By Rich Chrampanis
(3) Chatham (8-3) at
(1) Middletown North (8-1)
North Jersey, Section 2,
Group 4 Final
Friday, November 13 | 7 p.m.
Middletown North High School,
Middletown
Middletown North gets another opportunity to finish its championship journey as the Lions pursue their first sectional title since 1996. After falling in last year’s sectional final at Brick Memorial, coach Steve Bush’s team earned its return trip with a 47-21 victory over Teaneck. Junior quarterback Derek Grasso threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns, while Anthony Christiani contributed two receiving touchdowns and another score on the ground. Matt Belenko was a workhorse, running for 174 yards and two scores.
Chatham comes to Middletown after defeating Montgomery 41-20 and Mount Olive 31-7 in its first two playoff games. The Cougars have scored 72 postseason points, giving North’s defense a significant test. QB Ryan Hogan has 2,423 passing yards with 20 TD passes and only five interceptions. His top target is Nick Lagunowich, who has 55 catches for 872 yards and seven touchdowns. Lagunowich is one of the top lacrosse players in the state, committed to play at Notre Dame. Middletown North hopes home-field advantage can propel them to an historic win.
(4) Middletown South (7-3) at (2) Northern Highlands (7-3)
North Jersey, Section 1,
Group 4 Final
Friday, November 13 | 6:15 p.m.
Northern Highlands Regional High School, Allendale
Middletown South is one win away from its first sectional championship since 2015 after knocking off top-seeded Roxbury 23-21 in the semifinals. Senior quarterback Jack Schneider delivered a career-high 282 passing yards and two touchdowns, with Owen Maguire catching five passes for 111 yards and a score. The Eagles will look to carry that offensive balance into another road test with a championship on the line.
Northern Highlands also survived a semifinal thriller, edging Morris Knolls 28-27. The Highlanders stopped a potential winning 2-point conversion in the final 30 seconds. The player to watch for the Highlanders is Carter Blattner. The senior Penn State commit has 58 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
The Eagles have embraced the underdog role and a win in North Jersey would turn heads around the state, similar to what coach Marc Tomo’s team did last week in stunning the Roxbury Gaels.
(6) Pope John (4-6) at (3) Red Bank Catholic (7-3)
Non-Public B Quarterfinal
Friday, November 13 | 7 p.m.
Count Basie Field, Red Bank
Red Bank Catholic begins its postseason following a first-round bye, looking to rebound from a 37-34 loss to St. Peter’s Prep in its regular-season finale. The Caseys feature a high-octane rushing attack led by Gabe Kemp, who has accumulated 1,540 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Rahmir Rivera has added 1,483 passing yards and 17 touchdown passes, giving RBC multiple ways to attack the Pope John defense.
Pope John advanced with a 21-3 victory over Notre Dame after closing its regular season with a 23-6 win over St. John Vianney. The Lions have allowed just nine points over those two victories but face an RBC offense averaging 35.9 points per game. Pope John’s best win on its resume is a 9-6 win at Seton Hall Prep.
RBC will once again lean on its potent offense to return to the state semifinals.
(9) St. John Vianney (4-7) at (1) Paramus Catholic (5-5)
Non-Public B Quarterfinal
Friday, November 13 | 7 p.m.
Paramus Catholic High School, Paramus
St. John Vianney heads north with momentum after a 29-21 opening-round victory over Paul VI and a spectacular performance from quarterback Anthony Petracca, who completed all 18 of his passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Isaiah Shade was his biggest weapon, catching seven passes for 224 yards and two scores. The Lancers will need that passing connection to deliver again against the bracket’s top seed.
Paramus Catholic enters following a first-round bye, with a demanding schedule that included victories over Bergen Catholic and DePaul Catholic. High-level recruit QB Walker Snee suffered a season-ending injury and will not be part of the Paladins’ postseason run, but junior Rowan Martin has stepped in and has plenty of weapons to work with, starting with Penn State commit Chu Odoh, who is one of New Jersey’s top running backs. Paramus Catholic is the heavy favorite in this one and a win could set the stage for a Paladins/RBC rematch in the state semifinals.
This article originally appeared in the November 12-18, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
