Hornets, Bulldogs meet in key WJFL clash
Control of the West Jersey Football League’s Valley Division is up for grabs.
The winner of Friday night’s Hamilton West-Hopewell Valley game will be in sole possession of first place. Both teams then have two more division games against inferior opponents.
The Hornets and Bulldogs won last week with key efforts on special teams. Hamilton’s Ishmael Gonzalez booted a 39-yard field goal against Northern Burlington as time expired, and Hopewell’s Terrance Peterson blocked a punt to set up a winning touchdown versus Nottingham.
Hopewell, Notre Dame and Robbinsville are three of 35 teams in New Jersey that are still undefeated.
Ewing and Princeton remain in search of their first victories. West Windsor-Plainsboro is coming off its first win as a co-op in a game at Hightstown where it scored nine touchdowns.
Steinert (1-4) is off until next week.
Friday
HAMILTON (3-1) AT HOPEWELL VALLEY (4-0)
This should be a competitive, relatively low-scoring game with quality defense and rushing. Both teams have generated five turnovers, doubledigit sacks and double-digit rushing touchdowns.
TRENTON (3-2) AT ALLENTOWN (1-3)
In most years, this would be the marquee game of the week. But both programs are in the midst of down seasons.
Trenton totaled just 12 points in losses to Nottingham and Vineland during the past two weeks. Meanwhile, Allentown has been porous defensively and is coming off a 41-0 loss at Lenape.
DELRAN (4-1) AT EWING (0-5)
Ewing is on track to post its highest loss total in seven years. The Blue Devils fell 14-6 last week to Lawrence in what may have been their most winnable game.
Delran averaged 35.5 points in wins against Bishop Eustace, Holy Cross, Pemberton and Burlington City. HIGHTSTOWN (1-4) AT
NOTRE DAME (5-0)
It’s pretty clear after Hightstown allowed nine touchdowns to West Windsor that the Rams are headed for a rough season.
Notre Dame has scored at least 40 points in every game and is poised to start 6-0. The Irish will then be challenged a bit by stronger teams in Mercer County, but an undefeated regular season is very possible. LAWRENCE (2-2) AT PRINCETON (0-4)
Lawrence has found some mojo with two straight wins against Hightstown and Ewing behind a revamped running attack.
After being shut out by lowly Cherry Hill East, Princeton looks like the worst team in Mercer County. NOTTINGHAM (2-3) AT
WW-P (1-3)
It’s been a mixed bag for Nottingham under new coach Milo McGuire, but this group is strong enough defensively to get back to .500 this week.
It’ll be interesting to see, though, how the Northstars cope with West Windsor’s improved spread offense and talented receivers. West Windsor scored an area season-high 63 points last week.
Saturday
ROBBINSVILLE (5-0) AT RIVERSIDE (1-3)
Don’t look now, but Robbinsville quietly has one of the stingiest defenses in the area.
The Ravens are fresh off back-toback shutouts of Clayton and New Egypt. They’ll try to keep their historic run going on the road against the team that spoiled their Homecoming game last season with a huge second-half comeback.