Category: Football Top Ten

by Mike Pavlichko

Little movement in CJSR Football Top Ten for Week 8 as nine ranked teams win

In the final Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football rankings before the end of the season – our next one will be our final Top Ten once the playoffs are over – there was very little movement, as only the bottom three teams changed, and Somerville remained No. 1

With the playoffs starting next week for 160 public schools across the state, we’ll have our next rankings, as always, after all is said and done.

Somerville capped a perfect 9-0 regular season with a 45-7 home win over Watchung Hills Friday night. The Pioneers have allowed just 21 points in the last five games, including two shutouts, and two of those three scores came in garbage time with a running clock. They’re allowing 8.7 points per game and outscoring the opposition by 27 per game. Somerville earned the top overall seed in South 3, and they will open play as the No. 1 seed in Central Group 3 Friday night against Absegami (5-4) out of the West Jersey Football League.

Woodbridge also finished off a 9-0 regular season with a 36-35 win over then-No. 8 St. Joseph-Metuchen. The Barrons, who finished their third undefeated regular season in six years, earned the second seed in North 2 Group 4 and will entertain seventh-seed Watchung Hills (5-4) at 6 pm Friday in the opening round.

Third is St. Thomas Aquinas (7-2), holding steady after a 43-20 win over Sayreville at home on Senior Night. Public schools still have one more week of action. The Trojans were set to travel to Riverdale Baptist (MD), but according to head coach Tarig Holman says that game was cancelled by the Crusaders.

Holding in fourth is Bernards, which is the third Big Central team to finish off an unbeaten regular season. The Mountaineers cruised past Carteret at the Pit Friday night, 35-7 and picked up the No. 2 seed in North 1 Group 2, where they will face seventh-seed Rutherford (6-2) at Olcott Field on Friday night.

Ridge (7-1) holds in fifth after a 28-10 home win over Westfield Friday night. The Red Devils have won seven straight since dropping their opener and will be the two-seed in North 1 Group 4, hosting Rahway (7-2) in the opening round, one of three all-Big Central playoff matchups this coming weekend.

Phillipsburg (7-1) holds in sixth, following a 49-21 win at Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night. The Stateliners will take a five-game win streak into the playoffs Friday night when – as the top-seed in North 2 Group 4 – they will host 8-seed Nutley (4-5) out of the Super Essex Conference.

Red-hot Hillsborough (6-3) remains at No. 7, after a 38-21 home win over Hunterdon Central on Senior Night. The Raiders have won four straight after starting the season 2-3 and will be the third-seed in South Group 5, hosting 6th-seed Freehold Township (5-2) out of the Shore Conference in Friday night’s opening round.

Moving up a spot to eighth is Rahway (7-2), which earned itself a second seed in North 1 Group 4. They beat winless Montgomery Friday, 28-3, and will open the playoffs at two-seed Ridge (7-1) Friday night at seven at Lee Field.

Also up a spot this week is Piscataway (6-3). The Chiefs are ninth after a 52-0 home win over Monroe Friday night. They got a three-seed in North 1 Group 5, and hot 6th-seed Bayonne (6-2) out of the Super Football Conference.

Falling to tenth this week is St. Joseph-Metuchen, which fell to 5-3 after a 36-35 defeat at the hands of Woodbridge Friday, the Falcons’ third loss in a row. They have one more regular season game before the playoffs start: Saturday at home against St. John Vianney (6-3).

This week, we also changed “Also Considered” to “Also Recognized” to draw attention to some teams who’ve had excellent results but might not otherwise make a top ten filled with large and small schools.

Looking at unranked schools with two or fewer losses, we recognize New Providence (7-2), Delaware Valley (6-2), Cranford (6-2), Johnson (7-1), Spotswood (8-1), and Belvidere (8-1) for their outstanding efforts this season.

Below is the complete Week 8 Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big Central, New Jersey Power Rankings: Week 7

Every week this season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will continue to publish the Big Central and New Jersey Power Rankings.

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

The rankings use the official NJSIAA Strength Index values calculated by Gridiron New Jersey, which updates them on each team’s page on a weekly basis. Our rankings use the official SI calculations as of October 23, 2024.

The top four teams remain the same, but the middle two flip-flopped this week. Phillipsburg holds the top spot, but Somerville is now up one to second, and Ridge drops one spot to third. St. Thomas Aquinas holds in fourth, while the top five is rounded out by Hillsborough. The Raiders supplant the Chiefs and move up from No. 10 with their 27-14 win at Piscataway last Friday night. Piscataway nudged down a spot to sixth.

Big Central Conference Power Rankings after Week 7

As for the state Top 25, all four Big Central Conference teams on the list last week remain. Phillipsburg climbed from 14 to ninth place, while Somerville is up five from 17th to No. 12. Ridge edged down one notch to 17, while St. Thomas Aquinas stayed put at 20.

Statewide, Winslow and Bergen Catholic remain Nos. 1 and 2, while Millville pulled into third and joined the “100 SI Club” this week, jumping Toms River North into third. Union City rose two spots from six to four, while the Mariners round out the top five.

New Jersey Power Rankings – Top 25 after Week 7

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.

by Mike Pavlichko

Somerville overtakes Woodbridge for top spot in CJSR Week 7 H.S. Football Top Ten

Though both teams won this week and remain undefeated, as we head into Cutoff Weekend, Somerville has overtaken Woodbridge in the Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football Top Ten.

The Pioneers have generally blown out opponents this season, with frequent running clocks, and their speed appears to be unmatched. Their defense has allowed only 14 points in the last four weeks – a touchdown in each of their last two games, following back-to-back shutouts and their average margin of victory is just under 34 points in those games, three of which are likely playoff teams in Plainfield, Hillside and Summit.

Somerville (8-0) most recently won at Plainfield Friday night, 30-7. They host Watchung Hills (5-3) this coming Friday, and will likely be the overall No. 1 seed in the playoffs in South Jersey Group 3, which would give them home field through a potential group semifinal. (Finals are at neutral sites.)

Woodbridge (8-0) was a 28-17 winner over Summit on the road Saturday afternoon. The Barrons close out the regular season with a visit from No. 8 St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-2) this Friday night.

St. Thomas Aquinas (6-2) remains in third after a come-from-behind win at then-No. 7 St. Joseph-Metuchen Saturday afternoon, 34-20, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. That extended their Big Central-record win streak to 30 games. This week, the Trojans host Sayreville (3-5), which snapped a two-game losing streak last week with a 7-0 win over Montgomery.

Bernards (8-0) keeps at No. 4 after a 34-7 road win at Governor Livingston Saturday afternoon, stretching their second-best active Big Central winning streak to 22 games. The Mountaineers will look to close out back-to-back undefeated regular seasons for the first time since 1995 and 1996 when they travel to Carteret (3-5) Friday night.

Ridge (6-1) holds in fifth. The Red Devils have now won six straight since a season-opening loss at St. Joe’s, 37-34. Friday night, they won 42-14 at North Brunswick, and will entertain Westfield (4-3) this Friday, with a chance to lock down a top seed in North Group 4. Currently, the Red Devils are second in the supersection, right behind Phillipsburg, but have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Stateliners.

Phillipsburg (6-1) stays in sixth after a 44-0 win over Union Friday night at Stewart Field. The Stateliners will be back down Route 78 – but not quite as far – then down 287 this Friday night when they travel to Bridgewater-Raritan (3-5).

Hillsborough (5-3) moves up from No. 10 to No. 7 after a 27-14 win at then-No. 8 Piscataway Friday night. The Raiders – after starting the season 2-3 – have won three straight. This Friday, they host Hunterdon Central (4-4), losers of two straight.

Falling a spot to No. 8 is St. Joseph-Metuchen (6-2), which lost its second in a row Saturday afternoon, falling 34-20 to No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons will try and get back on track Friday night when they travel to No. 2 Woodbridge (8-0).

At No. 9 is Rahway (6-2). The Indians hold steady after a 42-0 victory over winless New Brunswick. They’ll face an 0-fer team for the second straight week, as they travel to Montgomery (0-8) Friday night.

Falling two spots to tenth is Piscataway (5-3), which had a three-game winning streak snapped by then-No. 7 Hillsborough, 27-14. The Chiefs close out the regular season Friday night at home against Monroe (4-4).

Also considered were Delaware Valley and Johnson, both 6-1.

Below is the complete Week 7 Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big Central, New Jersey Power Rankings: Week 6

Every week this season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will continue to publish the Big Central and New Jersey Power Rankings.

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

The rankings use the official NJSIAA Strength Index values calculated by Gridiron New Jersey, which updates them on each team’s page on a weekly basis. Our rankings use the official SI calculations as of October 7, 2024.

Phillipsburg takes the top spot, moving up three places after beating highly-regarded St. Joseph of Metuchen Friday night. Meanwhile, Ridge and Somerville find themselves tied at No. 2, the Pioneers holding steady, the Red Devils dropping from first.

Big Central Conference Power Rankings after Week 6

As for the state Top 25, there are four Big Central Conference teams on the list for the first time this season. Phillipsburg went from No. 25 all the way up to 14, while Ridge dropped two spots and is tied with Somerville, which rose two places. St. Thomas Aquinas returns, at No. 10.

Statewide, the top four remain the same for the second straight week.

New Jersey Power Rankings – Top 25 after Week 6

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.

by Mike Pavlichko

Another week of relative calm in Week 6 CJSR H.S. Football Top Ten as Hillsborough, Rahway rejoin the rankings

Woodbridge remains the No. 1 team in the Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football rankings, while there was a small shakeup in the middle, and two previously-ranked teams return to the top ten after Week Six.

Woodbridge (7-0) remained undefeated with a 28-7 home win over Montgomery Friday night. The Barrons are back in action Saturday when they travel to Union County to take on Summit (4-2). The Hilltoppers have lost two straight since starting 4-0.

Somerville (7-0) holds in second after blitzing North Hunterdon at home Thursday night, 56-7. That touchdown by the Lions was the only score the Pioneers have allowed in the last three games. Nest up is a Friday night trip to Hub Stine Field to take on Plainfield (4-2).

Edging up a spot to No. 2 is Somerville (6-0). The Pioneers handed Summit its first loss of the season, rolling up 41 points and kickstarting the running clock before halftime in a 41-0 win at Brooks Field Friday night. The ‘Ville is home Thursday night against North Hunterdon (2-4), which has won two of its last three after starting 0-3 on the season.

St. Thomas Aquinas (5-2) remains in third after a blowout win over Edison at home, 57-7, Friday night. The Trojans will face off against No. 7 St. Joseph of Metuchen this Saturday morning at 11 am, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Bernards (7-0) holds steady in fourth after a come-from-behind win over Summit, 29-22, as heard Thursday evening on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Mountaineers will make the short trip along Route 78 to Governor Livingston (3-4) Saturday afternoon. The Highlanders will be coming in hot after a 50-46 shootout win this weekend over Voorhees.

Ridge (5-1) rises one place to No. 5 this week after a 41-13 American Silver division win over Hunterdon Central in a battle of the Red Devils. They will travel to North Brunswick (1-6) this Friday night.

Phillipsburg (5-1) climbs from seventh to sixth after a thoroughly dominating 49-14 win Friday night at Maloney Stadium over St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-1), which drops from five to No. 7. The Stateliners visit Union (1-6) Friday night, while the Falcons host St. Thomas Aquinas at 11 am on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

No change this week for Piscataway (5-2), which holds steady at No. 8 after a 55-0 road blowout of East Brunswick. The Chiefs will entertain No. 10 Hillsborough (4-3) Friday night.

The last two spots go to teams making their return to the rankings this season.

Rahway (5-2) is back in at No. 9 after a 14-10 win at Watchung Hills Saturday night. The Indians host winless New Brunswick at home Friday night.

The final spot goes to Hillsborough (4-3), which won back-to-back games for the first time Thursday night, when the Raiders won at Bridgewater-Raritan, 34-24. Hillsborough travels to No. 8 Piscataway Friday night for an early 6 pm kickoff.

Dropping out this week were No. 9 Watchung Hills – which fell to Rahway Saturday night – and No. 10 Johnson, which lost its first game of the year Friday night, 42-34 to Delaware Valley.

Watchung Hills was still considered, as was Plainfield (4-2).

Below is the complete Week 6 Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Woodbridge stays at the top, Somerville and St. Joseph rise in Week 5 CJSR H.S. Football Top Ten

There was no change at No. 1 this week, but Somerville and St. Joseph climbed in the Week 5 Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football Top Ten, while two new teams – Watchung Hills and Johnson – joined the rankings this week, with just a few more games left before Cutoff Weekend.

Woodbridge improved to 6-0 with a 35-0 shutout at Perth Amboy Friday night. The Barrons got three touchdowns from senior Shamar Wells after Jahmir Beal got dinged up early in the game. Woodbridge hosts Montgomery (0-6) Friday night.

Edging up a spot to No. 2 is Somerville (6-0). The Pioneers handed Summit its first loss of the season, rolling up 41 points and kickstarting the running clock before halftime in a 41-0 win at Brooks Field Friday night. The ‘Ville is home Thursday night against North Hunterdon (2-4), which has won two of its last three after starting 0-3 on the season.

St. Thomas Aquinas (4-2) took Paramus Catholic to the brink on the road Friday night, falling 35-34 in overtime when a chance to win the game on a two-point conversion was broken up by the Paladins. The Trojans host in-town foe Edison (3-3) Friday night, riding a league best 28-game win streak against Big Central competition.

Bernards (6-0) is now at 20 straight Big Central wins after a 28-0 home win over South Plainfield Friday night. Thursday, the Mountaineers entertain Summit (4-1), in the first of two “Big Central Game of the Week” broadcasts this week, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Click here to listen, with kickoff scheduled for 7 pm.

Rising this week to No. 5 is St. Joseph-Metuchen, which is now 5-0 – and has won nine straight Big Central games going back to last season – thanks to a 40-14 home victory Friday night over North Brunswick. This week, it’s a big clash with No. 7 Phillipsburg (4-1) out at Maloney Stadium on Friday night.

In sixth is Ridge (4-1), a 49-7 winner over winless Union Friday night. The Red Devils travel to Hunterdon Central (4-2, also considered this week) for a Thursday night Week 6 contest.

Phillipsburg (4-1) is at No. 7. The Stateliners got past West Orange on the road in a non-conference matchup Friday night. It’s back to Big Central competition this Friday when St. Joe’s comes in.

At No. 8 this week is Piscataway (4-2), up two spots after a 42-13 win at rival Sayreville. They play the second of back-to-back road games Thursday when they visit East Brunswick (1-5).

New to the rankings this week are Watchung Hills (5-1) and A.L. Johnson (5-0).

The Warriors were 33-0 winners at South Brunswick on Saturday afternoon, and will host Rahway (4-2) next Saturday. The Crusaders knocked off Governor Livingston in Berkeley Heights Saturday, and will be back home in Clark Friday to take on Delaware Valley (4-1).

Dropping out this week were No. 7 Old Bridge (3-3) – which lost 14-7 at Morristown Saturday – and No. 9 Colonia, which fell to 4-2 with a 27-21 loss at Edison Friday.

Hunterdon Central (4-2) and Summit (4-1) also were considered.

Below is the complete Week 5 Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Relative calm in Week 4 CJSR H.S. Football rankings as Woodbridge stays No. 1

After a few weeks of relative calm, followed by big upheaval and a new No. 1 team last week, the Week Four Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football rankings saw very little change this week.

Teams one through seven stayed put, while Piscataway rejoined the rankings at No. 10 with a win over previously-No. 8 South Brunswick.

Woodbridge remains No. 1 after improving to 5-0 with a 42-12 win at home over Linden Friday night. The Barrons take the short trip over to neighboring Perth Amboy Friday night to take on the Panthers (1-4).

Holding in second is St. Thomas Aquinas (4-1), which wasn’t really worried about anything else in Friday night’s game at Elizabeth other than Chase Young, the senior runningback who collapsed and was taken to the hospital late in the third quarter. The game was called and won’t be finished, with Aquinas coming out with a 25-8 win. The Trojans will visit Paramus Catholic (2-2) in a big test Friday night.

At No. 3 is Somerville, holding there after improving to 5-0 with a 22-0 shutout win Saturday at Conant Street Park against Hillside. Friday night, it’s a battle of undefeated teams at Brooks Field, as the Pioneers host Summit (4-0).

Ridge (3-1) holds in fourth, having won three straight, the latest a 47-10 win at Bridgewater-Raritan Friday. The Red Devils host winless Union (0-5) Friday night in Basking Ridge.

At No. 5, Bernards holds its ground after improving to 5-0 with a 35-14 win at JP Stevens Friday. The Mountaineers are back at it Friday night when South Plainfield (1-4) comes to Olcott Field.

Holding steady at No. 6 is Phillipsburg (3-1). The Stateliners hung on to beat Hillsborough 42-35 Friday night, and next play a non-conference game at West Orange (4-1) Friday night.

Old Bridge (3-2) remains in seventh, winners of two straight after a Friday victory, 31-7, over East Brunswick at home in the Battle of Route 18. This Friday, they also play a non-conference game, visiting Morristown (2-3).

Up a spot to eighth is St. Joseph-Metuchen, which is 4-0 after winning Saturday afternoon at Westfield, 35-16. The Falcons come back home this Saturday to host struggling North Brunswick (1-4).

Also up a spot – moving to ninth – is Colonia (4-1). The Patriots edged out Perth Amboy at home Friday night, 27-20, and travel to Edison (2-3) this Friday in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Returning to the rankings this week is Piscataway (3-2). The Chiefs are back in after a solid 25-0 shutout win over South Brunswick, which has now lost two straight after starting the season 3-0. The Chiefs play the first of back-to-back road games Friday night when they visit Sayreville (2-3).

Also considered in this week’s rankings are Rahway (4-1), Johnson (4-0) and Summit (4-0), all of which won this week.

Below is the full Central Jersey Sports Radio Week 4 Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Six of ten ranked teams fall in Week 3; Woodbridge moves to No. 1 in CJSR Top Ten

The upper part of the Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football Top Ten had some good stability for a couple of weeks. It was nice while it lasted.

Six ranked teams – headlined by No. 1 Phillipsburg – lost this past weekend, demonstrating immense parity in the Big Central Conference. The other five to lose were all in the bottom half of the rankings, and only two of those teams remained in the Top Ten this week.

Taking over the No. 1 spot is Woodbridge (4-0.) The Barrons built an early lead Saturday afternoon at No. 9 Colonia, and needed all of it and more to hang on to beat the Patriots, 42-39, for the program’s 500th all-time win. The Barrons host Linden (1-3) Friday night.

Woodbridge jumped ahead of St. Thomas Aquinas, which holds at No. 2. Three of the Barrons’ four wins have come against teams ranked at some point this season, while the Trojans have one win against a ranked team, but also have played two out-of-state opponents, losing the first of those games. Aquinas crushed previously unbeaten Franklin Friday night in North Edison, 56-6, and travels to Elizabeth (2-2) next Friday night.

Moving up a spot to third is Somerville (4-0). The Pioneers beat ranked Rahway, previously No. 10, 32-16 at Brooks Field Friday night, and play at Hillside (2-2) next Saturday afternoon.

Ridge (2-2) re-enters the rankings at No. 4 this week after beating then-top-ranked Phillipsburg, 28-21 Friday night, dominating the ground game, and holding the Stateliners to under 100 yards rushing. The Red Devils are back in action Friday night at Bridgewater-Raritan (2-2).

Holding in fifth is Bernards (4-0), which was a 33-13 winner over Voorhees at Olcott Field Friday night. The defending North 2, Group 2 champs have won 18 straight games against Big Central schools, the second-best such streak in the league, and visit JP Stevens (1-2) next Friday night.

Phillipsburg (2-1) drops to No. 6 after the loss to Ridge Friday night, and will be back in action at home this Friday against Hillsborough (2-2), fresh off a home rout of Sayreville.

Old Bridge (2-2) makes its debut this season at No. 7 after beating previously-undefeated and No. 6 South Brunswick (3-1), 21-6, while the Vikings drop to eighth. The Knights will host East Brunswick (1-3) Friday night at 7 in the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, while South Brunswick visits Piscataway (2-2) Thursday at 6 pm. (Note: That game is a Thursday night since Rutgers is hosting Washington in its Big Ten opener Friday night at 8:00.)

Another debut this week, this time for St. Joseph-Metuchen (3-0). The Falcons egded out Elizabeth 21-20 the the road Friday night, and are back on the road Saturday afternoon for a meeting with Westfield at Kehler Stadium.

Colonia (3-1) fell to tenth after their Saturday afternoon loss to Woodbridge. The Patriots play again Friday night at home against Perth Amboy (1-3).

Also considered in this week’s rankings are Rahway (3-1), Johnson (3-0) and Summit (3-0). The Indians fell to Somerville and host North Hunterdon (1-3) Friday night. The Crusaders beat Roselle 35-8 on Friday, and travel to Metuchen (3-1) Saturday afternoon. The Hilltoppers beat Carteret at home 33-12 Saturday, and are back next Saturday against Cranford (2-1).

Below is the full Central Jersey Sports Radio Week 3 Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams keep pace in Week 2 CJSR H.S. Football Top Ten; Colonia and Rahway debut

Once again, the upper echelon in the Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football rankings didn’t change, but there was turmoil in the bottom half.

Phillipsburg, St. Thomas Aquinas, Woodbridge and Somerville all held their positions at the top, but No. 5 Hillsborough and No. 9 Bridgewater-Raritan – both of which lost to drop to 1-2 – fell out. That left room for Colonia and Rahway to make their debuts in the last two spots, in that order.

Phillipsburg continues to hold the No. 1 position, improving to 2-0 Friday night with a 35- shutout of Hunterdon Central. The Stateliners visit Ridge (1-1) this Friday night, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with kickoff at 7 pm and Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas on the call of the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Holding at No. 2 is St. Thomas Aquinas, which moved to 2-1 after a 42-6 thumping of North Brunswick on the road Friday night that extended their league-best win streak against Big Central competition to 26 games. They’re back at it Friday in their home opener against Franklin (3-0).

Staying in third is Woodbridge (3-0). The Barrons got four touchdowns from Jahmir Beal Friday night in a 41-26 home win over Plainfield. Next up is in-town rival and newly-ranked Colonia (3-0) on the road on the blue turf.

Holding the line in fourth is Somerville (3-0). The Pioneers crushed Montgomery 42-7 on the road Friday night, and will entertain Rahway (3-0) in a battle of undefeated teams Friday night at Brooks Field.

Up a spot this week t No. 5 is Bernards (3-0). The Mountaineers got just one touchdown, but that’s all they needed Friday night to beat Delaware Valley in Alexandria to win the Mountain Valley Trophy game between rivals for the third year in a row. Voorhees (2-1) comes to Olcott Field this Friday night.

South Brunswick (3-0) also is up a spot to No. 7, as the Vikings won their third road game in a row to start the season, topping Monroe 28-21. It’s the first time South Brunswick has won its first three road games of the year since 2-16, when they went 8-3 under Joe Goerge – in his first go-round. They’ll play their first home game of the year Friday night when Old Bridge (1-2) comes to Monmouth Junction.

Piscataway (2-1) rose to No. 7 after a narrow, gut-check 22-21 win over Old Bridge that wasn’t over until Najay Best recovered an Old Bridge fumble in the closing seconds. The Chiefs go out-of-conference next week when they visit Ridgewood (3-0), the first meeting between the teams since the 2018 North 5 regional bowl game, which Piscataway won to finish undefeated, 13-0, the most wins ever recorded by a Middlesex County team.

Despite the loss to top-ranked Phillipsburg, Hunterdon Central (2-1) holds in eighth. The Red Devils entertain Bridgewater-Raritan (1-2) in Flemington Friday night.

Then, there are two new teams in the rankings. In ninth is Colonia (3-0). The Patriots came back to beat Linden on the road in Union County on Saturday afternoon, and host Woodbridge (3-0) Friday night.

New to the rankings in tenth is Rahway (3-0). With a 28-7 road win Friday at Perth Amboy, the Indians have allowed just one touchdown apiece in the last two games, and will visit Somerville (3-0) in a battle of unbeatens Friday night.

Also considered in this week’s rankings are Ridge (1-1) and Summit (2-0). The Red Devils thumped Hillsborough 34-7 at home Friday and entertain No. 1 Phillipsburg (2-0) Friday, while Summit (2-0) trampled Hillside on the road 41-14 Saturday afternoon.

Below is the full Central Jersey Sports Radio Week 2 Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams hold steady in Week 1 CJSR H.S. Football rankings; Hunterdon Central, Bridgewater-Raritan, South Brunswick debut

While the top half of the Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football rankings remained steady this week, there was a bit of a shakeup in the bottom five, as teams eight through ten – North Brunswick, Ridge and Watchung Hills – all dropped out.

That made way for three new teams to join the Big Central Conference’s best, with Hunterdon Central, Bridgewater-Raritan and South Brunswick joining the fray.

Holding at No. 1 this week is Phillipsburg, which won its opener Friday night at Maloney Stadium against Westfield, 44-17. The Stateliners host No. 8 Hunterdon Central (2-0) this Friday night and put a six-game Big Central winning streak on the line.

Staying at No. 2 is St. Thomas Aquinas (1-1). The Trojans rebounded from a season-opening loss to beat Lincoln (NY) up at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson Saturday night, 53-28. Aquinas will visit winless North Brunswick (0-2) Friday night to begin Big Central play, having won 25 straight against league competition, the longest current streak of its kind in the BCC.

Off to a 2-0 start under new head coach Joe Goerge, Woodbridge remains at No. 3, following a 13-10 win over then No. 10 Watchung Hills Friday night. The Barrons will host Plainfield (1-1) Friday night at 7 pm in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Somerville (2-0) holds in fourth place following a 32-14 win over Cranford in the Pioneers’ first road game of the season. They’re back on the trail Friday night when they visit Montgomery (0-2).

And holding in fifth is Hillsborough (1-1), which edged out Union 21-14 at home Friday night to get in the win column after a one-point season-opening defeat at Somerville. The Raiders travel to Ridge (0-1) Friday night.

Bernards (2-0) moves up to No. 6 after a solid 30-14 win over Hillside Friday night. The Mountaineers have now won ten straight home games and 16 in a row overall against the Big Central, the league’s second-biggest streak at the moment. They’ll visit Delaware Valley Friday night for the Mountain Valley Trophy.

Debuting at No. 7 is South Brunswick. The Vikings are 2-0 after their first win in seven years over arch-rival North Brunswick, a 30-21 victory at Steve Libro Field. They’ll make their shortest trip of the year Friday night when they play at Monroe (1-1).

Hunterdon Central also is new to the rankings this week. The Red Devils are off to a 2-0 start for the second year in a row (they began 4-0 last year) after a 30-14 win over Monroe, and will visit top-ranked Phillipsburg (1-0) Friday night at Maloney Stadium in a huge divisional matchup.

The third new team this week is Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1), which checks in at No. 9 after beating then No. 6 Piscataway in a wild game Friday night, 52-48. That result also moves Piscataway (1-1) down to No. 10. The Panthers visit 1-0 Morris Knolls Saturday for a non-league game, while the Chiefs play Friday night at Old Bridge (1-1).

Also considered in this week’s rankings are Rahway and Colonia, both 2-0.

Below is the full Central Jersey Sports Radio Week 1 Top Ten: