Game of the week and other things...

Face it, the team you play for is the most important team in the world. We understand that, but unfortunately, we can only have one "game of the week" per week.

The season opening game of the week has been bestowed upon Montgomery and Watchung Hills. Game time Friday night is 7 p.m. in Watchung at Tozier Field.

It's not Somerville-Immaculata or Hunterdon Central-North Hunterdon or even Franklin-Bridgewater-Raritan, but -- it's a vital game for both and we figure it to be a close game.

Watchung Hills lost tight end Matt Hunt and quarterback Joe Giaimo among its graduates in June and several good lineman from a team that went 6-4.

Montgomery has its prized senior quarterback Kevin Watson back along with tight end Chris Garcia and senior Devon Saunders and a nice group of lineman.

"We can split Chris, isolate him," Montgomery coach Zoran Milich said. "He's a beast. He's really a pysical specimen."

Years ago, former New York Rangers coach Colin Campbell described the Devils' forwards as interchangeable parts. That's what Watchung Hills reminds me of. The Warriors run their Delaware Wing-T and share the ball in the backfield with small, quick guys who make plays. They're a tricky team to play and for coaches to prepare their teams to play.

"Jim does a phenominal job with it," said Milich of Watchung Hills' coach Jim Benedict. "He can run a clinic with that offense."

I'm officially on the Franklin bandwagon. They have enough players to make a big jump this year. Will they do it is another question. Franklin resides in the Skyland Delaware East Division with Phillipsburg, which has made it to three straight North 2, Group IV finals, winning in '05. Phillipsburg has won 20 straight division games and has claimed four straight divisional titles. Hunterdon Central was the last team to beat Phillipsburg in a divisional game Nov. 2 2002. Central won the division title that year.

Could Franklin stop P'Burg's run?

"We have a nice looking group, but a lot of them are untested," Franklin coach Lou Solomon said.

Bridgewater-Raritan is up first Saturday afternoon in Franklin at 1 p.m. Bridgewater-Raritan was 2-8 last year (beating Hillsborough and Plainfield) and Franklin was 5-5.