NJSIAA Group 5 Semifinal Preview: Toms River North vs. Washington Twp.
GROUP 5 SEMIFINALS
WHO: Washington Township (10-2) at Toms River North (12-0)
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Gernerd Field at Toms River High School North, 1245 Old Freehold Rd, Toms River 08753
TOMS RIVER NORTH’S ROAD TO THE GROUP SEMIFINALS: Defeated Bridgeton 55-6 in the sectional quarterfinals; defeated Kingsway 21-14 in the sectional semifinals; defeated Rancocas Valley 42-27 in the sectional final.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP’S ROAD TO THE GROUP SEMIFINALS: Defeated Hunterdon Central 38-0 in the sectional quarterfinals; defeated Cherry Hill East 35-7 in the sectional finals; defeated Atlantic City 27-6 in the sectional final.
TOMS RIVER NORTH’S BEST WINS: 35-6 over Central Jersey Group 4 finalist Brick Memorial; 24-21 over South Jersey Group 2 champion Point Boro; 42-27 over Rancocas Valley in the South Jersey Group 5 final.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP’S BEST WINS: 28-6 over Central Jersey Group 3 finalist Delsea; 35-20 over South Jersey Group 5 semifinalist Kingsway; 27-6 over Atlantic City in the Central Jersey Group 5 final.
PLAYOFF HISTORY: Toms River North is the two-time defending Group 5 champion and just won its third straight sectional title by taking the South Jersey Group 5 crown. The Mariners have won nine NJSIAA sectional titles in 11 finals appearances and have a 34-14 all-time postseason record. They have won 17 straight games, the longest current winning streak in the state, and 37 in a row against public schools. They also have a 13-game playoff winning streak…Washington Township is coming off its first sectional title since 1995 and the fourth overall in program history. The Minutemen have a 23-25 record all-time in the playoffs. This is their first appearance in history in the Group semifinals.
Analysis:
Toms River North, ranked No. 1 in the Shore Sports Insider Top 12, is now two wins away from capturing a mind-boggling three straight NJSIAA Group 5 titles.
The Mariners face a familiar opponent, as they beat Washington Township 49-14 in a sectional final last season on their way to winning the whole thing.
And if teams think they can rattle the undefeated Mariners by putting them in a hole, think again. They showed they can handle adversity by rallying from a 13-point, third-quarter deficit against Rancocas Valley in the South Jersey Group 5 final to roar to a 42-27 victory with five second-half touchdowns on their home field. For comparison’s sake, Washington Township lost 27-0 to Rancocas Valley during the regular season.
The Mariners also showed they can morph into whatever they need to be to win. Struggling to effectively run the ball against the Red Devils with the power game, they turned to pure speed.
Sophomore Cole Garrison lined up at quarterback in the wildcat and erupted for a career-high 124 yards rushing and three touchdowns to fuel the comeback. Teams can think they’re right in the game and get buried in an instant.
Garrison is now another factor Washington Township has to worry about on top of Toms River North’s plethora of weapons. Senior quarterback T.J. Valerio has 2,053 yards passing, 23 touchdown passes and only three interceptions with a 72% completion rate, and the Mariners can inject Garrison at any time for a changeup. Valerio also leads the team with 724 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns, with senior tailback Mordecai Ford right there with 614 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Valerio has a game-breaking pair of wideouts in seniors Cam Thomas (33-740-8) and Nasir Jackson (30-606-6), who have been devastating on both sides of the ball during North’s playoff run. Jackson caught a 29-yard touchdown pass against Washington Township in last year’s sectional final.
Ford also has 23 catches for 306 yards and 4 touchdowns out of the backfield, and Garrison is yet another option with 16 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown. The Mariners average 38.2 points per game and have only been held under 30 by two teams all season.
Toms River North’s Nasir Jackson has been a playmaker on both sides of the ball all season for the Mariners. (Photo by Bob Badders | rpbphotography.com)
Defense has been Washington Township’s calling card in the latter half of the season, as the Minutemen have only allowed 13 total points in their last four games. They picked off four passes and forced five turnovers overall in their 27-6 win over Atlantic City in the Central Jersey Group 5 final.
Junior defensive back Parker Reese had two of them, including one he took 103 yards to the house, and has four picks for the season. That doesn’t even lead the team, as senior defensive back Dashawn Long has six, so Valerio will need to display his trademark accuracy.
Their main star on defense is junior linebacker Jaylen Robinson, who has 98 tackles and 25 tackles for a loss. Junior linebacker Andrew Osborn has 49 tackles and 14 tackles for a loss, and sophomore defensive lineman Gabe Palaganas leads the team with 9.5 sacks. The Minutemen average an eye-opening 8.4 tackles for loss per game, so they thrive on negative plays.
While the offensive pyrotechnics by Toms River North garner the headlines, the defense is the backbone of this team in only allowing 7.2 points per game. Not only do the Mariners create turnovers, they turn them into game-changing scores. Just ask Rancocas Valley, which thought it was right in the game until Nasir Jackson scored on a 20-yard pick six and then took another interception 40 yards to the house to blow the game open.
Jackson and Thomas have combined for four interceptions in the last two games and have a combined nine for the season. Garrison, sophomore Jael Hester and senior Mekai Morse round out one of the top defensive backfields of any public school in the state.
If Washington Township gets behind early and has to consistently throw, the Minutemen could be in a world of trouble with those two back there. Toms River North returned two interceptions for touchdowns in its win over the Minutemen last season.
Not only does Toms River North have a playmaking secondary, it has a relentless pass rush. Senior LB/DE Blaise Boland has 93 tackles, 23.5 for a loss, and 8 sacks, while senior Eddie Slosky has 68 tackles, 16 TFL and 5.5 sacks rushing from the other side. It’s also hard to attack the Mariners up the middle with the run game because they have 6-foot-4, 285-pound senior Hathem Hooranyi (57 tackles, 8.5 TFL) and 6-foot-8, 330-pound Rutgers recruit Jaelyne Matthews in the way.
The Mariners also have two stellar, young inside linebackers who come up and fill against the run. Sophomore Jack Baker has 84 tackles and 19 tackles for a loss, while junior Brady Civala has 88 tackles and 8.5 for a loss.
Unlike the dual threat of Rancocas Valley quarterback Sayvien Adams that Toms River North faced in the sectional final, Washington Township junior Cole Aquino is a straight dropback passer with 1,572 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. The Mariners held Aquino to 114 yards passing and returned an interception for a score against him last season.
He mainly throws to two wideouts – junior Paris Pratt (39-605-4) and Long (47-454-4). Aquino hit Pratt for a 93-yard score in the win over Atlantic City.
The Minutemen, who average 24.5 points per game, are a balanced unit that also features junior running back Colin Beeler, who has 1,088 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. While Robinson is known primarily for his defense, he also chipped in with a pair of touchdown runs in the win over Atlantic City. Washington Township will look to establish the run with Beeler to set up play action, but few teams have had success with that against North this season unless their quarterback was also a running threat.
On special teams, Toms River North senior Yianni Papanikolas is a three-year starter who has kicked three field goals and is 54 of 56 on extra points. He set the state career record for extra points (187) during the sectional semifinals and has only added to it since.
One other factor to consider is the weather forecast for Friday night. Rain and wind is projected, so that could remove some of the big-play shots down the field in the passing game for the Mariners and turn it more into a running slugfest in the trenches. It also could wreak havoc on special teams if the wind is particularly strong.
Toms River North is the heavy favorite here. You don’t want to say Washington Township is on gravy time after winning its first state sectional title in 29 years, but that was a primary goal for the Minutemen. For Toms River North, its eyes are on the biggest prize of them all and Shore Conference immortality.
The pick: Toms River North, 35-14
