Summit players and cheerleaders celebrate the Hilltoppers’ first win of the year, 20-0 over Rahway, on Saturday, September 24 at Tatlock Field in Summit. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Saturday was a rough one for the Big Central as the opening round of the playoffs continued: just two league teams advanced to next week’s semifinals, making in ten teams that will play next weekend for the right to go to a sectional title game.
Westfield and Summit were victors on Saturday afternoon.
Fourth-seeded Westfield was dominant in its 36-0 home win over fifth-seed Clifton out of the Super Essex Conference. The Blue Devils scored early – the first one came on the second play of the game – and often, and led Clifton 26-0 at the half.
Westfield (5-4) now moves on to visit top-seed Phillipsburg (8-1) Friday night at 7 pm at Maloney Field. The Stateliners blew past 8th-seed Morristown Friday in the opening round, 49-7. It’ll be the first meeting between the schools since 2021, when Westfield dropped a 13-0 decision in the regular season finale out on the state line.
Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Westfield head coach Jim DeSarno:
Top-seed Summit got a North 2, Group 3 opening round win at Tatlock Field Saturday afternoon over 8th-seed Governor Livingston. Next Saturday at 1 pm, the Hilltoppers will entertain fourth-seed West Essex in the semifinals.
Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Summit head coach Kevin Kostibos:
Below are all Satrday’s results for Big Central teams, plus full Saturday results in sections where Big Central teams are still alive, followed by semifinal matchups for next weekend. For Friday night results and links to stories, click here.
SATURDAY RESULTS
North 2 Group 5
#4 Westfield def. #5 Clifton, 36-0
North 1, Group 5
#3 Montclair def. #6 Columbia, 19-7
South Group 5
#3 Marlboro def. #6 South Brunswick, 26-16
North 1, Group 4
#4 Morris Knolls def. 5 Linden, 17-7
North 2, Group 3
#1 Summit def. #8 Governor Livingston, 42-14
Central Group 3
#3 Camden def. #6 Carteret, 27-7
South Group 3
#4 Manasquan def. #5 Somerville, 14-13
North 1, Group 3
#7 Sparta def. #2 Hillside, 27-26
SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS (Weekend of 11/3 and 11/4)
North 2, Group 5
#4 Westfield 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 at #2 Watchung Hills (Friday)
South Group 5
#5 Kingsway at #1 Cherokee (Friday)
#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
#4 Morris Knolls at #1 Ramapo (Friday)
#3 Northern Highlands at #2 Ridge (Friday)
North 2, Group 3
#4 West Essex at #1 Summit (Saturday)
#7 Montville at #6 Passaic Valley (TBA)
North 2, Group 2
#5 Lakeland at #1 Caldwell (Friday)
#6 Sussex Tech at #2 Bernards (Friday)
Central Group 1
#4 Shore at #1 Schalick (Friday)
#3 Glassboro at #2 South Hunterdon, 16-6 (Friday)
Non-Public Group A
#9 Notre Dame at #8 DePaul (TBA), winner at #1 Bergen Catholic
#13 Paramus Catholic at #4 Donovan Catholic (TBA)
#12 St. Peter’s Prep at #5 St. Augustine (TBA)
#11 Seton Hall Prep at #6 St. Joseph-Metuchen (Saturday), winner at #3 St. Joseph-Montvale
#10 Don Bosco Prep at #7 Pope John (TBA), winner at #2 Delbarton
Non-Public Group B
#5 Immaculata at #4 Holy Spirit (TBA), winner at #1 Red Bank Catholic
#6 St. Mary at #3 DePaul (TBA), winner at #2 St. Thomas Aquinas (Friday, Nov. 10)