Category: Top Ten

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg continues to lead Big Central Power Rankings in Week Two, and now joins the statewide Top 25

Once again, Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan remain the top two teams in the Week 2 Big Central power rankings – just as they did last week. And just like last week, there was much movement behind them.

St. Joseph-Metuchen – with a win over the Panthers Saturday afternoon, 43-36 – pulled up from No. 5 to No. 3. And while Bridgewater’s Strength Index rating fell as a result, it was not low enough overall to drop them in the rankings.

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 held at No. 4, while Old Bridge got its first win of the season and pulled up from 12th to fifth. Piscataway climbed four spots to No. 6 on the strength of a 28-14 win over a Somerville team that was rated higher than them. Elizabeth climbed four spots to seventh, Rahway edged up a spot to eight after knocking off Summit at home, Ridge went from 15 to 9 after a win over Sayreville, and Somerville’s loss to the Chiefs dropped them to ten.

Statewide, Phillipsburg made its move into the Top 25, the first team from the Big Central to appear there after no one did in the preseason or Week One. The Stateliners check in at No. 24 this week, a shade ahead of No. 25 Passaic Tech, going up six spots from No. 30. Bridgewater-Raritan had been knocking on the door at 32, but fell to 44 with the loss to the Falcons.

No. 1 Winslow saw its lead shrink a bit over Don Bosco Prep, from 5.58 points to 4.46, but continues to hold the top spot over the Ironmen. Glassboro remains in third, but Donovan Catholic surged up from nine to four with a 45-13 rout of St. John Vianney, while Shabazz moved into the five spot from six with a 13-0 whitewash of Passaic Tech.

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

Top teams win, middle teams drop games, so Bellamy & Son Paving Week 2 Top Ten sees more changes; Phillipsburg still No. 1

Four of the teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Week One Top Ten lost last weekend, which leaves half of them still in the rankings, and the other half out, while the top four all stayed put in Week Two.

That starts with Phillipsburg (2-0) still atop the list, after a 24-10 win at Emmaus (PA) Friday. The Stateliners finish out their three-game Pennsylvania stretch to start the season this Friday when they visit Freedom (PA).

St. Joseph-Metuchen (1-0) won its season-opener in thrilling fashion Saturday afternoon, outlasting then-No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan, 43-36. The Falcons are back at it Friday afternoon at 4 when they travel to Westfield.

Holding in third is Piscataway (2-0). The Chiefs were 28-14 winners over then No. 5 Somerville Friday night in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week, the first time the Pioneer offense has been held without a point since 2023. Thus week, it’s a Thursday trip to East Brunswick for Piscataway.

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

Rounding out the unchanged top four is Old Bridge (1-1), which got in the win column after a season-opening non-conference loss to Shawnee in the Battle at the Beach in Ocean City with a 49-21 win over Montgomery Friday. Thursday, the Knights visit South Brunswick, in our Friday night Bellamy & Son Paving Game of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Up a notch from six to five this week is Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1). Though the Panthers lost, they hung in nearly to the wire Saturday in a 43-36 loss at No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen. This week, it’s the Battle of Route 206 as Bridgewater welcomes in Hillsborough.

Flipping with Bridgewater and dropping one spot to sixth is Somerville (1-1), which took a 28-14 loss at No. 3 Piscataway Friday night in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week. The Pioneers host North Hunterdon on Thursday.

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

The next two teams both move up two spots this week, after losses by then-No. 7 Sayreville and then No. 8 Summit, both of whom dropped out. It starts with Elizabeth (2-0) at No. 7, following a 43-20 home win over Plainfield Friday. The Minutemen visit Union this Friday. And St. Thomas Aquinas (2-0) moves up to No. 8 after a 24-20 win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood, with a Friday date at Franklin awaiting the Trojans.

The final two teams join the rankings for the first time this season. Ridge (1-0) is at No. 9 after opening its season with a 21-7 win over then-No. 7 Sayreville. The Red Devils visit Flemington to play Hunterdon Central this Thursday.

And Rahway (2-0) comes in at No. 10, after a 21-10 home win over previously-No. 8 Summit. The Indians visit Woodbridge Friday as head coach Brian Russo goes up against his alma mater, where he also previously coached.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Top two hold, but others make some jumps in Big Central Power Rankings after opening weekend

Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan remain Nos. 1 and 2 in the Week 1 Big Central power rankings, but there was some movement behind them.

With a season-opening home win over South Plainfield, Somerville vaulted from five to three, jumping New Providence and St. Joseph-Metuchen, though neither team opened their season last week and will kickoff 2026 this weekend. And the Falcons will have a big game at home against Bridgewater-Raritan, a top five matchup.

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.

St. Thomas Aquinas took a big jump up from 17 to six, helped by their season-opening win over Frank J. Macchiarola (NY) in Brooklyn as well as losses by teams ahead of them like Old Bridge, Bernards and Woodbridge. Manville also benefitted from those defeats, and a blowout of Keansburg, jumping from 14 to seven. Sayreville dropped two spots to eight, while Rahway was up three places to nine and Piscataway edged up one spot to round out the Top Ten.

Statewide, there are still no Big Central teams in the Top 25, but Phillipsburg checks in at 30 (up from 35), while Bridgewater-Raritan is two spots behind, up 12 spots from 46 after a season-opening win at Woodbridge.

No. 1 Winslow extended its lead a bit over No. 2 Don Bosco Prep, but a loss by Bergen Catholic dropped them from three to eight, while Glassboro took the Crusaders’ place at No. 3. Meanwhile, Brick Memorial shot up from 12 to four, and Paramus Catholic soared into the five spot from 14, as Washington Twp. dropped from five to 11 despite a win over Pope John in the Battle at the Beach.

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

No change atop the Week 1 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten, but two new teams join the list

There was little change from the preseason in the latest Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, with Phillipsburg remaining atop the rankings, while two other teams flip-flopped and two others near the bottom dropped out with losses in their opening games.

Phillipsburg remained at No. 1 after a season-opening 28-21 win over Parkland (PA) at Maloney Stadium. The Stateliners open the season with three straight Pennsylvania opponents, and this week, they cross the “state line” to go play Emmaus (PA) Friday night at 7.

St. Joseph-Metuchen was idle, and remains in the No. 2 spot. The Falcons will welcome in No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan (1-0) Saturday for a 1 pm matinee to kick off their 2026 campaign.

Piscataway won its opener, hanging on with a goal line stand to win 26-20 at East Orange, moving them up one spot to No. 3 in the rankings. They’ll play host to No. 5 Somerville – their first meeting since 1987 – Friday night at 6 in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Old Bridge dropped a tough 43-35 decision to Shawnee out of the West Jersey Football League Friday down at the Battle at the Beach in Ocean City. The drops them one spot to fourth this week. Friday night at 6, they visit Montgomery.

Rounding out the top five is Somerville. The Pioneers beat South Plainfield in their opener at Brooks Field, 40-21, on Friday night, and this week, travel to No. 3 Piscataway. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio at 6 pm.

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Bridgewater-Raritan holds in the No. 6 position after opening the season with a dominating 28-7 win at then-No. 8 Woodbridge Friday night, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. This week, it’s a tough test at No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, Saturday at 1 pm at Brenner Family Field.

Sayreville also won its opener, beating Plainfield 23-19 Friday night. That lets them keep the seventh position. The Bombers will host Ridge this Friday at 6:30 pm.

Summit moves up a spot to No. 8 after beating Colonia at home Friday afternoon, 23-21, with Jackson Marx intercepting a two-point conversion just outside the goal line late in the fourth-quarter to help preserve a lead that ended up being the final margin. This week, they visit Rahway for a 6:00 start Friday night.

Jumping in at nine is Elizabeth, one of two new teams in this week’s rankings. The Minutemen were 53-6 winners at Carteret on Friday night, and will visit Plainfield this Friday for a 6 pm kickoff.

The other new team is St. Thomas Aquinas, which won its opener out in Sheepshead Bay over Frank J. Macchiarola (NY), 36-12. The Trojans are back in action Friday, when Westfield visits North Edison for a 6 pm kickoff.

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

Dropping out this week are previous No. 8 Woodbridge and previous No. 10 Bernards. The Barrons lost to Bridgewater-Raritan, 28-7, Friday night, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, while the Mountaineers fell 26-20 at Rutherford Friday night.

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.

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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

New No. 1 highlights final 2026 Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten as Ridge takes top spot

It’s not where you start, but where you finish.

But, to be honest, the Ridge baseball team didn’t have very far to go.

The Red Devils – the only Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team to win an NJSIAA sectional title this season – finish the year at No. 1 in the final Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball rankings, and are the Central Jersey Sports Radio Team of the Year.

The Skyland Conference Delaware Division was a beast this year. Immaculata won the division, second-place Watchung Hills won the Somerset County Tournament, and Ridge beat the Warriors to win the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title last Friday. The Red Devils’ season came to an end, however, in dramatic fashion Monday afternoon, in an 8-7 loss to Ridgewood on a walk-off, leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. They finish the year at 19-11.

Watchung Hills (18-9) – which lost two of three to Ridge this season – finishes second. In the past week, they beat second-seed Bayonne by run-rule, 10-0 in five innings, in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals before falling to Ridge Friday in the title game.

Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament champion Monroe (15-14) comes in third. The Falcons were the tournament’s nine-seed, but beat five-seed Old Bridge to win the title two Saturdays ago in their season finale, after getting knocked out of the state tournament the day before the GMC final.

In fourth is Immaculata (22-6), which was knocked out of the state tournament in the Non-Public South A semifinals by CBA, 1-0 in eight innings. The Spartans won the Skyland Conference Delaware Division at 9-1, their lone regular season division loss coming to Watchung Hills, and they lost to the Warriors in the SCT title game as well.

At five is GMC Tournament finalist Old Bridge (21-10), which won last Wednesday in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, 10-0 over Hightstown in five innings, but then lost in the title game, 14-1, at home to Hunterdon Central on Friday.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 finalist South Plainfield (17-12) finishes sixth. They got the the title game with a 4-2 semifinal win at top-seed Chatham last Wednesday, but fell Friday to Cranford in the final, 10-5.

GMC White Division champion Middlesex (22-6) comes in at seven. The Blue Jays fell in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals last Wednesday to Shore, 2-0 at home, preventing them from having a chance to repeat as CJ1 and state Group 1 champions.

At eight is Edison (19-8). The Eagles – beset by pitching injuries later in the season – got knocked out of the stats in the first round, and the GMC Tournament in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Monroe, but won the GMC’s top division, the GMC Red, with an 11-3 mark, finishing two full games ahead of second-place Old Bridge

Checking in ninth is St. Thomas Aquinas (14-15) – ranked for the first time this season. STA reached the finals in Non-Public North B for the second time in three years with a 7-3 road win at second-seed Rutgers Prep in the semifinals. But the third-seeded Trojans lost at top-seed St. Mary-Rutherford in the title game last Friday, 11-7.

And in tenth, it’s Rutgers Prep (17-8). The Argonauts were Skyland Conference Raritan Division Co-Champions with North Hunterdon – who they split with in the regular season – finishing 8-2 in divisional play, and were knocked out of the states in the Non-Public North B semis last Wednesday by St. Thomas Aquinas, with a 7-3 loss.

Below is the complete and final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the 2026 season:

by Mike Pavlichko

State tourney, GMC final results yield yet another shuffling of Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten

It was a second week in a row of a fairly good amount of upheaval in the Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten.

Why?

Monroe’s upset of Old Bridge in the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament championship game – coupled with the first two rounds of the NJSIAA state tournament – resulted in some changes, including one team making its first appearance in the rankings this season.

Despite all the movement, Watchung Hills (17-8) remained No. 1 this week, one of just two teams in the same position they were last week. The Hustlin’ Warriors dropped their last regular season game on Tuesday, a 12-5 decision at Millburn, but won two games in the state tournament. In the North 2, Group 4 first round, they beat 14-seed Elizabeth 10-0 in a five-inning mercy-rule walkoff, then got by six-seed Westfield in the quarterfinals, 8-6. They’ll be in the sectional semis at second-seed Bayonne this Wednesday.

Continuing its meteoric rise is Monroe (15-14), now the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament champion after knocking off third-seed Old Bridge, 7-0 in the final, as the nine-seed. However, their season is over, as they got knocked out of the state tournament in Central Jersey Group 4 on Friday, 10-2 down at fourth-seed Hightstown. That came after beating 12-seed Montgomery, 1-0, on a walkoff single by Alex Marcus.

Holding at No. 3 is Immaculata (22-5). The Spartans beat Rutgers Prep at home, 7-0 on Tuesday, in preparation for the state tournament. After a first-round by in Non-Public South A, the top-seeded Spartans beat eighth-seed Paul VI, 7-0, in the quarterfinals on Thursday. They’ll get back to it on Tuesday, when they host 5th-seed CBA. Central Jersey Sports Radio will have Sean Newcomb covering that game, and you can follow him in Twitter by clicking here.

Dropping two spots to fourth is Old Bridge (20-9), after falling to Monroe in the GMC title game on Saturday, 7-0. But the Knights’ season is not done. After opening up the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs with a 1-0 win over 16-seed East Brunswick on Wednesday, and following it up with an 8-0 win over eight-seed Freehold Township in Friday’s quarterfinals, the Knights – who had an 11-game win streak snapped Saturday – will look to rebound and move on in the state tournament when they host four-seed Hightstown in the semifinals.

A number of teams edged down a spot or two, mainly due to Monroe’s rise. That includes Ridge (17-10), which dropped one spot to five. On Tuesday, they won a regular season game at Hillsborough, 8-1, then got into the state tournament. They beat 16-seed Barringer (Newark) 13-3 in a mercy-rule five-inning walk-off on Wednesday in the North 2, Group 4 opening round, then walked off eight-seed Phillipsburg in six, by a 10-0 score on Friday. Wednesday, they will face five-seed Bridgewater-Raritan in the semifinals, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio starting at 4 pm, with Mike Pavlichko on the call. Click here to listen.

South Plainfield (16-11) climbs to six this week, one of only two teams (the other, Immaculata) to have a perfect week. The Tigers went 3-0, starting with a 7-1 regular season playoff tune-up victory over Middlesex on Tuesday. The next day, they opened the state playoffs with a 5-0 win over 13-seed JFK in the North 2, Group 3 first round. Friday, they were 7-0 winners over fifth-seed North Plainfield, and now move on to Wednesday’s semifinals, where they’ll go on the road for the first time this year in the states, facing top-seed Chatham.

Middlesex (22-5) drops a notch to seven this week. After the 7-1 loss to South Plainfield on Tuesday, they opened Central Jersey Group 1 play in the state tournament with a 21-1 win in five innings over 16-seed Highland Park, then an 11-1 win on a walk-off in six against eight-seed South Hunterdon. Next up, the Blue Jays play host to five-seed Shore in the CJ1 semifinals on Wednesday.

In the eighth spot is Rutgers Prep (17-7), same as last week. The Argonauts dropped a 70- regular season state tourney tune-up to Immaculata in Flemington on Tuesday, but came back nicely with a 16-0, five-inning win over ten-seed Pope John of Sparta in the Non-Public North B quarterfinals, after getting an opening round bye. Tuesday, they will host third-seed St. Thomas Aquinas at 4 pm in a Skyland-GMC crossover you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Alec Crouthamel calling the action. Click here to listen.

Down two spots to nine is Edison (19-8), which literally limped to the finish line with its top three starters – D1 commits Connor Murphy, Dom Innocenti and Rob Roma – all injured or nagged by arm issues in some way shape or form by the end of the year. None of the three were available for Wednesday’s opening round playoff loss to 15-seed Franklin, 5-4, in the Central Jersey Group 4 section.

And new to the rankings this week is Bridgewater-Raritan. The Panthers – despite a last place finish in the grueling Skyland Conference Delaware Division – proved their metttle not just by reaching the Somerset County Tournament semifinals as a five-seed a couple of weeks ago, but also by reaching the North 2, Group 4 semifinals as a five-seed this week. Bridgewater beat 12-seed Plainfield 11-0 in five innings in the opening round Wednesday, then went on the road in the quarters on Friday and knocked off four-seed JP Stevens, 10-0 in six. Next, they travel to top-seed Ridge for what should be a good rubber match in the sectional semifinals: each team beat the other 4-3 this year in their regular season matchups.

Dropping out was previous No. 10 Colonia. The ninth-seeded Patriots (14-10) lost their opening round North 2, Group 3 playoff game to nine-seed Middletown North, 5-1, on Wednesday, just two weeks after being eliminated from the GMC Tournament in their opening game.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten for Week Nine. NOTE: This will be the final ranking until the season is complete for all CJSR-area clubs.

by Mike Pavlichko

Watchung Hills’ win in SCT propels Hustlin’ Warriors to top spot in Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten

With a new champions of Somerset County baseball comes a new team atop the Bellamy & Son Paving rankings for Week 8: Watchung Hills.

The Warriors displaced No. 1 Immaculata after a 1-0 win over the Spartans in eight innings in the Somerset County Tournament final Friday night, getting the game-winning hit from Stef DeGeronimo, and a three-hit, complete game shutout from starting pitcher Lucas Sheehan, the first sophomore to earn a win in the SCT title game since Casey Cahill of Immaculata did it in 1998.

With that win, and Monday’s semifinal victory over Bridgewater-Raritan, Watchung Hills (15-7) moves up two spots this week to No. 1. They will play a regular-season game at Millburn Tuesday afternoon before opening the state playoffs as a No. 3 seed in North 2, Group 4 first round action at home Wednesday against 14-seed Elizabeth.

Holding in second is Old Bridge (18-8), which only played one game last week, beating Sayreville 9-8 at Fred Cole Field Friday on senior night. The top-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, the Knights will open the playoffs against 16-seed East Brunswick on Wednesday. Should they win, they’ll play a sectional quarterfinal game at home Friday before Saturday’s rescheduled Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament Championship Game against Monroe. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – or watch it live on our YouTube channel – with first pitch scheduled for noon.

Immaculata (20-5) falls to third, going 2-1 in the past week. Between their 7-6 win over Bridgewater-Raritan in the SCT semifinals Monday and their loss in Friday’s championship, they beat West Morris in a regular season game, 1-0, on Friday afternoon. The Spartans are the No. 1 seed in the state tournament’s Non-Public South A section, and will open play on Thursday in the quarterfinals against either nine-seed Donovan Catholic or eight-seed Paul VI.

Ridge (15-9) once again checks in at No. 4. After their 4-2 loss to eventual SCT champion Watchung Hills in the semifinals on Monday, the Red Devils rebounded with a 7-0 win over Madison on Saturday. They’ll open state tournament play on Wednesday as the No. 1 seed in North 2, Group 4, hosting 16-seed Barringer.

Holding at five is Middlesex (20-4), which lost its only game this week, a Tuesday non-conference loss to North Hunterdon, 4-2. They have one more regular season game to play – Tuesday at South Plainfield – before opening state tournament action as the top-seed in Central Jersey Group 1 on Wednesday afternoon against 16-seed Highland Park.

Up one spot to No. 6 is Monroe (13-13), which split a pair of games last week, falling 16-4 to Robbinsville on Monday before coming back to beat South Brunswick, 6-4, on Wednesday. The Falcons will open the state playoffs as the five-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, hosting 12-seed Montgomery in the opening round Wednesday. Should they win, they will get a sectional quarterfinal game on Friday before playing Old Bridge for the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament Championship Saturday afternoon. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – or watch it live on our YouTube channel – with first pitch scheduled for 12 pm.

Down one spot to seven is Edison (19-7), which went 2-1 last week after falling the week prior in the GMC Tournament semifinals to Monroe. The Eagles were 9-1 winners over Somerville Tuesday, and 9-0 victors over Carteret on Wednesday – both at home – before losing, 4-0, to Hunterdon Central on Thursday. Wednesday, they open play as the two-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, hosting 15th-seed Franklin.

Up one spot to eight is South Plainfield (13-13), which was idle last week. The Tigers will open state tournament play as the four-seed in North 2, Group 3 in Wednesday, hosting 13-seed and conference mate JFK.

Rutgers Prep (3-1) is down a spot to nine. They beat Dayton 8-7 Monday, then lost 16-10 in a slugfest to Princeton Day on Tuesday in the Prep B Semifinals. They rebounded with a 5-3 win over Pingry on Thursday and an 11-0 win over Phillipsburg on Friday.

And Colonia (14-9) holds at ten after a 2-2 week. They opened with a 5-0 loss to Woodbridge on Monday, then lost Wednesday, 9-2, at Scotch Plains-Fanwood. But they came back with a 4-1 win at Ferris on Thursday, and beat Dayton 6-3 on Saturday. Wednesday, they open play in the North 2, Group 3 section of the state playoffs as the eight-seed, entertaining nine-seed Middletown North.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Eight:

by Mike Pavlichko

County tournaments wreak havoc on Top Ten, but not at the top; Immaculata still reigns heading into SCT semis Monday

A week of relative stability in the Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball rankings was short-lived.

While Immaculata remained the No. 1 team this week, nearly everyone else shuffled around, much of it centered around upsets and surprises in the GMC Tournament, which saw top-seed Edison get knocked out in the quarterfinals, and second-seed Middlesex eliminated in the semifinals, with finalists Old Bridge and Monroe rising in the rankings.

Immaculata (18-4) was one of just two teams to have a perfect Week 7, going 4-0. They opened with a 17-3 win at DePaul on Tuesday, then won their opener in the Somerset County Tournament, beating eight-seed Montgomery 11-1 in six innings in the quarterfinals on Thursday. They then won two Skyland Conference games, beating Voorhees 8-0 on Friday, and winning 7-2 at Phillipsburg on Saturday. The Spartans will host five-seed Bridgewater Monday afternoon at 4 pm in the SCT semis at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater. Listen to the game here, or watch it on our YouTube channel.

Climbing from No. 6 to No. 2 is GMC Tournament finalist Old Bridge (17-8). The Knights may the hottest team in the area, having won eight straight, going 4-0 each of the past two weeks, and it even looks like it earned them a top seed in Central Jersey Group 4. (Brackets will be announced by the NJSIAA on Tuesday.) Old Bridge opened the week with a 1-0 win over 14-seed Sayreville in the GMCT first round on Monday. After a non-conference win over Manalapan, 12-3, on Tuesday, the Knights beat six-seed Woodbridge 1-0 in eight innings at home in the GMC quarterfinals on Wednesday, then knocked off No. 2 seed Middlesex, 9-3 in eight innings on Saturday afternoon in the semis. Old Bridge will face Monroe in the title game Saturday at 2 pm at Rutgers’ Bainton Field in Piscataway.

Watchung Hills (13-7) moves up from five to No. 4, going 2-2 in the past week. The Hustlin’ Warriors fell 9-2 at home to Holmdel on Wednesday, but won their Somerset County Tournament opener over ten-seed Franklin, 9-5, on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals. They won 6-5 at Madison Friday, but fell at home to Livingston 5-4 on Saturday afternoon. Monday, they’re in the SCT semis at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater against third-seed Ridge. Listen to the game here, or watch it on our YouTube channel.

Ridge (14-8) holds at No. 4, after a 1-2 week, but they won the most important one. After a 6-3 loss at Seton Hall Prep on Monday, and a 7-4 home loss to Mendham on Tuesday, the Red Devils beat six-seed Hillsborough in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals, 7-0, on Thursday afternoon. Ridge will seek a sixth straight trip to the SCT title game Monday when they play second-seed Watchung Hills in the semis at 1 pm. You can hear the game here, or watch it live on our YouTube channel.

At five, it’s Middlesex (20-3), down two spots after falling in the GMC Tournament semifinals Saturday afternoon, 9-3 to Old Bridge, a game in which they erased a 3-0 deficit over the final two innings, but saw the Knights explode for six in the top of the eighth. But the Blue Jays did go 2-1 last week, beating 12-seed South River Monday in the first round, 12-2, then seven-seed St. Thomas Aquinas in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, 3-0.

Edison (17-6) drops down from three to No. 6. The Eagles were 3-1 last week, opening on Monday with a 10-0 win over 17-seed Piscataway Magnet in the GMC Tournament’s first round. But they got knocked off by nine-seed and eventual finalist Monroe, falling 9-1 Wednesday afternoon. The Eagles rebounded, though, with a 5-2 win over South Brunswick on Thursday, and a 7-2 non-conference home win over Nottingham on Saturday.

Monroe (12-12) re-enters the rankings after a two-week hiatus at No. 6. The Falcons went 4-0 in the past week, starting with a win Monday at eight-seed Colonia, 9-2 in the GMC Tournament’s first round. Wednesday, in the quarters, they won at top-seed Edison, 9-1, then took a break with an 8-1 win over Manasquan at home on Thursday, before knocking off five-seed South Plainfield, 1-0, in Saturday’s GMCT semifinals. That puts Monroe in the championship game this Saturday at 2 pm at Rutgers’ Bainton Field in Piscataway.

Rutgers Prep (13-5) falls one spot to No. 8, after a 1-1 week. They beat eight-seed Newark Academy in the opening round of the Prep B Tournament on Wednesday, 6-1, sending them to the semifinals on Tuesday at 4 pm at home against Princeton Day. But they lost Thursday in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals, falling 10-5 in eight innings to fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan, which will face Immaculata in Monday’s second semifinal, with first pitch set for 4 pm.

Holding at No. 9 is South Plainfield (13-11), which had a 2-1 week, all in the GMC Tournament. They won their first-round game Monday, 2-1, over 12-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen, then topped four-seed Metuchen, 7-6, in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, before falling Saturday, 1-0, to nine-seed Monroe.

Dropping out is Metuchen (18-6), which had a 4-1 week, knocked out of the GMC Tournament in the quarterfinals by five-seed South Plainfield on Wednesday, 7-6.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Seven: