football

HCV Picks: Week 1

Ronald Butler Lincoln

QB/WR Ronald Butler are out to prove last year's 6-4 record was not a fluke.

There are no shortage of storylines to follow as football season is about to kick off in Hudson County. Realignment has ended some long-time rivalries, but with new foes coming from out of the county we should see the birth of new ones. Here are just a few of the biggest questions entering the new season:

Will North Bergen and head coach Vin Ascolese avenge last year’s 3-7 performance and start a new playoff streak? How will Hoboken and Hudson Catholic rebound after suffering significant losses through graduation? Will Lincoln and Secaucus build off the momentum from last year’s success? Are Bryant Worst and Ferris going to breakthrough into the playoffs and show the rest of the state what they can do? With new coach Sean Fallon and a talented group of youngsters, can St. Anthony fulfill the promise they showed in the beginning of last season? Can the trio of Corey Davis, Savon Huggins and Sheldon Royster lead the Marauders past arch-nemesis Don Bosco?

This opening weekend will provide us our first glimpse into the answers for these questions and others.

Our three games for this week are Lincoln at Bayonne (Friday, 7 p.m.), Memorial at North Bergen (Saturday, 1 p.m.) and St. Peter’s Prep against St. Joe’s Prep of Philadelphia (Sunday, 2:30 p.m. at Rutgers).

Game of the Week: Lincoln at Bayonne

Both teams enter this contest with a lot to prove. After making the playoffs for the first time in 21 years, the Lions are out to show that 2008 was not an aberration. The trio of QB Lamar McKnight, RB Tyron Stevens and WR Ronald Butler gives Lincoln one of the county’s best offensive trios. But whether or not the Lions contend for a North 2, Group II title will rest on the shoulders of an offensive line with four new starters.

Bayonne is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 4-6 season. The Bees have a senior-laden squad, led by Mike Nevith, but most of them have limited varsity experience. Those players will be tested early against Lincoln’s big-play offense.

 

Hudson County Varsity Picks: Week 1
 
Lincoln
at
Bayonne
Memorial
at
North Bergen
St. Peter's Prep
vs.
St. Joe's Prep
Season
Records
Leon Banks Lincoln 24-17 Memorial 14-13 St. Peter's 28-21
0-0
Jason Bernstein Lincoln 28-14 North Bergen 13-8 St. Peter's 28-14
0-0
Andrew Cangiano Lincoln 16-10 North Bergen 21-20 St. Peter's 31-17
0-0
Angela Daidone Lincoln 20-12 North Bergen 14-10 St. Peter's 12-10
0-0
Justin Damiani Lincoln 24-21 Memorial 17-10 St. Peter's 31-27
0-0
Mike Gesario Bayonne 21-7 North Bergen 21-7 St. Peter's 21-17
0-0
Jacob Kamaras Bayonne 20-17 North Bergen 27-13 St. Joe's 14-6
0-0
Ned Winner Bayonne 24-16 North Bergen 21-6 St. Peter's 30-28
0-0