They're deep, and they can go deep

Devon Nikolis?

"Athletic."

T.J. Gardner?

"Explosive."

Put all those qualities together, sprinkle in some team spirit, and stir them up in Eastern's no-huddle, spread offense, and the result is a receiving corps that probably is the deepest and most versatile in South Jersey, if not the state.

Eastern (7-3), the No. 2 seed in the South Jersey Group 5 tournament, will host sixth-seeded Southern (8-2) in a semifinal that will pit two of the highest-scoring teams in the field on Friday night.

If the game turns into a shootout, the Vikings would have the weapons to match the Rams big play for big play and point for point, thanks to the strong-armed Flacco and his band of big-play makers.

"These guys give me major confidence," said Flacco, a junior and younger brother of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. "I know it has to be tough for opposing defensive coaches. There's not one guy they can game-plan for."

Flacco leads South Jersey in pass attempts (273), completions (167), and yards (2,609). He needs 391 yards to become just the fourth quarterback in South Jersey history to pass for 3,000 yards.

But what's especially notable about Eastern's aerial attack is its balance. There's not another team in South Jersey with two receivers with more than 425 yards. The Vikings have four.

Eastern has five receivers with between 39 and 27 catches. Woodard, the swift senior who has committed to Ohio State as a defensive back, leads the way with 39 receptions for 770 yards.

"What's great about this offense is that any player at any point in time can make a big play," the 6-foot, 185-pound Woodard said.

Segers, a 6-0, 175-pound junior, is next on the squad in receptions and yards with 33 for 651. While Woodard is more of a deep threat, Segers is more of a physical, possession receiver.

Nikolis and Delaney have exactly the same statistics - 31 catches, 444 yards - although they take different approaches. The 6-1, 180-pound Nikolis is a tight end who works the middle of the field, and the 5-8, 150-pound Delaney tends to patrol the perimeter.

"He knows the game," Flacco said of Delaney. "He can gets a great read on the ball."

Nikolis is a converted wide receiver who is an ideal tight end in a spread offense because of his speed and pass-catching ability.

"It's awesome just being a part of this offense," Nikolis said. "We have so many weapons and a great quarterback."

The 5-7, 160-pound Gardner, the brother of former Eastern and current University of Oregon sprint star English Gardner, is the team's leading rusher. But he's a threat out of the backfield with 27 catches - more than many teams' No. 1 wideout.

"We spread the ball around, so when you get your chance, you have to try to bust a big play," Gardner said.

As a basketball point guard does, Flacco tries to get all his guys involved in the offense. But the quarterback and his receivers said team chemistry is another strong point for the Vikings.

"All we want to do is win," Delaney said. "Guys don't care who catches the ball. We're all in this together as a family."

Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com or @PhilAnastasia on Twitter.