We’ll have an all-Big Central final in North 2, Group 4. Bridgewater-Raritan avenged a big loss to make the finals. Montgomery will play in its first title game ever. Old Bridge wins a thriller.
And there’s still more football Saturday!
All in all, five Big Central Conference schools advanced to sectional finals next week with wins Friday night – as the league went 5-4, with three guaranteed to fall as a result of all-BCC matchups – with Piscataway and Summit looking to punch their tickets Saturday.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5: Top-seed Bridgewater-Raritan will play in its first sectional final since making three straight from 2015-2017 with a 22-7 win over fourth-seed Union City. The win avenged a 62-10 loss to the Soaring Eagles in last year’s sectional semifinals. The Panthers will host the winner of Saturday’s other semifinal, with sixth-seed Bayonne at second-seed Piscataway, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
Central Jersey Group 5: Third-seed Old Bridge scored with 1:33 to go, and the PAT was the difference, as the Knights won at second-seed Old Bridge 28-27. They’re in the finals for the first time since 2015, and just the third time since the Madison Central/Cedar Ridge merger in 1994. They’ll visit top-seed Washington Twp. – undefeated at 11-0 – next Friday night at 6 pm for the title.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: It’ll be an all-Big Central final between one team with a ton of history, and another trying to make some of its own. Top-seed Phillipsburg controlled the football and beat fifth-seed Colonia 35-7 at home Friday night, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They’ll be back at Maloney Stadium next Friday at 7 pm to host third-seed Montgomery, a 20-15 winner over Woodbridge, avenging an earlier loss to the Barrons at home on October 10th.
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1: Third-seed New Providence earned its second straight trip to the sectional final with a 28-21 overtime win at second-seed Hasbrouck Heights. They’ll face fourth-seed Cedar Grove at 6:30 pm next Friday in a rematch of last year’s final, but this time they get it at home after the Panthers upset top-seed Mountain Lakes, 22-15. The Pioneers are seeking their seventh sectional title all-time.
Central Jersey Group 1: Fourth-seed Manville – coming off its first playoff win ever in just its sixth appearance in the postseason – saw its season come to an end with a 42-21 loss at Burlington City. Senior QB Josh D’Ambrosio rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns, throwing for 98 yards and a third score, but the Blue Devils piled up 364 yards of offense – 264 of them on the ground – in a game they led 30-7 at the half. Manville finishes the season 10-1, with the win total a new program record.
Non-Public Group B: Tenth-seed St. Thomas Aquinas (5-6) saw its season end with a 30-6 defeat at seventh-seed Immaculata. The Trojans were down 13-0 at the half and 16-0 headed into the fourth quarter, as the Spartans rushed for 315 yards against STA. Immaculata will visit second-seed Paramus Catholic (4-6), after the Paladins had a bye this week.
Here’s the Friday evening scoreboard for the first round of the playoffs:
NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:
- #1 Bridgewater-Raritan 22, #4 Union City 7
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:
- #3 Old Bridge 28, #2 Old Bridge 27
- #1 Washington Twp. 44, #4 Rancocas Valley 26
NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:
- #1 Phillipsburg 35, #5 Colonia 7
- #3 Montgomery 20, #2 Woodbridge 15
NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:
- #1 West Morris 42, #4 Roxbury 7
NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:
- #3 New Providence 28, #2 Hasbrouck Heights 21 (OT)
- #4 Cedar Grove 22, #1 Mountain Lakes 15
CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:
- #1 Burlington City 52, #4 Manville 21
- #2 Shore 30, #6 Point Pleasant Beach 6
Here’s a look at all Saturday’s games in playoff sections sections where Big Central Conference teams are still alive:
NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:
- #6 Bayonne (7-3) at #2 Piscataway (7-2), 1 pm (LIVE on CJSR – click to listen)
NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:
- #3 West Essex (6-3) at #2 Summit (7-2), 1 pm (Follow Marcus Borden for updates)
Here’s the schedule for Big Central teams in sectional finals next week
- North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5: #2 Piscataway/#6 Bayonne at #1 Bridgewater-Raritan, Friday 6 pm
- Central Jersey Group 5: #3 Old Bridge at #1 Washington Twp., Friday 6 pm
- North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: #3 Montgomery at #1 Phillipsburg, Friday 7 pm
- North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: #2 Summit/#3 West Essex at #1 West Morris, Friday 7:30 pm
- North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1: #4 Cedar Grove at #3 New Providence, Friday 6:30 pm
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