Thursday night will bring a highly anticipated, cross-country matchup to Ratliff Stadium. As part of a short-week cat fight showdown, undefeated Permian will host Camden High, traveling all the way from Camden, New Jersey. Both team mascots are the Panthers.
Camden High (3-1) is a physical, hard-nosed football program that won the New Jersey Group 2 State Championship last year. They are a dangerous, defensive-minded team looking to leave their mark on Texas soil. The school boasts a relatively small enrollment of 425 students (grades 9-12), bringing their 54-man varsity roster directly into the pressure cooker of the Permian Basin.
ABOUT CAMDEN HIGH:
– East Coast Smashmouth:
Unlike the spread systems common today in high school football, Camden relies heavily on pro-style sets, balanced I-formations, and tight receiver splits. They want to play straight-ahead, helmet-to-helmet smashmouth football.
– The True Panther Clash:
It’s a battle of identity as the New Jersey Panthers face the Texas Mojo. Both programs share a deep-seated tradition of physical defensive line play and high athletic profiles.
– David vs. Goliath Enrollment:
With only 425 students in the entire school, Camden is drawing over 12% of its total enrollment to field its active varsity squad. They are punching well above their weight class on paper compared to Permian’s massive student body of over 4,000.
TEAM COMPARISONS:
Permian has found its stride offensively through its first five games, using a balanced attack of run and pass. Camden, meanwhile, prefers a ground-and-pound, ball-control identity to wear opposing teams down up front.
– POINTS: Permian is maintaining a 41.4-point average per game. The Mojo defense has been holding opponents to an average of 22.4 points. The Camden offense averages 22.8 points per game, backed by a suffocating defensive front that permits just 14.8 points a game.
– YARDAGE: The Black Cats have been producing 449 yards a game in total offense, that breaks down to 239 yards passing and 210 rushing yards. Camden relies on slow, methodical clock-eating drives, maintaining an average of 339 yards of total offense per game (241 rushing and 98 passing).
OFFENSIVE ASSETS:
The young, underclassman offense operates out of traditional sets designed to pound the interior gaps. Sophomore quarterback Gregory Wyche Jr. (6-1, 185) has completed 16 of 34 pass attempts for 248 yards. He has thrown three TD’s with four interceptions, and has 74 yards rushing from 14 carries. Na’eem Grays (5-9, 170) has added 143 passing yards. He is 10 for 17 with two TD’s and no interceptions. Grays also has nine carries for 41 yards rushing.
The real offensive engine sits in the backfield with the majority of carries going to Roman Duckett (5-10, 205) and Jayden Boyce (5-9, 185). Duckett is the physical hammer, grinding out 245 yards and two touchdowns on 48 carries. An explosive back, Boyce leads the team with 463 yards on 58 carries, averaging an elite 8.0 yards per rush with three scores. He also has four receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Cashuan Green (5-10, 205) will see situational snaps and has 13 carries for 61 yards and two TD’s.
Paving the way up front is junior OL Daniel Williams (6-5, 360), a massive anchor who has ruled double teams. With focus on the run, Wyche and Grays will at times look for Yusuf Williams (5-10, 165) and his sure hands. Williams has 13 receptions for 177 yards and a TD. Freshman Tristen Murray (6-1, 155) recently joined the ranks and had three receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown in his debut. Other receivers to keep an eye on are Kamau Ellis (6-2, 170) and Keyon Ali (5-10, 170).
DEFENSIVE ASSETS:
Camden bases out of a physical 4-3 defensive front designed to completely suffocate opposing running attacks. They aren’t afraid to walk their safeties down into a crowded 8-man box to create a wall at the line of scrimmage. Their defensive philosophy relies on their front four occupying space to let their linebackers flow freely to the ball.
Junior defensive end Moyston McIntosh Jr. (6-2, 240) sets a brutal, D1 caliber edge, holding power-conference scholarship offers and shutting down the perimeter. Because of their compact roster, starters like Duckett, Boyce, and Green frequently pull double duty as relentless linebackers.
Senior middle linebacker Naaim Presbery (5-9, 205) leads Camden with a rock-solid 25 total tackles and five Tackles For Loss. He is followed closely by junior defensive lineman Anthony Nelson (6-5, 235) with 19 tackles (4 TFL), and sophomore defensive back Davian Roman (6-0, 180) with 17 tackles. Green is their pass-rushing threat. Grays is their secondary ballhawk, leading the team with two interceptions (including a pick-six TD return).
SPECIAL TEAMS:
*While Permian carries an elite special teams weapon in Iker Munoz, who can reliably drill 43-yard field goals and secure automatic PATs, rules for small school programs in the Northeast are a completely different animal than Texas 6A. Because they lack a standard kicker, Camden’s default setting will be to attempt a 2-point conversion… if they score. It’s not likely we’ll see extra point kicks or field goals. On the rare occasion, they’ll punt instead of go for it on a 4th-down attempt. More than likely, Wyche will offer a rugby-style punt to shift field position.*
GAME NOTES:
Camden’s roster depth presents a conditioning target for Permian’s deep rushing game. With several of their marquee athletes playing on both sides of the ball, Mojo’s offensive front has a clear advantage to systematically wear the visitors down in the second half.
The Black Cat defensive unit enters the game with fierce momentum after holding Compass Prep to a staggering minus yards rushing. If Permian’s front seven plays with the same physical dominance up front, they’ll smoothly protect the turf and rock into District 2-6A at a perfect 6-0 overall season record.
Again… It’s good to be confident. It’s better to execute on the field. Kickoff is set for Thursday, October 1 at 7:00 p.m. Time for a little West Texas welcome to those Jersey Boys!
| GAME-DAY FORECAST |
| Clear skies and beautiful football weather. Mild daytime temps reaching right at 80°. Kickoff: 77° / winds out of NW @ 10 mph. |
