-high 253 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries to lead the Mustangs past Parsippany, 28-27 on Friday night in Morris County. It was the second straight year that the Sparta vocational school defeated the Red Hawks in the season opener.

Baker, part of two-headed rushing force along with junior running back Brian Gruber, collected 1,306 yards and 14 touchdowns last fall, while Gruber raced for 1,059 yards and 11 touchdowns. In last year’s season opener, Baker torched Parsippany (0-1) for 234 yards and two touchdowns and Gruber added 151 yards and two scores.

Despite its strong running game, Sussex Tech (1-0) dropped its final six games of the 2022 season to finish with a 2-8 record.

Morristown Beard runs wild in Tahj Valentine’s debut

Morristown Beard kicked off the Tahj Valentine era in grand fashion, cruising past J.P. Stevens, 48-20 at home on Saturday.

Valentine, a Morristown Beard alumnus (2018) and one of the best to wear a Crimson uniform, won his first game as a head coach as the Crimson collected more than 400 yards of total offense. The rushing combination of Marcello Laracca (12 carries, 106 yards, two TDs) and Spencer Anderson (8 carries, 133 yards, two TDs) combined for 239 yards and four scores.

Leading 16-7 at the half, Morristown Beard (1-0) went on to outscore J.P. Stevens (0-1) 32-13 in the third and fourth quarters. The Hawks, under the direction of first-year coach Jason George, have dropped 32 straight games dating back to 2018.

With the exception of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Crimson hope to start a season 2-0 for the first time since 2017 when they face Sleepy Hollow (N.Y.) at home on Sept. 1.

Roxbury rallies past Parsippany Hills in final seconds

Roxbury won its first season opener since 2017 in dramatic fashion, 22-21 over host Parsippany Hills on Friday.

Trailing by as many as 21 points early in the second quarter, Roxbury (1-0), ranked No. 9 in the preseason Morris/Sussex Top 10 rankings, scored 22 unanswered points to complete the comeback.

Colin Richter scored the Gaels' first touchdown in the second quarter on a 49-yard pass from quarterback Anthony Skawinski (13-of-24, 144 yards, TD). Following a scoreless third period, Jared Irwin scored twice, the first on a 54-yard pick-six, his third interception of the game, and a five-yard pass from Skawinski with six second left on the clock. Skawinski and Richter (five receptions, 73 yards, TD) hooked up for the game-winning two-point conversion as time expired.

Julio Tatis led Parsippany Hills (0-1) with a game-high 187 yards, including two big breakaway scoring runs of 42 and 85 yards to put the Vikings up 21-0.

The Gaels defense held tough, picking off Parsippany Hills quarterback Jake Simoni (17-of-25, 136 yards, 1 TD) four times.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Morris/Sussex NJ football: 5 performances that stood out in Week 0