Three teams.

Three division titles at stake.

Three victories – all in totally different ways.

Mendham, Sparta, and Boonton each spent this past weekend winning games – and their divisions – using totally diverse methods (running, passing, defense, respectively).

Mendham’s running (among other things, thanks to unsung hero Harrison Spence) was too much for Montville.  Sparta overwhelmed West Milford with its Shane Hoover-led passing game. Boonton’s defense (especially LB Drew Cabalar) played one of its best halves of the season in the second half against Wallkill Valley.

All three teams are ones to keep an eye on when the playoffs begin Nov. 1-2.

Here is a look at each of the three games.

Mendham 28, Montville 0 – The Minutemen have been running the ball down people’s throats all year with its option attack (Cole Capuzzi, Kevin King, and Jordan Lieberwirth could well rush for 3,000 yards between them this year) but turned to someone totally unexpected in dominating Montville in receiver-defensive back Spence, who caught a touchdown pass and returned an interception back for a touchdown to help capture the SFC-Liberty Blue.

“Going into the game, watching their safeties, we knew they’d be aggressive against the run,” coach Ethan Jeros said. “We wanted to hopefully get them on a pass. We had passed it 19 times all year, but this only means the offense is working. We looked for their safeties and they were being aggressive. So we figured, ‘Let’s take a shot.’”

Spence came into the game having caught four passes all year. He is a terrific downfield blocker, but where is the glory in that? 

But he had two gigantic moments against Montville and he broke the game open almost single handidly.

“I’m not selfish about my performance,” he said. “I want to just win and whatever I have to do, I don’t care. I might catch more passes at another school, but the other school might not be winning the way we are. 

“I just want to play with my friends. We have been playing together all of our lives. it’s been such a blessing practicing and playing with them.”

Mendham’s last division title came under Bill Carpluk in 2004 – when none of the current Minutemen were even born.

The Minutemen knew they had something special brewing in the summer.

“Us and Montville … we saw that in the summer,” Jeros said. “Our guys were ready Friday night and executed the plan. The guys were happy, the student section ran into the end zone and greeted the players in the end zone. We went into the locker room ecstatic. But the job’s not  finished.”

Mendham’s archaic and unique offensive approach could cause problems for whichever opponent is lined up. The team’s O-Line has been pushing teams around all season. 

“We are looking forward to the state playoffs but this was massive,” Capuzzi (181 yards rushing) said of beating Montville. “As the season goes along and we racked up wins, we saw it (winning the league) was a possibility. We were really focused on this game.”

Capuzzi (2,085 career rushing yards) and King (2,184 career rushing yards) have been joined by Lieberwirth (494 yards this year) to give the Minutemen arguably the area’s best rushing attack this year. 

Sparta 42, West Milford 14 – The Spartans built up a 28-0 lead in the second quarter and were never threatened to all but come away with the Patriot Red (Sparta must beat rebuilding Jefferson Friday night to win the league outright).

The Spartans passing game was impressive (as usual) behind quarterback Hoover and (as usual) a bevy of receivers.

While many passing-oriented teams have just 1-2 key receivers, coach Frank Marchiano’s team has a slew of them. The team has been hampered by injuries but has terrific depth. Christian Brevig came off the bench to catch eight passes for 101 yards and two TDs. Steady Luke Doster caught three for 78 yards.

The team has exploded since losing in Week 1 to Montville, when Sparta was young and inexperienced.

But the team has blossomed ever since.

“Montville was a punch in the mouth but since then we have been clicking,” Doster said. “On offense, defense, and special teams we keep getting better and better at what we do.

“We only had three returning starters on offense and it took everyone time to get comfortable and now everything is going great.”

“We are more experienced now and we have executed,” Hoover added. “We went in level-headed against West Milford and knew what we had and what we could do and everything worked out.”

Hoover is set to attend Seton Hall University to pitch but has gotten so good at quarterbacking that football recruiters might come knocking soon.

The junior loves pitching but is open to football in college.

“I’ll always be looking at everything,” he said. “Since the football thing took off, I’d love to see what could come my way. I’ll sit down and see what I have and see where it could take me.

“There is no better feeling than throwing a touchdown. The environment in a football game is unmatched in any sport.”

Boonton 17, Wallkill Valley 7 – The Bombers went into halftime trailing 7-0 but put together arguably its best half of the year, outscoring the homestanding Rangers in the second half 17-0, to win the National Blue.

Quarterback Metin Ahmedi, who has been solid in running Boonton’s triple-option running game, broke off a 56-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half that came as the result of coach Sean Norton and the Bombers, after using an IPod at halftime, noticed something Wallkill’s defense was doing to stop the run. That tied the game at 7.

Then Ahmedi orchestrated a long touchdown drive that took up a lot of clock, ending with running back Sylas White’s touchdown run.

Ahmedi added a 26-yard field goal. 

The defense (led by Cabalar’s 17-tackle effort, including 3 for loss) set out to contain Wallkill’s standout QB Zach Clarken, a stellar two-way threat and one of the best in the Morris-Sussex area.

“A huge amount of credit should go to (Boonton defensive coordinator) Sal Montevego,” Bombers coach Sean Norton said. “He had a huge impact. Our guys were the most prepared we were for an offense and it came at a good time. They have one of the better offenses we have seen all year, if not the best.”

The game was a strange one for Boonton, which captured the onsides kick to start the game but then fumbled the ball away two plays later, its first of four fumbles on the day.

The Bombers brought a strong contingent of fans to the Saturday afternoon game up in Hardyston. 

“Great crowd,” Norton said. “We are a Friday night team.  Boonton people are Friday night fans, but we traveled well.”

Here is a look at how the leagues have shaped up this year (or thus far, with regards to Delbarton and the United White)

NJIC 

Meadowlands Division

The champion: Butler

The big game: The Bulldogs ran through runnerup New Milford to win the league, 41-7.

Coach of the Year: This is one of Butler’s best teams under Jason Luciani, who doesn’t get the credit he deserves for always having the Bulldogs in the league and/or playoff mix.

League MVP: Butler’s P.J. Coffey recovered a fumble, had an INT and scored a rushing TD in the rout over New Milford. Luciani loves this kid, and with good reason. 

Final thoughts: This is one of the Bulldogs best teams in awhile as they go for the NJIC championship against Glen Rock Friday night (see below).

Butler will look to do-everything QB David Smith to continue his fabulous year. He is 69 for 105 passing for 1,084 yards and 19 TDs (he threw his first INT of the year in a win over Becton last week). He has also rushed 51 times for 258 yards and three TDs. 

SFC

National Blue

The champion: Boonton and Wallkill tied for the title with 4-1 records, but the Bombers won the regular-season matchup.  

The big game: Boonton beat Wallkill Valley Saturday, 17-7.

Coach of the year: It could be either of two rookies (Boonton’s Sean Norton or Wallkill’s Jim Hamill). I’m leaning toward Norton because his team found a way to come back and win in the second half in its biggest game of the year thus far.

League MVP: Boonton QB Metin Ahmedi is the team’s unsung player, but running back Sylas White is one of Morris County’s best.

Final thoughts: Cedar Grove and Butler are the two best teams in North Group I. Boonton and Wallkill are among the next rung of clubs capable of winning 1-2 games each, depending on where they are seeded. 

United White

The champion: Undecided.

The big game: Delbarton will visit DePaul Friday night. Both schools are 3-0 in the league, with wins over St. Peter’s Prep, Pope John, and Seton Hall Prep.

Coach of the year: Undecided, though I’m leaning towards Delbarton’s Brian Bowers, who had to replace a lot more talent than DePaul’s Nick Campanile.

League MVP: TBD, though you couldn’t go wrong with Delbarton QB Jadon Prinzivalli.

Final thoughts:  I’m not sure how this works, but would Immaculata’s dominance in the National White be a signal that the football program should be moved into the United White for 2025? Asking for a friend.

American Blue

The champion: High Point and Newton will both finish with one loss, but Newton won the head-to-head matchup. So … Newton. I know that leagues don’t use that as a tie breaker, but, may I ask why? I know Newton lost to Lenape Valley and High Point beat Lenape, but this isn’t wrestling. Newton won the head-to-head battle with High Point. To me, that is the deciding factor in determining a league champ.

The big game: Newton rode the coattails of Nick Kurilko, who rushed for 135 yards and three TDs and made 21 tackles, (four behind the line) and had a big INT in the wild 36-32 victory over High Point a few weeks ago.

Coach of the year: Newton’s Matt Parzero’s reputation is so good that people just assume the Braves will be a contender every year. So it could go to him because this is not one of his better groups. But I don’t think many people thought too highly of High Point in the summer months and Wildcats coach Bill Percey brought the program to life this year. High Point scored more than 35 points in seven of its first eight games.

League MVP: What’s more important to a team, a quarterback who can throw and run (High Point’s John Elko)? A bellcow running back (High Point’s Jerron Martress)? A kid who is stellar on both sides of the ball (Newton’s Kurilko)? I’m giving Kurilko a slight nod.

Final thoughts: This league was fascinating to follow because there were many teams that were about equal. Always made for interesting matchups. 

American White

The champion: Hanover Park.

The big game: The Hornets beat second-place finishers Pequannock and Madison.

Coach of the year: I don’t know of many people who penciled in Hanover as going unbeaten in the league. That requires week-to-week consistency, which isn’t easy to achieve. That’s coaching. Hat tip to Hanover’s Dan Fulton.

League MVP: Tough call, because the Hornets have a lot of two-way players, but I’m going with all-around standout Joey Filippone.

Final thoughts: A couple of years ago, Mountain Lakes and Caldwell won regional championships while playing in the same league (that doesn’t happen too often, if it all!). The American White might have four teams win a playoff game this year (Hanover, Pequannock, Madison and Mountain Lakes are all more than capable). That doesn’t happen too much either.

Liberty Blue

The champion: Mendham.

The big game: The Minutemen dominated Montville for much of the game on the way to a 28-0 victory to win the league.

Coach of the year: Mendham’s Ethan Jeros guided the team to its first division title since the great Bill Carpluk led Mendham to the IHC-Hills championship in 2004. Breakthrough seasons are determined a lot by coaching. Mendham had been floundering for awhile before Jeros came along.

League MVP: Sorry, I have to wimp out and go with co-MVPs. Mendham running backs Cole Capuzzi and Kevin King have been terrific all year.

Final thoughts: Mendham’s O-Line has been pushing defenses around all season. The push they have been getting off the all has been very impressive.

Liberty White

The champion: Morris Knolls.

The big game: The big play, actually. Knolls beat West Morris, 27-26, when Jaylin Jones intercepted a two-point conversion pass to clinch the game on the final play for the Golden Eagles in a battle between the area’s two best public school teams this year.

Coach of the year: Morris Knolls’ Bryan Gallagher returned to his alma-mater and replaced 49-year coach, mentor, and friend Bill Regan. Gallagher turned what could have been an awkward situation into a positive for the program.

League MVP: Knolls linebacker-running back Bobby Brickner is the team’s leading tackler and best ground gainer in a balanced offense.

Final thoughts: Mount Olive started out about as poorly as a team could start out (down 14-0 two minutes in) in its 27-21 loss to Wayne Valley. The Marauders allowed an 80-yard TD pass on the game’s first play, then had a punt blocked and, before you knew it, Valley was up 14-0. Then, with 20 seconds left in the game, Olive’s Brayden Longo returned a punt about 60 yards to the WV 14 to set up what would have been a probable winning field goal … only to have the Marauders called for a roughing the punter penalty (a VERY shaky call, if you watch the replay). If coach Brian O’Connor’s team can get over their first-half blues (they also struggled early but poured it on Vernon in the second halfa few weeks ago), they could beat West Morris Friday night and make a run in the postseason. 

Patriot Red

The champion: Sparta.

The big game: The Spartans rolled up a big lead and beat West Milford Friday night, 42-14.

Coach of the year: Sparta’s Frank Marchiano guided the Spartans through a ton of injuries but still managed to win the division going away.

League MVP: Sparta quarterback Shane Hoover is the latest in a long line of Spartans QBs who can sling it. The school has produced QBs like Austen Frattura, Kenneth Oelkers, Anthony Broccoletti, Matt Maute, Anthony Argula, and Matt Seville in the last 10 years alone. Hoover is right there with all of them.

Final thoughts: This division leads the SFC with most counties represented (Dover and Jefferson from Morris, Sparta and Vernon from Sussex, West Milford and Lakeland from Passaic). There is a better place for these schools, but that is a column for another time.