Phillipsburg takes the field before its season opener against Sayreville at Maloney Stadium September 1, 2023. (Source: @LinersFootball on Twitter)
The same teams that ended 2023 at No. 1 and No. 2 in the Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Top Ten are right back in the same spots to begin 2024.
In the preseason rankings, Phillipsburg remains at the top, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas. The Stateliners were one of just two BCC teams to make a state sectional final last year, and finished the season 10-2, with their second straight Thanksgiving win over Easton, the first time they’ve done that since 2002 and 2003. The Trojans finished 10-1 and got to host a playoff game.
After that, Hillsborough will begin the season at No. 3, four spots higher than where they ended 2023. Top runningback Jackson Jankowicz is back, and the Raiders, who were 8-3 last year in one of the toughest divisions in the state, have a veteran and improved offensive line for Jankowicz to run behind this year.
Next up are three teams that didn’t finish in the final 2023 rankings, but are expected to make an impact in 2024.
Woodbridge checks in at No. 4, with the Barrons coming off a 6-4 year, but returning a ton of players, including the twin combo of QB and WR Derek and Bryan Anderson, plus a new coach in Joe Goerge, who comes over from South Brunswick.
Somerville is stacked with D1 talent, looking to improve upon a a 5-5 campaign in the first full season with Matt Bloom at the helm. The Pioneers are fifth in the preseason rankings.
And Piscataway, with two both quarterbacks who played last year returning, as well as a slew of other players, has high copes coming off a 6-4 campaign where they just missed the playoffs. The Chiefs are ranked sixth.
The final four teams all were in last year’s final rankings.
North Brunswick ended last year fifth with an 8-1 season that included a first-round playoff loss, but they have also won eight games in each of the last three seasons since the short COVID year in 2020, in which they still won seven games. The Raiders went from No. 5 to seventh.
At No. 8 is Bernards, which was 12-1 last year, and the Central Jersey Sports Radio Team of the Year. The Mountaineers won their first-ever state sectional title of the playoff era, and finished last year at No. 4. Though they graduate a ton, they should compete with Hillside for a division title.
Ninth is Ridge, which also lost a lot to graduation after an 8-2 year and No. 3 final ranking.
Sayreville checks in at No. 10, finishing 8-3 last year, returning several key players, and with a new coach in Mark Poore, who played at Sayreville under George Najjar, then coached under him and the next two coaches, Chris Beagan and last year’s skipper, Don Sofilkanich.
Montgomery – which was 8-1-1 last year but also lost a slew of talent including the one-two QB/receiver combo of Michael Schmelzer, Jr. and Matt D’Avino – also received consideration.
Below is the full Central Jersey Sports Radio Preseason Top Ten:
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