Early look at Big Central Football 2025: Powerhouses will battle it out again in American Silver Division

The American Silver Division of the Big Central Conference is a division in disguise, wearing fake glasses and a moustache.

It’s pretty much the Mid-State 38’s Delaware Division (an offshoot of the Skyland Conference’s Delaware) from 2019, which had Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough, Hunterdon Central, Ridge and Philipsburg, with Franklin the only team from that group that plays elsewhere in the Big Central.

These are the big boys from the “Western” portion of the Big Central, and they won’t disappoint in 2025. Everyone in this division has made the playoffs the last few years, something no other division in the league can say, and there’s a reason for that: quality opponents.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the American Silver Division teams – in alphabetical order – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge. Please note game dates and times may be changed without notice as the season approaches. Division games marked with an asterisk (*).

Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers (4-7, 1-3, 4th in 2024)
Head Coach: DJ Catalano (7-14, 3rd season)

• Week 0: Notre Dame
• Week 1: at Piscataway
• Week 2: Morris Knolls
• Week 3: Hunterdon Central*
• Week 4: at Ridge*
• Week 5: Elizabeth
• Week 6: at Hillsborough*
• Week 7: Westfield
• Week 8: at Phillipsburg*

Despite a 3-6 record at the cutoff, playing a tough schedule – especially in their division – helped Bridgewater get in the playoffs, and they answered the bell with a gutty 34-33 overtime win against Irvington in the opening round, falling in the next round at eventual Group 5 runner up Union City. While top receiver Nicholas DiEsso (763 yds) is gone, junior QB Declan Kurdyla (1,795 yards, 20 TDs) returns, along with top running back Denzel Amoafo (530 yds, 5 TDs). This is a team that went very deep this year, and could take a step up in the division with key players like Miles Tofte (2.5 sacks, 5.5 TFLs) returning for his senior year. And let’s not forget Joe Squicciarini, the junior kicker who was 8-12 on field goals last year, and perfect in 31 PAT attempts for the Panthers.

Hillsborough Raiders (7-4, 2-2, 3rd place in 2024)
Head Coach: Kevin Carty, Jr. (88-58, 14th season)

• Week 0: Washington Twp. (Sat, Battle at the Beach at Rowan)
• Week 1: at Union
• Week 2: Ridge*
• Week 3: at Sayreville
• Week 4: Phillipsburg*
• Week 5: at Westfield (Sat, 2p)
• Week 6: Bridgewater-Raritan*
• Week 7: Piscataway
• Week 8: at Hunterdon Central *

There’s a lot to replace both on offense and defense for the Raiders, as QB Ryan Seamon (1,358 pass yds, 14 TD) graduates, as does Jackson Jankowicz, who led the tea in both rushing (1,417) and receiving (446) yards. The defense returns just one player who had a sack last year, Anthony Guerrero (2.5), and one who had an interception (Damian Amato), who’s also listed as a QB but didn’t take a snap last year. The Raiders always seem to have talented players waiting in the wings, it’s just a question of who what will be.

Hunterdon Central (4-6, 0-4, 5th place in 2024)
Head Coach: Casey Ransone (28-47, 9th season)

• Week 0: North Hunterdon (Thursday)
• Week 1: at Monroe
• Week 2: Phillipsburg*
• Week 3: at Bridgewater-Rartitan*
• Week 4: Union
• Week 5: at East Brunswick
• Week 6: at Ridge*
• Week 7: Old Bridge
• Week 8: Hillsborough*

The Red Devils started the year 4-2, but lost their last three regular season games and were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. The good news is, there’s a lot back for Central, including starting QB Drew Cella, who threw for 1,352 yards and 14 TDs last year. But cutting down on the interceptions (13) will be big. Leading rusher Giovanni Veliz (794 yds, 6 TD) and top receiver James Mongno (47 catches, 687 yds, 7 TD) will be back, too. The defense should have enough returning, with players like juniors AJ Melo (5 sacks, 4 TFLs) Troy Arteaga (1 INT) and Kasey Kinglsey (2 INT) back for Central.

Phillipsburg Stateliners (11-3, 3-1, 2nd place in 2024)
Head Coach Frank Duffy (78-35, 10th season)

• Week 0: bye
• Week 1: at Westfield (Sat)
• Week 2: at Hunterdon Central*
• Week 3: Ridge*
• Week 4: at Hillsborough*
• Week 5: West Orange
• Week 6: at St. Joseph-Metuchen (Sat)
• Week 7: Union
• Week 8: Bridgewater-Raritan
• Thanksgiving: Easton (at Lafayette)

In 2022 and 2023, the Stateliners beat Easton on Thanksgiving, the main goal of any Phillispburg team on an annual basis, but they lost in the sectional finals of the state playoffs both seasons, to West Orange in 2022 and Union City in 2023. Last year, they beat Northern Highlands in dramatic fashion to win North 2, Group 4, but fell to Easton on Thanksgiving before losing to Winslow at Rutgers in the state Group 4 title game. Putting it all together this year could be a challenge considering who they lose, including the one-two combo of QB Jett Genovese (1,827 pass yds, 16 TD) and WR Matthew Scerbo, Jr. (50 catches, 1,082 yards, 11 TDs), along with No. 2 receiver Felix Matos (40 catches, 695 yards, 5 TD) . But the ‘Liners seemingly reload when they need to, as six different underclassmen caught passes last year, including Jaysen Blacknell, Mike Bracco and Sam Dech, mwho also was the top rusher last year with 590 yards and 9 TDs. Dech is also solid for the defense, which will return key parts like LB Jah’quil Dooley and DLs Aeden Hywell (6 sacks, 10 TFL) and rising junior Tyler Wargo (1 sack, 1 TFL)

Ridge Red Devils (8-2, 4-0, American Silver champs in 2024)
Head Coach: Jeff Sutherland (1st season)

• Week 0: bye
• Week 1: St. Joseph-Metuchen
• Week 2: at Hillsborough*
• Week 3: at Phillipsburg*
• Week 4: Bridgewater-Raritan*
• Week 5: at Union (Sat, 2p)
• Week 6: Hunterdon Central*
• Week 7: North Brunswick
• Week 8: at Westfield (Sat)

Andy West departed in the off-season as head coach, though he still remains an assistant to Tom Blackwell in baseball, after a five-year run where the Red Devils never won fewer than six games, and improved each year, finishing with back-to-back 8-2 seasons. Alum and longtime assistant Jeff Sutherland takes the reins, but will have to identify some new key starters with QB Connor McLachlan (981 pass yards, 10 TD), RB Aidan Steiglitz (1,311 rush yds, 22 TD) and Ryan Turner (493 receiving yards, 7 TD) all gone to graduation. Sawyer Paul, who threw one pass last year, is the lone returning QB who saw a varsity snap. The defense will bring back more, including linemen Anthony Valera (1 sack, 4 TFLs) and Nate Engdahl (2 sacks, 4 TFLs).