CLARK, NJ- The Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders varsity football team will travel to take on Delaware Valley HS tomorrow night, September 29th at 7:00 p.m.
HISTORY:
The two teams have split meetings the past two seasons. Delaware Valley won a home matchup in Week 3 of the 2015 season by a final score of 24-13.
In last year’s Week 4 matchup, Johnson won by a final score of 39-12.
Notes:
Johnson comes off their 23-13 Week 3 win vs. Roselle-Abraham Clark HS, where senior fullback and co-captain Joe Turek scored a rushing touchdown, powering the Crusaders, along with 183 rushing yards on 30 carries. Senior kicker Mike Casalino connected for a 30-yard field goal, his fourth of the season, going 2-for-3 on extra points continuing to come up big, embracing the role of being a high school kicker, when the offense wasn’t able to find the end zone on one drive.
Senior Kevin Metz was crucial on the Crusaders running game, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 8:47 left, that put Johnson ahead by a final score of 16-13. He set up his game-winning touchdown with a 40-yard rush that put Johnson at the Roselle five-yard line. Three plays after that, he charged to the end zone to give his team the lead for good.
Senior quarterback Mike Bruno also sparked the Crusaders on offense, but on the passing game with his only completion, a 25-yard touchdown pass to senior Brandon Rapp in the victory, a score that made it 7-0 Johnson in the first quarter. On the ground, he ran for 122 yards on ten carries, to go along with the 25-yard touchdown pass.
Rapp also sparked the Crusaders on defense, with an interception from a deep throw from Roselle junior quarterback Quraan Dixon near the end of the third quarter that set up the game-winning drive for the fourth quarter.
In total, the Johnson running game has totaled numbers of 1,270 yards on 119 carries. Turek leads the offense with 502 rushing yards on 57 carries, to go along with six rushing touchdowns.
Delaware Valley is coming off a 40-0 Week 3 win over New Providence HS. They are led by senior quarterback Jared Pershyn, who is in his second season as the starting QB for the Terriers.
Other major talent the Terriers lost to graduation last year include Matt Donnelly, Sean Lessig and Ken Henderson and Jacob Saccal, who powered the Terriers on the passing game, along with losses on the ground game, including RBs Nick Perno, Donnelly and Henderson.
Pershyn is 18-for-37 on the season with 211 passing yards and three touchdown passes, along with one interception.
Other players on Delaware Valley for Johnson to watch on Friday night include receivers Lane McCarty and Joseph Beljan, who are major targets on the passing game, while Pershyn and junior Tyler Neal lead the way for Delaware Valley on the rushing game.
If the Johnson Crusaders continue to play the way they’ve always been playing, hard, fast, physical and going at the football and charging through other team’s defenses on offense and drawing up good game plans, they will compete on Friday night.
The way the Johnson defense fought hard against Roselle, playing hard, fast, physical and going at the football and charging through other team’s defenses on offense, limiting all mistakes, playing a clean, physical game and drawing up good game plans, they will compete Friday night.
Another major factor will be how the Johnson running game can do, especially with fighting to remain on the field by charging Delaware Valley’s defense, to keep their offense off the field and milk time off the clock.
Chris Di Nucci’s new defensive system, teaching the players the hands-on style of defense, will face their second major test this season. With Delaware Valley’s passing game and defense, their rushing game has been a major factor towards their success. If the Johnson defense can charge and chase Jared Pershyn, slow down Tyler Neal on the rushing game, along with slowing down the receivers, it is quite possible that could stand out as a factor as to the outcome of tomorrow night’s game.
Delaware Valley opened up their 2017 season in their Week 1 home opener, defeating North Plainfield HS by a final score of 21-6. They lost to Roselle-Abraham Clark HS in Week 2 by a final score of 28-21.
Delaware Valley is a football program that’s always been good in years past, an improved team from last year, so we will see what develops Friday night.
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