The season is starting for everyone as all Morris/Sussex high school football teams are in action this week. After an eventful week where some gained strength, week 1 is

Can those who lost last week avoid getting off to an 0-2 start? Did not playing a game in Week 0 help those who are starting their schedule now?

Here are the five biggest matches of the week and our predictions.

Pequannock (1-0) at No. 5 Mountain Lakes (0-1)

Thursday, 7:00 PM

The Golden Panthers are looking to get off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2017, while Mountain Lakes hopes to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2016. It’s been four years since Mountain Lakes lost consecutive games in the same regular season, and the reigning Group 1 state champions will hope their fourth quarter against Weequahic gets their offense going.

Pequannock will be hoping to punish the Mountain Lakes defense in a similar way after rushing for over 300 yards in their Week 0 opener against St. Mary (Ruth.). Eddie Shalongo reaped the rewards in Week 0, but Pequannock has some talented runners who are tough to plan for. Mountain Lakes gave up more rushing yards than they’re used to last week. Expect that total to be down and for this game to have a slower, more methodical pace.

Pequannock and Mountain Lakes have gone back-to-back in the last five games of this series, and that trend suggests it’s time for a Pequannock win after Mountain Lakes won their last meeting in 2020. Expect the Herd to rise to the occasion on their home court and with an 0-2 hole early in the season. Pequannock won’t make it easy, but it should get Mountain Lakes in a groove heading into the next portion of their schedule.

Prediction: Mountain Lakes 21, Pequannock 14

Mendham (0-1) at Parsippany Hills (0-1)

Friday, 6:30 PM

Both the Minutemen and Vikings played well in Week 0, but were unable to pull off an upset against a state-ranked opponent. Now, the loser of this game drops to a tough 0-2 record to start the season. A postseason berth isn’t out of the question after an 0-2 start, but it would make the road more difficult and nearly eliminate the loser from the race for the SFC Liberty Blue title.

Mendham has an experienced and diverse backfield that rushed for nearly 250 yards last week against West Morris. The confidence is there, especially since quarterback Cameron Parrinello connected on his first varsity touchdown pass as time ran out last week. The key to this one will be how the Minutemen defense handles Parsippany Hills quarterback Nick Napolitano.

The freshman settled into his debut, throwing a pair of touchdown passes against Roxbury to get his first home start in a must-win game. The power of Napolitano’s offense, combined with the toughness of a Vikings defense led by RJ Ellerbee, will hopefully give head coach Ross Tarlowe his first win as a manager. Don’t be shocked if both teams make runs after this one, regardless of the outcome.

Prediction: Parsippany Hills 28, Mendham 24

No. 2 Mount Olive (0-0) at No. 4 Roxbury (1-0)

Friday, 7:00 PM

Last season, these two teams played some convincing games. Roxbury kept a perfect season alive with a late, fourth-down stop on the edge of field goal range in a 10-7 victory. Mount Olive got revenge in the sectional final with a game-winning touchdown in the final minute, winning 27-26 and claiming the North 2, Group 4 sectional title. What will the third meeting in the past calendar year bring?

Quarterback Jake Asbury and running back Tyler Cumming are among the 15 returning starters from Mount Olive’s championship team. The talent returns, but with it comes higher expectations and a top-10 finish in the New Jersey Super 25 preseason rankings. Those higher expectations could also create some nerves, just as they did for Roxbury in Week 0.

Roxbury survived a scare last week at the hands of a Parsippany Hills team that gave them everything they had. The Gaels weathered a tough test and now comes the only team to beat them in nearly two years. Expect another classic between these two, down to the final possession, that gives hope for another playoff meeting later in the fall.

Prediction: Mount Olive 21, Roxbury 14

No. 7 Morris Knolls (0-0) at No. 6 West Morris (1-0)

Friday, 7:30 PM

The Bryan Gallagher era kicks off on tour when Morris Knolls heads to West Morris for a showdown with Liberty White, kicking off September.

Gallagher, a Morris Knolls alum who has built Boonton into a small-school powerhouse over the past 13 years, makes his coaching debut with the Golden Eagles, facing off against veteran coach Kevin Hennelly and his ever-strong Wolfpack.

In last week’s season opener, West Morris invaded rival Mendham and left town with a 24-16 victory thanks to Jaxon Corkery and Peter Miragliotta, who combined for 271 yards and two touchdowns.

The last four years, these teams have traded wins and losses, with Morris Knolls winning last season’s game 17-7 in Rockaway. This final meeting will feature two strong rushing games, as the Golden Eagles feature their own tandem in seniors Justin Hanson and Jayden Koger, who combined for nearly 1,000 yards on the ground as juniors.

Prediction: Morris Knolls 24, West Morris 17

No. 9 Newton (0-0) at Sussex Tech (0-0)

Saturday, 1:00 PM

Historically, this has been a one-sided game, with Newton dominating the series after winning their last five games and outscoring Sussex Tech 195-28, with two shutouts since the 2010 season.

The Braves are coming off another division championship season, their fifth in a row, and have won 24 straight division games. The Sussex County school is looking to continue the streak and will lean on several newcomers to keep the tradition alive.

Sussex Tech is coming off a historic season following a breakout campaign that saw the Sparta-based school post a 7-4 record and win its first state playoff game in program history. The Mustangs are in top form for the 2024 season with the return of starting quarterback Brian Gruber, who rushed for 1,083 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior.

Expect Sussex Tech to end Newton’s winning streak in the division, record its biggest regular season win in recent history and take an early lead in the SFC American Blue.

Prediction: Sussex Tech 17, Newton 14

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Morris/Sussex Football: Week 1 Big Game Predictions