It was a rough evening for the Big Central Conference on the opening night of the high school football playoffs in New Jersey.
Just nine of the 27 teams in action Friday night advanced, although many were lower seeds, and the two top-seeds won: Elizabeth in North 2, Group 5, and Old Bridge in Central Group 5.
Other winners included Phillipsburg and Sayreville in Group 5, Somerville and Cranford in Group 3 sections, Bernards and New Providence in Group 2, and Delaware Valley in Group 1.
Of the 18 BCC teams to exit the playoffs in the opening round Friday night, only one was an upset by seed, as Rahway lost to Mount Olive in North 2, Group 4. The other 17 teams were all lower seeds and playing on the road.
Read on more more recaps, links, scores, Notes and Nuggets, and the rest of the weekend schedule, plus a look at next week’s sectional semifinal matchups.
Elizabeth beats Linden in only All-BCC matchup:
Against a familiar foe, North 2, Group 5 top-seed Elizabeth improved to 10-0 on the season, as they beat eight-seed Linden Friday night, 35-12.
The Mountaineers built a 14-0 lead off a 25-yard first-quarter touchdown run from Anthony Adams and an eight-yard touchdown pass from A’rique Fleming to Izir Pittman. A Zion Francis 39-yard touchdown catch cut it to 14-6, but Elizabeth would score the next three touchdowns – including a 17-yard catch by Eric Cespedes, and three- and one-yard runs from Jha’ki Williams to put the game out of reach for Linden.
The win advances Elizabeth to the sectional semifinals next Friday night back at their home field, a 6 pm start against four-seed Passaic Tech (7-3), which knocked out five-seed Bridgewater-Raritan in Wayne, 35-0, in the first round.
Linden finishes its season at 4-5.
Click below for postgame reaction from Elizabeth head coach Eugene Kline with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:
Old Bridge scores late TD to get by Lenape…
A five-yard touchdown pass from Aiden Rios to Jordan Mercado helped Central Jersey Group 5 top-seed Old Bridge past eighth-seed Lenape, 20-15, at Lombardi Field Friday night.
In a tight game, wire-to-wire, Chase Rizzo scored from six-yards out to give the Knights a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Lenape answered with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Collin Cook to Jaidyn Boyd to tie the score in the second, but Amari Alsbrook caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Rios to make it 14-7, and that’s the lead Old Bridge took into the break.
After a scoreless third, Kellen Pierce’s two-yard run – and a two-point run from Cook – gave Lenape a 15-14 lead, but Old Bridge marched right down the field and won the game with just 15 seconds remaining.
The Knights (9-1) now move on to the sectional semifinals, where they’ll host fourth-seed Williamstown (7-3), a 42-26 winner at home Friday night over Freehold Township. You can hear that game live next Friday at 6 pm right here on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
Below are all scores in sections where Big Central teams advanced. In sections where all BCC teams were eliminated, only league scores are shown.
FRIDAY PLAYOFF SCORES – FIRST ROUND:
Group 5
- North 1
- (1) Ramapo 49, (8) Franklin 14
- (4) Irvington 48, (5) Perth Amboy 0
- (2) West Orange 26, (7) Union 0
- North 2
- (1) Elizabeth 35, (8) Linden 12
- (4) Passaic Tech 35, (5) Bridgewater-Raritan 0
- (3) Phillipsburg 38, (6) Ridgewood 27
- Central
- (1) Old Bridge 20, (8) Lenape 15
- (4) Williamstown 45, (5) Freehold Twp. 26
- (3) Sayreville 29, (6) Vineland 27
- (2) Rancocas Valley 42, (7) Jackson Twp. 7
- South
- (1) Washington Twp. 56, (8) South Brunswick 14
Group 4
- North 1
- (1) Roxbury 42, (8) Carteret 7
- (4) Middleotwn South 21, (5) Ridge 14
- (3) Morris Knolls 42, (6) Summit 21 (Coverage via Chris Tsakonas)
- (2) Northern Highlands 35, Woodbridge 6
- North 2
- (1) Middletown North 42, (8) Watchung Hills 7
- (4) Teaneck 21, (5) Garfield 20
- (7) Mount Olive 44, (2) Rahway 14
Group 3
- North 1
- (1) Old Tappan 35, (8) Paramus 7
- (4) West Morris 49, (5) Morris Hills 21
- (3) Shabazz 42, (6) Wayne Valley 19
- (2) Cranford 34, (7) Matawan 27
- North 2
- (1) West Essex 10, (8) Weequahic 6
- (5) Montville 23, (4) River Dell 13
- (6) Somerville 27, (3) Holmdel 26
- (2) Wayne Hills 35, (7) Parsippany Hills 7
Group 2
- North 1
- (3) Rutherford 22, (6) Hillside 21
- North 2
- (1) Waldwick/Midland Park 21, (8) Indian Hills 7
- (4) New Providence 48, (5) Becton 27
- (3) Bernards 21, (6) Hanover Park 20 (Recap with Audio)
- (2) Hoboken 49, (7) Ramsey 14
- South 2
- (2) Haddonfield 27, (7) Johnson 25
Group 1
- North 1
- (2) New Milford 49, (7) Belvidere 20
- North 2
- (3) Butler 46, (6) Dayton 13
- Central
- (3) Woodstown 14, (6) Highland Park 10
- South
- (1) Schalick 44, (8) Maple Shade 6
- (5) Shore 34, (4) Manville 7 (Coverage via Marcus Borden)
- (3) Pennsville 17, (6) Burlington City 14
- (2) Delaware Valley 28, (6) Gateway 6
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
- North 1, Group 5: (6) Bayonne (6-3) at 3) Piscataway (7-2), noon (LIVE on CJSR)
- North 2, Group 4: (6) Montgomery (6-3) at (3) Chatham (6-3), 1 pm
NEXT WEEK’S SECTIONAL SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS
Group 5
- North 1
- (4) Irvington at (1) Ramapo
- (3) Piscataway or (6) Bayonne at (2) West Orange
- North 2
- (4) Passaic Tech at (1) Elizabeth, 6 pm Friday (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter)
- (3) Phillipsburg at (2) East Orange or home vs. (7) Union City
- Central
- (4) Williamstown at (1) Old Bridge, 6 pm Friday (LIVE on CJSR)
- (3) Sayreville at (2) Rancocas Valley
Group 4
- North 2
- (4) Teaneck at (1) Middletown North
- (7) Mount Olive at (3) Chatham or (6) Montgomery
Group 3
- North 1
- (4) West Morris at (1) Old Tappan
- (3) Shabazz at (2) Cranford
- North 2
- (5) Montville at (1) West Essex
- (6) Somerville at (2) Wayne Hills
Group 2
- North 2
- (4) New Providence at (1) Waldwick/Midland Park
- (3) Bernards at (2) Hoboken
Group 1
- South
- (5) Shore at (1) Schalick
- (3) Pennsville at (2) Delaware Valley, 7 pm
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