Author: Mike Pavlichko

by Mike Pavlichko

Defense with a “Furey”: Montgomery linebacker was all over the field in upset of Somerville, earns Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors

When Montgomery knocked off a ranked Somerville football team early in the 2025 season, after an OT win at Hopewell Valley and a home loss to Summit, it indicated that the Cougars could be in for a special year.

They wound up going 8-4 and playing in the North 2, Group 5 title game, which they lost at Phillipsburg. But it was indeed special, albeit bittersweet: it was Montgomery’s first-ever appearance in a sectional final.

One year later, maybe they’re at it again. After significant graduation losses and an 0-2 start – blanked by Hopewell Valley, and with a loss to now-third-ranked Old Bridge – the Cougars have won two in a row, the latest a 38-35 win over Somerville at Milich Field that puts them at 3-2 on the year.

Oh, and it was their second win in a row over the Pioneers.

But none of it happens without Zach Furey.

The senior linebacker was “all over the field,” according to second-year head coach Sean Carty. On Homecoming, he recorded 18 tackles – 14 solo – along with a sack, but also got it done on offense. he rushed eleven times for 49 yards and a touchdown, while also adding two catches for 55 yards to the mix.

And while they may have been outgained in yardage by Somerville overall – 273 to 221 – holding the high-powered Pioneer offense to under 300 yards when they’re averaging 335 is a big success.

And it was good enough to give Montgomery the win.

For his efforts, Zach Furey of Montgomery is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Four.

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

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Four Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Zach Furey of Montgomery:

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:

  • Gabe Worrell, Cranford: In a thrilling 14-7 win at Rahway, Worrell rushed 23 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns – a 27-yard run in the opening quarter and a seven-yard run in the third, which capped a 12-play, 71-yard drive that took 9:42 off the clock, and in which he carried ten times for 66 yards. On defense, at linebacker, he was busy, too, recording 13 tackles.
  • Gabriel Marquez, East Brunswick: In a 34-7 win against Voorhees, the senior runingback broke the school record for most touchdowns in a single game, with five total. How did he do it? He carried 22 times for 177 yards and four scores, which also catching two passes for 34 yards, one for a touchdown. He also plays safety, and had three tackles and an interception against the Vikings.
  • Zion Farley, North Plainfield: The senior quarterback – a transfer by way of Hudson Catholic – had to sit out the first four games of the year. But in his season debut, he made up for it, completing 20 of 32 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns, while running it 14 times for 160 yards and two more scores – with a long of 47 – in a 41-7 road victory against JFK that puts the Canucks above .500 (3-2) for the first time since a 7-0 season-opening win over Orange.
  • Chase Rizzo, Old Bridge: The senior was a big reason for the Knights’ second-half rally – down 26-0 at the half – to beat Piscataway at Lombardi Field, 27-26. He carried 12 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching two passes – both for touchdowns – for a total of 92 yards.
  • Sherwin Appiah, Sayreville: The senior runningback was a monster on offense in a 37-21 win at St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday. He had 23 carries for 228 yards and four touchdowns, with a long run of 60, helping pace an offense that only had to throw two passes in the game. The linebacker also had three tackles on defense.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Chase Hawthorne, Bernards: In a 28-0 win at Delaware Valley Friday, the senior cornerback had two interceptions, two tackles for loss, and eight total tackles, along with two pass breakups. His two picks were part of a three-interception night by the defense, which dominated in the whitewash.
  • Dom Pintado, Dayton: The junior linebacker recorded 21 tackle – 10 solo – two TFLs and two forced fumbles in a 40-25 win at Roselle Park Friday night.
  • Aaron Erb, Hunterdon Central: Just a freshman, the talented wide receiver had a half-dozen catches for 119 yards and a touchdown, along with four rushes for 79 yards and a second score in a 21-19 loss to Watchung Hills.
  • Cassius Carter, Manville: The Mustangs’ junior H-back carried eleven times for 186 yards and three touchdowns, scoring from 15, 14 and 29 yards out in a 42-8 win at South Hunterdon.
  • Stephen Prohidney, North Hunterdon: The senior wide receiver had seven catches for 106 yards and a 24-yard touchdown catch in a 33-22 loss Friday at Scotch Plains-Fanwood.
  • Jamir Hall, Union: The senior runningback carried 15 times for 169 yards and three touchdowns – one of which was on the very first play from scrimmage – as the Farmers improved to 4-1 with a 42-13 win at Hillsborough Friday night.
  • Evan Williams, Watchung Hills: In a 21-19 win over Hunterdon Central in Flemington, Williams carried 22 times for 168 yards and touchdowns of four and 82 yards. He also had two catches for 26 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown catch. That despite missing most of the second quarter due to injury, but he was able to come back, and “was the difference in the game,” according to first-year head coach Joe Ascolese.
  • Justin Blake, Woodbridge: The junior runningback carried for 180 yards on 16 carries – including TD runs of 34 and 75 yards – while also going 4-for-4 on PATs – in a 28-21 win at Colonia Friday to take home the bragging rights trophy in a big rivalry game.

by Mike Pavlichko

Multiplier update: Second loss for St. Joseph-Metuchen takes Falcons out of the equation, affecting several Big Central schools

The second of both NJSIAA non-public multiplier schools in the Big Central Conference has dropped out of that category, and this one also will affect a number of league schools.

When No. 5 St. Joseph-Metuchen fell to No. 1 Phillipsburg, 42-31, at home this past Monday, it was the Falcons’ second loss to a non-multiplier public school, with their first coming at Elizabeth a couple of weeks ago.

Joe’s started the year as a “B” multiplier, meaning any public school that lost to them would have received 75 percent of their OSI value rather than 50 percent. A “B” multiplier can lose once before they drop down to a “D,” which is worth 70 percent, but a second loss takes them out of the multiplier category entirely.

Two Big Central lost to St. Joseph in Weeks One and Two: Bridgewater-Raritan and Westfield. That means instead of getting the original 75% of their SI toward the OSI portion of the playoff formula, they will get 50 percent now. The Falcons’ SI value is 69.87 at the moment. Had they remained a “B” mutliplier, the Panthers and Blue Devils would have received 52.4 points toward their OSI average. Had they only lost one game, they would be worth 48.91 points. Now, they are worth 34.94 points.

After a game at Delbarton this Saturday – where the multiplier would not normally be in effect – St. Joseph has two more games remaining against Big Central public schools before the state cutoff: at Piscataway next Friday, and at home against Union on Friday, October 16th, the Falcons’ annual night game with temporary lights. If the Chiefs and/or Union lose those games, they also would get only half the SI value. (Note: SI changes every time a game is played, so those teams could get even less – or more – depending on how St. Joseph’s SI value changes over the next three weeks.

And St. Joe’s is not the first to lose multiplier status this year, either in the Big Central, or around the state.

St. Thomas Aquinas started the year as a “D” multiplier, meaning only one loss would drop them out. That came September 18th against Old Bridge. So far, that affects Westfield and Franklin, which lost to the Trojans, who still have Somerville, North Brunswick and Edison left before the cutoff.

One note: Loss of multiplier status does not affect the team that lost that status, other than, perhaps, when the seeding committee puts together the bracket. But it doesn’t change their OSI or power point values.

Here are the others around New Jersey to lose multiplier status:

  • Pope John: The Lions started as a C multiplier, but dropped out with losses to Washington Twp. and Immaculata. But it shouldn’t affect anyone, because Washington Twp. is the only public school they play all year, and the Minutemen beat them; there’s no multiplier factor for a win, only “bonus points” for a loss.
  • Holy Spirit: They started as a D multiplier, and lost that status after a September 4 loss to Camden.
  • St. John Vianney: They also started as a D multiplier, and lost that status on September 18 when they lost to Holmdel.
by Mike Pavlichko

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Week 5

It’s getting to be crunch time in high school football across New Jersey, down to the last four weeks before the playoffs, and Mike Pavlichko takes a closer look on “The Big Central in 2 Minutes” for Week Five!

On this week’s episode, looks back at a huge comeback by Old Bridge over Piscataway, and this weekend’s Big Central Game of the Week as the Knights welcome in rival and neighboring Sayreville. We also look back at top-ranked Phillipsburg’s big win at St. Joseph on Monday, run through the five unbeaten teams left in the Big Central, and look ahead to some of this week’s other matchups, including the Stateliners at No. 10 Ridge – plus the Red Devils’ brutal schedule – renewal of the Piscataway-Franklin rivalry, and Perth Amboy looking to go 5-1 for the first time since 1967, almost six decades ago!

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

Click below to listen to the 2026 Week 5 edition of “The Big Central in Two Minutes”:

scientific calculator on wooden surface
by Mike Pavlichko

OFFICIAL NJ Football Strength Index numbers for all teams following Week Four action

We’re now officially past the mid-way point of the high school football regular season, and the playoff standings are coming more into focus. Which means more attention on Strength Index values, which give teams its OSI rating, which is 60 percent of the playoff qualification formula.

Team’s get 100 percent of an opponent’s Strength Index (SI) value for a win, and 50 percent for a loss, with defeats at the hands of some non-public teams (multipliers) worth more, anywhere from 70 to 80 percent.

But it’s all based on the Strength Index value of teams, and we’re the only place you can find all of the numbers in one, handy location.

The values below are all Central Jersey Sports Radio’s calculations through games played in Week Four, confirmed with the numbers for every single team in the state on NJ.com, which performs the official calculations for the NJSIAA.

Each week, SI values change based on the final score and the rating of the two teams that played. Here’s an example. SI goes up or down depending on how a team did compared to the difference between the two teams. If Team A (80 SI) plays Team B (60 SI) and Team A wins by 20, there’s no change. If Team A wins by 10, they underperformed by 10 points, and Team B overperformed by 10 points. Team B increases by 2 points to become a 62, and Team A drops to a 78. Team A then gets the full value of Team B for its OSI (62) while Team B gets half the value of Team A (39).

Here are Central Jersey Sports Radio’s UNOFFICIAL Strength Index values after Week Four play:

2026 Strength Index (Official) through Week 4Download

Note: The NJ.com standings also revealed the SI values of out-of-state opponents for games already played. You can find them by going to a team’s power point calculation page.

Changes? NJ.com says that updates will push every morning at 6 am, if there are any. If an incorrect score has been confirmed and changed, that could affect the SI and OSI of multiple teams, depending on how many games have been played, if any, since the error.

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg, Elizabeth hold top two spots in Big Central Power Rankings as Sayreville, Cranford skyrocket; Don Bosco, Glassboro remain 1-2 in NJ

It’s yet another week for Phillipsburg at No. 1 in the Big Central Power rankings, but Elizabeth has closed the gap a little from the No. 2 position.

The Stateliners held on to the top spot with a 42-31 win over St. Joseph-Metuchen Monday, in a game rescheduled from Saturday due to the weekend Nor’easter. The Week Five numbers saw Sayreville climb up from No. 9 into the top five after beating St. Thomas Aquinas Friday, moving all the way up to third, as Rahway fell from third to seventh after Friday’s loss to Cranford. Bridgewater-Raritan climbs two spots from six to four after a shutout win at Westfield Saturday afternoon.

No. 5 Piscataway edges down one spot this week to six after Friday’s 27-26 loss at Old Bridge, with the Knights climbing from ten to eight. And Cranford’s win over Rahway Friday raised the Cougars three spots into the nine spot, while Bernards’ win at Delaware Valley Friday put then in the ten-spot.

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.

Rounding out the top ten, it’s New Providence up two spots to No. 8, Sayreville up two to nine, and Old Bridge falling one spot to No. 10. St. Joseph-Metuchen fell out of the top ten with its loss at Elizabeth Friday night.

Statewide, Don Bosco Prep and Glassboro remain Nos. 1 and 2, while Donovan Catholic edged up from six to three, and Red Bank Catholic climbed from nine to four, with Bergen Catholic staying put to round out the Top Five.

Again, no Big Central teams made the Top 25, but Phillipsburg – which last was in three weeks ago before a loss at Freedom (PA) of Bethlehem – climbed even closer. After going from 33 to 29 last week, the Stateliners climbed another five spots this week to 28 – just three spots from cracking the Top 25.

Here are other Big Central teams in the state Top 50:

  • Elizabeth dropped one place from 35 to 34.
  • Sayreville shot up from 65 to 36.
  • Bridgewater-Raritan rose from 16 to 42.
  • Piscataway fell from 39 to 47.

Rahway dropped out, falling from 37 to 54, and Somerville fell from 41 to 71 after a loss to Montgomery. That leaves five BCC teams in the Top 50, compared with six last week.

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.

by Mike Pavlichko

As six ranked teams fall, one new team joins, another re-enters, but Phillipsburg still atop Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Five

Week Four was nothing but more chaos in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, but in the end, Phillipsburg remains at the top of the heap in the Week Five rankings. Previous No. 2 Piscataway lost to No. 4 Old Bridge, the No. 1 Stateliners held off No. 5 St. Joseph of Metuchen, and teams seven through ten – Somerville, Rahway, St. Thomas Aquinas and Ridge – all lost as well. Still, there was only room enough for two new teams to join the rankings.

This week’s rankings are a day late because of the Falcons game against Phillipsburg, which was moved to Monday due to rough weather Saturday from the Nor’easter that gripped New Jersey all weekend. But the Stateliners improved to 4-1 with a 42-31 win over the Falcons. It’ll be a quick turnaround for P’burg, which will visit No. 10 Ridge Friday night.

Elizabeth (5-0) moves up to No. 2, after a 28-23 win at Ridge last Friday. The Minutemen – looking for their first 6-0 start since 2012, a year they went undefeated and won the first-ever North 2, Group 5 state title – host neighbor Linden this Friday night.

Old Bridge (4-1) edges up one spot from four to three, after coming back from a 26-0 halftime deficit with 27 unanswered points to beat then-No. 2 Piscataway, 27-26. The Chiefs dropped from second to fourth with the loss. Old Bridge will host Sayreville (4-1) Friday night at 6 in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, while Piscataway renews its rivalry with longtime Thanksgiving foe Franklin (1-4) after a two year hiatus. The Warriors got their first win of the season Monday, in another rescheduled game from the weekend, beating North Brunswick at home, 55-21.

In fifth is St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-2), which stays put after going toe-to-toe with – but losing to – No. 1 Phillipsburg Monday, 42-31. The Falcons have less of a quick turnaround – but a turnaround nonetheless – as they visit Delbarton Saturday afternoon for a non-league game.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

Also holding at six is Bridgewater-Raritan (4-1). The Panthers blanked Westfield Saturday afternoon – the only Big Central teams the play – 20-0, and this week host Hunterdon Central on Friday night at Basilone Field.

Undefeated Cranford (4-0) makes its season debut in the rankings at No. 7, after a 14-7 win over then-No. 8 Rahway Friday night. The Cougars are back in action Friday night against Montgomery, which knocked off previous No. 8 Somerville last week for the second year in a row.

Sayreville (4-1) rejoins the rankings after being knocked out in Week Two. The Bombers had an impressive win over No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas last Friday, 37-21, and will travel to No. 3 Old Bridge Friday night at 6:00 for a game you can listen to on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The last two spots remain the same as last week, as St. Thomas Aquinas (3-2) holds the ninth position, despite the loss to Sayreville; they play Friday night at Somerville. Ridge (2-2) remains at No. 10, and this Friday will host top-ranked Phillipsburg.

After no one dropped out either of the last two weeks, Somerville (3-2) falls out of the rankings, as does No. 8 Rahway (4-1).

Below is the complete 2026 Week Five Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 1 Phillipsburg slugs one out, outlasts No. 5 St. Joseph, 42-31 in Monday Metuchen matinee

Everyone had to wait a couple of extra days for one of the marquee Big Central Conference matchups of the year, as the big Nor’easter that parked itself over the Garden State for the entire weekend forced No. 1 Phillipsburg and No. 5 St. Joseph-Metuchen to reschedule their game for Monday afternoon.

And no matter what rush-hour traffic they may have faced heading back out on Route 78 to Warren County, it’s guaranteed the Stateliners didn’t care, as they came away with a 42-31 win over the Falcons at Brenner Family Field, a win that will surely help them keep their top ranking in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for at least one more week..

The Stateliners (4-1) got the opening score on a 47-yard pick-six from David Pacewicz, but then trailed three times – rallying on each occasion, with the difference being back-to-back touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters.

Julian Colon tied the game for St. Joe’s (2-2) in the first quarter with a four-yard touchdown run, and in the second, Dillon Diaz caught a 47-yard pass from junior quarterback Cole Seyler to give the Falcons their first lead of the game.

That set a back-and-forth in motion for the rest of the contest. Phillipsburg senior runningback Shane Moore scored from 44 yards out to the the game at 14, while St. Joseph answered back with another eight-yard touchdown catch by Diaz, giving his team a 21-14 lead at the break.

In the third, Phillipsburg tied it at 21-all with a 29-yard touchdown run by Xavier Campbell-Graham, but St. Joe’s again took the lead on a 22-yard field goal by Austin Loreti.

Then, Phillipsburg put together back-to-back scores for the first time in the game, giving them their first lead since the opening interception return by Pacewicz. Marcus Jordan brought the fireworks with a 94-yard kick return for a score – breaking multiple tackles on the left sideline all the way – to make it 28-24 ‘Liners. Then, in the fourth, Vincent Berger put his team up by eleven with a one-yard touchdown run.

That insurance was much-needed, as Seyler engineered a fourth-quarter scoring drive that culminated in his own one-yard touchdown run with 5:55 left, getting Joe’s to within four. But again, P’burg answered, as Campbell-Graham punched one in from 14 yards out with 1:37 to go. S

St. Joseph – with time outs – got as far as the P’burg 25 before turning it over on downs, and the Stateliners kneeled to take the W.

Next up, both teams have a quick turnaround: Phillipsburg will travel to Ridge (2-2) Friday night, while the Falcons travel to Delbarton (2-3) for a non-league contest.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Marcus Borden with Phillipsburg senior runningback Shane Moore and head coach Frank Duffy, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

When was the last time?  This question has sent us down more than a few rabbit holes for teams like Highland Park, Elizabeth, Perth Amboy

You might be sick of hearing about some of the Big Central Conference teams that have been doing particularly well this year, after years (for some of them) of not doing so well.

But we’re not. 

While it’s always fun to follow the powerhouses like Phillipsburg, Piscataway, or Sayreville – football programs that are more often than not in contention for state titles – it’s always good to see some new blood.

Highland Park hasn’t had a season like this in ages.  Perth Amboy even longer.  Elizabeth has seen success a little more recently, and more consistently, but their story right now is that they are in another stratosphere completely than they have been since their last title.

All this has left us having to dig deeper, deeper and still deeper into not only our records, but also internet archives.

It’s easy to find team results over the last decade and a half; NJ.com has team results back to 2010, though details diminish as you work your way to the earlier years. MaxPreps has team results back to 2004, but some game results occasionally are missing.

And the Dr. Roger Saylor Collection at the Penn State Libraries has results from 2010 going back to the dawn of high school football in New Jersey – yes, even into the 1800s! – but they are chronological by year, and not within a given season.  We can tell, for example, how many .500 seasons a team had in a row, but not if they started the season 5-0, or so play alternated between wins and losses all year.

So, we’ve had to dig deep this year, perhaps more than in any other.

Elizabeth (5-0):

This was the easiest one, as the Minutemen always are competitive, and their last state title came not too long ago. The last time they were 5-0 was in 2014, back when John Quinn – who won two state titles at New Brunswick – was the head coach. Elizabeth beat Watchung Hills, Hunterdon Central, Franklin, Union and Bridgewater-Raritan, but then dropped back-to-back games against Phillipsburg (19-6) and Hillsborough (31-28), both at home. They won their last two regular season games against Plainfield and Linden, then beat Barringer and Piscataway at home in the North 2, Group 5 state tournament, before falling to Linden, 27-20, in the final at Met Life Stadium.

Ironically, they have Linden (2-2) on the road this week, as they look to 6-0. And when was the last time that happened?

It was 2012, and we’re not going to have to go any further back for the “last time” after this. That’s because the Minutemen went 11-0 that season and won the North 2, Group 5 title, as future Temple standout P.J. Walker engineered a last-minute scoring drive to beat Piscataway, 37-33, up at Kean University in Union.

Technically, they were 11-0-1, as that was the year Superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey and wiped out a full weekend of action, which left their game with Plainfield deemed a “tie” for power points purposes. However, most – including us – don’t consider that a tie in the record since it was awarded, rather than played on the field.

Here are the 2012 schedule and results for Elizabeth:

  • Westfield: 45-6 W
  • Union: 42-7 W
  • at Hunterdon Central: 24-17 W
  • Hillsborough: 41-7 W
  • Franklin: 49-13 W
  • at Bridgewater-Raritan: 39-0 W
  • at Linden: 42-0 W
  • Phillipsburg: 54-26 W
  • Plainfield: declared tie for power points purposes
  • N2G5 1st Round – Edison: 41-18 W
  • N2G5 Semifinals – Franklin: 24-7 W
  • N2G5 Finals (at Kean Univ.) – Piscataway: 37-33 W

Highland Park (5-0):

We have a ways to go before we have to check the Owls again, even if they keep winning. That’s because they last time they started a season 5-0, they won their first seven games of 2007. Under Rich McGlynn, Highland Park didn’t lose that season until a late-October non-conference game against Robbinsville, then dropped another one to Brearley on Cutoff Weekend, the week before the playoffs.

While they won their first-round game at Freehold Township, 20-17, they lost at Keansburg in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals, 53-30, finishing the season at 8-3.

They actually had a better overall season two years later, in 2009. That year, the Owls went 8-4, but they split their first two games. They wound up reaching the Central Jersey Group 1 title game, where they lost 44-6 to Asbury Park – coached at that time by Don Sofilkanich, who had previously been on John Quinn’s staff for his two titles at New Brunswick – at Kean University in Union.

Here are the 2007 schedule and results for Highland Park:

  • at Dayton: 40-13 W
  • at Cardinal McCarrick: 35-21 W
  • Roselle Park: 27-7 W
  • Metuchen: 27-0 W
  • Dunellen: 21-6 W
  • at Middlesex: 25-14 W
  • at Pennington: 28-7 W
  • Robbinsville: 19-12 L
  • Brearley: 20-0 L
  • CJ1 First Round – at Freehold Twp.: 20-17 W
  • CJ1 Semifinals – at Keansburg: 53-30 W

Perth Amboy (4-1):

The Panthers aren’t undefeated, but they have been having one of their best seasons in ages. Last week, we knew if Amboy went to 4-1, it would have been a while since the last time. Our research got to 2004, and we held off to see how they would do this week.

Turns out they got there, winning their second straight road game, beating Metuchen 40-0. The Panthers have allowed just 13 points in the last three games: six against Roselle, seven against Spotswood, and a whitewash against the Bulldogs.

There haven’t been a lot of winning seasons in Perth Amboy’s recent history, so we had to dig deep, but not every year. In 1998, for example, they were 5-5, but started 2-1 before taking another loss. We found 1995 as the last time they started a season 4-1, but they would lose their next game, win another, then drop their last two and finished 5-4, without a trip to the playoffs, which were only four-team brackets at the time. (The eight-team field didn’t get introduced until 1998, a push championed by none other than CJSR analyst Marcus Borden, who was the coach at East Brunswick at the time.)

There were only four other possible seasons in the playoff era we could look at:

  • 1989: Amboy went 6-3, but was just 2-3 through their first five games, before winning their final four contests.
  • 1987: In another 6-3 season, the Panthers got off to a 3-0 start, but lost their next two games to go 3-2 through their first five.
  • 1985: Going 5-4, the Panthers began the year at 2-1, but lost their next two to go 2-3 through their first five.
  • 1979: In another 5-4 campaign, Amboy started 2-3 through their first five.

So, we dug a little further, and found a four-year stretch where the Panthers had done a lot of winning. That was the Brian Taylor era, where Perth Amboy Amboy went 27-5-4 over four seasons from 1964-1967, including an 8-0-1 campaign in 1965 where they didn’t win a state championship. But did secure their first undefeated season since going 8-0 in 1933. (They weren’t state champs that year either, but won the next year, in 1934, going 6-0-1.)

But we did find that the Panthers started 1967 with a 4-1 record, before bouncing back and not losing another game the rest of the year. So that would be the last time they went 6-1, going 6-1-1 before they beat Carteret at The Pit in their Thanksgiving Day game, played on the Saturday after due to bad weather on Turkey Day.

Here are the 1967 schedule and results for Perth Amboy:

  • Trenton: 37-6 W
  • at Sayreville: 25-13 W
  • Princeton: 21-0 W
  • Woodbridge: 28-13 W
  • at East Brunswick: 18-13 L
  • Madison Twp. (Old Bridge): 28-7 W
  • at New Brunswick: 26-14 W
  • South River: 14-14 T
  • at Carteret: 26-8 W

Meanwhile, Union (4-1) and Hillside (5-0) are having some big turnaround years, but they’ve also had some highly successful campaigns in recent seasons.

The last time the Farmers had a five-win season was in 2023, when they went 5-6, but the last time they started 5-1 was in 2021, a season that ended with tremendous disappointment. Union put together an 8-1 regular season, led by star Davison Igbinosun, and were 9-1 after a first round playoff win, heading into a sectional semifinal matchup with Paterson Eastside. But eight hours before kickoff, due to four positive COVID tests among team members, the district cancelled the game, effectively ending the season. They would officially finish 9-2 on the year.

The Comets, meanwhile, went all the way in 2019, going 12-0 under Barris Grant – ironically, now at Union. Hillside put together an 8-0 regular season, then won the South Jersey Group 2 title over West Deptford, 14-6. (We know, Hillside isn’t in South Jersey – go ask the NJSIAA why.) Then, they won the South Jersey Group 2 Regional Championship, defeating Central Jersey Group 2 champ (We know, we know, it makes no sense!) Cedar Creek, 25-3, at Rutgers.

by Mike Pavlichko

Another multiplier goes down as St. Augustine falls into D category, may eventually benefit Big Central squads

The St. Augustine football team, in its first year under Bill Belton after coming over from two-time defending Group 4 champion Winslow, took its first loss of the season Friday night, falling 28-21 to Millville.

And that defeat has dropped them from a Category C multiplier to a Category D.

That means that any non-multiplier public school who plays them and loses still gets 70 percent of their SI value, rather than the typical 50 percent. But one more loss to a non-multiplier and they would be out entirely, leaving teams to get just 50 percent.

So far, that hasn’t affected anyone who’s played the Hermits, but it will if they drop another, and they have four public schools left on the schedule:

  • October 2: Burlington Township (4-1)
  • October 9: at Shawnee (4-1)
  • October 16: at Kingsway (0-5)
  • October 23: Washington Twp. (5-0)

Those four games will be no easy task for St. Augustine, as their last two opponents both won Group 5 sectional titles last year, and Washington Twp. won the state Group 5 title.

But how, do you ask, could it help the Big Central?

Kingsway and Washington Twp. both are in the South Group 5 playoff supersection. As of now, were either or both to lose to St. Augustine, they would get 70 percent of their SI value toward their OSI. But if the Hermits drop out of the multiplier entirely, they would get 50 percent. That could help out any of the teams in that section trying to make the playoffs, including those from the Big Central. Washington Twp. is currently in first, and Kingsway sits at 15.

Big Central teams that could benefit include:

  • Old Bridge: 4-1, currently 5th
  • Sayreville: 4-1, currently 8th
  • Monroe: 3-2, currently 12th
  • South Brunswick: 2-3, currently 17th

You could also add Hillsborough (1-4, 19th) to that list if they can go on a run in the second half of the season.

Keep in mind, the loss of multiplier status has no direct effect on the team itself, in this case, St. Augustine. Non-publics are seeded by committee, with power points, OSI and UPR one of several factors the committee uses to determine seeding. It simply determines the OSI value to their opponents.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  South Plainfield 14, Carteret 6

Jayden Brown scored on a 53-yard touchdown run just two plays into the game, then added a 13-yard scoring run in the third quarter for insurance, as South Plainfield won at Carteret, 14-6, in a Big Central Conference crossover game.

Logo for Bellamy & Son Paving, promoting the Big Central Game of the Week, featuring bold text in red and yellow colors.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Nick Hart call all the play-by-play live from Walt Overholt Stadium in Carteret, NJ, on September 25, 2026:

1st Half
2nd Half