Tag: Carteret

by Mike Pavlichko

Where do the Big Central Conference division races stand? Some are settled, but we take a closer at the ones that aren’t

We’re down to the last two weeks of the high school football regular season, with this also being the final week of divisional play in the Big Central Conference, and there are still a number of division titles up for grabs.

Some already have been decided, so we decided to take a look at who’s already been crowned, and which ones still are up for grabs.

Divisional Champs…

Eight of the 12 Big Central Divisions already have been decided, with two outright: Belvidere and Hillside. The other six are decided due to tiebreakers between the division leaders and the next team back. Here’s a closer look.

  • American Gold – Elizabeth: The Minutemen are perfect in 2026, 7-0 and No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. And they may be the most high-powered offense in the league, averaging 41.1 points per game, only once scoring fewer than 28 points – in a 19-7 win at Union in their third game of the year. They also have topped 50 twice. It’s a small division – just four teams – so there are only three division games, and their last comes this Saturday when they visit Westfield (1-5). They close at home against Somerville on Cutoff Weekend in a game that should see a lot of points scored.
  • Freedom Silver Division – Belvidere: The County Seaters swept through the division this year, going 5-0, just like they did in 2024, making this their second division title in three seasons, and second all-time in the BCC. Belvidere’s high-powered offense averaged 38 points per game against Freedom Silver opponents – never scoring fewer than 34 points in any of the five – while allowing just under ten a game. Their only loss came in their opening game, a 27-8 defeat at Hackettstown, and they have won eight straight games against Big Central foes, dating back to October 10 of last year. Belvidere has a non-conference game at North Warren this Friday night before hosting Delaware Valley on Saturday of Cutoff Weekend.
  • Liberty Gold – Rahway: The Indians aren’t finished with divisional play yet, but they are 3-0, with a trip to Colonia this Friday. But the only team that could tie them in the division is Woodbridge, and Rahway has the tiebreaker, courtesy of a 42-21 road win back on September 11. Their lone loss this year came three weeks ago at home to Cranford, 14-7; the Cougars remain undefeated. Rahway has won two straight since, 38-20 over South Brunswick and 35-6 at Plainfield Friday night. The Indians close divisional play at Colonia this week before a crossover home game against Edison the week after.
  • Liberty Silver – Montgomery: The Cougars are in the same situation as Rahway, 3-0 in the division, with Somerville behind them at 2-1, but Monty beat The ‘Ville for a second year in a row, 38-35, back on September 25. And, eerily similar to Rahway, they also lost to Cranford, 13-12, two weeks ago. Montgomery has won four of its last five games after an 0-2 start, with wins at Watchung Hills and Hunterdon Central, and at home over Colonia and the Pioneers. Monty visits divisional foe North Hunterdon Friday night, then plays a home crossover Friday of Cutoff Weekend against Hillsborough in the “Carty Bowl.”

  • National Gold – Old Bridge: Ditto here for the Knights, who are 3-0, with Piscataway behind them at 2-1, but Old Bridge beat the Chiefs 27-26 three weeks ago, erasing a 26-0 halftime deficit with four unanswered touchdowns – two on the ground, two through the air – by Chase Rizzo. The Knights (6-1) have won six straight since an eight-point loss to Shawnee in the Battle at the Beach down in Ocean City in Week Zero, and have now won eleven straight contests against Big Central competition, the longest active streak in the league. They play their final division game of the season Friday night at Lombardi Field against East Brunswick before heading up to Ridge on Friday night of Cutoff Weekend.
  • National Silver – Sayreville: The Bombers also are 3-0 in the division, with St. Thomas Aquinas behind them at 2-1, and Sayreville owns the tiebreaker via a 37-21 win over the Trojans three weeks ago. Their only two losses have come in crossovers, 2-17 to Ridge and 14-12 at Old Bridge two weeks ago, but they bounced back with a 23-16 win at Somerville back on Friday in their third straight road game. They will close divisional play this Friday with their fourth straight trip, this time to North Brunswick, before finishing up at home against Piscataway, Friday night of Cutoff Weekend, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
  • Patriot Gold – Hillside: The Comets swept the division, going 4-0 with wins over Delaware Valley, North Plainfield, Voorhees and New Brunswick, their most recent coming Saturday against the Canucks, 26-0, at Conant Street Park. In those four, they scored an average of 31.5 points per game and allowed a total of just ten, with two shutouts, also blanking New Brunswick. In fact, in their six wins this season, they’ve allowed just 17 points, but their lone BCC loss was a 20-19 home defeat at the hands of Bernards last week. Hillside closes with two road crossovers this week at next, first at Manville, then at Cranford.
  • United Silver – Bernards: In a small, four-team division, the Mountaineers are 2-0, with wins over the two teams immediately behind them at 1-1, South Plainfield and Governor Livingston. With those tiebreakers in hand, Bernards is an outright division champ for the fifth straight year. They shared the Division 2A title in a three-way tie with Delaware Valley and Hillside in 2021, and did the same in the COVID-shortened 2020 season with Hillside and Governor Livingston.

Still to be decided…

That leaves four divisions whose champions are yet to be determined, and will be decided this week. Here’s a closer look at the potential scenarios, with one potential three-way tie.

  • American Silver: This will be decided Friday night at Maloney Stadium in Phillipsburg, where the likely well-rested Stateliners – coming off a bye – will host Bridgewater-Raritan in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio this Friday night. But it could get complicated. The Panthers are 2-0 in the four-team division, with just three division games, while Phillipsburg is 1-1. Should Bridgewater-Raritan win, they’d be 3-0 and claim the title outright. If the Stateliners win, both would be 2-1, with Phillipsburg claiming the title on a tiebreaker with one exception. If Ridge wins at Hillsborough Friday – and the Red Devils should be a heavy favorite against the Raiders – there would be a three-way tie. Ridge will have split with Bridgewater and Phillipsburg, Bridgewater would have beaten Ridge but lost to P’burg, and the ‘Liners would have beaten Bridgewater, but lost to Ridge; that defeat came on the final play of their October 2 game at Lee Field.
  • Freedom Gold: This one is a lot simpler. With five division games, to play, and four in the books, it comes down to Highland Park (7-0) and Dayton (5-2) this Friday night in Springfield. The Owls have pitched five shutouts this season – blanking New Brunswick, Middlesex, JP Stevens, South River, and Brearley – while allowing 13 points all season, with just six allowed by the defense; the other seven came via an interception return for a touchdown two weeks ago at Bound Brook. Roselle Park is the only offense to score on them. Dayton’s only two losses have come out of the division, at Governor Livingston in Week Zero and at home to New Providence two weeks ago.
  • Patriot Silver: The resurgent Panthers are 6-1, 4-0 in the division, and will be going for their seventh win this Friday when A.L. Johnson comes to Waters Stadium in the Bay City Friday night; a win would give them their most victories in a season since 1967. But more importantly, the division title is on the line. Both are 4-0 in the division, with wins over Roselle, Spotswood, Governor Livingston and Metuchen, so this one is for all the marbles.
  • United Gold: Undefeated Cranford is 2-0 in this small division, with Summit and Carteret both 1-1. But the Cougars already have beaten Summit – shutting out the Hilltoppers 29-0 on September 18 – so Summit can’t lay claim to the division title if the Cougars (6-0) drop their first game of the year this weekend when they visit The Pit to take on the Ramblers. But if they do, Carteret would get the title, as both would be 2-1 in the United Gold, with the Ramblers owning the tiebreaker.
by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  South Plainfield 14, Carteret 6

Jayden Brown scored on a 53-yard touchdown run just two plays into the game, then added a 13-yard scoring run in the third quarter for insurance, as South Plainfield won at Carteret, 14-6, in a Big Central Conference crossover game.

Logo for Bellamy & Son Paving, promoting the Big Central Game of the Week, featuring bold text in red and yellow colors.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Nick Hart call all the play-by-play live from Walt Overholt Stadium in Carteret, NJ, on September 25, 2026:

1st Half
2nd Half

by Mike Pavlichko

South Plainfield grinds one out, hangs on to beat Carteret on windy night at “The Pit”

South Plainfield got 114 yards rushing and a touchdown on just nine carries by Jayden Jones, but it helped make the difference as the Tigers ran the ball almost exclusively in a 14-6 road win over Carteret Friday night in the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The Tigers attempted just three passes in the game, all going incomplete, while Christian Brown ran it 17 times for 62 yards and a score.

When Jones broke free on the second play from scrimmage in the game to score a touchdown just 55-seconds in, it looked like a battle of two teams with solid ground games might turn into a foot race. But it was not to be, as that was the only score of the first half. Both squads could move the ball, but no one else seemed to be able to get into the end zone.

With 8:55 left in the third, South Plainfield (3-2) got a 13-yard run from Brown to make it 14-0. That was another short drive, too, taking just three plays to go 25 yards after Carteret had turned it over on downs following a failed fourth-down conversion attempt.

Truly, this game belonged to the defenses, both of whom played very well, though penalties and mistakes seemed to plague Carteret, who had at least three bad snaps that resulted in significant losses of yardage, three for 30 yards in the first half alone. Starting center Brandon Byron broke his leg on the second play of last week’s game loss to Scotch Plains-Fanwood, a repeat injury after doing the same against Hillside last year.

Carteret looked done for in the fourth quarter until the Ramblers (3-2) got on the board with 2:47 to play, on a 13-yard touchdown run by Al-Naiquan Boseman. An onside kick was expected, but a line drive kick went well over ten yards, pinning South Plainfield back inside its own five, but they were able to ice the game anyway.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Nick Hart with South Plainfield head coach Bill Hamilton and senior running back Jayden Jones, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Nick Hart

South Plainfield looks to improve road record with with trip to Carteret Friday

With four games already in the rearview mirror for South Plainfield, it has been an up-and-down start to the 2026 campaign. The Tigers (2-2, 1-1 BCC United Silver) sit at .500 on the season, and the story has been quite the same for each of their wins and for each of their losses.

South Plainfield has been stellar in its wins this season, with both victories coming in double-digit fashion: a 20-10 win over North Plainfield and a 35-0 win over JFK. Similarly to their wins, the Tigers’ losses have both been by double digits as well: a 40-21 loss to start the season against Somerville and a 34-14 loss to Bernards this past week.   

The Tigers look to change their fortunes on the road Friday night against Carteret in the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy and Son Paving. Mike Pavlichko and Nick Hart are on the call with pregame at 6:45 pm and kickoff at 7. Click here to listen.

The Tigers handily won their last matchup in the series, 40-7, back in 2023. The Ramblers (2-2, 1-1 BCC United Gold) have had the slight upper hand in the matchup, being the victors in three of the last five contests against South Plainfield.

When it comes to the offense, sophomore signal caller Lucas Habe has led the way, sporting a 66.7% completion percentage for 414 yards and four touchdowns on the season. On the receiving end of Habe’s passes has been a slew of different receivers. 

Senior tight end Aiden Noblecilla leads South Plainfield with eight receptions for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Upperclassmen Micah Anderson, seven receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown, and Nick France, five receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown, have also been big producers for the Tigers. 

As far as the running back room goes for South Plainfield, 10 different players have a rushing attempt this season, four of which have double-digit attempts on the year.

Senior Christian Brown has taken most of the workload, however, tallying 53 of the Tigers’ 112 rushing attempts on the year and accounting for 414 of 743 rushing yards for his squad. Jaydon Jones has been a nice complement to Brown in the backfield, tallying 20 carries, 13 yards and a touchdown on the season. 

Defensively, South Plainfield is anchored by its stout defensive front, which consists of a trio of seniors and an underclassman who are no strangers to getting off the line quickly. Aiden Noblecilla has had a standout start to the season, leading South Plainfield with five sacks, 17 tackles for a loss, and 46 total tackles. 

Karl Josephis the lone underclassman on the line and despite being in just his second year of high school football, has produced at the level of a seasoned veteran. Joseph is second on his squad with 2.5 sacks on the season and second in tackles for a loss with seven so far. 

Click below to hear South Plainfield head coach Bill Hamilton talk about the Tigers’ season so far and Friday night’s matchup at Carteret with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Nick Hart:

by Mike Pavlichko

No excuses for dinged up Carteret, as run-first Ramblers host South Plainfield in traditional GMC matchup

Carteret and South Plainfield have been playing each other for years, whether it’s in the Big Central Conference or the GMC.

Both are blue-collar, grind-it-out, run-the-rock football teams. And when they meet again this Friday night at the newly-renovated Walt Overholt Stadium – affectionately known as “The Pit,” don’t expect much different.

It’s our Friday night Big Central Game of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with kickoff set for 7 pm, and pregame at 6:45. Mike Pavlichko and Nick Hart have the call; click here to listen.

The Ramblers come in at 2-2, but have split their first four games, alternating between wins and losses. Throw out a 53-6 loss to the largest public school in the state, Elizabeth, in the opening week – and the Minutemen are off to a fantastic start – and the Ramblers are 2-1 the rest of the way, and have allowed just 25 points in their last two games, including a 13-6 loss at Summit two weeks ago, and a 16-12 win at Scotch Plains-Fanwood last Friday.

Senior Danyun McKill runs the offense, but it’s Al-Naiquan Boseman who powers it, taking 75 carries this season and going for 591 yards and five touchdowns, while the mobile McKill is next on the list at 130 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. He can run it if he has to, but Boseman is the No. 1 option most plays.

Defensively, Carteret is a bit thin in the secondary due to some injuries, but they do get after the ball, and get behind the line of scrimmage. To wit, they have six sacks and 25 TFLs on the season, with linebacker Nick Gomm leading the way at eight hits behind the line.

Click below to hear Carteret football coach Kevin Freeman talk about the Ramblers and their matchup against South Plainfield with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: Slimmer United Gold Division still packs a punch with defending champ Summit, Cranford, Carteret and Scotch Plains-Fanwood

Hillside is out of the Big Central Conference United Gold Division – moving to the Patriot Gold – but the four-team group won’t be any less challenging this year. While Summit may look a little different with the graduation of Alex Schwark, the well-coached group will likely be a preseason favorite to win it, but Cranford and Carteret may have something to say about that, while Scotch Plains-Fanwood will look to make strides in its third season led by Shawn Johnson.

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

Summit Hilltoppers (9-3, 4-0, United Gold Division Champions)
Head Coach: Kevin Kostibos (14th season, 91-41)

  • Week 0: Colonia
  • Week 1: at Rahway
  • Week 2: Carteret*
  • Week 3: at Cranford*
  • Week 4: Edison
  • Week 5: at Watchung Hills
  • Week 6: Woodbridge
  • Week 7: at Scotch Plains-Fanwood*
  • Week 8: Bernards

The Hilltoppers were able to deal with a Spring 2024 lacrosse injury that kept Cole Sabol on the sideline – but helping his replacements immensely as an extra “coach” – by rotating the mobile Alex Schwark and passer Matt McKeever. Sabol and Schwark both have graduated, but McKeever returns after going 57-for-110 for 877 yards and four touchdowns. They will miss Schwark’s 1,274 rushing yards and 12 TDs, though, so head coach Kevin Kostibos will have to figure some things out again this year, too, after Summit reached its first sectional final since 2018, falling to West Morris. The defense – which had 21 sacks and 12 picks last year – will be challenged, with Gavin Schnall the biggest contributing junior in what was a senior-heavy unit last year. The linebacker had a sack, 16 TFLs, three picks and one for a touchdown last season, along with 82 total tackles, third best on the team

Cranford Cougars (4-6, 2-2, 2nd place United Gold)
Head Coach: Erik Rosenmeier, 22nd season (140-74)

  • Week 0: BYE
  • Week 1: at Bernards
  • Week 2: Scotch Plains-Fanwood*
  • Week 3: Summit*
  • Week 4: at Rahway
  • Week 5: Montgomery
  • Week 6: at South Plainfield
  • Week 7: at Carteret
  • Week 8: Hillside

If you believe in the cyclical nature of high school sports, Cranford might have typified it over the past few years. They won the North 2, Group 3 title in 2021 at 11-1, then went a solid 7-3 the next year, but dipped to 4-5 in 2023 before going 7-3 again in ’24, then 4-6 last season. And a look at who’s back might just bear that out. Rising senior Aidan Capizzi threw for 1,460 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior, while sophomore Logan Murray carried it 82 times for 470 yards and nine scores. Those two make a nice 1-2 punch, along with two junior receivers who will be back for one last go-round: Luke Owens (343 yards, 4 TDs) and John Fiore (239 yards, 2 TDs), the son of former Spotswood and longtime Montclair coach, now Perth Amboy AD John Fiore. It looks like the defense will lose some significant pieces, but senior Luke Owens (2 sacks, 5 1/2 TFLs) will be back, along with Jaren Acinapura (2 1/2 TFLs, 1 forced fumble), among a few others.

Carteret Ramblers (4-5, 1-3, 3rd place United Gold)
Head Coach: Kevin Freeman, 5th season (22-18)

  • Week 0: Elizabeth
  • Week 1: Perth Amboy
  • Week 2: at Summit*
  • Week 3: at Scotch Plains-Fanwood*
  • Week 4: South Plainfield
  • Week 5: at North Brunswick
  • Week 6: at JFK
  • Week 7: Cranford*
  • Week 8: Monroe

Head coach Kevin Freeman won seven games each of his first two seasons after the COVID pause and taking over for Matt Yascko, now at Edison, but after a couple of four-win seasons, the Ramblers may be back in form. They’ll have an experienced quarterback in Danyun McKill, but the real focal point of the offense is Al-Naiquan Boseman, who rushed for 1,397 yards on 186 carries last year and scored 14 touchdowns as a junior. Give the kid the rock and let him do his thing; that’s Carteret football. Masihah Long was disruptive on the defensive side as a junior last year, registering six sacks and 12 TFLs with a forced fumble as well, and this looks like a very manageable schedule.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders (2-7, 1-3 United Gold)
Head Coach: Shawn Johnson, 3rd season (4-15)

  • Week 0: at Westfield
  • Week 1: Linden
  • Week 2: at Cranford*
  • Week 4: Carteret*
  • Week 5: North Hunterdon
  • Week 6: at South Plainfield
  • Week 6: at Governor Livingston
  • Week 7: Summit*
  • Week 8: at New Brunswick

Head coach Shawn Johnson will have his work cut out for him in his third season, with his biggest offensive player – quarterback Logan Weiss and his 993 passing yards – gone to graduation. Sophomore runningback Gabe Gutierrez should be back, carrying nearly 100 times for 416 yards and a touchdown, while there are two promising receivers back: rising senior Yasir Oates (6 catches for 135 yards) and rising sophomore Joey Reeves (11 catches for 153 yards, 2 TD). The biggest defensive player back should be active lineman Nick Marranca, with two sacks, four TFLs, and three fumble recoveries. At Westfield is a tough opener.

by Mike Pavlichko

More movement in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, after No. 1 Immaculata and No. 2 Middlesex hold serve

The two two high school baseball teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten didn’t move at all this week, but most of the rest did.

And with division play mostly out of the way in the GMC, things could get really interesting this week with crossovers heading into Friday morning’s seeding meeting. Same in Somerset County with the last few games before Tuesday’s seeding by the league coaches.

Immaculata (12-3) remains No. 1, as it has been for the past four weeks, after a 3-0 week gone by. The Spartans picked up a Tuesday/Thursday sweep of Hunterdon Central, including a 4-1 home win Tuesday at Diamond Nation in Flemington, and a 14-0 road win just a mile or so away on Thursday. Saturday, they blanked Old Bridge 9-0 in the finale of Spotswood’s E4M showcase. Their last game before the SCT seeding will be Tuesday afternoon, a big one at Watchung Hills. It’s the first of two between the teams, but the only one before the meeting.

Then, it’s to the GMC at No. 2, where Midddlesex (15-2) remains in the same position as last week. The Blue Jays went 2-1, with a sweep of Colonia, both games 4-0 decisions, including a home win Thursday heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They lost Saturday at Westfield, 2-0, and have two big games this week, playing up against the GMC Red Division. They’ll welcome St. Joseph-Metuchen to Mountainview Park on Monday, and visit East Brunswick on Thursday. A win in either game could give the Blue Jays a strong argument for the No. 1 seed in the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament.

The other team that will be considered for that top-seed is Edison (12-4), which went 4-1 this past week. They blanked Woodbridge 1-0 Monday, then lost at St. Thomas Aquinas, 3-2, on Tuesday, before returning the favor with a 5-0 home win Thursday. Then, they played two on Saturday, first beating North Brunswick 15-4, then topping JP Stevens, 7-2. The Eagles have three games before Friday’s GMC seeding: Monday at Metuchen, Tuesday at home against East Brunswick, and Spotswood at home on Wednesday.

At No. 4 is Ridge (11-5), down one spot from last week after playing just one game, falling 4-3 at Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday. The Red Devils have lost four straight – including two to Immaculata and another at North Hunterdon – after starting the season 11-1. They will host Hillsborough on Tuesday.

In the five spot, it’s Watchung Hills (10-3), which re-entered the rankings at seven last week, and now is up two more spots after a 3-0 week. That included a 6-2 win over Hillsborough on Tuesday, an 18-8 win at Hillsborough on Wednesday, and a 6-2 home win Friday over South Plainfield. Monday, they get a crack at defending state Group 2 champion Governor Livingston at home, then host Immaculata on Tuesday less than four hours before the seeding meeting. They’re in the same division – the Skyland Delaware – but will only meet once before the meeting; their second is Thursday. Should the Warriors win, could that be enough – at 11-3, not counting what happens against the Highlanders, to earn a top-seed? Watchung Hills did lose twice to Ridge, and that could hurt them, but also consider if they beat GL how that might be seen by the coaches. It’s definitely not insignificant.

At No. 6 is Rutgers Prep (10-2). The Argonauts won their only game this week, an 11-1 drubbing of Phillipsburg, but they get a chance at two Skyland Conference Delaware Division teams before Tuesday’s SCT seeding meeting: Bridgewater Monday, North Hunterdon Tuesday. Both are on the road.

Colonia (9-5) falls two spots this week to No. 7 after an 0-2 week, both losses coming to No. 2 Middlesex. The first, on Tuesday, was a 4-0 home loss. Then, they lost on the road by the same score on Thursday, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. This week, they get crossover with a pair of Red Division opponents: Old Bridge Monday at home, then at St. Joseph-Metuchen on Wednesday.

At No. 8 is Old Bridge (9-8). The Knights went 3-2 in the week gone by. They started with a 10-4 loss to East BRunswick, but came back to sweep St. Joseph-Metuchen with a 5-1 road win Tuesday and a 9-4 home win Thursday, sandwiched around a 12-1 win at Monroe Wednesday. The finished up with a 9-0 loss Saturday to Immaculata in Spotswood at the E4M Showcase.

Back in at No. 9 after a week out is South Plainfield (8-8). The Tigers split two games this week, beating Monroe on Monday, 12-3, then taking a 6-2 loss Friday at then-No. 7 Watchung Hills. They visit Spotswood Monday and are at Monroe Wednesday looking for a series sweep, before entertaining JFK on Thursday.

And holding at ten is Carteret (12-3). The Ramblers went 2-0 this week, with a 12-2 win over New Brunswick on Monday at home, then a 15-1 road win against the Zebras on Wednesday. This week, they visit Perth Amboy Magnet Tuesday and host Highland Park on Thursday.

Monroe dropped out from No. 9 after a 1-3 week, leaving the Falcons at 8-9. They lost 7-6 on Monday at Toms River South, at South Plainfield on Tuesday 12-3, and 12-1 to Old Bridge at home on Wednesday, before snapping the skid with a 6-3 win Saturday at home over Colts Neck.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Five:

by Mike Pavlichko

South River claims last of GMC Division titles, taking the Blue in a three-way tiebreaker over Carteret, JP Stevens

The way the Greater Middlesex Conference seeds its baseball tournaments, division titles are everything.

Actually, the whole standings are everything. In the seeding meeting – with this year’s coming up a week from tomorrow, on Friday, May 8th – teams can only be seeded in order of division finish. No division has to be seeded higher than any other, but the second place team in any division can’t be seeded ahead of the first place team, regardless of head-to-head results.

That means the only teams that can be the top seeds are division winners. And South River took the last remaining title to be decided, winning the GMC Blue in a three-way tiebreaker over Carteret and JP Stevens.

The Rams solidified that deal by virtue of an 11-6 road win at Piscataway Wednesday afternoon, giving them their fourth straight win and a series sweep against the Chiefs. But with the Rams, Ramblers and Hawks all 11-3 in the division, it came down to how all those teams did against each other.

South River went 3-1 in that group, splitting with Carteret and sweeping JP Stevens. The Ramblers were 1-3 in that group, swept by Stevens and splitting with the Rams. The Hawks went 2-2, sweeping Carteret, but getting swept by South River. The title goes to the Rams.

It’s their first division title since they shared the Blue in 2022 with St. Thomas Aquinas. Both went 9-1 in the division, and the teams split their two games, with the Trojans picking up a 16-3 win, while the Rams won the series finale two days later, 5-3.

Elsewhere in the GMC, Piscataway Magnet improved to 16-0 Wednesday with an 11-0 win at South Amboy, giving them a perfect 12-0 division record. It’s the Raiders’ first outright division title since 1996, and they’re one of just a handful of undefeated teams left in the state. The question is, will they make the Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament as one of the top 20 seeds, or play in the Ray Cipperly Invitational.

READ MORE: True team play has powered Piscataway Magnet to record season, but Raiders – the last unbeaten GMC team standing – may be just getting started

Regardless of how second-ranked Middlesex fares against Colonia at home Thursday afternoon in its GMC White Division finale (4 pm on CJSR – click here to listen live) the Blue Jays have already clinched the pennant, sitting at 12-1, while second-place Colonia is 9-4.

And in the Red Division, Edison leads the pack at 9-3, with Old Bridge in second at 8-5. The Eagles have one more with St. Thomas Aquinas Thursday, and a make-up at home against East Brunswick next Tuesday. But even if they were to drop both – and the Knights beat St. Joseph-Metuchen Thursday in their division finale, leaving both at 8-5, Edison gets the tiebreaker, having swept Old Bridge 5-2 and 2-1 in the first week of the season.

The only question is, who will get the overall No. 1 seed in the GMC championship tournament?

Edison is 9-4 overall, with losses to Monroe, Woodbridge and St. Thomas Aquinas in the conference, while Middlesex has only one loss at 14-1, coming against South Brunswick.

In that case, it could come down to crossovers in the final week of the season. Edison has three road crossovers, against North Brunswick and JP Stevens out of the Blue Division and Metuchen from the Blue. Middlesex will play up, facing St. Joseph-Metuchen and East Brunswick out of the Red, while also playing a non-conference game at Westfield (8-7) of the Union County Conference this Saturday afternoon at 2 pm.

by Mike Pavlichko

Rough week for most of Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, but Immaculata remains No. 1

While the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten went just 14-13 in the past week, leading to additional volatility in the rankings, Immaculata remains at No. 1 for a fourth straight week, a position it’s held this year for all but the preseason list.

It was also a bit of a light week, with many games rained out on Saturday.

The Spartans (9-3) went 2-1 in the week gone by, with a pair of wins over then-No. 2 Ridge, 3-0 in Basking Ridge on Tuesday, and 6-0 at Diamond Nation in Flemington, on Wednesday, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. ‘Lata took a loss, though, on Friday, falling 8-1 at Delbarton, the top-ranked team in the state.

Meanwhile, Ridge (11-4) loses the No. 2 spot after their 1-3 week, which included those losses to Immaculata, and a Friday loss at North Hunterdon, 6-2. They opened the week with an 8-7 home win over Pingry on Monday.

That all opened the door for Middlesex (13-1) to move up to No. 2. The Blue Jays have won nine straight, including three games last week. After opening with an 8-3 win at JFK on Tuesday, Middlesex swept Sayreville with a 2-0 home win Thursday and a 9-7 road win Friday.

Edison (8-3) holds in the fourth spot after a 1-1 week. They opened it up with a 9-0 win at East Brunswick on Tuesday, but were no-hit in a five-inning loss to Woodbridge on Thursday, 14-0.

Colonia continues it’s rise, as the 9-5 Patriots move up a spot to No. 5 this week. After a 5-4 loss Tuesday at Spotswood, Colonia came back to sweep Perth Amboy,m winning 7-2 at home on Thursday, then again 6-3 on the road on Friday.

Rutgers Prep (9-2) shot up this week from ninth to sixth, after a 2-0 week that now has them on an eight-game winning streak. The Argonauts swept a pair from Somerville, winning 6-2 on the road Tuesday, then 5-0 at home Thursday. Prep also had its Saturday game at TD Bank Park against South Plainfield – originally scheduled to air live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – moved to later in the season, due to rain.

Watchung Hills (7-3) re-enters the rankings at No. 7, on the strength of a 2-0 week. The Hustlin’ Warriors were 6-2 winners at Hunterdon Central on Tuesday, then beat them back at home on Wednesday, 10-5.

In eighth is Old Bridge (6-6), down one spot after a split week. The Knights lost 4-1 Tuesday at South Plainfield, but came back home Thursday and beat Monroe, 9-5.

The No. 9 position goes to Monroe (7-6), which fell from No. 5. The Falcons were 0-2 in the week gone by, including an 8-1 loss on Tuesday at home to St. Thomas Aquinas, and a 9-5 loss Thursday at Old Bridge.

And holding in tenth is Carteret (10-3), despite a 1-2 week The Ramblers were 12-5 winners over North Brunswick on Monday, but then were swept two games by JP Stevens, including a 3-1 road loss in North Edison Wednesday, and a 10-0 home loss on Friday.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Four:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams roll on again in Week Three, but bottom-half turmoil brings Old Bridge, Rutgers Prep into Bellamy & Son Paving baseball rankings

For a second straight week, the top four teams continued to win – leaving Immaculata, Ridge, Middlesex and Edison right where they’ve been – but everyone else keeps beating each other up, and two new teams join the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Three.

Immaculata (7-2) remains in the No. 1 position after a 2-1 week. In Skyland Conference play, the Spartans swept Bridgewater-Raritan – 13-3 at home, and 5-2 on the road – Tuesday and Thursday, before falling 7-3 to Delsea in a non-conference game on Saturday.

Holding at No. 2 is Ridge (10-1), which went 3-0 in the week gone by. They swept a Tuesday-Thursday series from Watchung Hills – 12-10 on the road, and 13-3 at home – before an 8-3 win over Bernards Saturday completed the perfect week.

Immaculata and Ridge square off this week in a huge two-game set that will have a lot of say in which team – at least at this point – takes the inside track for the top-seed in the Somerset County Tournament. The seeding meeting is Wednesday, May 6th.

Middlesex (10-1) continues to roll as well. The Blue Jays went 5-0 this past week, sweeping Metuchen 2-1 on the road Tuesday, and 6-2 at home Thursday. Middlesex then beat Voorhees Saturday, 11-2, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game at North Brunswick Community Park, and took a 13-2 decision over JFK Saturday, before beating Wood-Ridge (Bergen County) on the road Sunday, 15-1.

Edison (7-2) holds at No. 4 this week, going 2-1 in the week gone by. The Eagles opened the week in fine fashion with a complete-game, 13-strikeout no-hitter from Connor Murphy in a 4-0 home win over St. Joseph-Metuchen heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They beat the Falcons again in Metuchen on Thursday, 5-3, before falling 10-4 to Columbia Sunday in their Autism Awareness Challenge game.

WATCH: The final out of Connor Murphy’s no-hitter against St. Joseph-Metuchen

Holding at five is Monroe (7-4). While the Falcons went just 2-3 this week, they closed the weekend with a huge win. After falling to Hightstown in a non-league game on Monday, they then got swept by Woodbridge, 8-0 and 2-1. But they rebounded nicely with an 8-4 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in North Edison on Saturday, then Sunday, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game, Monroe knocked off the No. 18 team in the state, perennial power Red Bank Catholic, 5-2. To date, it’s the only win by a GMC school over a team ranked in the NJ.com statewide Top 20.

(Ridge has the only other one, a 7-4 Opening Day win over West Morris, currently ranked No. 14).

Staying in sixth is Colonia (7-2), which split four games this week. They started with a 14-4 win at Metuchen Monday, in a makeup from earlier in the year, then split with South Brunswick, taking an 8-6 home loss Tuesday before winning on the road Thursday, 13-4. The Patriots then lost to Spotswood on Saturday, 3-1.

Back in at No. 7 is Old Bridge (5-5), which was ranked in the preseason, but fell out in Week One. The Knights went 2-2 last week with a tough schedule. After beating East Brunswick 11-10 Tuesday, they came back Friday and beat South Plainfield 9-3 in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Saturday, they lost to state No. 4 Seton Hall Prep, 3-2, then fell 4-3 to Westfield Sunday in the Autism Awareness Challenge.

Down one spot to eight is South Plainfield (6-5), which also went 2-2 last week. The Tigers split with St. Thomas Aquinas, winning 6-4 on Tuesday, but losing on the road Thursday, 7-5. After Friday’s loss at Old Bridge, the Tigers rebounded with a 4-2 win over Millburn in the Autism Awareness Challenge in North Brunswick on Saturday.

Making its season debut at No. 9 is Rutgers Prep (7-2). The Argonauts climb into the rankings on the strength of a 4-0 week, which began with a pair of 10-0 wins over Montgomery Tuesday (away) and Thursday (at home). On Friday, they beat Union Catholic in the Autism Awareness Challenge, 17-10, then won at Hopewell Valley on Saturday, 12-4.

Carteret (9-1) holds in tenth, on the strength of a 3-0 week. The Ramblers swept Piscataway in a Monday-Wednesday two-game set – 9-2 at home on Monday, then 10-9 away in the second game – before beating North Brunswick 13-0 Saturday in the Autism Awareness Challenge at Community Park.

Two teams dropped out this week. No. 8 Watchung Hills beat Cranford Saturday 5-4, but took a pair of losses to Ridge, 12-10 and 13-3, while South Brunswick also went 1-2 in the week gone by. The Vikings split a pair with Colonia – winning an 8-6 road game Tuesday, but losing 13-1 at home Thursday – then lost Saturday to Metuchen, 8-3, in their Autism Awareness Challenge game.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Three: