Marcus Borden wears an Andy Steinfeld jersey to honor the former coach, who was absent as the Bears recognized the 20th anniversary of their 2004 title team, on which Steinfeld was an assistant. He was let go in July by the district, and did not attend Friday night’s festivities. (Submitted photo)
We’re right in the thick of the 2024 high school football season! Those who played in Week Zero are nearing the halfway point of the regular season – and we’re only in mid-September! Here’s a look at some of Friday night’s highlights.
Ridge 28, No. 1 Phillipsburg 21
You can find all the details on Friday night’s big win for Ridge, knocking off No. 1 Phillipsburg 28-21 at home, by clicking here. But suffice it to say Ridge may be for real.
The Red Devils lost their opener by a field goal to St. Joseph-Metuchen, but look like they have fully recovered. They crushed Hillsborough last week, and won the battle in the trenches against the Stateliners.
How big did they win it? Ridge outrushed Phillipsburg 300 to 76. Granted, ‘Liners QB Jett Genovese – a third-year starter – threw for 203 yards. But consider that the Stateliners rushed for nearly 400 yards (397 to be exact) in the season opener against Westfield. It was their first time rushing for fewer than 100 yards in a game since a 14-13 loss to Hillsborough last year in the Rumble on the Raritan at Rutgers last fall.
Just as impressive, Ridge snapped a nine-game skid against Phillipsburg. They won their first-ever meeting in 2003, then lost nine straight in the series, including one by a touchdown last year, before tonight’s victory.
Ridgewood 14, No. 7 Piscataway 13
Win some, lose some.
That’s the theme for Piscataway through four games this year, after a 14-13 loss at Ridgewood Friday night.
Piscataway won its opener, then lost at home to Bridgewater-Raritan. Last week, they beat Old Bridge by one on the road. This week, they lost by one up in Bergen County. And this one had to hurt, with a blocked extra point the difference.
It was the first meeting of the two teams since the inaugural “regional bowl games” of 2018, when the Chiefs beat Ridgewood at MetLife Stadium to cap a 13-0 season, making them the first – and still only – Middlesex County team to win 13 games in a season.
St. Joseph-Metuchen 21, Elizabeth 20
A night after fired coach John Fiore, his wife and son, and former players spoke eloquently about his dismissal in front of the Elizabeth Board of Education, St. Joseph of Metuchen handed the Minutemen their second straight loss after a 2-0 start, int he first game for new Interim Head Coach Eugene Klein.
The Falcons had to hang on though.
Three different players – Javon Hudson, Dylan Pierce and Justin Scaramuzzo – scored the first three touchdowns of the game to give the Falcons a 21-0 halftime lead.
And from there, they had to hold their breath. Jalais Mendoza scored on a one-yard run for Elizabeth in the third, but the Minutemen missed the extra point. He did the same in the fourth, but Elizabeth failed to convert the two-point try.
Antonie Blount scored one more time on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Arique Fleming, but even with his two-point run, it left the Minutemen a point short.
The Falcons are now 3-0 heading into a Saturday afternoon road game next week at Westfield. Elizabeth drops to 2-2 with St. Thomas Aquinas looming next week at home.
Old Bridge 21, No. 6 South Brunswick 6
The Knights handed The Vikings their first loss of the season behind 155 yards passing and two touchdowns – along with 110 rushing yards and another score – from quarterback Brody Nugent.
Five different players caught passes for Old Bridge, which picked up a huge win to even their record at 2-2 ahead of next Friday night’s Battle of Route 18 against East Brunswick at Lombardi Field. That’ll be the “Big Central Game of the Week” on Central Jersey Sports Radio, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.
South Brunswick falls to 3-1, and visits Piscataway (2-2) for a 6 pm kickoff next Friday.
East Brunswick honors 2004 state title team…
The Bears may be far removed from the two title teams put out there by then-head coach Marcus Borden, but most of the team was back to celebrate 20 years since their 2004 state title.
They went 10-2 that year, and beat Jackson, 17-14, at Rutgers Stadium in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game, holding on for victory on a missed field goal.
Borden covered Friday night’s game for Central Jersey Sports Radio and took part in the halftime festivities.
He wore a Bears’ jersey with the name “Steinfeld” on the back, referring to Andy Steinfeld, the former coach unceremoniously let go by the district over the summer, ostensibly because his middle school team was drawing too many kids away from a local Pop Warner program. (Central Jersey Sports Radio has filed an OPRA request for information regarding the decision and process, which was not made known to the public, nor was any public comment taken before the decision.)
Steinfeld played for Borden, and was an assistant on that ’04 team. He was not at Friday night’s game.
Other Friday Night Scores…
- No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas 56, Franklin 6
- No. 4 Somerville 32, No. 10 Rahway 16
- No. 5 Bernards 33, Voorhees 13
- Old Bridge 21, No. 6 South Brunswick 6
- Bridgewater-Raritan 28, No. 8 Hunterdon Central 20
- Westfield 14, Union 6
- Hillsborough 35, Sayreville 0
- Johnson 35, Roselle 8
- Plainfield 41, Perth Amboy 0
- North Brunswick 20, Edison 13
- North Hunterdon 41, Montgomery 7
- JFK 40, New Brunswick 0
- Monroe 34, East Brunswick 12
- Hillside 28, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 10
- Delaware Valley 17, JP Stevens 0
- Watchung Hills 24, Linden 0
- Middlesex 27, Manville 14
- Cranford 38, South Plainfield 0
- Governor Livingston 41, North Plainfield 12
- Roselle Park 27, Dayton 20
- South Hunterdon 40, Bound Brook 14
- Highland Park 31, Brearley 6
Saturday’s Games…
- No. 3 Woodbridge at No. 9 Colonia
- Carteret at Summit
- South River at Spotswood
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