Tag: Bridgewater-Raritan

by Mike Pavlichko

Unbeaten Montgomery retains No. 1 spot in Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten, Rutgers Prep, Bridgewater edge up, Somerville joins

The combination of the winter break – and a winter storm that blew through the area Friday into Saturday this past weekend – meant a light schedule for many of the boy’s basketball teams in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.

As a result, there was very little movement in the Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten.

Montgomery (6-0) held on to the top spot, winning its only game of the week, 75-27 over Hamilton West. The Cougar Holiday Classic at Montgomery was moved from Saturday to Monday due to the storm.

Rutgers Prep (4-1) moved up a spot on the strength of a win over defending South Jersey, Group 2 champion Camden Sunday at the Pete & Jameer Nelson Classic at Widener University outside of Philly. That dropped Gill St. Bernard’s (3-1) down one to third, as they were idle this week.

The next four teams all held court. The first of the bunch is No. 4 Piscataway (6-0), which won on Monday at Colonia, 75-73 in double overtime, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They followed it up with a win over previously unbeaten Perth Amboy on Tuesday, 80-52.

St. Joseph-Metuchen held in fifth, but we’ve updated the Falcons’ record to 3-0 after their December 8th opener against Wesley College of Australia – a 101-37 win – was posted.

East Brunswick (6-0) holds at six after a 2-0 week, with a 75-71 win over Franklin on Tuesday, and a 78-69 victory over Ranney Saturday in the Alfred E. Martin Buc Classic at Red Bank Regional, which puts them into Monday’s semifinals.

And holding at No. 7 is Sayreville (4-1), which was a 68-47 winner over Monroe on Monday in their only game of the week.

Bridgewater-Raritan (5-0) moves up a spot to No. 8, though they did not play, as previous No. 8 Colonia (2-4) drops out. The Patriots lost to Piscataway Monday in double-OT at home, 75-73, then fell to Friendship Tech Saturday in the Governor’s Challenge showcase event down in Salisbury, MD.

Somerville (4-0) joins the rankings at No. 9 , after a 1-0 week in which they beat Manville, 48-23, on the road.

And Immaculata (2-1) – idle last week – holds at No. 10.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Three:

A digital ranking table displaying the Week 3 standings for the 2025-26 boys' basketball season, presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. The table includes team names, records, and previous rankings, with highlighted spots for the top ten teams.

by Mike Pavlichko

A New No. 1, and two new teams join the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten

The first full week of play in high school basketball didn’t have anything in the way of seismic upsets, but there is a new No. 1 team in the Bellamy & Son Paving rankings – with a very fine line and little room for error among the top five teams, which are a combined 17-2 following this weekend’s action – as well as two new teams joining the bottom half of the rankings.

None have necessarily come up with any stunning or signature wins, but are playing very good basketball at the moment.

We start, of course, at the top, where 5-0 Montgomery takes the top spot by a nose, with an unblemished record. The Cougars won four games this week, starting off their league slate with an 81-55 win at Watchung Hills on Tuesday. Thursday, they beat Immaculata, 72-62 at home, then won twice over the weekend. Saturday, it was a 60-36 win over Haddonfield at the Jimmy V Classic down at Cherokee High School, then a 72-33 rout of Paramus Catholic in The Battle at the Dunn Center in Elizabeth.

Monty’s move leaves Gill St. Bernard’s (3-1) in the second spot. After a Tuesday win over Hillsborough, 51-49, then a 66-36 rout at Phillipsburg, Gill fell to unbeaten St. Peter’s Prep, 59-43, at the Big Jersey Showcase down at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft.

Holding in third is Rutgers Prep (3-1). The Argonauts bounced back from a season-opening loss with a 64-51 win over Phillipsburg Tuesday, a 62-60 win at Ridge Thursday, and a 70-60 win at Don Bosco Prep on Saturday.

Piscataway (4-0) is in fourth for a third straight week. The Chiefs beat West Orange Wednesday – as head coach Bob Turco picked up his 400th career win – then topped his old school, St. Thomas Aquinas, 90-66 on Thursday, before beating Old Bridge Saturday, 82-58.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-0) edges up one notch to five, after winning its opening two games (their December 8th game has not been officially recorded as a regular season win, so we’re not considering it here). The Falcons won 89-70 at Old Bridge Tuesday, and got by then-No. 5 Colonia at home, 58-40, Saturday afternoon.

Joining the Top Ten for the first time this season, at No. 6, is East Brunswick (4-0). The Bears won three games this week to stay perfect, starting with a 63-35 road win over Monroe. On Thursday, they topped No. 7 Sayreville, 58-53, then beat South Plainfield at home Saturday, 77-72.

That leaves Sayreville (3-1) in seventh, with a Tuesday win at St. John Vianney, 54-42, and a Saturday 81-58 win at Woodbridge sandwiched around the previously-mentioned loss to the Bears.

At No. 8, it’s Colonia (2-2), down three spots. The Patriots were 2-1 this week, starting with a pair of wins: 59-49 over St. Thomas Aquinas, and 71-60 over Old Bridge. Saturday, the Patriots took their second loss of the season, falling 58-40 at St. Joseph-Metuchen.

Checking in at No. 9 is Bridgewater-Raritan (4-0), also making its debut. The Panthers were 3-0 in the week gone by, starting with a 70-63 win at Franklin on Tuesday, followed by a 51-40 win over Hunterdon Central on Thursday, and a 64-19 win over College Achieve Central.

And still in the ten-spot is Immaculata (2-1). The Spartans beat Ridge Tuesday, 68-53, at home, then lost 72-62 at Montgomery Thursday, before bouncing back with a 61-53 win over Delaware Valley on Saturday.

Two teams dropped out to make room for East Brunswick and Bridgewater-Raritan. Ridge (0-4) fell out from No. 8 after an 0-3 week, with losses at Immaculata, 68-53 on Tuesday, Rutgers Prep 62-60 on Thursday, and against Delbarton in the Rose City Classic at FDU-Madison on Sunday, 50-47. St. Thomas Aquinas (1-3) fell out from No. 9 after a 1-2 week, including a 59-49 loss to Colonia Tuesday, and a 90-66 loss at Piscataway Thursday. They rebounded with a 49-35 win over 0-4 St. Joseph-Montvale Saturday in the Dr. Gerald Glisson Classic at Paterson Eastside. It’s the first time in the history of the CJSR/Bellamy Top Ten (dating to the COVID-shortened 2020 season) that the Trojans are not in the rankings, snapping a 50-week streak.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Two:

Image of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten rankings for high school boys' basketball for the 2025-26 season, displaying the current standings, records, and previous rankings of the teams.

by Mike Pavlichko

Bridgewater-Raritan’s D.J. Catalano led Panthers to first title, is named 2025 Central Jersey Sports Radio Coach of the Year

Being Coach of the Year isn’t just about having the best team or the most skilled players.

Well, you probably have to have most of them, or you’re not playing for championships any time soon.

But often, it’s about something extra: overcoming some adversity, or simply making a key decision or two, more than the next guy. Sometimes, it’s Xs and Os, sometimes it’s something most don’t see. Sometimes it’s just a steady, guiding hand.

That’s the case for Central Jersey Sports Radio’s 2025 Coach of the Year: D.J. Catalano of Bridgewater-Raritan.

Catalano has been the head man in Bridgewater for just a few seasons, spending a year there under Rick Mantz in 2022 before taking over in 2023. It’s been a steady progression since then, from 3-7 to 4-7 to a 9-4 campaign this year, and the North 2, Group 5 championship.

The Panthers won their first four games this year, something they had not done since 2016, when they finished 11-1, losing in the finals to Westfield (for the second time in what two years, with a third to come in 2017). But then, potential tragedy struck.

Quarterback Declan Kurdyla went down in the Hunterdon Central game, and it looked serious. Ultimately, he missed two games, and came back two weeks later for a 30-18 loss at Hillsborough. At the cutoff, they were 6-3, finishing 1-3 in the division, and having dropped three of their last five games.

But with a top-seed in the state tournament, what better time for a playoff run?

And that’s just what they did, Catalano keeping the group laser-focused on the task at hand. They cruised past Linden, 35-6, in the opening round. They were masterful against Union City, a team many didn’t give them a shot against considering their high-powered offense averaging just under 40 points per game.

And, down 7-0 at halftime, they came back to beat Bayonne, 21-14, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 title game, claiming the program’s first-ever NJSIAA hardware.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas talk with Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano, our 2025 Coach of the Year:

by Marcus Borden

Bridgewater-Raritan’s championship season ends with 23-14 loss to Passaic Tech in Group 5 Semis

A week ago, Bridgewater-Raritan was celebrating a sectional title, holding the North 2 Group 5 trophy high after a 21-14 win over Bayonne that gave the Panthers their first-ever state title.

They’ll be celebrating that for a while in Bridgewater, but the run came to an end Friday night back at Basilone Field, following a 23-14 loss to North 1, Group 5 champion Passaic Tech in the state Group 5 semifinals.

The loss ends the Panthers’ season at 9-4, while the Bulldogs will go on to the Group 5 final against Central 5 champion Winslow Township, with beat South 5 champ Kingsway, 35-27, in an epic, see-saw battle down in South Jersey Friday night.

Bridgewater won the opening toss and proceeded to march down the field on their first possession as Declan Kurdyla scored on a three-yard run at the 8:38 mark of the first quarter. The score was was set-up by his 57-yard pass to Jack Cifuentes down the middle of the field.

But, the visiting Bulldogs would waste little time mixing the run and pass with their talented quarterback Gabriel Miles and senior running back Kadir Younge, who would tie the game at 7-7 on a one-yard run with 2:29 remaining in the first quarter.

The Panthers would get poor field position at their 10-yard line following a kickoff that would bounce over the the returner’s head, forcing him to scramble to secure possession. Bridgewater would get a first down with Evan Woodring – in for a banged-up Declan Kurdyla – running the offense and handing off to halfback Jahmier Black. The first quarter would come to a close with both teams deadlocked at 7-7.

It quickly became apparent that Kurdyla would not be able to return to play, as he separated his left shoulder on his touchdown run in Bridgewater’s opening drive.

The Panthers defense would force the Bulldogs to punt on their next series, while back-up quarterback Woodring and the Panthers would move the ball to the 34-yard line of the Bulldogs and take a timeout at 1:25 before halftime with a fourth down and six coming up. They would turn the ball over on downs.

On the very next play, Younge would score his second touchdown of the night, on a 66-yard trap play over the center at 1:11 mark of the second quarter, making the score 14-7.

The Panthers would let the first half clock run out as they would go to the locker room only down a score and without their starting senior quarterback.

Passaic County Tech would receive the second half kickoff and methodically mix it up with the passing game and running attack. Younge would bust a 60-yard score cutting upfield off his pulling guard at 8:53 in the third quarter and a 21-7 lead.

The Panthers defense would continue to play hard as Nick Crovelli intercepted a pass and the offense would make plays. Woodring found Mikey Bratus on a 52-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field closing the gap to 21-14 with 11:52 remaining in the game.

Bridgewater would stop the Bulldogs on 4th and goal at the one with 4:33 remaining in the contest. But Denzel Amoafo would be tackled in the end zone for a safety, giving the Bulldogs a 23-14 lead.

The Panthers had last chance, but Tyson Watkins would intercept a tipped ball with 2:04 left in the contest, allowing the Bulldogs to run out the clock for a hard-fought 23-14 victory.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with Passaic Tech head coach Matt Demarest, senior runningback Kadir Younge, and Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Group 5 Semifinal Preview: Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers vs. Passaic Tech Bulldogs

Group 5 Semfinal:
When: Friday, 6 pm
Where: Basilone Field, Bridgewater, NJ
Matchup: Passaic Tech (9-3; North 1, Group 5 champion) at Bridgewater-Raritan (9-3; North 2, Group 5 champion)
Coverage: Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter
Weather: 49, little to no wind, 50% chance of rain by 9 pm

HEAD COACHES:

Bridgewater-Raritan: D.J. Catalano (3rd season, 16-17)
Passaic Tech: Matt Demarest (14th season, 113-45)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Bridgewater-Raritan (North 2, Group 5 Champions):
First Round: def. #8 Linden, 35-6
Semifinals: def. #4 Union City, 22-7
Finals: def. #6 Bayonne, 21-14

Ramapo (North 1, Group 5 Champions):
First Round: def. #3 Elizabeth, 44-14
Semifinals: def. #2 Piscataway, 27-13
Finals: def. #1 West Orange, 56-42

Who’s next? The winner of this game will play the winner of the other Group 5 semifinal. That game features third-seed South Jersey champion Kingsway (10-2) at top-seeded “Central Jersey” champion Washington Twp. at 6 pm Friday. While the Minutemen hail from southeast of Philadelphia (just North of Glassboro and Rowan University), they were the Central Jersey top seed due to being further North than the other No. 1 seed, Atlantic City, which got knocked off by Kingsway, 38-21, in the finals last Friday .

SERIES HISTORY:

This is just the second meeting between the Panthers and Bulldogs, with their only other matchup coming in the 2022 season opener in the one year Rick Mantz coached the team, with current skipper D.J. Catalano working under him. PCTI won that game, 32-7, and Bridgewater-Raritan finished 4-6, with Catalano taking over when Mantz stepped down after the season due to health reasons.

BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN PREVIEW:

PLAYOFF HISTORY:

Bridgewater-Raritan:

The Panthers have been to four sectional finals in their history, which only dates back to 1992 and the merger of Bridgewater East and West into the one high school that exists today.

Besides this year’s trip, the others all came in a stretch from 2015 through 2017, and all three were losses at Met Life Stadium to a juggernaut Westfield team that finished that run a combined 36-0. The Panthers were undefeated themselves heading into the first two finals, finishing 2015 and 2016 at 11-1. They finished 9-3 in 2017.

This is their first time beyond the sectional finals.

Playoff Berths: 17
Playoff Record: 13-16
Previous Sectional Finals Berths: 4
Sectional Titles: 1
State Championships: 0 (first finals appearance)

North 2, Group 5
2015: #2 Westfield def. #1 Bridgewater-Raritan, 10-7
2016: #2 Westfield def. #1 Bridgewater-Raritan, 15-13
2017: #1 Westfield def. #3 Bridgewater-Raritan, 20-7
2025: #1 Bridgewater-Raritan def. #6 Bayonne, 21-14

Passaic Tech:

Playoff Berths: 25
Playoff Record: 32-19
Previous Sectional Finals Berths: 11
Sectional Titles: 6
State Championships: 0 (2 finals appearances)

North 1, Group 4
1998: #4 Passaic Tech def. #3 Union Hill, 48-6
2001: #6 Passaic Tech def. #5 Emerson, 40-8
North 1, Group 5
2014: #1 Montclair def. #3 Passaic Tech, 26-14
2015: #2 Passaic Tech def. #1 Ridgewood, 27-0
2016: #1 Ridgewood def. #3 Passaic Tech, 14-13
2019: #1 Ridgewood def. #2 Passaic Tech, 10-7
2021: #1 East Orange def. #3 Passaic Tech, 35-7
2022: #1 Passaic Tech def. #2 Union City, 14-7
def. West Orange, 21-7, in Group 5 semifinals
lost to Toms River North, 28-7, in Group 5 Final
2023: #1 Passaic Tech def. #3 Montclair, 34-27
def. Union City, 14-0, in Group 5 semifinals
lost to Toms River North, 23-13, in Group 5 Final
2024: #1 Union City def. #3 Passaic Tech, 34-29
2025: #2 Passaic Tech def. #1 West Orange, 56-42

2025 BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN COVERAGE:

Bridgewater-Raritan football team celebrating a victory, holding a championship plaque with players smiling and posing together.
Bridgewater-Raritan with its 2025 North 2, Group 5 championship trophy, the school’s first in football. (Photo: Chris Tsakonas)

NEWS & NOTES:

Going South?

The state finals will be at either Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford or SHI Stadium at Rutgers University in Piscataway, but if the Panthers get there, it will be against a school that will be their most South Jersey opponent ever.

In Bridgewater-Raritan’s short history since the 1992 merger, the Panthers have only played two teams that hail from South of Middlesex County. They played a home-and-home this year and last with Notre Dame, losing down there – in Lawrenceville – last year, 40-38, but returning the favor at Basilone Field in Week Zero this season, 35-20.

They also played a home-and-home with Cherokee in 1992 and 1993, splitting that series as well. Cherokee is in Marlton, part of the Lenape Regional School District, which also includes Shawnee and Lenape High Schools.

Washington Township is about another 18 miles and 32 minutes to the South, just north of Glassboro and Rowan University, where they beat Hillsborough in the Battle at the Beach back in August.

Kingsway is even further away, only a 20 minute drive Northeast of the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

With the NJSIAA hosting championships next weekend on Black Friday at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands and two days later on Sunday at Rutgers, we think that game might be in Piscataway, since it would be quite the haul all the way up to the Meadowlands for either South Jersey team – but wait, didn’t Washington Twp. win Central 5? – and the NJSIAA typically likes to assign sites based on geography.

Kingsway is over two hours from MetLife Stadium, bur Rutgers is just over an hour away. But you can bet the traffic will be even worse on Black Friday at Met Life, right next door to the American Dream mall.

Lacrosse influence…

People talk about teams that play smash mouth football, but there are few sports as physical as lacrosse. And when you get those guys in your football program, it’s something special.

The Panthers have had a very successful program over the years, and have a set of brothers on the Rutgers squad: Brady Kurdyla will be a senior this year, and Colin Kurdyla a junior. Both are midfielders.

Next year, Bridgewater quarterback Declan Kurdyla will join Colin for his senior season on the Banks.

But he’s not the only lacrosse athlete on the football team. There are four others on the offensive side of the ball, including receivers Jack Winne, Mikey Bratus and James Locrotondo, along with tight end Jack Cifuentes. Defensively, LoCcrotondo is at cornerback, Winne is at safety, and Cifuentes sees time at outside linebacker along with Nick Crovello.

And there’s another connection. Catalano also played lacrosse, as did his father at the Naval Academy, while his uncles played at Penn State. He says he eventually “got too big” for the sport.

“When you think Bridgewater-Raritan, you think Bridgewater-Raritan lacrosse,” Catalano says. “To get those kids to bring that culture to us is awesome.”

The Panther lacrosse team reached the North Group 4 finals last year and in 2023, after winning it in 2022. They also reached the SCT finals and the now-defunct Tournament of Champions that year, and won the Somerset County Tournament back in 2018.

by Chris Tsakonas

Fourth time’s the charm! Bridgewater-Raritan wins first sectional title, topping Bayonne 21-14 in North 2, Group 5 final

In 2015, the Bridgewater-Raritan football team made its first-ever sectional final – 23 years after the merger of the East and West high schools – with an undefeated record.

They would fall that year to unbeaten Westfield. The same happened the next year. And they would fall to Westfield one more time in 2017.

It took eight more years for the Panthers to get back to that stage, and this time they made it count.

Friday night at Basilone Field, the Panthers clinched the first sectional title in program history with a 21-14 win over Bayonne.

Bridgewater-Raritan started the game on the back foot, as Bayonne went ahead 7-0 off a 20-yard touchdown run from Chance Fisher with 2:56 left in the first quarter. The Panthers marched 77 yards down the field late in the second quarter, but the drive stalled at the nine-yard line with an interception thrown by Declan Kurdyla.

The first turning point came with 1:14 remaining in the first half. On fourth and goal from the 1-yard line, Bridgewater-Raritan’s front seven held up to deny a touchdown for Nico Sampson to keep it at 7-0 entering the second half.

The Bees received the second half kickoff – but the first play of the half went awry as a botched snap led to a fumble that was returned 33 yards for a touchdown by Jamelle Jones to tie the game. 

The Panthers took the lead for the first time with an 11-yard touchdown run for Jahmier Black with 2:56 to play in the 3rd quarter. Bayonne responded quickly, as Fisher punched in a 66-yard touchdown to tie it up at 14 with 28 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Bridgewater-Raritan went ahead for good late in the fourth, as a fourth-and-one turned into a 58-yard touchdown pass from Kurdyla to Jack Cifuentes to take the lead for good with 2:33 to play. A muffed kickoff was recovered by the Panthers to seal the win.

Black led Bridgewater-Raritan with 15 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown in the win, while Kurdyla completed six of 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown through the air. Cifuentes led all Panther receivers with four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Next up, Bridgewater will play in the Group 4 semifinals at home next Friday – likely at 6 pm – against North 1, Group 5 champion Passaic Tech. The second-seeded Bulldogs knocked off top-seed West Orange Friday night, 56-42 on the road.

Logo for Sportsplex at Metuchen featuring various sports icons and contact information.

Click below for postgame reaction from Chris Tsakonas with Bridegwater-Rartitan’s Declan Kurdyla, Jahmier Black, Jack Cifuentes, Jamelle Jones and head coach Declan Kurdyla, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Bridgewater-Raritan players
Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano

-Mike Pavlichko contributed to this report

by Mike Pavlichko

North 2, Group 5 Final Preview: Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers vs. Bayonne Bees

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 Final:
When: Friday, 6 pm
Where: Basilone Field, Bridgewater, NJ
Matchup: #6 Bayonne (8-3) at #1 Bridgewater-Raritan (8-3)
Coverage: Follow Chris Tsakonas on Twitter
Weather: 44 degrees, partly cloudy, wind W 2 mph (crosswind from home stands toward visitor stands)

HEAD COACHES:

Bridgewater-Raritan: D.J. Catalano (3rd season, 15-17)
Bayonne: Jerome Hayes (4th season, 22-18)

Logo of Higgins Speed Lab, featuring bold black lettering on a white background.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Bridgewater-Raritan:
First Round: def. #8 Linden, 35-6
Semifinals: def. #4 Union City, 22-7

Bayonne:
First Round: def. #3 Elizabeth, 44-14
Semifinals: def. #2 Piscataway, 27-13

Who’s next? The winner of this game will play the North 1, Group 5 winner in the Group 5 semifinals. That title game features top-seed West Orange (9-2) hosting second-seed Passaic Tech (8-3) Friday at 7 pm. Should Bridgewater advance and face West Orange – the overall No. 1 seed in North Group 5 – they’d be on the road, but it PCTI wins, the Panthers would host them next Friday night at 6.

SERIES HISTORY:

This is just the second meeting between the Panthers and Bees, with their only other matchup coming in 2005, a consolation game win for Bridgewater-Raritan, 30-28, to cap a 4-6 season under Tony Maglione. Bayonne would finish that season 6-4.

Ironically, Bayonne had beaten Union Hill on Cutoff Weekend and Emerson in late September. Those two schools later merged to form Union City, the team Bridgewater just beat last week to get to the finals.

BRIDGEWATER-RATIAN PREVIEW:

FINALS HISTORY:

Bridgewater-Raritan:

The Panthers have only been to three sectional finals in their history, which only dates back to 1992 and the merger of Bridgewater East and West into the one high school that exists today.

Those came in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and all three were losses at Met Life Stadium to a juggernaut Westfield team that won all three and finished that stretch a combined 36-0. The Panthers were undefeated themselves heading into the first two finals, finishing 2015 and 2016 at 11-1. They finished 9-3 in 2017.

Playoff Berths: 19
Playoff Record: 10-17
Previous Finals Berths: 4
Sectional Titles: 1

North 2, Group 5
2015: #2 Westfield def. #1 Bridgewater-Raritan, 10-7
2016: #2 Westfield def. #1 Bridgewater-Raritan, 15-13
2017: #1 Westfield def. #3 Bridgewater-Raritan, 20-7

Bayonne:

This is just Bayonne’s fourth appearance in a title game, and their first trip since 2002, when they won as a five-seed and beat 7th-seed Hackensack, 25-23. Their first finals appearance came in 1976, then they made it again in 1981, and 1987, all in North 1, Group 4. This will be their first time in North 2, Group 5.

Playoff Berths: 19
Playoff Record: 20-15
Previous Finals Berths: 8
Sectional Titles: 4

North 1, Group 4
1976: #4 Bergenfield def. #2 Bayonne, 19-8
1981: #1 Passaic def. #2 Bayonne, 29-0
1987: #1 Paterson Kennedy def. #2 Bayonne, 13-7
2002: #5 Bayonne def. #7 Hackensack, 25-23

2025 BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN COVERAGE:

Football players in action on the field during a game, with a group of players in white uniforms and helmets on one side and players in black uniforms on the other.
No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan hosts No. 7 Hunterdon Central at Basilone Field in Bridgewater on September 19, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

NEWS & NOTES:

Math teacher or intrepid sports reporter?

We’re going to shout out Bridgewater-Raritan math teacher James Olivola first in this space. You can easily find him at any Bridgewater-Raritan sporting event on campus, and even some on the road.

Why? He posts frequent updates – often peppered with memes and GIFs related to Panthers – while giving detailed updates on Bridegwater-Raritan athletic events.

This week, he noted that in 2023, Bayonne beat Bridgewater in baseball for their first sectional title since 2002, and did it with a father/son and coach/player duo in head coach Dave Hoffman and his son Justin, a third baseman and pitcher who was a senior that year.

The Bayonne football team this year has the same kind of duo: Jerome Hayes is in his fourth season as head coach, and his son – Jerome, Jr. – is a wide receiver and linebacker. In fact, he had a critical scoop and score to put his team up two touchdowns with just over four minutes to go in the semifinals at Piscataway last week.

Lacrosse influence…

People talk about teams that play smash mouth football, but there are few sports as physical as lacrosse. And when you get those guys in your football program, it’s something special.

The Panthers have had a very successful program over the years, and have a set of brothers on the Rutgers squad: Brady Kurdyla will be a senior this year, and Colin Kurdyla a junior. Both are midfielders.

Next year, Bridgewater quarterback Declan Kurdyla will join Colin for his senior season on the Banks.

But he’s not the only lacrosse athlete on the football team. There are four others on the offensive side of the ball, including receivers Jack Winne, Mikey Bratus and James Locrotondo, along with tight end Jack Cifuentes. Defensively, LoCcrotondo is at cornerback, Winne is at safety, and Cifuentes sees time at outside linebacker along with Nick Crovello.

And there’s another connection. Catalano also played lacrosse, as did his father at the Naval Academy, while his uncles played at Penn State. He says he eventually “got too big” for the sport.

“When you think Bridgewater-Raritan, you think Bridgewater-Raritan lacrosse,” Catalano says. “To get those kids to bring that culture to us is awesome.”

The Panther lacrosse team reached the North Group 4 finals last year and in 2023, after winning it in 2022. They also reached the SCT finals and the now-defunct Tournament of Champions that year, and won the Somerset County Tournament back in 2018.

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s been a while for the Panthers, as Bridgewater-Raritan hosts North 2 Group 5 finals against Bayonne, seeking first-ever state title

The Bridgewater-Raritan football team made three straight finals appearances in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Those are their only trips to the finals, and all three years they ran into a Westfield juggernaut, a Blue Devils’ program that won all three titles up at the Meadowlands, and finished a remarkable 36-0 in that stretch.

But now, they are poised to make some history.

The North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 finals Friday night – in which the top-seeded Panthers (8-3) will face sixth-seed Bayonne (8-3) – will be their first time ever hosting a sectional final, as they seek the first NJSIAA trophy in program history.

And while those three Bridgewater teams were solid – they also were unbeaten heading into the 2015 title tilt – this one is serious business.

They continue to play in the toughest division, top-to-bottom, in the Big Central Conference, with the likes of Phillipsburg, Hillsborough, Hunterdon Central and Ridge. Their eight wins is the most since their last trip to the finals, in 2019, when they finished 9-3.

Well, 9-3 would make them very happy this year. It would mean they’re sectional champs, and live to play another week in the state semifinals.

And it all could have gone off the rails if things broke another way early on in the season.

It was Week Four, at home against Hunterdon Central. Senior QB Declan Kurdyla – a Rutgers lacrosse commit – went down with a lower leg injury, and initially it looked like it could have ended his season. That also could have derailed the entire team’s season. But further evaluation showed it was not as bad as previously thought, and he was back three weeks later, in a 30-18 loss at Hillsborough.

They split the two games after his injury – with junior Evan Woodring, who coach calls “a stud” – filling in more than ably. And Since Kurdyla’s return, the Panthers are 3-1 – their lone loss in that stretch to North 2, Group 4 finalist Phillipsburg – and playing very well. They’ve outscored their first two playoff opponents 57-13, including a 22-7 semifinal win over a Union City squad that beat them 61-10 in the same round last season.

Even missing all that time, Kurdyla is just eleven yards shy of having thrown for 1,200 this season, while Jahmier Black and Denzel Amoafo have combined out of the backfield for 1,520 yards and 19 touchdowns, along with 547 more and 5 scores on the ground from Kurdyla.

Defensively, seniors Christian Antunes, Jamelle Jones (4 1/2 sacks each) and Miles Tofte (3 1/2 sacks) lead a senior-heavy group that knows what it’s doing.

They’ll do it against a Bayonne team with the same record, which beat Piscataway in the semifinals, 27-13. Against Bayonne, P’way shot itself in the foot with a fumble returned for a touchdown deep in their own end, and another bad snap that killed a comeback drive with just over two minuutes to go.

The Panthers beat the Chiefs 34-27 back in September.

Click below to hear from Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano:

by Mike Pavlichko

CJSR announces Championship Weekend playoff coverage of three area title games

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have in-person coverage of three of the five sectional title games being played this Championship Weekend, involving six teams from the Big Central Conference.

We’ll have live play-by-play of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final, which features two BCC squads, as top-seed Phillipsburg (9-1) will host third-seed Montgomery (8-3) at Maloney Stadium. The Stateliners – the defending champs in this section – haven’t lost to a public school all year, while the Cougars have rebounded off a 1-9 season under first-year head coach and previous Offensive Coordinator Sean Carty.

Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will call the action, with pregame at 6:45. Kickoff is at 7. Bookmark this link to listen live.

Meanwhile, we’ll have reporters at the two other games being hosted by Big Central schools.

Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden will be in New Providence, where the second-seeded Pioneers – the only unbeaten team left in the league, at 10-0 – get a surprise home game in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 final against fourth-seed and defending champion Cedar Grove (8-3) at 6:30 pm. New Providence lost to the Panthers on the road in last year’s title game, but now get to host because Cedar Grove upset top-seed Mountain Lakes Friday night in the semifinals. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for live updates.

And Chris Tsakonas will be at the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 final at Basilone Field in Bridgewater as the top-seeded Panthers (8-3) host sixth-seed Bayonne (8-3) at 6 pm. Bridgewater is in the finals for the first time since 2017, the last of a streak of three straight North 2, Group 5 finals they appeared in, falling all three times to Westfield, which was undefeated all three years, going 36-0 in that stretch. Follow Chris Tsakonas on Twitter for live updates.

Meanwhile, we’ll have postgame recaps of two other finals as well from CJSR headquarters, with third-seed Old Bridge (10-1) visiting top-seed and undefeated Washington Township (11-0) in the Central Jersey Group 5 title game at 6 pm Friday, as well as second-seed Summit (9-2) at top-seed and unbeaten West Morris (11-0) at 7:30 pm in the North 2, Group 3 final.

by Mike Pavlichko

Bridgewater-Raritan tops Union City at home, 22-7, to clinch first sectional finals berth since ’17

The last time Bridgewater-Raritan reached a sectional final, it was their third straight trip, in 2017.

All three years they’d face Westfield, and all three years the Blue Devils won, ending a wild stretch where they went 36-0 over those three seasons, 2015 through 2015.

Well, Westfield is down in Group 4 now, but the Panthers had quite the nemesis on the other side of the Basilone Field Friday night in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 semifinals.

That would be fourth-seed Union City, which has been one of the top public schools in the state for the past decade or so, and which also beat Bridgewater-Raritan 62-10 last year in this same round. Though the Panthers were 4-6 heading into that game, and were 7-3 before Friday night’s semifinal, few might have given them a shot.

They should have.

The Panthers held Union City to just one touchdown, in the second quarter. But they get touchdown runs of 20 yards from Denzel Amoafo and seven-yards by Jahmier Black, as well as a safety, and two field goals – 29 and 25 yards – from Joe Squiccarini – en route to a 22-7 win that wasn’t quite as close as the score indicated.

Now, the Panthers (8-3) will host the North 2, Group 5 final, next Friday night at 6:30, they just have to wait to see who their opponent is. It’ll be the winner of Saturday’s semifinal between second-seed Piscataway (8-2) and sixth-seed Bayonne (7-3). That game is at 1:00, and you can hear it live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, our “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

So if you want to congratulate the Panthers’ coaching staff, you know where they’ll be.

Click below to hear Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano talk about the win over Union City with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: