Author: Mike Pavlichko

by Mike Pavlichko

Thursday Night Big Central Roundup: No. 4 Piscataway, Cranford, Highland Park, Spotswood, Somerville pour on the points in wins; No. 9 Ridge wins see-saw battle in Flemington in Battle of the Red Devils

With Friday being the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, there was a heavier Thursday night slate in the Big Central Conference than usual, and some teams put up some exceptionally big numbers in wins, some of them blowouts.

No. 4 Piscataway dropped 42 points on East Brunswick in a 35-point win to start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2019; Cranford blew out Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 40-14, at home, to improve to 2-0; Bernards won a little closer, beating Governor Livingston at Olcott Field, 49-29, to get into the win column for the first time this season; and Highland Park blanked JP Stevens, 43-0, in a rare meeting when both teams were 2-0 coming in. That’s the first time both had that kind of a start in the same season since 2002. And Spotswood dropped 47 on Metuchen Thursday night as well.

Scroll through for recaps, scores, interviews, and the rest of the weekend schedule in the Big Central!

No. 9 Ridge survives road test in Flemington in Battle of the Red Devils…

One team are the Red Devils in Red, the other the Red Devils in Green. Thursday night, the ones in green (Ridge, 2-0) topped the ones in red (Hunterdon Central, 0-3), 23-17 on a late touchdown and a big defensive stand.

But those records weren’t a good indicator for how hard-fought and close this game would be.

Ridge took a 7-0 lead on a Jack Donley 34-yard touchdown pass from Tristan Frank in the first quarter, but a 51-yard touchdown catch by Jason Cebula and a 24-yard field goal by Gavin Conway in the second gave Central a 10-7 lead. Ridge, however, would answer, with a C.J. Griffith two-yard wun and a 32-yard field goal by Herik Villalba-Ozuna to give the guys in green a 17-0 lead at the break.

Reggie Osae-Aye’s 72-yard touchdown catch tied the game at 17-all in the third, but Elijah Thomas scored on a 58-yard touchdown run with under eight minutes to go to put Ridge back on top. And a big defensive stand late helped seal the win.

Click here to listen to Ridge head coach Jeff Sutherland talk about Thursday night’s win over Hunterdon Central with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko!

While Ridge ran for 248 yards and had 369 yards of total offense, Central QB Odin Potynsky made some big plays, and wound up throwing for 324 yards and two touchdowns.

Now 0-3, Hunterdon Central has lost those three games by a grand total of 16 points, including a three-point loss to Eastern in Week Zero and a seven-point loss at Hillsborough a week ago tonight.

Notes and Nuggets…

  • Bernards’ win over Governor Livingston got the Mountaineers in the win column, after starting the season 0-2, with a road loss at Rutherford in the opener and a home loss to Cranford last week. Both came by six points. Bernards had not started a season 0-2 since 2017 – almost a decade ago – when they lost their first four games (to Shabazz, Roselle, Johnson and Hillside) and finished 3-7.
  • Spotswood’s 47 points against Metuchen were the most the Chargers have scored against the Bulldogs in 23 years, since a 52-3 win in 2003. It’s also the second highest point total they’ve ever put up against their counterparts from the Brainy Boro.
  • Highland Park has now outscored its first three opponents 99-0, with a 29-0 season-opening win over New Brunswick, a 27-0 home win over Middlesex last week, and tonight’s 43-0 win at JP Stevens. The last time they scored that many points was in that 46-29 win at Point Pleasant Beach in the 2023 season finale that ended their 51-game losing streak. Their last 43-point win was at Dunellen, on October 16, 2015, a 59-16 victory. Now the question is, when was they last time they shutout three straight teams? We’re going to have to dig into the history books. The next question is, will Joe Policastro, their intrepid assistant, former head coach and star quarterback find it first? Stay tuned!

THURSDAY SCORES:

  • #3 Piscataway 42, East Brunswick 7
  • #4 Old Bridge 21, South Brunswick 0 (RECAP w/ AUDIO)
  • #6 Somerville 54, North Hunterdon 6
  • #9 Ridge 23, Hunterdon Central 17
  • Highland Park 43, JP Stevens 0 (Coverage from Marcus Borden)
  • South Hunterdon 21, Middlesex 15
  • New Providence 27, Johnson 20
  • Cranford 40, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 14
  • Voorhees 14, North Plainfield 7
  • Bernards 49, Governor Livingston 29
  • Montgomery 32, Watchung Hills 14
  • Spotswood 47, Metuchen 14

FRIDAY SCHEDULE:

  • #2 St. Joseph-Metuchen at Westfield, 4 pm
  • Hillsborough at #5 Bridgewater-Raritan, 4 pm
  • Carteret at Summit, 4 pm
  • #8 St. Thomas Aquinas at Franklin, 6 pm
  • #10 Rahway at Woodbridge, 6 pm
  • Monroe at North Brunswick, 6 pm
  • Plainfield at Colonia, 6 pm
  • Roselle at Perth Amboy, 6 pm
  • JFK at South Plainfield, 6 pm
  • Dayton at Brearley, 6 pm
  • #1 Phillipsburg at Freedom (PA), 7 pm
  • Bound Brook at Manville, 7 pm (LISTEN LIVE on CJSR)
  • Belvidere at Dunellen, 7 pm (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)
  • New Brunswick at Linden, 7 pm
  • Edison at Sayreville, 7 pm
  • Elizabeth at Union, 7 pm

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

  • Roselle Park at South River, 1 pm
  • Delaware Valley at Hillside, 1 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

Highland Park routs JP Stevens, 43-0, for Owls second 3-0 start in three seasons

There were two things certain coming into Thursday night’s game in North Edison between Highland Park and JP Stevens.

First, both teams were off to 2-0 starts in the same season for the first time since 2002. Second, one of those teams would remain undefeated at 3-0.

The Owls (3-0) left no doubt it would be them almost right from the get-go, as senior quarterback Marcus Smith rushed for a 48-yard touchdown after a fake handoff for the first score of the game.

And from there, it was all Owls. They would score twice more in the opening quarter – on a 46-yard touchdown run by Ziquan Grier and a ten-yard run by Jacob Quiros to take a 20-0 lead – then add two more scores in the second period, courtesy of a 40-yard pick-six from Grier, and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Smith to A.J. Lee, making it 36-0 at the break.

That kicked off a running clock in the second half, where Bryce Morales scored on a 13-yard touchdown run with 1:26 left in the third to make it 43-6.

JP Stevens fell to 2-1 with the loss, after starting the season 2-0 for the first time since 2003, when Frank Zarro was head coach.

For Highland Park, it’s their second 3-0 start in the last three seasons. The year after snapping a 54-game losing streak, the Owls started 3-0 in 2024 – with a four-game win streak stretching back to the last game of 2023 – and finished 6-3.

They’ll look to extend their current streak to four when they visit Roselle Park next Friday night.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with Highland Park head coach Shawn Harrison and senior QB/LB Marcus Smith, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Rizzo, big plays key No. 4 Old Bridge past South Brunswick, 21-0, in BCC National Gold opener

After averaging 42 points a game in their first two contests, the Old Bridge offense was held in check save for a couple of big plays Friday night in Monmouth Junction.

But those big plays were enough to power the fourth-ranked Knights to a 21-0 win at South Brunswick in the Big Central National Gold Division opener for both schools, on the Bellamy & Son Paving Game of the Week heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The first big play came on the second play from scrimmage. After a six-yard run by Chase Rizzo, he hauled in a touchdown pass going 57 yards to open the scoring and give the Knights a 7-0 lead just 12 seconds in.

South Brunswick put together a five minute drive and moved the ball, but had a field goal blocked to end it, a microcosm of what their night would be like.

But their defense held firm for a while. They held Old Bridge to a turnover on downs, then had a nearly six-minute drive, but also turned it over on downs, and Old Bridge did the same on their end.

In the closing minutes of the first half, with a fourth-and-20 at the South Brunswick 39, Griffin Nugent came on to punt, but it was a fake, and a completed pass set up the Knights near the goal line, where Rizzo ran it in for his second score of the game with 1:05 left before the break, to make it 14-0 at halftime.

In the second half, it was much of the same: long drives by the Vikings, and an inability to score, but on defense, they again held firm, keeping Old Bridge to a pair of three-and-outs by early in the fourth quarter.

More late chances led to missed opportunities, including two more interceptions by South Brunswick QB Brendan Shearstone, and Old Bridge punched in one more score – on another big play, a 59-yard touchdown run by Rizzo – to provide the final margin.

For Old Bridge, they were also without the services of starting QB Aiden Rios for a bit of the first half and the entire second. The coaching staff told Central Jersey Sports Radio after the game that he banged up his non-throwing shoulder. And his status for a home game next Friday against No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas is unknown.

Click below for postgame reaction from Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue, junior Chase Rizzo and senior Griffin Nugent, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Bound Brook looks to get in the win column in ’26 with Friday visit to arch-rival Manville

In rivalry games, anything can happen, and it often does when Bound Brook and Manville get together regardless of the sport.

That said, while the Crusader football team went 5-5 last season and made the Central Jersey Group 1 playoffs, they have had struggled against the Mustangs – who have had some of their best years of late – in their last couple of meetings.

Last year, it was a 49-7 defeat on Cutoff Weekend, and 42-3 Manville the year before. But the Crusaders took their 2023 meeting, winning 25-15.

In 2026, it’s been tough sledding out of the gates for Bound Brook in more ways than one. The defense has given up 75 points in the first couple weeks while only scoring a pair of touchdowns adding up to 12 points overall on offense.

But Manville had some issues last week, too, after a season-opening blowout at Keansburg. They missed two extra points and a two-point conversion on their three touchdowns, and wound up losing 21-18 at Brearley last Friday night.

So maybe Friday night’s meeting between the two arch-rivals is anyone’s guess. Either way, you can hear it on Central Jersey Sports Radio on our Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Kickoff is at 7 pm with Mike Pavlichko and Vin Ebenau calling all the action. Pregame is at 6:45; click here to listen.

Moving forward, seventh-year head coach Dave LePoidevin says Bound Brook also needs to clean up the penalties on offense.

“We have to eliminate them and we have to do a much better job with that, something we try to work on everyday at practice,” LePoidevin said. 

On the positive side, their running game led by senior Amero Diaz is something to keep an eye on moving forward.

“We thought we’d rely more heavily on the pass but we’re seeing that we’ve been doing a much better job with the run, so we’re looking to really build on that and watch it grow,” LePoidevin said.

Click below to hear Bound Brook head coach Dave LePoidevin talk about the Manville game with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Vin Ebenau:

by Mike Pavlichko

Gameday with Marcus Borden: Week 2

The high school football season is now in full swing as we enter Week Two, and it’s time to talk about it all with Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst with Marcus Borden!

We open the show looking back at last week’s games, including Coach Borden’s trips to see Bound Brook at Dayton, Governor Livingston at Monroe, and Saturday’s huge clash between St. Joseph-Metuchen and Bridgewater-Raritan, while also delving into Piscataway’s solid defensive effort – and Zaire Young’s big rushing performance – in a Top Ten win over Somerville Thursday heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Then we look at this week’s destinations for Coach Borden. That includes an intriguing matchup Thursday night between JP Stevens and Highland Park – both 2-0 for the first time in the same season since 2002 – as well as Friday’s Belvidere-Dunellen tussle.

Click below to listen to the Week One edition of “Gameday with Marcus Borden”:

by Mike Pavlichko

South Brunswick still has a lot of work to do heading into home clash with No. 4 OId Bridge

Having been the head coach of a Fort Lee team that had won 11 straight games before he came to South Brunswick – including going 9-0 last season in one the Super Football Conference’s “Ivy” Divisions – certainly helped get the attention of his new team right from the get-go.

But that doesn’t mean everything will be perfect for the Vikings, either. It just means the coach has their ear.

That was a good thing, Gerst says, as he got to know all his new charges in getting ready for the 2026 football season.

So far, so good. It hasn’t been perfect. They are 1-1 after a season-opening 14-0 loss to Watchung Hills and a 27-19 win over rival North Brunswick this past weekend. And they’ll take it.

But there are still mistakes, things they will need to clear up in a hurry when No. 4 Old Bridge comes to town Thursday for a 6 pm game that’s the BCC National Gold Division opener for both teams. You can hear it live as one of two Bellamy & Son Paving Games of the Week this week, with pregame at 5:45. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel are on the call; click here to listen.

The Knights also are 1-1, but have been putting up a ton of points. They went to-to-toe with Shawnee in the Battle at the Beach down in Ocean City in Week Zero, nearly erasing a 22-point deficit to fall by eight, 43-35, before putting a hurtin’ on Montgomery last week, on the road, 49-21. The simple math says – even after graduating prolific running QB Brody Nugent – Old Bridge has scored 84 points in its first two games, an average of 42 per.

South Brunswick, meanwhile, will spread it out on offense, often going with four receiver sets, with Jaylen Brundidge the top target of starting QB Brendan Shearstone. Not only does Brundidge have nine catches for 92 yards, he’s also run it 16 times for 118 yards and two scores.

Defensively, senior Terry Bynes already is the most disruptive player on the team. The linebacker leads the team with 28 tackles, 19 solo, and four TFLs in just the first two games. Fellow senior linebacker Jayden Williams has 21 tackles, 13 solo and three TFLs. And Brundidge can catch the ball on defense as well as he can on offense; he already has two interceptions, while Bynes has another.

But as much as Gerst may want to game plan for Old Bridge, much of the attention will need to be on South Brunswick, and getting the little things right. Once they do, they’ll have a chance to improve upon last year’s 4-6 campaign.

Click below to hear first-year South Brunswick head coach Mike Gerst talk about Thursday’s matchup against Old Bridge with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Unofficial SI values for out-of-state NJ football opponents in Week Two

Typically, out-of-state opponents make up many early-season games in New Jersey high school football, and then the number of games starts to dwindle as league and division seasons take a stranglehold on the schedule.

And that’s the case this week as we enter Week Two of the season in the Garden State.

There were 13 New Jersey teams playing out-of-state opponents last week, but only seven this week, including one in the Big Central. That’s Phillipsburg, which in addition to playing traditional rival Easton on Thanksgiving, added Pennsylvania schools Parkland, Emmaus, and Freedom this week to their schedule, playing them in the first three games of the year.

Next week, there will be just two: Pingry hosting John Carroll (MD) and Montclair-Kimberley at King School (CT).

The out-of-state SI is calculates by finding the opponent’s rating on MaxPreps. In the case of Freedom, their rating is a 40. We then go to the New Jersey rankings and find the two NJSIAA member schools closest to them, above and below: Nutley (40.24) and Oakcrest (39.98). Then we take the two Strength Index values of the schools (63.33 for Nutley, 61.87 for Oakcrest) and average them to get 62.60 as the SI value for Freedom.

That number won’t be used in the standings for OSI, nor will their new SI value after the game. Rather, Freedom’s SI using the same lookup procedure will be determined officially after MaxPreps updates its ratings this week, and that will be used in the UPR standings without change through Week 6. By NJSIAA rule, another update will be made for Week 7, then the SI locked in for Week 8 (Cutoff Weekend), when all NJ schools are locked in for qualification only. (All games through the end of the playoffs are calculated in the background in order to get an accurate starting number for 2027).

But for now, here are the SI numbers for this week’s out-of-state opponents, which will be used to determine the new SI numbers for next week. Phillipsburg, for example, is rated a 79.8 in the Strength Index, so they would be considered about 17 points better than Freedom.

  • Bergen Catholic: St. Joseph’s Prep (PA), 87.04
  • DePaul: Msgr. Farrell (NY), 79.77
  • Immaculata: Archbishop Stepinac (NY), 73.57
  • Paramus Catholic: Iona Prep (NY), 80.22
  • Phillipsburg: Freedom (PA), 62.60
  • Seton Hall Prep: Chaminade (NY), 75.51
  • St. Peter’s Prep: St. Anthony-Melville (NY), 70.71
by Mike Pavlichko

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Week 2

With Week One of play in the books in high school football, everyone has now gotten into the game, and Mike Pavlichko takes a closer look in this year’s debut of of “The Big Central in 2 Minutes!”

On this week’s episode, a look at big Week One wins for Carteret and Summit, we talk about Piscataway’s Zaire Young having a second-half shoe emergency in a win over Somerville, Thursday’s intriguing matchup between a pair of 2-0 teams in Highland Park and JP Stevens., and the upcoming release of the season’s first UPR standings after Week Two of play.

All on this week’s edition of “The Big Central in Two Minutes!

Click below to listen to the 2026 Week 2 edition of “The Big Central in Two Minutes”:

by Mike Pavlichko

Sophomore Xavier Wilson comes up big in big spot for Monroe, earns Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors

“A sophomore is nothing but a jayvee player, and don’t you ever forget it.”

It was a Monroe coach who said that. Specifically, Milt Theodosatos, who was speaking to a reporter from WCTC radio after a mammoth upset of Spotswood in the fall of 2000, and talking about the mistakes his team would often make because they were so young.

Were he the coach today, instead of Nick Isola, he probably would not have said that about Xavier Wilson.

Wilson is a sophomore, let there be no doubt about that. But he may also be one of the brightest spots this year – and beyond – for a Monroe program that could use some wins, after going just 1-8 last year but seeking their first better-than-.500 season since 2020, when they went 5-1 under Dan Lee.

On Thursday night, in a 28-7 win over Governor Livingston, Wilson carried 16 times for 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The first was 85, and opened the scoring. The second came with his team hanging on to a 21-7 lead late after a Highlander touchdown with about four minutes to go.

He dodged two defenders wide to the left on the line of scrimmage, “made a cut to stay in bounds and keep the lock running, and then he was off to the races,” said Isola.

That 80-yard sprint made it 28-7, a score that held to give the Falcons their first win of the season.

For his efforts, Xavier Wilson is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Two.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Zero Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Xavier Wilson of Monroe:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Elijah White, Belvidere: The senior wide receiver had four catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns, including one for 49 yards in a 28-27 win at Roselle Park that might not have happened otherwise. He’s a kicker, too, and was perfect in booting four PATs, while also logging eleven tackles on defense in the secondary, where he made a game-ending interception as Roselle Park was threatening to take the lead on the final play of the game.
  • Al-Naiquan Boseman, Carteret: The senior runningback went for 211 yards on Friday in a 26-20 wi Thursday over arch-rival Perth Amboy. He scored on touchdown runs of 31 and seven yards, including the eventual winning score. The win also got the Ramblers to within three of the Panthers, who lead the all-time series 50-47-2 since it began in 1927. But Carteret now has won five straight, matching their longest win streak in the series, five games from 2003 through 2007.
  • Zaire Young, Piscataway: The senior runningback notched the fifth-best rushing performance in Cheifs’ history Friday in a convincing 28-14 win over visiting Somerville. He carried 37 times for 268 yards and scored three touchdowns – all while wearing two different pairs of sneakers! Seems the sole on his left cleat separated in the second half, and he had to borrow a teammate’s shoes to finish the game.
  • Vinny Young, Spotswood: The senior did it in all three phases for the Chargers, who evened up their record at 1-1 with a 51-13 win at JFK on Friday. In his first game at runningback, he had eight carries for 135 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 76-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on special teams, and on defense – at outside linebacker, had three solo tackles, a TFL and a pass breakup.
  • Dante Jennings, St. Thomas Aquinas: The senior was instrumental in a 24-20 home win over Westfield Friday night. The linebacker had four tackles, a TFL, and an interception. On offense, the tight end – battling cramps the entire second half – caught a touchdown pass to get them back in the lead with about a minute to go. Cramping up, he came out of the game, and on his first play back in, with about 50 seconds to go, picked off a Westfield pass to seal the deal.
  • Elijah Greene, Union: While Jamir Hall scored two touchdowns in a 15-12 win at Watchung Hills, Greene had three interceptions and blocked two extra points, helping give the Farmers their first 2-0 start since 2019, the final year of the Mid-State Conference, a year they finished 12-1 under Lou Grasso, and won the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 title over Clifton.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Chase Kraucheunas, Delaware Valley: In a 34-33 win over Johnson Thursday, the senior QB threw for 194 yards and two scores, while also running for 157 yards on ten carries with another two touchdowns. At linebacker, he was also active, registering 13 tackles.
  • Erick Cespedes, Elizabeth: The senior wide-receiver was key in a 43-20 win at Plainfield Friday. He had six catches for 144 yards and three touchdowns of five, 24 and 53 yards. At cornerback, he had five tackles (two solo) and a pass breakup.
  • Braylon Diaz, JFK: In a 51-13 loss to Spotswood, the senior was responsible for both Mustang touchdowns. The wide receiver had five catches for 51 yards as well as four rushes for 72 yards, including a 28-yard TD. On special teams, he finished the night with 105 kick return yards, including a 77-yard return for a score.
  • Kevin Reilly, New Providence: The senior quarterback threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 40 and another score, as the Pioneers opened their season with a 27-7 win over Voorhees on Thursday night. That’s now 15 straight Big Central wins for New Providence, the longest active streak in the league after Bernards had its 32-game streak snapped by Cranford Friday night.
  • Cayle Prince, North Plainfield: In a 20-10 loss to South Plainfield, the junior runningback carried seven times for 25 yards, with a catch for a seven-yard touchdown. Just back from an ankle injury, and nowhere near 100 percent, he had four solo tackles, a TFL and an interception, he aggravated the injury again in the third quarter and sat out the rest of the game.
  • Chase Rizzo, Old Bridge: In a 49-21 win over Montgomery, the senior runningback went for 101 yards and two touchdowns, while also logging 70 yards receiving and another score. He also blocked a punt return for a touchdown.
  • Amauris Peguero, Perth Amboy: In a tough loss to arch-rival Carteret, the senior quarterback helped keep his team in the game with a 10-for-19 effort for 226 yards and three touchdowns, while also running the ball 23 times for another 97 yards.
  • Jyvon Cooper, Rahway: In a huge 21-10 win against Summit on Friday that vaulted the Indians into the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the first time this season, the senior running back carried 17 times for 92 yards and a touchdown. Twelve of those – and his score – came on two second-half possessions that helped ice the game. At outside linebacker, he had four solo tackles, four asissts, a TFL, one half sack, and a QB hurry.
  • Tristan Frank, Ridge: The senior was involved in all three Red Devil scores in a 21-7 win over Sayreville. That included two rushing and one passing touchdown for the quarterback, while at free safety he also had one interception.
  • Jaylen Brundidge, South Brunswick: A wildcat QB for the Vikings, he carried 14 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns while also catching six passes for 62 yards in a 27-19 win at rival North Brunswick. As a defensive back, he also had three tackles and an interception.
  • Kellen Healy, South Hunterdon: The junior runningback had three rushing touchdowns – of 57, 45, and 14 yards – carrying 23 times for 186 yards in a 35-8 win over South River, including two late scores that helped bury the Rams. On defense, he had six tackles and two TFLs.

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg continues to lead Big Central Power Rankings in Week Two, and now joins the statewide Top 25

Once again, Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan remain the top two teams in the Week 2 Big Central power rankings – just as they did last week. And just like last week, there was much movement behind them.

St. Joseph-Metuchen – with a win over the Panthers Saturday afternoon, 43-36 – pulled up from No. 5 to No. 3. And while Bridgewater’s Strength Index rating fell as a result, it was not low enough overall to drop them in the rankings.

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, and is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See the methodology at the bottom of this page.

New Providence held at No. 4, while Old Bridge got its first win of the season and pulled up from 12th to fifth. Piscataway climbed four spots to No. 6 on the strength of a 28-14 win over a Somerville team that was rated higher than them. Elizabeth climbed four spots to seventh, Rahway edged up a spot to eight after knocking off Summit at home, Ridge went from 15 to 9 after a win over Sayreville, and Somerville’s loss to the Chiefs dropped them to ten.

Statewide, Phillipsburg made its move into the Top 25, the first team from the Big Central to appear there after no one did in the preseason or Week One. The Stateliners check in at No. 24 this week, a shade ahead of No. 25 Passaic Tech, going up six spots from No. 30. Bridgewater-Raritan had been knocking on the door at 32, but fell to 44 with the loss to the Falcons.

No. 1 Winslow saw its lead shrink a bit over Don Bosco Prep, from 5.58 points to 4.46, but continues to hold the top spot over the Ironmen. Glassboro remains in third, but Donovan Catholic surged up from nine to four with a 45-13 rout of St. John Vianney, while Shabazz moved into the five spot from six with a 13-0 whitewash of Passaic Tech.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.