Tag: Bernards

by Mike Pavlichko

Bernards girls’ hoops picking up right where it left off, now 8-0 after program best ’24-’25

When last we spoke about Bernards’ girls basketball with head coach Brett Bisconti, the Mountaineers had just finished off Voorhees in the quarterfinal round of the North 2, Group 2 section in the NJSIAA state tournament, and their 23rd win of the season set a new program record for victories.

While they would fall by six two days later at Caldwell in the semifinals, the 2025-26 campaign finds Bernards right where they left off, and with their best start to a season since at least 2006-07, 8-0 on the year. (They started 3-1 and got to eight wins before losing again.)

Their biggest win this season came less than a week ago, back on Thursday, another win over Voorhees, 40-39 in overtime. They also beat Brearley and host Metuchen right before the New Year to win the Bulldogs’ Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament.

A big reason why has been senior Aletha Reynolds, averaging 14.6 points a game with 14 treys and a team-best 23 steals on the year, with the rest of the offense a nice, balanced attack of junior Jasmine Kelleher (9 ppg), fellow junior Maddie Frame (6.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and freshman Jane Freisen (8.3 pg), who Bisconti says might be “the next Aletha Reynolds.”

Bisconti’s first two seasons managed a total of five wins combined, one of those years the infamous COVID-shortened season. But it’s been a steady climb since then: 15 wins in 2022-23 and 14 the next, then last year’s explosion of 23 victories.

This year’s squad is looking for more.

And the Mountaineers begin perhaps their toughest week of the season in divisional play, with a trip to No. 8 Somerville (10-2) Tuesday night to face a Pioneer squad that went 5-0 last week to double their win total, followed by Immaculata (5-6) heading up into the Somerset Hills for a Thursday evening tussle.

Click below to hear Bernards girls’ basketball head coach Brett Bisconti talk about the Mountaineers’ season with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten goes 29-3, leaving little change in Week 5 rankings

What happens when the top ten barely loses a game? Not much apparently.

There were only three losses in 32 games played this past week by the Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ basketball top ten, meaning very little change in the rankings.

It’s now five straight weeks at No. 1 for Rutgers Prep (8-2), which had two wins in a light week, 66-22 over Hunterdon Central on Monday, and 57-24 at Mount St. Mary on Thursday.

That’s followed by St. Thomas Aquinas (11-3) holding it down at No. 2, going 4-0 in the past week. They beat No. 5 East Brunswick 75-42 on Tuesday, then South Brunswick 68-23 on Thursday, and won 92-56 at Piscataway on Friday. Saturday, they beat St. Rose, 52-38, in the Coaches Choice St. Thomas Aquinas Challenge in North Edison.

Holding in third is Gill St. Bernard’s (8-3), which went 3-0 in the past week, beating Pingry 55-50 Tuesday, winning 65-33 at Hunterdon Central Thursday, then 70-39 at Thrive Charter on Saturday.

Hillsborough (8-2) held in fourth. The Raiders lost to Franklin, 72-44, on Tuesday, but came back to win two straight road games, 42-33 at Pingry on Thursday, and 55-17 at neighboring Montgomery on Friday.

East Brunswick (9-2) holds at No. 5. They also dropped their first game of the week – falling 75-42 to St. Thomas Aquinas Tuesday – but rebounded with a 44-40 win at Monroe Thursday, and a 59-46 victory against North Plainfield on Saturday.

Up a spot to seventh is Colonia (9-0), which swept three games in the week gone by. They narrowly beat Spotswood – their closest win of the year – 59-57 on the road Tuesday, then came back with a 51-35 win at Edison Thursday, and a 62-38 win over Old Bridge on Saturday.

Bernards (8-0) continues to win as well, but flip-flopped with Colonia to seven. They were 2-0 last week, beating Voorhees 40-39 Thursday, then picking up a 53-32 win over Hanover Park on Saturday.

Somerville (10-2) holds at No. 8 after a monster 5-0 week. Monday, they beat Science Park out of Newark on the road, 53-18, then won two more road games: 57-28 at Warren Hills Tuesday, and 52-44 at Delaware Valley Thursday. Then, they won twice over the weekend, 50-27 Saturday against Hopewell Valley, then 66-14 over South Plainfield in the Coaches Choice St. Thomas Aquinas Challenge in North Edison on Sunday.

Bound Brook (10-1) remains at No. 9 after a 4-0 week. They won 632-26 at College Achieve Central Tuesday, then beat South Hunterdon 60-18 at home Thursday, and Lawrence on Saturday, 61-36.

Woodbridge (8-2) remains in tenth. After a 73-55 win over North Brunswick on Tuesday, and a 64-27 victory at JP Stevens Thursday, the Barrons lost 61-44 to Monroe on Saturday to complete a 2-1 week.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 5:

by Mike Pavlichko

Saturday Hoops Roundup: No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s boys make case for No. 1 with win over No. 3 Rutgers Prep, Montgomery back to winning; Colonia, Bernards girls stay unbeaten

It’s official: we’re in the thick of high school basketball season.

And we’re nearly at the midpoint of the regular season, considering we’re about a month in for most teams, and in the CJSR coverage area, the county seedings are a little less than a month away.

Here’s a look at games of note from Saturday afternoon/evening:

Gill tops Prep; Will Knights be No. 1?

It was a weak of heavy-hitters going at it in Somerset County this week, starting with Rutgers Prep’s win over Montgomery on Tuesday, the second straight loss for the Cougars. Gill St. Bernard’s beat them on Thursday, leaving the race for the top seed in the Somerset County Tournament mostly between those two.

Bridgewater-Raritan might have been in the mix, heading into Thursday’s home game against Immaculata at 8-0, but the Panthers took their first loss of the season that night, and Rutgers Prep got upset by Pingry.

Still, the Argonauts had a shot with a head-to-head at Gill St. Bernard’s Saturday afternoon. It was a tight one, with the Knights even trailing with five minutes and change left. But in the end, a career high night of 33 points – and ten rebounds – from Prosper Highlander, the Knights triumphed, 90-84.

That should give the Knights the inside track at the top seed in the SCT. With the seeding meeting on Monday, January 26th, all eyes will be on Gill this week, as the No. 1 spot is basically theirs to lose. But they will have to deal with the Big Blue on Tuesday, a game the Knights will host at 7 pm.

Gill gets Bridgewater on the road Thursday at 5:30 (the Panthers host Rutgers Prep Tuesday) but won’t get Immaculata – which beat the Panthers – until Tuesday, the 27th, after the seeding meeting.

Montgomery boys back on the winning track…

The Cougars always play tough competition – in their own league and out of conference – but this week ran into quite the buzzsaw. After an 8-0 start, they lost by two to Linden in the Warrior Classic at Manasquan, a close game Kris Grundy said was just a great game anyone could have won.

He was not as happy against Rutgers Prep, saying in a pre-game interview for Thursday’s meeting with Gill St. Bernard’s that they got out of their game a bit against the Argonauts. And pretty much the same thing happened Thursday against the Knights.

So, it was good to be home on Saturday for their annual Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout, where they picked up a win against a solid, 8-2 Overbrook team out of the Tri-County Conference. Mike Simborsko scored 19 points, while Connor Benedict added 15 for the Cougars, who are now 9-3 on the season and get a bit of an easier week coming up, with Hillsborough – a solid 7-3, but not on a par with Linden, Prep or Gill – on Tuesday, and Phillipsburg (1-7) on Thursday.

Colonia girls are back on the map

The Colonia girls’ basketball team had some grand times when Taylor Derkack and Mattie Chiera were on the floor, after Chiera graduated in 2023 and Derkack in 2024, the Patriots struggled to a 7-20 year in 2024-25 under first-year head coach Jill Bachonski.

Well, that’s a distant memory now, as Colonia has already surpassed last year’s win total and is undefeated: 9-0 on the season. Some wins have been on the close side, like a 59-58 victory where they held off a late surge by Spotswood, and a six-point win over Montclair on the first day of the Charlie Dolan Holiday Tournament up at Kearney, which they won. They also have biggger-margin wins over Edison (twice), and even Old Bridge on Saturday, 62-38.

And while Derkack and Chiera were clearly the stars a few years ago, this team is balanced, and young, so they’ll be together a while.

Sophomore Ariana Sosa is the leading scorer at 12.3 points per game, with a team best 16 treys, and 7.3 rebounds per game. Nasaleah Hooker – the only senior and one of two holdovers from the Derkack-Chiera era – is next at 10.7 points and 13.4 boards per contest. Freshman Samantha Howell is averaging 9.8 per game, and junior Hailey Conklin – the other holdout with Hooker – is averaging almost nine points per game.

That’s balance.

We’ll get our first look at Colonia on Tuesday night this coming week, when the Patriots travel to Middlesex for a 5 pm Red National Division game.

Bernards girls also remain perfect…

There’s just one unbeaten team left in the Somerset County – in fact, in the entire Skyland Conference – and it’s not Rutgers Prep, nor Gill St. Bernard’s nor even Bound Brook.

It’s the Bernards Mountaineers. They’re 8-0 after a 53-32 cruise past non-conference foe Hanover Park at home on Saturday afternoon.

Bernards won the Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament at Metcuhen back in December. (Source: @Bernards_GBball on Twitter)

They’re a low-scoring team, averaging just 43.1 points per game, but they’re allowing a paltry 31.6 per game. So they’re winning by almost a dozen every time out and have been amazingly consistent: They won their opener by four, their most recent game by 21, but in between by 16, 14, 15, and then three straight games by eleven.

Senior and thousand-point scorer Aletha Reynolds (1,181 career points) is a four-year starter, and averaging 14.6 points per game this season, with three double-doubles already. Junior Jasmine Kelleher (9 ppg) and freshman Jane Freisen (8.2 ppg) have also been key.

Tuesday night will be a big matchup for the Mountaineers, their first meeting of the year – and only one before the SCT seeding – with Somerville (9-2), on the road, Tuesday night at 5:30.

by Mike Pavlichko

Little change in Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, as first six all hold court

Despite the top two teams in the Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten going 1-2 last week, Rutgers Prep and St. Thomas Aquinas held their ground in Week Four, with the top six remaining unchanged, but one new team joining the rankings.

For a fourth straight week, it’s Rutgers Prep (6-2) at No. 1. The Lady Argonauts lost to Red Bank Catholic Monday in the Kevin Williams Christmas Classic Showcase at Toms River North’s RWJBarnabas Health Arena, 59-42, then bounced back Friday with a win over South Bronx Preparatory (NY) 62-41 in the Garden State New Year’s Ball at Weequahic. But they also lost Sunday down at Jefferson University in Philadelphia to Cardinal O’Hara, 52-42.

Holding in second is St. Thomas Aquinas (7-3), which also went 1-2 in the week gone by. They dropped their first two: Monday to St. Mary-Manhassett (NY), 63-50, and to unbeaten Westfield, 52-48, on Tuesday in the Coaches Choice Holiday Classic at FDU-Madison. But the Trojans rebounded Saturday with a division win at Monroe, 70-23.

Still in third is Gill St. Bernard’s (5-3), which went 3-0 in the past week. At the Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Kennedy, they closed out with two wins: Sunday over Roselle Catholic, 50-20, and Tuesday over Immaculate Heart, 53-46. They wrapped the week with a 49-42 win Saturday over Hudson Catholic in the Garden State New Year’s Ball at Weequahic.

Hillsborough (6-1) only played one game last week, and won it, Saturday at Linden, a 72-37 victory. The Raiders held in fourth.

At No. 5 again this week is East Brunswick (7-1). The Lady Bears won their final game at the Holmdel Holiday Showcase over their hosts, 58-40, on Tuesday, then beat Piscataway 71-43 Saturday before falling to St. Joseph by the Sea (NY) in the Coaches Choice New York/New Jersey Staten Island Challenge at Moore Catholic.

Holding at six is Bernards (6-0), the highest-ranked undefeated team in the Top Ten. The Mountaineers won three games this past week, winning the Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament at Metuchen with a 49-34 win over Brearley Monday, and a 39-28 victory over the host Bulldogs on Tuesday. They also beat Verona at home Saturday, 42-31.

Up a spot to seven is Colonia (6-0), which is having a great bounceback year after going 7-20 a year ago. The Patriots swept two games to win the Charlie Dolan Holiday Tournament at Kearny. They beat Montclair 52-46 Monday, then the host Cardinals 69-46 on Tuesday.

Down a spot to eight – flipping with Colonia – is Somerville (5-2). the Pioneers lost Tuesday in the Holmdel Holiday Showcase to Colts Neck, 52-40, on Tuesday, but bounced back Saturday with a resounding 70-37 win at Koinonia.

Staying at nine is Bound Brook (6-1). After taking their first loss of the season Monday to Union Catholic, 62-53, in their own Crusader Classic championship game, they came back with a Saturday win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 60-50, then beat Staten Island Academy (NY) in the Coaches Choice New York/New Jersey Staten Island Challenge at Moore Catholic.

Spotswood drops out from its position at No. 10 after a 1-3 week left them 3-4 overall. They beat North Plainfield Monday at Edison in the Gene Haley/Jim Muldowney Memorial Holiday Classic, but then lost three straight. The first was to Woodbridge on Tuesday in their final game in the showcase, 70-67. Then the Chargers lost at Middlesex, 51-41 on Saturday, and 60-43 Sunday to Tottenville (NY) in the Coaches Choice New York/New Jersey Staten Island Challenge at Moore Catholic.

That puts Woodbridge (6-1) in the top ten on the strength of a three-win week. They beat Edison Monday, 70-54, in the Gene Haley/Jim Muldowney Memorial Holiday Classic at Edison, then topped Spotswood, and wrapped it up with a 70-42 blowout of South Plainfield on Saturday.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 3:

Graphic showing the Week 4 rankings for the 2025-26 Girls' Basketball season presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, featuring team names, records, and previous rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep holds No. 1 spot in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten ahead of matchup with state No. 1 Red Bank Catholic; Aquinas, East Brunswick make moves

Make it three weeks in a row for undefeated Rutgers Prep at the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, with St. Thomas Aquinas and East Brunswick making upward moves in the latest rankings.

Half the top ten remains undefeated on the season.

Rutgers Prep (5-0) was 2-0 last week, beating Princeton Monday, 72-26, then topping St. Rose of Belmar Saturday in the Kevin Williams Classic at the RWJBarnabas Arena at Toms River North in the “Showcase Bracket.” Monday at 6 pm, the Lady Argonauts – ranked No. 4 in New Jersey – will take on state No. 1 Red Bank Catholic in a huge early season clash.

St. Thomas Aquinas (6-1) moves up a spot this week to No. 2. The Trojans won their only game in the past week, beating St. Joseph Hill (NY) on Tuesday, 72-69.

Dropping one place to No. 3 is Gill St. Bernard’s (3-3). The Knights lost Friday to last year’s Group 4 state runner-up West Orange, 47-45, in the Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Catholic, but got a win Sunday as the round robin event continued, 50-20 over Roselle Catholic.

Holding at No. 4 is Hillsborough (5-1). The Lady Raiders picked up a pair of wins in the Mercer County Community College Holiday Showcase at MCCC in West Windsor, beating Thrive Charter 67-52 on Saturday, and following it up with a 57-38 win over Ewing on Sunday.

East Brunswick (5-0) is off to its best start since a 7-1 run to begin 2021, picking up two wins in the week gone by. Monday, they beat Somerset County foe Mount St. Mary, 62-38, then topped Marlboro in the Holmdel Holiday Showcase on Sunday, 67-46.

The Bears’ move puts Bernards at No. 6, followed by Somerville in seventh. The Mountaineers beat Delaware Valley on the road Tuesday, 36-22, in their only game of the week gone by. The Pioneers played two and split, picking up a 43-30 victory at North Hunterdon Tuesday, but falling 66-25 to Manasquan (NJ No. 13) Sunday in the Holmdel Holiday Showcase.

The last three teams remain the same, starting with No. 8 Colonia (4-0). The Patriots won their only game of the past week, Friday against Montville, 60-40. They’re back in action Monday in the Charloe Dolan Holiday Tournament at Kearney against Montclair.

At No. 9 is Bound Brook (4-0), which beat Columbia Saturday in the Crusader Classic, 49-26.

And holding at ten is Spotswood (2-1), which did not play last week after a Sunday loss to Cheltenham (PA), 56-54, in the Shore games, which had not been reported in time to be included in last week’s record.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 3:

A table displaying the rankings of girls' basketball teams for Week 3 of the 2025-26 season, including team names, records, and previous rankings, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

by Mike Pavlichko

With a 3-0 week, Rutgers Prep holds on to No. 1 in Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten; Colonia, Bound Brook join latest rankings

A week after regaining the top position in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, Rutgers Prep remains at the top, while two new teams join the rankings: unbeatens Colonia and Bound Brook.

Overall, the top six teams remain in the same place as a week ago.

Rutgers Prep (3-0) had a light week, but won both games. First, they beat then-No., 7 Franklin on Monday, 82-62, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, as Sophia Georgiades scored her 1,000th career point. Then, with five days off in between, they topped Sidwell Friends (DC) in the Shore Games at Colts Neck High School on Sunday, 54-46.

Holding at two is Gill St. Bernard’s (3-1), which went 2-1 this past week, with two over Bellamy-ranked ranked squads. They beat No. 4 Hillsborough 68-47 at home Tuesday, then were 64-53 winners at then-No. 7 Franklin Thursday, before falling 60-45 to Gloucester Catholic at the Shore Games at Colts Neck on Sunday.

Still in third is St. Thomas Aquinas (5-1). The Trojans won all four games this week, including 78-32 at South Brunswick Tuesday, 63-36 at home against Piscataway on Thursday, Saturday 86-42 at North Plainfield, and 77-60 over Thrive Charter in the Shore Games at St. Rose-Belmar Sunday afternoon.

Holding at four is Hillsborough (3-1), which went 2-1 this week. Following a Tuesday loss at No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s, 68-47, they bounced back with a 77-56 home win over Watchung Hills Thursday, and a 62-20 win at Trenton on Saturday.

At five again is Bernards (2-0), which won its first two games of the season, 40-36 at North Hunterdon on Tuesday, and 47-31 at Warren Hills on Thursday.

Somerville (3-0) holds in sixth, winning its first three games this week. Tuesday, they won at College Achieve Central in North Plainfield, 43-26. Thursday, they beat in-town rival Immaculata 52-44, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Then, Saturday, they topped Lawrence at home, 50-36.

At No. 7 is East Brunswick (3-0), which climbed three spots this week. The Bears were 71-43 winners Tuesday at home over 2025 GMCT runner-up Monroe, then won 69-38 at North Plainfield Thursday, and 53-33 victors at South Brunswick on Saturday.

Joining the ranks at No. 8 is Colonia (3-0), which did not make the rankings at all last season after being in every week during the prior season, 2023-24. The Patriots opened with a 49-13 win over Edison on Tuesday, a 50-33 win at Old Bridge Thursday, and a 54-39 win over Middlesex on Saturday.

No. 9 also features a new team: Bound Brook (3-0), snapping an 18-week streak not in the Top Ten. The Crusaders cruised past Manville in their opener Tuesday, 55-26 on the road. They then crushed Belvidere, 53-30 in their home opener Thursday, before coming up with a 51-36 win over Pope John Saturday in the Shore Games at The Fort Athletic Club in Oceanport.

Dropping out were No. 7 Franklin and No. 8 Monroe. The Warriors (0-3) lost Monday at Rutgers Prep, 82-62, Thursday to Gill St. Bernard’s 64-53, and Sunday to Demarest, 53-41, in the Shore Games. The Falcons bookended a Thursday 54-41 win over South Brunswick with a 71-43 loss Tuesday at then-No. 9 East Brunswick, and a 52-41 loss at Piscataway on Saturday.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 2:

2025-26 Girls' Basketball Week 2 rankings by Bellamy & Son Paving, listing teams, their records, and previous positions.

by Mike Pavlichko

A win and a loss flip Nos. 1 and 2 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Week 1 Top Ten

No doubt defending Non-Public B State Champion Morris Catholic took a heavy graduation hit when twins Mia and Mya Pauldo got their diplomas last spring, but Rutgers Prep’s win over the Crusaders Sunday in the NJBCA Tip-Off Classic – handing them their first loss to a New Jersey school since 2023 – has put the Lady Argonauts back to the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week One.

Rutgers Prep didn’t graduate a single player from last year’s team, but got a double-double from Hailey Benbow – 16 points and 16 rebounds – as well as 15 points and three steals from Ava LaMonica in a 52-40 win over Morris Catholic at home Sunday afternoon. They have a quick turnaround to Monday night, when they open Skyland Conference Delaware Division play against No. 7 Franklin.

The Argonauts’ move to No. 1 also dovetails with the preseason No. 1, Gill St. Bernard’s, taking a 49-42 loss to Westfield in the same NJBCA Tip-Off Challenge at Rutgers Prep. Seniors Kaity and Addy Platt led the Knights with 14 and 13 points, respectively, in defeat, as Gill drops to No. 2.

St. Thomas Aquinas holds in third, after splitting a pair of games at the Electric City Madness event up in Scranton. The Trojans lost to Crestwood (PA) Saturday in the opener, 62-54, but came back to beat Scranton (PA), 64-46, Sunday afternoon behind a double-double of 24 points and eleven rebounds from Jordan Barnes, and 13 points – including three treys – from Kayla Navarro.

Hillsborough remains at No. 4, opening its season Saturday at Princeton Day with a 55-33 victory. the defending Group 4 champion Raiders got 16 points – including four treys – from Victoria Liedl, as well as 15 points and ten rebounds from Alexa Gaspar, and eleven points and five steals from Isabella Ruh.

On a light opening weekend, mainly at showcase events, the rest of the Top Ten didn’t play, so everyone else from five through ten remain in the same positions, including Bernards at No. 5, followed by Somerville, Franklin, Monroe, East Brunswick, and Spotswood.

Bernards will open its season Tuesday at North Hunterdon, while Somerville visits College Achieve Central in North Plainfield. Franklin travels across town to No. 1 Rutgers Prep for a 5:30 tip of a game that can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Alec Crouthamel calling all the action. Click here to listen.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 1:

High school girls' basketball ranking chart for 2025-26, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Lists teams, their records, and previous rankings, featuring Rutgers Prep at No. 1.

by Mike Pavlichko

A winner whichever side of the ball he’s on, Logan Stevens of Bernards is CJSR’s 2025 Two-Way Player of the Year

There are the offensive numbers, and the defensive numbers.

Then, there are the intangibles.

Logan Stevens has all of them.

He’s the Central Jersey Sports Radio Two-Way Player of the Year, getting it done all over the field.

It was another outstanding year for Stevens, who ran it 125 times for 1,100 yards even and 14 touchdowns, including five multiple touchdown games, one of which came in the playoffs. He also had four catches for 112 yards and a score.

On the defensive side, from the secondary he made 44 tackles, 18 solo, and also had one TFL and a forced fumble. He had three interceptions, and blocked two kicks.

And the intangibles? All that led to him being a two-year captain, the only non-QB to do so in program history.

And while this honor is for 2025, he’s been a big reason why most of the crop of seniors who will don Bernards’ red this June never lost a single regular season game. They have won 34 straight non-playoff games, the longest active streak in New Jersey heading into 2026, their last loss coming in Game 2 of the 2022 season, when most were not playing as freshmen.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with CJSR’s Two-Way Player of the Year, Logan Stevens of Bernards:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Matt Resende, Brearley: At running back, the Bears’ senior carried 180 times for 1,284 yards and ten touchdowns, averaging 128 yards a game. On the defensive side, he logged 83 tackles, three forced fumbles, six TFLs, 1 1/2 sacks, and a pick. A team captain, first-year head coach Elliot Platt says he was the biggest factor in the team’s success this year; coming off a winless season, Brearley went 5-5 this year.
  • Grant Lorentzen, JFK: En Elite QB trainee with coach Matt Bastardi, Lorentzen led the state through ten games with 1,198 receiving yards, and it’s believed his 22 receiving touchdowns ties the single-season New Jersey record set in 1992 by Dion Bernardini of Florence.
  • Jack Fitzgerald, New Providence: At wide receiver, the senior had 12 catches for 172 yards and two scores before he was forced to move to running back when senior A.J. Whitehead went down. No matter. He carried an average of 14 times a game over the Pioneers’ last five contests, finishing with nearly 600 yards, and he was a big reason why New Providence made the sectional finals in North 2, Group 1 for he second straight year. On defense, in the secondary, he had 60 tackles, 45 solo, nine sacks, and 11 TFLs, along with a safety and a blocked kick.
  • Anthony Cianfrocca, Roselle Park: As part of an offense that rushed for over 2,500 yards this season – how did they not make the playoffs? – Cianfrocca rushed for 735 yards and seven touchdowns this season. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the senior linebacker had 64 tackles, 22 solo, six sacks, and two forced fumbles, with one recovery. That unit also allowed just 16 points per game.
  • Jhonny Collado, Woodbridge: The kid never came off the field for second-year head coach Joe Goerge, even playing on special teams. A two-way lineman, he led an offensive unit that rushed for 2,379 yards, averaging 6.4 per trip, and scored 31 touchdowns. Defensively, he was six shy of 100 tackles on the year, with 33 solo, three sacks, 14 TFLs and a pair of forced fumbles.

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio announces football “Specialty Awards” for 2025

Our goal at Central Jersey Sports Radio since our founding in 2020 has always been to bring attention to all the great things done by the many outstanding student-athletes in our area, both on and off the field.

Even with Honorable Mentions in each category, just having one each of Offensive, Defensive Special Teams and Two-Way Player of the Year isn’t quite enough to cover the massive 59-team Big Central Conference.

So, in our quest to honor as many great student-athletes as possible, here are our 2024 Central Jersey Sports Radio Specialty Awards:

“Hard Nosed Runner” Award: Sam Dech, Phillipsburg

Last year, it was Jett Genovese and Matthew Scerbo, Jr., receiving the “Dynamic Duo” award. This season, it’s another Phillipsburg football player with a specialty award.

Sam Dech seems to define Phillipsburg football. They all say they live by D.I.G. – Discipline, Ignore the Noise, Grit – but for Dech it’s however much more that can be possible.

Even in a postgame interview, he’ll tell you “that’s what we wanted to do and we just came out and did it.”

A high school football game scene showing a player in a dark uniform attempting to evade two defenders in light uniforms, with spectators in the background.
Phillipsburg’s Sam Dech looks to make a move in the Group 4 title game against Winslow Twp. at Rutgers on December 4, 2024. (Photo: Christian Sanchez)

Well, they don’t get there without Dech, who is a bruising runner who’s nearly impossible to bring down. Okay, not impossible, but be assured that if you hit him at the ten yard line, he’s going to bring you at least another five yards toward the end zone by the time he’s down.

That was invaluable on a 2025 team that lost Genovese and Scerbo – the second of whom was the school’s all-time leading receiver – as well as fellow receiver Felix Matos to graduation.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Phillipsburg’s Sam Dech:

The “Great Hands” Award: R.J. Wortman, Colonia

Good Hands was already taken, but Wortman is more than good hands. He’s great hands.

Colonia always seems to be a place where things happen without a lot of fan fare. But one day, you turn around, and Tom Roarty has his team in a sectional semifinal game in one of the hallowed grounds of high school football in New Jersey, Maloney Stadium.

The same could be said for R.J. Wortman, who heading into that North 2, Group 4 semi against Phillipsburg, was nearing 100 receptions on the year, and finished with a cool 101. The next highest wasn’t even that close.

A student-athlete signs a commitment in front of a table adorned with football gear, including jerseys, a football, and helmets, with a coach standing nearby, all set against a backdrop displaying 'Colonia Patriots'.
Colonia’s R.J. Wortman signed with Rutgers on 2025 December National Letter of Intent Signing Day. (Photo courtesy Tom Roarty)

They weren’t all long passes from senior QB Dylan Chiera, who threw for over 2,000 yards this season, one of three Middlesex County quarterbacks to do so in 2025. There were a few dinks and dunks in there, but it kept defenses on their toes, that’s for sure, with so many different ways to use him.

Couple that with the fact Wortman is a great teammate. No sooner did he commit to Greg Schiano and Rutgers – where he signed last week and will enroll early in January, skipping his senior season on the basketball court – but he was already active on Twitter, propping up all of his teammates, trying to make sure college coaches take a look at them just like they did with him.

Overall, Wortman finished with 101 catches for 1,307 yards (118.8 per game) with 15 touchdowns for the 7-4 Patriots.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Colonia’s R.J. Wortman:

“Is He A Lineman? Is He a Fullback” Award: Mike Bellamy, Montgomery

Senior Mike Bellamy has football in the family. His father, Joe – owner of Bellamy & Son Paving – played it, and has coached it for years at the youth level in their previous hometown of Piscataway. His brothers Joe and Rocco played for the Chiefs, with Joe on that 2018 team that won the North Jersey Group 5 Bowl Championship, beating Ridgewood at MetLife Stadium to become the first Middlesex County school to go 13-0 in a season, setting a county win record that still holds.

So, it was clear Mike would play football.

A football player wearing a yellow and green helmet with the word 'Cougars' on his jersey, stands on the sidelines, looking thoughtful during a game.
Mike Bellamy of Montgomery. (Source: @MikeBellamy50 on Twitter)

He’s an accomplished long-snapper, and has been a solid two-way lineman for a few seasons now. But this year, a new wrinkle was added: he would run the football.

Bellamy’s is not the story of an offensive lineman who fell on a couple of luckily-timed fumbles in the end zone to give his offense a score. No, no. This was all by design.

In fact, Bellamy carried eleven times this season for 38 yards, scoring four touchdowns, one each against Linden and Woodbridge in the regular season, then against Westfield and the Barrons again in the playoffs.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Mike Bellamy of Montgomery:

“I’m Back” Award: Devin Thomas, Plainfield

The last time we saw Devin Thomas the football player, he was quarterbacking the junior varsity at St. Thomas Aquinas, where Donald Jones, now Plainfield’s head coach, was an assistant.

Thomas transferred to Plainfield as a sophomore to represent his hometown, then gave up football to focus on basketball as a junior. It seemed a pretty good decision; Thomas scored in double-figures 12 times, helping lead the Cardinals to a Group 4 championship last March.

A football player wearing a red and white jersey with the number 11, standing on the field and signaling to teammates. The player is wearing a helmet and appears to be in an active game situation.
Devin Thomas of Plainfield. (Source: @DevinThomas8_ on Twitter)

When Jones took over as Plainfield head coach last spring, he gauged Thomas’s interest in coming back to the gridiron.

“Why not?”

Six months later, everyone agrees it paid off.

Thomas threw for 2,214 yards and 29 touchdowns. He ran for another 482 yards and 4 scores. Week-in and week-out, Thomas put up video game numbers under center for Plainfield.

He put an exclamation point on his stellar season with a 296-yard, 4-touchdown masterpiece in Plainfield’s final regular season game – a 28-27 come-from-behind win at Linden that clinched the Cardinals’ spot in the North 2, Group 5 playoffs.

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe talk with Devin Thomas of Plainfield:

“Comeback” Award: Jack Kalikas, A.L. Johnson

A.L. Johnson standout athlete Jack Kalikas broke his leg in October 2024. Faced with the same situation, some might wonder if they’d ever play at a high level again.

Not Jack; he wondered if he’d be able to return to play hockey that season.

While that goal proved to be a bit out of reach, it kept him going. 

A quarterback in a blue football uniform throws a pass while a teammate in a similar uniform looks on during a game at night.
Jack Kalikas of A.L. Johnson throws a pass in this undated photo. (Source: @jackkalikas on Instagram)

Jack then set his sights on returning for lacrosse in the spring. And although he couldn’t fully come back in time, the determination accelerated the recovery process.

By summer, Jack was full go and back on the football field for A.L. Johnson. On top of that, he’d be playing for his dad, Gus Kalikas, A.L. Johnson’s athletic director-turned-head coach. 

Almost one full year after breaking his leg, Jack led A.L. Johnson to a 7-2 record, playing quarterback and linebacker for the Crusaders.

Next up: hockey and lacrosse.

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe talk with Jack Kalikas of A.L. Johnson:

“Body Builder” Award: Brady Gallogly, Piscataway

Originally nominated for the Longevity Award, this one really fit him more.

Brady had always played wide receiver, but an opportunity came up where Piscataway needed a center. Ever the eager freshman, he made the suggestion.

A football player prepares to snap the ball on a field during a night game, with teammates and opponents in the background.
Brady Gallogly, Piscataway. (Source: Hudl)

Now, he wasn’t quite dealing with a coach who barely knew him, because his father, Frank Uhrin, is the team’s offensive coordinator. He played at Piscataway, too, as did Brady’s uncle, Robert, who also was a smaller-sized lineman on the 2002 Central Jersey Group 4 championship team, the last to be coached by legend Joe Kuronyi. His uncle, Tommy “Guns” Uhrin, was a skill player for the Chiefs in the 1990s.

But beyond all that, Gallogly had work to do. He only weight 160 pounds at the time, but with weight lifting, diet, and a training regimen, he got where he needed to be and became adept at making all the movements offensive linemen need to make.

Click below to hear Chris Tsakonas talk with Piscataway’s Brady Gallogly:

The “Tough Break for a Record-Breaker” Award: Thomas Diemar, Bernards

Coming into Game Three of the 2026 season, with at least a half-dozen games to go, you’d figure, senior Thomas Diemarr should have blown away the school’s all-time career sack record.

He already had it, with 22: ten each his sophomore and junior seasons, and two already in the first two games. This was his chance to make it nearly untouchable.

Then, in the first quarter, he plants funny in the end zone on a kickoff, with no one around him.

Young male athlete with curly hair standing outdoors, wearing a black athletic shirt, in front of a sports field and a building.
Bernards’ all-time sack record holder, Thomas Diemar. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

He sorely wanted back in the game, which turned out to be a win over Delaware Valley.

As it turned out, he tore his ACL, and his senior season would be done.

Diemar was a bit surprised when head coach Jon Simoneau picked him for first team All-Patriot Gold Division. But he shouldn’t have been. He deserved it, or he would have had he played.

Coach decided to honor a young man who, himself, has honored and respected the program Simoneau has built. That’s why he got the recognition, and that’s why he gets ours!

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Thomas Diemar of Bernards:

The “Sure, I’ll Play Quarterback” Award: Alex Schwark, Summit
The “Best Player Not To Play A Snap” Award: Cole Sabol, Summit

These two awards go hand-in-hand, if you’ll just follow along.

Cole is a multi-sport athlete, and he tore his Achilles last spring in lacrosse, on the very first day of the season. After getting evaluated, he found out he’d also miss football season. That’s when Alex Schwark took the job, having never played it before.

And he did well. In fact, when he got hurt later in the year, the Hilltoppers dropped those two games, then continued winning when he was back in the lineup, three weeks later in a 10-7 win upset at previously-unbeaten Woodbridge.

A split image featuring two high school football players. On the left, a quarterback in a light blue uniform holds a football and appears ready to pass on a field. On the right, another player in a maroon and gold uniform stands next to a coach on the sidelines, looking down at the ground.
Summit’s Cole Sabol (left) and Alex Schwark and head coach Kevin Kostibos (right) (@colesabol3 on Instagram/File photo by Mike Pavlichko)

But Schwark never would have done so well without Sabol, who was nominated for the Leadership Award by Coach Kevin Kostibos. Why? Because he could have walked away and sulked, but instead led the team in practices, meetings, gatherings, and games. He took his teammates under his wing, including Schwark, helping to make him the quarterback he became, even if he was sharing time with Matt McKeever down the stretch, with both of them on the field at the same time.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Summit’s Cole Sabol and Alex Schwark:


by Mike Pavlichko

Defending Somerset County champ Gill St. Bernard’s leads Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten preseason rankings

For the first time since Central Jersey Sports Radio’s initial season of high school basketball coverage in the COVID-shortened 2021 campaign, there’s someone else besides Rutgers Prep beginning the year at No. 1: Gill St. Bernard’s.

The Knights won the Somerset County Tournament in 2025, their first county title since 2014, which also was the last time Rutgers Prep missed the county final before last season, when they were knocked out in the semifinals by Hillsborough.

All that considered, Gill St. Bernard’s earned the No. 1 spot in the 2025-26 preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. Gill finsihed 23-5 last year, sharing the Skyland Conference Delaware Division with Rutgers Prep, having split their two games. The Knights also reached the Non-Public North B Finals.

However, they’ll look to reload as they graduated several key players, including leading scorer and rebounder Gandy Malou-Mamel, who’s now playing at UConn. Fellow seniors Tessa Lozner, Maya Abramson, Sidney Quinn and Cassidy Moore all graduate, while the top returning scorer is senior Addy Platt, who contributed 10.1 points per game last year, and led the team with 61 steals.

Rutgers Prep is second in the rankings, after finishing last season 20-7. The Argonauts reached the Non-Public South B final, but unlike Gill, return all five starters. Among them is senior and 2024-25 leading scorer Ava LaMonica, with 13.4 points per game, and a team-best 65 steals and 81 assists. Ava Frith (9.1 ppg) and Sophia Georgiades (11.6 ppg, 60 steals) also return for their senior seasons.

In third is St. Thomas Aquinas, which finished 23-7 last year, steamrolling its way through the GMC Red Division by more than 40 points per game. They Trojans won the GMC Tournament again – their sixth straight title going back to 2019 – and will graduate some key seniors like Gianna Chuffo (9.8 ppg), Leah Crosby (15.7 ppg), and Adrianna Summersett (6.1 ppg), but also bring back a good deal of talent. Trista Whitney (12.9 ppg, 6 rpg, 121 assists) is back for her senior year, as is post Jordan Barnes (10.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg), as well as juniors Lauryn Downing and Leah Kearney, all of whom played significant minutes last season.

Hillsborough makes won its first-ever sectional championship, then went all the way and won the state Group 4 championship at Rutgers, finishing 26-6 on the season. They also knocked off Rutgers Prep in the SCT semifinals and reached the county title game for the first time since 2006. The Lady Raiders lose a ton, however, including all-time leading scorer – girls’ or boys’ – Francesca Schiro (21.1 ppg), who’s now at Siena and leading the team in scoring as a rookie. Mya Loniewski (11.6 ppg) and Reghan Bice (5.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) also graduated, with sophomore center Isabella Ruh the most significant returnee, having scored 9.8 points per game last season, and grabbing 6.1 rebounds per contest.

Checking in at No. 5 is Bernards, which won the Skyland Conference Mountain Division, followed by Somerville at No. 6, which won the Skyland Valley Division. Both finished 23-6 and went to sectional semifinals, the Mountaineers in North 2, Group 2, the Pioneers in North 2, Group 3. Bernards returns top scorer and rebounder Aletha Reynolds (16.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg) for her senior year, along with second-leading scorer Jasmine Kelleher (82. ppg) for her junior season. Somerville returns senior Kaylee Lauber, who led the team with 16.4 points per game, but No. 2 Charlotte Taylor (11.5 ppg, team-best 5 apg) is gone to graduation.

In seventh is Franklin, which has been previously unranked before making it into the final rankings last season at 11-16, a tough out which plays in the tough Skyland Delaware with Rutgers Prep, Gill St. Bernard’s and Hillsborough. A young Aleah Sunkins scored 16 points per game and grabbed 9.3 boards per contest in her sophomore year, and with more experience, the Warriors could make moves. Their lone senior to graduate was Precious Wheeler (6 ppg, 5.9 rpg).

2025 GMC Tournament runner-up Monroe checks in at eight. The Falcons finished 20-10 last season and not only reached the GMC title game, but also the Central Jersey Group 4 final, where they ran into juggernaut Hillsborough. They lose one of the program’s greats in Evangelina Francisco (20.7 ppg) to graduation. The GMC is Aquinas and everyone else, but the Falcons should be high among the “everyone else” category.

Making its debut in the rankings at No. 9 is East Brunswick, which was 13-14 last season. But they were young and are expected to be one of the better GMC teams in the higher divisions this season, having talked to a few coaches around the league. Ava Catanho (17.3 ppg) led the Lady Bears in scoring last year as a freshman, and other key contributors also return.

And Spotswood rounds out the group in tenth. The Chargers finished second in the GMC White last season at 18-8, but champion Middlesex lost its two best players to graduation, including all-time leading scorer Jess Devine and Mallory Gianchilia, so the Blue Jays fall out of the final rankings from last season. As for Spotswood, they return Gabrielle Hill, a junior who was a starter a year ago, and led the team with 15.4 points per game. The downside is they also lose senior Lizzie Calandruccio (14.6 ppg) to graduation.

Here’s the complete preseason Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten:

A table displaying the 2025-26 preseason rankings for high school girls' basketball teams, including team names, records, previous rankings, and notes on achievements.