Tag: Bridgewater-Raritan

June 27, 2026June 27, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Plainfield takes championship at Jets Nike “11-On” 7-on-7 Tournament in Florham Park; Bridgewater-Raritan, Union also shine at two-day competition

All three Big Central Conference participants made it to Day Two of the New York Jets’ “11-On” 7-on-7 High School Football Tournament up at the team’s Atlantic Health Training Center in Florham Park, with Plainfield winning the championship out of the entire 16-team field defeating Curtis (NY) of Staten Island Saturday afternoon, 32-8, in the finale.

The Cardinals got a good look at some of their skill players, and played especially good defense at the event. In three games of Saturday’s round-robin playoffs to determine the teams that would play for the title, Plainfield allowed just 19 points, the fewest of all eight teams who made it to the championship bracket. And they got a good look at the future under center, as rising sophomore Tyree Huff threw some tight touchdown passes, with his brother, rising seniors Tymir Huff, Makai Talley, and rising sophomore Kiion Jones getting on the board.

Plainfield also had an interception to stall Curtis’ opening drive of the game, courtesy of rising junior Jaylen Fosten.

Watch highlights of Plainfield’s 32-8 win over Curtis (NY) in the Nike 11-On High School Football Tournament at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, NJ:

Here’s audio from champion Plainfield, as well as Bridgewater-Raritan and Union, with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the field with the head coaches:

Plainfield head coach Donald Jones and rising senior Makai Talley with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko

Union head coach Barris Grant with Alec Crouthamel

Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano

Big Central results…

Here’s how each of the three Big Central teams fared in the tournament.

FRIDAY – POOL PLAY

Plainfield, 3-0 (Pool C Champions):

Beat Curtis (Staten Island), 29-20
Beat Montclair, 33-7
Beat Paramus Catholic, 17-8

*Plainfield gets set to run a play in Saturday’s opener of the Jets Nike 11-On 7-on-7 Tournament in Florham Park on June 27, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Union, 2-1 (Pool D, 2nd place)

Beat Caldwell, 19-17
Lost to Monsignor Farrell, 29-21
Beat DeWitt Clinton (Bronx), 20-12

Bridgewater-Raritan, 2-1 (Pool B, 2nd place)

Beat Midwood (Brooklyn), 25-0
Beat Passaic, 20-17
Lost to Fairfield Ludlowe (CT), 24-8

*Bridgewater-Ratitan head coach D.J. Catalanto talks to his team after their opening game Saturday in the Jets Nike 11-On 7-on-7 Tournament on June 27, 2026 in Florham Park NJ. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

SATURDAY – PLAYOFFS AND CHAMPIONSHIP

Plainfield, 2-0-1 in Green Bracket (Champions)

Tied Union, 6-6
Beat Bridgewater-Raritan, 28-5
Beat Ramapo 17-8
Beat Curtis (NY), 32-8

Union, 2-0-1 in Green Bracket

Tied Plainfield, 6-6
Beat Ramapo, 24-18
Beat Bridgewater-Raritan, 26-14

*Union takes on Plainfield in Saturday’s opener of the Jets’ Nike 11-On 7-on-7 Tournament on June 27, 2026 in Florham Park, NJ. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Bridgewater-Raritan, 0-2-1 in Green Bracket

Tied Ramapo, 24-24
Lost to Plainfield, 28-5
Lost to Union, 26-14

How it all worked…

High school 7-on-7 tournament rules can vary from event to event. In the Jets’ tourney, touchdowns are worth six points, but with no linemen or kickers, PATs are like a two-point conversion, except that teams could go for one with the ball spotted on the five-yard line, or go for two from the ten. A three-and-out on defense was worth three points, while a defensive stop otherwise is worth two. An interception was worth three. All games were 21 minutes with a running clock, with tagging in place of tackles, played solely on one end of the field.

The 16 teams were divided into four pools, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to Saturday’s round of eight. Those were divided into two additional pools, the Green Bracket and White Bracket. Each had four teams, and after another three round-robin games, the winner of each bracket qualified for the championship.

June 21, 2026June 21, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: American Silver is one team smaller, but no easier for those who remain

When the Big Central Conference did its realignment this off-season, part of a two-year cycle, it pulled Hunterdon Central from the American Silver Division and put them with smaller schools in the Liberty Silver, including Somerville and Montgomery, among others.

But that won’t make life any easier for the teams left in the American Silver, as Ridge, Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough and Phillipsburg still get the Red Devils as a crossover – and, of course, still have to play each other. The Stateliners moved up to the North Group 5 supersection due to its new success formula, but that doesn’t affect the BCC. And besides, there were in Group 5 in 2022 and 2023 before moving down to four the last two seasons.

And just as an example of how brutal this division can be, both Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan, 4-0 and 1-3 in the division, respectively, won state sectional titles last season.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the American Silver Division teams – in order of 2025 finish – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge as of the date of publication, along with a few notes on each squad. Division games are starred.

Phillipsburg Stateliners (10-3, 4-0, American Silver Division Champions)
Head Coach: Frank Duffy, 11th season (85-27)

Week 0: Parkland (PA)
Week 1: at Emmaus (PA)
Week 2: at Freedom (PA)
Week 3: Hillsborough*
Week 4: at St. Joseph-Metuchen
Week 5: at Ridge*
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: Bridgewater-Raritan*
Week 8: Hunterdon Central
Thanksgiving: Easton (at Lafayette College)

Due to the NJSIAA’s new success formula, since the Stateliners can pull kids from other districts, and won North 2, Group 4, advancing to the state semifinals last year, they are now up in Group 5 as far as the playoffs concerned. But no matter: Phillipsburg has made the last four sectional finals – twice in Group 5 then twice in Group 4, winning trophies each of the last two seasons. And while they will lose senior runningback Sam Dech – who had a team-leading 1,530 yards on the ground last year and 23 touchdowns – sophomore QB Dominic Bracco is back. All that remains to be seen is which has more juice, the run game or the pass game, and how P’burg will adapt, because one thing is for sure: the Stateliners always have talent. But they will take a big hit defensively from the loss of senior Aeden Hywell, the reigning Central Jersey Sports Radio Defensive Player of the Year, who finished the season with 17 1/2 sacks and 27 TFLs, leading a defense that allowed just 12.4 points per game.

Ridge Red Devils (5-4, 3-1, 2nd place American Silver)
Head Coach: Jeff Sutherland, 2nd season (5-4)

Week 0: OPEN
Week 1: at Sayreville
Week 2: at Hunterdon Central
Week 3: at Bridgewater-Raritan*
Week 4: Elizabeth
Week 5: Phillipsburg*
Week 6: Westfield
Week 7: at Hillsborough*
Week 8: Old Bridge

Second-year head coach Jeff Sutherland has some work to do in finding some key offensive replacements. Senior QB Sawyer Paul graduated, as did top runningback Nick Pfennig (129 carries for 692 yards), along with tight end and top receiver Toby Nicholson, but close No. 2 runningback C.J. Griffith (688 yards, 4 TDs) is back for his junior year, and could be a focal point moving forward, while senior Tristan Frank likely is a top candidate under center. Senior defensive lineman Anthony Valera (4 1/2 sacks) will be missed, as will Nicholson (3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT), among others, but rising senior DE Greg Brown (3 1/2 sacks, 6 TFL) will be back. Ridge will crossover with two Middlesex County schools this year, Sayreville and Old Bridge, both of whom – if the NJSIAA ran football playoffs like every other sport – should have both been Central Jersey Group 5 finalists last season (instead, they met in the semis due to snaking).

Hillsborough Raiders (4-6, 2-2, 3rd place American Silver)
Head Coach: Kevin Carty, Jr., 15th season (92-64)

Week 0: at Manalapan
Week 1: Hunterdon Central
Week 2: at Bridgewater-Raritan*
Week 3: at Phillipsburg*
Week 4: Union
Week 5: Colonia
Week 6: at Elizabeth
Week 7: Ridge*
Week 8: at Montgomery

It’s a unique schedule for the Raiders, who will visit Shore opponent Manalapan opening weekend and close on Cutoff Weekend with the Carty Bowl, coaching against his brother, Sean, now in his second year as head coach at Montgomery. (They coached against each other in the COVID year when then-head coach Zoran Milich had to miss the game for a medical situation – and famously were not permitted to “shake hands” after the game, per NJSIAA COVID policy.) Gone are twins Devon Khurana (QB with 1,125 yards passing) and Shane (WR with 30 catches for 537 yards and 3 TDs), but sophomore Cooper Wright got some experience last year, and should be the leading candidate to take over at quarterback. Carty also will have to replace top RB Andrew Schwarz, who rushed for 1,114 yards and 12 scores last season. Watch Logan Jankowicz, younger brother of Jackson, whose senior season was 2004 and twice rushed for over a thousand yards. The defense will look at guys like Jamie Piccirillo (3 sacks, 3 1/2 TFLs as a freshman) and rising junior LB Tyler Zysk (1 1/2 sacks, TFLs) to hold down the unit.

Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers (9-4, 1-3, 4th place American Silver)
Head Coach: DJ Catalano, 4th season (16-18)

Week 0: at Woodbridge
Week 1: at St. Joseph-Metuchen
Week 2: Hillsborough*
Week 3: Ridge*
Week 4: at Westfield
Week 5: Hunterdon Central
Week 6: at Union
Week 7: at Phillipsburg*
Week 8: Watchung Hills

The defending North 2, Group 5 champions will likely look to Evan Woodring as the leading starting QB candidate, with the graduation of Declan Kurdyla (1,371 yards, 13 TD), just as they did when Kurdyla was missed a couple of games last season. But they’ll have top runningback Jahmier Black for his senior season; Black ran for 978 yards and seven touchdowns last season, which also catching nine passes for 187 yards. Defensive end Jamelle Jones (8 sacks, 12 TFLs) is the most disruptive player returning from what was a very senior-led defense in 2025. The Panthers open with two tough crossover tests against Middlesex County foes Woodbridge and St. Joseph-Metuchen, both of whom won eight games last season.

June 11, 2026June 12, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Skyland Conference 2026 All-Division baseball honorees unveiled

The coaches from the Skyland Conference have unveiled their 2026 All-Division teams, honoring 139 players from across its four divisions, including the 14 Somerset County schools in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.

Here’s the full list of players honored, by division, with teams in alphabetical order:

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – DELAWARE DIVISION

First Team

Bridgewater-Raritan: Kellan Komline (P/OF), Michael Lobosco (C)
Hillsborough: Elijah Dawes (SS)
Hunterdon Central: Dany Contillano (OF), Nick Holot (OF)
Immaculata: Luca Catanzarite (2B), Owen Schilling (C), Ryan Auten (P), Cole Raymond (P)
Ridge: Jake Dolan (CF), Kieran Callanan (SS), Casey Kucerka (C)
Watchung Hills: Robert Centamore (P/DH), Jacob Jaconski (C), Lucas Sheehan (P)

Immaculata senior Ryan Auten threw a complete-game two-hit shutout in a 6-0 win over Ridge at Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ, on April 22, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Second Team:

Bridgewater-Raritan: Kevin Kelly (3B/P), Andrew Schmeider (OF), Nick Spirra (2B/P)
Hillsborough: Tommy Kester (OF), Gavin Glazewski (P/1B), Jon Feltre (P)
Hunterdon Central: Jack Edwards (P), Liam Goyette (P)
Immaculata: Bryson Auten (P/3B), Justin Labrador (SS)
Ridge: Sawyer Paul (1B), Dimitri Romer (P/3B)
Watchung Hills: Brady Simo (3B), Stefano DiGeronimo (SS)

Honorable Mention:

Bridgewater-Raritan: Stephen Pikulin (1B/DH)
Hillsborough: Anthony Guerrero (OF)
Hunterdon Central: Cola Jacobs (P)
Immaculata: Jackson Lewis (OF)
Ridge: Lucas Grob (2B)
Watchung Hills: Landon Pudlak (2B)

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – RARITAN DIVISION

First Team:

Franklin: Stanley Madera, Mason Bonds
Montgomery: Ian Quinn, Henry Maddox
North Hunterdon: Hunter Brown, Alex Famolari, Brooks Lunger, Graham Berry
Phillipsburg: Nick Yaccarino, Chase Passmore, Mike Bracco
Rutgers Prep: Li Perez, Alex Perez, Maddox Chu, Ethan Nepomuceno
Somerville: Justin Snow, Michael Meyers

*Rutgers Prep’s Li Perez pitches in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals against Bridgewater-Raritan in Somerset, NJ, on May 14, 2026. (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)*

Second Team:

Franklin: Dylan Shah, Shayne Rooney
Montgomery: Jake Hayes, Alex Bender, Mason Neufeld
North Hunterdon: Ty Kane, Jason Krisanda, Zach Linzer
Phillipsburg: Wyatt Garrison, Kevin Buonocole
Rutgers Prep: Peter Wheeler, Mason Cimini, Okasha Asrar
Somerville: Matty Brong, Jordan Snow, Michael Murphy

Honorable Mention:

Montgomery: Liam McDonnell
North Hunterdon: Evan Doty
Phillipsburg: Brent Ottw
Rutgers Prep: Micah Krugar-Serrano
Somerville: Dalton Carman

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – VALLEY DIVISION:

First Team:

Bernards: Casey Hoeckele, Sean Arcelay, James Ferrante
Gill St. Bernards: Gavin Bucceri, Niko West, Joey Fava, Jack Markovich, Trip Hogarty
Pingry: Langston McDonald, Aaron Wu
Voorhees: Alexander Dyevich, Matteo Tramutola
Warren Hills: Cohl Stevens, Owen Spender

*Pingry’s Zach Zaslow pitches against Montgomery at TD Bank Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Second Team:

Bernards: Tyce Hanratty, James Gallagher
Gill St. Bernards: Andersen Eide, Noah Schultz, Jude Walters, Steve McRae
Pingry: Andrew Crowley, Zach Zaslow, Connor Lahay
Voorhees: Dylan Vernick, Jack Schlaudecker
Warren Hills: Reece Schott, Ryan Everett

Honorable Mention:

Bernards: Alex Frankfelder
Gill St. Bernards: A.J. Kolenski
Pingry: Michael Cardona
Voorhees: Turner Toombs
Warren Hills: Kyle Kucharski

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – MOUNTAIN DIVISION

First Team:

Belvidere: Jake Ackerman, Chris Knight
Bound Brook: Aiden Boehm, Ryan Cunha
Delaware Valley: Dylan Rasimowicz, Gabriel Miller, Cooper Fransen, David Hudock, Brooks Brunner, Carter Glacken
Manville: Collin Shimp, Brandon Shimp, Evan Canica, Josh D’Ambrosio
South Hunterdon: Trevor Lingerfield, Jack Budrewicz

*Manville (in white) and Montgomery square off at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 7, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Second Team:

Belvidere: Justin Hummel, Troy Boehm, Carter Crow
Bound Brook: Gabriel Valentin, Jayden Cruz
Delaware Valley: Chris Cialone, Matt Feeney, Danny Cialone
Manville: Aidan Johnson, Ben Canuso, Bobby Petrone
South Hunterdon: Trevor Sinkus, Landon Katz, Michael Budrewicz

Note: The Mountain Division coaches did not choose any Honorable Mentions.

June 4, 2026June 6, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – NJSIAA Tournament – North 2, Group 4 Semifinal: (1) Ridge 10, (5) Bridgewater-Raritan 6

Top-seed Ridge scored six runs in the fifth inning, then held off a later rally from fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan to beat the Panthers 10-6 in the semifinals of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 playoff bracket.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE!

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play live from Pete Hall Field in Basking Ridge, NJ, on June 3, 2026:

June 3, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

State Playoff Roundup: South Plainfield, Watchung Hills, Old Bridge will join Ridge and St. Thomas Aquinas playing for NJSIAA sectional titles Friday after semifinal wins

There will be three sectional championship games played in the NJSIAA baseball state tournament Friday featuring teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area, plus one non-public final, as Ridge, Watchung Hills, Old Bridge and South Plainfield all gained berths in title games, while Middlesex and Piscataway Magnet saw their seasons come to an end in the sectional semifinals Wednesday.

Then, add into the mix St. Thomas Aquinas, which beat Rutgers Prep Tuesday to advance to the Non-Public North B title game for the second time in three years, but had to have their game at St. Mary-Rutherford moved to Friday to accommodate the Trojans’ graduation ceremony, set for Thursday.

Old Bridge will host Hunterdon Central in the Central Jersey Group 4 final, while Ridge and Watchung Hills will meet for a fourth time this year when they play in the North 2, Group 4 title game. And South Plainfield will visit Cranford in the North 2, Group 3 final, their third straight trip to a sectional championship game.

Here’s a rundown of Wednesday’s action, with links to separate stories, audio and the remaining state tournament schedule.

Central Jersey Group 4: (1) Old Bridge 10, (4) Hightstown 0 (5 inn.): The Knights are back in the CJ4 title game for the third time in four years after a run-rule win over the Rams, who had beaten Monroe in the quarterfinals, a Falcon team that beat Old Bridge back on Saturday in the rain-postponed GMC Tournament final.

After a scoreless first two innings, the Knights (21-9) scored twice in the third, getting an RBI single from Matt Chin, and a double-play groundout by Erich Schikschneit that scored another. And in the third they added two more on a Matt Levitt triple and an Adrian Lutomski sacrifice fly to right.

And in the bottom of the fifth, they got six more to walk it off, all coming with two outs after a leadoff single by Chris Crosta.

Blake Dunleavy got the win, allowing just two hits, striking out one, but perhaps most importantly, doing it in an economical 46 pitches, meaning he can come back Friday, if needed. That’s when the Knights will face third-seed Hunterdon Central (17-3) at Fred Cole Field in the Central Jersey Group 4 final. Old Bridge beat North Brunswick to win the title in 2023, en route to the state Group 4 final. They lost last year in the CJ4 title game to Hillsborough.

Click here to listen to Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 – (1) Ridge 10, (5) Bridgewater-Raritan 6: The Red Devils broke a 3-3 tie with six runs in the fifth to take a 9-3 lead, added a run in the sixth, but had to survive a late ralyl from Bridgewater-Raritan, where the Panthers scored three times in top of the seventh before reliever Jake Dolan could close the door.

(3) Watchung Hills 10, (2) Bayonne 0: The Warriors (18-8) stunned the second-seed on the road Wednesday afternoon, taking scoring a run each in the first two innings, then exploding for an eight-run third from which the Bees (21-9) could never recover. Max Payne drove in three runs on a 1-for-3 day, while Jacob Jaconski was 2-for-3 with two runs batted in.

Rob Centamore was brilliant on the mound for Watchung Hills. He struck out ten, walked one, hit one batter, and allowed just two hits, and the offensive explosion kept the Hustlin’ Warriors from needing their bullpen, freeing up everyone else on the staff to be available for Friday afternoon’s North 2, Group 4 title game at top-seed Ridge.

Click here to listen to Watchung Hills head coach Joe Tremarco talk about the win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 – (4) South Plainfield 4, (1) Chatham 2: Andrew Bena delivered the big hit for the Tigers (17-11) to upset the top-seed, while Aiden McCarthy once again proved why he’s the ace of the South Plainfield staff.

The Tigers took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. After Dom Massaro reached on a dropped line drive hit to left field, McCarthy singled, Bena got plunked, and Chirs Loniewksi doubled, driving in two. Chatham cut the lead in half with a single to right field, then tied it in the top of the sixth on a double Ryan Bailey.

That’s when Bena came through. Massaro worked out a five-pitch, one0out walk. McCarthy beat out an infield hit. Then Bena doubled to left to score them both, giving the Tigers a 4-2 lead. That was all they’d get, as the next two hitters struck out, but with McCarthy on the mound, that was all they would need. He tossed a one-two-three seventh – a pop-out, strikeout, and another pop-out – to end the game, picking up his fifth win of the season, and sending South Plainfield to its third straight sectional title game.

The Tigers – who lost to Randolph in the final two years ago, but won at Colonia last year to take the title – will visit third-seed Cranford (20-9) in the North 2, Group 3 championship game. The Cougars were 9-3 winners at two-seed North Hunterdon Wednesday.

Click here to listen to South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus talk about the win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

Central Jersey Group 1: (5) Shore 2, (1) Middlesex 0: The defending state Group 1 champion Blue Jays’ season ends at 22-6 with the shutout loss at home, marking the first time in a decade Middlesex will not meet Point Pleasant Beach in the playoffs. Whether in the finals or the earlier rounds, it’s been a regular occurrence in this section.

Liam Hennelly and Ryan Barham each knocked in runs in a two-run fifth as senior Chris Kozak took the loss in his final game as a Blue Jay.

(3) Point Pleasant Beach 14, (2) Piscataway Magnet 2: The toast of the GMC – with its best record in program history – saw its season come to a close at 25-4, with a loss to last year’s sectional runner-up, the Garnet Gulls, who will play fifth-seed Shore Regional in an all-Shore Conference CJ1 title game Friday afternoon. Point Beach took a 3-0 lead into the third – after scoring two in the first and one in the second – then exploded for an eight spot in the third and got three more in the fourth before the Raiders could get on the board.

Trey Lyerly and Vincent Canavan each drove in runs, with Canavan going 2-for-3 with a triple. Jack Garrison took the loss, allowing five earned runs in two innings, though just two were earned.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 5:

Non-Public North B Final: (3) St. Thomas Aquinas (14-4) at (1) St. Mary-Rutherford (16-11-1), 4 pm (LISTEN LIVE on CJSR)
Central Jersey Group 4 Final: (3) Hunterdon Central (17-13) at (1) Old Bridge (21-9), 6 pm
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Final: (3) Watchung Hills (18-8) at (1) Ridge (18-10), 4 pm (LISTEN LIVE on CJSR) (NOTE: This is a unique link, not the usual Listen Live link!)
North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Final: (4) South Plainfield (17-11) at (3) Cranford (20-9), 3 pm

MONDAY, JUNE 8 – State Semifinals (hosted by the team with more power points)

Group 4 – Central vs. South: Should Old Bridge win the Central Jersey Group 4 title, they would face the winner of the South Jersey Group 4 between top-seed Kingsway (22-5) and second-seed Eastern (21-8). If the Knights play Kingsway, it would be on the road, but if Eastern wins, Old Bridge would host. The Knights beat Eastern in the Group 4 semifinals at Fred Cole Field in 2023, en route to the state Group 4 final.
Group 4 – North 1 vs. North 2: The winner of the Watchung Hills/Ridge North 2, Group 4 final would play the winner of the North 1, Group 4 final, featuring top-seed Passaic Tech (28-2) and third-seed Ridgewood (22-7). Both have higher power point values than the North 2 teams, so either Watchung Hills or Ridge would be on the road in that semifinal.
Group 3 – North 1 vs. North 2: Should South Plainfield win the North 2, Group 3 title, the Tigers would face the winner of the North 1, Group 3 title matchup, featuring top-seed Old Tappan (23-4) and second-seed Ramapo (21-7-1). But both have higher power point values, so South Plainfield would be on the road, either way.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 – Non-Public State Finals at Rutgers:

Non-Public A Final: 4 pm
Non-Public B Final: 7 pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 – Public State Finals at Rutgers:

Group 3 Final: 10 am
Group 4 Final: 1 pm
Group 1 Final: 4 pm
Group 2 Final: 7 pm

June 3, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Ridge gets big 5th inning, still has to fight off Bridgewater-Raritan to advance to second straight sectional final, with 10-6 win over Panthers

Regardless of the score, both top-seed Ridge and fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan knew they would be in a dogfight in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 semifinals of the state tournament.

And a dogfight it was.

The Red Devils broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth on a two-RBI single by junior catcher Casey Kurcerka, then added four more to take a 9-3 lead, but still had to hold off the Panthers, who got three in the top of the seventh to keep anyone wearing green – players, coaches, and fans – from any kind of premature celebration until the final out was recorded.

Once it was, it was official: Ridge is off to its second straight sectional final.

But not so much off, as they’ll just have to trudge across the mountain ridge between the high school and Hall Field Friday afternoon to host third-seed Watchung Hills in the title game, after the Hustlin’ Warriors upset two-seed Bayonne, 10-0 by run-rule in five innings, on the road Wednesday afternoon in the section’s other semifinal.

It’ll be their fourth meeting this year, with Ridge winning both regular season meetings, but Watchung Hills taking a 4-2 win in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, en route to the championship.

Ridge (18-10) got on the board first ion this one, scoring three in the bottom of the third off Bridgewater starter Kellan Komline.

Toby Nicholson and Colin Newcomb – the eight and nine hitters – both singled to start the inning, and Kieran Callanan walked to load the bases. Lucas Grob hit a ball to short, and conceding a run, Cody Rible looked to turn two. he got the force at second, but Grob beat out the throw to first. Jake Dolan doubled to make it 2-0, moving Grob to third, and he came home to score on a wild pitch to give Ridge a 3-0 lead.

But the Panthers (13-17)evened it up in the third. DH Connor Price singled to lead it off, and starter Lucas Liston got a flay out and a pop up for the first two outs of the inning. But he wouldn’t get out of it unscathed. Rible singled, and Komline singled to load the bases. That brought up Andrew Schmeider, who hit a sharp ball to second baseman Lucas Grob, near the bag, who snared it, but stumbled. Price scored from third on the initial hit, but as Grob tried to get up, and then make a throw home, Rible was able to come home well, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Michael Lobosco then hit a ball to center, and Jake Dolan fired to third to get Schmeider for the third out, but not before Komline came in to score, tying the game at three.

Then came the sixth, where Ridge sent eleven men to the plate. With one out, Callanan walked, Grob doubled, and Jake Dolan was intentionally walked. Kucerka broke the tie with a line drive to left to make it 5-3. He and Dolan advanced to second and third on a balk, prompting Max Newill to come out of the dugout and urge Komline to settle down. But Ridge wasn’t done.

Sawyer Paul grounded to third, and third baseman Kevin Kelly threw home, and it beat Dolan, but he slid under the tag to make it 6-3. Dimitri Romer also grounded to third, and this time Kelly got a force at second, but another run came in to make it 7-3. After a single by Matt Pypcznske, Toby Nicholson hit an RBI single to left, and that was all for Komline. Jack Braswell came on in relief, and allowed a single to Colin Newcomb, which drove in a run to make it 9-3, then he got Callanan to fly out to center to end it.

Ridge added one more run in the bottom of the sixth.

But Bridgewater still had some life in the top of the seventh. Michael Labosco singled in between a line out and a strikeout, leaving Kelly at the plate as their last hope. But he extended the game with a walk, and Price doubled to make it 10-4. Stephen Pikulin followed with a single to center to score another run, and Josh Moore got hit by a pitch, putting runners at first and second for Rible, who hit a hard liner to second, stopped by Grob on a short hop instead of in the air. But there was no one to throw to, as the first baseman Paul also had tried for it. That made it 10-6, bringing in Price, but Komline ended up flying out to center to end it.

Komline took the loss, allowing nine runs on eight hits to fall to 3-5, while the win went to Romer in relief, who improves to 6-2.

Click below for postgame reaction – presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen – from Ridge junior catcher Casey Kucerka and head coach Tom Blackwell with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

June 3, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Where will NJSIAA state semifinals be this year? Under new wrinkle, it depends on who’s playing

One of the tweaks the NJSIAA made to the high school baseball playoffs this year was a change as to who hosts the state semifinals.

This years state tournament regulations differ from years past, where the sections would alternate. One year it would be South Jersey and North Jersey, Section 2 champions hosting, the next it would be Central and North Jersey, Section 1.

This year, hosts will be the team with the higher power point values.

Keep in mind, that doesn’t necessarily mean the higher seed. The top three seeds in one section might have higher power point values than the top seed in another. And, of course, you could get two No. 1 seeds – so how would that be decided?

In this case, it’s strictly the team with the most power points, so even though everyone is two wins away from the state semis, let’s take a look at the four state semifinals that could see the seven public schools still alive from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.

Central Jersey Group 4: Old Bridge is the top seed, and will play fourth-seed Hightstown Wednesday at 5 pm in the semifinals. The winner gets either third-seed Hunterdon Central or seven-seed Jackson Twp. in the final.

If Old Bridge wins the title, they would host anyone from the South Jersey Group 4 bracket except the top-seed Kingsway, which has more power points than the Knights. If Eastern, Rancocas Valley or Cherry Hill East win it, Old Bridge will host the state semifinals at Fred Cole Field.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: Three of the four teams in Wednesday’s semifinal from the CJSR area, and all from the Skyland Conference Delaware Division. Top-seed Ridge plays five-seed Bridgewater-Raritan at 4 pm (listen live on CJSR), while third-seed Watchung Hills visits second-seed Bayonne, with a 4:30 first pitch.

And though three of our teams could win the North 2, Group 4 title, all would be on the road in the state semifinals. That’s because all four teams in the semis in North 1, Group 4 – top four seeds Passaic Tech, Mount Olive, Ridgewood, and West Orange – have higher power point values than the four remaining in North 2. That is a tough section, indeed. Passaic Tech went to the Passaic County Tournament title game, and lost 11-1 to DePaul. And Mount Olive shocked state No. 1 Delbarton, 8-7, to win the Morris County Tournament title, its first in 35 years.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: Fourth-seed South Plainfield is on the road today, with a tough task at top-seed Chatham at 4 pm. The winner faces either second-seed North Hunterdon or third-seed Cranford.

But with defending champion South Plainfield having the lowest power point total of the eight teams remaining in North 1 and North 2, the Tigers – should they win the section again – will be on the road, no matter who they face.

Central Jersey Group 1: The two CJSR-area teams are on opposite ends of the bracket, so it’ll be top-seed Middlesex hosting five-seed Shore Regional at 4 pm, and second-seed Piscataway Magnet facing third-seed Point Pleasant Beach at the same time.

The defending champion Blue Jays and Piscataway Magnet are the No. 1 and No. 2 teams among the eight remaining between Central 1 and South 1, so if either of them win the sectional title, they will host a state semifinal next Monday.

UPCOMING PUBLIC SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Wednesday, June 3: Sectional Semifinals (at higher seeds)
Friday, June 5: Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)
Monday, June 8: State Semifinals (at higher power point values)
Sunday, June 14: State Finals (at Rutgers – Group 3 at 10 am, Group 4 and 1 pm, Group 1 and 4 pm, Group 2 at 7 pm)

June 2, 2026June 2, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Bridgewater-Raritan travels to Ridge Wednesday for North 2, Group 4 semis, rubber match between Panthers and Red Devils, with trip to a title game on the line

The first meeting between Ridge and Bridgewater-Raritan this year was a 4-3 win for the Panthers, the second was a 4-3 win for the Red Devils.

Which means the rubber match between the two, Wednesday afternoon up in the Somerset Hills, should be a doozy.

Fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan will play top-seed Ridge at 4 pm at Hall Field in Basking Ridge in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 semifinals of the NJSIAA state tournament, with a trip to the championship game on the line. And you can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko on the call. Pregame is set for 3:45 pm, with first pitch at 4:00. Click here to listen.

In the first of two between the teams, it was Bridgewater-Raritan rallying for four runs in the sixth, benefitting from a bases loaded walk that brought in one run, and a balk that brought in another. In the second, Ridge trailed led 1-0 heading into the sixth, then gave up three in the top of the inning. But they clawed back with a run in the bottom to cut it to 3-2, tied it with a run in the seventh, then won it on a Toby Nicholson walk-off single in the gap in the bottom of the eighth.

For the Panthers, the season has been a challenge, having not brought back much in the “returning starter” department. Bridgewater started the year 1-5, but has played about .500 ball since, coming in at 13-16, a misleading number that belies that fact they play in one of the toughest divisions in the state.

Both Immaculata and Ridge had been ranked at various points this year, the three of the four teams in this section’s semifinals are from the Skyland Delaware, with third-seed Watchung Hills visiting two-seed Bayonne this afternoon in the other semi game. (That one starts at 4:30 pm.)

Ridge, meanwhile, comes in at 17-10, and got off to a red-hot start at 11-1, before dropping five in a row that included a pair against Immaculata, one against perennial contender North Hunterdon, the loss to the Panthers, and defending Central Jersey Group 4 champion Hillsborough.

But in their first two games on the state tournament, they’ve won twice by the ten-run rule. They took a 13-3 win over 16-seed Barringer on a walk-off in five innings, scoring five in their final at bat, then blanked Phillipsburg 10-0 in six, walking it off with three in their final at bat. That leaves Ridge outscoring its opponents 23-3 in the state tournament.

Bridgewater has done similarly, though. They topped 12-seed Plainfield in the opening round 11-0 in five, then won at four-seed JP Stevens 10-0 in six, scoring the final run to kick in the mercy rule in the top of the sixth.

This one probably won’t be decided that way, but with long-time rivals going at it instead of two teams that may not be familiar with each other from different conferences, expect a tight one, with a little extra juice – a championship game-type atmosphere.

Click below for preview interviews with both head coaches, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell

Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill

June 1, 2026May 31, 2026 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.

May 31, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – North 2, Group 4 Quarterfinals: (5) Bridgewater-Raritan 10, (4) JP Stevens 0

Nico Moore pitched a complete-game three-hitter, while six different Panthers drove in runs as fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan was a road winner at four-seed JP Stevens in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 sectional quarterfinals.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE!

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from JP Stevens High School in North Edison on May 22, 2026.