CLARK, NJ- The Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders varsity football team will travel to take on North Plainfield HS tomorrow night, October 27th at 7:00 p.m.
HISTORY:
The two teams met last season, when Johnson won a home matchup in Week 8 by a final score of 28-14.
Notes:
Johnson comes off their 33-7 Week 7 loss vs. Somerville HS, where the Crusaders mightily struggled in what was their first loss of the season. Johnson committed four turnovers in the loss, three of them being interceptions. They did cut Somerville’s lead to 20-7, but the Pioneers proved to be too much to overcome, but overall, the Crusaders are in good shape in the standings as the regular season enters its final phases.
Senior Brandon Rapp had the only touchdown for the Crusaders in the loss. On defense, the Crusaders just weren’t able to sustain a Somerville HS squad that has drastically improved from a four wins in four years chapter to a 10-1 record last year, now a 16-2 record in the Jeff Vanderbeek era.
In total, the Johnson Crusaders had their worst game last week, having been clean all season before the turnovers derailed any chance of competing with Somerville HS.
Their running game has totaled numbers of 2,501 yards on 268 carries. Turek leads the offense with 926 rushing yards on 114 carries, to go along with nine rushing touchdowns. They are anchored by a strong offensive line that has allowed them to maintain and achieve all the successes they’ve had all season long.
North Plainfield is coming off a 55-30 Week 7 loss to Summit HS. They are led by senior quarterbacks Brandon Smith and Naji Campbell, who have struggled to fill in the shoes of last year’s quarterback Nick Chesasaro.
Chesasaro had 26 touchdown passes and almost 3,000 passing yards under Mark Ciccotelli, who stepped down after one season at the helm of the Canucks varsity team and became the new head coach at Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS.
Jimmy DiPaolo, the defensive coordinator for North Plainfield for the past few years, was promoted to head coach this past offseason.
Other major talent the Canucks lost to graduation last year include James Gardner, Dennis Cooper, Randolph Hunter and R.J. Hunter, who powered the Canucks on the passing game, along with losses on the ground game, including RBs Chesasaro.
There is a drastic difference in the offensive production for the Canucks in 2016, as compared to them this season.
Smith is 39-for-90 on the season with 406 passing yards and zero touchdown passes, along with nine interceptions. Campbell is 17-for-28 with 257 passing yards and three touchdown passes on the season, all coming in the road game at Summit HS.
Other players on North Plainfield for Johnson to watch on Friday night include receivers Tony Godwin, Robinson and Amiyn Hawks and Smith, who are major targets on the passing game, while Smith and Al-Nasir Robinson lead the way for North Plainfield on the rushing game.
Smith also has two kickoff returns for touchdowns on the season, so he is one to watch out for on kickoffs.
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 in their victories this season, 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 North Plainfield on both sides of the ball to give themselves a chance, keeping their offense off the field and milking 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 Brandon Smith, Naji Campbell, slow down Smith, Al-Nasir Robinson and Tony Godwin on the rushing and passing 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.
North Plainfield has struggled all-year around and opened up their 2017 season in their Week 1 season opener, losing to Delaware Valley by a final score of 21-6. They lost to Somerville HS in Week 2 home opener by a final score of 54-25.
They lost a Week 3 game on the road at Governor Livingston HS by a final score of 36-29. On a short week, they returned home and lost a Week 4 home game to Cranford HS by a final score of 28-6 in a Thursday night game.
They went on the road and lost to Voorhees by a final score of 42-6 in Week 5 and had their bye week in Week 6.
The important part of the game of football is how you respond after a bad loss, which is what has to happen for Johnson. The way the Johnson defense fought hard against their five wins, 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.
While North Plainfield is a football program that’s always struggled in years past, they have guys who can still make plays and run the football, so we will see what develops Friday night.
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