Trio of touchdowns on kick returns earns Piscataway’s Jahai Johnson Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors in Week 1

His team didn’t win the game – and yes, he’s as ticked off about it as anyone – but Piscataway senior Jahai Johnson had himself a day in one of the wildest games you’ve ever seen.

Friday night’s “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving included 100 points between the teams – a 52-48 win for Bridgewater-Raritan over the Chiefs – with 15 scoring plays and four kickoff returns for touchdowns, including three by Piscataway’s Jahai Johnson.

Yes, he had three.

The first came late in the first half, an 80-yard return with 1:10 to go in the second quarter, that got Piscataway to within five at 23-18.

When the Panthers got a 90-yard kick return TD from Nick DiEsso to open the scoring after the break, Johnson answered with an 80-yarder of his own to get it back to five and 31-26.

And he would do it again with 3:26 to go in the third. This time, another 90-yarder got Piscataway – thanks to a two-point run by James Bodley – to within 45-40, setting up Bodely’s go-ahead score with 7:28 to go in the fourth.

And while Bridgewater eventually came back and won it in an unbelievable sequence – the Panthers kept the drive alive with a fake punt, got a TD from DiEsso to go ahead, then they recovered an onside kick to keep the ball out of the Chiefs’ hands, allowing them to maintain possession and win the game – Jahai’s monster night earns him Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Honors for Week 1.

While it would be quite the task to find the state record for a single game, just for comparison’s sake, the NFL record is “only” two in one game, a feat accomplished by nearly a dozen players.

However, according to Piscataway assistant coach John Thompson, who keeps track of such things, the three by Johnson is a single-season school record. Antonio “Speedy” Rivera – the Bellamy & Son Player of the Week scholarship winner in 2022 – set the mark for punt returns for a TD that year with three, a school record.

Johnson has four in his career, as he returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score last season against Hunterdon Central.

As Piscataway PA announcer Kevin Donahue is fond of saying, “Please recognize his efforts!”

Piscataway travels to Old Bridge Friday night in a battle of 1-1 teams.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko’s interview with Week One Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Jahai Johnson of Piscataway:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

Matteo Tramutola, Voorhees: The junior runningback/linebacker had himself a night in a 39-27 home win over JFK, rushing 37 times for 301 yards and four touchdowns. He also had a 36 yard TD reception to give him five total scores on offense, while also recording 12 tackles at linebacker in head coach John Hack’s first win in Glen Gardner.
Dason Boateng, South Brunswick: The Vikings are off to a 2-0 start under new head coach Ibrahim Halsey, and Boateng is a big reason why. With the Vikings down 21-7 at arch rival North Brunswick, he returned a strip fumble 93 yards to the Raider three, a turning point in South’s rally. He also had 2 1/2 sacks, three TFLs, two forced fumbles and two recoveries; his other was for a 48-yard TD.
Max Austin, Bernards: The senior defensive back had two interceptions, including a 26-yard pick-six, his third of the year in just five quarters of football over the first two games. That it came against a big rival in Hillside – the last Big Central team the Mounties lost to, in September 2022 – was even bigger. He also had two catches at his wide receiver spot.
Josh Rodriguez, Somerville: In a 32-14 win at Cranford on Friday night, the senior wide receiver lit it up. He ran for touchdowns of 77 and four yards, while catching a 44-yard TD pass. Overall, he had 240 all purpose yards: 116 through the air on three catches, and 103 on the ground on just a half dozen attempts.
Josiah Zayas, St. Thomas Aquinas: In a 53-28 win over Lincoln (NY) up at Paterson’s Hinchliffe Stadium

Other Notable Performances:

Declan Kurdyla, Bridgewater-Raritan: The junior quarterback was efficient, completing 11 of 14 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 66 yards and a score in a 52-48 win at No. 6 Piscataway Friday night.
Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage, Spotswood: The senior transfer quarterback from North Brunswick ran it 20 times for 114 yards and had three rushing touchdowns in a 26-20 win at Roselle. He put the game away on fourth-and-two on his own 33 yard line, gaining three yards to clinch the game. He also added a sack and fumble recovery on defense.
Brody Nugent, Old Bridge: The junior QB threw for 189 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-13 win over Old Bridge at home Saturday afternoon. He also rushed for 101 yards and a score in the Knights’ first win of 2023.
Ja’kir Thomas, Carteret: The senior runningback was big in a 27-7 win over Perth Amboy Friday. He rushed 21 times for 257 yards and four scores, from 55, 35, 43 and four yards out. At d-back, he also recorded six tackles, a TFL and a sack.
Shane Walsh, Summit: In a 46-7 win Saturday against Montgomery, the senior runningback had a 30-yard receiving touchdown, a four-yard rushing touchdown, and a 60-yard kickoff return for a score, all coming in the first half. From his free safety position, he also recorded four tackles.
Evan Candica, Manville: The junior – who plays center – was instrumental in paving the way for the Mustangs to roll of 376 yards of total offense in a 33-0 win over Hopatcong Friday. His efforts included four pancake blocks. And then, defensively, as the “Mike” linebacker, he helped limit the Chiefs to just 89 yards rushing on the night, and a whitewash on the scoreboard. He added six tackles, three solo, and a fumble recovery.
Edward Cooper, South Hunterdon: In a 30-0 win over Dayton on Friday, the senior runningback carried 23 times for 172 yards and three touchdowns.
Quadir Johnson, JP Stevens: In a 22-21 overtime win over Bound Brook that snapped the Hawks’ 42-game losing streak, Johnson scored the go-ahead two-point conversion in OT to give his team the victory. He finished the night with five carries for 51 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown run. He also recorded nine tackles on defense from his linebacker spot.
Sean Christie, East Brunswick: The sophomore QB helped the Bears beat Hamilton 34-14, going 12 for 19 passing for 170 yards with three touchdown passes. He also ran it a dozen times for 68 yards and another score.
Ashton Irving, St. Joseph-Metuchen: The senior caught eight passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-34 home win Saturday over visiting Ridge. At free safety, he also recorded four tackles, and had an interception and a pass breakup.
Eric Klemmer, Delaware Valley: In a 21-0 win at South Plainfield Friday night, the senior receiver caught four passes for 174 yards and a touchdown, while adding one carry for 13 yards. He also had 13 total tackles playing in the defensive secondary, adding an interception.
Arique Fleming, Elizabeth: The sophomore quarterback – in his second full year as a starter – threw it 18 times, completing 15 passes for 190 yards and four touchdowns in a 26-6 win over Bayonne Friday.
Andrew Avent, Rahway: The junior runningback finished one carry shy of 20 on the night for 125 yards and three short touchdown jaunts. At linebacker, he made ten tackles, four solo, and had two TFLs and a forced fumble. On special teams, he booted two punts for an average of 33 yards.
Christian Lewis, Franklin: The senior defensive back forced a fumble with 2:30 remaining to get the back back in the hands of the Warriors’ offense, allowing them to score the winning touchdown in a 33-29 victory over Passaic on Friday night.