With 22 of the 30 Big Central public schools in the playoffs opening play Friday night, just eight advanced to the sectional semifinals next weekend, including the highest-seeded team in action, top-seed Phillipsburg.
The Stateliners join Union, Watchung Hills, Hillsborough, Sayreville, Ridge, Bernards and South Hunterdon in moving on to sectional semifinal play, while 15 others were eliminated.
Nine more play Saturday, including Westfield, South Brunswick, Linden, Governor Livingston, Summit, Hillside, Carteret, and Somerville.
Phillipsburg cruised past 8th-seed Morristown in North 2, Group 5, and will host either 5th-seed Clifton or 4th-seed Westfield; those two play at Kehler Stadium in Union County Saturday afternoon.
Two BCC teams won in North 1, Group 5, where 5th-seed Union traveled up to Bergen County and came back home with a 35-30 win over 4th-seed Ridgewood. The Farmers now get a visit to top-seed Passaic Tech next Friday night, after PCTI beat 8th-seed Bayonne, 42-0. And second-seeded Watchung Hills rallied in the third quarter to beat visiting 7th-seed Bridgewater-Raritan 33-26, their second win over the Panthers this season. Next week, the Warriors will host the winner of Saturday afternoon’s game featuring 6th-seed Columbia at third-seed Montclair; The Mounties just beat the Lions last week on the road, 42-7.
In South 5, second-seed Hillsborough rebounded from a Cutoff Weekend home loss to Westfield with a 14-0 win over 7th-seed Howell. They’ll host next Friday night against the winner of 6th-seed South Brunswick and 3rd-seed Marlboro; they play Saturday in Monmouth County.
Sixth-seed Sayreville handed 3rd-seed Montgomery its first loss of the year, 35-14, putting the Bombers into a road game next Friday night at 2nd-seed Mount Olive, which edged out 7th-seed Wayne Valley at home, 27-21, Friday night.
In North 1, Group 4, second-seed Ridge beat 7th-seed Woodbridge 42-14 in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Red Devils will entertain third-seed and defending North 4 supersection champ Northern highhlands, 48-21 winners Friday night over visiting sixth-seed Randolph.
Second-seed Bernards cruised to a 46-13 win at home over 7th-seed Ramsey, so it’s back home next Friday night in the semis against 6th-seed Sussex Tech, which was a 28-14 winner at third-seed Mahway Friday night.
And South Hunterdon got its first playoff win since 1994 as the second-seeded Eagles erased a 6-0 halftime deficit to beat visiting 7th-seed Salem 16-6. Next week, third-seed Glassboro will make the long trek up and out to Lambertville, after blanking 6th-seed Keyport Friday night, 28-0.
Below are all Friday’s results for Big Central teams, plus full results in sections where Big Central teams are still alive, followed by semifinal matchups for next weekend.
FRIDAY RESULTS
North 2, Group 5
#1 Phillipsburg def. #8 Morristown, 49-7
#6 West Orange def. #3 Plainfield, 25-21
#2 Union City def. #7 Hackensack, 41-7
North 1, Group 5
#2 Watchung Hills def. #7 Bridgewater-Raritan, 33-26
#1 Passaic Tech def. #8 Bayonne, 42-0
#5 Union def. #4 Ridgewood, 35-30
Central Group 5
#5 Freehold Twp. def. #4 North Brunswick, 21-20
South Group 5
#1 Cherokee def. #8 West Windsor-Plainsboro, 44-7
#5 Kingsway def. #4 Hunterdon Central, 27-14
#2 Hillsborough def. #7 Howell, 14-0
North 2, Group 4
#1 Roxbury def. #8 Colonia, 21-14
#4 Irvington def. #5 Middletown North, 26-7
#6 Sayreville def. #3 Montgomery, 35-14
#2 Mount Olive def. #7 Wayne Valley, 27-21
North 1, Group 4
#1 Ramapo def. #8 Rahway, 42-7
#3 Northern Highlands def. #6 Randolph, 48-21
#2 Ridge def. #7 Woodbridge, 42-14
North 2, Group 3
#4 West Essex def. #5 Cranford, 13-0
#6 Passaic Valley def. #3 Vernon, 13-7
#7 Montville def. #2 Parsippany Hills, 17-14
North 1, Group 3
#1 Old Tappan def. #8 Paramus, 42-14
#5 Lincoln def. #4 Warren Hills, 52-12
#6 West Morris def. #3 Pascack Valley, 19-17
Central Group 3
#1 Timber Creek def. #8 Robbinsville, 42-14
#4 Cedar Creek def. #5 Wall, 33-20
#2 Holmdel def. #7 Matawan, 21-7
South Group 3
#1 Delsea def. #8 Burlington Twp., 44-6
#3 Seneca def. #6 Allentown, 51-14
North 2, Group 2
#1 Caldwell def. #8 Madison, 41-7
#5 Lakeland def. #4 Pequannock, 14-7
#6 Sussex Tech def. #3 Mahwah, 28-14
#2 Bernards def. #7 Ramsey, 46-13
Central Group 2
#1 Pt. Pleasant Boro def. #8 Spotswood, 54-7
#5 Cinnaminson def. #4 New Providence, 14-0
#3 Pleasantville def. #6 AL Johnson, 55-22
South Group 1
#1 Rumson-Fair Haven def. #8 Delaware Valley, 47-13
Central Group 1
#1 Schalick def. #8 Audubon, 35-0
#4 Shore def. #5 Clayton, 14-0
#3 Glassboro def. #6 Keyport, 28-0
#2 South Hunterdon def. #7 Salem, 16-6
South Group 1
#1 Woodstown def. #8 Dunellen, 42-6
#7 Burlington City def. #2 Middlesex, 60-15
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
#6 South Brunswick at #3 Marlboro, 12 pm (SJ5)
#5 Clifton at #4 Westfield, 1 pm (N2-G5)
#5 Linden at #4 Morris Knolls, 1 pm (N1-G4)
#8 Governor Livingston at #1 Summit, 1 pm (N2-G3)
#5 Somerville at #4 Manasquan, 1 pm (SJ3)
#6 Carteret at #3 Camden, noon or 1 pm (CJ3)
#7 Sparta at #2 Hillside, 1 pm (N1-G3)
SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS (Weekend of 11/3 and 11/4)
North 2, Group 5
#4 Westfield/#5 Clifton at #1 Phillipsburg (Friday)
#6 West Orange at #2 Union City (Friday)
North 1, Group 5
#5 Union at #1 Passaic Tech (Friday)
#3 Montclair/#6 Columbia at #2 Watchung Hills (Friday)
South Group 5
#5 Kingsway at #1 Cherokee (Friday)
#6 South BRunswick/#3 Marlboro at #2 Hillsborough (Friday)
North 2, Group 4
#4 Irvington at #1 Roxbury (Friday)
#6 Sayreville at #2 Mount Olive (Friday)
North 1, Group 4
#5 Linden/#4 Morris Knolls at #1 Ramapo (Friday)
#3 Northern Highlands at #2 Ridge (Friday)
North 2, Group 3
#1 Summit/#8 Governor Livingston vs. #4 West Essex (TBA)
#7 Montville at #6 Passaic Valley (TBA)
North 1, Group 3
#5 Lincoln at #1 Old Tappan (Friday)
#6 West Morris vs. #2 Hillside/#7 Sparta (TBA)
Central Group 3
#4 Cedar Creek at #1 Timber Creek
#6 Carteret/#3 Camden at #2 Holmdel (TBA)
South Group 3
#5 Somerville/#4 Manasquan at #1 Delsea (Friday)
#3 Seneca vs. #7 Mainland/#2 Camden Eastside (TBA)
North 2, Group 2
#5 Lakeland at #1 Caldwell (Friday)
#6 Sussex Tech at #2 Bernards, 46-13 (Friday)
Central Group 1
#4 Shore at #1 Schalick (Friday)
#3 Glassboro at #2 South Hunterdon, 16-6 (Friday)