Bittersweet win for No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan as Panthers top No. 7 Hunterdon Central, but Kurdyla goes down to injury

At the end of the day, the sixth-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan football team is 4-0, but the effects of this one are still to be determined.

The Panthers topped No. 7 Hunterdon Central 35-7 Friday night on the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, but senior quarterback Declan Kurdyla went down in the second quarter with some kind of knee injury, the severity of which was unknown immediately after the game.

It put a bit of a damper on what was a huge win for Bridgewater over their American Silver Division rivals, which saw them jump out to a quick 21-0 lead, scoring on their first three possessions, while the defense registered four takeaways, including two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Senior safety Nick Stark had one of each.

Junior runningback Denzel Amoafo scored twice, from 37 yards out on the opening possession to make it 7-0, and late in the third quarter from 21 yards out to make it 35-0, and kick in the running clock.

Hunterdon Central got a one-yard touchdown run from QB Drew Cella to spoil the shutout late.

And the Red Devils had a key player go down, too. Junior runningback Reggie Osae-Aye suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter as well, going down before Kurdyla, and he didn’t come back either. Central coach Casey Ransone said after the game it’s likely an ankle sprain, and they think he’ll be ok.

Bridgewater also got a three-yard touchdown pass from Kurdyla to Evan Woodring, and Kurdyla ran one in from 32-yards out to stake his team to a 21-0 advantage after the first three possessions. Mikey Bratus also caught a 29-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-0 before the half.

The Panthers are 4-0, off to their best start since 2016, the second of two years they won their first eleven games, then fell to Westfield in the North 2, Group 5 finals for their only loss of the season. Bridgewater visits Ridge next Friday night.

Central falls to 2-2 after winning its first two, with both losses coming to ranked teams. They fell to No. 1 Phillipsburg last week, and are back in action at home against Union next Friday.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: