Football questions to ponder… football questions that are all over the Bergen-Passaic area.

It’s time for schools to unpack the helmets and pads, roll up their sleeves, and get busy.

Time to unpack the 2024 high school football season in the area.

Can Paramus Catholic compete with the big boys in the Super Football Conference’s United Red Division? 

And for that matter, how will other schools handle their new divisional surroundings?

More items to consider: Who will go where when the NJSIAA splits up Non-Public A and B in the postseason? 

Can Bergen Catholic make it a school-record four straight state championships? 

Will new coach Nick Guttuso keep Ramapo among the state’s elite? 

Can Old Tappan return to the top after getting upset in the sectional finals last November? 

What can Westwood do for an encore? 

How about Passaic Tech? 

Can Rutherford keep its three-year dynasty going in the NJIC? 

Here are some of the leading topics as we head into summer football camps.

1. Paramus Catholic moved up to the United Red (St. Joe’s, Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco), switching places with Seton Hall Prep and St. Peter’s Prep. The Paladins have struggled against the likes of Joe’s, Bosco, and Bergen recently. Can they make some inroads this year?

Hudson Catholic, which resided in the United White before it canceled its 2023 season after four games, is coming back as an independent. 

2. Another item of interest hasn’t been settled yet. The NJSIAA has decided to move some of the pieces around in the world of Non-Public playoff football. 

Last year, 13 schools competed in the Non-Public A playoffs, while just six teams competed in Non-Public B. Robbinsville hasn’t released the enrollment figures yet, but would like to even that up. 

3. Here are how the other divisions involving Bergen-Passaic schools shape up (there were some changes from last year):

NJSFC Freedom Blue: Clifton, Paterson-Eastside, Kennedy, Passaic, Passaic Tech.

NJSFC Liberty Red: Hackensack, Northern Highlands, Ramapo, Ridgewood, Wayne Valley.

NJSFC Patriot Red: Dover, Jefferson, Lakeland, Sparta, Vernon, West Milford.

NJSFC Patriot White: Caldwell, Millburn, Nutley, Passaic Valley, Wayne Hills, West Essex.

NJSFC Patriot Blue: Bergenfield, Old Tappan, Paramus, Pascack Valley, River Dell, Teaneck.

NJSFC American Red: Dumont, Dwight Morrow, Mahwah, Pascack Hills, Ramsey, Westwood.

NJSFC Ivy Red: Bergen Tech, Demarest, Fair Lawn, Fort Lee, Indian Hills, Ridgefield Park, Tenafly.

NJSFC Ivy White: Belleville, Cliffside Park, Dickinson, Ferris, Kearny, Memorial, North Bergen. 

NJIC Colonial: Becton, Cresskill-Emerson, Elmwood Park, Garfield, Lodi, Lyndhurst, Palisades Park-Leonia.

NJIC Meadowlands: Butler, Hasbrouck Heights, Hawthorne, New Milford, Saddle Brook, Secaucus.

NJIC Liberty: Glen Rock, Manchester, North Arlington, Pompton Lakes, Rutherford, Waldwick-Midland Park.

NJIC Patriot: Bogota, Park Ridge, St. Mary’s, Wallington, Weehawken, Wood-Ridge.

4. In the last three years, Bergen Catholic has survived the rigors of a brutal non-conference schedule and then won it all against a demanding field in Non-Public Group A. Can Vito Campanile’s squad make it four in a row for the first time in school history? Will St. Joseph-Montvale, Don Bosco, Delbarton, or St. Peter’s knock the Crusaders off this fall? Ohio State-bound receiver Quincy Porter returns, and that is a great place to start.

5. Ramapo has one of the best, most consistent programs in all of Bergen County, if not North Jersey … or New Jersey, for that matter. However, the program is in a little bit of flux with the departure of coach Mike DeFazio, who guided the team to the state Group IV championship game at Rutgers (losing to Mainland, 56-0) after two seasons. Guttuso will try to keep the program at a sky-high level. The talent is there, but so will the pressure on the first-year coach.

6. Westwood staged a remarkable fourth-quarter comeback in the state Group II final against Rumson at Rutgers in the state championship game. The program loses plenty, but there are several key players returning who want to leave a mark of their own at the school.

7. Passaic Tech reached the state Group V championship game in each of the last two seasons. That’s quite a feat. Will the Bulldogs find a way to go one more step and bring home a state title this time?

8. Rutherford has ruled the roost in the NJIC the last three years. Can the Bulldogs hold off such schools as Butler, Hasbrouck Heights, and St. Mary’s this fall? 

9. So, what will be some of the most high-level games in the Bergen-Passaic area this fall? OK, here it goes:

DePaul at Pope John, Aug. 30.

Ridgewood at Ramapo, Sept. 13.

Old Tappan at Ramapo, Sept. 20.

Ramapo at Montclair, Sept. 27.

Don Bosco at Bergen Catholic, Sept. 27.

DePaul at Don Bosco, Oct. 4.

Passaic Tech at Ramapo, Oct. 4.

Don Bosco at St. Joe-Montvale, Oct. 11.

Bergen Catholic at Delbarton, Oct. 18.

Bergen Catholic at St. Joe-Montvale, Oct. 25.

Northern Highlands at Ramapo, Oct. 25.

Delbarton at DePaul, Oct. 25.

DePaul at St. Joe-Montvale, Nov. 1.