Category: Football Top Ten

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg, Bridgewater-Raritan begin season at Nos. 1 and 2 in Big Central Preseason Power Rankings

Just like they were at the end of 2025, Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan – both state sectional champions last fall – are the top two teams in the preseason 2026 Big Central Conference Power Rankings.

In the world of the NJSIAA’s Strength Index, values carry over from the pervious year, though they are re-centered toward a midpoint of 60 by one-third. That means a team rated a 90 (30 points away from 60) would get an 80 ranking (one-third of 30 is ten), while a team rated a 51 (nine points away from 60) would get a 54 ranking (one-third of nine is three).

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.

New Providence – a sectional finalist last season – along with St. Joseph-Metuchen and Somerville round out the Top Five in the BCC. Sayreville, Old Bridge, Bernards, Montgomery and Woodbridge finish out the rest of the Top Ten.

Statewide, no Big Central team finished in the Top 25, with state Group 4 champion Winslow leading the pack, followed by Non-Public Group A runner-up Don Bosco Prep, Group A quarterfinalist Bergen Catholic, state Group 1 champion Glassboro, and state Group 5 champion Washington Twp.

Non-Public Group A champ St. Joseph-Montvale – which finished as the No. 1 team in the state in NJ.com’s final rankings – comes in sixth, while state Group 2 champion Camden begins the year seventh.

There were three Big Central teams that cracked the Top 50 however. Phillipsburg checks in at No. 35, while Bridgewater-Raritan is at 46, and New Providence is at No. 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

Phillipsburg starts 2026 where it ended 2025: Atop the Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten

Most seasons, in most sports – at least as far as we’re concerned – are a crap shoot when it comes to preseason rankings.

It is, of course, impossible to get to see all 59 teams we cover in the Big Central Conference. There are scrimmages, but no true preseason games like in the pros. Coaches are going to talk up their teams, whether they were 1-8, 5-5, or 14-0 and state champs. Sometimes that 1-8 team will have a big turnaround, sometimes a sectional champ will lose a lot of players.

We do our best to weigh who’s coming back, and who graduated, but more often than not, we’ll give the top teams from the year before the benefit of the doubt: a place in the Top Ten is theirs to lose.

And of course, it’s never where you start, but where you finish. And rankings based on opinion are just that: opinion – no matter how objective we try to be.

Nevertheless, there’s a little bit of both in the 2026 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football Preseason Top Ten, starting at the top.

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

Phillipsburg opens the season at No. 1, coming off a 10-3 season a year ago in which they reached their fourth straight sectional final, and won their second straight North 2, Group 4 title. Though they’re expected (official classifications are not out yet) to bump up to Group 5 this year due to the “success formula” for open-enrollment and similar type schools, that doesn’t affect who they play in the regular season. They’ve got a bunch back, and should be solid again.

St. Joseph-Metuchen begins the year at No. 2, up one spot, coming off a very good 8-2 season in which they beat all eight of their Big Central Conference opponents before falling in their regular season finale to Donovan Catholic, and in the opening round of the playoffs to Bergen Catholic.

Old Bridge has lost some key talent, but the Knights are coming off a 10-2 season in which they were one of only two BCC schools in Group 3 or higher to win ten games. The Knights – who went to the Central Jersey Group 5 title game last year, will start the season at No. 3.

Right behind them at No. 4 is Piscataway, which was 8-3, and beat to Old Bridge in the regular season by a touchdown, but was knocked out of the playoffs in the sectional semis. The Chiefs, however, bring back an experienced group led by Landon Pernell at quarterback.

Checking in at No. 5 is Somerville. The Pioneers had a surprising early exit from the playoffs in the first round last year, but finished 8-2 and are expected to be right back in the mix for the division and a sectional title this year. At 20-3 over the past two seasons under Matt Bloom, with a Central Jersey Group 3 title in 2024, that’s the expectation every year, and they have the horses.

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

Checking in at No. 6 is last year’s North Jersey, Section 2 Group 4 champion, Bridgewater-Raritan. The Panthers were 6-3 heading into the playoffs last year, but won all three games in their section – including a thriller in the final against Bayonne – to claim their first-ever sectional title. Still, they face some significant losses, and they’ll work to earn their way back up in ’26.

Sayreville will begin the year at No. 7, taking a huge blow in the loss of Shaun Jackson, who led the Big Central in rushing each of the last two seasons. Still, that’s a program, and alum Mark Poore has done a great job his first two years, and they will remain in the mix this season.

Woodbridge – which will start at No. 8 – finished out of the Top Ten at the end of 2025, but coming off an 8-3 season in Year two under veteran mentor Joe Goerge – after going 10-1 his first year – we know the Barrons are well-coached, and that Goerge can adapt his offensive system to the talent he has, and there certainly is talent in the cupboard.

Summit checks in at No. 9, coming off a 9-3 season and a trip to the North 2, Group 3 final last year, where they lost to West Morris. They dealt with all kinds of injury adversity last year, and this well-coached program will again be highly-competitive.

Bernards comes in at No. 10, and another tremendous regular season, despite a firs-round playoff loss. The numbers speak for itself: The Mountaineers haven’t lost to a Big Central opponent since September of 2022, a defeat at the hands of Hillside. Since then, they have won 32 straight BCC contests, three shy of the record 35 set by St. Thomas Aquinas, which came to an end last year. Since the start of 2022, Bernards has an overall record of 40-5, by far the best in the league over that stretch.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Sectional champs Phillipsburg, Bridgewater-Raritan finish 1-2 in final Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten

The Big Central Conference’s two sectional champions finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Conference Rankings, with North 2, Group 4 winner Phillipsburg taking the top spot, and Bridgewater-Raritan – the North 2, Group 5 winner – finished second.

For Phillipsburg (10-3), it was the Stateliners’ tenth state sectional title – and second in a row – for a program that just wrapped its 120th year of football. Phillipsburg – which graduated several key players from last year’s title team – made it right back to the final, beating Montgomery to bring home another piece of hardware. They also won the American Silver Division title, sweeping the group.

Bridgewater-Raritan, meanwhile, won the North 2, Group 5 title, it’s first-ever sectional title in school history in their fourth all-time trip to the finals. The Panthers were the No. 1 seed in the section, and beat Bayonne to bring home the trophy.

Coming in third was St. Joseph-Metuchen (8-2), which ran the table in Big Central play, including a win over eventual sectional champ Phillipsburg during the regular season, 21-0. They won the American Gold Division, going 3-0, but were knocked out of the Non-Public A playoffs in the opening round by Bergen Catholic.

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

In fourth is Old Bridge (10-2), which reached the Central Jersey Group 5 finals, losing to Washington Twp. The Knights’ only other loss came to Piscataway in the regular season, in a Big Central crossover game.

Checking in at No. 5 – its first ranking this season – is Summit (9-3). The Hilltoppers took two regular season losses, both with QB Alex Schwark out of the lineup, but reached the North 2, Group 3 finals, falling to undefeated West Morris in the title game.

At No. 6 is Montgomery (8-4), which had an astounding turnaround in Year One under first-time head coach Sean Carty, who had previously served under Zoran Milich as Offensive Coordinator. The Cougars won eight games after going 1-9 last year, and made their first sectional final in program history, falling at Phillipsburg in the title game.

Sayreville (9-2) checks in at No. 7, having won the National Silver Division. They lost to Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals, with their only other defeat coming to Montgomery.

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

National Gold Division Champion Piscataway (8-3) comes in eighth. It was the highest win total for the Chiefs since the COVID pause – one of two teams, along with Carteret, not to play in 2020 – and they took just two regular season losses: to Sayreville and to eventual North 2, Group 5 champion Bridgewater-Raritan. They missed a rematch with the Panthers, falling to Bayonne in the sectional semifinals.

At No. 9 is New Providence (10-1), which was the last undefeated team remaining in the Big Central Conference until the Pioneers lost at home to Cedar Grove in the North 2, Group 1 title game, a rematch of last year’s sectional final. They were the Patriots Silver Division champions, and will carry an eleven-game win streak against Big Central competition into next season.

And two other teams tied for tenth place: Bernards (9-1) and Somerville (8-2), in no particular order. The Mountaineers were Patriot Gold Division champions and ran the table this season until a first-round, 22-21 playoff loss to Madison in the opening round of the North 2, Group 2 playoffs. The Pioneers were three-way Co-Champions in the Liberty Silver division with Montgomery and Rahway – beating the Indians, but falling to the Cougars – and their only other loss was a 14-13 home loss to Matawan in the opening round of Central Jersey Group 3.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Final High School Football Top Ten for the 2025 season:

A table displaying the final rankings for the Big Central Conference high school football teams in 2025, listing team names, records, previous rankings, and notable achievements.
by Marcus Borden

Phillipsburg finishes at No. 1 spot in Coach Borden’s final 2025 Big Central Top Ten

The 2025 football season had many twists and turns with two Big Central teams winning Sectional Championships: Phillipsburg defended their North 2, Group 4 title while Bridgewater-Raritan won the North 2, Group 5 Championship.

Old Bridge, Montgomery, New Providence and Summit all advanced to their sectional semi-finals.

A total of 25 teams made the playoffs, with Manville winning its first-ever playoff game, after going undefeated in the regular season.

When I began the BCC Camp Caravan Tour on August 11, my goal was to be sure I saw all 59 teams over the last two years, whether it was at a preseason practice, scrimmage or game. Once again I was able to see those teams I missed last season, which meant attending my first game at Samuel E. Jefferis Athletic Stadium at South Hunterdon High School.

I am also grateful to Joe Bellamy of Bellamy & Sons Paving, Carleigh Stillwagon of Elite Custom Apparel, and Bob Trivosonno of Metro Team Sports for helping me honor 59 players from the BCC as members of the 2025 Borden’s Ballers Football Team.

A BIG THANK YOU TO MIKE PAVLICHKO & THE CREW AT CJSR!

Happy Holidays to all the Coaches, Players, Team Managers and your families!

Now, here are my final overall BCC and county/regional rankings for 2025!

2025 BCC Top 10 football teams graphic featuring rankings and records, with names like Phillipsburg, Bridgewater, and Old Bridge highlighted.
Graphic displaying the Top 10 teams in the Middlesex region for the 2025 football season, featuring team names, records, and associated sponsorship logos.
Graphic displaying the final 2025 Central Jersey BCC Top 10 football teams with team names and records.
Image of the final 2025 BCC West football rankings, showcasing the top 10 teams with their records, including Phillipsburg at 10-2 and Bridgewater at 9-4.
by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg will hold No. 1 spot in Big Central Power Rankings, Bridgewater edges up to No. 2

Though both teams saw their playoff runs end in the state semifinals, Phillipsburg remains No. 1 in the Big Central Power Rankings for Week 12, while Bridgewater-Raritan moves up one spot to No. 2, taking a slight lead over New Providence.

No one else moved as the Stateliners and Panthers were the only teams in action last week, and those top teams should hold, regardless of Phillipsburg’s outcome on Thanksgiving against Easton. The only other Big Central teams to play on Thanksgiving will be Roselle and Roselle Park, the last time it’ll be played on Turkey Day. Marcus Borden will have live coverage on Twitter.

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

Table displaying the Big Central Power Rankings for Week 12, showing team names, SI values, and state rankings.

Statewide, Winslow remains at No. 1, but saw it’s SI drop below 110 after a 14-12 win in the Group 4 semifinals over Brick Memorial. Old Tappan edged up to No. 2, while Don Bosco’s win over Bergen Catholic in the Non-Public A semifinals moved the Ironmen up to third, while the Crusaders drop from two to four. Glassboro rose from No. 8 and jumped into the Top 5 with a 44-8 win over Burlington City in the Group 1 semifinals.

Phillipsburg remains the lone Big Central team in the statewide Top 25, and they dropped from 14 to 19 after the state semifinal loss to Ramapo. Two BCC teams should finish in the Top 50, with Bridgewater-Raritan at 48, and New Providence at 50.

A table displaying the New Jersey Power Rankings for 2025 Week 10, with schools listed alongside their Strength Index (SI) values.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

Bridgewater-Raritan wins first sectional title, moves up in Big Central Power Rankings; Winslow Twp. holds on to top NJ spot with near-record rating

Phillipsburg’s win in the North 2, Group 4 title game kept the Stateliners atop the Big Central Power Rankings in Week 11, while Bridgewater-Raritan’s win in the North 2, Group 5 final moves them further up, and well into the Top 50 statewide.

New Providence held in second, despite falling to Cedar Grove in the North 2, Group 1 final, while Old Bridge dropped from fourth to seventh after a loss in the Central Jersey Group 5 title tilt. Summit edged down from 13 to 11 in the BCC rankings with a loss in the North 2, Group 3 final. Montgomery held at ninth in the league after falling to Phillipsburg.

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

A table displaying the Big Central Power Rankings for Week 11 of 2025, listing schools, their Strength Index (SI) values, and states.

Statewide, Winslow is back at No. 1 for a second straight week, after the Eagles won the South Jersey Group 4 title, 53-14 over Millville. Their SI shot up to 111.61, slightly higher than the SI they finished with last year, at 111.39.

It’s also just 4.80 points behind the highest finishing Strength Index value since the formula first was used in 2019, set by Mainland following the 2023 season, when they went 14-0 and won the state Group 4 championship. Their SI that year finished at of 116.41, and Winslow potentially has two games to go to catch them: this week against Brick Memorial in the Group 4 semifinals, and the state final – should they beat Brick – against either Ramapo or Phillipsburg.

Winslow’s highest SI ever came last year, when they peaked at 112.03 after Week 10 play.

Speaking of the Stateliners, Phillipsburg remains the lone Big Central team in the statewide Top 25, as Bridgewater-Raritan’s win moved them from 50 to 41 statewide. Elsewhere, Don Bosco Prep dropped from two to four, while Bergen Catholic – which beat St. Joseph-Metuchen in the Non-Public Group A semifinals/first round – took their place, moving up from fourth. Old Tappan held in third, and St. Joseph-Montvale moved from eighth into the top five.

A table displaying the New Jersey Power Rankings for 2025 Week 10, with schools listed alongside their Strength Index (SI) values.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg back to No. 1 in Big Central Power Rankings as New Providence, Old Bridge make moves; Stateliners lone rep in NJ Top 25

Phillipsburg has returned to the top of the Big Central power rankings, following a 55-14 win over Newark Central in the opening round of the playoffs, while St. Joseph-Metuchen fell to No. 3 after a loss to Donovan Catholic back on Friday.

New Providence – still unbeaten after an opening round playoff victory over Secaucus – is up again this week, now in second. The Falcons fell to third, while Old Bridge stayed in fourth, and Manville’s first playoff victory ever moved them up to No. 5, ahead of Somerville, which was upset by Matawan in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group 3 playoffs, in a section they won last year.

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

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

Table displaying the Big Central power rankings for 2025 Week 9, including team names, Strength Index (SI) values, and state rankings.

Statewide, the top three remain the same, with Don Bosco Prep, Winslow Twp. and Bergen Catholic in the same spots they were a week ago, while Old Tappan moves up from seventh to fourth, and Ramapo drops one spot to No. 5.

In the Big Central, St. Joseph’s loss to Donovan Catholic dropped them out of the Top 25, falling all the way from 14 to 43, while New Providence edged up from 35 to 33. That leaves Phillipsburg as the BCC’s lone rep in the Top 25, and the Stateliners climbed from 15 to tenth.

New Jersey Power Rankings table for 2025 Week 9, showing school names and their Strength Index (SI) values.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joseph-Metuchen, Phillipsburg remain atop Big Central Power Rankings, now closer in state Top 25, which finds Don Bosco, Winslow at top

For a third straight week, St. Joseph-Metuchen leads the Big Central Power Rankings, with Phillipsburg right behind them, while Don Bosco Prep and Winslow Twp. are 1-2 on the statewide list.

New Providence – still unbeaten – has now moved into third, with Old Bridge pulling up to four and Somerville down one to fifth as the Knights and ‘Ville flip flop.

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

St. Thomas Aquinas – which took its second Big Central loss of the season after winning 35 in a row against league competition – falls out of the top ten, as Bernards, Rahway – on the strength of a home win over Montgomery Friday – Manville, Piscataway and Woodbridge close out the first ten.

A table displaying the Big Central Power Rankings for high school sports, including team rankings, school names, Strength Index (SI) values, and state rankings.

Statewide, Don Bosco Prep replaced Bergen Catholic at No. 1, with the Crusaders falling to third, and Winslow Twp. holding in second. Ramapo and Washington Twp. again round out the top five in the same spots as last week.

In the Big Central, while St. Joseph-Metuchen held at 14, Phillipsburg climbed up from 19 to 20 on the strength of a good win over Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night.

A table displaying the New Jersey Power Rankings for 2025 Week 8, listing schools and their Strength Index (SI) values.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

Final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten before end of season finds St. Joseph, Phillipsburg 1-2, then more shifting down the list

In the last high school football rankings before the season wraps up in late November/early December, St. Joseph-Metuchen and Phillipsburg remain Nos. 1 and 2 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, while about everyone else behind them shuffled around.

The playoffs begin this week for public schools, while St. Joe’s and St. Thomas Aquinas have one more week of play before their postseason begins. Non-public seeding will take place this coming Sunday.

St. Joseph (8-0) beat Woodbridge at home Saturday afternoon, 17-0, to complete its first regular season sweep through conference play since 2017 under previous coach Rich Hilliard. They did the same in 2016 and 2014 under Casey Ransone, as well. The Falcons close out their regular season down the Shore Friday night when they visit Donovan Catholic (6-3).

Phillipsburg (7-1) picked up a hard-fought win over visiting Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night at Maloney Stadium, 36-13. The Stateliners picked up the overall No. 1 seed in North Group 4 and will be the top-seed in North 2, Group 4, hosting 8-seed Newark Central (6-3) this Friday.

Up a spot to third is Somerville (8-1), which beat Watchung Hills on the road, 35-15, in its regular season finale Friday night. The Pioneers – the defending Central Jersey Group 3 champions – got the second-seed in that section and will face seven-seed Matawan (5-4) at home Friday night at 7:00.

Rising four spots to fourth is Sayreville (8-1), which beat previous No. 7 St. Thomas Aquinas at home Friday night, 33-26. The Bombers drew a two-seed in South Group 5 and will host 7th-seed Trenton (6-3) at 7 pm Friday.

Holding at five was Woodbridge (7-2). The Barrons fell to top-ranked St. Joe’s 17-0 Saturday afternoon, but picked up a two-seed in a North 2, Group 4 playoff section crowded with Big Central teams. They will face 7th-seed Rahway (6-3) Friday night at 6:00.

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

Dropping from third to sixth after a 28-7 loss at unranked Rahway was Montgomery (6-3). The Cougars have been a bit banged up, but will get to host a playoff home game, taking the third seed in North 2, Group 4, where they’ll host 6th-seed Westfield (4-5) Friday night at 7.

Down one spot to seven is Bernards (9-0), which just completed its third straight undefeated regular season with a 22-0 home win over Carteret on Friday. The Mountaineers will be the second seed in North 2, Group 2, and have a first round home game Friday at 7 against seventh-seed Madison (5-3).

Up two spots to eight after a solid, 42-22 home win over Colonia is Old Bridge (8-1). The Knights got a three-seed in South Jersey Group 5, where they’ll host a first-round game Saturday night at 6:00 pm against 6th-seed Freehold Twp (5-4).

Back in the top ten – even though they lost at No. 2 Phillipsburg Friday, 36-13, is Bridgewater-Raritan (6-3) at nine. The Panthers survived a couple games without QB Declan Kurdyla, and got the top-seed in North 2, Group 5, where they will host Linden (3-6) Friday night at 6 at Basilone Field.

And down a spot to ten is Piscataway, which picked up the second seed, right behind Bridgewater, in North 2, Group 5. The Chiefs were 36-0 winners at Monroe on Friday, and will play 6th-seed Plainfield (4-5) in the opening round of the playoffs Saturday afternoon at 1 pm, iun a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Below is the full Bellamy & Son Paving Week 8 High School Football Top Ten:

Table displaying the Central Jersey Sports Radio Week Eight Top Ten high school football rankings, featuring team names, records, and previous rankings.