Tag: Bridgewater-Raritan

September 8, 2025September 13, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Stability at the top, chaos at the bottom of Week One Bellamy & Son Paving Football Rankings

While a good chunk of the first five teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving football rankings won this weekend (only St. Thomas Aquinas lost, and to the No. 1 team in Massachusetts) teams seven through nine all dropped out while three teams that haven’t lost yet made their first appearances.

Through it all, the top six and the tenth team all held their positions, while Hunterdon Central, Bridgewater-Raritan and St. Joseph of Metuchen – the first and last of which were in the “Also Considered” category last week – all joined the Top Ten after Week One of play.

Phillipsburg remains in the top spot after winning its opener Saturday afternoon, blanking Westfield 28-0 behind a 219 rushing yard performance from Sam Dech, who scored the first three touchdowns in the win. The Stateliners will visit Hunterdon Central (2-0) Friday night.

Somerville (2-0) remains in second following a 28-12 home win over Cranford at Brooks Field Friday night. The Pioneers got 182 yards and three scores from Aidan Vesuvio-Bush in the win. Next up, Montgomery (1-1) comes to town Friday night, with Somerville putting a 12-game regular season winning streak on the line.

Woodbridge (2-0) hangs tight in third after a 26-23 win at Watchung Hills, the Barrons third win over the Warriors in two seasons, having beaten them in the regular season and the playoffs last year. Woodbridge – winners of 11 straight regular season contests – visits Plainfield (1-1) next Friday night.

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Holding in fourth is Bernards (2-0), which took two days to beat Hillside on the road, 24-14, after thunderstorms in the area suspended Saturday’s game at halftime. The Mountaineers had to finish it off Sunday, and extended their state-best regular season winning streak to 27 games.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1-1) took a tough home loss Saturday, falling 35-7 to Catholic Memorial (MA), the No. 1 ranked MaxPreps team in the Bay State, but holds on to the No. 5 spot with an out-of-state loss to a very good team. They’ll host struggling North Brunswick (0-2) Friday night in North Edison.

Old Bridge (2-0) remains in sixth after a 28-6 road win at Edison Friday night. The Knights will have a big test when they visit Piscataway (1-1) Friday night.

Next up are three teams making their 2025 debuts in the rankings.

Hunterdon Central (2-0) joins the fray at No. 7. The Red Devils were 41-13 winners at Monroe Friday night behind a big offense. QB Drew Cella threw for 171 yards, while Jayden Cozze caught four passes for 110 yards and a touchdown and Reggie Osae-Aye ran 15 times for 197 yard and four scores. Central will host No. 1 Phillipsburg (1-0) Friday night.

Checking in at No. 8 is Bridgewater-Raritan (2-0). The Panthers followed up a season-opening win over Notre Dame with a 34-27 win over Piscataway, sweeping a home-and-home going back to last year. Bridgewater hosts Morristown (1-1) in non-conference action on Friday before welcoming in Hunterdon Central on the 19th in a game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

In ninth is St. Joseph-Metuchen (1-0). The Falcons won their opener, 24-7 at Ridge on Friday night, behind a 102-yard, one-touchdown passing performance from senior quarterback Justin Scaramuzzo. The Joe’s will visit Union (0-2) Friday night.

And finally, New Providence (1-0) holds in tenth after winning Saturday at Governor Livingston, 42-7. In his first varsity start, junior Quarterback Kevin Reilly threw for 171 yards and a touchdown, while A.J. Whitehead scored two rushing touchdowns. The Pioneers will host Johnson (1-0) Friday night.

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

A table displaying the Week One rankings for the Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Conference, including team names, their records, and previous rankings.

Dropping out this week were No. 7 Ridge (0-1) after a 24-7 home loss to St. Joseph, No. 8 Piscataway (1-1) after a 34-27 loss at Bridgewater-Raritan, and No. 9 Elizabeth (1-1) after a 26-21 loss to Bayonne.

In the “Also Considered” category, Sayreville (2-0) is there for a second straight week after a 28-14 win over Linden. So is Voorhees (2-0), which put up big numbers – including a 224-yard rushing effort from Matteo Tramutolo – in a 43-14 win at JFK. Summit (2-0) also get some attention after a 31-28 win at Montgomery. And Elizabeth – which was No. 9 last week, but lost to Bayonne, 26-21 – remains in consideration.

Next week, Sayreville travels to Edison (1-1), Voorhees goes to JP Stevens (0-2), and Elizabeth hosts Westfield (1-1), all on Friday night. Summit hosts Hillside (0-1) on Saturday.

August 26, 2025August 24, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Now in third year, Bridgewater-Raritan knows expectations from Catalano; Panthers want to make it pay off in 2025

Any time a program gets a new head coach, it’s a few years before everyone gets through the program, and is fully immersed in its culture.

Now at Bridgewater-Raritan for four years, and entering his third as a head coach with the Panthers, D.J. Catalano has gotten everyone through the system, including the first year there, which he spent under Rick Mantz.

To say Catalano is excited is an understatement. Plus, look at who he has coming back this year.

Senior Declan Kurdyla will lead the offense, a year after ending up just five yards shy of throwing for 1,800 yards, and 20 touchdowns. A lacrosse standout, as several key players are, those two-sport athletes – particularly lacrosse, a very physical sport – will be instrumental against the competition the Panthers will face.

Top rusher Denzel Amoafo (530 yards, 5 TDs last year as a junior) is also back, and the defense could see some key returnees step up, too. Miles Tofte is the returning sacks leader, with 2 1/2 last season as a junior.

Bridgewater-Raritan plays in perhaps the toughest top-to-bottom division in the Big Central Conference, the only one that has had all of its teams make the playoffs each of the last three seasons. This year will be no different, as the Panthers look to make some moves.

They’ll open at 6 pm Friday at home against Notre Dame out of the West Jersey Football League.

Click below to hear Bridgewater-Raritan third-year head coach D.J. Catalano with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko at Big Central Media Day:

August 23, 2025August 18, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

2025 Big Central Preview: American Silver Division

The only division in the Big Central in which every team has qualified for the playoffs each of the last three seasons, the American Silver Division is no joke. Every game is a battle, and the crossovers aren’t exactly easy either.

And yet, no one won fewer than four games last year, while state Group 4 finalist Phillipsburg didn’t even win the division.

That honor went to Ridge, which has lost some key players, but elevates Jeff Sutherland to head coach, while Phillipsburg loses a number of skill guys like Jett Genovese, Matthew Scerbo Jr, and Felix Matos, but has plenty of talent not just waiting in the wings, but that also contributed last season.

Hillsborough will be without graduated senior Jackson Jankowicz, but like the Stateliners, they have plenty of guys back who contributed last year, just not in the No. 1 spots.

Then there’s Bridgewater-Raritan, stocked with dual-sport guys who also play lacrosse, leaving head coach D.J. Catalano excited in particular about his defense, while Casey Ransone believes he might have his deepest, most-experienced team ever out at Hunterdon Central.

Click below to hear our preview of the American Silver Division from Big Central Conference Media Day:

June 24, 2025July 3, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2025: Powerhouses will battle it out again in American Silver Division

The American Silver Division of the Big Central Conference is a division in disguise, wearing fake glasses and a moustache.

It’s pretty much the Mid-State 38’s Delaware Division (an offshoot of the Skyland Conference’s Delaware) from 2019, which had Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough, Hunterdon Central, Ridge and Philipsburg, with Franklin the only team from that group that plays elsewhere in the Big Central.

These are the big boys from the “Western” portion of the Big Central, and they won’t disappoint in 2025. Everyone in this division has made the playoffs the last few years, something no other division in the league can say, and there’s a reason for that: quality opponents.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the American Silver Division teams – in alphabetical order – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge. Please note game dates and times may be changed without notice as the season approaches. Division games marked with an asterisk (*).

Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers (4-7, 1-3, 4th in 2024)
Head Coach: DJ Catalano (7-14, 3rd season)

Week 0: Notre Dame
Week 1: at Piscataway
Week 2: Morris Knolls
Week 3: Hunterdon Central*
Week 4: at Ridge*
Week 5: Elizabeth
Week 6: at Hillsborough*
Week 7: Westfield
Week 8: at Phillipsburg*

Despite a 3-6 record at the cutoff, playing a tough schedule – especially in their division – helped Bridgewater get in the playoffs, and they answered the bell with a gutty 34-33 overtime win against Irvington in the opening round, falling in the next round at eventual Group 5 runner up Union City. While top receiver Nicholas DiEsso (763 yds) is gone, junior QB Declan Kurdyla (1,795 yards, 20 TDs) returns, along with top running back Denzel Amoafo (530 yds, 5 TDs). This is a team that went very deep this year, and could take a step up in the division with key players like Miles Tofte (2.5 sacks, 5.5 TFLs) returning for his senior year. And let’s not forget Joe Squicciarini, the junior kicker who was 8-12 on field goals last year, and perfect in 31 PAT attempts for the Panthers.

Hillsborough Raiders (7-4, 2-2, 3rd place in 2024)
Head Coach: Kevin Carty, Jr. (88-58, 14th season)

Week 0: Washington Twp. (Sat, Battle at the Beach at Rowan)
Week 1: at Union
Week 2: Ridge*
Week 3: at Sayreville
Week 4: Phillipsburg*
Week 5: at Westfield (Sat, 2p)
Week 6: Bridgewater-Raritan*
Week 7: Piscataway
Week 8: at Hunterdon Central *

There’s a lot to replace both on offense and defense for the Raiders, as QB Ryan Seamon (1,358 pass yds, 14 TD) graduates, as does Jackson Jankowicz, who led the tea in both rushing (1,417) and receiving (446) yards. The defense returns just one player who had a sack last year, Anthony Guerrero (2.5), and one who had an interception (Damian Amato), who’s also listed as a QB but didn’t take a snap last year. The Raiders always seem to have talented players waiting in the wings, it’s just a question of who what will be.

Hunterdon Central (4-6, 0-4, 5th place in 2024)
Head Coach: Casey Ransone (28-47, 9th season)

Week 0: North Hunterdon (Thursday)
Week 1: at Monroe
Week 2: Phillipsburg*
Week 3: at Bridgewater-Rartitan*
Week 4: Union
Week 5: at East Brunswick
Week 6: at Ridge*
Week 7: Old Bridge
Week 8: Hillsborough*

The Red Devils started the year 4-2, but lost their last three regular season games and were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. The good news is, there’s a lot back for Central, including starting QB Drew Cella, who threw for 1,352 yards and 14 TDs last year. But cutting down on the interceptions (13) will be big. Leading rusher Giovanni Veliz (794 yds, 6 TD) and top receiver James Mongno (47 catches, 687 yds, 7 TD) will be back, too. The defense should have enough returning, with players like juniors AJ Melo (5 sacks, 4 TFLs) Troy Arteaga (1 INT) and Kasey Kinglsey (2 INT) back for Central.

Phillipsburg Stateliners (11-3, 3-1, 2nd place in 2024)
Head Coach Frank Duffy (78-35, 10th season)

Week 0: bye
Week 1: at Westfield (Sat)
Week 2: at Hunterdon Central*
Week 3: Ridge*
Week 4: at Hillsborough*
Week 5: West Orange
Week 6: at St. Joseph-Metuchen (Sat)
Week 7: Union
Week 8: Bridgewater-Raritan
Thanksgiving: Easton (at Lafayette)

In 2022 and 2023, the Stateliners beat Easton on Thanksgiving, the main goal of any Phillispburg team on an annual basis, but they lost in the sectional finals of the state playoffs both seasons, to West Orange in 2022 and Union City in 2023. Last year, they beat Northern Highlands in dramatic fashion to win North 2, Group 4, but fell to Easton on Thanksgiving before losing to Winslow at Rutgers in the state Group 4 title game. Putting it all together this year could be a challenge considering who they lose, including the one-two combo of QB Jett Genovese (1,827 pass yds, 16 TD) and WR Matthew Scerbo, Jr. (50 catches, 1,082 yards, 11 TDs), along with No. 2 receiver Felix Matos (40 catches, 695 yards, 5 TD) . But the ‘Liners seemingly reload when they need to, as six different underclassmen caught passes last year, including Jaysen Blacknell, Mike Bracco and Sam Dech, mwho also was the top rusher last year with 590 yards and 9 TDs. Dech is also solid for the defense, which will return key parts like LB Jah’quil Dooley and DLs Aeden Hywell (6 sacks, 10 TFL) and rising junior Tyler Wargo (1 sack, 1 TFL)

Ridge Red Devils (8-2, 4-0, American Silver champs in 2024)
Head Coach: Jeff Sutherland (1st season)

Week 0: bye
Week 1: St. Joseph-Metuchen
Week 2: at Hillsborough*
Week 3: at Phillipsburg*
Week 4: Bridgewater-Raritan*
Week 5: at Union (Sat, 2p)
Week 6: Hunterdon Central*
Week 7: North Brunswick
Week 8: at Westfield (Sat)

Andy West departed in the off-season as head coach, though he still remains an assistant to Tom Blackwell in baseball, after a five-year run where the Red Devils never won fewer than six games, and improved each year, finishing with back-to-back 8-2 seasons. Alum and longtime assistant Jeff Sutherland takes the reins, but will have to identify some new key starters with QB Connor McLachlan (981 pass yards, 10 TD), RB Aidan Steiglitz (1,311 rush yds, 22 TD) and Ryan Turner (493 receiving yards, 7 TD) all gone to graduation. Sawyer Paul, who threw one pass last year, is the lone returning QB who saw a varsity snap. The defense will bring back more, including linemen Anthony Valera (1 sack, 4 TFLs) and Nate Engdahl (2 sacks, 4 TFLs).

June 18, 2025June 18, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 Quarterfinals: (1) Ridge 3, (9) Bridgewater-Raritan 0

Behind s ten-strikeout, complete game shutout from senior ace Aidan Stieglitz, top-seed Ridge beat nine-seed Bridgewater-Raritan, 3-0, in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 quarterfinals.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Diamond Nation in Flemington on May 29, 2025:

GAME COVERAGE:

Stieglitz sparkles – again – and throws complete game shutout over Bridgewater-Raritan to send top-seed Ridge into North 2, Group 4 semis

May 29, 2025May 29, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Stieglitz sparkles – again – and throws complete game shutout over Bridgewater-Raritan to send top-seed Ridge into North 2, Group 4 semis

Anytime Aidan Stieglitz is on the mound, the Ridge baseball team has a very good chance to win the game.

Red Devils’ head coach Tom Blackwell knows it, so does Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill.

Then again, his guy – Jack Lanum – also was cruising through this one, a pitchers’ duel between two starters who won their regular season matchups against the other team.

But on this day, the ninth-seeded Panthers’ couldn’t give Lanum any run support on the mound, and top-seed Ridge came away with a 3-0 win in a North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio Thursday afternoon.

Ridge (19-5) will now play 4th-seed Elizabeth (22-7) in next Tuesday’s sectional semifinals.

A scoreless game through four, Ridge picked up the only run it would need in the fifth. Kieran Callanan led off with an infield hit, deep in the hole to short. Jake Dolan walked, and Quinn Dashefsky’s sac bunt led to a force at third when it died in front of the plate and JR Rosado got the lead runner, Callanan.

But after a fly ball out to left by Ryan Luo, Casey Kucerka singled home the first run of the game.

The damage could have been worse. The inning before – on a single, walk and sac bunt that Sawyer Paul beat out for a base hit – the Red Devils had the bases loaded, but Lanum struck out the next three hitters to escape.

In the sixth, Ridge added two more. Toby Nicholson got hit to start the inning, and after a fly out by Dan Rafanello, then a sac bunt by Matt Bober moving Nicholson to second, he scored when Callanan reached on an error on the throw to first. After Callanan stole second, Dolan doubled to make it 3-1.

Stieglitz allowed just four Panther hits over seven innings, walking one, striking out ten, to improve to 8-3, and drop his ERA further from the 0.98 number he had before the game. Jack Lanum (3-3) took the loss, as Bridgewater – the defending Group 4 champ beset by injuries all year – finished its season at 7-18.

Click below for postgame reaction from Ridge starter Aidan Stieglitz and head coach Tom Blackwell, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

May 29, 2025May 29, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Very familiar foes, Ridge and Bridgewater-Raritan, to square off in North 2, Group 4 semis

Surely it’s happened somewhere else around New Jersey, or maybe not, but few teams have probably seen more of each other on a baseball diamond the last five years than Ridge and Bridgewater-Raritan.

Being in the same division, they play twice a year already, but then they’ll also could meet in the Somerset County Tournament, or the NJSIAA state tournament. That happened in 2022.

In fact, since the COVID interruption to high school baseball in 2020, the Red Devils and Panthers have met 14 times. Besides the usual Skyland Conference Delaware Division home-and-home, they met three times in 2021 (including a sectional quarterfinal), three times last season (the third in the SCT final) and four times in 2022 – two regular season games, an SCT semifinal, and a North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal – with all four won by Ridge.

Overall in that span? It’s seven wins apiece. Even Steven.

And that’s just about what it’s been like this year. Ridge won their April 15th game 12-0, but Bridgewater won the rematch, 9-5.

The third game will be Thursday afternoon – now moved to the turf at Diamond Nation in Flemington after yesterday’s rains in Basking Ridg – as the top-seeded Red Devils (18-5) will take on the ninth-seeded and defending state Group 4 champion Panthers (7-17) at 4 pm in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 quarterfinals. You can her that game on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko on the call. Pregame is set for 3:45; click here to listen.

Ridge has had a fine year, with two of its five losses coming to Immaculata, and one more each to the Panthers, Hunterdon Central – also a No. 1 seed in the states, in Central Group 4 – and Seton Hall Prep, a 1-0 rain-shortened five-inning loss where it would have been fun to see what the Red Devils could do with their final six outs, if given the chance.

Bridgewater-Raritan has struggled, coming in ten games below .500, but with a slew of injuries that compounded graduation losses. All were critical parts of last year’s squad. Owen Crimmins (shoulder) and Nick Spirra (wrist) essentially are out, with Spirra at best unable to play offense. JR Rosado has been banged up all year, while Matt Cichocki (ACL) and Matthew Lehberger (left hand) are hurt, but playing.

And yet, the Panthers have been very much in games, and could be a scary nine-seed in this bracket. Ten of their 17 losses have come by two runs or fewer, six by a single run. Only four times have they lost by four or more runs.

Ace Aidan Stieglitz (7-3, 0.98 ERA) will get the start for Ridge; he went 6 2/3 and allowed just one hit, striking out 14 in their win over the Panthers. Bridgewater will throw Jack Lanum (2-3, 2.88 ERA). He threw six innings in their win over the Red Devils and got the win.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko preview the game with both head coaches:

Ridge head coach Tom Blackwell

Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill

May 22, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Zoned Sports Academy in Bridgewater sends dozens off to college baseball and softball; trained three baseball champs in 2024, and New Jersey’s current No. 1 baseball team

SPONSORED CONTENT – Every year, when the weather turns cold, the real work begins at Zoned Sports Academy.

What’s the old saying? That football games aren’t won on Sundays – they’re won during the week?

If practice makes perfect, there will be some pretty good high school baseball and softball teams coming out of the doors of Zoned Sports Academy in Bridgewater, once the weather gets nice.

But in the winter? It’s time to hunker down in their 28,000 square foot facility, and get back to basics. While many kids want to pitch and throw through a brick wall, founder and owner Duke Baxter has other ideas: teach the fundamentals, the basics, the mechanics. All of that makes pitchers, for example, more efficient, and less injury prone.

Inside look at a lesson with Coach Duke⚾️💥💯 Working footwork and agility🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/xg8M1LMrem
— ZONED Sports Academy (@ZonedSports) November 17, 2023

Same thing for hitting. Sure, you can be strong and swing a good bat, but mechanics, stance – those are all part of the equation, too, and when they’re overlooked, the results won’t be pretty. That’s where a place like Zoned Sports Academy comes in.

Baxter and his staff will work with teams as a group, and individually, catering training sessions to individual needs. One kid has a hitch in his swing, the other isn’t positioned right coming off the mound? They’ll work on that.

Baxter has kept up with the times over the years, continually adding new programs and technology at Zoned Sports Academy. That included virtual instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, and two years ago, he instituted a new strength training program.

*Duke Baxter and his staff offer one-on-one instruction in baseball and softball at Zoned Sports Academy in Bridgewater.*

Last season, it all paid off on the field. There’s Bridgewater-Raritan, of course, which swept to a Skyland Conference Delaware Division title, Somerset County title, and the North 2 Group 4 and overall Group 4 state championship. The Hun School won the Mercer County Tournament and the state Prep A Tournament. And Governor Livingston won the Union County Tournament, Central Jersey Group 2 and the overall state Group 2 title.

Oh, and by the way, the Highlanders are just 22-0 this season, and the No. 1 ranked team in the state, having won 27 straight going back to last season!

On the softball side, Zoned trains a dozen or so schools, including Pingry, which reached this year’s Somerset County Tournament semifinals, and Watchung Hills, which played in last week’s county championship.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Duke Baxter, founder and owner of Zoned Sports Academy in Bridgewater:

Click the logo below to learn more about training for baseball – or softball – at Zoned Sports Academy in Bridgewater… where an athlete has to be to succeed! Reach them at 732-537-1770!

April 11, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: No. 10 Hillsborough 5, No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan 4 (8 inn.)

The tenth-ranked Hillsborough Raiders rallied from four runs down to beat No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan 5-4 in eight innings, thanks to T.J. Westlake’s walk-off double to deep centerfield in the bottom of the eighth.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino call all the action, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Hillsborough High School on April 10, 2025.