Category: Top Ten

by Mike Pavlichko

Three weeks, three No. 1 teams: Elizabeth jumps Phillipsburg, Piscataway to lead Week 7 Big Central Power Rankings

Elizabeth’s undefeated season continues to make its mark in the Big Central Conference, as the Minutemen have now jumped ahead of second-place Phillipsburg and last week’s top team, Piscataway, to take the No. 1 spot in the Big Central Conference Power Rankings for Week Seven.

That knocks Piscataway down to second, even though their SI went up, while Bridgewater-Raritan rose from five to three, and Rahway jumped from nine to four, while the Stateliners – who were idle – dropped to five; all those teams were winners last week, but to varying degrees.

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

Rounding out the top ten, Sayreville held at No. 6, Ridge rose from 13 to seven, Old Bridge kept the eight spot, Somerville dropped two places – after losing to the Bombers – into ninth, and Hillside crept up two spots to ten.

Statewide, we again have a new No. 1, as St. Augustine takes the top spot from Donovan Catholic, but the Griffins only drop to No. 2 this week, followed by Glassboro holding at three, and Don Bosco down two spots to four, while Old Tappan edges up one spot to get into the top five.

While no Big Central teams are in the Top 25 statewide again this week, a half-dozen are in the state Top 50:

  • Elizabeth took Piscataway’s spot at 30, rising 14 spots this week.
  • Piscataway fell from 30 to 32.
  • Bridgewater-Raritan skyrocketed from 48 to 34.
  • Rahway climbed from 61 to 43.
  • Phillipsburg (idle) fell from 33 to 45.
  • Sayreville climbed from 51 to 47.
  • New Providence fell out of the Top 50 after getting beaten at home by Perth Amboy, falling to 76.

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 ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

After big changes the past two weeks, some stability in the Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Top Ten

Yes, the last couple of weeks have been somewhat tumultuous in the Big Central Conference among its top teams, reflected in big changes in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, including a new No. 1 last week.

That’s not quite the case this week., as the top seven all stayed the same, the bottom two shifted around, one team dropped out, and another rejoined the Top Ten after falling out two weeks ago.

It all starts with Elizabeth (7-0), which continued its fantastic season with a 44-0 shutout of Hillsborough at home last Friday, to stay at No. 1. They Minutemen get an extra day of prep this week, as they’ll visit Westfield Saturday afternoon.

Old Bridge (6-1) remains at No. 2, after a 38-20 road win at Monroe last Friday. They’re back at it this Friday with a home game against East Brunswick.

Third-ranked Ridge (4-2) holds its position, thanks to a 34-0 shutout over Westfield last Friday night. The Red Devils visit Hillsborough Friday night.

At No. 4 is Phillipsburg (4-2), holding steady after a bye last week. They started in Week Zero this year, and still have a Thanksgiving Day game against Easton, which gives them a week off in the middle of the season. The Stateliners host No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan (6-1) Friday night at Maloney Stadium, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Radio. The Panthers were 28-7 winners at previous No. 9 Union Friday night, and a win over the Stateliners would give them the American Silver Division title. Should Phillipsburg win, they would get the title on a tiebreaker, but if Ridge beats Hillsborough, it would be a three-way tie, with everyone splitting two games with one another.

Piscataway (6-1) holds in fifth after a 35-14 win at home over then-No. 8 St. Joseph-Metuchen Friday night. The Chiefs are in Monroe this Friday to take on the other Falcons in the BCC.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

At No. 7, it’s Cranford (6-0) holding steady. The Cougars blanked South Plainfield, 14-0, on the road last Friday night, and this Friday, they travel to Carteret.

The last three spots saw some shuffling. Sayreville (5-2) moved up from ten to eight after a 23-16 win at Somerville, and this week are in North Brunswick to take on the Raiders Friday night.

Rahway (6-1) rejoins the rankings at No. 9 after falling out a couple of weeks ago with a loss to Cranford. But the Indians have won two straight since, including last Friday night at Plainfield, a 35-6 victory. This Friday, they visit Colonia.

And dropping one spot to No. 10 is Union (5-2), which lost at No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan last Friday, 28-7. The Farmers play at St. Joe’s this Friday, in the Falcons’ once-a-year Friday night game with temporary lights at Brenner Family Field.

St. Joseph-Metuchen dropped out of the rankings this week after their fourth straight loss, this one to Piscataway; they’re now 2-4.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Seven Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Piscataway pulls ahead of Phillipsburg to take top spot in Week 6 Big Central Power Rankings

Ridge’s upset of Phillipsburg and Piscataway’s win over Franklin has pushed the Chiefs to the top of the Big Central Conference Power Rankings after Week Six. That’s the first change at the top this season.

Since Piscataway moved up from No. 5, and the Stateliners only dropped to No. 2, that moves Elizabeth down one spot to third, while New Providence – thanks to a big win over Dayton – climbed from six to four, while Bridgewater-Raritan dipped one spot to five.

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

Rounding out the top ten, Sayreville fell from third to six after a loss at Old Bridge, Somerville rose from eleven to seven. Old Bridge held in eighth with the win over the Bombers, while Rahway fell to ninth – down two spots – and Bernards held in 10th with a comeback victory at Hillside.

Statewide, there’s a new No. 1, and it’s undefeated Donovan Catholic (6-0) out of the Shore Conference, taking over the top spot by nearly three points from Don Bosco Prep, the victim of a wild comeback by Bergen Catholic, which recovered from a 24-0 deficit. Yet, the Crusaders remain below Bosco in the standings, checking in at No. 5. (Remember, SI is the overall body of work, and carries over from the previous year, too.) Glassboro dropped from two to three, and Red Bank Catholic’s loss to Winslow left room for St. Augustine to power its way from 13 to four after a blowout win over Burlington Twp.

Here are other Big Central teams in the state Top 50:

  • Piscataway rose 17 places from 47 to 30.
  • Phillipsburg dropped from 28 to 33.
  • Elizabeth dropped from 34 to 44.
  • New Providence pulled up from outside the Top 50 at 51 to 48 this week.
  • Bridgewater-Raritan dropped six places to 48.

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.

by Mike Pavlichko

There’s a new team atop the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten after Phillipsburg falls at Ridge, and it’s their first No. 1 ranking in BCC history

For the first time since the formation of the Big Central Conference in 2020, Elizabeth has reached the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Six.

The Minutemen are 6-0 for the first time since 2012, when they went undefeated, 11-0, and won the first-ever North 2, Group 5 championship, beating Piscataway in the final at Kean University in Union.

Phillipsburg had been No. 1, with their only prior loss coming out of state, to Freedom (PA) out of Bethlehem. But they were knocked off by No. 1 Ridge on the final play of the game Friday, and Elizabeth’s win helped cement the change. All in all, only two teams are in the same positions they were last week.

Elizabeth stayed unbeaten with a 39-18 home win against Linden Friday night, and the Minutemen will put that perfect mark on the line again this Friday when they host Hillsborough (1-4) in a crossover game.

Old Bridge (5-1) edged up a spot to No. 2 after a thrilling 14-12 home victory over then-No. 8 Sayreville Friday night, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. This week, the Knights visit much-improved Monroe (4-2) in a National Gold Division contest.

Ridge (3-2) – which has played four ranked opponents, three of which have been in the top three at one point or another – moved all the way up to No. 3 after knocking off Phillipsburg at home Friday, winning on a touchdown catch off a tipped ball at the goal line on the game’s final play. This week, the Red Devils host Westfield Friday night in a BCC crossover. Phillipsburg (4-2) dropped down to four, and is off this week.

Piscataway (5-1) was a 46-6 winner over Franklin Saturday afternoon in the first meeting of the former Thanksgiving Day rivals in three years. The Chiefs are back at it Friday night at home in a crossover game against No. 8 St. Joseph-Metuchen.

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Holding at six and seven are Bridgewater-Raritan (5-1) and Cranford (5-0). The Falcons were 5-18 winners at Hunterdon Central Friday, and visit Piscataway this Friday. The Cougars remained undefeated with a 13-12 home win over Montgomery Friday, and this Friday night are at South Plainfield for a crossover game.

Down three spots to eight is St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-3), which has dropped three straight after starting 2-0, including an impressive win over Bridgewater-Raritan. Saturday, they lost a non-conference matinee at Delbarton, 56-24. They visit No. 5 Piscataway Friday night in a crossover game.

Making its debut this season is Union (5-1), which already has topped last year’s win total by two. The Farmers won their third strai9ght on Saturday afternoon at Cooke Field, blanking Plainfield, 24-0. This week, they play a home crossover against No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan.

And down two spots to the final position at ten is Sayreville (4-2), which lost 14-12 at Old Bridge Friday night, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Bombers are back at it again this with a crossover matchup Friday, visiting previously-ranked Somerville.

Previous No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas dropped out of the rankings this week, dropping its third straight game – 42-26 at Somerville – after starting the season 3-0. They host North Brunswick in a BCC National Silver Division game Friday night in North Edison.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Six Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg, Elizabeth hold top two spots in Big Central Power Rankings as Sayreville, Cranford skyrocket; Don Bosco, Glassboro remain 1-2 in NJ

It’s yet another week for Phillipsburg at No. 1 in the Big Central Power rankings, but Elizabeth has closed the gap a little from the No. 2 position.

The Stateliners held on to the top spot with a 42-31 win over St. Joseph-Metuchen Monday, in a game rescheduled from Saturday due to the weekend Nor’easter. The Week Five numbers saw Sayreville climb up from No. 9 into the top five after beating St. Thomas Aquinas Friday, moving all the way up to third, as Rahway fell from third to seventh after Friday’s loss to Cranford. Bridgewater-Raritan climbs two spots from six to four after a shutout win at Westfield Saturday afternoon.

No. 5 Piscataway edges down one spot this week to six after Friday’s 27-26 loss at Old Bridge, with the Knights climbing from ten to eight. And Cranford’s win over Rahway Friday raised the Cougars three spots into the nine spot, while Bernards’ win at Delaware Valley Friday put then in the ten-spot.

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

Rounding out the top ten, it’s New Providence up two spots to No. 8, Sayreville up two to nine, and Old Bridge falling one spot to No. 10. St. Joseph-Metuchen fell out of the top ten with its loss at Elizabeth Friday night.

Statewide, Don Bosco Prep and Glassboro remain Nos. 1 and 2, while Donovan Catholic edged up from six to three, and Red Bank Catholic climbed from nine to four, with Bergen Catholic staying put to round out the Top Five.

Again, no Big Central teams made the Top 25, but Phillipsburg – which last was in three weeks ago before a loss at Freedom (PA) of Bethlehem – climbed even closer. After going from 33 to 29 last week, the Stateliners climbed another five spots this week to 28 – just three spots from cracking the Top 25.

Here are other Big Central teams in the state Top 50:

  • Elizabeth dropped one place from 35 to 34.
  • Sayreville shot up from 65 to 36.
  • Bridgewater-Raritan rose from 16 to 42.
  • Piscataway fell from 39 to 47.

Rahway dropped out, falling from 37 to 54, and Somerville fell from 41 to 71 after a loss to Montgomery. That leaves five BCC teams in the Top 50, compared with six last week.

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.

by Mike Pavlichko

As six ranked teams fall, one new team joins, another re-enters, but Phillipsburg still atop Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Five

Week Four was nothing but more chaos in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, but in the end, Phillipsburg remains at the top of the heap in the Week Five rankings. Previous No. 2 Piscataway lost to No. 4 Old Bridge, the No. 1 Stateliners held off No. 5 St. Joseph of Metuchen, and teams seven through ten – Somerville, Rahway, St. Thomas Aquinas and Ridge – all lost as well. Still, there was only room enough for two new teams to join the rankings.

This week’s rankings are a day late because of the Falcons game against Phillipsburg, which was moved to Monday due to rough weather Saturday from the Nor’easter that gripped New Jersey all weekend. But the Stateliners improved to 4-1 with a 42-31 win over the Falcons. It’ll be a quick turnaround for P’burg, which will visit No. 10 Ridge Friday night.

Elizabeth (5-0) moves up to No. 2, after a 28-23 win at Ridge last Friday. The Minutemen – looking for their first 6-0 start since 2012, a year they went undefeated and won the first-ever North 2, Group 5 state title – host neighbor Linden this Friday night.

Old Bridge (4-1) edges up one spot from four to three, after coming back from a 26-0 halftime deficit with 27 unanswered points to beat then-No. 2 Piscataway, 27-26. The Chiefs dropped from second to fourth with the loss. Old Bridge will host Sayreville (4-1) Friday night at 6 in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, while Piscataway renews its rivalry with longtime Thanksgiving foe Franklin (1-4) after a two year hiatus. The Warriors got their first win of the season Monday, in another rescheduled game from the weekend, beating North Brunswick at home, 55-21.

In fifth is St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-2), which stays put after going toe-to-toe with – but losing to – No. 1 Phillipsburg Monday, 42-31. The Falcons have less of a quick turnaround – but a turnaround nonetheless – as they visit Delbarton Saturday afternoon for a non-league game.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

Also holding at six is Bridgewater-Raritan (4-1). The Panthers blanked Westfield Saturday afternoon – the only Big Central teams the play – 20-0, and this week host Hunterdon Central on Friday night at Basilone Field.

Undefeated Cranford (4-0) makes its season debut in the rankings at No. 7, after a 14-7 win over then-No. 8 Rahway Friday night. The Cougars are back in action Friday night against Montgomery, which knocked off previous No. 8 Somerville last week for the second year in a row.

Sayreville (4-1) rejoins the rankings after being knocked out in Week Two. The Bombers had an impressive win over No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas last Friday, 37-21, and will travel to No. 3 Old Bridge Friday night at 6:00 for a game you can listen to on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The last two spots remain the same as last week, as St. Thomas Aquinas (3-2) holds the ninth position, despite the loss to Sayreville; they play Friday night at Somerville. Ridge (2-2) remains at No. 10, and this Friday will host top-ranked Phillipsburg.

After no one dropped out either of the last two weeks, Somerville (3-2) falls out of the rankings, as does No. 8 Rahway (4-1).

Below is the complete 2026 Week Five Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg still No. 1 in Big Central Power Rankings, but Elizabeth, Rahway make make strides, narrow the gap; plus a new No. 1 in New Jersey as Winslow falls

Just as they have been all year long, Phillipsburg remains No. 1 in the Big Central Conference Power Rankings for Week Four, while Elizabeth and Rahway continue to make strides and have narrowed the Stateliners’ lead.

Despite a win over South Brunswick, Piscataway’s SI value fell, and big wins by Elizabeth and Rahway moved the Minutemen and Indians over the Chiefs to take the No. 2 and 3 spots, with Piscataway dropping to four. Somerville joined the top five, knocking out St. Thomas Aquinas, which dropped to six with the win, while Bridgewater-Raritan’s narrow win over Ridge pushed the Panthers down just a bit in SI, but they fell from three to six with the gains made by Elizabeth and Rahway.

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

Rounding out the top ten, it’s New Providence up two spots to No. 8, Sayreville up two to nine, and Old Bridge falling one spot to No. 10. St. Joseph-Metuchen fell out of the top ten with its loss at Elizabeth Friday night.

Around the state, there’s a new No. 1, after Winslow lost to St. Augustine, a defeat that also dropped the only team with an SI over 100 back below that mark, leaving Don Bosco Prep in the top spot. Glassboro pulled up to second, and St. Augustine made a massive jump with the win from 15 to No. 3. Winslow fell three spots to four, while Bergen Catholic dropped two spots to fifth, bouncing Donovan Catholic out of the top five.

Once again this week, there were no Big Central teams in the Top 25, but Phillipsburg – which was in it two weeks ago before falling out after a loss to Freedom (PA) of Bethlehem – climbed a bit closer, from 33 to 29 after a blowout home win over Hillsborough. Other Big Central teams made gains, too.

  • Elizabeth shot up from 67 to 33.
  • Rahway rose from 59 to 37.
  • Piscataway checks in at 39, up four spots.
  • Somerville is at 41, climbing 15 places.
  • Bridgewater-Raritan fell one spot to 46.

Overall, that’s six Big Central teams in the top 50 in the state.

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.

by Mike Pavlichko

Three top-ten matchups force big shuffle in Bellamy & Son Paving Week 4 Top Ten, but Phillipsburg still leads the pack

It was inevitable that at least three ranked Big Central Conference football teams would go down this weekend, with three all-Top Ten matchups on tap. In the end, no one else lost, but those three games helped reshape the Bellamy & Son Paving Week Four rankings, while Phillipsburg remains at the top of the list.

Phillipsburg (3-1) got back on the winning track against its first New Jersey opponent of the year, beating Hillsborough Friday night at Maloney Stadium, 35-7. The Stateliners are back in action at No. 5 St. Joseph of Metuchen this Saturday for a 1 pm matinee against the Falcons.

Piscataway (4-0) edged up one place to No. 2 after a 41-17 win over South Brunswick on Friday, coupled with previous No. 2 St. Joe’s taking a loss. The Chiefs will look to go 5-0 for the first time since 2018, when they finished undefeated at 13-0 – and won the North Group 5 Regional Championship – when they visit No. 4 Old Bridge Friday night at 6 pm. The Knights built an early lead but hung on to beat then-No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas Friday night, 26-24.

Moving from seven to three is Elizabeth, which is 4-0 for the first time since 2011, a year they also started 5-0, following a 62-35 shootout win at home over then-No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen heard Friday night on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Minutemen visit No. 10 Ridge Friday night at 6:30. St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-1) falls to fifth with that loss, and hosts No. 1 Phillipsburg this Saturday at 1:00.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

To make room for Elizabeth, Bridgewater-Raritan (3-1) and Somerville (3-1) both edge down one spot, to fifth and sixth, respectively. The Panthers were 7-3 winners over then-No. 9 Ridge Friday night, and visit Westfield for a 1:00 kick Saturday afternoon, while the Pioneers were 55-24 winners against Watchung Hills Friday, and visit Montgomery at 6 pm this Friday.

Rahway (4-0) continues to rise, and finds itself at No. 8 this week, up two spots after a 42-14 win at Linden Friday. The Indians host Cranford at 6:00 this Friday night.

St. Thomas Aquinas (3-1) edges down one spot to No. 9 after taking its first loss of the season, falling to No. 4 Old Bridge, 26-24, Friday night when a second-half rally fell just short. The Trojans are back at it this Friday night as they host Sayreville at 6 pm.

And down one spot to ten is Ridge (2-1), after their 7-3 loss at then-No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan. The Red Devils entertain third-ranked Elizabeth Friday night, a 6:30 kickoff.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Four Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Another week at the top for Phillipsburg in Big Central Power Rankings, but there’s a new No. 2

Phillipsburg remains No. 1 in the Big Central Conference Power Rankings for Week Three, but there’s a New No. 2 in town.

Piscataway rose from sixth to No. 2 this week after a blowout of East Brunswick, while Bridgewater fell to No. 3 after a blowout win over Hillsborough. St. Joseph-Metuchen fell one spot to fourth, while St. Thomas Aquinas rose from No. 11 to No. 5

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

Rounding out the top ten, Somerville climbed four spots to No. 6, Rahway edged up one spot to seventh, dropping Elizabeth one to eight. Old Bridge fell from five to nine, while New Providence dropped six spots into the tenth position.

Statewide, Phillipsburg, which made its move into the Top 25 last week, fell back out to 33. Four Big Central teams are in the Top 50. Besides Phillipsburg, there’s Piscataway (43), Bridgewater-Raritan (45) and St. Joseph-Metuchen (50).

Atop the rankings, the lead is ever slimmer for No. 1 Winslow, but they are also the first team to crack 100 this season, and we’ve only played three weeks. Don Bosco narrowed the gap, but remains in second at 99.64, followed by Bergen Catholic, which rose eleven spots to third and knocked Glassboro and Donovan Catholic down to four and five, respectively.

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.

by Mike Pavlichko

All but Phillipsburg win, and all ten teams remain the same in Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Top 10

Sure, there was a full slate of games in the Big Central in Week Two, but Top Ten wise, it was very quiet.

And while No. 1 Phillipsburg (2-1) was the only team to lose, falling 32-31 to Freedom (PA) in their final Pennsylvania game before getting into the BCC slate, that loss didn’t cost them, as they retained their top spot in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Week Three Top Ten.

This week, the Stateliners open divisional play in the BCC American Silver Division when they come back home to Maloney Stadium to take on Hillsborough.

In fact, nobody moved this week – all ten teams remained in their same positions as last week.

That includes St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-0), which beat Westfield on the road Friday night, 28-6. They’ll be one of six teams involved in three Top Ten matchups this weekend, as they travel to No. 7 Elizabeth (3-0) Friday night to face the Minutemen in a battle of unbeatens you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with kickoff set for 6 pm. Elizabeth was a 19-7 winner at Union Friday night.

Holding in third is Piscataway (3-0). The Chiefs were 42-7 winners at East Brunswick on Thursday night, and this week are back at Kenny Armwood Stadium to face South Brunswick at 6 pm.

Old Bridge (3-0) remains in fourth after a 21-0 win at South Brunswick Thursday night, in which starting QB Aiden Rios dinged up his non-throwing shoulder. The Knights will hope he can be back Friday for a home date with No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas. The Trojans (3-0) were 40-0 winners Friday night at Franklin.

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Holding at No. 5 is Bridgewater-Raritan (2-1), which beat Hillsborough for the first time since 2017 Thursday night, 40-14. The Panthers, whose lone loss came in a barnburner at St. Joseph-Metuchen last Saturday afternoon, are back in action for a Top Ten matchup against No. 9 Ridge (2-0) at Basilone Field Friday night. They won out at Hunterdon Central Thursday night, 23-17.

Somerville (2-1) maintains the sixth spot, thanks to a 54-6 drubbing of North Hunterdon at Brooks Field Thursday night. The Pioneers are back in the Ville again this week, hosting Watchung Hills at 6:30 pm.

And No. 10 Rahway (3-0) held serve with a 42-21 win at Woodbridge, the return of head coach Brian Russo to his alma mater, where he also coached. The Indians visit neighbor Linden Friday night at 7.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Three Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten: