A terrific football season in Morris and Sussex counties has come to an end.
In the end, three area teams won sectional titles and two teams reached state finals in their group. Programs set new school records and half a dozen schools won division titles in the Super Football Conference.
As the season comes to a close, we must also thank those of you who voted throughout the season in Football Player of the Week polls. More than 322,000 votes were cast for some of the best players in the area across nine weeks of the regular season,.
One final time this year, here are the Morris/Sussex Top 10 rankings.
10. Newton (7-3)
Previous ranking: No. 10
The Sussex County school claimed a sixth straight division title and advanced to the sectional semifinal round for the sixth year in a row. After a season-opening loss to Warren Hills, the Braves won six straight games and seven of eight before falling to eventual Group 2 state champion Westwood, 42-8, in a sectional semifinal.
9. West Morris (7-6)
Previous ranking: No. 9
Despite heavy graduation losses and an uncharacteristic final record, West Morris managed to win a third straight sectional title, doing so as the No. 6 seed and stunning top-seeded Old Tappan on the road, 21-17, in the final. The Wolfpack are relatively young and expect to return several players and reload next fall.
8. Vernon (8-2)
Previous ranking: No. 8
The Vikings put together their best regular season in program history, winning eight straight games and going undefeated in the SFC American White to claim their first-ever league title. Those eight straight victories set a new school record for Vernon, which hosted a playoff game for the first time in 41 years, a 13-7 overtime loss to Passaic Valley in the North 2, Group 3 sectional first round.
7. Morris Knolls (6-4)
Previous ranking: No. 7
Following a slow start in which the Golden Eagles dropped two of their first three contests, the Rockaway school went on to win five of their next six games, including an opening-round playoff victory over Linden in North 1, Group 4. Morris Knolls reached a sectional semifinal for the second year in a row, falling to eventual Group 4 runner-up, Ramapo, 52-27.
6.Butler (9-2)
Previous ranking: No. 4
The Bulldogs nearly ran the regular-season table had it not been for a 14-10 home loss to Park Ridge in Week 4. Butler enjoyed its best season in five years, reaching a sectional final for the first time since 2018. The highlight of the season was a 21-14 win over previously-unbeaten Weequahic in the North 2, Group 1 sectional semifinals. The Bulldogs defense held the Newark school to its lowest point total in their last 21 games.
5. Pope John (7-4)
Previous ranking: No. 5
The Sparta parochial school turned in its first seven-win season since 2015 and won five of its first six games under the direction of third-year coach Dom Gaston. Since Gaston’s arrival, Pope John has shown steady improvement, going 4-6 a year ago and 1-9 in 2021. The Lions should be in the thick of things next season as several players are expected to return.
4. Mountain Lakes (11-2)
Previous ranking: No. 6
The Herd reached the top of the small-school summit, claiming their first-ever Group 1 state title with a 24-6 win over Glassboro at SHI Stadium at Rutgers. It was the second straight year Mountain Lakes reached the Group 1 state final. The Morris County school put together two three-game win streaks during the regular season and closed out the campaign with five straight wins.
3. Roxbury (11-1)
Previous ranking: No. 2
Roxbury set a school record by winning their first 11 games on the way to the North 2, Group 4 sectional final. The Gaels put together the program’s first undefeated regular season since 1934, but fell to rival Mount Olive in the sectional final. Roxbury forced 28 turnovers on defense and amassed more than 3,000 total yards from scrimmage, led by Jahmani Miller’s 1,097 rushing yards and nearly 1,300 passing yards by quarterback Anthony Skawinski.
2. Mount Olive (11-2)
Previous ranking: No. 3
One year removed from a one-win season, the Marauders won 11 games in 2023, including a thrilling 27-26 sectional-final victory over Roxbury on Vincent Carpini’s game-winning touchdown catch in the final seconds. The North 2, Group 4 sectional champions came up one win short of heading to Rutgers, falling to Ramapo in the state semifinals. Mount Olive rushed for 2,769 yards as a team, led by Tyler Cumming’s 1,467 yards on the ground.
1. Delbarton (10-2)
Previous ranking: No. 1
The Green Wave reached the Non-Public A championship game at MetLife Stadium, but were unable to dethrone defending champion Bergen Catholic. Delbarton overcame a two-touchdown deficit, but lost 24-14 on Tuesday night. Philip Folmar ran for two touchdowns as the Green Wave finished with 33 rushing touchdowns for the season.
Also considered (listed alphabetically): Parsippany Hills (7-3), Pequannock (6-3), Sussex Tech (7-4)
2023-11-29 17:03:38
#Final #Top #rankings #season
