VOTE for New Jersey's Group 3 Football Team of the Year
With the NJSIAA unable to conduct traditional high school football playoffs this season due to COVID-19, USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey, in partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, is awarding Team of the Year trophies on the state and local league levels.
Finalists statewide are being evaluated for Team of the Year consideration through on-field performance, overall record and sportsmanship.
One-of-a-kind trophies, presented by RWJBarnabas Health and USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey, will be awarded to all the honorees.
Your votes matter
Fans have a say in the selection process (details below) with a chance to vote online for Team of the Year award nominees at USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey's websites statewide. All polls close Dec. 7 at noon.
USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey will crown a statewide Team of the Year in each of New Jersey’s five public school groups, as well as one overall non-public Team of the Year. We'll do the same at the local level.
Winners at the state and local level will be announced during USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey’s season-ending Red Zone Home Show, which premieres live Dec. 8 at noon on NorthJersey.com.
MORE POLLS:Vote for New Jersey's statewide and local Teams of the Year
How teams will be crowned
Fan polls at the state and local conference level will count toward one-third of the overall vote in each category.
Local high school football writers and a separate panel of USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey statewide reporters will also each receive one-third of the vote.
Statewide Group 3 finalists
Burlington Township
The Falcons won their first six games of the season before a COVID-19 shutdown forced them off the field for two weeks and eliminated them from participating in the West Jersey Football League postseason. They started the year with a 22-0 win over sectional champion Willingboro, the first of two straight shutouts.
Delsea
Rebounding (5-1) from a rare losing season last fall, the Crusaders finished 2020 as one of New Jersey's hottest teams. Delsea stumbled out of the gate with a 15-12 loss to Timber Creek in the season opener but got back on track by averaging 43 points per game in the final four games, which included a statement win over Millville to end the season.
Holmdel
The Hornets (6-1) made it four straight winning seasons and had wins over Raritan and Manasquan. Their defeat came to St. John Vianney.
North Plainfield
After finishing 1-10 two years ago and 4-6 last season, the Canucks (7-1) posted a winning record for the first time in a decade. Their lone loss was a 30-14 setback to Group 4 Linden in the season finale.
Nutley
Suffering two separate disruptions to their season due to COVID-19, the Raiders remained resilient with a 6-0 record, the first perfect season for the program since 1929. The Raiders had 11 different players rush the ball this season, averaging more than 268 yards per game as a unit. Defensively, Nutley averaged multiple turnovers per game throughout the season and held all opponents to 20 points or less.
Rahway
The state-ranked Indians’ lone loss was a 46-12 defeat to Somerville. They posted a 5-1 record, beating three Group 5 schools with victories over Plainfield, Sayreville and Watchung Hills, which was state-ranked at the time. Following a weeks-long hiatus, Rahway closed out its season with a 21-14 comeback victory over St. Joseph (Metuchen).
Raritan
The Rockets (6-1) won six straight after an opening loss to Holmdel. They defeated St. John Vianney, Lacey and Brick Memorial.
River Dell
The Golden Hawks rode a veteran defense to a 6-1 record and the Super Football Conference Patriot Red Division title. Along the way, they snapped Ramapo's 27-game winning streak with a 22-21 road victory, and an injury-weakened lineup squeezed out wins over Northern Highlands, 7-3, and Pascack Valley, 7-2.
Rumson-Fair Haven
The Bulldogs (6-2) have wins over both Colts Neck and Freehold. Their defeats were 21-14 to Red Bank Catholic and 26-19 to Mater Dei Prep on a TD on a hook-and-ladder play in the final minute.
Somerville
The Pioneers ended the year with a 7-0 record after beating two state-ranked opponents: 46-12 over Rahway and 39-26 victory over Woodbridge. They closed out their schedule by beating three consecutive opponents of larger group size, including Group 4 Old Tappan, Group 5 Hunterdon Central and Group 4 Woodbridge.
Sparta
Despite returning only six starters from a 9-2 campaign, the Spartans continued to find success during a 5-2 season. They grabbed statement wins over Jefferson, Passaic Valley and Parsippany Hills over the course of the campaign, while their lone losses came to one-loss West Morris and Group 5 Shawnee.
Tenafly
The Tigers (8-0) registered their first unbeaten season since 1967 while rolling to the title in the Super Football Conference Ivy Division, a new 12-team division for programs struggling with participation. The Tigers won the Ivy title with a 48-6 home victory over Memorial of West New York.
Timber Creek
Playing one of the toughest schedules in South Jersey under new head coach Brian Wright, the Chargers put together a solid performance en route to a 4-3 record. Following a 21-0 loss to then-No. 1 Williamstown, Timber Creek rattled off three straight wins against Delsea, Highland and Clearview, posting two shutouts in the last two games of the stretch.
Wall
The Crimson Knights (7-0) finished ranked No. 1 in the state after their 18-15 win over Donovan Catholic in the unofficial Shore Conference championship game. They are 19-1 over the last two seasons. They also defeated Mater Dei Prep, 42-0.
West Essex
After a four-week layoff due to COVID-19, the Knights rattled off five straight wins for their first unbeaten season in program history. The final three wins, at Morris Hills and home against Parsippany Hills and Hanover Park, came against teams with a combined final record of 15-6.
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