Temperatures are cooling. Leaves are turning brown. Halloween decorations are all over the place.

That can only mean one thing: High school football games are taking on more and more meaning.

That is certainly true this coming weekend with four games involving Morris-Sussex area teams. Three division championships are at stake, and so is a berth in the NJIC championship game.

In addition, playoff pairings are beginning to take shape. 

Read on, high school football aficionados!

Sparta at West Milford (Friday night) – The Patriot Red is on the line with both teams coming in with 3-0 records. The Spartans are on a roll coming in after a 33-9 season-opening loss to Montville. It is hard to believe that Sparta’s rocket-armed Shane Hoover (116 for 163, 1,510 yards, 19 TDs, 4 INTs) is just a junior. The Spartans have a health of weapons, beginning with running back Brady Shagawat (4 for 409, 3 TDs), who has taken advantage of Sparta’s bevy of receivers spread out all over the field. Sparta has six receivers with at least 10 receptions and two more with nine and eight. Coach Frank Marchiano’s team also has seven receivers who have scored at least one TD, which is a testament to an incredibly balanced attack. Lucas Brown (18 for 109, 1 TD) and Shagawat (18 for 284, 4 TDs) are Hoover’s two favorite targets, but don’t leave Luke Doster (16 for 289, 6 TDs) or Stone Herbison (14 for 236, 2 TDs) alone or they will do some damage.

West Milford, meanwhile, prefers running the ball with Jeffrey Papienuk (59 for 476, 2 TDs), quarterback Aydin Deane (70 for 419, 11 TDs) and Chase Tyburczy (47 for 310, 1 TD). Deane (51 for 80, 6 TDs, 3 INTs) is versatile and a capable thrower. WR-LB Jake Kelshaw, meanwhile, is a terrific two-way player for the Highlanders as he can both catch the ball (20 for 394, 4 TDs) and go after QBs and ballcarriers (5 ½ sacks, 3 tackles for loss).  

Montville at Mendham (Friday night) – What is better, a team with versatility on offense or a team that stresses (and I do mean stresses) running the ball? We’ll find out when these two meet with the Liberty Blue at stake. Mendham is 4-0 in the league and Montville is 3-0 (but with a game the following week against winless Morris Hills). The winner here takes the league title. In the summer, it appeared that these two were the premier teams in the league and here they are.

Montville has one of the most dynamic players in all of Morris County in Lehigh-bound Anthony Feaster, who is a threat as a runner (68 for 449, 9 TDs) and out of the backfield (25 catches for 30, 2 TDs). Quarterback Mike Ciullo can throw (63 for 103 passing for 647 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) and run (61 for 289, 4 TDs). Montville has had some terrific dual-threat QBs in the recent past such as Mike Burke, Triston Perez, and Joe Rehberg, and Ciullo is the latest. 

Mendham, meanwhile, hardly ever passes and prefers running the option behind quarterback Cam Parrinello’s brilliant reads. Defenses know it, but still cannot stop the running of Mr. Inside (Cole Capuzzi is 99 for 779 yards, 10 TDs) and Mr. Outside (Kevin King (81 for 747, 9 TDs). And don’t forget Jordan Lieberwirth (47 for 479, 5 TDs), whose 66-yard touchdown run against Chatham all but sealed a 28-7 Mendham win.  

Mendham’s players are dedicating the game to loved ones who are or have battled breast cancer. As a team, they have raised over $3,000, which they plan to donate to two different foundations to support research and families who are managing treatment.

Several players have submitted personal dedications that will be read on-air during Big State Sports’ live broadcast of the game.

Becton at Butler (Friday night) – The Bulldogs have a wealth of state sectional championships (8) and are looking for their first NJIC title since joining the league in 2018. Rutherford has won the last three.

Butler has a reputation for being a run and shoot school because they were the first spread team in Morris County (1994, under Bob Jones). But Butler is a lot more balanced and physical these days. Coach Jason Luciani’s team has thrown for 960 yards and rushed for 1,099 yards, which is about as balanced as a team can be.

Luciani told me last week that P.J. Coffey (19 for 333 receiving, 19 for 70 yards rushing and 4 TDs, 2 for 2 passing for 44 yards, 2 INTs) might well be the best player he has had at the school, which is saying something because the program is always in the playoff hunt.

Quarterback David Smith (58 for 90, 896 yards, 17 TDs, NO INTS!) likes to throw to Coffey, Mikey Henehan (12  for 172, 3 TDs) and Matt Barile (10 for 153, 1 INT).

Butler’s running game is led by Barile (29 for 326, 3 TDs) but can also go to Yadi Perez (35 for 215, 3 TDs), Evan Croker (7 for 157, 3 TDs), Coffey, or Smith can run it himself (37 for 198, 2 TDs).

Becton can throw with Jonathan Palsi (39 for 64, 658, 8 TDs) or run with him (48 for 405, 8 TDs). Nico Ragozzin (31 for 313, 5 TDs) is another back to keep an eye on. 

Boonton at Wallkill Valley (Saturday afternoon) – Who are the best rookie coaches in Morris-Sussex? Well, two of them are right here in Boonton’s Sean Norton and Wallkill’s Jim Hamill. 

Wallkill (4-0 in the National Blue) has a chance to win the first outright division title in the school’s 42-year history, which is saying something. The Rangers tied Newton for a divisional title in 2017. Boonton (3-1) lost to Whippany earlier this year (Wallkill beat Whippany last week) but the Bombers can forge a tie for the league with a win.

Wallkill is very dependent on QB Zack Clarken, one of the area’s best. He is 83 for 134 for 1,066 yards, 13 TDFs and has thrown just three INTs. He can also run it (57 for 418, 6 TDs) to lead the team. Another runner Boonton will have to contend with is Travis Barlow (83 for 366, 2 TDs). Wallkill’s go-to receiver is Connor Hoebee (38 for 442, 4 TDs) and Ethan Alfonso (21 for 374, 3 TDs) but Ryder Accardi caught four passes for 74 yards, including the go-ahead touchdown with 20 seconds left, to give the Rangers a 14-7 win over Whippany.

Boonton QB Metin Ahmedi doesn’t have the passing or running numbers of Clarken but is just as important to his team because he runs the triple option beautifully in only his first year at the position. Sylas White (70 for 545, 9 TDs) is a blur and one of Morris County’s best backs. Drew Cabalar (56 for 386, 5 TDs) and Colin Bostrom (18 for 242, 4 TDs) are also backs to keep an eye on.

Playoff lookahead

The Morris-Sussex area brought home five sectional champions in 1998. It’s the most state championships the area has won in any single year.

Could the area win that many this year?

Well, first let’s look back:

IHC-Iron schools Roxbury and Morristown won back-to-back at Giants Stadium. Madison ended NHC-Suburban rival Butler’s four-year dynasty by winning North 2, Group I.

Meanwhile, Delbarton beat Immaculata to win Non-Public Group III. In Non-Public Group II, Pope John blew out Pingry to win its fourth straight title.

This year, the area has a chance to do some damage, but winning five will be very difficult because some of the sections are absolutely loaded with top-notch teams. 

Here’s a quick look at each of the seven groups involving area schools.

Group 5–Morristown hasn’t won a playoff game since winning it all with Coach Chris Hull leading the way in 2010. The Colonials are rising and could win a first-round game this year, as long as they draw a favorable landing spot that doesn’t include schools such as Union City, Ridgewood, Passaic Tech, and Piscataway.

If the playoffs were to begin this weekend, the Colonials would travel to Piscataway for a first-round game. 

Interesting thing that happened to the Middlesex County program a few years ago: When Covid broke out, the geniuses running the school decided to cancel the entire 2020 football season. So what happened then? The top talent at the school fled because they were trying to get recruited. Then what? Piscataway went winless in 2022 because the best players transferred. The program, a longtime powerhouse, began recovering in 2023. 

Same thing happened at Carteret, another longtime solid program in Middlesex County. With Covid looming the Carteret Board of Ed panicked and scrapped the entire upcoming football season in the summer of 2020. Carteret’s talented players transferred out and the team struggled mightily in 2022 before rebounding in 2023.

Group 4–The field is loaded with the likes of Ridge, Phillipsburg, Morris Knolls, Mount Olive and Ramapo.

If the playoffs were held this weekend, Mount Olive would host Rahway and, if the Marauders were to win, would travel to P-Burg in the semifinals.

Knolls, meanwhile, would get a No. 2 seed if the playoffs were to begin and could host the winner of No. 6 Randolph- No. 3 Ramapo in the semifinals. Ridge is the No. 1 seed right now.

“There is not a single team in the section where you say, ‘OK, we feel good about that one,” Golden Eagles coach Bryan Gallagher said.

Group 3–West Morris has won three straight titles and is most certainly a team to contend with against the likes of Old Tappan, West Essex, Sparta, Summit, and Wayne Hills. Where do Mendham and Montville fit in here? We’ll find out a little more Friday, when the teams go at it in Mendham.

If the playoffs began this weekend, the lower bracket has West Essex seeded one, West Morris two, and Sparta third. Those three have locked horns a bunch of times down through the years and have great rivalries.

When the NJAC formed in 2009, Sparta ran roughshod over all of the Morris County schools with the exception of the Wolfpack (Sparta and West Morris split eight regular-season games). West Morris beat Sparta in the sectional semifinals last year, 30-9.

West Morris and West Essex have formed an interesting rivalry in the past few seasons. The host Knights fell behind 14-0 but came back to win 21-20 in the state Group III semifinals last year. The previous two years, host West Morris beat West Essex for the sectional title (21-7 in 2022, 21-0 in 2021). West Morris beat West Essex in a regular-season game in 2022, 9-7. 

Group 2–This group is a fascinating one because there are lower-seeded teams sprinkled throughout that can beat anyone on a given day such as Caldwell and Shabazz. Hanover hammered Pequannock recently (41-9), but I wouldn’t count out the Golden Panthers just yet. Watch out for Becton, Westwood and Bernards. And don’t overlook Madison, which is getting better as the year is going along.

If the playoffs began this weekend, it would surprise no one if Caldwell, seeded fifth, wins Section 1.

In Section 2, the upper part of the bracket is fascinating with No. 8 Madison traveling to No. 1 Hanover (the Hornets won the season-opening game between the two, 20-7) and dangerous Shabazz, seeded seventh, going to No. 2 Pequannock. Hanover rolled over Pequannock but a rematch would be interesting.

Group 1–While Groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 are loaded with many capable teams, Group 1 looks very, very top-heavy with Cedar Grove and Butler clearly at the top. New Milford and Verona are in the next rung. Boonton has had a great season but the Bombers would travel to Verona if the playoffs were to begin this weekend. Mountain Lakes is rebuilding, but does anyone really want to face the Herd in a big game? 

Non-Public A–Delbarton is in the midst of another great season and are among New Jersey’s best handful of teams. The Green Wave would be seeded second if the playoffs began this weekend and would host St. Peter’s Prep, who they beat earlier this year (44-21). 

Non-Public B –Pope John is glad to be out of Non-Public A, for sure, but that doesn’t make B a cakewalk with the likes of DePaul, Holy Spirit, Camden Catholic, Immaculata, and Paramus Catholic. The Lions would travel to Paramus Catholic if the first round were to be held this weekend.

Set your calendar

We are getting down to the time of the year when each weekend is more important than the previous one. With that, here are some dates to keep:

Nov. 1-2 – Sectional playoff quarterfinals at higher seed (public).

Nov. 8-9 – Sectional playoff semifinals at higher seed (public); Non-Public first round at higher seed.

Nov. 15-16 – Sectional playoff finals at higher seed (public); Non-public quarterfinals at higher seed.

Nov. 22-23 – State group semifinals at higher seed (public): Non-public semifinals at higher seed.

Nov. 29-Dec. 4 – State group finals (public/Non-Public) at MetLife or Rutgers (TBA).

Dec. 4 – State group finals for Thanksgiving teams (public/Non-Public) at MetLife or Rutgers.

All-County, All-Area calendar

Big State Sports is proud to run the only real All-County and All-Area team in the area (what Gannett and NJ.com genius editor decided to scrap All-County and All-Area? Mind-boggling!). 

Nov. 24 – Big State Sports reveals its All-Sussex-Warren team this week.

Dec. 1 – Big State Sports reveals its all-Morris team this week.Dec. 8 – Big State Sports reveals its All-Area (Morris-Sussex-Warren) team this week.