Get ready for the NJSIAA state semifinals in football
The road to Rutgers University will make one more stop before arriving at SHI Stadium.
The state semifinals will be contested this weekend throughout the Garden State.
Championship games will be played in Piscataway from Nov. 26-28 with the schedule to be determined. Title games can also be played on Nov. 29 or 30 for teams that play a Thanksgiving Day game.
Here’s a preview of the local state semifinals:
More: Football 2023: Check out all our content for the South Jersey high school season
Group 5
Toms River North (10-2) at Cherokee (9-2), Friday, 6 p.m.
By the numbers
152: Points scored by Toms River North in the postseason. The Mariners have chartered across smooth seas in the playoffs, racking up 152 points in their three victories over Southern, Freehold Township and Washington Township.
2: Toms River North’s losses, both to non-public teams. The Mariners were without star quarterback Micah Ford in a 21-7 loss to Donovan Catholic on Sept. 15. The team also suffered a 35-28 setback to Red Bank Catholic in overtime on Oct. 20.
27: Total touchdowns this season for North quarterback Micah Ford. One of the favorites for Player of the Year honors in New Jersey this season, the Stanford commit is simply electrifying with the ability to throw (13 touchdowns, 693 yards), run (12 TDs, 1,229) and contribute on defense (two pick-6s).
12: Cherokee captured its 12th sectional title and first since 2019 with a thrilling 19-13 win over Marlboro last week.
7: Touchdowns for Cherokee running back Murad Campfield in the postseason. The junior has rushed for 411 yards in the playoffs, including a career-high 195 against Kingsway in the semifinals. Campfield has 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season.
18: Takeaways for the Cherokee defense. One of the keys to this game will be Cherokee’s ability to take the ball away from North. The Chiefs own 11 interceptions (four by Evan Bryfogle) and seven fumble recoveries.
3: This will be the third meeting between the two teams. North won 28-16 in 1994 while Cherokee returned the favor two decades later with a 37-14 victory.
Pick: Toms River North 26, Cherokee 24
Group 4
Mainland (12-0) at Winslow (10-2), Friday, 6 p.m.
By the numbers
2: Unbeaten seasons for Mainland in its history. The Mustangs completed an 8-0 season in 1962 and went 12-0 in 2008.
25: Rushing touchdowns for Mainland running back Stephen Ordille. It’s two shy of the program’s single-season record held by Ja’briel Mace, who set the mark last season and is now playing at Villanova.
506: Points scored by Mainland – the most of any team in New Jersey this season. Before posting 35 against Millville in last week’s sectional final, Mainland had produced 49 or more points in six straight games.
10: Wins for Winslow, the first time the team has reached the mark since 2000. Since the program started in 1959, the Eagles have never won 11 games in a season, according to South Jersey football historian Chuck Langerman.
2,167: Career receiving yards for Winslow’s Cam Miller. The junior has rewrote the Eagles’ record books this fall. He broke the career receiving yardage record previously held by DeVante Waugh set in 2010 and owns the single-season receiving yardage mark of 1,334, erasing Isaiah Shaw’s previous mark of 1,078 set in 2017.
13: Total touchdowns for Winslow quarterback Deante Ruffin in the postseason. The junior has found his footing at the perfect time. After taking over for injured QB Jalen Parker, Ruffin has completed 38-of-56 passes for 735 yards and nine touchdowns in three playoff games. He’s also rushed for four more scores.
120: Points for Winslow in its three postseason wins over Pennsauken, Hammonton and Long Branch.
The pick: Mainland 28, Winslow 21
Group 3
Camden (10-1) at Delsea (10-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
By the numbers
68.3: Completion percentage for Camden quarterback Mahki Brunson. The junior has been one of the most consistent passers in the region since taking over the starting QB role. He has completed 69-of-101 passes for 1,154 yards and 12 touchdowns in seven games played. He owns a 129.7 quarterback rating.
6: Number of 100-yard rushing games for Judah Anthony. The senior has rushed for 1,114 yards this season.
72: Team-high tackle total for Camden’s Nasere Blakney. The linebacker is tenacious to the football and he’s expected to be busy again against a potent Delsea running attack.
10: Fumbles created by the Camden defense. Can the Panthers get a crucial takeaway against Delsea? It could be a pivotal play.
55: Rushing touchdowns for Delsea in 11 games. The Crusaders punishing running attack has piled up 3,530 yards (8.1 per carry). Daniel Russo leads the team with 22 touchdowns with Wayne Adair (15) and Zach Maxwell (10) also providing plenty of scoring production.
8: Sacks for Delsea’s Jonathan Harris. The junior also owns a team-best 14 hurries. He’s made life difficult for opposing ball carriers with 13 tackles for losses.
73: Tackles for Delsea’s Alex Grippo. The junior linebacker leads the team in the category and includes nine tackles for losses and two sacks.
20: Unanswered points scored by Delsea in the second half en route to a 20-14 win over Camden in last year’s state semifinal played at Cherokee. The Crusaders rushed for 266 yards and three touchdowns while their defense produced three turnovers – all interceptions.
The pick: Delsea 21, Camden 14
Group 2
Willingboro (10-2) at Rumson-Fair Haven (7-4), Friday, 6 p.m.
By the numbers
9: Consecutive wins for Willingboro. The Chimeras haven’t lost since a 16-14 setback at Timber Creek. The team has scored 353 points over its last nine games, including last week’s 26-21 victory over Point Pleasant Boro in the sectional final.
57: Career touchdowns for Willingboro quarterback Lamar Best. It’s a state record for a sophomore, according to Langerman, surpassing the mark of 53 set Pope John XXIII Sonny Abramson in 2013. Best has also thrown for 3,783 yards in his career, including 2,425 yards this season. He’s also thrown a TD pass in 22 of his 24 career games.
25: Takeaways by the Willingboro defense. The Chimeras have recovered 15 fumbles and picked off 10 passes. Jarelle Taylor Jr. had a fumble recovery in last week’s sectional final.
6: Points for Willingboro in last year’s 42-6 loss to Rumson-Fair Haven in the state semifinal. The Chimeras were held under 135 yards of total offense in the game.
5: Consecutive wins for Rumson-Fair Haven. The Bulldogs have been on a roll since a four-game losing streak from Sept. 8-Oct. 6. One of those losses was a 42-28 setback to Point Pleasant Boro, which Willingboro beat 26-21 in last week’s sectional final. The other losses were to Toms River North, Red Bank Catholic and Donovan Catholic – all among the state’s top teams.
16: Touchdowns thrown for RFH’s Owen O’Toole. The junior QB has 1,742 passing yards, but he’s also been picked off 12 times.
3.5: Team-best sacks for RFH’s William Tencza. He also leads the Bulldogs with three fumble recoveries.
The pick: Willingboro 25, Rumson-Fair Haven 21
Group 1
Glassboro (8-3) at Woodstown (9-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
By the numbers
6: Points allowed by Glassboro during the team’s five-game winning streak. The Bulldogs haven’t surrendered a point in three playoff games and own four shutouts in their last five contests.
16: Rushing touchdowns for Glassboro this season. Senior Dominic Barr and sophomore Amari Sabb share the team lead with five rushing TDs apiece. Sabb owns one of the biggest touchdowns of the season with the decisive score in overtime in a 13-7 victory over Woodstown on Sept. 22.
70: Rushing yards for freshman Davon Barr in the win over Woodstown in the regular-season meeting. It led the team.
13: Sacks for Glassboro sophomore Brandon Simmons. He’s coming off one of the best games of his young career last week when he notched 12 tackles and four sacks in the sectional final against Schalick.
21: Touchdowns for Woodstown’s Bryce Belinfanti. The junior has scored a TD in 10 of his 11 games this season and has seven scores in three postseason games. He’s also rushed for 1,641 yards, breaking the school record of 1,636, which was set by James Hill last year.
9: Wins for Woodstown in three of the last four full seasons. After a 2-8 mark in 2018, Woodstown has posted a 35-9 record (not including shortened 2020 season). The Wolverines earned the program’s first sectional title last week with a 21-14 win over defending state champion Woodbury.
6: Team-best interception total for Woodstown’s Gerrett Leyman. The junior owns eight career picks.
The pick: Woodstown 20, Glassboro 13
Public School Schedule
Friday, Nov. 17
NJSIAA Tournament
State Group 5 Semifinals
Toms River North at Cherokee, 6
Union City at Passaic Tech, 6
State Group 4 Semifinals
Mainland at Winslow, 6
Mount Olive at Ramapo, 6
State Group 3 Semifinals
Camden at Delsea, 7
West Morris at West Essex, 6:30
State Group 2 Semifinals
Willingboro at Rumson-Fair Haven, 6
Bernards at Westwood, 6
State Group 1 Semifinals
Glassboro at Woodstown, 7
Shabazz at Mountain Lakes, 7
Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: NJSIAA state semifinal preview for public school football teams
