Holy Spirit wants a war of attrition.
St. Joseph wants a test of talent.
That's not to say that Holy Spirit is short on talent, or that St. Joseph can't stand up to the demands of 48 minutes of football.
But there's a sharp contrast between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in South Jersey, and that could make the difference in Saturday's 2 p.m. showdown.
"Every year is the same situation," said Holy Spirit coach Chalie Roman, whose top-ranked Spartans will roll into the Wildcats' cozy little field off Wood Street in the heart of Hammonton.
"They've got about eight kids that go both ways. We've got one or two. We've got to try to wear them out.
"Some years we can. Some years we can't. It always amazes me the amount of effort those kids put out, playing both ways, and a lot of them are out there on special teams, too."
Holy Spirit is 2-1, although the Spartans are 3-0 on the field. They forfeited their first game because of the use of an ineligible player.
Holy Spirit has ground down opponents behind a dominant offensive line. The Spartans' front line features Villanova-bound Nico D'Angelo (6-foot-4, 285 pounds) along with fellow seniors Joe Bodenlos (6-3, 280), AJ Thomas (6-2, 275), and Dom Lafragola (6-3, 290), and junior Steve Domonoski (6-3, 270).
In the first three games, Holy Spirit has outscored Oakcrest by 20-0 in the fourth quarter; Absegami by 22-0 in the second half; and Bridgeton by 28-0 in the second half.
"That's our game," D'Angelo said. "We know they [St. Joseph] have a bunch of guys going both ways. We're going to pound on them and pound on them."
St. Joseph is 2-0. The Wildcats outscored their first two opponents by 106-7, resting many starters in the second half. They also had a bye last week.
St. Joseph's defensive front is led by South Carolina-bound Kaiwan Lewis (6-1, 225), a combination linebacker/end who also plays tight end, and Virginia-bound Max Valles (6-5, 225), a speedy rush end who also plays wide receiver, punts, and kicks off.
"We feel like we have a pretty big defensive line, but we also have a lot of speed," Lewis said. "I know they have a big offensive line, but we feel like we can go toe-to-toe with them."
Holy Spirit's offensive line has cleared the way for senior running backs Donta Pollack and Nigel Jones. Pollack has rushed 95 times for 664 yards (6.9 average) and six touchdowns. Jones, who also plays free safety, has rushed 52 times for 379 yards (7.2 average) and five touchdowns.
