Football Forecast: A Semifinals of Rematches

It’s rematch weekend for the and Triton football teams, only this time the stakes are much higher. No. 1 Timber Creek will take on No. 4 Woodrow Wilson tonight in a Group III rematch of a regular season game . In Group IV action, No. 5 Triton travels to take on No. 1 Pennsauken. The Mustangs could not keep pace with the Indians during the regular season, . The winner of each game will earn a place in their respective South Jersey finals.

Below is a look at some of the key players and situations to keep an eye on.

NO. 4 WOODROW WILSON AT NO. 1 TIMBER CREEK, Tonight, 7 p.m.

Woodrow Wilson (6-3)

Last game: Defeated Central, 39-0

Key player: Running back Anthony Haynes. When these two teams met in the regular season Haynes was stifled, rushing for just 30 yards on 12 carries. The Tigers often go as Haynes goes, so the running back will have to produce a much bigger day for Wilson to have a chance at an upset.

Three keys to the game:

- Start fast. Woodrow Wilson was brutal on offense in the first half against the Chargers in the regular season, finishing the first two quarters with negative yardage. The Tigers can not afford to start slow again against a Timber Creek team that has demonstrated that it knows how to put away teams.

- Account for lineman . The senior lineman was in the defensive backfield so much in their last meeting he might as well have changed his postal address. Webb was in on a pair of sacks and had an interception in the game. Woodrow Wilson will need to double Webb if it has any hopes of executing its offense.

- Contain Lowe. Calvin Lowe has done the job with his arm and feet all season, including against the Tigers when he threw for one touchdown and ran for another. Woodrow Wilson will not only need to do a better job of getting pressure on Lowe, but also keeping containment to ensure he does not escape the pocket.

Timber Creek (9-0)

Last game: Defeated Lacey Township, 23-0.

Key player: Cornerback Eric Church. Matched up against standout receiver Terrance Chambliss, Church was a rock in the regular season meeting. Chambliss entered the game averaging over 100 yards a contest and was held to one catch for zero yards. This matchup will again go a long way in determining the winner of the game.

Three keys to the game:

- Continue to concentrate on Haynes. The Tigers like to use the run to set up the pass, but that only works when the run is successful. If the Chargers are able to limit Haynes early they way they did in the regular season, it could force the Tigers to become one-dimensional, setting up opportunities for the secondary to force turnovers.

- Lowe on the move. Lowe has shown the ability to get big gains on the ground on both designed runs and scrambles when pass plays break down. The Tigers struggled to contain Lowe earlier this year and should have difficulty doing so again tonight.

- Don’t come in overconfident. What Timber Creek did to Woodrow Wilson is in the past and needs to stay there. The Tigers offense has scored over 30 points in all four games since and will be motivated with a shot at making it to the South Jersey finals. The Chargers will need to play their best football to keep their perfect season alive.

NO. 5 TRITON AT NO. 1 PENNSAUKEN, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Triton (8-1)

Last game: Defeated No. 4 Southern, 26-7.

Key player: Quarterback Brian Keller. Since running back Josh Woods has been sidelined, Keller has been the unquestioned leader of the Mustangs. Keller had a 5-yard touchdown run against Southern and helped guide the offense to a comfortable victory.

Three keys to the game:

- Continue to excel on special teams. To pull off an upset, it often takes a score from an area that is not typically anticipated and that’s what the Mustangs will be looking for from their special teams unit. The special teams came through against Southern, with a perfectly executed fake field goal that resulted in a touchdown.

- Disrupt Manny Cortez. One thing the Mustangs did right against the Indians was pressure Cortez. The defensive unit finished with seven sacks, led by linebacker Chancellor Negri who had a 2 ½ sack effort. Cortez was still able to make plays, but that is a credit to his athleticism and not to the fault of the defense.

- Be ready for the fast pace. The Mustangs were caught a little off guard by the fast pace the Indians’ offense maintained throughout the game. That type of quick tempo makes subs and strategy changes difficult for the defense, but having seen it once already should have the Mustangs ready.

Pennsauken (8-1)

Last game: Defeated Atlantic City, 31-9.

Key player: Quarterback Manny Cortez. Despite being knocked around, Cortez picked apart the Triton secondary. He was 14-of-18 for 238 yards and four touchdowns in the regular-season meeting. He is also coming off of a 208-yard, two touchdown effort (plus a touchdown on the ground) against Atlantic City. For the season he has over 2,200 yards passing and an insane 31-3 touchdown to interception ratio.

Three keys to the game:

- Continue to generate pressure. Triton had one of the most dominating defensive efforts of the season against the Vikings, sacking the opposing quarterback and eye-popping 11 times. The Mustangs have the ability to generate pressure from numerous sources, demonstrated by the fact that six different players had at least one sack last week.

- Protect Cortez. When a player is as big of a part of the offense as Cortez is, keeping that player healthy is an absolute must. The Indians cannot afford to have Cortez hit as many times as he was against the Mustangs in the regular season and expect him to make it through the entire game. Good offensive line play is crucial this week.

- Stick with what got you here. Pennsauken has been one of the top offensive teams in South Jersey, scoring over 30 points in every game this season. There is no reason to mess with the recipe that has worked so well to this point. Expect a heavy dose of Cortez through the air with enough of a running game to keep the Mustangs honest.