Category: Notebook

by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Roundup: Elizabeth, three others stay undefeated, Ridge stuns No. 1 at the horn, Old Bridge heroics save the day, and much, much more

It doesn’t get much better than the home stretch of the regular season in high school football, where the games are bigger and seemingly anything can happen. And on Friday night in the Big Central Conference alone, just about anything did.

Start with a stunner in Basking Ridge, where No. 10 Ridge got a touchdown as time expired to knock off No. 1 Phillipsburg, 14-13. In the other top ten game of the night, No. 3 Old Bridge got an interception from Chase Rizzo to seal a 14-12 victory over visiting No. 8 Sayreville.

That’s two top ten matchups decided by a combined three points.

And all four unbeaten teams remained so after Friday, with one more to play Saturday. Elizabeth made a strong case for being the top team in the Bellamy & Son Paving rankings come out for Week Six with a 29-18 win over Linden, improving to 6-0 on the year.

Highland Park’s amazing season continues, improving to 6-0 with a 35-7 win at Bound Brook. Cranford edged Montgomery 13-12 at home, and New Providence beat Dayton 41-21, as the Cougars and Pioneers both moved to 5-0.

Read on more more recaps, scores, Notes and Nuggets, and the rest of the weekend schedule.

Can Middlesex surge late?

Going back to Thursday night for a moment, while Middlesex is just 1-4 after a 29-28 overtime home loss to Roselle Park, they started the year with a homegrown talent missing the first four games of the year.

Brian Cilento had been at Immaculata, where as a sophomore last season he was the team’s second-leading rusher with 818 yards and 15 touchdowns. (He also was a starting outfielder for the Spartans’ Somerset County Tournament runner-up baseball team.)

But after the coaching change with Dallas Whitaker replacing Mike Columbo, and an influx of transfers, he decided to make a move himself and go back home, according to Middlesex Athletic Director Mike O’Donnell.

Since he transferred after pre-season practice had already started, that meant he would have to sit four games, even though it was his first transfer. But had he waited the year, he’d have to sit out three next year as a senior transfer. Cilento could be a difference-maker down the stretch for the Blue Jays, who ran the ball for 192 yards Thursday night against the Panthers; that’s almost half their total over the previous four games combined.

Middlesex might be too far gone to make the playoffs this season, but perhaps the addition will lead to a stronger finish in 2026 and some positive vibes to build off of heading into next year, when Cilento will get a full senior season, a reason to feel optimistic about 2027, when the rest of an inexperienced squad will have another year under its collective belt..

Notes and Nuggets…

  • Highland Park is slipping! We jest, but the Owls were allowing a Big Central best 1.2 points per game through their first five, and still are allowing just 2.2 a game after their 35-7 win at Bound Brook. (Oh, and the TD they allowed Friday night was a pick-six, so the defense is has let up just six points all year, just one point per game on average now.) They have allowed just 13 points on two TDs all season – allowing 2.2 points a game. Marcus Smith was an efficient 7-of-9 passing for 163 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing four times for 43 yards and a TD. Jacob Quiros also carried 20 times for 102 yards and a score, while Ziquan Grier had 140 yards receiving and two scores. But things get tougher the next couple of weeks. They host Brearley (5-1) next week and visit Dayton (4-2) the Friday after before closing at home against longtime Thanksgiving Day rival Metuchen on Cutoff Weekend.
  • Edison’s 21-0 win over East Brunswick was the Eagles’ first shutout since its opening game of the 2024 season. That also came against the Bears, 27-0. Their last whitewash against a team other than East Brunswick came in Game Two of the 2023 season – Matt Yascko’s first at the helm of his alma mater, and his first win there – a 57-0 blowout of in-town rival JP Stevens.
  • Elizabeth continues to put up huge numbers, as the Minutemen beat Linden, 39-18. It’s the fourth time in their first six games they’ve scored more than 30 points. They also scored 53 in their opener against Carteret, 43 at Plainfield the next week, and 62 against St. Joseph-Metuchen two weeks ago.
  • Belvidere is now 5-1 for the second time in three years after a 34-28 win against Manville one of the two toughest games of their four remaining heading into this week, including Delaware Valley at home on Cutoff Weekend. In 2024, the County Seaters lost their opener at Boonton, but reeled off eight straight – all in Big Central play – before taking a 20-0 loss at Veronia in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 opening round.
  • The New Providence offense continues to thrive, as they rolled up 357 total yards in a 41-21 win over Dayton in Springfield Friday night. Kevin Reilly was 10-of-14 passing for 162 yards and three scores, while four different backs and Reilly combined for 280 yards and three scores on the ground, including 192 from Charles Maneely. And it was only the second game this year in which the Pioneer defense has allowed more than a touchdown, allowing seven to Voorhees in their opener, and three to Metuchen in Week Two, before blanking Roselle on the road last week. The 21 points they allowed Friday night was a season high.

FRIDAY SCORES

  • #10 Ridge 14, #1 Phillipsburg 13 (Recap with Audio)
  • #2 Elizabeth 39, Linden 18
  • #3 Old Bridge 14, #8 Sayreville 12 (Recap with Audio)
  • #6 Bridgewater-Raritan 35, Hunterdon Central 18
  • #7 Cranford 13, Montgomery 12 (OT)
  • Somerville 42, #9 St. Thomas Aquinas 26
  • Highland Park 35, Bound Brook 7
  • Woodbridge 13, Westfield 7
  • New Providence 41, Dayton 21
  • Colonia 31, Hillsborough 13
  • South Hunterdon 30, JP Stevens 14
  • Perth Amboy 42, New Brunswick 14
  • South Plainfield 28, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 14 (Recap and video via Marcus Borden)
  • Brearley 48, Roselle 13
  • Carteret 33, North Brunswick 14
  • Summit 21, Watchung Hills 0
  • North Plainfield 28, Spotswood 27 (OT)
  • Belvidere 34, Manville 28
  • Edison 21, East Brunswick 0
  • Monroe 28, North Hunterdon 20
  • Metuchen 35, JFK 28
  • Delaware Valley 35, Voorhees 0

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

  • #5 St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-2) at Delbarton (2-3), 1 pm
  • Plainfield (2-3) at Union (4-1), 1 pm
  • Franklin (1-4) at #4 Piscataway (4-1), 2 pm
  • Johnson (2-2) at Governor Livingston (3-2), 2 pm
  • Dunellen (0-4) at South River (0-5), 2 pm
  • Bernards (3-2) at Hillside (5-0), 2 pm

THURSDAY SCORES

  • Roselle Park 29, Middlesex 28 (OT)
  • Rahway 38, South Brunswick 20

by Mike Pavlichko

Noblecilla scores twice, South Plainfield wins second straight, doubling up Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 28-14

South Plainfield picked up its second straight win, and improved to 4-2 on the season, with a 28-14 home win at Jost Field Friday night over visiting Scotch Plains-Fanwood.

Senior tight end Aiden Noblecilla caught two touchdown passes in the win.

He got the scoring going after the Tigers blocked a punt on the Raiders’ first possession with just 1:42 into the game, and by the 9:41 mark, sophomore quarterback Lucas Habe hit Noblecilla with a 16-yard strike to make it 7-0.

They added to that in the second period after a Nick France interception, resulting in a second Habe-Noblecilla connection with 10:40 to go before the half, but Scotch Plains responded on the next possession with a seven-yard touchdown run just 3:47 before the half, and the game was 14-7 at the break.

After a scoreless third, the Tigers went up 2-17 on a two-yard run by Micah Anderson with 7:08 to play, but Jayden Sanders made it a one-score game again for the Raiders, returning the ensuing kickoff for a score.

South Plainfield once again would punch back, however, as freshman Mason Smith scampered 71 yards for a score with 6:11 left. The Raiders turned it over on downs on their next possession, but still couldn’t score after they held the Tigers, and got another crack at it.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden with head coach Bill Hamilton and senior TE/DL Aiden Noblecilla, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Frank-Pickell connection help No. 10 Ridge stun top-ranked Phillipsburg, 14-13, on game’s final play

Sometimes you’d rather be lucky than good, but Friday night at Lee Field, No. 10 Ridge was both.

As a result, the Red Devils knocked off No. 1 Phillipsburg – handing the Stateliners their first New Jersey loss of the season – 14-13, as two seniors came up the heroes, with quarterback Tristan Frank hitting wide receiver Jack Pickell for a four-yard touchdown pass as time expired.

Phillipsburg opened the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown run by Vincent Berger, plus the PAT, to go up 7-0. And that was all the scoring the first half would see.

Frank scored on a one-yard run in the third to make it 7-6, and the Red Devils decided they wanted to play to win and went for two. Frank ran it in to put Ridge up 8-7. Shane Moore then scored on a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth, but a two-point conversion pass attempt failed, and the score held at 13-8 Stateliners.

With just under three minutes left, Ridge had one drive left. They got down to the four, and with one more play to go, Frank found Pickell for the winning score.

Ridge – which has now played four Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten opponents in five games, three of which were in the top three at one point or another – improves to 3-2, 1-1 in the Big Central American Silver Division, with a home game against Westfield next week.

Phillipsburg drops to 4-2, 1-1 in the American Silver, with a bye next week before Bridgewater-Raritan visits Maloney on Friday, October 16, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Click below for postgame reaction from Ridge head coach Jeff Sutherland with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rizzo saves the day for No. 3 Old Bridge with late pick to down No. 8 Sayreville, 14-12

Even the rain that burst from the clouds at halftime at Lombardi Field in Old Bridge couldn’t spoil the Knights’ evening.

The PA speakers blared Neil Diamond and Miley Cyrus singalongs, and everyone enjoyed themselves, even as No. 8 Sayreville got as close as within two with under four minutes to go in the third, and as they threatened to go ahead of No. 3 Old Bridge in the closing minutes.

But on a 4th-and-11 from their own 48, sophomore quarterback Marcus Butka threw a bomb down the right sideline that was picked off in stride by junior Chase Rizzo, who smartly slid to the turf at the ten knowing the Bombers had just one time out, and that his team could close out the victory with a knee.

Which they did – in the Big Central Game of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving – to improve to 5-1, win their second straight over their neighbors, and keep them in the hunt for a top-seed in the playoffs in the South Group 5 supersection.

Senior quarterback Aiden Rios threw a six-yard TD pass to Amari Alsbrook to open the scoring on the game’s first possession, and ran for a 36-yard score of his own in the third quarter, enough to give the Knights the win. He finished with 80 yards rushing on ten carries, and was 6-of-7 passing with an interception for 114 yards, while Rizzo – the only other player to run the ball – finished with 120 yards on 20 carries.

For Sayreville, Philip Sayouwoh kicked two first-half field goals, a 20-yarder, then a 42-yarder – a career best – while Sherwin Appiah had a 52-yard touchdown run in the third; he finished with 117 yards on 17 carries.

Sayreville drops to 4-2 with the loss, and has a visit to Somerville looming next week, while Old Bridge will head down to Monroe.

Click below for postgame reaction from Alec Crouthamel with Old Bridge QB Aiden Rios, RB/LB Chase Rizzo, and head coach Matt Donaghue, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

After just one year in second run, Mark Taylor is out as St. Joseph-Metuchen head coach

When former St. Joseph-Metuchen standout Mark Taylor – Class of 1983 – was hired for a second go ’round with the Falcons back in April of 2025, the news was a big splash in the world of high school basketball in New Jersey.

A standout in the ’80s, he later coached the school in the 90s, responsible for several D1 college players, most notably Jay Williams.

And after a year with Karl Towns, Sr., the father of the school’s biggest name since Williams, Karl-Anthony Towns, leading the program to disastrous effect – the team floundered as he often missed games to watch his son play in at Madison Square Garden, after he was traded from Minnesota to the Knicks, much closer to home – the move seemed like a slam dunk.

But now it’s over, as Taylor – who orchestrated a major turnaround last season, bringing in some high profile transfers like Andrew Kretkowski from Rutgers Prep and Aiden Carter from St. Thomas Aquinas, as well as Joel Patrick from Ghana – has stepped down, school officials confirmed to Central Jersey Sports Radio Friday afternoon.

Taylor did not immediately return a message from Central Jersey Sports Radio seeking comment.

In a press release posted on the schools’s website issued soon after Central Jersey Sports Radio broke the story, the school said it “wishes Mark Taylor ’83 well following his decision to resign as head basketball coach.”

It also contained a quote from Taylor, saying “Today I am stepping down as head basketball coach of St. Joseph High School to pursue other professional opportunities.  I am grateful to my alma mater for the impact it has had on my life and for the opportunity to coach such fine young men.  I wish Saint Joe’s nothing but the way in the future.”

What’s notable is that all three of his standout transfers from last season had already transferred out over the last few months.  Kretkowski is now at the brand-new Masters Academy International in Massachusetts; Carter is at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, and Patrick is now at national powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida.

News broke last week, first reported by Simeon Pincus at MyCentralJersey.com, that St. Thomas Aquinas girls’ basketball coach Tim Corrigan had left the Trojan program to join Taylor as an assistant; Corrigan is a St. Joseph alum as well.

School officials could not confirm Corrigan’s status on the record Friday afternoon, saying a search for a new head coach is underway. They would not say whether Corrigan would be in the running for the position. Corrigan says he’s still interested in coaching at St. Joseph, and in being the head coach, but could not comment further on whether he’s officially a candidate.

As a player, Taylor twice went to the Middlesex County Tournament finals – prior to the formation of the Greater Middlesex Conference – then played in College at Fordham. He also in the St. Joseph Athletics Hall of Fame.

He came back to coach at St. Joe’s for eleven seasons, breathing new life into the program, winning two GMCT crowns in six trips to the finals, as well as two state sectional titles and seven division championships.

After that, he went to Ridge, and revived that program as well, winning 94 games in five seasons from 2006 to 2011, more than any other Somerset County public school in that time frame, winning the Somerset County Tournament title in 2010, their first such trophy since 1977.

Taylor then moved to St. Benedict’s, and in 14 seasons, went 333-60, bringing his overall record – compiled from various sources – to 599-171 in 30 seasons overall at the scholastic and prep levels. Current UConn coach Danny Hurley had spent nine years there – with a down year in between – before Taylor arrived and rejuvenated the program.

Overall, he’s produced eight NBA draft picks and over a hundred Division I NCAA players.

by Alec Crouthamel

No. 8 Sayreville makes short trip to No. 3 Old Bridge in playoff rematch, with nearly as much on the line

No. 8 Sayreville football has gotten off to another strong start with the 2026 regular season past its midway point, but heading into this weekend, how 2025 ended surely looms large.

In former alum and former quarterback Mark Poore’s third year as the head coach, the Bombers (4-1, 3-0) are off to their second excellent opening stretch of the season, after starting 7-0 in 2025.

They went 8-1 in the regular season and earned the second seed in the Central Jersey Group 5 tournament. But Sayreville’s season came to a close at home to third-seeded Old Bridge. The Bombers rallied from a 21-7 deficit with 20 straight points to take the lead back, but the Knights got the last laugh, as star quarterback Brody Nugent found receiver Amari Alsbrook for a 13-yard score with 90 seconds to play for a 28-27 win.

But now, it’s a new season with a new team, and another good one at that. Even though Sayreville saw heavy graduation — including all five starters among the offensive line — it looks poised to make another postseason run.

The Bombers have played their best ball of late, as well. After a 21-7 loss to Ridge in Week 1, they’ve won three straight, scoring at least 37 points in all three games and allowing just six points twice. They also re-entered the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten rankings at No. 8 this week for the first time since that loss to the Red Devils.

This week, Sayreville comes to Lombardi Field in Old Bridge to play the third-ranked Knights in the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Kickoff is set for 6:00, with pregame at 5:45 as Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the action. Click here to listen.

As with most teams, it took a couple weeks for the Bombers to find their footing and really get going.

Part of that was a mix of new — and some familiar — faces in new roles. Gone is star running back Shaun Jackson, now a freshman at FCS New Haven, as well as those five in the trenches. Also gone are eight starters on last year’s defense, a unit that didn’t allow 20 points in a game for the first month.

But many of this year’s standouts have seen snaps over their high school careers and have stepped up to take the reigns, creating a strong pipeline for development.

At quarterback, sophomore Marcus Butka takes the reigns from his older brother Tyler, and Poore says there’s still room to involve the younger signal-caller even more in the offense, as his confidence continues to rise with more snaps.

In place of Jackson are primarily three returning upperclassmen — junior Dion Osae and seniors Gabriel Manson and Sherwin Appiah — who all saw heavy snaps last season and have kept the run game going. At wideout, seniors Andrew Provenza and Jorge Zapata return as Butka’s top targets on the outside, playing as part of the Bombers’ Wing T offense.

On defense, Sayreville brings plenty of size and toughness along the front seven, along with athleticism and playmaking abilities in the back-end. Junior safety Christian Woodard is among the returning starters leading the way with 45 tackles, three for loss.

Day by day, the Bombers have taken steps forward as a team and their efforts have been rewarded with big wins over Edison, Franklin, and St. Thomas Aquinas.

But it’ll be a tough test on the road against Old Bridge, another high-octane offense. The Knights aren’t short on playmakers on both sides of the ball, and many of those top contributors that took down Sayreville 11 months ago remain Matt Donaghue’s top options.

The rematch is set for Friday, as the postseason picture grows closer and clearer, with both teams certainly in the mix.

Click below to hear Sayreville head coach Mark Poore talk about the Bombers’ season and Friday night’s road game at Old Bridge with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

by Mike Pavlichko

CJSR’s first look playoff standing breakdown heading into Week 5, with more details to come as we near Cutoff Weekend

We know, this is your favorite time of year, and it’s ours, too: Cutoff Weekend will be here before you know it.

As we officially get into the second half of the 2026 regular season, every game means so much. Some teams will be fighting for a top seed, others will be trying to earn a home game, and still others will try to sneak in as that overall No. 16 seed.

Each week, from now through Cutoff Weekend, we’ll provide our analysis on the scenarios for every Big Central Conference public school team that’s in the running. (Non-publics are seeded by committee, relying in varying degrees on the playoff standings.)

Our analysis is based on the official NJSIAA playoff standings as calculated by NJ.com based on games through Week Four, and standings as they are as of September 30. Since our own calculations matched NJ.com’s numbers this week, no further updates are expected this week.

One thing to remember is that Strength Index values of all out-of-state opponents have not changed since their release after Week Two, but will be updated again after Week 5, then again after this weekend’s Week Five games. One last update will be made after Week Seven, which is when all the New Jersey teams’ SI values are locked in solely for Cutoff Weekend qualification purposes. (SI is tracked all the way through the state finals to get the base numbers that are adjusted in advance of the 2027 season.)

Now, it’s on to our section-by-section breakdown! (Note: There are no Big Central teams in the South 4 or South 3 supersections, so we’ll be skipping an analysis of those sections, though we do plan to project those brackets on our Playoff Projection Show on Saturday, October 24th.)

North Group 5

Ramapo (4-1) leads the section, followed by West Orange (4-1), and then the highest-rated Big Central team, undefeated Elizabeth (5-0). All three could be interchangeable at this point, with UPR ratings from 1.8 for Ramapo and 2.20 for the Minutemen. They and 2025 North 2, Group 4 champion Phillipsburg (4-1, 4.4 UPR, 4th) could have a chance at the top seed, but we’re not sure about Piscataway (4-1), even though they’re just 0.2 UPR points behind the Stateliners. Phillipsburg has Ridge, a bye, then Bridgewater and Hunterdon Central, with an average 69.57 SI value. The Chiefs have Franklin, St. Joseph-Metuchen, Monroe and Sayreville for a 65.16 average SI value, and are hurt by St. Joe’s losing mutliplier status with its second public school loss this season, coming at the hands of Phillipsburg last week. We like the chances defending North 2, Group 5 champ Bridgewater-Raritan (4-1) gets a home game, as they currently sit in sixth, and have a strong, but manageable schedule the rest of the way if they maintain their level of play through the cutoff.

In the bottom eight of the top 16, Union (4-1) sits in ninth, but a top eight finish and a first round home game for the Farmers is still very much in play. Resurgent Perth Amboy (4-1) sits in 12th, with a wide disparity between their power point rank (8th) and OSI (16th). But after New Brunswick this week, their schedule gets tougher, with trips to New Providence and South Plainfield around a home game with Johnson in Week Seven. Plainfield (2-3) is right behind them, and we peg them as a bottom eight team for now.

South Group 5

Defending state Group 5 champ Washington Twp. (5-0, 1.4 UPR) unsurprisingly leads the pack here, followed by Southern (4-1, 2.8) and Old Bridge (4-1, 3.4). Do the Knights have a crack at a top seed? Perhaps, as they will go to the top two teams, and they would likely be the top seed in Central 5, while everyone else above them or below, down to six, is from South Jersey, including Rancocas Valley fourth, then Toms River North and Eastern. Another reason this Friday night’s Big Central Game of the Week is a critical one is that Sayreville (4-1, 7.0) is in seventh, looking not only to stay in the top eight, but maybe move up. This isn’t a winner-take-all game, but it could be great for the victor and a tough pill to swallow standings-wise for the loser.

After that, it’s all the way down to 13 for Monroe (3-2, 13.8), with no other BCC teams in the top 16 as of now. The closest bubble team would be South Brunswick (2-3, 17.4), just one UPR point behind Cherokee and Kingsway (tied for 15th), and Freehold Township in between them. But Kingsway isn’t a lock, as they sit at 0-5, and will have to split their last four games to become playoff eligible; qualifying teams must have at least two wins. That’s possible, but no guarantee, with Williamstown, Camden, St. Augustine and Atlantic City all on the upcoming schedule.

North Group 4

Despite taking its first loss of the season last Friday night, 14-7 to Cranford, Rahway remains in the thick of things, holding at No. 3 at 4-1 with a 3.0 UPR. Middletown North (4-0, 1.4) and Roxbury (4-1, 1.6) are ahead of them, but potentially catchable; we’ll know more after this week, and even more after Week Six. After Northern Highlands (3-2, 4.0), Ridge (2-2, 5.4) sits in fifth, and has a big opportunity with Phillipsburg visiting this week. Despite their .500 record, after this weekend the Red Devils will have played four Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten teams in their first four games, a big reason why they are ranked so high. But any more losses, and they could start to hurt. Montgomery (3-2, 7.80) sits at seventh, but consider they started 0-2 and now have won three-in-a-row, meaning if they continue this hot play, their stock could rise.

In the bottom half of the top 16, there’s Woodbridge (3-2, 10.8) at eleven, and Summit (3-2, 11.4) in 12th. Either have a shot at a top eight finish and a first round home game, but probably not Carteret (2-3, 14.4), unless they can get above the .500 mark. Watchung Hills, with the same record and same UPR, is in the same boat; they’re both tied for 14th.

On the bubble right now is Colonia (1-4, 19.8), sitting in 19th, with a lot of ground to make up between them and 16th-place Chatham (2-3, 16.2). But if they can string together some wins, the Patriots should be in the mix.

North Group 3

There are a couple fewer teams here this year, as Carteret and Summit moved up to Group 4, but the highest Big Central team here is still very much in the running for a top-seed. (Remember, you only need to finish in the top two overall.) It’s Old Tappan (4-0, 1.0 UPR) leading the pack – first in both power point average and OSI – but then followed by three closely-packed teams: West Essex (5-0, 3.0), Shabazz (3.1, 3.2) and undefeated Cranford (4-0, 3.8). There’s a lot of football to be played here, and this should come down to the final weekend.

After that, it’s all the way down to 12 for Somerville (3-2, 13.6), which isn’t exactly locked into the bottom eight, but it may take a lot of work on their part – and some help for others – to end up playing a first round game at Brooks Field.

South Plainfield (3-2, 16.4) is on the outside looking in, but if they keep winning, they’ll have a legitimate shot.

North Group 2

Always a contender, Bernards (3-2, 6.4 UPR) is at least in the top eight, but probably not in play for a top-seed. Westwood (4-1, 1.80) leads the section, followed by Caldwell, Rutherford, Hoboken and Lakeland. They should at least finish in the top eight and have a first-round home game.

New Providence (4-0, 9.2) is undefeated, but a victim of a weaker schedule with wins over Voorhees, Johnson, Metuchen and Roselle but they’ll be helped by Perth Amboy’s resurgence – if they can beat them next week. But first, a trip to 4-1 Dayton, with an SI of 62.74 that should help their 47.90 OSI – again, should they beat the Bulldogs. They sit in 10th right now, 2.6 UPR points out of the top eight. But to get there, they may need to win out, finishing 8-0, and get some help along the way. Squarely on the bubble, we also have undefeated Hillside (5-0), again a victim of a weaker schedule; only one of their first five opponents has an SI currently over 50. The good news is, they have Bernards, Manville and Cranford as three of their last four opponents, all with SI’s over 70. They probably need to win two of those to get in. If they win out, they’ll be in automatically, as the NJSIAA guarantees 8-0 teams will get in. But if they do win out, we think they’re likely a qualifier without that rule kicking in.

South Group 2

Though there are six Big Central teams in this section, only one is in the top 16, and it’s Governor Livingston (3-2, 15.2 UPR). The Highlanders have a decent lead of 1.2 UPR over 17th-place Haddon Heights (4-1), but it’s not insurmountable. Governor Livingston may be fending off those behind them for the rest of October.

Johnson (2-2) is well back at 19, with a 19.0 UPR.

Two undefeated 5-0 teams lead the pack here, with Rumson-Fair Haven (1.0) followed by West Deptford (1.6).

North Group 1

Two-time defending North 2, Group 1 champion Cedar Grove (3-1, 1.0 UPR) is a sizable leader here, with Boonton (5-0, 2.4) in second. After Butler, Newton, Wood-Ridge, New Milford, Mountain Lakes and Pompton Lakes round out the top eight, there are two Big Central teams who have faced each other already this year: Dayton (4-1, 9.8) and Brearley (4-1, 10.4). The Bulldogs got the better of the Bears earlier this season, so if they end up back-to-back, Dayton would get the nod based on the top-down head-to-head rule. Mountain Lakes has a 7.4 UPR, so either or both still likely have a shot at a top eight finish.

Belvidere (4-1, 19.6, 20th) is well behind the top 16, and it may not be mathematically impossible, but it would be a longshot for the County Seaters to make it.

South Group 1

With Glassboro out of the way, up to Group 2 – based on the NJSIAA’s competitive balance formula that moves up public schools that can draw on players from outside their district – Schalick (5-0, 1.0 UPR) leads the pack, followed by traditional South Jersey power Paulsboro (3-2, 4.0). It’s down to seven to get to the first Big Central team in Delaware Valley (3-2, 6.6), and they should have a good shot at a top eight finish and first-round home game in scenic Alexandria.

Manville (4-1, 10.2) sits in ninth, but eighth place Salem (2-3) has a 6.80 UPR, 3.4 points ahead. That’s a lot of ground to make up even for the Mustangs, who have played just one team over 45 in UPR; that was a win over Brearley (60.09). But three of their next four opponents – Belvidere (61.65), Hillside (73.37) and Dayton (62.74) – could help, if they beat them. A loss to the best of those, Hillside, might not be debilitating, but winning out surely would help their chances of reaching the top eight.

Highland Park (5-0, 12.6) is one of the feel-good stories of 2026. Seeking their first playoff berth in 16 years – they last made it in 2010 – the Owls have three shutouts and have outscored their opponents 177-6 this season through five games. You read that right: they are allowing 1.2 points per game. (Next is Hillside, which has allowed just 17 all season.) The Owls should make it, and if they can beat the toughest two teams remaining on their schedule – Dayton and Brearley – they’ll be in no matter what. Drop one or both? We think they make it, looking at the teams behind them. It would be a shame if they didn’t.

Two spots out of the top 16 is South Hunterdon (3-2), having a rebound year under first year head coach Kyle Hart, but sitting at 18 could be a bit of a mirage; they have a 19.8 UPR, and 16th-place Florence (2-2) has a 13.4 UPR, 6.4 points ahead. That could be a lot of ground to make up with just JP Stevens and Dunellen among their three remaining opponents.

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 3 Old Bridge has been through the wringer, but still passed nearly every test as No. 8 Sayreville visits Lombardi Field Friday night

The season hasn’t been perfect for the Old Bridge football team by any stretch of the imagination.

But where it ultimately counts – in the win column – they’ve been as solid as they come.

They say big players come up in big spots. And great teams sometime wins games they aren’t supposed to.

Two weeks ago, they led St. Thomas Aquinas 23-0 at the half, and nearly lost, as a key second-half field goal gave them enough to withstand a rally by the Trojans and win, 26-24. Last week, the script got flipped: they trailed Piscataway at the break, 26-0, but scored 27 unanswered second half points to win, 27-26.

This Friday, head coach Matt Donaghue would like to see all four quarters be solid ones, and they will likely need all that and then-some as ranked-again No. 8 Sayreville comes to Lombari Field in Old Bridge to play the third-ranked Knights in the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Kickoff is set for 6:00, with pregame at 5:45 as Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the action. Click here to listen.

While he certainly had help, senior runningback Chase Rizzo led the second-half surge for Old Bridge last week, scoring all four touchdowns in the rally. He opened the second-half rally with a 74-yard touchdown run, then two more in the third: a one-yard run and a 20-yard reception from QB Aiden Rios. Then he got one more in the fourth, a 71-yard connection with Rios to provide the final score. He finished the game with 12 carries for 138 yards, while Rios eclipsed 100 as well, rushing for 117.

And Griffin Nugent had a late interception to seal the victory.

While Sayreville leads the all-time series 15-9 – remember, Old Bridge played its first season after the Cedar Ridge-Madison Central merger in 1994 – this has been back and forth for the past 15 seasons, with each team winning six times. And no one has won back-to-back since Old Bridge put together three victories in a row from 2013 through 2015.

And, in what could only be described as a scheduling tragedy, these teams have only met twice in six previous Big Central seasons, in 2021 and 2025.

The Bombers are a run-heavy team, led by senior Sherwin Appiah and his 682 yards and eleven touchdowns. He’s tied for the Big Central lead in rushing TDs, and fourth in rushing yardage, though all three backs ahead of him have at least 30 more carries than he does. Appiah is averaging 9.3 yards per carry, almost a first down on every touch.

Defense has been very much a team effort, and very good as well. They allowed six points each to Edison and Franklin coming off a 21-7 home loss to Ridge in Week One, before giving up 21 to a very offensive-minded St. Thomas club last Friday night.

Click below to hear Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the season and Friday night’s home game against Sayreville with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big Central Schedule for Week Five: Sayreville-Old Bridge, Phillipsburg-Ridge highlight the weekend slate

There are two Top Ten matchups in the Big Central this week, as well as a host of other intriguing games as we hit the back stretch of the regular season for high school football.

The Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week is Friday night as No. 8 Sayreville visits No. 3 Old Bridge in a battle of 4-1 teams. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel have the call with kickoff slated for 6 and pregame at 5:45 pm; click here to listen.

There’s also top-ranked Phillipsburg at No. 10 Ridge at 6:30, a huge game for both teams in terms of playoff standing, as are many this weekend. No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas at previously-ranked Somerville, with both 3-2, also should be a fun one to watch, with some offensive fireworks surely to be on display. Montgomery takes a three-game win streak into Cranford to face the unbeaten, 4-0 Cougars, and Dayton (4-1) looks to bounce New Providence (4-0) from the ranks of the undefeated.

Saturday, Franklin and No. 4 Piscataway renew their longstanding rivalry after a two-year hiatus, and No. 5 St. Joseph-Metuchen delves into the Super Football Conference with a matinee at Delbarton.

Below is a look at the Week Five schedule in the Big Central Conference:

THURSDAY SCHEDULE

  • Roselle Park (1-4) at Middlesex (1-3), 6 pm
  • South Brunswick (2-3) at Rahway (4-1), 6 pm

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

  • Linden (2-2) at #2 Elizabeth (5-0), 6 pm
  • #8 Sayreville (4-1) at #3 Old Bridge (4-1), 6 pm (LISTEN LIVE on CJSR)
  • Hunterdon Central (1-4) at #6 Bridgewater-Raritan (4-1)
  • Highland Park (5-0) at Bound Brook (0-5), 6 pm
  • Colonia (1-4) at Hillsborough (1-4), 6 pm
  • Westfield (1-4) at Woodbridge (3-2), 6 pm
  • South Hunterdon (3-2) at JP Stevens (3-2), 6 pm
  • New Brunswick (0-5) at Perth Amboy (4-1), 6 pm
  • Scotch Plains-Fanwood (1-4) at South Plainfield (3-2), 6 pm (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)
  • Roselle (0-4) at Brearley (4-1), 6 pm
  • Carteret (2-3) at North Brunswick (1-4), 6 pm
  • JFK (0-5) at Metuchen (1-3), 6 pm
  • #1 Phillipsburg (4-1) at #10 Ridge (2-2), 6:30 pm
  • #9 St. Thomas Aquinas (3-2) at Somerville (3-2), 6:30 pm
  • Montgomery (3-2) at #7 Cranford (4-0), 7 pm
  • Delaware Valley (3-2) at Voorhees (1-4), 7 pm
  • Spotswood (2-3) at North Plainfield (3-2), 7 pm
  • Summit (3-2) at Watchung Hills (2-3), 7 pm
  • Belvidere (4-1) at Manville (4-1), 7 pm
  • East Brunswick (3-2) at Edison (1-4), 7 pm
  • Monroe (3-2) at North Hunterdon (0-5), 7 pm
  • New Providence (4-0) at Dayton (4-1), 7 pm

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

  • #5 St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-2) at Delbarton (2-3), 1 pm
  • Plainfield (2-3) at Union (4-1), 1 pm
  • Franklin (1-4) at #4 Piscataway (4-1), 2 pm
  • Johnson (2-2) at Governor Livingston (3-2), 2 pm
  • Dunellen (0-4) at South River (0-5), 2 pm
  • Bernards (3-2) at Hillside (5-0), 2 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

Gameday with Marcus Borden: Week 5

We are now officially in the home stretch of the high school football regular season in New Jersey and the Big Central – with just four more weeks to play before the playoffs – and it’s time to talk about it all with Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden!

We open the show looking back at last week’s games, including Cranford’s big win over Rahway in a battle of unbeatens, and Old Bridge coming from behind to beat Piscataway, then preview this Friday night’s Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving between the Knights and Sayreville.

We look ahead to some big games this weekend, including Phillipsburg at Ridge, and preview Coach Borden’s coverage of South Plainfield and Scotch Plains-Fanwood Friday night.

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