Author: Dylan Allen

by Dylan Allen

Rutgers Prep falls to Gloucester Catholic in South Jersey Non-Public B championship for second straight season

Make it back-to-back wins for Gloucester Catholic in South Jersey Non-Public B, as the Rams beat Rutgers Prep Monday night – also for the second straight year – in the sectional final at Lenape High School in Medford Lakes, 44-31. win over Rutgers Prep.

The first half was tight all the way.  Each team continuously traded buckets underneath the basket.

Early on, it was Ava La Monica of Rutgers Prep and Jahzara Green of Gloucester Catholic doing the damage to each other’s squads. It was a classic back-and-forth game, consisting of transition buckets and highly contested defensive stops.

At the end of the first quarter, Rutgers Prep had the lead at 12-11, thanks to a six-point effort from La Monica. Gloucester Catholic came alive in the second quarter and had the lead going into halftime at 21-20.

Through the first half of play, it was apparent both teams wanted to establish an inside game — only three three-pointers were made in the game, all coming from Gloucester Catholic.

The second half is where the game started to slip away from Rutgers Prep, and Gloucester Catholic took full advantage. The Argonauts were outscored 23-11, mainly because of too many missed shots in the paint from several Argonauts and because of the Lady Rams’ stout defense.

Monet High – a name that may not stand out in the box score due to only scoring one point – certainly showed off her defensive prowess. Leading to numerous steals in the half-court that led to transition buckets for Green and Talia Shumate, who finished with six points.

Combine Green’s 14-point effort with relentless dribble drives from Jalyn Moore and outside shots from Amanda Eggers, who both finished with eleven points, and it was enough for the Lady Rams to put the game out of reach late in the fourth.

The offensive stars from Rutgers Prep simply went cold, scoring just five points in the fourth. La Monica finished with ten points, Georgiades with seven points, and no one else eclipsed more than four.

It’s the end of an era for seniors Ava La Monica, Sophia Georgiades, Ava Frith, and Cali McCoy. La Monica and McCoy are the only two of the four to win a South Jersey Non-Public B final in their time at Rutgers Prep, with Georgiades and Frith both transferring in after the 2024 season.

Gloucester Catholic will advance to the Non-Public B title game, where it will face North Jersey Non-Public B champion Gill St. Bernard’s, which beat Saddle River Day 57-40 Monday night. This will be the second time the two teams face off this year, with the Rams winning 60-45 at the Shore Games in December.

Click below to hear postgame reactions with Rutgers Prep’s head coach Mary Klinger presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Dylan Allen

South Plainfield falls short of Group 3 Championship game in heartbreaking fashion, losing to Morris Knolls 3-2, in 8

After surrendering back-to-back home runs, in the first inning, and being down 2-0 through the first three batters of the Morris Knolls lineup, it surely looked like South Plainfield was going to have a long day on the diamond.

It was quite the contrary, as South Plainfield came back to eventually tie the game at two, and had its fair share of chances to win the game. The effort from South Plainfield wasn’t enough, however, as Colin Iberer of Morris Knolls walked it off with a bases loaded full-count two-out walk in the eighth inning to send the Golden Eagles to Saturday’s NJSIAA State Group 3 final with a 3-2, eight-inning win.

Morris Knolls (15-10) had its ace on the mound in Dean Kaletcher, and boy, did he pitch like one to start. Kaletcher on the season had a 1.60 ERA with 77 strikeouts and only 17 walks and he retired the first seven batters he faced and racked up four strikeouts by the end of the third.

South Plainfield (18-11) had its ace on the mound as well. Junior Aiden McCarthy was tasked with pitching this road state semifinal game, and it didn’t start well. He surrendered back-to-back solo home runs to Dylan Fitzsimmons, his ninth of the year, and Ryan McDonald, his third of the year, giving the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead in the first.

But McCarthy settled in, and head coach Scott Gleichenhaus credited his senior catcher, Steven Studlack. “He’s one of the hardest working and greatest kids we’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching,” Gleichenaus said after the game, noting he “helped settle McCarthy down, and he even energized the team later with a line drive single in the third.”

But the rest of the way out, no one could score, and the pitching was must-see. Despite the first-inning homers, McCarthy went on to pitch six scoreless innings and only allowed three hits in that span. All of a sudden, the pressure was put on Kaletcher to preserve the 2-0 lead.

The fourth inning was when South Plainfield started to string together some hits off Kaletcher. With two outs and no one on base, singles from Dan Kapsch and Lorenzo Fuscoletti put runners on first and second. It was only the Tigers’ second and third baserunners of the game.

Up came third baseman Chris Loniewski with a chance to do some damage. After working the count, he slapped a ball into center field for a single, Kapsch took off from second with a burst of speed and got the sign from Gleichenhaus to round third and takeoff for home. Fitzsimmons, out in center, fielded and fired the ball in on a line to home and gunned out Kapsch at the plate to end the inning, preserving the 2-0 lead.

McCarthy kept on cruising, retiring Morris Knolls in order in the bottom of the fourth. Now to the top of the fifth, with one out in the inning, Kaletcher walked two batters in a row. Then, he allowed an infield single to leadoff man Nick Irizarry to load the bases. McCarthy lined out to shallow center field, which kept the runners from tagging.

But with two outs and the bases loaded, South Plainfield had the guy they wanted up at the plate: recently-named GMC Red Division Player of the Year Dom Massaro. He singled, plating two, tying the game at 2-2.

South Plainfield had a chance to take the lead on the top of the seventh. Leadoff man Irizarry was hit by a pitch to start the inning. He then stole second base and later advanced to third on a wild pitch that got by Morris Knolls catcher Ryan Kuehne. The Tigers had a man on third with nobody out, and the meat of the order coming up. Kaletcher was then taken out of the game. He finished with six innings pitched, six hits, two earned runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts.

That’s when Fitzsimmons came in and got his team out of the jam. Unfazed, he struck out McCarthy, got Massaro to hit a weak ground ball back to him, and got Kapsch to fly out to shallow right field to end the threat.

McCarthy came back out and pitched a one-two-three inning to send the game to extras. Morris Knolls put Fitzsimmons back out on the mound, where he continued to dominate. He allowed just one hit to Loniewski in the inning and struck out the side. Onto the bottom of the eighth.

Fitzsimmons led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to center field. McDonald followed with a sac bunt, and Gleichenhaus intentionally walked cleanup hitter Ryan Kuehne to have a chance at an inning-ending double play. With runners on first and second, Jason LoBello hit a hard grounder to third that Loniewski fielded cleanly and beat Fitzsimmons in a foot race to third to get the force out. But Troy Kuehne followed with a soft ground ball back to McCarthy, who slipped, letting the ball get by him and loaded the bases with two down.

That was all for McCarthy, and the call went in for closer Jayden Jimenez in one of the toughest spots a pitcher can be in: game on the line, two outs, bases loaded.

Jimenez would face DH Colin Iberer, who was 0-for-3 on the day. After fighting off several pitches foul, he worked the count full, before Jimenez just missed with a breaking ball for ball four, sending the winning run across.

There was hysteria everywhere. Happy, angry, disappointed fans, parents and players. Morris Knolls stormed the field and celebrated the walk-off win, where South Plainfield players could only stand and watch it unfold.

A truly gut-wrenching way to end a truly successful, championship season for the South Plainfield Tigers.

Click below for postgame reaction from South Plainfield Head Coach Scott Gleichenhaus, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Dylan Allen

South Brunswick looks to hand No. 5 Spotswood its first loss of the season Sunday at Autism Awareness Challenge

South Brunswick’s Mike Pallitto is in his first season has head coach of the Vikings and so far it’s been an up-and-down season to start out. The Vikings started 3-0 and have since dropped six of their last seven bringing them to 4-6 overall. But South Brunswick has a chance to make headlines this Sunday if they can defeat undefeated, 8-0-1, Spotswood.

The game is a part of the Autism Awareness Challenge, and will be played at North Brunswick Community Park, as it is every year. In last year’s Challenge, South Brunswick defeated Robbinsville 10-7. The Vikings were 4-5 heading into that game, oddly similar to this season.

Coach Pallitto is turning to Senior Will Haman to be his starting pitcher Sunday. On the season he’s pitched 9.2 innings, a 1.45 ERA, only two earned runs, and he’s struck out eight and walked two. Meanwhile, on the offensive side Haman is also having a great season, hitting .297 with ten singles and six runs scored.

The big name to look out for in this South Brunswick lineup is Sophomore Colin Perna, who’s batting .429 with seven singles and a team-leading eight RBI.

Will the Vikings get back in the win column and hand Spotswood its first loss of the season? You’ll have to tune in to find out. Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen have the call with coverage starting at 9:45 am, with first pitch set for 10:00. Click here to listen.

Click Below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dylan Allen chat with South Brunswick head coach Mike Pallitto:

by Dylan Allen

No. 10 Edison looks to keep best start in well over a decade rolling against Middlesex Thursday

The Edison baseball team is off to a fast start, 6-1 on the year thus far, including a five-inning no-hitter thrown by Dominic Innocenti against JP Stevens back on Tuesday, to complete a home-and-home sweep of the in-town rival Hawks.

The pitching is what stands out about this Edison team, with Coastal Carolina commit Jaxon Appelman leading the Eagles in innings pitched with 11 and 1/3, striking out 24 batters while only walking four.

Edison’s hitting is no joke either, and they have multiple guys who can get the job done. Anthony Calantoni has been lights out to start the year hitting .524 on the year and has hit two triples thus far. Sophomore Robert Roma leads the team with 8 RBI this season including two doubles and a pair of triples.

The focus, though, will be on Appelman when he takes the mound for Thursday’s contest, which can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Tune in as Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen have the call live from Edison High School starting with pregame at 3:45 pm and first pitch at 4. Click here to listen.

Click Below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dylan Allen catch up with Edison head coach Vinnie Abene

by Dylan Allen

Hillsborough looks to beat Rutgers Prep for the first time since 2013, and maybe earn a top seed in the SCT in the process

Defense, defense, defense: a main reason behind Hillsborough’s success this season.

The Raiders have won nine of their last ten games, beat Gill St. Bernard’s not once, but twice, and sit at 10-2 overall, 4-0 in Skyland Conference Delaware Division play. But on Tuesday night, Rutgers Prep won’t be a walk in the park.

The Argonauts sit at 10-4 overall and are also undefeated in conference play at 5-0. Averaging 69.1 points per game, it will be Hillsborough’s toughest test defensively thus far this season.

And there are major implications for seeding in the Somerset County Tournament, which is just a couple of weeks away. With Gill essentially out of the picture, how the two games between the Raiders and Argonauts play out will be huge, not to mention Montgomery being in the mix as well.

All that defense aside, if Hillsborough wants to come out on top and beat Prep for the first time in over a decade, then they’ll need their main offensive contributors to do their part. And it will need to be a full team effort on both ends of the floor.

Senior forwards Jayden Green and Philip Unangst have been the one-two punch on offense for the Raiders this season. With Green and Unangst averaging 15 and 14.5 points per contest. But watch out for Nick Losch on the perimeter. Losch may not average the numbers of Green and Unangst, but he sure is a threat from downtown. In his 11 games played this season, Losch has hit 17 three pointers which ranks second on the team behind Unangst, who has 19.

Zion Harrison is another guy who can take his game to the next level any given night. Harrison has scored in double figures in three games this year. His numbers may be down compared to prior years, but his experience at the varsity level cannot be overlooked. Harrison, a senior, is in his third year on the varsity squad and provides a ton of upperclassman experience.

The game comes down to this. Hillsborough’s defense versus Rutgers Prep’s offense.

It’s a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen calling all the action. Pregame starts at 6:45 pm, with tip-off at 7:00. Click here to listen.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dylan Allen talk with Hillsborough head coach Tim Palek

by Dylan Allen

Old Bridge looks to snap three-game losing streak when No. 8 Monroe visits

After winning three in a row in the Lady Chiefs Holiday Showcase, the Old Bridge girls basketball team find themselves back below .500, having dropped three of their last four.

And things don’t get any easier this week when No. 8 Monroe (8-0, 4-2 GMC Red) comes to town, with the Falcons havingq1 won their last two games by no less than 21 points each.

The good news is Old Bridge is home, and two of Monroe’s three losses this year have come away from home.

While points haven’t been easy to come by for Old Bridge, if the Knights want to come out on top they’re going to need senior and junior guards Abigail Jazmin and Adriana Misciagna to continue their consistent offensive play of nine points per game.

Last year these two teams faced off twice, with each team winning once. On December 17, Monroe won 46-40, and exactly one month later – around this time in 2024, ironically – Old Bridge got its revenge and came out on top 55-39. Will the same happen in 2024?

NOTE: This game was originally scheduled for 7 pm Tuesday, but has been postponed due to snow. Check back here for updates on when it will be rescheduled. Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen are on the call; click here to listen.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dylan Allen catch up with Old Bridge head coach Alec Alspach

by Dylan Allen

No. 6 South Brunswick looks to get back in win column vs No. 8 Colonia Thursday night

After going 19-8 last year, losing then-Head Coach Jeffrey Johnson, and graduating senior guard Katie Rausch, it has been a tough start to the new season for South Brunswick under new Head Coach Ryan Murphy. The Vikings are 1-2 – all in GMC Red Division play – with both losses coming by double digits, including a 70-51 loss to No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas Tuesday night.

Without Rausch, senior guard Meher Vig has had to step up, and so far she’s answered the call. Leading the team in points-per-game with 13.0, three-point field goals with five, and steals with nine. Vig scored 18 points and registered three steals against St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday.

Colonia is no easy test. The 8th-ranked Patriots are 3-0 on the year (1-0 in the GMC Red) including a 75-25 win over Camden and a 64-25 win over North Brunswick. Led by senior forward Taylor Derkack, who leads the team with 17.3 points-per-game, 8.7 rebounds-per-game, and 9.3 steals-per-game. Yes, you’re reading that correctly: 9.3 steals per game. She should also become the school’s all-time leading girls’ scorer sometime early in 2024.

Despite the successful 19-8 season last year for South Brunswick, two of those eight losses came against Colonia, including a 49-31 loss in the GMC semifinals. But there is some good news for the Vikings. Their lone win this year came in its only road game thus far, a 37-31 victory against Piscataway, and the Vikings will hit the road yet again to face Colonia on Thursday night.

It’s a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen calling all the action. Pregame starts at 5:30 pm, with tip-off at 5:45. Click here to listen.

Click here to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dylan Allen talk with South Brunswick head coach Ryan Murphy ahead of their matchup vs Colonia:

by Dylan Allen

Lakeland used to being on the road as Lancers head to Bernards for North 2, Group 2 title game

“Road warriors.” That’s how coach Ryan McCarney describes his team after being 6-1 away from their home field this season.

It has been a tough go for Lakeland to get to this point. The Lancers had to travel to Caldwell in the semifinals to face a team that hadn’t lost in 37 straight games. After facing a 21-7 deficit, Kyle Keyes’ 90-plus yard pick-six helped the Lancers come all the way back, winning 33-28, stunning Caldwell.

Friday night’s sectional title game – which you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio by clicking here – against Bernards is no different. The Mountaineers are 11-0 this season and have scored 30+ points in ten of their 11 games. Defensively Bernards also has been outstanding, holding opponents to fewer than 14 points in every game this season, including three shutouts, one of which came in the 48-0 semifinal win against Sussex Tech. Despite Bernards being able to win eight-plus games over each of the last five seasons, they still look to capture that first sectional title Friday night at home.

This is the sixth championship appearance in Lakeland program history and with a win, it would make it the Lancers’ first sectional title since 2010 and its third ever. It would also make McCarney a sectional champion in his first year as head coach of the Lancers. The last championship appearance for Lakeland was in 2017 where McCarney served as an assistant coach under then-head coach Tom McCormack, who’s now an assistant coach on the 2023 staff.

You can hear Friday night’s game on Central Jersey Sports Radio with pregame starting at 6:30 and kickoff at 7. Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen will call all the action; click here to listen.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dylan Allen talk with Lakeland head coach Ryan McCarney:

by Dylan Allen

Woodbridge seeks revenge win vs. Ridge in rematch of ’21 North 1, Group 4 opener

Woodbridge has been here before.

Last year, the Barrons fell in the opening round of the state playoffs, 49-19 to Ramapo. The year before, they fell 38-0 to Ridge in 2021.

This year’s edition finished the regular season with an overall record of 6-3, Big Central Liberty Division champs having swept its four divisional games, and closed having won four of their last five games. But none of that matters, the playoffs are here and now for the seventh-seeded Barrons.

Woodbridge’s defense will be the key against a high-octane Ridge offense that has scored 25-plus points in seven of their eight games. No. 2 seed Ridge finished the year 7-1 with its one loss coming to Phillipsburg, who’s also 7-1 this season, 21-14 back on Sept. 8. Ridge finished a perfect 4-0 at home, while Woodbridge is just 1-3 on the road. Those three road losses are by a combined 13 points.

Beating Ridge may be a steep hill to climb, but with quarterback Derek Anderson, who has 25 total touchdowns and only one interception, anything is possible. Woodbridge will need him to be on his A-game. A win would put the Barrons in the sectional semifinals next week visiting either 6th-seed Randolph or 3rd-seed Northern Highlands.

A win for Woodbridge would be the first in the postseason since 2019, when they went to the North 1 Group 4 title game but lost at Northern Highlands, 37-7.

You can hear Friday night’s game on Central Jersey Sports Radio with pregame starting at 6:45 and kickoff at 7. Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen will call all the action; click here to listen.

Click below to hear Dylan Allen talk with Woodbridge head coach Joe LaSala ahead of the North 1 Group 4 Quarterfinal matchup vs. Ridge.

by Dylan Allen

No. 10 Sayreville travels to rival Piscataway with playoff implications on the line

They’re heating up at the right time, but all bets are off in longtime rivalries.

While five of the last six meetings between Sayreville and Piscataway have gone to the Chiefs, they’ve split the last two seasons, with the Bombers winning 34-6 two years ago, and P’way taking a 14-8 decision last year; each was won on their opponents’ home turf.

All bets are off.

Yet, tenth-ranked Sayreville is on a two-game win streak and has outscored its opponents 76-15 in that span, beating Franklin 35-6 a week ago and East Brunswick 41-9 a couple of weeks ago.

This Sayreville team is 5-2 on the year and 3-1 in Big Central play. Their two losses have to come Phillipsburg and North Brunswick who have a combined record of 11-1. Phillipsburg won 42-7, but this isn’t the same Bombers team we saw back in early September. Sayreville lost to North Brunswick, who’s 6-0, 21-20 in the Rumble on the Raritan Showcase at Rutgers University.

A win against Piscataway would be a huge statement win for Don Sofilkanich in his first year as head coach and would put Sayreville in a great spot in the standings with the playoffs looming. They currently sit 12th in North Group 4, and a win could help lock off a playoff spot, which isn’t assured yet for the Bombers.

But if they play their cards right, it could be by the time Friday night is over.

The 37th meeting between the Bombers and Piscataway takes place Friday night at Kenny Armwood Stadium, at 6 pm, and you can hear it on the Big Central Game of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen will call all the action, with postgame and highlights during the game from Marcus Borden on Twitter. Pregame starts at 5:45. Click here to listen to the live broadcast.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dylan Allen catch up with Sayreville head coach Don Sofilkanich about the big rivalry game: