Category: Football

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg’s focus will serve Stateliners well in North 2, Group 4 final against Montgomery

Montgomery is an interesting opponent for Phillipsburg this championship weekend.

They’re a young program, not even in existence for 30 years, while the Stateliners already had nearly 100 years in the books before the Cougars ever stepped foot on a field.

They had a solid 2023, lost a ton to graduation and won just one game last season, but now are 8-3 under first-year head coach Sean Carty, and playing in their first-ever title game.

But as far as Phillipsburg is concerned, they might as well be a nameless, faceless opponent.

It’s trite saying when a coach tells you “we just have to play our game,” and ‘Liners head coach Frank Duffy doesn’t even bother to say it. They just stick to the mantra: D.I.G.

For the uninitiated, that’s Discipline. Ignore the noise. And grit.

It has served the program well, as this Friday night at Maloney Stadium, the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final will be its fourth straight sectional title game appearance, as Phillipsburg seeks back-to-back titles.

And it doesn’t matter whose name is on the other jersey. Sure, they respect opponents. But they know, if they just play their game, and do what they’re coached to do, they can – and will – come out on top.

You can hear that title game Friday night live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – featuring No. 1 seed Phillipsburg (9-1) and third-seed Montgomery (8-3) – with kickoff at 7 pm, and pregame at 6:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

P’burg has been solid nearly all year long. The only blip was a 21-0 loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen back on October 11, a game win which sophomore quarterback Dominic Bracco threw two interceptions. For the record, he had not thrown one before that game – and he hasn’t since.

The focus is the ground game. And more ground game. And then the ground game some more, all to the tune of nearly 3,000 yards rushing, led by senior Sam Dech and his 1,250 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also set a program record for the longest touchdown run, and run of any kind, with a 95-yarder in the season opener at Westfield.

Junior Shane Moore has rushed for 409 yards and a score, while fellow junior Tyler Wargo has 253 rushing yards and seven TDs, three of which came last week in the sectional semis against Colonia.

On defense, Aedan Hywel, a senior, has 12 1/2 sacks and 19 TFLs to lead the team in both categories, while seniors Mike Bracco and Jaysen Blacknall each have four of the team’s eleven interceptions.

Click below to hear Phillipsburg coach Frank Duffy talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the Stateliners and Friday’s title game:

by Mike Pavlichko

Gameday with Marcus Borden: Championship Weekend Edition!

It’s Championship Weekend in high school football across New Jersey, with 20 sectional titles being decided Friday and Saturday, and it’s time to talk about it all with Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden!

Mike and Marcus first take a look at St. Joseph-Metuchen and the Falcons matchup with Bergen Catholic on Saturday in the semifinals/first round of Non-Public Group A. Then, a look at the six Big Central teams – Bridgewater-Raritan, Old Bridge, Phillipsburg, Montgomery, Summit and New New Providence – vying for five sectional titles this weekend.

Click below to listen to the Championship Weekend edition of “Gameday with Marcus Borden”:

by Mike Pavlichko

Here are Coach Matt Bastardi’s Elite QB “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 10

The sectional semifinals are behind us, and we’re off the Championship Weekend in New Jersey high school football, but there were some big performances last week in the semis, and elsewhere! So here are the “Elite Performers of the Week,” brought to you by Elite QB Football Training Academy, for Week 10 of the New Jersey high school football season!

Founded and run by Matt Bastardi, a former high school and college quarterback who has either played the position or coached it for over 40 years, Elite QB trains players at all position levels, with an emphasis on QBs.

Promotional flyer for the Elite QB Winter 2026 Passing Game Skills Camp, detailing camp information, location, dates, and contact information for Coach Matt Bastardi.
Contact Elite QB at 609-731-0508 or email qbcoach@eliteqb.com by clicking the schedule above to sign up or for more information!

The “Elite Performers of the Week” highlights the efforts of the many student-athletes in the Big Central – and across the region – that train with him, including quarterbacks and skill position players!

Click below to listen to the 2025 Elite QB “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week Ten!!

  • Jack Kritsjanson, Montgomery
  • Ryan Moye, Pingry
  • Anthony D’Acunto, St. Peter’s (SI)
  • Dillon White, Notre Dame
Knights win at Rowan in The Battle at the Beach
by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge seeks first sectional title as Knights head down to deep South Jersey to face Washington Twp. in Central Jersey Group 5 final

The 2025 season has been an outstanding one for the Old Bridge football team, but the Knights still have one more big accomplishment on their list to achieve: their first-ever state titles.

Two prior Championship Weekend appearances – in 2001 and 2015 – bore no fruit, and this year’s berth will no doubt be quite the challenging one, but if any Old Bridge team could do it, it might be this one.

Defensively, they may give up some points, but boy can they score. Quarterback Brody Nugent has is a two-thousand yard passer and a thousand-yard rusher. Defensively, they have 23 takeaways – 12 picks and 11 recovered fumbles. And they’ve won a program record ten games.

All that has brought them to this weekend, the goal of every team when they first put the pads on in Week Zero: to play for a championship.

The Knights will get that opportunity Friday night way down in the far reaches of South Jersey – South of Philly even – when third-seeded Old Bridge (10-1) takes on top-seed Washington Twp. (11-0) down in Sewell, NJ, for the Central Jersey Group 5 championship.

The Minutemen are the No. 1 seed in Central 5 due to the NJSIAA’s seeding procedure, which no longer includes pre-set geographical sections.

And they are no joke. Senior QB Cole Aquino has thrown for just shy of 1,300 yards this season, with 19 touchdowns and just three picks. The defense has pitched five shutouts this season and held eight teams in the teens or better. And they are strong up front on both sides of the ball.

They Minutemen also are the defending champions, but it hasn’t been a particularly long run. They made it to Championship Weekend in 2023 as well, losing to juggernaut Toms River North, but before that had not been to the finals in 19 years.

Click below to listen to Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the Knights’ season and Friday’s Central Jersey Group 5 final at Washington Twp. with CJSR’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Alec Crouthamel

Veteran-laden group leads Montgomery into North 2, Group 4 final against Phillipsburg for first-ever sectional championship appearance

Montgomery football – as a whole – may be new to the championship environment, but it is full of players who have plenty of experience in big moments.

The Cougars have balanced experience and young talent, as well as a strong rush and pass attack, to rebound in head coach Sean Carty’s first year at the helm, after working as an assistant for former head coach Zoran Milich.

After a battle-tested regular season and early playoff run, Montgomery heads into its first sectional final appearance in school history, as the Cougars travel to Maloney Stadium to take on Phillipsburg in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final. The Stateliners are looking for their second straight sectional title.

You can hear that championship bout Friday night live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – featuring No. 1 seed Phillipsburg (9-1) and third-seed Montgomery (8-3) – with kickoff at 7 pm, and pregame at 6:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

The Cougars reached this point after a hard-fought 20-15 win over second-seed Woodbridge last weekend, one where they overcame two turnovers on the offensive side, and avenged a regular-season loss from a month ago.

Senior quarterback Jack Kristjanson leads a senior-laden offensive lineup as a dual-threat weapon, with fellow senior running back Caiden Miller alongside him, who ran for 112 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Barrons. In the pass game, Kristjanson has a litany of options, including seniors Obinna Obuba and Trey McFadden, and junior Xavier Harrigan, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown and converted a key third down against Woodbridge.

Kristjanson almost serves as Carty’s second pair of eyes on the field, knowing that whatever he calls, the signal-caller will execute it at a high level, or create something himself if the play breaks down.

On the defensive side, Montgomery had to battle against the Barrons’ strong run game. While star tailback Joshua Allen got his numbers with a near 100-yard rushing performance, the Cougars got a late stop when they absolutely needed it, stuffing Woodbridge on three consecutive plays in the red zone – a second-and-four, third-and-three, and fourth-and-one – after throwing an interception on offense to preserve the lead in the fourth quarter.

Another unit with years upon years of experience, the defense has been led by senior linebacker Dragomir Georgiev, a “true presence” in the middle, as Carty described him.

The biggest challenge for Montgomery will be facing off against Phillipsburg’s physicality and intimidation in the trenches – as is the same challenge for nearly every team on the Stateliners’ schedule – but Carty has prepared his team all year with the same mantra: Be ready for all 48 minutes.

Only time will tell who comes away victorious with the sectional championship trophy.

Click below to hear Montgomery coach Sean Carty talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel about the Cougars and Friday’s title game:

by Mike Pavlichko

Leading long, first half scoring drives, Phillipsburg’s Sam Dech earns Week 10 Higgins Speed Lab “Speedster of the Week” honors

As we’ve been doing all season long, Central Jersey Sports Radio is highlighting the high school football “Speedster of the Week” presented by Higgins Speed Lab in South Brunswick, recognizing the top runningbacks in the Big Central Conference every week.

And the Week Ten winner is Sam Dech of Phillipsburg!

This is Dech’s fourth time on the list, and first time topping it as the “Speedster of the Week.” Dech was part of a big ground game for top-seed Phillipsburg in a 35-7 win over fifth-seed Colonia in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals, scoring two second half touchdowns on a 217-yard, 23-carry night. He helped lead two long scoring drives in the first half that were capped off by teammate Tyler Wargo, who scored the Stateliners’ first three TDs. Now, Phillipsburg will defend its sectional title from 2024 against third-seed Montgomery, this Friday night at 7 pm at Maloney Stadium, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Scroll down for a list of the top ten rushing performances of Week Ten in the BCC!

Image highlighting Sam Dech of Phillipsburg for being the 'Speedster of the Week' with stats: 23 carries, 217 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a 35-7 win against Colonia.

Higgins Speed Lab in South Brunswick was founded by Kyle Higgins, son of longtime Piscataway head coach and NJFCA Hall of Famer Dan Higgins. Kyle grew up around the program and remains a Chiefs’ assistant coach to this day. At Higgins Speed Lab, Kyle has developed a system to help athletes increase speed while in a competitive small group environment of similar age and skill. Click here to listen to our interview with Kyle Higgins and learn more about Higgins Speed Lab!

Logo of Higgins Speed Lab, featuring bold lettering in black with a clean design.

They offer sport-specific training in football, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, baseball, golf, volleyball, track, gymnastics, and tennis. And “speed” isn’t their only focus. They’ll also work on proper running mechanics, plyometrics, acceleration/deceleration, top speed, linear and multi-directional speed, first-step quickness, endurance, strength, coordination, mobility and injury prevention.

Listen to Mike Pavlichko run down the Top Ten rushing performances in the Big Central for Week Ten!

Here are the top ten rushing performances from Week Ten in the Big Central:

  • Sam Dech, Phillipsburg: 23 carries for 217 yards and 2 TDs in a 35-7 win over Colonia in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals
  • Shaun Jackson, Sayreville: 18 carries for 216 yards and 3 TDs in a 28-27 loss to Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals
  • Jahmier Black, Bridgewater-Raritan: 23 carries for 148 yards and 1 TD in a 22-7 win over Union City in the North 2, Group 5 semifinals
  • Jack Fitzgerald, New Providence: 16 carries for 131 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-21 overtime win at Hasbrouck Heights in the North 2, Group 1 semifinals
  • Brody Nugent, Old Bridge: 22 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown in a 28-27 win at Sayreville in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals
  • Alex Schwark, Summit: 11 carries for 107 yards and 3 TDs in a 31-28 win over West Essex in the North 2, Group 3 semifinals
  • Declan Kurdyla, Bridgewater-Raritan: 16 carries for 102 yards in a 22-7 win over Union City in the North 2, Group 5 semifinals
  • Caiden Miller, Montgomery: 23 carries for 101 yards and 1 TD in a 20-15 win at Woodbridge in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals

Disclaimer: All statistics are gathered from multiple public online sources. If someone is missing from this list, it likely means their coach has not updated statistics. All coaches are urged to do so no later than 11:59 pm on Sundays during the season.

See Higgins Speed Lab in action!

by Mike Pavlichko

CJSR announces Championship Weekend playoff coverage of three area title games

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have in-person coverage of three of the five sectional title games being played this Championship Weekend, involving six teams from the Big Central Conference.

We’ll have live play-by-play of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final, which features two BCC squads, as top-seed Phillipsburg (9-1) will host third-seed Montgomery (8-3) at Maloney Stadium. The Stateliners – the defending champs in this section – haven’t lost to a public school all year, while the Cougars have rebounded off a 1-9 season under first-year head coach and previous Offensive Coordinator Sean Carty.

Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will call the action, with pregame at 6:45. Kickoff is at 7. Bookmark this link to listen live.

Meanwhile, we’ll have reporters at the two other games being hosted by Big Central schools.

Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden will be in New Providence, where the second-seeded Pioneers – the only unbeaten team left in the league, at 10-0 – get a surprise home game in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 final against fourth-seed and defending champion Cedar Grove (8-3) at 6:30 pm. New Providence lost to the Panthers on the road in last year’s title game, but now get to host because Cedar Grove upset top-seed Mountain Lakes Friday night in the semifinals. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for live updates.

And Chris Tsakonas will be at the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 final at Basilone Field in Bridgewater as the top-seeded Panthers (8-3) host sixth-seed Bayonne (8-3) at 6 pm. Bridgewater is in the finals for the first time since 2017, the last of a streak of three straight North 2, Group 5 finals they appeared in, falling all three times to Westfield, which was undefeated all three years, going 36-0 in that stretch. Follow Chris Tsakonas on Twitter for live updates.

Meanwhile, we’ll have postgame recaps of two other finals as well from CJSR headquarters, with third-seed Old Bridge (10-1) visiting top-seed and undefeated Washington Township (11-0) in the Central Jersey Group 5 title game at 6 pm Friday, as well as second-seed Summit (9-2) at top-seed and unbeaten West Morris (11-0) at 7:30 pm in the North 2, Group 3 final.

by Mike Pavlichko

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Championship Weekend!

Here we are – Championship Weekend! Six Big Central teams will vie for five titles this Friday night – with one guaranteed winner – Mike Pavlichko takes a quick look on this week’s edition of “The Big Central in 2 Minutes!”

On this week’s episode, Mike gives one last take on the ridiculousness of the seeding procedure – a team South of Philly in Central Jersey Group 5? – then gives a quick look at each of the five finals involving area teams, with Bridgewater-Raritan, Old Bridge, Phillipsburg, Montgomery, Summit and New Providence all playing for sectional titles.

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

Click below to listen to the Championship Weekend Playoff edition of “The Big Central in Two Minutes”:

by Mike Pavlichko

We’re down to three! Vote for one of the “Borden’s Ballers” 2025 Finalists!

Well, our 59 Borden’s Ballers are down to three finalists – one each from Middlesex County, Union County, and the Big Central “West,” featuring schools from Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties.

Now, it’s your turn to pick the ultimate Borden’s Baller for 2025!

Here are the three finalists:

MIDDLESEX COUNTY

East Brunswick – Noah DeJesus; “Noah has been one of the team’s top performers for the Bear’s under rookie head coach Zach Gega. His 34 catches for 546 yards and 5 scores on offense have been tops on the team. Defensively, DeJesus’ career stats include 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, 60 total tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery for a touchdown and one interception all as a physically disruptive lineman. With one more regular season game and a crossover game #8 will have opportunities to add to his career totals.”

UNION COUNTY

Elizabeth – Qua’Yon Williams: “The junior wide receiver has made a big impact this season as one of the reliable targets for the Elizabeth offense that likes to throw the ball around in their spread offense. The 5’9 165lb. speedster is a threat to go all the way any time he touches the ball. His 39 catches for 535 yards and 6 scores are second best amongst the nine other receivers. As a return specialist, he has three scores, and he can change the complexion of the game in a heartbeat. As a defender in the secondary, you are taking your chances if you throw in his direction!”

BIG CENTRAL WEST (SOMERSET, HUNTERDON, WARREN)

Bound Brook – Moaaz Abdelmonem: “The senior captain mans the offensive line on a team that has been a surprise so far this season as the Crusaders are currently 5-2 with two remaining games, the last one for the Freedom Silver Divisional title on the line versus Manville. Defensively, Moaaz has been one of the tackling leaders with 19 solos, 16 assists, 2 tackles for a loss and 1 sack. Bound Brook’s fortunes and potential post-season play can be attributed to Abdelmonem and his fellow senior classmates who believe what the coaching staff has been preaching since the start of the season.”

VOTE BELOW!!

Borden's Ballers 2025 Finalists

The poll has expired!

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg drops a spot in NJ Power Rankings, but stays atop BCC as Bridgewater-Raritan, Montgomery move into league’s Top Ten

A convincing 35-7 win over Colonia that put Phillipsburg in its fourth straight sectional final kept them atop the Big Central Conference power rankings in Week Ten, even though they dropped one spot in the overall state Top 25.

Around the league, two new teams joined the Top Ten, including Montgomery – which moved up from 12 to nine – and Bridgewater-Raritan, which shot up from eleven to five. Both won semifinal games this past Friday night, with the Cougars facing Phillipsburg in the North 2, Group 4 final this Friday at 7 pm at Maloney Stadium, and the Panthers hosting Bayonne in the North 2 Group 5 final at 6 pm.

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

Note that Belvidere played Wilson Area (PA) this weekend, for which an SI number was not available, so Belvidere’s SI value remains unchanged this week.

A table displaying the Big Central Conference Power Rankings for Week 10 of 2025, listing schools with their respective rankings, Strength Index (SI) values, and state rankings.

Statewide, the flip-flop at the top continues, with Winslow back in the driver’s seat, switching places with Don Bosco. While Bergen Catholic remains in triple digits along with the two teams ahead of them, Old Tappan joined the “100 Club,” and passes the Crusaders into third. Ramapo holds at No. 5.

And for the second straight week, Phillipsburg is the lone Big Central team in the statewide Top 25, as they edge down one spot despite increasing their strength index, jumped by Camden, which went from 13 to ten.

A table listing the New Jersey power rankings for week 10 of 2025, including school names and their associated Strength Index values.

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.