Author: Chris Tsakonas

by Chris Tsakonas

Pingry visits TD Bank Park in Bridgewater Saturday to meet Montgomery in Skyland Conference crossover

After rolling with an underclassman-heavy squad last year, there’s no shortage of familiar faces in the Pingry dugout this season.

The Big Blue have brought back almost their entire roster, graduating only four seniors from the 2025 season. Pingry’s offense returns several hitters who played key roles at a young age, as three of the top four RBI leaders – Aaron Wu, Sam de Laurier and Riley Wong – were freshmen or sophomores last season.

The Big Blue split the first four games of the season at 2-2, most recently going 1-1 against Warren Hills. The trio of Wu, de Laurier and Varneckas has picked up right where it left off: they have ten of Pingry’s 18 RBIs so far this season.

They’ll take all that offense to TD Bank Park in Bridgewater Saturday afternoon, as the Big Blue battle Montgomery (2-4) in a Valley-Raritan Division crossover in Skyland Conference play. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio at 2 pm, with pregame set for 1:40. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas are on the call; click here to listen.

On the pitching side, And four different pitchers have taken the mound already for Pingry, three with good starts, as senior Michael Cardona leads the way with a 1.27 ERA in 11 innings thrown. Langston McDonald (2.47 ERA) and Shane Varneckas (3.32 ERA) have also seen a heavy workload early this season.

They’ll face a Montgomery lineup that, thus far, has struggled a bit at the plate, but probably won’t for long. Sophomore Michael Englert, who went 3-for-5 with a triple and five RBI in the season-opener against Warren Hills – a 13-1 victory – could be back in the lineup Saturday after tweaking his knee in that game.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas talk with Pingry head coach Anthony Feltre:

by Chris Tsakonas

Fourth time’s the charm! Bridgewater-Raritan wins first sectional title, topping Bayonne 21-14 in North 2, Group 5 final

In 2015, the Bridgewater-Raritan football team made its first-ever sectional final – 23 years after the merger of the East and West high schools – with an undefeated record.

They would fall that year to unbeaten Westfield. The same happened the next year. And they would fall to Westfield one more time in 2017.

It took eight more years for the Panthers to get back to that stage, and this time they made it count.

Friday night at Basilone Field, the Panthers clinched the first sectional title in program history with a 21-14 win over Bayonne.

Bridgewater-Raritan started the game on the back foot, as Bayonne went ahead 7-0 off a 20-yard touchdown run from Chance Fisher with 2:56 left in the first quarter. The Panthers marched 77 yards down the field late in the second quarter, but the drive stalled at the nine-yard line with an interception thrown by Declan Kurdyla.

The first turning point came with 1:14 remaining in the first half. On fourth and goal from the 1-yard line, Bridgewater-Raritan’s front seven held up to deny a touchdown for Nico Sampson to keep it at 7-0 entering the second half.

The Bees received the second half kickoff – but the first play of the half went awry as a botched snap led to a fumble that was returned 33 yards for a touchdown by Jamelle Jones to tie the game. 

The Panthers took the lead for the first time with an 11-yard touchdown run for Jahmier Black with 2:56 to play in the 3rd quarter. Bayonne responded quickly, as Fisher punched in a 66-yard touchdown to tie it up at 14 with 28 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Bridgewater-Raritan went ahead for good late in the fourth, as a fourth-and-one turned into a 58-yard touchdown pass from Kurdyla to Jack Cifuentes to take the lead for good with 2:33 to play. A muffed kickoff was recovered by the Panthers to seal the win.

Black led Bridgewater-Raritan with 15 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown in the win, while Kurdyla completed six of 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown through the air. Cifuentes led all Panther receivers with four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Next up, Bridgewater will play in the Group 4 semifinals at home next Friday – likely at 6 pm – against North 1, Group 5 champion Passaic Tech. The second-seeded Bulldogs knocked off top-seed West Orange Friday night, 56-42 on the road.

Logo for Sportsplex at Metuchen featuring various sports icons and contact information.

Click below for postgame reaction from Chris Tsakonas with Bridegwater-Rartitan’s Declan Kurdyla, Jahmier Black, Jack Cifuentes, Jamelle Jones and head coach Declan Kurdyla, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Bridgewater-Raritan players
Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano

-Mike Pavlichko contributed to this report

by Chris Tsakonas

New Providence looks to take next step, starting with season opener at rival Governor Livingston

After a 9-3 season with a run to the state championship game, New Providence will bring back many familiar faces as it looks to take the next step in 2025. The first test of the year comes against a familiar foe, as the Pioneers will take on Governor Livingston at this Saturday in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Game time has been moved earlier to 11 am, due to the threat of thunderstorms around 3 pm, as of the latest forecast on Friday afternoon.

While starting quarterback T.J. Munn has since graduated after last year’s run to the North 2, Group 1 final – where they ultimately lost at Cedar Grove – the offense will have no shortage of returning talent. On the ground, New Providence will once again turn to star back A.J. Whitehead, who is coming off of a 13-touchdown, 1,130-yard junior season.

First-year junior starting quarterback Kevin Reilly will have plenty of weapons to work with in the passing game, with Jack Fitzgerald (14 catches for 214 yards and 3 touchdowns), Mike Petses (9 catches for 157 yards and one touchdown) and Daniel Porretti (10 catches for 105 yards) all returning from 2024.

Defense was a strong suit for the Pioneers last season, who allowed just 17 points per game in 2024. In addition to the returning pass rushing duo of Drew Gullo and James Keneally, Petses (112 tackles, five tackles-for-loss) and Gui May (52 tackles, two tackles-for-losss) anchor the linebacker room while Porretti and Whitehead are the key contributors returning from last year’s secondary.

It’s a big rivalry game, but New Providence has won the last six in the series, with Governor Livingston’s last win coming in 2018.

You can hear Saturday’s game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio with pregame at 10:45 am and kickoff at 11:00. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas will call all the action; click here to listen.

Listen to Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas talk to New Providence head coach Chet Parlavecchio Jr. ahead of Saturday’s game:

by Chris Tsakonas

Montgomery looks to keep rebound going after tough loss in opener with trip to South Amboy

When Montgomery tipped off the season against Hudson Catholic last Saturday, the Cougars were coming off of a season that ended with a Central Group 4 title, a run to the Somerset County Tournament final, and a 25-4 overall record.

After narrowly falling 48-44 in that season opener at the New Jersey Basketball Coaches’ Tip-off Showcase last Saturday, No. 3 Montgomery has delivered in the clutch with back-to-back single-digit wins over Pingry and Immaculata.

Tonight, the Cougars (2-1) have a chance to make it a three-game winning streak on a neutral site, as they take on St. Joseph-Metuchen in the nightcap of the 12th annual Friends of South Amboy Charity Basketball Tournament. The game tips at 8 pm, and you can hear it live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas on the call. Click here to listen.

While the high-scoring senior duo of Steve Donahue and Jack Fromelt have graduated from last year’s team, Montgomery returns two key players in junior Ethan Lin and senior Bohdan Bieketov.

Lin – who missed much of the late season, the SCT and state tournament last year with a broken ankle he suffered in a game against Hillsborough – has been the Cougars’ primary scoring option, most recently dropping 24 against Immaculata. 

Another key player for Montgomery through the first week of the season has been Christian Hill, who has developed into the Cougars’ third-leading scorer with just over eight points per game to help replace the lost production from Donahue and Fromelt.

Click below to hear Montgomery boys’ basketball head coach Kris Grundy preview tonight’s game with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas:

by Chris Tsakonas

Delsea – with just two wins at the Cutoff – coming into form ahead of Friday’s Central Jersey Group 3 final at undefeated Somerville

After starting the season with just one win through the first six weeks of the 2024 campaign, Delsea made a big change.

The Crusaders now have won three of their last four games, with two playoff wins heading into the Central Group 3 sectional championship game at top-seed and undefeated Somerville Friday night.

For Delsea, the improvement has come on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Crusaders switched to back to their longtime Wing-T offense midseason. To do that, they brought back Sal Marchesi – who retired last year after 31 seasons – to be their offensive coordinator.

The goal was to create better looks for its talented group of backs – and that’s reflected in the box scores with a total of 2,028 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. 

Getting starting quarterback Jimmy Reardon back from injury was also a big key.

Leading the way offensively for Delsea is running back Dan Russo, who has 897 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns through ten games this year. Delsea has plenty of reinforcements in the run game, including Alex Grippo (93 carries for 507 yards and three touchdowns), Reardon (47 carries for 345 yards and five touchdowns) and Joel Anderson (48 carries for 250 yards and a touchdown).

The Crusaders have also shown improvement on the defensive side of the ball, where they’ve allowed just 13.25 points per game over the last four weeks.

In addition to Russo’s team-high 81 tackles and three interceptions at linebacker, Delsea has also relied on strong seasons from Grippo (59 tackles and one tackle for loss), Reardon (who has a team-high four interceptions) and defensive lineman Charles Mapp (19 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks).

You can hear Friday night’s game on Central Jersey Sports Radio – our “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving – with kickoff slated for seven and pregame at 6:30. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas will have the call. Click here to listen.

Click below to hear Delsea first-year head coach Jason Volpe talk about the season and Friday night’s title tilt against Somerville with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas:

by Chris Tsakonas

Every week a challenge for No. 5 St. Joseph-Metuchen, as unbeaten Falcons travel to No. 7 Phillipsburg for big Friday night clash

With an unbeaten 5-0 record already through the first month of the season, the St. Joseph-Metuchen Falcons now face another tough test as they prepare for a Friday night road matchup against No. 7 Phillipsburg (4-1).

That’s our Friday night “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving on Central Jersey Sports Radio, and you can hear all the live play-by-play beginning with pregame at 6:45, and kickoff at 7. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas will call all the action; click here to listen.

For St. Joe’s, the offense has thrived under junior dual-threat quarterback Justin Scaramuzzo, who has completed 60 of 97 passes for 1,100 yards and ten touchdowns while also rushing for 191 yards and five TD in his first year as the Falcons’ starter.

The run game has also featured a heavy contribution from leading rusher Javon Hudson (51 carries for 232 yards and three touchdowns), while Scaramuzzo has regularly linked up with Jacob Pappas (15 catches for 456 yards and four touchdowns) and Ashton Irving (21 catches for 345 yards and four touchdowns).

The Falcons’ defense has also thrived, allowing an average of just 18 points per game through the first five weeks. Irving has played a key role in the secondary with a team-high six interceptions, while Tyler Huseth has been effective on the defensive line with 23 tackles, a team-high seven sacks and one safety.

Click here to hear head coach Bill Tracy talk about the Falcons’ perfect start – and Friday’s game against Phillipsburg – with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas:

by Chris Tsakonas

Improved Highland Park gears up for rivalry matchup against Metuchen Saturday afternoon

After snapping a 51-game losing streak in the final game of the 2023 season, Highland Park has taken a big step forward through the first half of the year.

They won their first three games of the season, giving them a four-game winning streak going back to last year, their longest stretch of success since starting 4-0 in the 2008 season.

After taking their first defeat of the year last week at the hands of Spotswood, the Owls are currently 3-1 with a 2-1 record in the Big Central Conference Freedom Gold Division, with a chance to get the fourth win of the year in a cross-divisional rivalry game against Metuchen (3-2) on Saturday afternoon.

Offensively, Highland Park is led by senior dual-threat quarterback Markos Hantsoulis, who has already recorded 12 total touchdowns – six each passing and rushing – through the first four games of the year. The Owls’ run game also features running back Zyaire Holland, who has 40 rushes for 232 yards and a touchdown. Wide receivers include Kosta Hantsoulis (seven catches for 187 yards and four touchdowns), Jaylin Adams (three catches for 72 yards) and Stamatis Hantsoulis (five catches for 39 yards).

It’s also been a strong start for the Highland Park defense, which has allowed an average of 10.5 points per game through the first half of the season. In each of the Owls’ three wins this year, the defense has allowed no more than seven points.

You can catch Saturday’s “Big Central Game of the Week” – presented by Bellamy & Son Paving – between Metuchen and Highland Park with pregame at 12:45 on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Kickoff is at 1 with Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas on the call. Click here to listen.

Click below to hear Highland Park head coach Shawn Harrison talk about the Owls with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas:

by Chris Tsakonas

Top-ranked Phillipsburg looks to build off dominant start on Friday night trip to Ridge

After finishing 10-2 with a run to the sectional finals last season, Phillipsburg has picked up right where it left off this fall.

The Stateliners come into Friday’s matchup against Ridge with a 2-0 record after shutting out previously undefeated Hunterdon Central 35-0 last Friday – and that win came on the heels of a convincing 44-17 win over Westfield to kick off the season.

You can hear that game – our “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving – on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with our pregame show hitting the airwaves at 6:45, kickoff at 7. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas will be on the call; click here to listen.

It’s been a veteran group leading the way for Phillipsburg, led by a senior trio of starting quarterback Jett Genovese and receivers Matthew Scerbo, Jr., and Felix Matos. The run game has once again been a key part of the offense, as Sam Dech and Jah’quill Dooley have combined for 390 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

The Stateliners have excelled at stopping the run, allowing just 73 yards of rushing offense last Friday against Hunterdon Central. Phillipsburg’ secondary trio of Scerbo, Matos and Jaysen Blacknail have also contained the passing attack, with an average of 98.5 yards per game allowed through the air.

Phillipsburg has had the upper hand against Ridge historically, as the Stateliners come into this one with a nine-game winning streak that dates back to 2009.

Click below to hear Phillipsburg head coach Frank Duffy talk about the Stateliners with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas:

by Chris Tsakonas

No. 5 Somerville brings back major talent ahead of season opener against No. 3 Hillsborough

When Somerville takes the field for the season opener against Hillsborough on Thursday night, second-year head coach Matt Bloom will have plenty of familiar players to work with.

On the offensive side, Somerville will have an experienced passing game with starting quarterback Brendan Pacheco and two of last season’s three starting wide receivers in Josh Rodriguez (21 catches for 356 yards and two touchdowns) and Brady Scheier (26 catches for 347 yards and two touchdowns) back for another year. The Pioneers also bring back senior running back and Wake Forest commit Terrell Mitchell, who had 91 carries for 513 yards and a team-high ten touchdowns in 2023.

The Pioneers also bring back several key defensive contributors from 2023, including edge rusher and Tennessee commit Jayden Loftin. Linebackers Max Nuzzi (61 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks) and Sean O’Neill (41 tackles and two sacks) are expected to be factors in the middle of the defense, while the trio of Scheier, Spencer Carran and Zahid Lee Jackson will give Somerville an experienced pass defense this fall.

Thursday, they’ll face a senior quarterback in Ryan Seamon who’s making his first varsity start.

You can listen to the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving Thursday, with kickoff at 7 pm. Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas will call all the action; click here to listen live.

The Pioneers are coming off of a 5-5 finish in Bloom’s first full season in charge of the program, and his second full year will start by facing a Hillsborough team that came away with a 14-7 home win last October. Those Raiders finished the year 8-3 and have standout thousand-yeard runningback Jackson Jankowicz returning behind a bigger, more veteran offensive line

Click below to hear Somerville head coach Matt Bloom talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas: