Fall Arrives for the Third Week of High School Football

Fall arrives at 4:02 this afternoon, two - three hours before 13 games kick off to start the third full weekend of high school football around the shore with only one matching undefeated teams against one another.

Manchester, which has not started a season 2-0 since 2011 will host 2-0 Barnegat with the winner to emerge as the only real threat to two-time defending “B South” champion Point Pleasant Borough.  The Hawks fast start has been fueled by senior running back Jalen Glenn, who has rushed for over 100 yards in each of their two games while scoring three touchdowns.

Barnegat’s Sean Morris will be a big part of the effort designed to stop Glenn and on the other side continue his fast start at tight end where he’s caught 11 passes and scored two touchdowns in wins over Donovan Catholic and Shore Regional.

As for Point Boro they have looked every bit the division favorite with dominating road victories over Pinelands and Lacey thanks in large part to quarterback James Fara who has run for 343 yards and passed for another 121 while accounting for 7 touchdowns.  The Panthers play their first-ever game on the newly turfed Al Saner Field tonight when they host Donovan Catholic in the Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week which will be broadcast live on 92.7 WOBM and Beach Radio 1160/1310  beginning at 7pm.

The visiting Griffins snapped an 11-game losing streak last week in a shut out of Lakewood but will have to raise their level of play against a Panthers team that might be the best in all of Ocean County.

The wildly unpredictable “A South” division finds winless Toms River North visiting undefeated Brick tonight along with Toms River South at Brick Memorial and Southern at Toms River East.  Tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. Central will host Jackson Memorial in what is Hall of Fame Day at Joseph J. Boyd Memorial Field as six former Golden Eagles will be inducted.

Headlining that group and long overdue is 1967 graduate Bob Breitenbach, who was a terrific football player and later and for many years one of the nation’s top modified pitch softball players.  Also being inducted are Harrie Garris, Faith Clyburn, Chris Gnehm, Erika Applegate-Walton and former football coach Dan Duddy.