Piscataway hosts Somerville in a Big Central crossover game on September 4, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
When Piscataway opened up the North 1, Group 5 tournament against Bayonne last Saturday afternoon, there were two other goals besides getting a playoff win in mind.
First, it was a rematch against a Bees team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year, and Piscataway got its revenge, defeating the Bees 20-7 at home to keep their season alive for another week.
Second, they were coming off a regular season Cutoff Weekend loss at Sayreville in which they admittedly did not play well. Check that box as well, as Piscataway played well in all three phases against Bayonne.
Now, the third-seeded Chiefs (8-2) will face another difficult matchup with a trip up Route 287 to face second-seeded West Orange (8-1) Mountaineers in the sectional semifinals, in a game that kicks off at 7 pm in Essex County.
The Chiefs have a veteran-heavy offense, led by senior running back Zaire Young (224 carries for 1,476 yards and 14 touchdowns) and senior quarterback Landon Pernell (103 of 160 passing for 1,506 passing yards for 15 touchdowns, with just four interceptions). Young alone is responsible for 46.7 percent of Piscataway’s total offensive yardage this season.
On the defensive side, the Chiefs have been highly effective, allowing only 12.5 points per game with less than 10 points allowed in half of their games. Defensive lineman Donald Young has 64 tackles and 17 tackles-for-loss to lead the Chiefs in both categories, while senior linebacker Xavian Ali has 63 tackles and eight tackles-for-loss.
Another key contributor in Piscataway’s first round win over Bayonne was Myles Elliott, who had an interception and nearly blocked a field goal against the Bees.
West Orange was the Freedom White Division champion in the Super Football Conference, going 5-0 in divisional play. Since a season-opening 13-12 loss to Ramapo, the Mountaineers have won eight straight, five by shutout.
And they’ve beaten three teams still alive in the playoffs: Irvington, Shabazz and East Orange. And the Blue Knights are the fourth-seed in the very same section; they play top-seed Ramapo – which beat West Orange 13-12 in the season opener – in the other semifinal in North 1, Group 5.
Click below to hear Piscataway head coach Dan Higgins talk about Piscataway’s sectional semifinal against West Orange with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas:
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