Junior Andrew Avent of Rahway at Big Central Media Day at Kean University in Union on August 8, 2024. The Indians are up to No. 8 in the last Top Ten before the end of the season. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
In the final Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football rankings before the end of the season – our next one will be our final Top Ten once the playoffs are over – there was very little movement, as only the bottom three teams changed, and Somerville remained No. 1
With the playoffs starting next week for 160 public schools across the state, we’ll have our next rankings, as always, after all is said and done.
Somerville capped a perfect 9-0 regular season with a 45-7 home win over Watchung Hills Friday night. The Pioneers have allowed just 21 points in the last five games, including two shutouts, and two of those three scores came in garbage time with a running clock. They’re allowing 8.7 points per game and outscoring the opposition by 27 per game. Somerville earned the top overall seed in South 3, and they will open play as the No. 1 seed in Central Group 3 Friday night against Absegami (5-4) out of the West Jersey Football League.
Woodbridge also finished off a 9-0 regular season with a 36-35 win over then-No. 8 St. Joseph-Metuchen. The Barrons, who finished their third undefeated regular season in six years, earned the second seed in North 2 Group 4 and will entertain seventh-seed Watchung Hills (5-4) at 6 pm Friday in the opening round.
Third is St. Thomas Aquinas (7-2), holding steady after a 43-20 win over Sayreville at home on Senior Night. Public schools still have one more week of action. The Trojans were set to travel to Riverdale Baptist (MD), but according to head coach Tarig Holman says that game was cancelled by the Crusaders.
Holding in fourth is Bernards, which is the third Big Central team to finish off an unbeaten regular season. The Mountaineers cruised past Carteret at the Pit Friday night, 35-7 and picked up the No. 2 seed in North 1 Group 2, where they will face seventh-seed Rutherford (6-2) at Olcott Field on Friday night.
Ridge (7-1) holds in fifth after a 28-10 home win over Westfield Friday night. The Red Devils have won seven straight since dropping their opener and will be the two-seed in North 1 Group 4, hosting Rahway (7-2) in the opening round, one of three all-Big Central playoff matchups this coming weekend.
Phillipsburg (7-1) holds in sixth, following a 49-21 win at Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night. The Stateliners will take a five-game win streak into the playoffs Friday night when – as the top-seed in North 2 Group 4 – they will host 8-seed Nutley (4-5) out of the Super Essex Conference.
Red-hot Hillsborough (6-3) remains at No. 7, after a 38-21 home win over Hunterdon Central on Senior Night. The Raiders have won four straight after starting the season 2-3 and will be the third-seed in South Group 5, hosting 6th-seed Freehold Township (5-2) out of the Shore Conference in Friday night’s opening round.
Moving up a spot to eighth is Rahway (7-2), which earned itself a second seed in North 1 Group 4. They beat winless Montgomery Friday, 28-3, and will open the playoffs at two-seed Ridge (7-1) Friday night at seven at Lee Field.
Also up a spot this week is Piscataway (6-3). The Chiefs are ninth after a 52-0 home win over Monroe Friday night. They got a three-seed in North 1 Group 5, and hot 6th-seed Bayonne (6-2) out of the Super Football Conference.
Falling to tenth this week is St. Joseph-Metuchen, which fell to 5-3 after a 36-35 defeat at the hands of Woodbridge Friday, the Falcons’ third loss in a row. They have one more regular season game before the playoffs start: Saturday at home against St. John Vianney (6-3).
This week, we also changed “Also Considered” to “Also Recognized” to draw attention to some teams who’ve had excellent results but might not otherwise make a top ten filled with large and small schools.
Looking at unranked schools with two or fewer losses, we recognize New Providence (7-2), Delaware Valley (6-2), Cranford (6-2), Johnson (7-1), Spotswood (8-1), and Belvidere (8-1) for their outstanding efforts this season.
Below is the complete Week 8 Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football Top Ten:
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