From a championship program ascent from it’s nadir to a slinging quarterback returning to his hometown, the National Gold Division could shape up to be one of the most interesting in the Big Central Conference in 2023.
Piscataway rebounded from a winless season after sitting out 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic – an administrative decision, not a team one – to go 6-3 last year and win the division. Expectations are even higher for the Chiefs, where winning state titles is the ultimate goal year-in and year-out.
East Brunswick will get Vito Tropeano, Jr. back, after he spent a year at Elizabeth playing for John Fiore.
The rest of the division can make some moves, too. Old Bridge is coming off a .500 campaign but ran into the gauntlet that was Toms River North in the playoffs last season. South Brunswick also was 5-5, and is looking for big things in Joe Goerge’s second year back in Monmouth Junction.
And there’s a new coach at Monroe, alum Nick Isola, who played under Chris Beagan and coached under Dan Lee.
Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko’s preview of the United Gold Division from the Big Central Conference’s inaugural Media Days: