Key Division Showdowns Highlight Week 3

With two weeks of the 2011 season completed, Mid-State 39 teams are starting to see how they stack up against the competition, what their strengths are, and what they need to improve if they want to see success throughout the rest of the season.

For the Watchung Hills Warriors, that means not letting their opponents score early. In both Week 1 and 2, the Warriors fought back after going behind, but in both weeks still ended up losing by six or seven points. The Warriors have exhibited some strengths so far this season. Junior Anthony Prus, who plays on both offense and defense, had an interception in against North Hunterdon. In Week 2, against Union, despite carrying the ball only four times, racking up 113 yards in offense.

This week, Watchung Hills will face the Westfield Blue Devils, which are now 2-0 after defeating Bridgewater last week. The Warriors should be on the lookout for Blue Devil James O’Rourke—last week he .

The Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers have seemed like two different teams, depending on which week one looks at. In Week 1 the against Hillsborough, led by Ray Mastroianni with 235 yards passing and two touchdown throws, but in Week 2 against Westfield, the Panthers . The Panthers lost both games, and will be looking for their first win this Friday against Hunterdon Central.

Hunterdon Central is not likely to roll over and let the Panthers win, though: the team was predicted by NJ.com to take first in the Delaware Division, the same division that Bridgewater was predicted to take sixth in. Hunterdon Central is 1-1, but their loss came to Elizabeth last week, 25-21, and both teams were included in The Star Ledger’s top 20 rankings for the state going into the game.

But Bridgewater versus Hunterdon Central won’t be the only Delaware Division showdown this week: Hillsborough and Montgomery are also slated for a Friday night game. Both teams are 1-1, with Hillsborough coming off a and Montgomery coming off a win .

Ridge, now 0-2 after losses to and , will also face a Delaware Division rival in North Hunterdon, which is 1-1 after beating Watchung Hills in and falling to Phillipsburg in Week 2. So far this year, the Ridge Red Devils have struggled offensively, scoring only seven points in each of their losses. Both games ended 21-7.

For a full schedule of Mid-State 39 match-ups this week, including more details about the teams, see below:

Friday

Union (2-0) at Immaculata (2-0), 7 p.m.- Although both teams at this point are undefeated, this is likely to be a tough game for Union, as Immaculata is the No. 12 ranked team in the Star Ledger’s top 20 and were predicted by NJ.com to win the Watchung Division. So far this year, against both and Governor Livingston, Immaculata has done nothing to refute those rankings.

Linden (0-1) at Elizabeth (2-0), 7 p.m.

Westfield (2-0) at Watchung Hills (0-2), 7 p.m.

Cranford (2-0) at North Plainfield (1-1), 7 p.m.

Governor Livingston (0-2) at North Warren (1-1), 7 p.m.

Dayton (1-1) at Brearley (2-0), 7 p.m.

South Hunterdon (1-1) at Roselle Park (0-2), 7 p.m.

New Providence (2-0) at Bound Brook (0-2), 7 p.m.

Franklin (1-1) at Phillipsburg (2-0), 7 p.m.

Hillsborough (1-1) at Montgomery (1-1), 7 p.m.

Bridgewater-Raritan (0-2) at Hunterdon Central (1-1), 7 p.m.

North Hunterdon (1-1) at Ridge (0-2), 7 p.m.

Scotch Plains (0-2) at Delaware Valley (2-0), 7 p.m.

Voorhees (0-2) at Warren Hills (0-2), 7 p.m.

Bernards (2-0) at Manville (0-2), 7 p.m.

Saturday

Somerville (1-1) at Plainfield (0-1), 1 p.m.

Rahway (2-0) at Summit (2-0), 1 p.m.

Hillside (0-2) at Roselle (0-1), 1 p.m.

Belvidere (2-0) at Pingry (1-1), 1 p.m.