Armwood heads north Friday night for a major interstate test against New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco Prep, and senior wide receiver Princeton Clark could be one of the biggest factors in the Hawks’ offense.
This is the kind of game that defines a high school career. Two programs that finished a combined 24-2 last season, both a single possession away from a state championship, opening the year against each other in front of what should be one of the loudest crowds either team sees all fall. Granatell Stadium is among the largest venues in Bergen County, and big Don Bosco nights routinely draw upwards of 5,000 fans with a tailgate scene that looks more like a small college than a high school.
The defense Armwood is walking into
Don Bosco returns one of the most decorated defenses in the country. Texas A&M commit Mikahi Allen and Notre Dame commit Aidan O’Neil anchor a unit built on speed and physicality, and head coach Dan Sabella has 81 players on his varsity roster, meaning fresh bodies rotate in all night. Sabella, entering his eighth season with a 50-27 record, has said this may be the most talented team he has coached.
With sophomore quarterback Kehber “Kab” Nijher facing that group, expect the Ironmen to challenge the young signal caller with pressure and force him to make quick decisions. Disguised looks, late rotation and a pass rush that does not need to blitz to get home — that is the standard Don Bosco defensive formula. That’s where having an experienced senior like Clark becomes valuable.
Why Clark fits the moment
At 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, Clark provides Nijher with a bigger, veteran target who can work himself open, compete for the football and become a safety valve when the pocket starts to collapse. He posted 15 receptions for 273 yards and six touchdowns as a junior, averaging 18.2 yards per catch — a number that tells you exactly how Armwood used him. Clark was not a volume target so much as a finisher, converting a modest workload into six trips to the end zone. His season high came against Plant, when he caught five balls for 73 yards in a 40-0 Hawks shutout.
That efficiency matters in a game like this one. Against an opponent with Don Bosco’s talent, Armwood may not get 40 clean snaps of rhythm offense. The Hawks will need players who can turn a handful of opportunities into points, and Clark’s junior tape says he is capable of exactly that.
As a multi-sport athlete who also runs on Armwood’s 4×100 relay at the FHSAA Class 4A level, he brings another level of body control and competitiveness to the position. But it’s his veteran presence that could matter most in a game of this magnitude. Young quarterbacks need experienced receivers they can trust when things get uncomfortable, and Clark can be that guy for Nijher.
The matchup to watch
Armwood isn’t short on weapons. UConn commit Mikey Vernon Jr., a Class of 2027 three-star who pledged to the Huskies on June 5, headlines a receiving corps surrounded by talented young playmakers, giving Nijher multiple options as he works through his progressions. Nijher himself is no secret at this point, the Class of 2029 quarterback already holds offers from USF, UConn, Toledo, Liberty, Georgia State and Georgia Southern before playing his second varsity season.
But all of that talent can also create opportunities for Clark. If Don Bosco rolls coverage toward Vernon or dedicates a safety to bracketing Armwood’s most highly recruited receiver, the senior could consistently find favorable matchups on the other side of the formation. That’s the chess match to track from the opening series.
Two programs chasing the same thing
Both teams arrive carrying December scars. Armwood, under head coach Evan Davis, rolled to a 13-0 record before falling 14-13 to West Boca Raton in the Class 6A state semifinals, undone by a Javian Mallory touchdown inside the final 20 seconds. Don Bosco went 11-0 into the Non-Public A championship at MetLife Stadium, led St. Joseph Regional 14-10 at halftime, and lost 24-21 — Sabella’s fifth state final appearance and fifth runner-up finish. The Ironmen finished No. 2 in the final New Jersey state rankings despite beating Bergen Catholic twice and becoming the first North Jersey team to win a game in Texas.
That history gives Friday night its edge. Don Bosco’s program, which won six consecutive New Jersey titles from 2006-11 under Greg Toal and produced NFL players including Tommy DeVito and Chase Bisontis, is still hunting a title that has eluded it for over a decade. Armwood is looking for proof that last year’s run was not the ceiling.
Armwood and Don Bosco kick off at 7 p.m. ET Friday, August 28, at Granatell Stadium in Ramsey, New Jersey. It is the first of two out-of-state openers for the Ironmen, who travel to Philadelphia to face Roman Catholic the following week.
Don’t be surprised if Princeton Clark leaves New Jersey with his biggest performance of the season.
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