Tag: Brearley

by Mike Pavlichko

Brearley rides Sims – surprise, surprise – to 9th straight win, and into North 2, Group 1 semifinals

There’s a supporting cast to be sure, but there’s no mistaking Matt Sims is the star.

And that’s just fine with Brearley.

Another outstanding performance from the senior signal caller – five touchdown runs, 204 yards rushing on just 18 carries – got fourth-seed Brearley (9-0) over 5th-seed North Arlington 50-16 Friday night in the opening round of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 playoffs.

Next up is a surprise home game against 8th-seed Kinnelon (6-3), which knocked off top-seed Park Ridge on the road Friday night, 36-34. That game is scheduled for 6 pm next Friday.

Click below for postgame reaction from Brearley head coach Scott Miller:

by Mike Pavlichko

Honors go to Sims, Kelley, Laverty, Seamon, among those honored as Coach Matt Bastardi’s “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 7

Heading into the final week of the regular season, we have more honors from Coach Matt Bastardi of Elite QB and his “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 7. This week’s quarterback award winners are Matt Sims of Brearley, Dylan Kelley of Watchung Hills, Connor Laverty of Bernards, and Ryan Seamon of the Hillsborough JV.

Metuchen runningback Evan Toth also is honored as a skill position player.

A former high school and college quarterback who has either played the position or coached it for over 40 years, Elite QB trains players at all position levels, with an emphasis on QBs.

Click below to listen to hear Matt Bastardi of Elite QB highlight his “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 7:

by Mike Pavlichko

UNOFFICIAL: Group 1 Playoff Standings Update

Brearley keeps winning, but the Bears keep dropping in the playoff standings. Here’s a closer look at the North and South Group 1 supersections based on Central Jersey Sports Radio’s unofficial calculations after Week 7’s Friday night games:

Brearley is the only legitimate playoff contender from the Big Central, but the Bears keep slipping. That’s not because they keep winning, it’s because of their schedule and the teams they’re beating.

To wit: the Bears are tops in the section in power points, but eighth in the UPR. That says their wins at 7-0 are not as good as Mountain Lakes, which has the same record, is in fifth in power point average, third in OSI, and third in UPR. Same deal with Wood-Ridge, which is second in power point average – just behind Brearley – but first in OSI at 60.37. Brearley’s is 45.49.

Part of the problem is this: there are not enough quality Group 1 schools of Brearley’s size in the Big Central to play. To find teams with better OSIs, they might have to play some Group 2s or even Group 3s. But that’s another story for another day.

Brearley was fourth from Week Three through Week Six. Now they fall to sixth place, and with Dunellen on the schedule, could they fall even further out of the top eight and lose a first round home game due to the schedule? We’ll know more after Saturday play today, and as the Strength Index values are locked in going into next week. Then we can see what scenarios play out – best- and worst-case – for the Bears.

Manville suffered a bit of the same fate as Brearley, as the Mustangs dropped from 5th to 6th despite a win Friday night; they beat a “weak” OSI Highland Park team. They’re at Bound Brook next week so it’ll be much of the same most likely, if they beat the Crusaders. The question is, can they now hold on to a top eight finish, which would guarantee them a first round home game in the playoffs?

South Hunterdon with a Friday night win over Dayton moved up a bit from 12th to 11th, not terribly consequential in the long run. The Eagles don’t have a shot at the top eight, but are in the playoffs.

Middlesex, which lost to Brearley Thursday night, dropped one spot to 19th, but the Blue Jays still have a shot next week, if they can beat New Providence. It remains to be seen if they will need some help from the teams around them. On the OSI side, they would be helped by losses by Buena and Penns Grove. On the ppower points side, they’re looking at losses by Paulsboro (yes, way up in the UPR but just one spot ahead of them in power point average) Audubon and Asbury Park. (Asbury plays Saturday at Lakewood, then next Friday at Shore.

Bottom Line: Manville needs a win next week to have a shot – and maybe a good one at that – to finish in the top eight. South Hunterdon is in and will be in the bottom eight. Middlesex needs a win and maybe some help to get in, but it’s not doable with a loss.

by Mike Pavlichko

Honors go to Hollomon, Kelley, Laverty, Seamon, Fitzsimmons as Coach Matt Bastardi’s “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 6

Another week, and more honors for Coach Matt Bastardi of Elite QB and his “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 6. This week’s quarterback cast include Dylan Kelley of Watchung Hills, Connor Laverty of Bernards, Ryan Seamon of the Hillsborough JV, and – outside the Big Central but still in Central Jersey – Mike Hollomon of Pingry. At the skill position, Brendan Fitzsimmons of Brearley was also recognized.

And as a team, Week 6 honors went to Manville and head coach Pat Gorbatuk

A former high school and college quarterback who has either played the position or coached it for over 40 years, Elite QB trains players at all position levels, with an emphasis on QBs.

Click below to listen to hear Matt Bastardi of Elite QB highlight his “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 6:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big Central’s unbeaten four among 25 left statewide with two weeks to play

The number continues to get smaller with each passing week, and will continue to do so as we head toward the state playoffs.

There are 25 undefeated teams left in New Jersey high school football, with four remaining in the Big Central Conference. There were eight two weeks ago, a number that got cut into half, leaving four heading into last week’s Week 6, where all those teams won.

All four are 6-0 on the season: Phillipsburg, North Brunswick, South Plainfield and Brearley.

Phillipsburg and North Brunswick are on a path to earn top seeds in their respective playoff sections, and are both first in their supersections overall, with the Stateliners in North 5 and the Raiders in South 5.

A win for Phillipsburg this Friday night against Union at Maloney Stadium would put them at 7-0, their best start since 2019, when they won their first seven before losing to Westfield 21-14 in overtime in Game 8. That team was eliminated in the second round of the playoff and lost to Easton on Thanksgiving to finish 8-3, dropping twao of its last three games.

Continue reading “Big Central’s unbeaten four among 25 left statewide with two weeks to play” →
by Mike Pavlichko

Sims, Fischer, Holloman, Laverty and DeCaro recognized as Coach Matt Bastardi’s “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 5

Coach Matt Bastardi of Elite QB recognizes four excellent quarterbacks as his “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 5. They include Matt Sims of Brearley, Scotch Plains-Fanwood’s Weston Fischer, Connor Laverty of Bernards, Jeremy DeCaro of St. Joseph-Metuchen and – outside the Big Central but still in Central Jersey – Mike Hollomon of Pingry.

The St. Thomas Aquinas football team and head coach Tarig Holman are also recognized.

A former high school and college quarterback who has either played the position or coached it for over 40 years, Elite QB trains players at all position levels, with an emphasis on QBs.

Click below to listen to hear Matt Bastardi of Elite QB highlight his “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 5:

by Mike Pavlichko

Veteran QB Sims powers Brearley to best start since 2018, on the ground and in the air

Quarterbacks who can run the football bring a whole different dimension to a football team.

That quality is what has helped Brearley get off to its best start in four years, when they went 5-0 to start the 2018 season.

That team ended up 6-3, but this year’s squad has a good chance at running the table in the regular season. They’re averaging 31.2 points per game, and have pitched three shutouts defensively. Their next three opponents are a combined 5-11.

A big reason is senior QB Matt Sims. He’s thrown it almost as much as he’s rushed it, passing for 647 yards and seven touchdowns – with just one interception – while running it 116 times (that’s 23 carries per game) for 751 more yards and another 13 touchdowns.

But all that doesn’t come easy. Sims has worked hard at his game, training in the off season with Coach Matt Bastardi of Elite QB Football Training Academy (a Central Jersey Sports Radio sponsor).

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Brearly QB Matt Sims about his and the Bears’ 2022 season:

This Friday night, when Brearley visits Highland Park, Sims will try and lead the Bears to their first 6-0 start since they went 11-0 to begin 2015, falling in the North 2 Group 1 title game to Hoboken.

by Mike Pavlichko

Group 1 playoff analysis: Can Manville hang on to a top four seed?

With Cutoff Weekend just three weeks away here in New Jersey, we continue to take a look at each playoff supersection, and how the Big Central teams within them can hope to fare.

SOUTH 1 (Click here for official standings)

Manville (5-1) is right where it was last week, following a 27-0 win over Dunellen. And while they just want to win one game at a time and Pat Gorbatuk is focused on getting the Ws, the question is, even with an 8-1 record at the cutoff, can they hold on to a top four seed and get home field through at least the sectional semifinals?

Woodstown (5-0) is the top seed here, followed by Woodbury (5-1) with 1 and 2.4 UPRs, respectively. Salem (4-2) is next at 3.4 and Manville has a 3.8 UPR. It’s doubtful the Mustangs can make a top two finish, based on their schedule: Belvidere and Highland Park at home, closing at Bound Brook. those three teams are a combined 0-16 with an average SI value of 26.8. (Highland Park is below an 18, but the lowest you can get as an opponent for a win is 20.)

If those values were locked in now – and those of their opponents – they’d have a 39.97 OSI, knocking them down 5 places, worth 3 UPR points, putting them at 7.8, into sixth – assuming of course, no one else drops, something that could go either way.

For power points, those three games will be worth only 7 points each, unless one of them picks up a win before their 8th game (residuals are limited to an opponent’s first seven games). With a power point average of 13.83, they could dip to around 11.5 if nothing changes. That would drop them another three places, or 1.2 UPR points. And this is more certain, as there’s much less variation here, and those three remaining opponents are going to be hard-pressed to come up with any wins this week or next. Although they could gain residuals from teams they’ve already beaten.

The short answer is this: a lot of things have to break right for Manville, even if they take care of business, which they should. it may be out of the Mustangs’ control. That said, it’s a very good possibility they get a top eight seed, and at least a first round playoff home game.

South Hunterdon (3-2, 11.6 UPR) – which Manville has already beaten – is in 11th, down two spots from last week, after a second straight loss, this one to Brearley. They finish with Dunellen and Dayton, a pair of games they should win, before a Cutoff Weekend game at New Hope-Solebury in Pennsylvania, a game that won’t count for playoff contention Still, let’s call them a solid playoff team, squarely in the bottom eight.

Middlesex (3-2) is in 18th place, just two out of a playoff spot, but they have a tough three final games: at Roselle Park, home to Brearley and at New Providence. they most likely need to win two out of three to even have a shot, as long as that loss is to the Bears and not one of the other two teams. Stay tuned on this one, we’ll know more after this week, based on how the other teams do around them. Pitman sits in 16th at a 15.6 UPR, with Schalick (16.8) in 17th.

One thing to watch for the Blue Jays: Audubon is on the inside of the bubble at 1-3. But two wins is the minimum to make the playoffs. If that holds – and they have Collingswood (2-3-1), Haddon Heights (3-2) and Paulsboro (2-3) in the home stretch – and Middlesex finishes 17th, Audubon is out and the Blue Jays get in.

NORTH 1 (Click here for detailed standings)

It’s up two more spots for Brearley (5-0), one of four undefeated teams left in the Big Central. They moved up from sixth to fourth after a 14-0 win over South Hunterdon. Th top four teams are undefeated, with Mountain Lakes (1.4 UPR), Waldwick (3.2), and Wood-Ridge (3.2) all with the same 5-0 record. Brearley has a UPR of 4.

Can they stay within the top four? They’re a bit in the same situation as Manville. The schedule isn’t kind from a Strength index perspective, but it’s not as dire as it is for the Mustangs, either. The Bears play at Highland park, then at Middlesex, and close home against Dunellen.

Yes, they should win those games, but their numbers would drop. And Cedar Grove is nipping at their heels, at 5-1 with a 4.2 UPR, just two-tenths of a point behind. They have a better schedule, and even the best team they play – Caldwell, 5-0 with the state’s longest active winning streak at 20 games – with a loss is worth over 43 points toward OSI.

Our projection is Brearley is a solid top eight, but isn’t going stay in the top four even at 8-1 on Cutoff Weekend.

by Mike Pavlichko

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Week 5: Don’t sleep on the Lions, stingy North Brunswick “D”

On this week’s trek around “The Big Central in Two Minutes,” Mike Pavlichko comes away impressed with North Hunterdon’s ground game, and talks about North Brunswick’s season-long stingy defense. That and a whole lot more on this week’s edition!

Click below to listen to the Week Four edition of “The Big Central in 2 Minutes”:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rough night for (most of) the Big Central unbeatens, as four of seven playing Friday night go down

The Big Central Conference had eight teams boasting unblemished records heading into Week 5 of the high school football regular season.

Half those teams went down Friday night – Colonia, Hillside, Johnson and Montgomery – with one more still to play Saturday afternoon, when South Plainfield (4-0) visits Governor Livingston (3-2), winners of their last three games.

First, the good news: top-ranked Phillipsburg and No. 2 North Brunswick picked up convincing wins Friday night, while Brearley won as well.

Though they only led 7-0 at the half, Phillipsburg scored twice to take a 21-0 lead on Hunterdon Central, eventually winning 21-7 in Flemington. Xavier Moore opened the scoring and Jett Genovese threw a pair of touchdown passes to Matthew Scerbo, Jr. Now 5-0, the Stateliners host Bridgewater-Raritan at Maloney Stadium next Friday night.

North Brunswick allowed just its third and fourth touchdowns of the season in a 34-14 road win at Franklin. A fourth-quarter touchdown came when the game was out of hand. The Raiders are 5-0 as well, and take the short trip down Livingston Avenue to New Brunswick next Friday night.

Phillipsburg and North Brunswick both led their respective Group 5 playoff supersections – North and South 5 – heading into the weekend, but they won’t meet in the regular season. They could only play if they both reached the first-ever Group 5 state final this December at Rutgers.

As for Brearley, the Bears blanked South Hunterdon 14-0, their third shutout in five games this season. QB Matt Sims rushed for a three-yard touchdown in the second quarter, while Brendan Fitzsimmons scored on a nine-yard TD pass from Sims in the fourth quarter. The Bears are 5-0.

Now, to the downside, and the four teams that went down for the first time all season.

If it wasn’t the least surprising result, it might have been on paper, at least according to the Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten rankings. In a battle of ranked teams, 8th-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas edged out Hillside in North Edison, 17-7. The Comets fall to 4-1, while the Trojans are now 5-1, undefeated in Big Central play, with their only loss coming to Timber Creek of the West Jersey Football League in Week Zero. The highlight for Aquinas was a 100-yard pick six by Najee Lovejoy late in the first quarter.

Montgomery’s 5-0 season came to a crashing halt with a 33-0 home loss to Watchung Hills. The Cougars didn’t help their cause losing two fumbles. Click here for a recap and postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas.

In the Big Central Game of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio, No. 6 Colonia got dominated as well, as runningbacks Kente Edwards and Alex Urinyak combined for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-7 home win for No. 10 North Hunterdon over the Patriots in Annandale. Click here for a recap and postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

And Johnson, off a 4-0 start – its best start since a 5-0 mark to begin 2017 – suffered its first loss of the season, with a 27-14 loss at New Providence, which has won two straight to improve to 3-3 as they figure out life post-Charlie Barth. Ben Gullo led the way for the Pioneers with three touchdowns and 124 rushing yards. The Crusaders fall to 4-1.