There was no calm before the storm Friday night in the Big Central Conference.
While a Nor’easter is set to hit the Garden State Saturday, with the worst effects expected to be at the Jersey Shore and in coastal communities – postponing two of three BCC games slated for Saturday until Monday – the results on the field were pure chaos.
Consider:
- No. 4 Old Bridge scored 27 unanswered points to rally and beat No. 2 Piscataway at home, 27-26
- No. 8 Rahway was stymied at home by Cranford, 14-7, to remain undefeated
- Montgomery won a see-saw battle with No. 7 Somerville, 38-35, their second straight win over the Pioneers
- Unranked Sayreville upset No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas 37-21 in North Edison
It was a wild night, and we’ve got you covered as you scroll down through the Friday Night Big Central Roundup for Week Four.
Montgomery scores 22 unanswered to take down Somerville, again…
In their first seven meetings, from 2002 through 2008, Somerville owned Montgomery, winning five of those matchups. But since 2012, it’s been the other way around.
The Cougars won their second straight over the Pioneers Thursday night, 38-35 in a back-and-forth affair that saw Montgomery (3-2) score the last 22 points of the game, all on touchdown runs by Zach Mutton, who scored four in the game.
No. 7 Somerville (3-2) led 13-0 after one on a Justin Bowen 30-yard touchdown run (the PAT was blocked) and a nine-yard run by James Hampton. But Monty took a 16-13 lead into halftime on a six-yard run by Mutton and a three-yard run by Zach Furey, converting for two after each.
Then, it was back to Somerville, who got a 42-yard run by Shyheim Hobbs-Harris and a seven-yard jaunt by James Hampton, also completing a pair of two-point conversions, giving them a 29-16 lead in the third. Mutton scored from three-yards out, to get Montgomery within six heading into the fourth quarter.
But that’s where the defense held, and Mutton kept doing his thing. He scored on four- and five-yard runs in the fourth quarter – also booting the PAT on the first and running it in for two on the second – to give the Cougars a nine-point win.
Montgomery now leads the all-time series with Somerville, 8-7.
Click below for postgame reaction from Montgomery head coach Sean Carty with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:
Notes and Nuggets…
- Saturday’s schedule in the Big Central is down to one game, but who knows if that will even happen. No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan is set to play at Westfield at 1 pm, and as of late Friday night, the game was still on. Blue Devils head coach Matt Andzel told CJSR that the situation will be assessed again in the morning. Already, two other Saturday games were moved to Monday: No. 1 Phillipsburg will plat at No. 5 St. Joseph-Metuchen at 3 pm, while Franklin will host North Brunswick at 6:00. For teams that play on Friday the next week, games must be played no later than Monday, and Monday’s weather is no guarantee right now, either. The Panthers host Hunterdon Central Friday night, while Westfield will travel to Woodbridge. No doubt both would prefer not to have such a quick turnaround.
- After Friday’s games, there are XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX undefeated teams remaining in the Big Central, with only one of them ranked at the moment. Hillside, and Cranford may have the best shot to get in, after teams seven though ten (Somerville, Rahway, St. Thomas Aquinas and Ridge) all lost Friday night. But don’t forget about Sayreville, which beat No. 9 St. Thomas and visits current No. 4 Old Bridge next Friday night.
- No. 3 Elizabeth (5-0)
- Highland Park (5-0)
- Hillside (5-0)
- New Providence (4-0)
- Cranford (4-0)
- New Providence now has the longest active winning streak in Big Central play, up to 16 games after a 48-0 win over Roselle. They have allowed just 30 points in four games all season. Besides Friday night’s shutout, they allowed seven in a season-opening win at Voorhees, 20 in a win over Johnson the following week, and three points against Metuchen last week, outscoring their four foes 136-30. Old Bridge has the second longest league win streak, now at ten. Piscataway had a seven-game win streak against the BCC heading into their loss to the Knights Friday.
- What a season debut for North Plainfield senior quarterback Zion Fairley. He scored six touchdowns in a 41-7 win over JFK, including three passing – two to Zyon Brown and one to Anthony Costello – two rushing, and one more on a blocked punt he returned for a touchdown. Fairley transferred in from Hudson Catholic during the off-season, but as a senior transfer, had to sit out per NJSIAA rules.
FRIDAY SCORES
- No. 4 Old Bridge 27, No. 2 Piscataway 26 (Game story with audio)
- No. 3 Elizabeth 28, No. 10 Ridge 23
- Montgomery 38, No. 7 Somerville 35
- Cranford 14, No. 8 Rahway 7 (Recap with video via Marcus Borden)
- Sayreville 37, No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas 21
- South Plainfield 14, Carteret 6 (Game story with audio)
- Brearley 33, JP Stevens 0
- Union 42, Hillsborough 13
- Dayton 40, Roselle Park 35
- New Providence 48, Roselle 0
- East Brunswick 34, Voorhees 7
- Woodbridge 28, Colonia 21
- Perth Amboy 40, Metuchen 0
- North Plainfield 41, JFK 7
- Watchung Hills 21, Hunterdon Central 19
- Johnson 21, Spotswood 6
- Bernards 28, Delaware Valley 0
- Middlesex 21, Dunellen 0
- Highland Park 47, South River 0
- Belvidere 35, Bound Brook 0
- Scotch Plains-Fanwood 33, North Hunterdon 22
- Plainfield 37, Linden 14
- Manville 42, South Hunterdon 8
- Hillside 44, New Brunswick 0
- South Brunswick 38, Monroe 14
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
- No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan at Westfield, 1 pm
MONDAY SCHEDULE
- No. 1 Phillipsburg at No. 5 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 3 pm
- North Brunswick at Franklin, 6 pm
THURSDAY SCORES
- Summit 20, Edison 0 (Game recap with audio)
- Governor Livingston 38, Lyndhurst 0
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