Jackson Marx of Summit returns the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the Hilltoppers’ season opener at home against Colonia on August 28, 2026. (Source: Hudl)
The storm threat that wiped out much of Thursday night’s schedule in the Big Central Conference and across New Jersey meant a busy Friday in the league, with plenty of coverage from our Central Jersey Sports Radio team.
No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan dominated No. 8 Woodbridge up front on both sides of the ball in a 28-7 road win heard on CJSR, while Highland Park blanked New Brunswick 29-0 in another live broadcast heard on CJSR; it was the Owls’ first shutout win in 15 years, since a 37-0 victory at now-shuttered Cardinal McCarrick in South Amboy on Halloween 2011.
Meanwhile, Delaware Valley blanked North Hunterdon at home, 17-0, in a game covered by CJSR football analyst Marcus Borden.
Scroll through for other game recaps and interviews, plus all Friday night (and Thursday) scores, as well as the schedule for Saturday afternoon.
Highlanders score big in season opener over Dayton…
Coming off a 5-5 season, expectations are high for Governor Livingston, which returns a tremendous amount of talent. And nearly everyone got into the act Friday afternoon in a BCC crossover matinee against Dayton.
Five different players scored in a 40-27 win over visiting the Bulldogs, including a pair of touchdown runs for 38- and 16-yards from junior Mateo Liloia.
Junior Connor Jakubowski opened the scoring with a ten-yard touchdown catch courtesy of sophomore QB Colin Hughes, who was 7-of-11 for 122 yards and two touchdown passes. Elijah Garcia added 195 yards and a score on 30 carries.
The Highlanders led 13-7 after one quarter, 27-13 at halftime, and never trailed in the game.
Raiders pick up win in Game One after winless ’25…
Coming off a winless campaign in 2025, North Brunswick was all business in the preseason, and at least for the Raiders’ opener, everything clicked on all cylinders.
They beat Snyder out of Jersey City Friday night at home, 39-8, the Raiders’ largest margin of victory since a 43-7 win at East Brunswick in mid-October 2023. They finished 8-1 that year.
Senior Sal Fama-Linn scored three times, all in the first half, after Josh Jeanty scored the opening touchdown of the game on a run. Fama-Linn caught a 94-yard pass from QB Jasiah Hogans to make it 13-0, and added another TD run and a catch in the second quarter to give the Raiders a 27-0 lead at the break. They also got a TD run from Hogans, a field goal from Engels Coello, and recorded a safety.
Other Notes…
- Top-ranked Phillipsburg’s win over Parkland, 28-21, was a tight game all the way, but the Stateliners may have to get used to that. It was their first of four matchups this season against Pennsylvania teams, harkening back to when P’burg’ played in the ‘s East Penn League days. They’ll get Emmaus next week and Freedom the week after, both on the road, as well as their usual Thanksgiving affair with Easton.
- While No. 10 Bernards took a season-opening loss against Rutherford, it was, of course, a non-conference game, which means their 32-game Big Central Conference win streak is still intact. But they’ll put that on the line next Friday night at Olcott Field when they welcome in Cranford, which will be playing its season opener, sitting idle this week.
- No. 9 Summit got its season off on the right foot, with Jackson Marx returning the opening kick against Colonia 94 yards for a score to go up 7-0 with the PAT. And they built up a 23-0 lead late in the second quarter, before Colonia roared back with three unanswered touchdowns. But the Hilltoppers held on for the win, 23-21. Colonia’s final score, a 10-yard run by Kyle Bell late in the fourth quarter, got them to within two, but a two-point conversion attempt for the tie failed, with Marx again playing the hero, picking off the pass. Summit punted on its next possession and Colonia couldn’t get past midfield before time expired.
- After the Big Central went 3-0 in all non-conference games Thursday, the league went just 4-12 in non-league games Friday evening. The only winners were No. 1 Phillipsburg, North Brunswick, Hillside and North Plainfield.
FRIDAY SCOREBOARD
- #1 Phillipsburg 28, Parkland (PA) 21
- Shawnee 43, #3 Old Bridge 35 (Battle at the Beach, Ocean City)
- #5 Somerville 40, South Plainfield 21
- #6 Bridgewater-Raritan 28, #8 Woodbridge 7 (GAME RECAP)
- #7 Sayreville 23, Plainfield 19
- #9 Summit 23, Colonia 21
- Rutherford 26, #10 Bernards 20
- Warren Hills 36, Voorhees 0
- Westfield 33, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 28
- Ewing 33, Franklin 21
- Manalapan 41, Hillsborough 25
- Union 35, Edison 0
- Hillside 41, Columbia 0
- Eastern 17, Hunterdon Central 14
- Perth Amboy 33, Monroe 28
- North Warren 32, Bound Brook 0
- Hopewell Valley 34, Montgomery 0
- North Brunswick 39, Snyder 8
- Watchung Hills 14, South Brunswick 0
- East Brunswick 41, JFK 0
- Wood-Ridge 41, Roselle Park 6
- Delaware Valley 17, North Hunterdon 0 (Game Coverage from Marcus Borden)
- New Hope-Solebury (PA) 23, South Hunterdon 14
- North Plainfield 7, Orange 0
- Elizabeth 53, Carteret 6
- Highland Park 29, New Brunswick 0 (GAME RECAP)
- Hackettstown 27, Belvidere 8
- Monmouth 21, Spotswood 7
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
- Manville at Keansburg (Battle of the Bridge), 11 am
- #4 Piscataway at East Orange 1 pm
- St. Thomas Aquinas at Frank J. Macchiarola (NY), 1 pm
- South River at Point Pleasant Beach, 2 pm
THURSDAY SCOREBOARD
- Brearley 33, Wallington 0
- JP Stevens 21, West Windsor-Plainsboro 6
- Rahway 30, Willingboro 28
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