Category: Notebook

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen takes early lead, then rallies for 43-36 win over No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan

One of a handful of Big Central Conference teams to take Week Zero off, No. 2 St. Joseph came ready to play Saturday afternoon in a marquee matchup at Brenner Family Field in Metuchen.

So did No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan, which had time to work out any kinks last Friday, and won its opener at then-No. 8 Woodbridge.

But they were outlasted Saturday by the Falcons, who in starting 2026 with another win, 43-36 over the Panthers, now have emerged victorious in all four season openers since head coach Bill Tracy took over in 2023.

While things didn’t exactly kick off perfectly for the Falcons – with QB Cole Seyler getting intercepted by Panther defensive back Evan Woodring just 51 seconds in – it didn’t cost them, and both teams settled in until Seyler got Joe’s on the board first, via a 13-yard touchdown run with 1:29 left in the opening period. Just four game minutes later, he connected with Maddox Mignucci for a 39-yard touchdown pass 2:29 into the second quarter to make it 14-0.

But Bridgewater (1-1) would come right back on the next possession, with runningback Jahmier Black powering in from a yard out, and a two-point run closing the deficit to 14-8.

With nine seconds left and the Falcons nearing the goal line on the next possession, Tracy called a time-out, and they returned with Seyler hitting Kenny Noonan in stride as he crossed the goal line to make it 21-8, with the PAT, before the break.

Bridgewater picked off Seyler again nearing the midway point of the third quarter, with James LoCrotondo intercepting a pass, and this time the offense cashed in, as Jonathan Okolo punched in a score with 3:46 to go in the third to make it 28-15 Joe’s before the Panthers surged back.

First, it was a nine-yard run by Black to make it 28-22 with 11:25 to go in the fourth, then another from 26 yards out gave BR its first lead of the game at 29-28 with 9:59 to play.

And then the momentum swung again.

Nick Brust caught a seven-yard touchdown pass with 8:05 left to go up by six, and on the ensuing possession, Dominic Rodriguez picked off a pass for St. Joe’s to get the ball back, and Dillon Diaz hauled in a touchdown catch with 5:39 left; that and a two-point conversion gave the Falcons a 43-29 lead.

Bridgewater still wasn’t done, as Jahmier Black would score on the next possession with a one-yard run at the 2:47 mark, and the Panthers recovered their onside kick to give them one last change to tie or win, down 43-26. But the Falcons made a big defensive stand, forcing a turnover on downs with 27 seconds to go that effectively ended it.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Marcus Borden with St. Joseph head coach Bill Tracy and senior Liam Barr, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen! 

by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Roundup: Cranford stops Bernards’ long streak; Rahway upsets Summit; JP Stevens is 2-0 for first time in over two decades

There was a lot to talk about Friday night in the Big Central Conference, besides No. 3 Piscataway shutting down a very good Somerville offense in a big 28-14 home win over the No. 5 Pioneers, in the Bellamy & Son Paving Game of the Week.

Two of the three longest active league win streaks came to an end, Rahway had a big upset of No. 8 Summit at home, and JP Stevens is 2-0 for the first time in a long time.

Read on for game recaps and notes, audio, and links to other coverage, as well as the full slate of Friday night scores, plus Saturday’s games and coverage plans.

Rahway gets big win at No. 8 Summit…

After winning a wild opening game down at Willingboro in Week Zero, including lightning delays, things didn’t look to get any easier for Rahway in Game Two with eighth-ranked Summit coming to town.

But that didn’t daunt the Indians, who jumped out to a 14-0 lead, saw that advantage shrink to four, then pulled away for a 21-0 win over the Hilltoppers with an excellent defensive effort at Madden Field.

The win leaves Rahway 2-0 for the second time in three seasons as head coach Brian Russo returns to his old stomping grounds next Friday when the Indians take on Woodbridge (1-1), which rebounded off a season-opening home loss to Bridgewater-Raritan last Friday (heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio) with a 14-8 road win at Edison Thursday night.

They’ll be looking to avenge a 21-7 loss in the first round of last year’s North 2, Group 4 playoffs. Before that, Rahway had been 4-0 against the Barrons in three meetings from 1927 to 1929 and in 1915.

Click below for postgame reaction from Rahway head coach Brian Russo and Defensive Coordinator Troy Eastman:

Bernards, Manville see Big Central win streaks end…

It had been straight 32 Big Central wins for the Bernards football program heading into Friday night’s home game at Olcott Field against Cranford, and the visiting Cougars made sure that streak went no farther.

In the season opener for the Cougars, Aidan Capizzi threw touchdown passes to Luke Owens and John Fiore, Jr., to help power Cranford to a 31-24 win.

After a 24-7 lead shrunk to 24-21 in the third following a 15-yard Bernards TD catch by Sean Arcelay, and a 35-yard pick-six by Luke Bubnowski, Logan Murray’s 45-yard TD run for Cranford in the fourth gave them enough cushion to survive late field goal.

Bernards was within three victories of tying the league record for most consecutive BCC wins of 35, held by St. Thomas Aquinas. That streak ended last year.

The Mountaineers’ last Big Central loss had come on September 2, 2022, to Hillside, 35-20.

Click here for postgame reaction from Cranford head coach Erik Rosenmeier with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

But that wasn’t the only one that ended Friday night.

Manville – which had won 12 in a row against BCC competition, including its last five in 2024 and all seven last season – fell Friday night at Brearley, 21-18.

That leaves New Providence with the league’s top active win streak against BCC opponents. The Pioneers have won 14 Big Central games in a row, including their last five in 2024, all eight last season, and Thursday night’s league opener against Voorhees, 27-7.

Now, the second longest league win streak belongs to St. Joseph-Metuchen. The No. 2 Falcons host No. 6 St. Joseph-Metuchen at 1 pm Saturday. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for live coverage, with a recap and postgame reaction to follow later on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Stevens in uncharted recent territory…

When the final horn sounded in North Edison Friday night, JP Stevens did two things it hasn’t done in a very long time: start a season 2-0, and win back-to-back regular season games.

To start, it’s the Hawks’ first 2-0 start since Frank Zarro was the head coach in 2003. That team beat North Brunswick, 14-7, in the season opener on September 12th, a date which seems quaint these days, with the season now starting in late August. they followed it up with a 35-7 win over Perth Amboy the following week. The started that season 3-0, and finished 6-4, with a North 2, Group 4 first-round playoff loss to Union, which lost to Piscataway in the finals at Giants’ Stadium, earning Dan Higgins his first of seven state titles.

Secondly – no pun intended – the 2-0 start gives JP its first back-to-back regular season wins since that same stretch in 2003. The Hawks have won consecutive games in a season only three times since – in 2006, 2009 and 2012, but all three included a “postseason” consolation game win.

Notes and Nuggets…

  • East Brunswick’s 2-0 start – after a 36-19 home win over North Hunterdon – also is its first in quite some time. The last time they did that, CJSR analyst Marcus Borden was the head coach. It was in 2009, and the Bears began the year 3-0, en route to an 8-4 season and a 9-0 win over Brick Memorial in the Central Jersey Group 4 final.
  • Piscataway’s Zaire Young finished with 268 rushing yards Friday night in a 28-14 win over Somerville, and volunteer Chiefs assistant John Thompson says that’s the fifth-highest single-game rushing performance in school history. The only four better: Kelvin Veras (289 vs. Old Bridge on October 16, 1998), Tyshnn Jackson (300 vs. Franklin on Thanksgiving, November 28, 1989), Juwon Jackson (303 vs. Edison on November 3, 2017) and Tevin Shaw (304 vs. Elizabeth in the North 2, Group 4 final on December 3, 2011). That also makes it the No. 2 rushing performance against a Somerset County school, as well as the fourth-best regular season rushing output in a game in program history.

FRIDAY SCORES:

  • #1 Phillipsburg 24, Emmaus (PA) 10
  • #3 Piscataway 28, #5 Somerville 14 (Recap with Audio)
  • #4 Old Bridge 49, Montgomery 21
  • Ridge 21, #7 Sayreville 7
  • Rahway 21, #8 Summit 10
  • #9 Elizabeth 43, Plainfield 20
  • #10 St. Thomas Aquinas 24, Westfield 20
  • Union 15, Watchung Hills 12
  • Monroe 28, Governor Livingston 7 (Coverage from Marcus Borden)
  • Metuchen 29, New Brunswick 0
  • Spotswood 51, JFK 13
  • East Brunswick 36, North Hunterdon 19
  • Brearley 21, Manville 18
  • South Brunswick 27, North Brunswick 19
  • Colonia 16, Franklin 14
  • Highland Park 27, Middlesex 0
  • South Hunterdon 35, South River 8
  • Cranford 31, Bernards 24
  • JP Stevens 21, Dunellen 7
  • South Plainfield 20, North Plainfield 10

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

  • #6 Bridgewater-Raritan at #2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 1 pm (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)
  • Roselle at Hillside, 1 pm

THURSDAY SCORES:

  • Hillsborough 21, Hunterdon Central 14 (Recap w/ Audio)
  • Dayton 43, Bound Brook 12 (Coverage from Marcus Borden)
  • Woodbridge 14, Edison 8
  • Belvidere 28, Roselle Park 27
  • Delaware Valley 34, Johnson 33
  • New Providence 27, Voorhees 7
  • Carteret 26, Perth Amboy 20
  • Linden 34, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 6

by Mike Pavlichko

Monroe uses critical plays in key moments, two big TD runs from Xavier Wilson, to get past Governor Livingston, 28-7

The Monroe football team won its opening game in 2025, a 41-0 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro in Week Zero. It never won a game again, finishing 1-8.

West Windsor is one of the lowest-rated teams in the NJSIAA Strength Index.

On the other hand, Governor Livingston looked very good in its 48-27 win over Dayton in Week Zero this year, and it always a competitive group. So it had to feel good for the Falcons – after a heartbreaking 33-28 loss at Perth Amboy to open the season – to get in the win column with a victory over the visiting Highlanders Friday night, 28-7.

A big reason why was senior wide receiver/H-back Logan Richter. Even as Xavier Wilson started the scoring with fireworks – on an 85-yard touchdown run with 4:18 remaining in the first quarter, and closing he scoring with an 80-yard run in the fourth – senior quarterback/H-back Logan Richter scored twice – one on a catch, another on a run – and converted numerous fourth downs throughout the contest.

Monroe (1-1) will visit North Brunswick (1-1) next Friday night; the Raiders lost 27-19 to neighboring rival South Brunswick at home Friday. Governor Livingston (1-1) will go to Bernards (1-1) next Thursday night; the Mountaineers had a 32-game Big Central winning streak snapped Friday night when they lost at home, 31-24, to Cranford.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with Monroe head coach Nick Isola and senior Logan Richter, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Young’s monster game, No. 3 Piscataway defense, stifle No. 5 Somerville for 28-14 win

There were two big storylines out of No. 3 Piscataway’s big win Thursday night at Kenny Armwood Stadium over No. 5 Somerville, heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The first is obvious: senior Zaire Young ran 37 times for 268 yards – the fifth-best single-game rushing yardage performance in school history – and scored three touchdowns in the win, including gobbling up time on the clock late in the fourth quarter to keep the ball out of the Pioneers’ hands. That included runs of two, one and 57 yards, on the night’s final score.

The other was less obvious: the Chiefs (2-0) shutout the Somerville offense, the first time that’s happened since a 37-0 shutout at the hands of Westfield in 2022, the last game Ian Pace coached in his only season in The ‘Ville before Matt Bloom took over with two games left in that year’s regular season. (They won both to get into the playoffs.)

That’s because Somerville began the game in fine form, with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Dushawn Dorsey, who found a hole, then outraced the rest of the defense into the end zone. Their other score came on a 65-yard pick-six by cornerback Thyce Pappas.

But that was all they could muster in the win, in a game which had a lot of juice coming in, at least for the fans and coaches, if not the players, none of whom were alive the last time these two teams met, in 1987, the last of 23 consecutive meetings while members of the Mid-State Conference.

Somerville (1-1) could not get into a flow all night, and never really displayed its tempo, no-huddle offense as a result. Justin Bowen was held to 30 yards on 11 carries, with his long being 12, the only run he had over six yards on the night. Seven of his eleven runs were for three yards or less.

Click below for postgame reaction from Piscataway head coach Dan Higgins and senior runningback Zaire Young with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Nick Hart, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Landon Pernell’s talent is no joke, now he owns the Piscataway all-time passing record to prove it

The Piscataway football program doesn’t always have a quarterback.

Yes, they do on game days, but there have been so many great backs, great talented athletes over the years, that it’s up to Dan Higgins to find the kid who has the best arm, but didn’t necessarily grow up playing the position.

Landon Pernell is not one of them.

He has always played the position, and for the last few years – and, he hopes, this year, too – has has been an integral part of Piscataway’s slow and steady resurgence from the ravages of the program not playing during the 2020 COVID-shortened season, with all of their fall teams sidelined.

On Saturday, in the Chiefs’ season-opener at East Orange, he didn’t throw a single touchdown pass, but was 13-of-19 for 163 yards, passing Chet Trechok (1983) to become the all-time leading passer in school history. And he still has nearly a full senior year ahead of him.

“He’s been playing since his freshman year,” says veteran head coach Dan Higgins, who has had many signal-callers since being elevated to the head coaching position after Joe Kuronyi retired following the program’s 2002 Central Jersey Group 4 championship. “The stage has never been to big for him, but to me, the greatest growth for him … is his leadership.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE BIG CENTRAL GAME OF THE WEEK
PRESENTED BY BELLAMY & SON PAVING:
NO. 6 SOMERVILLE at NO. 3 PISCATAWAY

“This team listens to him,” Higgins points out. “He’s not afraid to demand them and challenge them when needed. He did that [Saturday]. We had some weak moments and Landon just called out everyone and huddled them up,” Higgins added. “There’s no price tag.”

High praise from a guy who has coached the likes of Kyle Wilson, Anthony Davis and Malcolm Jenkins.

“Most talented, hardest working, and unselfish leader? You don’t see a lot of that these days,” Higgins says. “And I’m really proud of him.”

Click below to hear Piscataway senior Landon Pernell talk about becoming the school’s all-time leading passer with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Nick Hart

Somerville is off to a good start, but now, a Top 5 matchup as No. 5 Pioneers visit No. 3 Piscataway

After an unceremonious end to the 2025-2026 campaign, Somerville got right back on track to start the new campaign with a convincing 40-21 victory over South Plainfield. But now things get even tougher.

Next up for the Pioneers is a matchup against Piscataway, a familiar foe or a brand-new one, depending on what year you went to high school.

The two squads matched up quite a bit over a 22-year stretch ranging from 1965 to 1987, playing every year. But since then, Somerville and the Chiefs (1-0) have not faced off on the gridiron.  

You can hear Friday night’s game – our Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week – live at 6 pm, with pregame at 5:45. Mike Pavlichko and Nick Hart are on the call; click here to listen.

While a lot has certainly changed since these two teams last met, not much has changed on the field for the Pioneers in the past season. Dylan Boehm returns as the signal caller in his sophomore season and is still producing at a high level for his offense. 

Boehm’s introduction to Somerville football was stellar, completing over 57 percent of his passes for 1,449 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Much to the delight of the Pioneers, Bohem showed no signs of slowing down to kick off this season, throwing for 323 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week. 

Slowing down simply is not something that this Somerville team seems to do often, running a fast-paced offense every game. If it is not the pace of the offense and the passing threat of Boehm wasn’t enough to keep defensive coordinators on their toes, the Pioneers also sport a strong run game.

Senior Justin Bowen made his presence felt early this season, rushing for 107 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Somerville’s opening contest. Last season, Bowen rushed for 446 yards and seven touchdowns while splitting carries with then-senior Aidan Vesuvio-Bush. 

With such a talented offense, it can be easy to overlook the Pioneers’ defense, unless they are your opponent for the upcoming week. Somerville surrendered 20 or more points in just three of its games last season and held opponents to an average of less than 15 points per game.

The Pioneers will have their work cut out for them on Friday, however, against a Piscataway team coming off of a seven-win season last year and an opening-week victory over East Orange last Saturday afternoon. Long-time head coach Dan Higgins, is no stranger to success with his program, sporting a 182-61 record in his 22 years with the team – along with seven state titles – and will surely have his squad ready to go against Somerville. 

With a talented Piscataway team waiting for the Pioneers, fourth-year head coach Matt Bloom knows that his team has to execute well in all three stages of the game in order to take home a victory on Friday.

Click below to hear Somerville head coach Matt Bloom talk about his team’s matchup against the Piscataway Chiefs with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Nick Hart:

by Mike Pavlichko

Bernknopf tosses five first-half TD passes to power Dayton past Bound Brook, 43-12

Dayton senior quarterback Adrian Bernknopf had himself quite the night, and the game was only half over.

Bernknopf threw five touchdown passes before the break to four different receivers, and by the time Bound Brook got on the board, the Bulldogs already had staked themselves to a 43-0 lead.

All that led to a running clock in a fast second half in Springfield Thursday night, as the Bulldogs (1-1) picked up their first win of the season 43-12 over visiting Bound Brook.

Bernknopf opened the scoring 2:03 into the game with a four-yard touchdown pass to James Babiarz. Then, after the defense came out and Dominic Pintado returned an interception 68-yards for six, he hit Babiarz again to make it 22-0 with 3:22 left in the first quarter.

The senior QB would hit for one more score late in the first – 48 yards to Kevin Paiva to make it 29-0 – then toss a 21-yard TD strike to Kevin Lunch with 9:08 to go before the half, and another 13 yards to Aiden Delpeche to make it 43-0.

Bound Brook (0-2) would get on the board with a six-yard touchdown run before the half. The PAT was blocked, and Dayton went into the home locker room with a 43-6 lead, kicking off a running clock to start the second half.

With that, and the jayvee in, Bound Brook added one more score, on a 16-yard run by sophomore Guy Pugh.

Click below for postgame reaction from Dayton head coach Nick Iannacone and senior quarterback Adrian Bernknopf, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Thursday Night Big Central Roundup: Hillsborough defense holds off Hunterdon Central; Dayton pours it on; Delaware Valley, Belvidere eke out wins

It was a rare busy Thursday night in the Big Central Conference, with eight games on the slate, highlighted by some great games.

Hillsborough beat Hunterdon Central, 24-21, in a game where all the offense came in the first half, and the game was essentially sealed on a pass break-up on fourth down near the goal line, while Belvidere and Delaware Valley both eked out one-point wins. And Dayton got five first-half touchdown passes from senior Adrian Bernknopf an route to a home blowout of Bound Brook.

Scroll through more details, all of Thursday’s scores, links to individual game stories, and the Big Central schedule for the remainder of Labor Day Weekend.

County Seaters get past Roselle Park…

Belvidere scored the first touchdown of the game, and the last, to come up with a 28-27 road win in Union County Thursday night. Elijah White’s 47-yard touchdown catch from QB Jake Enderley got the Seaters on the board first with 1:43 to go in the first quarter, but the Panthers tied it on a 52-yard touchdown run from Maxwell Griffin down the left sideline as time expired in the period..

They went up 13-7 on Nick Salas’ 52-yard touchdown run, but missed an extra point that turned out to be critical, and led 13-7 early in the second, before Belvidere scored twice before the half – on a Kaiden Drake three-yard run and another touchdown catch, this one five yards, by White – to take a 21-13 lead into the break.

Roselle Park got a 53-yard run for a touchdown by Nasir Cheston in the third quarter to open the second-half scoring, and Salas ran in a two-point conversion to knot the game at 21. Then, in the fourth, Cheston scored from 17 yards out, but again, the Panthers missed the PAT, leaving them up by six.

Kaiden Drake’s 53-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Jake Enderly then knotted the game, and White’s PAT gave Belvidere a 28-27 lead with 5:29 to go.

THURSDAY SCORES:

  • Hillsborough 21, Hunterdon Central 14 (Recap w/ Audio)
  • Dayton 43, Bound Brook 12 (Coverage from Marcus Borden)
  • Woodbridge 14, Edison 8
  • Belvidere 28, Roselle Park 27
  • Delaware Valley 34, Johnson 33
  • New Providence 27, Voorhees 7
  • Carteret 26, Perth Amboy 20
  • Linden 34, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 6

FRIDAY SCHEDULE:

  • #5 Somerville at #3 Piscataway, 6 pm (LIVE on CJSR)
  • #4 Old Bridge at Montgomery, 6 pm
  • #8 Summit at Rahway, 6 pm
  • #9 Elizabeth at Plainfield, 6 pm
  • Westfield at #10 St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 pm
  • Colonia at Franklin, 6 pm
  • Union at Watchung Hills, 6 pm
  • Governor Livingston at Monroe, 6 pm (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)
  • New Brunswick at Metuchen, 6 pm
  • Spotswood at JFK, 6 pm
  • North Hunterdon at East Brunswick, 6 pm
  • Manville at Brearley, 6 pm
  • South Brunswick at North Brunswick, 6 pm
  • #1 Phillipsburg at Emmaus (PA), 7 pm
  • Ridge at #7 Sayreville, 7 pm
  • South River at South Hunterdon, 7 pm
  • Middlesex at Highland Park, 7 pm
  • Dunellen at JP Stevens, 7 pm
  • Cranford at Bernards, 7 pm
  • South Plainfield at North Plainfield, 7 pm

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

  • #6 Bridgewater-Raritan at #2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 1 pm (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)
  • Roselle at Hillside, 1 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough bounces back with stellar passing game, lock down defense in second half to get by Hunterdon Central, 21-14

The Hillsborough football team will pass the ball more this year, something head coach Kevin Carty, Jr., admits his family will love to see, thanks to some excellent targets and a solid QB in junior Cooper Wright.

That – and a stout defense that came up with a huge fourth-down stop late – were all instrumental as the Raiders beat Hunterdon Central at home Thursday night, 21-14.

All the offense came in the first half. After the Red Devils (0-2) punted on their first possession, Hillsborough (1-1) capped a methodical but always forward-moving first drive of ten plays, 93 yards with a 21-yard touchdown catch by Logan Jankowicz.

Central countered with a 13-play drive of its own covering 70 yards, punctuated with a one-yard TD push by Jayden Cozze at 7:34 of the second quarter to tie the game at seven.

And the scoring was off and running, with three more TDs in the last two-and-a-half minutes before the break.

Hillsborough similarly went 13 plays on its next drive, with Lavecchia scoring on a two-yard run at the 2:20 mark to take a 14-7 lead. But Central moved qucily on the ensuing possession, going 66 yards in six plays and 1:23 to knot the score at 14 on a 20-yard touchdown catch by Aaron Erb with 57 seconds left before halftime.

And the scoring still wasn’t done. Hillsborough took its third lead of the game on a six-play, 55-yard drive in just 49 seconds, finished off by a 13-yard strike from Wright to Logan Jankowicz, whose brother Jackson previously starred for the Raiders.

That came with eight seconds to go, and Central got one more play off, a Hail Mary down the right sideline, but Hillsborough picked off the toss-up, and went into the locker room up one score.

The second half belonged to the defenses. Hillsborough punted twice. Central had a turnover on downs, but off a fumble by the Raiders at the Red Devil 30, Central would get one last possession.

Hillsborough hosts Hunterdon Central in a Big Central Conference crossover game on September 3, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

And it looked like they might score, especially after back-to-back pass interference calls on Hillsborough. But despite allowing 30 yards on those two scores, on fourth-and-eight from the Boro 38, QB Odin Potinsky put one up down the right sideline which junior the defensive back Shawn Abline broke up, ultimately sealing the win.

With no time outs left for Central, the Raiders set up in victory formation, and took an all-important win with sixth-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan visiting next Friday for the Battle of Route 206.

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

Hillsborough QB Cooper Wright
Hillsborough head coach Kevin Carty, Jr.
by Mike Pavlichko

Gameday with Marcus Borden: Week 1

The 2026 high school football season is underway, with Week Zero in the books, and it’s time to talk about it all with Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst with Marcus Borden!

We open the show looking back at last week’s games, including Coach Borden’s visit to Alexandria to see Delaware Valley and North Hunterdon, and our Bellamy & Son Paving Game of the Week, Bridgewater-Raritan at Woodbridge. They also talked about big opening weekend wins by Piscataway and Summit.

After an engaging discussion on Week Zero, and whether we’re starting football too early – or getting enough practice before the season starts – Mike and Marcus look at this weekend’s games, including Coach’s coverage of Bound Brook at Dayton Thursday, Governor Livingston at Monroe Friday, and Bridgewater-Raritan at St. Joseph-Metuchen Saturday afternoon, as well as our Game of the Week in Piscataway between the Chiefs and Somerville.

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

Note: This podcast was recorded before some football games – including the ones mentioned in the show – were rescheduled to Friday. For a complete list of Thursday’s postponements, updated as more come in, click here.