Author: justinsontupe

May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 by justinsontupe

Third-seed Old Bridge clicking at the right time heading into Middlesex tussle in Saturday’s GMC Tournament semis

Old Bridge has picked the right time of year to play its best baseball.

Eight straight wins, and eleven 12. Offensive explosions. Pitchers’ duels. Run-rule blowouts. Extra innings nailbiters.

For the past three weeks, everything has come up purple – and in all shapes and sizes, too.

For Matt Donaghue and the Knights, that has become the norm. When May comes, Old Bridge wins. Last year, they were Central Jersey Group 4 finalists. Two years ago, they were GMC Tournament champions. In 2023, Central Jersey Group 4 winners – and then all the way to the state finals in Hamilton.

Some years they have been led by elite pitching and other years it’s been an unstoppable offense.

This year, it has been a little bit of both.

While the offense – led by Matt Chin, Michael Chiarella, Jared Volpe, and Chris Crosta – has been consistently strong, the pitching has keyed the GMC tournament run. Brady Meyer threw a complete game four-hitter in a 1-0 opening round win over Sayreville, and then Blake Dunleavy went the distance two nights later in a 1-0 extra inning win over Woodbridge in eight.

This side of Middlesex, which is 20-2 and seeded second in the GMC Tournament, no one in the county is playing better baseball at the moment than Old Bridge.

And fittingly, with a spot in the GMC final on the line, it is the Blue Jays who await Old Bridge in Saturday’s second GMC semifinal at East Brunswick Magnet School. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 pm following the opener between five-seed South Plainfield and nine-seed Monroe in the other semifinal.

Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe will have the call on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with coverage beginning at 11:40 am. You can listen to the game here, or watch it all on our YouTube Channel, by clicking here.

Click here to listen to Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe:

May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 by justinsontupe

Ninth-seed Monroe seeks its highest point of rollercoaster season, trip to title game in GMC Tourney semifinals

Are the ninth-seeded Monroe Falcons, at 11-12 and a win away from a trip to the county title game a Cinderella?

It’s tough to say.

The lows have been low: losses in eight of nine entering the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament. But the highs have been very high: a 5-1 start and a mid-April upset win over perennial state power Red Bank Catholic. To date, it’s the only victory by a GMC team over a club currently ranked in the state Top 20 all season long.

“I told the guys we’ve just got to stay consistent,” said Monroe head coach Sean Field. “We’re built for the playoffs. The games that we’ve lost, we’ve been right in them right till the very end. Once the playoffs come, we’ve got to start playing our best baseball, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”

The Falcons took down 8th-seeded Colonia, 9-2, in the tournament’s first round on Monday. Ben Faigin, who is penciled in as Monroe’s semifinal starter, struck out 13 batters in a complete game effort.

Monroe followed that by taking care of top-seeded Edison, 9-1, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Faigin launched a two-run home run and Andre Love struck out 11 Eagles in a complete game of his own.

Senior catcher Justin Mangano has been the catalyst at the top of the lineup. He has 6 hits and 3 RBIs over the two GMC tournament games.

In what has been a season of ups and downs, the Falcons find themselves in position to do something the school hasn’t done since 2017: play in a GMC final. South Plainfield (13-10) – which has already beaten Monroe twice this season – stands in the way at East Brunswick Magnet School on Saturday afternoon.

First pitch is set for 12:00 and coverage begins on Central Jersey Sports Radio at 11:40 with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe on the call. That’s the first of a doubleheader, with the second game featuring second-seed Middlesex and third-seed Old Bridge. Both games can be heard live by clicking this link, and can also be seen here, with a video stream on our YouTube channel.

Click below to hear Monroe head coach Sean Field with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe:

November 1, 2024October 31, 2024 by justinsontupe

Thundering Herd rumble up from South Jersey to present challenge for Middlesex Friday night

You don’t go 3-5 and make the playoffs without playing a challenging schedule, and playing well, even in losses.

That’s exactly what Woodbury, the sixth-seed in the Central Jersey Group 1 playoffs, did.

“Every week was like a playoff for us,” said head coach Anthony Reagan. “That’s what’s going to help us out as we march into the playoffs.”

Woodbury visits third-seeded Middlesex Friday night in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe will call the action with kickoff at 7 pm and pregame slated for 6:45. Click here to listen.

For the Thundering Herd, this is the program’s fourth consecutive playoff appearance. In 2021 and 2022, Woodbury won sectional championships before falling in the sectional final last year. Even though it’s a new player core, Reagan is hopeful this group will be able to leave its mark as well.

That journey begins with a trip to Middlesex on Friday night.

Click below to hear from Woodbury head coach Anthony Reagan with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe:

March 1, 2024March 1, 2024 by justinsontupe

Cougars are Champs! Montgomery overcomes early speed bump to top Monroe for CJ4 title before packed house

Ten years ago, Montgomery had a crack at its second state sectional title in five years, but lost a heartbreaker to Trenton at home.

The gym was jumping all night.

Fast forward to 2024, and head coach Kris Grundy had his team back in the final again. Yet, it looked like a tumultuous road ahead when Monroe jumped out to a 5-2 lead.

But as they have all year long, especially more of late, Steve Donahue and Bohdan Biekietov took over, and top-seed Montgomery eventually took a lead, finishing the rest of the first half on a 30-5 run to lead 31-10 at the break.

In the end, the Cougars – led by 24 from Donahue – came back for a 63-37 win over 2nd-seed Hillsborough in Skillman, in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game.

Bohdan Biekietov finished with a career-high 23 points, while Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy earned his 300th career win.

And the gym was jumping again, the only difference: this time it was still rocking after the final horn.

Montgomery (25-3) now goes on to the Group 4 semifinals, next Tuesday at 4:30 pm down at Central Regional HS in Bayville against South Jersey Group 4 champion Lenape (27-3), the top-seed, which beat Eastern Friday night, 50-47.

Click below for postgame reaction, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

Montgomery junior Bohdan Biekietov

Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy

September 7, 2023September 7, 2023 by justinsontupe

Ridge focused on one game at a time; this week just happens to be the BCC’s No. 1-ranked team

Ridge head coach Andy West is ultra familiar with the challenges that come with a trip to Phillipsburg: the atmosphere, the tradition, the road trip, and – this season – the No. 1 team in the Central Jersey Sports Radio rankings.

West joined Bill Tracy’s staff at Ridge in 2012 and took over the program ahead of the 2020 season. The Red Devils’ last win against the Stateliners was its only win, in 2003, en route to a state championship.

But Ridge has been knocking on the door. In 2021, the Red Devils’ last trip to Maloney Stadium, Ridge came within one with a fourth quarter touchdown. A failed two-point conversion allowed Phillipsburg to escape. Last season, Ridge led at halftime before the Stateliners pulled away with a red-hot second half.

Might this be the year?

No. 3 Ridge opened the season with a convincing 41-7 win at Monroe last week. This after winning the last five regular season games in 2022 by an average of 26 points.

Fullback Will Deady returns for his senior season after leading the Red Devils in rushing yards and touchdowns.

Last year, Ridge reached the semifinals of the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state tournament and hopes to find itself in a similar position when cold weather falls again this season.

But the focus right now for Ridge is week-to-week. And this week, the Red Devils are well aware of the challenge ahead. Kickoff is at 7:00 Friday night and coverage from Phillipsburg begins at 6:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe on the call for Central Jersey Sports Radio live from Maloney Stadium. Click here to listen.

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe talk about the matchup with Ridge head coach Andy West:

May 30, 2023May 29, 2023 by justinsontupe

Old Bridge a win away from first sectional final berth since 2019

Much has been made – a good deal by us, and rightly so – about the quality of the GMC Red Division.

Matt Donaghue disagrees with our assessment that it may be one of the best in the state. The Old Bridge coach says it is the best in the state.

So what does it mean when Old Bridge is the only team in the Red to have beaten every single one of its divisional opponents?

The Knights didn’t sweep anyone, but they have a win each against East Brunswick, South Brunswick, St. Joseph, South Plainfield and Monroe, and swept North Brunswick – which wound up winning the division.

So, in an all-GMC Red Division semifinal, the top-seed Old Bridge (18-8) has just as good a chance as anyone else to win it all. On Tuesday evening, they take on fifth-seed East Brunswick (15-11) for a trip to Friday’s sectional finals. It would be the Knights’ first since 2019, as they seek their first title under Donaghue, who took over as head coach in 2018.

First pitch is set for 6 pm; pregame begins at 5:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe calling all the action. Click here to listen.

Both teams are hitting about the same, though East Brunswick has been coming on of late at the plate, while Old Bridge has gotten better pitching all year.

On Tuesday, he’ll throw his No. 1 starter in Frank Papeo (5-2, 1.71 ERA). He’s become a bit more of a strikeout pitcher in 2023, even though his ERA is up about a half a run. Part of that came in two slugfests with St. Joseph-Metuchen and Sayreville, games which they won 10-8, and 7-6, respectively.

Click below to learn more about Old Bridge as head coach Matt Donaghue talks with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe:

January 12, 2023January 12, 2023 by justinsontupe

Jones brings QB vision back to hardwood for Colonia, while pouring in more points

It’s hard to believe Colonia point guard and leading scorer Jaeden Jones is still just a junior.

It might be because of his multiple monster games on both the hardwood and the gridiron. It might be because of his maturity on and off the floor.

Ask him, though, and it might just be because all he really wants to do is help his team win.

And so, it is another year, another tight race in the GMC Red Division, and another pivotal game in the Colonia-St. Thomas Aquinas rivalry. A win by Colonia sews up the division nice and neatly, with the Patriots holding the trophy all alone at the top.

*Follow Sportsplex at Metuchen on Instagram for the latest on open gym sessions on their courts and turf!*

Will the magnitude of the game, the intensity of the Aquinas crowd in their loud, band-box gym have any impact on Jones?

Probably not, and he will say, that’s just how he likes it.

Jones started at point guard for the Patriots as a sophomore last season, but often deferred as a lead scoring option to veterans Saivon Pressley and Billy Anderson. This season, Jones is shouldering a bit more of the load, averaging 15.5 points per game. He dropped a career-high 29 in a December win at St. Joe’s.

But part of what makes this Patriots team so dangerous is the depth and balance on the offensive end. Jones (15.5), senior big Noah Taylor (14.1), freshman wing Aiden Derkack (10.5), and senior wing Anthony Gooden (10.5) all average double-digit points per game.

Colonia (10-1) looks to bring home a banner and improve to 8-0 in the GMC Red Division Thursday night at St. Thomas Aquinas (11-1, 6-0 GMC Red). Coverage begins approximately 6:35 with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Click here to listen.

Colonia will need to snap long streak tonight at Aquinas to win GMC Red crown

Colonia controls its own destiny, as they say.

A win for the third-ranked Patriots (10-1) at top-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (11-1) Thursday night would give Colonia the GMC Red Division title outright, and very likely the top overall seed in the league tournament next month.

But to do it, they will need to stop a very long streak.

To be clear, it’s not necessarily one of their own.

While the Trojans won all three meetings between the teams last year, Colonia did beat STA in the finale of the GMC’s Karl-Anthony Towns/Jay Williams Pod in 2021, the top mini four-game pod in the COVID-shortened season.

No, we’re talking about the St. Thomas streak of 52 straight wins in divisional play, which has continued this year despite a move up to the GMC Red Division, along with Colonia.

This will be the first meeting between the teams this year, and it could be the only one of their two games to count toward the Red Division title, thanks to a one-year pilot program approved last spring by the GMC. That pilot only mandates one game against every divisional foe, with a second matchup optional. And only the first go-round through the schedule will be considered to determine the division champion.

Balanced Montgomery attack looking for good start to New Year at Hillsborough tonight

As the calendar turns from 2022 to 2023, Montgomery boys basketball finds itself in an unfamiliar position: below .500. It has been six years since the Cougars (3-4) last finished with a losing record, and almost a decade-and-a-half since they finished December in such an unenviable position.

With a Skyland Conference road game against 4-1 Hillsborough up next tonight, the road does not get any easier.

But pay no attention to the record for now, urges head coach Kris Grundy, in his 18th season. The Cougars have held fourth quarter leads in six of their first seven games, including narrow losses to still unbeaten Immaculata and Watchung Hills, and are still overcoming the preseason injury to junior guard Steve Donahue. Freshman Ethan Lin was forced into action earlier than anticipated, and seniors Luke Smith, Matt Levy, and JT Simborski are adjusting to shouldering a heavier load.

The Cougars have absorbed their fair share of punches during the first few weeks of the season, but that should only make them stronger as they enter the meat of the schedule ahead of February’s postseason. Four players — Lin, Levy, Smith, and junior point guard Josh Moore — average at least nine points per game. As a team, Montgomery, which often spreads the floor with five guards, makes more than eight three-pointers per game.

Montgomery’s last loss to Hillsborough came in 2017, and the Cougars will look to get back on track against the familiar foe Tuesday night. Led by second-year head coach Tim Palek, Hillsborough has started 4-1 after finishing last season by winning 8-of-13 and are looking to keep it rolling.

Tradition-rich Shore will be tough opponent for Manville in Mustangs second-ever playoff home game

Mark Costantino knows a thing or two about winning games toward the end of the season.

In his 31st season as the head coach at Shore Regional, Costantino has coached in eight title games for the West Long Branch school and won four of them. Now looking to capture the eighth state title in school history this season, meaningful late-season football is the norm for the Blue Devils.

“We are used to this kind of stuff,” Costantino said. “It’s what you get done in practice. If you don’t practice well, you will not play well. We’ve won seven state championships here, and [the kids] want to leave their mark on the program.”

For Manville, it will be a new experience: their last playoff berth was in 2017, when they lost to Point Pleasant Beach – another Shore Conference foe – in their first-ever home playoff game. It was only the third postseason berth in school history.

The Blue Devils have 15 players that will see action on both sides of the ball. This is embodied by a trio of key players: running back Lucas Rosa, who leads the team with 511 total yards and 10 touchdowns, quarterback Ty Koch, who has thrown for 6 touchdowns and run for 3 more, and 6’4″ tight end/defensive end Jackson Whitacre, who leads the team with 219 receiving yards and 8 tackles for loss. All three guys start on both sides of the line of the scrimmage.

But Shore Regional expects to have its hands full when it visits Manville Friday night in South Jersey Group 1 playoff action in the Big Central Game of the Week. Manville’s star running back Shawn Purcell – the state scoring leader with 170 points and a whopping 28 touchdowns – is atop the scouting report.

“We’ve faced a number of quality running backs so far this year, and he’s right up there with any of them,” Costantino said. “That’s the guy. We’re going to try to contain him and limit the big plays.”

You can hear Friday night’s game with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe calling the play-by-play starting with pregame at 6:45 and kickoff at 7:00 from Manville’s Ned Panfile Stadium. Click here to listen.

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe preview the Manville-Shore first-round playoff game with Blue Devils’ head coach Mark Costantino: