Tag: Bridgewater-Raritan

by Mike Pavlichko

Big Central guaranteed finalists – and title in North 2, Group 4 – but who else will play for trophies next weekend? A look at the semis

There are eleven Big Central Conference public schools left in the state playoffs, less than half of the 25 teams that initially qualified.

But of those that remain, there are some good opportunities for the league to win championships, and there’s even a guarantee it will in North 2, Group 4, where all four teams playing in semifinals Friday are from the BCC.

That was pretty well expected, as seven of the eight teams in that section were from the Big Central, and the one that wasn’t – eight-seed Newark Central – was likely to get clobbered by top-seed Phillipsburg, which they did, 55-14.

Here’s a look at who’s in action Friday night, public and private – as well as Saturday, where Piscataway and Summit will play home matinees – with links to our pre-game, in-game and post-game coverage.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

  • (4) Union City (6-3) at (1) Bridgewater-Raritan (7-3), Friday 6 pm: Call this the “merger” bowl, with the Panthers of the BCC a merger back in the early 1990s between Bridgewater East and West, and the Soaring Eagles a conglomeration of Emerson and Union Hill in 2008. This is their second meeting, with last year being a 61-10 win for Union City. But that Bridgewater team finished 4-7 on the season, and was 3-6 when they started the playoffs. Union City finished 11-2 and went all the way to the state Group 5 final, losing to Toms River North. This is still a tall order for the Panthers, but they are much closer in record now than they were last season, and one of their two losses came with senior QB Declan Kurdyla back in the lineup. He’s thrown for 1,154 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Jahmier Black (676 yards, 5 TDs) and Denzel Amoafo (633 yards, 12 TDs) lead the ground game. Meanwhile, it’s all the ground game for Union City, which has run it 403 times for nearly 4,000 yards, with two thousand-yard rushers: Ja’Zaire Aurelus (1,084 yards, 18 TD) and Mark Boyd (1,516 yards, 25 TDs). On defense, they have 36 sacks as a team – eleven from Omar Tillman, ten from Reynaldo Mercedes – and nine picks, with two returned for touchdowns.
Two groups of high school football players shaking hands at midfield during a coin toss before a game, one team in white uniforms with red accents and the other in black and yellow uniforms.
Piscataway and Plainfield captains shake hands before the coin toss ahead of their North 2, Group 5 opening round playoff game at Kenny Armwood Stadium in Piscataway on November 1, 2025. (Photo: Marcus Borden)
  • (6) Bayonne (7-3) at (2) Piscataway (8-2), Saturday 1 pm: The Chiefs have beaten Bayonne all three times they’ve played them: in 2014, 2017, and last year in the first round of this section, a 42-13 win for Piscataway, which bowed out in the semis to West Orange. And this may be the best team the Chiefs have had since COVID. They can score, they get good line play, and they bend but don’t break on defense: all characteristics of some of the best P’way teams over the last decade-and-a-half. Read our full preview, with interviews with both head coaches here. This is our “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, so click here to listen as Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas call all the action, with pregame at 12:45 pm.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

  • (3) Old Bridge (9-1) at (2) Sayreville (9-1), Friday 7 pm: Why don’t these two teams play in the regular season? That’s a story for another day. In fact, believe it or not, the Knights and Bombers haven’t played each other since 2021! Besides that blasphemy, these teams have gone back and forth over the years in the series, and this one could see video game-like numbers, between Old Bridge QB Brody Nugent and Sayreville runnigback Shaun Jackson. Nugent has thrown for 1,926 yards and 15 TDs this season, while rushing for 1,108 and 19 scores. Jackson, meanwhile, has rushed for 1,761 yards – that’s 9.8 yards per carry, almost a first down every trip! Follow Marcus Borden for live coverage tonight, with a recap after the game at cjsportsradio.com. The other semifinal at 6 pm Friday features fourth-seed Rancocas Valley (6-4) at top-seed Washington Twp. (10-0). If Rancocas wins, the winner of the Old Bridge-Sayreville game would host the CJ5 final next Friday night. If Washington Twp. wins, the game would be down there, just north of Glassboro and Rowan University. You know, right smack dab in the heart of Central Jersey! (Eye roll)

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:

  • (5) Colonia (7-3) at (1) Phillipsburg (8-1), Friday 7 pm: There have only been two meetings between these two teams, and both have come in the playoffs – and a long time ago. They last met in 2015, a sectional semifinal win for P’burg, and the year before at Rutgers, the Stateliners held off Colonia in overtime for the North 2, Group 4 title. A win for the Patriots would get them back to a title game for the first time since, but more than that, would be a monumental win over one of the premier programs in the state. One matchup to watch will be Colonia receiver R.J. Wortman against Phillipsburg defensive back Jaysen Blacknall. Wortman is the top receiver in the state with 88 – that’s right, close to 100! – catches on the year for 1,160 receiving yards and 14 scores. Can the line buy enough time, though, for Dylan Chiera to get him the ball? The Stateliners are stout up front on both sides of the ball, and Colonia will have to stop a dominating run game. Only St. Joseph-Metuchen has beaten P’burg this year, and that tape has probably been worn out this week by Colonia coach Tom Roarty and his staff. This is our Friday night “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Click here to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the action live from Maloney Stadium, with pregame at 6:45. Read our Colonia preview here, including and interview with head coach Tom Roarty. Our Phillipsburg preview is here, with a chat with head coach Frank Duffy.
A football player catches the ball while being tackled by two defenders on the field during a night game, with a large crowd visible in the background.
Woodbridge senior runningback Joshua Allen scores against Montgomery on October 10, 2025. (Photo: Marcus Borden)
  • (3) Montgomery (7-3) at (2) Woodbridge (8-2), Friday 6 pm: Follow Alec Crouthamel on Twitter for updates – with postgame later on cjsportsradio.com – from this rematch of their October tenth game in Skillman, where the Cougars led 25-14 at the half, but the Barrons scored three third quarter touchdowns to pull ahead, and won 41-33. The two to watch in this one are Woodbridge runningback Joshua Allen – who had 221 yards and three touchdowns in the game – and Montgomery QB Jack Kristjanson, who threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns in that game, but also two picks. He was roughed up a bit in a Cutoff Weekend game at Rahway, getting sacked numerous times and going just 5-of-12 for 27 yards, but bounced back nicely last week against Westfield, with 13-for-20, 251 yards and three scores in a 32-10 win. Woodbridge bounced back last week, too, after losing two straight to end the regular season after a 7-0 start. They beat Rahway 21-7 in the opening round.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

  • (3) West Essex (6-3) at (2) Summit (8-2), Saturday 1 pm: This is their first meeting since 2023, a 27-17 first round playoff defeat for the Hilltoppers, who are 4-13-1 all-time against the Knights. Summit has won three straight – including a victory over Woodbridge – since dropping back-to-back games to start October, both without runningback-turned-QB Alex Schwark in the lineup. When he’s on the field instead of the bench, they’re 8-0. This could be a high scoring game, as both teams can put up points, and both can be scored upon; Summit is allowing 17 points per game to the opposition, West Essex nearly 22, but they are also 4-0 on the road this season, with wins at Caldwell, Lakeland, Nutley and Morris Knolls. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for live coverage of this one, with postgame later at cjsportsradio.com. The winner gets the victor from the other semifinal, which has fourth-seed Roxbury (7-3) at top-seed West Morris (10-0) at 7:30 Friday. Summit, should they win, would be at home if they get Roxbury, and on the road if it’s West Morris.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:

  • (3) New Providence (9-0) at (2) Hasbrouck Heights (8-2), Friday 7 pm: In a rematch of a first-round game last year, New Providence at least is very different. Not only did they graduate star QB T.J. Munn, but standout runningback A.J. Whitehead broke his leg a few weeks ago and won’t be back in the postseason. That’s forced Chet Parlevecchio, Jr.’s staff to shuffle some guys around, leaning more on fullback Mike Petses and converting Jack Fitzgerland from wide receiver to runningback. It’s kept the Pioneers on the right path so far, with Fitzgerald going for 345 yards on 40 carries the last three weeks, after carrying just five times in the four games he even carried the ball prior. Heights is led by senior QB Nico Nipitella (1,018 yards, 16 TDs) and senior RB Michael Naplitano (1,320 yards, 18 scores). After falling in the finals last year at Cedar Grove, New Providence could face them again in the finals. The other semi has the fourth-seeded Panthers (7-3) visiting top-seed Mountain Lakes (7-2) Friday night at 7.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

  • (4) Manville (10-0) at (1) Burlington City (9-1), Friday 6 pm: Last week, Manville made history with its first playoff win, coming in just its sixth playoff appearance all-time. The Mustangs also set a program record with their tenth win. Now, if they get an eleventh, they’ll be in the finals for the first time ever. To do that, they will have to get past a very good Burlington City team that has run the rock about three times more than they’ve thrown it all year, to the tune of 2,278 yards on the ground, with 1,625 of them coming from senior runningback Donte Davis, who also has 22 touchdowns on the year. But hey, Manville has some gamers, too, and dominated Asbury Park on the line of scrimmage last week – though the Blue Devils are not to be confused with the Blue Bishops. Still, the two-headed quarterback monster Manville has with Sam Echeverri and Josh D’Ambrosio is confusing, and watching them on film can only do so much. Can Manville keep making history? The other semifinal is at 6 pm Friday, featuring sixth-seed Point Pleasant Beach (7-2) at second-seed Shore (7-2).
A high school football game in progress, featuring players in blue and yellow uniforms on the field, with a focus on a quarterback preparing to throw the ball under the stadium lights.
Manville’s Josh D’Ambrosio looks to throw against Asbury Park in a Central Jersey Group 1 opening round game at home on October 31, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

NON-PUBLIC GROUP B:

  • (10) St. Thomas Aquinas (5-5) at (7) Immaculata (8-2), Friday 7 pm: The Trojans are in a transition season with new head coach Shamir Bearfield and a host of transfers in and out of the program. But they’re here in the playoffs, and have a solid opponent in the Spartans, who play in the Super Football Conference despite being in Somerset County. Quarterback Zymere Weaver is having a fine sophomore season, throwing for 2,061 yards and 23 touchdowns against just two interceptions, and Ian Roberts paces the ground game with 815 yards and seven scores. Immaculata has won five straight coming in, and is led on the ground by Daysir Spille, with 1,276 yards on 157 carries and 26 touchdowns this season. Should be a good one, with the winner going on to play second-seed Paramus Catholic (4-6), which has a bye along with top-seed DePaul in a 14-team field. The Palladins beat St. Thomas on October third, 42-14.
by Mike Pavlichko

Both Big Central top-seeds advance, as Bridgewater-Raritan cruises past Linden, Phillipsburg blows out Newark Central; Woodbridge, Montgomery and Colonia also win in North 2, Group 4

The two Big Central Conference teams that earned top-seeds in the NJSIAA playoffs this season both won their opening round games handily Friday night.

Phillipsburg – the top overall seed in North Group 4 – won its first round game in the North 2, Group 4 section, blowing out eight-seed Newark Central at home, 55-14.

And Bridgewater-Raritan – the No. 1 seed in North 2, Group 5 – was a 35-6 winner over eight-seed Linden at Basilone Field.

Denzel Amoafo opened the scoring for the Panthers not even four minutes in with a 32-yard touchdown run, then after a Linden fumble late in the quarter, QB Declan Kurdyla scampered for 18 yards to make it 13-0. He then hit tight end Jack Cifuentes from six out, then ran another in from 17 to make it 28-0 with 5:52 to go before the half.

One more touchdown pass – eleven yards to Mikey Bratus – made it 35-0 at the break, a deficit the Tigers could not recover from, though they would get two second half scores with the running clock in effect for the final 24 minutes.

Bridgewater-Raritan (7-3) will host fourth-seed Union City (6-3) Friday night. The Soaring Eagles – who beat the Panthers 61-10 in the same round last year up at their place – edged five-seed Irvington at home Friday night, 21-14.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with head coach DJ Catalano and senior quarterback Declan Kurdyla, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

Meanwhile, out at Maloney Stadium, it was all Phillipsburg in this one, as the top-seeded Stateliners scored the game’s first seven touchdowns en route to a 55-14 win. Tyler Wargo scored twice on runs of five and eight yards, while Eddie O’Neill had a two-yard fumble return for a TD, and three others scored in the first half, including a Xavier Campbell-Graham 57-yard run, a six-yard run by Sincere Gilmer and a two-yard fumble return by Elian Cuevas.

Gilmer had a late 50-yard TD run in the fourth, while Thomas LaBella had a 14-yard run in the third quarter.

The Stateliners (8-1) will play fifth-seed Colonia (7-3) next week at home in one semifinal, after the Patriots topped Ridge, 20-19 on the road.

That game was a back-and-forth affair, with no one down by more than a touchdown throughout. After a scoreless first quarter, each team scored twice in the second to make it a 13-13 game at the half.

Jack Donley scored on a 44-yard touchdown for Ridge (5-4) to open the scoring, but the kick was blocked by Harsimran Mann. RJ Wortman answered with a 22-yard pick-six, Nick Pfenning got it back for the Red Devils on a seven-yard run, while Julien Jones tied it with a six-yard run, which also saw a blocked kick.

In the third quarter, Wortman scored again, this time on a four-yard run, and with a few minutes left in the game, Lenny Paolilo got Ridge within one with a 14-yard touchdown run that capped a long drive. But Mann came up big again, blocking the extra point.

“The second one was the biggest one I’ve ever seen,” said head coach Tom Roarty.

Click below for postgame reaction from Colonia head coach Tom Roarty with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

The other semifinal in North 2, Group 4 will feature second-seed Woodbridge (8-2) against third-seed Montgomery (7-3), a rematch of a game from three weeks ago that the Barrons won 41-31 in Somerset County. Second-seed Woodbridge topped seventh-seed Rahway (6-4), 21-7, while Montgomery was a 32-10 home winner over sixth-seed Westfield (4-6).

by Mike Pavlichko

The playoffs are here! More than two dozen Big Central public schools open postseason play this weekend, with 20 games on tap. Here’s Part One of our preview on Groups 4 and 5

It’s time for the playoffs!

We got through opening weekend in the sweltering heat of the late dog days of August. We didn’t really have much of a fall, but the weather mostly nice. And Cutoff Weekend last weekend saw some teams sweating it out, some disappointed, and others rewarded for their play during the season.

Now, it’s time to get it all going!

Here’s Central Jersey Sports Radio’s look at all the playoff games involving BCC schools this weekend, section by section in Groups 4 and 5, including game dates and times. Games are Friday, except where noted.

Find our preview of Group 1, 2 and 3 schools will by clicking this link.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

  • #8 Linden (3-6) at #1 Bridgewater-Raritan (6-3), 6pm: The Panthers, after making the playoffs out of a strong division with no more than four wins each of the last three seasons, broke through in Year Three under the young, energetic DJ Catalano as head coach. And they survived two games without QB Declan Kurdyla, a Rutgers lacrosse committ whose season it was thought might be over after a lower body (knee) injury against Hunterdon Central in Game Four. It turned out to be not as serious as originally thought, and he was back three weeks later. A win over Piscataway – a two-seed in the same section – may have been their best of the year. As for Linden, Mark Ciccotelli’s took over for Al Chiola, and the Tigers struggled a bit out of the box, starting 0-3, and going 1-5 through their first six. But they won two of their last three, beating Perth Amboy and Carteret, then lost by one to a super-talented, if inconsistent Plainfield team last weekend. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates and we’ll have video postgame reaction late Friday night.
  • #6 Bayonne (6-3) at #3 Elizabeth (5-4), 6 pm: When you have a three-year starter like the dynamic Arique Fleming in quarterback – a three-year starter who’s still only a junior – you have to like the Minutemen and their chances. After a 2-1 start, they lost three straight, but have won three in a row over Morristown, Watchung Hills and Union, the win over the Warriors – on the road – being the most impressive. But Bayonne comes in hot, too. The Bees won just one of their first four games, but have reeled off five straight coming into the playoffs. But that one win they had early? It came over Elizabeth, 26-21, at Williams Field. Can the Minutemen return the favor?
  • #7 Plainfield (4-5) at #2 Piscataway (7-2), Saturday 1 pm: This is our Saturday “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Click here to listen, with pregame starting at 12:45. The Chiefs are looking like their old selves again, that is, a team that’s capable of winning a championship, even if they have to clean up some penalties and miscues. They and Plainfield both have talent over the field. Landon Pernell can get the ball to receivers like Josiah Zayas, who came back to the program from St. Thomas Aquinas, and Zaire Young can do things on the ground. Devin Thomas – the Plainfield quarterback is dynamic, having thrown for over 2,000 yard – with 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions – and leading the team in rushing at 466 yards. This is going to be a game with a lot of big plays. Read our full preview and hear from both head coaches at the link.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

  • #5 Hillsborough (4-5) at #4 Rancocas Valley (5-4), Saturday 12 pm: This is a tough draw for the Raiders, being on the road, but they’re also familiar with the West Jersey Football League, playing fellow Group 5 squad Washington Twp. in the Battle at the Beach down at Rowan back in August. That 43-12 loss came to a team that was 9-0, but don’t discount the Red Devils, even though they’re “just” 5-4. They have a run-heavy attack led by Jameer Bellamy (864 yards, 11 TDs), and have a sophomore in Michael Beasley and a junior in David Ogunsola who have combined for 22 1/2 of the team’s 29 sacks this year. Hillsborough will have to protect senior QB Devon Khurana – who already played the early part of the season with a broken pinkie – and will be challenged to get thousand-yard rusher Andrew Schwarz the numbers they’d like. Fun fact: This will be the third “Red Devils” opponent for the Raiders this year, who lost 28-7 to Ridge, but beat Hunterdon Central in Flemington last week, 33-8.
  • #6 Freehold Twp. (5-4) at #3 Old Bridge (8-1), Saturday 6 pm: The Knights have one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the area in Brody Nugent, the senior QB who has thorwn for 1,811 yards and 15 touchdowns, while rushing for a team-best 799 yards and 15 more scores. He’s a points machine for a team that has been perfect in the six games since they lost 28-21 at Piscataway on September 12th, a full month-and-a-half ago. Freehold Township had won three straight before falling to Manalapan last week. A pass-heavy offense that has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards between two quarterbacks could make this a very entertaining game, indeed.
  • #7 Trenton (6-3) at #2 Sayrveille (8-1), 7 pm: The Bombers rebounded from a 43-15 loss to Montgomery two weeks ago with a 33-26 win over St. Thomas Aquinas that ended their Big Central-record 35-game winning streak. Shaun Jackson has been the offensive weapon all season long, with 1,650 yards and 20 touchdowns on 162 carries. Almost on the nose, he touches the ball a little more than every other play. The Tornadoes have a more balanced attack, with junior QB Keith Williams throwing for 1,210 yards, and have won three straight coming in. This will be the Bombers’ first opponent from Mercer County since 2008, when they beat West Windsor-Plainsboro South in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, before losing in the title game to Brick Memorial.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:

  • #8 Newark Central (6-3) at #1 Phillipsburg (7-1), 7 pm: The Stateliners get to defend their North 2, Group 4 title, and the beginning of theat defense starts with an explosive Blue Devil club out of Newark. They have a sophomore quarterback who has thrown for almost 1,400 yards in Zahyir Taylor, but while he’s thrown 14 touchdown passes, he’s also been prone to throwing picks, with nine on the season. This is a very balanced attack, but Central doesn’t play nearly the schedule Phillipsburg does. They are still humming along even after a 21-0 loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen a couple of weeks ago, with another sophomore QB in Dominic Bracco playing traffic cop with the ground game, which has reeled off nearly 2,300 yards and 30 touchdowns this season.
  • #5 Colonia (6-3) at #4 Ridge: (5-3), 7 pm: This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools, and both have had fine seasons. The Patriots had won four straight before a Cutoff Weekend loss to Old Bridge, but it’s also been the most comfortable Cutoff Weekend Colonia has had in the last few years, since they had a playoff berth already locked up coming in. It’s a solid senior group that has put up big numbers through the air, with Dylan Chiera tossing for 1,971 yards and 21 TDs with just two picks all season, and favorite target RJ Wortman already over a thousand-yards receiving. Ridge will need to keep an eye on Julien Jones, who has racked up nine of the team’s 19 sacks on the season. Ridge also had won four in a row before falling to Westfield last week This will be Colonia’s passing game against the Red Devils’ ground attack, which has amassed 1,802 yards on the season. They’ve run it 334 times compared to 114 passing plays. Oh, and their defense can get after it, too. They have five picks, one for a touchdown.
  • #6 Westfield at #3 Montgomery, 7 pm: The last meeting between these schools was ten years ago, as the schools finished a home-and-home that saw the Cougars win in 2014, the Blue Devils in 2015. That being distant history, the Cougars are a bit banged up right now after the Rahway game, in which senior QB Jack Kristjanson went down with what appeared to be a lower leg injury late in the game after a sack. They’ve got some big wins, over Somerville and Sayrville, and in overtime in their opener against a solid 7-2 Hopewell Valley squad. The Blue Devils, meanwhile, are looking for their first back-to-back wins of an up-and-down season. But if they can play like they did against Ridge last week, when they netted a 14-7 upset win at home – their first win over the Blue Devils since 2017 – they can pull this one off. Senior Jordan Walsh is the reigning Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week, coming up with big plays late in that win.
  • #7 Rahway (6-3) at #2 Woodbridge (7-2), 6 pm: The side story here is that this is the “Russo Bowl.” Rahway head coach Brian Russo is a Woodbridge grad, won a state title there, coached there, and his son, Sean, is a senior wide receiver for Joe Goerge. The main storyline here is: this should be one damn good football game. The Indians were physical in a 28-7 upset win over No. 3 Montgomery last Friday night, a win that got them in the playoffs, and senior Andrew Avent – who’s now the school’s all-time rushing leader at 4,395 career yards and 79 overall touchdowns – can change the game in a hurry. But they can get to the quarterback, too, with the defense coming up with at least four sacks last week alone. The Barrons have been one of the best teams in the Big Central the last two years, with just one regular season loss, that coming to St. Joe’s a couple of weeks ago. Joshua Allen is also a great back; the senior has gone for 1,355 yards and 18 scores this season. Can they limit Rahway on the scoreboard? Though the Barrons have pitched two shutouts, those came against Union and Perth Amboy. But the rest of the schedule has all scored at least 18 points against them in every game.

by Mike Pavlichko

Cutoff Weekend Friday Playoff Update – Group 5: Bridgewater-Raritan should earn top seed, Plainfield and Hillsborough clinch berths, Hunterdon Central eliminated with loss

With Friday night’s Cutoff Weekend high school football games all in the books, Central Jersey Sports Radio is updating the unofficial NJSIAA playoff standings as we head into Saturday action.

We’ll have further analysis late morning into the afternoon Saturday, with our 2025 “Playoff Projection Show” scheduled for 6 pm where we give our bracket projections. The full tournament for the public schools will be unveiled on Sunday by the NJSIAA via Gridiron New Jersey. We’ll have them shortly after. The brackets become official at noon on Monday.

NORTH GROUP 5

Table displaying the unofficial NJSIAA playoff standings for North Group 5 high school football teams, including team names, wins, losses, ties, and various rankings and statistics.
  • Bridgewater-Raritan holds the two-spot, despite a hard-fought loss Friday night at Phillipsburg. The Panthers should be the No. 1 seed in North 2, Group 4, while West Orange would get the one-seed in North 1, Group 4. Very little changed at the top, and it won’t Saturday since the first nine teams all finished their games this weekend.
  • That includes Piscataway holding in third and Elizabeth in fourth. They should be the second and third seeds in North 2, Group 4. The Chiefs lost to Bridgewater earlier this year, so there’s no head-to-head jump there.
  • Plainfield clinched a playoff berth with a win Friday night at Linden, 28-27. They moved all the way up from 17 to 12 in the supersection. Linden dropped one place after the loss to Plainfield, right behind them at 13. But keep reading to see the effects of the Irvington game Saturday…
  • The Union-City-Livingston tiebreaker will go to Union City. They didn’t meet head to head, and against common opponents, both beat all three of them, Montclair, Irvington and Columbia.
  • Irvington plays Seton Hall Prep Saturday, and the Marauders are a multiplier. That’s the only other significant game we’re waiting on, as Barringer plays Hackensack but was 21st in the standings, so that shouldn’t affect things. Should Irvington win, they move up one to ninth and Bayonne moves down to tenth. Should Irvington lose, they would stay where they are, but Plainfield and Linden would flip-flop, but only momentarily. While the Cardinals would then be behind Linden in 13th, since they just beat them head to head, they go back the way they were.
  • Also important to note, while Montclair made the top 16, they’re 1-8, and two wins is the minimum for playoff eligibility. That means No. 17 Passaic (4-4) gets in as the final team.

SOUTH GROUP 5

Table displaying the standings for South Group 5 high school football teams, including wins, losses, points average, and rankings.
  • As predicted, a Sayreville win over St. Thomas Aquinas Friday night didn’t get the Bombers a top-seed. They should be the two-seed in Central Jersey Group 5 behind overall No. 1 seed Washington Twp., which capped a 9-0 regular season Friday night, while Atlantic City – which was idle this weekend – gets the top-seed in the South Jersey Group 5 section.
  • Old Bridge would be the second seed in Central 5 if it all holds, which it should, as the next team back, Rancocas Valley (4-4) plays Lenape (0-8) Saturday. While Valley should win, it’s a weak opponent, and we don’t believe they can catch the Knights.
  • Hillsborough solidified its playoff spot, and moved up from 13 to 9 overall with a win at Hunterdon Central, which looks like they won’t make it, finishing 20th. We think the Raiders are likely locked in as the five-seed in Central Jersey Group 5.
  • Franklin picked up a Friday night win, but over winless North Brunswick, and that didn’t help them move up into the top 16, despite a 5-4 season.
by Mike Pavlichko

Cutoff Weekend Group 5 Playoff Update: Bridgewater-Raritan could earn BCC’s only overall No. 1 seed; Plainfield, Rahway face “play-in” scenarios Friday night

It’s Cutoff Weekend in New Jersey high school football, and we’re taking a look at the playoff scenarios for every Big Central team in contention.

This week, Strength Index values are locked in, and out-of-state opponent SI values also have been updated by Gridiron New Jersey, which does all the official calculations of the NJ UPR formula for the NJSIAA. And we’ve double- and triple-checked our own standings to make sure they match with Gridiron’s.

We’ll have another update to the standings after Friday night’s games – yes, there are Thursday games, but none in the BCC, and we’ll only update if there are significant changes.

And, of course, Central Jersey Sports Radio will have its annual “Playoff Projection Show,” airing LIVE on Saturday at 6 pm. Mike Pavlichko hosts with analyst Marcus Borden, and they’ll run through all the projected brackets. Plus, you’ll hear from some of the league’s coaches as well.

Here’s our breakdown of the Group 5 supersections. We won’t be getting into how the brackets look just yet, but we’ll do that with our update after Friday night’s Week 8 action. Click the supersection header to see the official standings on Gridiron New Jersey.

NORTH GROUP 5

  • Bridgewater-Raritan: The Panthers (6-2) have a shot at the overall No. 1 seed here, but it won’t be easy. They would have to beat Phillipsburg (6-1) on the road Friday night and have West Orange (currently No. 1, 6-2) lose at 5-3 Bloomfield the same night. But even a Bridgewater loss might keep them there. Piscataway (7-2) visits Monroe (1-7) and the Chiefs just can’t gain enough from that game to put them in the fold for a top seed. Even Elizabeth at four overall can’t get much higher. So we think the Panthers are locked in as the top-seed in North 2, Group 5, it’s just a matter of whether they’ll edge out West Orange for the top-seed overall, which would mean they could host a group semifinal, if they got that far. Incidentally, their six wins are the most the Panthers have had since 2021 under Scott Bray, and a seventh win would be their best total since finishing 2017 9-3, with a trip to the North 2, Group 5 finals, the last of three straight they made, falling to undefeated Westfield all three times.
  • Piscataway: Even with losses by Bridgewater-Raritan and West Orange, we think the Chiefs (6-2) are maxed out at No. 3, so they should be the two-seed in North 2, Group 5. A loss could drop them to fourth, maybe lower depending how Passaic Tech and Union City do. Either way, they should start out at home, playing on Saturdays as they always do.

  • Elizabeth: If things break right for the Minutemen (4-4), a win over Union (1-7) coupled with losses by West Orange, Bridgewater-Raritan and Piscataway could get Elizabeth as high as three overall, which would earn them a two-seed in the North 2, Group 4 section, with the Panthers first and Piscataway third, then Linden fourth, making it an all-Big Central top four there. A loss would be tragic, potential dropping them to around eight overall, and on the road for a first-round playoff game. That’s quite the swing. But if the Minutemen fancy themselves a playoff team, they should handle the Farmers.
  • Linden: Sitting at 12, the Tigers (3-5) have Plainfield (also 3-5) at home Friday. Just on its own, that keeps them at 12. A win could move them to around ninth overall, while a loss could drop them to 14, but they should be solidly win. Behind them are three teams that have no business making the playoffs, including 5-2 Morristown, 1-7 Montclair and 1-7 Union. And those last two won’t even qualify if they don’t get to two wins (and it’s unlikely they will).
  • Plainfield: The Cardinals get in with a win over Linden, which would bump them all the way up to 12, not counting any other scores. But still, with Bloomfield at 13 and Linden at 14 – and we already counted a loss for them, there’s really no one who could catch them. With a loss? Well, they could back into the playoffs, thanks to those one-win teams. In that scenario, they would need Columbia (3-5) to lose to Union City (4-3), and for Union and Montclair to lose – leaving them each with one-win and ineligible – and they would get in. We can’t remember another scenario since the advent of the NJ UPR system in 2018 where a team got in from 18 because of two teams that didn’t meet the win requirement, but that’s what would happen here.
  • Union: A win over Elizabeth (5-4) should get them in, moving them to around the 12th position in the field of 16. But at 1-7, they must win that game. Two wins is the NJSIAA minimum to qualify.

SOUTH GROUP 5

  • Sayreville: We don’t think the Bombers have a path to a No. 1 seed, thanks in part to last week’s loss to Montgomery. They come in at 7-1, with a 3.6 UPR. Ahead of them is Atlantic City (7-1, 2nd) and Washington Twp. (8-0, 1st). Assuming Sayreville beats St. Thomas Aquinas (5-3), they can’t catch Washington Twp., even if they were to lose. And they’d be 0.2 UPR points behind Atlantic City. They’d need a loss by the Vikings, but since they play on Thanksgiving and have already played eight games, they’re idle this week. Now, the Trojans are a multiplier, but as of last year, teams only get bonus points if they lose; if they beat a multiplier, they get the normal points on the OSI side. That said, with a loss, they fall to four without any other games being considered, but it’s not the worst thing in the world. With Southern also above them, all three teams are from the south, Washington Twp. would get the top seed in Central 5, and Sayreville would be the two there regardless. But giving wins to Old Bridge and Rancocas Valley actually bumps them back up to third, mainly because Rancocas has Lenape (0-8) this weekend, and even a win would drop them and prop up the Bombers.
  • Old Bridge: The Knights are going to benefit from that Rancocas Valley drop, too, should they beat a solid (6-2) Colonia team at home Friday night. A loss and they drop to seven, and probably lock them in there. Why? Even if teams behind them win, there’s a gap from Old Bridge in fourth in the Central 5 section to Hillsborough fifth with five teams from the South in between the overall UPR standings. And the Raiders can’t catch them.
  • Hillsborough: Coming in at No. 13, the Raiders (3-5) have been hot and cold this season. At 1-4, they reeled off a couple of back-to-back wins, but fell off the wagon last week when Piscataway beat them at Noonan Field. A win Friday at Hunterdon Central (4-4) could get them around 11, while a loss could drop them as low as 15.
  • Hunterdon Central: The Red Devils look like they need to beat the Raiders to get in. That would put them at 15, with Trenton, Howell and Bridgeton behind them. They still might need some help from them. If all three win, Central is out. But Central can get in as long as two of the three teams lose. We think Franklin is out regardless. The fly in the ointment could be if Jackson (2-6) wins at Brick Memorial (6-2), but we think that’s unlikely. So here are the scenarios for the Red Devils, needing two of three losses by those three behind them. If Howell and Bridgeton lose, Central gets in at 15 and Hillsborough holds at 12. If Bridgeton and Trenton lose, Hillsborough is at 15, Central at 16, but they would jump the Raiders since they just beat them. If Howell and Trenton lose, Central gets in at 16, Hillsborough is at 12 again. Play-in games and scoreboard watching are what makes Cutoff Weekend exciting!

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 1 still goes to St. Joe’s, but seven other teams move around as upsets rock Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Top Ten heading into Cutoff

There was a second straight week of major upheaval in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Top Ten, with Montgomery handing Sayreville its first loss, No. 1 St. Joseph-Metuchen ending St. Thomas Aquinas’s 35-game league winning streak, and Woodbridge falling to unranked Summit for the Barrons’ first loss of the season.

The result saw the Falcons stay at No. 1 with perhaps the two biggest wins of the season by any team in the league, but nearly everyone else moved around, with No. 6 Bernards the only other team to hold its position.

St. Joseph-Metuchen kept its perfect regular season alive with two games to play – remember, the non-publics play an extra week before the playoffs are seeded – with a 41-19 win at then-No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas. Next up, the Falcons host No. 5 Woodbridge (7-1) Saturday afternoon, before closing on Halloween at Donovan Catholic.

Up two places to No. 2 is Phillipsburg (6-1), right behind the Falcons after their defeat in Metuchen two weeks ago. The Stateliners were 42-0 winners over Union at home Friday, and are at Maloney again this week when they host Bridgewater-Raritan (6-2).

Montgomery (6-2) shot up this week with their second win over a ranked team this season, a 43-15 win at then-No. 5 Sayreville. The Cougars visit Rahway (5-3) this Friday night at 7 pm in the Bellamy & Son Paving “Big Central Game of the Week,” which you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino on the call.

Somerville (7-1) moves up from seventh to No. 4 after a 40-28 home win over Plainfield, heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Pioneers will travel to Watchung Hills (3-5) Friday for their regular season finale.

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Down three spots to fifth is Woodbridge (7-1), which took its first loss Friday, 10-7, to Summit. And it’s a tough task ahead for the Barrons, who will travel to top-ranked St. Joseph-Metuchen (7-0) Saturday afternoon.

Holding court at No. 6 is Bernards (8-0). The Mountaineers extended their regular season win streak to a state best 33 games with a 35-7 home win over Governor Livingston back on Friday, and host Carteret (3-4) this Friday. Bernards now has won 31 in a row in Big Central play, four away from tying the league record, which just ended Friday.

That’s St. Thomas Aquinas (5-3), which drops to seventh after falling 41-19 at home to No. 1 St. Joseph-Metuchen on Friday. The Trojans’ had their 35-game Big Central win streak go by the boards in the process, and they’re back in action against No. 8 Sayreville (7-1), which dropped three spots this week after falling 43-15 at home to then-No. 10 Montgomery.

Down one place each – due to Montgomery’s rise – are Piscataway and Old Bridge. The Chiefs are 6-2 after a 21-7 win at Hillsborough Friday, and are at Monroe (1-7) this Friday . The Knights are 7-1 – but that loss is to Piscataway – after a 45-29 win at Hunterdon Central. Old Bridge closes at home against Colonia (6-2) this Friday night at Lombardi Field.

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No one dropped out this week.

In the Also Considered category are Voorhees (7-1), New Providence (7-0) Ridge (5-2), and Manville (8-0), all the same schools as last week.

Here’s the complete 2025 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Week Seven Top Ten:

Image of the Week Seven Top Ten rankings for the Big Central Conference, featuring team names, records, and previous rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joseph-Metuchen win over Phillipsburg in battle of unbeatens shuffles nearly entire Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Top Ten

So much for consistency.

While some teams have moved around a bit, Phillipsburg has spent the entire season at No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central rankings, but that changed this week.

Saturday, No. 6 St. Joseph of Metuchen blanked the No. 1 Stateliners at home, 21-0, to dethrone the Big Central’s top-ranked team. Phillipsburg had occupied the top spot since last year’s final poll, overtaking Somerville after becoming the first BCC team to reach a state final, where they lost the Group 4 title to Winslow Twp.

And that move caused a seismic reshuffling of the rankings here in Week 6. For some, a move down wasn’t necessarily due to a loss, but other teams moving up.

And so, the No. 1 ranking this week goes to St. Joseph-Metuchen (6-0). It’s the first time the Falcons have ever been No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving/Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten, going back to CJSR’s inaugural 2020 season. In fact, it’s the first time in the history of the program they have been ranked No. 1 in rankings put together by Mike Pavlichko, dating back to the WCTC years (2000-2019), with the program’s first varsity season being played in 2013.

But it’s the second time head coach Bill Tracy – who won his 150th career game Saturday – has had a team of his earn a No. 1 ranking. The last time was in 2013, when he was at Ridge. The Red Devils won the North 2, Group 4 title over Union at Rutgers, finishing a perfect 12-0.

St. Joseph will visit No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas (5-2) this Friday night.

The next two spots were the only ones to remain unchanged.

Woodbridge (7-0) held at No. 2 after a come-from-behind, 41-31 win at then-No. 8 Montgomery. The Barrons are back in action Friday at home against Summit (5-2), which has lost two straight after a 5-0 start.

And St. Thomas Aquinas (5-2) holds steady in third. The Trojans won 41-6 at Edison Friday, and this week host St. Joe’s (6-0) Friday night.

Phillipsburg drops to fourth after the loss to the Falcons. Now, 5-1, the Stateliners host Union (1-6) back at Maloney Stadium this Friday night.

Up two spots to No. 5 is Sayreville (7-0). The Bombers were 37-28 winners at Franklin back on Friday, and this week host No. 10 Montgomery (5-2).

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Checking in at No. 6 – down two spots, mainly because other teams moved up – is Bernards (7-0). The Mountaineers gutted out a 17-14 win at Summit Saturday afternoon, and are back home at Olcott Field to take on Governor Livingston (3-4) Friday night.

Somerville (5-1) also goes down two spots to No. 8 despite a 43-14 win at North Hunterdon Friday night. The Pioneers will be featured on the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving Friday night, as they entertain Plainfield (3-4), with kickoff set for 6:30 pm.

Up two spots to No. 8 is Piscataway (5-2), which got past East Brunswick at home 35-0 Friday. The Chiefs travel Friday to Hillsborough (3-4), which has won two straight and put itself back in the playoff picture after a 1-4 start.

No. 9 is Old Bridge (6-1), up one spot. The Knights got a shutout win, 35-0, at Monroe Friday night, and they’re back on the road Friday when they visit Hunterdon Central (4-3).

And checking in at ten this week is Montgomery (5-2), down two spots after the loss to Woodbridge. The Cougars’ other loss is to a solid Summit team that has been in the “also considered” category most of the year, dropping out this week after the Bernards loss. Montgomery will travel to No. 5 Sayreville (7-0) this Friday.

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Dropping out this week was No. 9 Bridgewater-Raritan, which lost 30-18 at Hillsbroough back on Friday.

In the Also Considered category are Voorhees (6-1), New Providence (6-0) Ridge (4-2), and – new this week – Manville at 7-0. Small schools are always tough to fit into a league-wide top ten, especially with 59 schools, but we think they deserve some recognition for their best start since 1968, when they finished the season a perfect 9-0.

Manville closes the regular season with Highland Park this week, then at Bound Brook the Friday of Cutoff Weekend in a game that will determine the Freedom Silver Division title.

Here’s the complete 2025 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Week Six Top Ten:

Graphic displaying the Week Six Top Ten rankings for the Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Conference, featuring team names and their records.

by Mike Pavlichko

Group 5 Playoff Chase: Bridgewater-Raritan, Piscataway hold top two seeds in North Group 5, Sayreville moves from 8th to 5th in South

A loss by West Orange to Phillipsburg Friday hurt the Mountaineers more than Piscataway’s loss to Sayreville, and that’s pushed the Chiefs into one of the two top seeds in the North Group 5 playoff supersection.

That was the big takeaway from Week 5 action, with two Big Central teams holding the top two spots there, as Bridgewater-Raritan is in position to be the top overall seed.

With the NJSIAA moving away from snaking the brackets to a more geographic-based model, that would put the Panthers as the top-seed in North 1 Group 5, while Piscataway – which is further South by Northing number – would be the top seed in North 2 Group 5. Under the old pre-determined geographic system, both would have been in North 2.

Below are the brackets based on the current standings. Please note, we did not perform the top-down tiebreaker, nor UPR tiebreakers, which are decided – in order – by head-to-head, common opponents, OSI rank, power point rank, then coin flip.

A table displaying the standings for North 1 and North 2 Group 5 high school football teams, including win-loss records and statistics.

The big thing to remember this year is that just moving up among the top 16 playoff qualifies doesn’t guarantee moving up in a section, since the teams are assigned to sections by geography.

For example, see Bayonne in North 2 Group 5. The Bees are 12th overall in UPR. Assuming the same teams make the playoffs, but Bayonne moves up from 12 to ten, they would still be geographically in North 2, and the next team ahead of them is Irvington, which is 9th overall.

So, in order to move up one spot in their section, they would need to move up four spots – from 12th to eighth – to make a jump of one spot in their section.

Conversely, look at Union City, in third in North 2 Group 5. They’re fifth overall in UPR, and East Orange is fourth. If they jumped one spot over East Orange, they would also flip-flop with them in the section, since one is right behind the other in the overall rankings.

As for the Big Central teams here, we think Bridgewater-Raritan should hold on to one of the top seeds. Piscataway’s schedule is a mix of favorable and competitive, and West Orange has a real tough one against East Orange (5-0) in a couple of weeks, so we think if the Chiefs win out, they have a good shot here to earn a top seed despite having two losses. Besides Sayreville last week, the other loss is to Bridgwater-Raritan.

Elizabeth sits at eight overall, despite a 2-4 record. The Minutemen have lost three straight but should be able to pick up a couple of wins down the stretch. They’ll have to watch Irvington directly behind them, but could be the beneficiary of the Bayonne example above. They would have to jump five places to knock Elizabeth out of a first round home game, if Irvington doesn’t. So, it’s likely they only have Irvington to worry about, if they can get a few more victories.

Linden isn’t yet eligible for the playoffs, with only one win. The minimum is two. They should get that next week against winless Perth Amboy, but then they have Carteret, followed by a Cutoff Weekend game with Plainfield. And the Cardinals, who are in 17th, very much could be looking for a way in of their own with a win that night.

Don’t forget to tune in to Central Jersey Sports Radio’s “Playoff Projection Show” as Mike Pavlichko and Marcus Borden go through the projected playoff brackets at 6 pm on Saturday, October 25th, Cutoff Weekend!!!

Table displaying standings for Central Group 5 and South Group 5 in a football league, including teams, wins, losses, ties, and rankings.
Note: With Gridiron New Jersey’s Tuesday evening update of out-of-state SI values, Williamstown saw its OSI change, and some UPR values are different, but the teams remain in all the same order.

Other than if two Big Central teams occupy the top two spots overall – like Bridgewater-Raritan and Piscataway in North 5 – all the Big Central teams should generally be in Central Jersey, as they are here in the South 5 supersection.

But here, it’s two West Jersey Football League teams occupying the top two spots, with Washington Township getting the Central top-seed by a hair over Southern, with only a slight difference in Northing number.

The rest of the Big Central teams end up in Central, and though some may have to travel to Washington Township – like Hunterdon Central as of this moment – at least it’s not deep South Jersey.

This is also a pretty balanced group, with four of the top eight seeds in each section. Central has seeds 1, 4, 5, and 7, while South has 2, 3, 6 and 8.

As for the local teams, again, note that Sayreville is second in Central Group 5, but fourth overall, with the top-seed, Washington Twp., No. 1 overall. That means Sayreville has to jump two teams to get that top seed: Atlantic City (3rd overall, 2nd in South 5) and Southern (2nd overall, tops in South 5). If that were to happen, Sayreville would be the top-seed in Central 5, while Washington Twp. would be the top seed in South 5. Whoever is the overall No. 1 is irrelevant; the section where they’ll be the top seed is reliant on geography.

Hunterdon Central would love that scenario, as a trip to Sayreville would be much closer. The red Devils would be considered a bubble team at the moment, but one or two wins should lock it up, considering they have a strong overall schedule, including Ridge, Old Bridge and Hillsborough the last three weeks.

In fact, the Raiders also are looking good, even at 2-4. They sit 14th overall, and Saturday’s win over Westfield helped immensely, at the very least getting them “playoff qualified” with the minimum two wins. The Raiders finish with Bridgewater-Raritan, Piscataway, then Central.

So, yes, that Cutoff Weekend game could be huge, maybe even a “play-in” game!

To the middle of the pack, Old Bridge is seven overall, and in line for a first round home game. Now, look at the scenario we’ve talked about regarding moving up the reverse way, moving down. The Knights are seventh overall, but protected a bit by the 8, 9 and 10 seeds being in the South. Assuming all these teams make the playoffs, and no one from the local area gets in, Old Bridge would have to drop five places to 12th to lose that first round home game, because there are three overall UPR teams between them and Howell, who would have to make a huge jump from a 12 UPR to better than 7.6 to knock Old Bridge out of a home game. The Knights have three winnable games, with Monroe, Hunterdon Central and Colonia in the final three weeks.

by Mike Pavlichko

First six hold steady, Phillipsburg still No. 1, but Sayreville-Piscataway result shuffles bottom half of Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten

Consistency again was the name of the game in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Five, as one result – Sayreville’s 42-24 win over Piscataway – caused a shift in the bottom half of the rankings, but St. Thomas Aquinas’ loss to Paramus Catholic in a non-conference game didn’t yield any changes.

Phillipsburg (5-0) stays in the top spot after a come-from-behind, 24-20 win over West Orange, a battle of two teams very much in play for playoff top seeds in their respective supersections. The Stateliners are back in action Saturday afternoon when they visit No. 6 St. Joseph-Metuchen in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Kickoff is slated for 1 pm at Brenner Family Field.

Holding at No. 2 is Woodbridge (6-0). The Barrons pounded Perth Amboy 41-0 back on Friday night, and have a big showdown this Friday night at No. 8 Montgomery (5-1). CJSR analyst Marcus Borden will have coverage of that game.

In third is St. Thomas Aquinas (4-2), despite taking a Week five loss. That came out of conference to North Jersey parochial Paramus Catholic, 42-14. This week, the Trojans stay in town again, but play Edison on the road Friday evening.

In fourth still is Bernards (6-0), which narrowly escaped a road trip to South Plainfield with a 7-0 win as A.J. MacKracken became the first freshman to start at QB for the Mountaineers in 50 years, according to head coach Jon Simoneau. Bernards will visit Summit Saturday.

Speaking of Summit, the Hilltoppers were handed their first loss of the season Saturday by Somerville (5-1), which holds at No. 5 this week. The Pioneers were 41-20 winners, and return to action Friday at North Hunterdon, which beat Monroe Friday for its first win of the season.

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At No. 6 is St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-0). The Falcons hold serve after a 42-7 win at North Brunswick Friday, and host No. 1 Phillipsburg Saturday at 1:00 on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Sayreville (6-0) moves up to No. 8 in the rankings after a 42-24 win at previous-No. 7 Piscataway Friday night. The Bombers have gotten 100-plus yards in all six games from Shaun Jackson, and the Bombers will take their act to Franklin this Friday night.

The next two teams behind Sayreville also notched up a spot this week. Montgomery (5-1) moves from nine to eight after a 22-16 home win over Linden Friday night, the first game at the newly-dedicated Zoran Milich Field at Cougar Stadium. They’re back home again Friday night when No. 2 Woodbridge visits on a 15-game regular season winning streak, tied for fourth-best in the state.

And Bridgewater-Raritan (5-1) is back on the winning track, rising after a 34-23 win over Elizabeth Friday night. The Panthers travel to Hillsborough Friday in the Battle of Route 206.

Falling down to tenth and tying with Old Bridge (5-1) – who they beat in Week Two – is Piscataway (4-2). The Knights were 24-0 winners out of conference over Morristown, an host Monroe Friday night, while the Chiefs fell at home, 42-14 to then-No. 9 Sayreville. Piscataway will entertain East Brunswick this Friday.

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Again no one dropped out, and the same four teams remain in the “Also Considered” category. Summit is still there at 5-1 – despite dropping their first game of the season Saturday, to Somerville – with New Providence at 5-0 and Voorhees 5-1, while Ridge at 3-2 is still in the mix.

Here’s the complete 2025 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Week Five Top Ten:

Table displaying the Week Five Top Ten rankings for the Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Conference, showing team names, records, and previous rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

Top two – Phillipsburg, Woodbridge – stay put, but rest of Bellamy & Son Paving Week 4 Top Ten shifts with Bridgewater-Raritan’s first loss

It was just one game, and it didn’t exactly cause major upheaval in the Bellamy & Son Paving Week Four Big Central Top Ten, but it did move some teams around.

Only four of the eleven teams in the Week Three rankings stayed in the same spot this week (there was a tenth place tie last week). Additionally, nobody dropped out.

Phillipsburg (4-0) remains No. 1 following a 50-29 road win at Hillsborough Friday night. The Stateliners are winning by an average 32.5 points per game through their first four, and host West Orange (4-1) in a non-league game this Friday night at Maloney Stadium. Phillipsburg is second in the latest UPR playoff standings in the North Group 4 supersection, which puts them in line for one of the top two seeds. West Orange is in the same spot in North 5, right behind Bridgewater-Raritan.

Woodbridge (5-0) remains at No. 2 after a 27-20 victory at Linden Friday night. The Barrons are back home this Friday against winless Perth Amboy (0-5).

Moving up a spot this week to three is St. Thomas Aquinas (4-1). Their lone loss came out-of-state, and the Trojans beat a solid Elizabeth school at home Friday night, 35-21. They’re back to an out-of-conference game this week as Paramus Catholic (1-4) comes to North Edison Friday night.

Switching places with STA is Bernards (5-0), checking in at No. 4. After a 39-0 cruise past JP Stevens, the Mountaineers go to South Plainfield (2-3) this Friday night, carrying with them the No. 2 spot in the North Group 2 supersection, putting them in line for a top-seed in the playoffs.

Holding steady at No. 5 is Somerville (4-1). The Pioneers were 21-7 winners Friday over Watchung Hills, and play a very good undefeated Summit (5-0) team on the road this Saturday afternoon.

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Checking in at No. 6 is St. Joseph-Metuchen (4-0). The Falcons blanked Westfield at home Friday night under the temporary lights – an annual tradition at St. Joe’s – 24-0, and are back in action this Friday with a road trip to North Brunswick (0-5).

Holding at seven is Piscataway (4-1), which also had a shutout win this week, 28-0 at South Brunswick. The Chiefs will host Sayreville (4-1) in an old-fashioned GMC rivalry game at 6 pm, the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Piscataway also will honor early 2000s standout Kyle Wilson at halftime; he went on to star at Boise State and play in the NFL with the Jets and New Orleans.

Up a spot to No. 8 is Sayreville (5-0). The undefeated Bombers were 46-7 winners over North Brunswick at home Friday night, and as mentioned above, visit Piscataway this Friday night on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Up one to ninth is Montgomery (4-1). The Cougars were 36-7 winners over Watchung Hills at home Friday night, and will host Linden (1-4) this Friday.

Old Bridge (4-1) remains in tenth, tied again this week, this time with Bridgewater-Raritan (4-1), which falls from sixth after a 33-14 loss at Ridge, without senior QB Declan Kurdyla, who missed the first of at least three games with a knee injury. He’ll be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the Panthers will host Elizabeth (2-3) Friday, while the Knights will play Super Football Conference opponent Morristown (2-3) at home this Friday night.

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While no one dropped out, a fourth team is now in the “Also Considered” category. Summit is still there at 5-0, with New Providence at 4-0 and Voorhees 4-1, while Ridge at 2-2 joins the fray. The Red Devils beat Bridgewater-Raritan this week, and their two losses have both come to unbeaten teams in the Top Ten: St. Joseph-Metuchen and Phillipsburg.

As for next week, Summit hosts Somerville (5-0) on Saturday, New Providence is at Middlesex (2-3), Voorhees hosts North Plainfield (2-2) and Ridge travels to Union (0-5).

Here’s the complete 2025 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Week Four Top Ten:

Table displaying the Week Four Top Ten rankings for Central Jersey Sports Radio's Big Central Conference, including team names, records, and previous rankings.