Tag: Carteret

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 7 Playoff Analysis: Group 3

With just two weeks of play left before the state playoffs are seeded, things are heating up in the playoff chase. Here’s our look at the Big Central Conference teams in playoff contention in Group 3 as we head into Week 7 of high school football around the state.

And, of course, don’t miss our “Playoff Projection Show,” scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, October 21st, when we’ll reveal our predicted matchups and seeds for the postseason. It’s all presented by My Family Appliances of Edison, which will be giving away three $100 gift cards during the show to lucky listeners!

All our analysis is based on Gridiron New Jersey’s official playoff calculations performed for the NJSIAA and listed on their website as of 9:30 pm on October 10. For full standings, click on each supersection’s header below:

NORTH GROUP 3:

2. Summit (5-1, 1.6): The Hilltoppers are a pretty solid two two finisher at this point, wiht a 2.6 UPR lead over third-place Warren Hills (5-2, 4.2 UPR). They close with two challenging road games, this Friday night at Colonia and next Saturday afternoon at St. Joseph-Metuchen. It’s pretty simple for Summit. We think they at least split those, and that might lock it up. A sweep most assuredly does so.

6. Cranford (4-2, 6.0): The Cougars are not yet assured of a top eight finish, which would give them at least a first round home game. They close with two challenging games as well: Linden at home Friday night, and at North Brunswick next Friday night. The teams behind them are tightly-packed: Vernon (6.2 UPR), Hillside (6.6) and West Essex (7.6). They shouldn’t have to worry about West Essex in tenth at 10.2 UPR. In fact, even with a split, it looks like regardless of which team they beat, and irrespective of what Hillside and Vernon do, they would end up a top eight team. A sweep and they may finish in the top four depending how things shake out. Two losses, and it’s another story.

8. Hillside (4-2, 6.6): We think the Comets have a crack at a top eight finish if they can play their cards right and win their last two games. That could be easier said than done, though, with two road games: Delaware Valley this Friday and at Carteret next Friday night. Two wins keep them in the top eight. A split, and things could go either way. Two losses, it’s a first round road trip.

15. Governor Livingston (5-2, 16.2): The Highlanders are still on the bubble, but at least two spots on the right side of it. The good news is that 17th place Sparta and 18th place River Dell only have one win each. So they may not do much winning these last two weeks. Both play some good teams these final two weeks, and with the Spartans and Golden Hawks the first two teams out right now, GL may only have to worry about Mendham in 19th place, but they’re 2.2 UPR points behind. The schedule is what’s interesting for Governor Livingston, which has low-rated South River on the road Saturday, but undefeated Bernards next weekend. A win over South River may actually hurt them, but a loss to Bernards might actually help them. An interesting one to watch.

SOUTH GROUP 3:

9. Somerville (4-3, 9.4): Let’s just say these last two games are huge for the Pioneers, who can make a huge jump with a win on their short road trip down Route 206 to play Hillsborough Friday night. They finish with South Brunswick at Brooks Field next Friday night. They’re a 50-50 at getting a first-round home game, via a top eight finish. Three teams from 8th to 9th are bunched up, with Manasquan at 9.2 UPR, Somerville at 9.4, and Seneca, with a 9.8 UPR. The ‘Ville may need a sweep to play another game at Brooks Field in the opening round.

12. Carteret (6-1, 12): Having six wins already and not being in the top eight means the Ramblers probably can’t make the move up unless the teams ahead of them all collapse down the stretch. Nice thought, but there’s no one ahead of them with only a couple of wins to catch. They’re all good. In fact, 13 of the top 16 teams here have reached three wins already. Carteret has two strong opponents here, Rahway and Hillside, and if they are to have a chance at opening the playoffs at the Pit, they’ll need to sweep, and probably need some help.

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 6 Playoff Analysis: Group 3

As we head down the home stretch of the high school football season in New Jersey, attention begins to turn to the postseason, and where everyone’s favorite team will fall.

Central Jersey Sports Radio has you covered the next three weeks, with our playoff analysis brought to you by My Family Appliances, Route One South in the Wick Plaza in Edison. They’re also the presenting sponsor of our “Playoff Projection Show” on Saturday, October 21 at 5 pm, and will be giving away three $100 gift cards to some lucky listeners!

In the meantime, a lot can happen between now and Cutoff Weekend, but here’s out team-by-team breakdown of where every Big Central Conference team in contention for the playoffs could end up. Click the supersection header to be taken to the official UPR standings heading into Week 6, as calculated for the NJSIAA by Gridrion New Jersey:

NORTH GROUP 3:

2. Summit (4-1): The Hilltoppers are rolling, their only loss coming to undefeated St. Thomas Aquinas in between a pair of wins their first two weeks, and two straight victories since. We think Summit pretty much controls its own fate. If they can take care of business in their last three games, they should be able to at least hold onto one of the top two seeds. Summit already is first in power points – by a lot – by virtue of having played Aquinas, a multiplier, for which they received 24 points for a loss. And their OSI is third, at 58.09. So there’s not much room for them to go up. But the nearest team behind them in OSI is Parsippany Hills at 54.64, then Vernon, Pascack Valley, and West Essex all around 52. Summit’s next three opponents all have SI values that should bring their OSI up: that’s Linden this week at Tatlock Field, then road trips to Colonia and St. Joseph-Metuchen. If Summit keeps doing what it has been doing, the Hilltoppers will be in fine shape for a top two finish and a No. 1 seed in whatever section they end up.

6. Cranford (3-2): The good news is the Cougars are in the top eight, with a UPR of a pure 6 (which is sixth in both power points and OSI) and the next team – Pascack Valley – is two full OSI points behind them. After 1-5 Scotch Plains on the road this week, things get a little tougher: Linden at home next week, then at North Brunswick the Friday night of Cutoff Weekend. Two wins – including SPF – should be enough to keep a hold on a top eight finish, which would give the Cougars at least a guaranteed first round home game in the playoffs.

9. Hillside (3-2): The Comets are squarely on the “first round home game bubble,” if you will. They’ve got a 9.2 UPR, while 8th place Passaic Valley has an 8.8 UPR. Their remaining schedule is not easy, with Johnson at home this week, then road games at Delaware Valley and Carteret, all of whom have winning records. That’s something very few teams have here in the last few weeks. Most have at least one winless or one- or two-win team. Barris Grant’s team will be challenged, but it’s also an opportunity to lock down a first-round home game at Conant Street Park. We’re not sure if two will do it, but three very well should. Check back again next week; we’ll have a better idea then!

15. Governor Livingston (5-1): The Highlanders are having a tremendous season, Owen Chait just won the Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week award for Week Five, and yet they’re in 15th place, on the bubble. It’s a 2.8 UPR point lead for GL over the 17th place team, 1-4 Sparta. Our take is that sub.-500 teams don’t belong in the playoffs, but that’s a debate for another time. The remaining schedule is a two-fold challenge for Governor Livingston. On the one hand, they have very tough games this week against Carteret, and in two weeks against Bernards; those two teams are a combined 11-1. Both are at home. In between is South River, a game that could very well hurt their standing, even with a win. It’s possible they may need to sweep, but they might be able to get away with two wins, since one of those victories would have to come over a very good team. Let’s see what happens against the Ramblers, and what everyone else does. We should have a much clearer picture by then.

21. Voorhees (3-3): Though the Vikings are .500 on the year, they have a 21 UPR, 5.2 points out of a playoff spot. We think they’re out regardless of how they finish, since their last three opponents are a combined 3-14 between South Plainfield, JFK and North Hunterdon, and the Tigers own all three of those wins. It’s too much ground to make up with a schedule that isn’t strong enough.

SOUTH GROUP 3:

8. Somerville (4-2): The Pioneers are the highest-ranked BCC team in the supersection, and they have Camden and Ocean Township both 1.6 UPR points behind, nipping at their heels. Their losses have come to the best two teams they’ve played so far: Montgomery and Union, both top ten teams. They’re at Westfield Saturday, Hillsborough next week, then back home for South Brunswick at Brooks Field Friday night of Cutoff Weekend. The teams behind them have a mixed bag of a schedule. For example, Camden has a 5-0 team and an 0-5 team to face. Wins in both could cancel out. Ocean Township has an ok schedule, too. We think Ville’s is tougher, so we’re thinking two wins in their final three games might lock up a top eight finish, and a first round home game.

12. Carteret (5-1): The Ramblers are having a great season, and while we won’t exactly place them on the bubble here, we think it’s a good probability the Ramblers get in. Our thinking is they win at least one if not two of their remaining games. Either should be enough to keep them in. But it won’t be easy. This week, it’s Governor Livingston on the road – a game they may well need, too – and then home to Rahway and Hillside the last two weeks. Both should be fun matchups! Can the Ramblers reach No. 8? Well, that may require a sweep. Let’s see how things shake out this week against GL – and with the teams ahead of them and behind them – and we’ll have a clearer picture.

by Mike Pavlichko

Thomas’ 4 TDs, perfect first half, proper Carteret to 46-7 win over JP Stevens

The night belonged to Jakir Thomas.

The Carteret junior runningback – already over 2,000 yards coming into the game for his career – scored four touchdowns in the first half – and the Ramblers scored the ball every time they touched it except for the final drive of the game where the clock ran out – en route to a 46-7 win over visiting JP Stevens Friday night, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Thomas had TD runs of 29, 31, 11 and 35 yards, finishing with 10 carries for 154 yards.

Carteret’s game plan was to pound the rock, and they did; the Ramblers only attempted one pass all game, going for three yards to Sir Hezekiah Ragland.

It’s the fourth time this year Carteret scored 40 or more points in a game, one off the all-time school mark of five set during 2012’s undefeated state championship season, the last time the Ramblers won a title.

Carteret improves to 5-1, while JP Stevens drops to 0-5 and has now lost 37 straight games, the second longest active streak in New Jersey.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Carteret runningback Jakir Thomas
Carteret head coach Kevin Freeman
by Mike Pavlichko

JP Stevens taking it one step at a time in first year under head coach Jason Goerge

When it comes to J.P. Stevens, it’s easy to talk about the streak. Five losses to start this season and 36-straight dating back to the last win on October 26, 2018, against Monroe.

But for new head coach Jason Goerge, it’s not something the Hawks let hang over them like a dark cloud.

Sure, it’s out there. It exists. But J.P. doesn’t entertain it. Becoming more competitive, winning games, eventually winning lots of games – those are big picture things, and right now J.P. is focused on just trying to get better with every passing day.

“We’re looking to isolate every single rep,” Goerge says. “We’re believing in the process and that the results will come if we do that every day.”

An example: a 12-play, 60-plus-yard touchdown drive in the first half last week against South Plainfield that brought the Hawks back within striking distance. Goerge wants his guys to chase that feeling.

The Hawks will look to keep taking things step-by-step as they visit red-hot Carteret (4-1, 2-0 Big Central – United Silver) Friday night. Coverage begins at 6:40 on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe on the broadcast. Kickoff is slated for 7:00. Click here to listen.

Click below to listen to Justin Sontupe talk with J.P. Stevens head coach Jason Goerge:

by Mike Pavlichko

Carteret back on track, looking to finish strong down the stretch as JP Stevens visits “The Pit”

To say Carteret came out to start the 2023 high school football season on fire would be disrespecting fire itself.

The Ramblers – who have played football since 1925 – did something they’ve never ever done in their history: score 40 or more points in three straight games.

Now, that run came to an end when they were held to a single touchdown in a 35-7 loss to much-improved Plainfield at Hub Stine Field two weeks ago, but they got right back on the horse and took it out on North Plainfield the following week, picking up a shutout win.

Now, a team led on offense by quarterback Tyrece Parrott and a disruptive defense led by Antwaun Jackson – a recent Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honoree – is ready to keep it going in Week 5 as the Ramblers (4-1) take on JP Stevens (0-5) at The Pit Friday night.

It’s a game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio with pregame at 6:45 and kickoff at 7 as Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the action. Click here to listen.

JP Stevens comes in with a 36-game losing streak that dates to 2018 and is the second longest such streak in the state – behind only Highland Park, currently at 46 games and counting. But that doesn’t mean Carteret will take them lightly.

“We’re not satisfied,” says head coach Kevin Freeman, who believes the Plainfield loss helped his team take more accountability for its mistakes.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Carteret head coach Kevin Freeman about the Ramblers’ season and the matchup with JP Stevens Friday night:

by Mike Pavlichko

Mid-Season Playoff Analysis: Summit, Cranford, Carteret may have chance at top seeds in Group 3

It’s our first week of playoff analysis here at Central Jersey Sports Radio – this year, presented by our friends at My Family Appliances in Edison – and it seems like more teams have a legitimate shot at earning top seeds.

That may just be anecdotal evidence, and there’s still a lot of football to be played, but as of now, at least three Group 3 schools may have a chance.

But first…

Playoff Qualification Primer

The NJSIAA uses the United Power Ranking (UPR) to determine where teams are seeded. Without getting into all the behind the scenes calculations and caveats, each team’s UPR is based on two factors: their rank in the supersection based on power points and on OSI.

Power points are an average and based on the traditional formula that’s been used – albeit altered from time-to-time – over the years. Teams get six points for every win, group points based on the group of the opponent, and residuals – 3 for every win by a team you beat, 1 for every win by a team you lost to.

OSI is the Opponent Strength Index, and average of all the opponents played. Teams get the full value of a team’s Strength Index for a win, half for a loss. A win over an opponent with an SI of 80 gets and 80, a loss gets you 40 points. SI varies based on results throughout the year.

Teams are ranked in each category. OSI values are worth 60 percent of the formula, power points 40 percent. That added number makes the UPR, with lower numbers better. The best UPR a team can have is a 1, which is first in both power points and OSI.

The UPR is calculated for the NJSIAA by the website Gridiron New Jersey. Central Jersey Sports Radio also does its own unofficial calculations throughout the season, and will unveil its playoff projections in our annual special broadcast, this year on Saturday, October 21 from 5-7 pm, presented by My Family Appliances in Edison.

North Group 3

While Old Tappan (4-0, 10-game win streak, second longest active in the state) sits at the top, Summit (3-1) is No. 2 overall at the moment in the section, with a 2.2 UPR, right behind Old Tappan (1.4) and ahead of Warren Hills (4-1, 2.4 UPR) by a smidge. Cranford (2-2) is just behind the, but it’s a wider gap, as they have a 6.4 UPR, which is decent ground to make up.

The Hilltoppers have a good schedule coming up after winless Scotch Plains-Fanwood at home this weekend, with strong teams like Linden at home next week, then two road games to closer it out at Colonia and St. Joseph-Metuchen. Old Tappan’s schedule may be slightly lower in quality the rest of the way out, and Warren Hills is fairly similar, too. Summit may have to win out to earn a top seed, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Cranford has a tough schedule, too, including closing with Group 5 North Brunswick. The Cougars may need some help, but it’t not out of the question for them either if things break right.

The next area team in the standings is Hillside at No. 12. The Comets are 3-1, and should fairly safely be in the playoffs if they continue to play at the level they have been; their lone loss is to Ridge.

Governor Livingston is an interesting study. The Highlanders are 4-1, having won four straight after losing their opener. It”s their best start since going 8-1 to start 2006, a season they finished 8-3. It’s their first four-game win streak since 2008, when the Highlanders went 7-5 and lost to Caldwell in the North 2, Group 2 title game.

All that and GL is only in 16th place.

It’s mainly due to their schedule: three of their four wins have come against teams that are a combined 0-14 in North Plainfield, JFK and JP Stevens. The schedule gets tougher though, with Carteret and Bernards – teams with top-seed playoff aspirations – among their final four games. Both are at home, the Ramblers next week, and Bernards on the Saturday of Cutoff Weekend.

A win against one of those might be needed in order to combat the weak schedule. Stay tuned, they could be this year’s cause celebre in the Big Central, a la Spotswood last year and Manville two years ago. They finished with seven and six wins, respectively, at the cutoff, and didn’t make the postseason, and scheduling had a lot to do with it.

South Group 3

It might be a bit of a longshot, and playing winless JP Stevens won’t help them this week, no matter how close they keep it, but Carteret sits in sixth with a 7.4 UPR, 4.8 points behind second-place Holmdel.

Then again, after the Hawks this Friday night (7 pm on CJSR) the schedule gets tougher. There’s 4-1 Governor Livingston, then Rahway and Hillside.

A lot may depend on what others do.

Somerville (3-2) sits in eighth at the moment, so they’re right on the bubble of a first round home game. They could go either way at this still-early date.

South Plainfield, like Governor Livingston, is another plus-.500 team in rough shape. At 3-2, the Tigers sit in 24th place, a full nine UPR points out of the playoff window. Worse yet, their remaining schedule is not good. Other than GL this week, they have Voorhees, at Perth Amboy, and home to Monroe the last three weeks; those three teams are a combined 6-9. It’s not awful, but there’s no “big win” either, to give them a big boost.

by Mike Pavlichko

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Week 5: Upsets, Near Upsets and Unbeatens

We’re now officially at the mid-point of the high school football season, and things are heating up – from Hillsborough’s big upset of Phillipsburg at Rutgers to this week’s cash of titans between Watchung Hills and Montgomery, both of whom are 5-0.

CJSR veteran reporter Mike Pavlichko takes a closer look at all that and much more – on this week’s edition of “The Big Central in Two Minutes!”

Click below to listen to the Week Five edition of “The Big Central in Two Minutes”:

by Mike Pavlichko

Plainfield shakes off Williams’ absence to upset undefeated Carteret

Off the field, the Plainfield football team made the news this week for asking the NJSIAA to investigate – which they will – allegations of bias in the officiating of the Cardinal’s loss last week to Montgomery.

In that game, out of 44 accepted penalties, 36 were called on Plainfield, according to a report on MyCentralJersey.com. Williams was thrown out of the game for arguing, and as a result had to sit this week’s game out.

Assistant Al-Majid Hutchins took his place, not that you would have noticed it.

That’s because on the field Saturday, the Cardinals were all business as usual, and improved to 2-1 with a 35-7 win over previously unbeaten Carteret, which fell to 3-1.

Plainfield’s defense did the job. They had seven sacks, and four interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns by Keiwan Kirkland, Joel Cordoba and Ethan Perry. Cordoba also had a touchdown catch, and E.J. Brown added a three-yard run in the win.

What happens in the NJSIAA investigation may be of consolation to Plainfield or not, but clearly the team put it behind them when they got to Hub Stine Field on a Saturday afternoon where, this time, everything seemed to go their way.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Carteret’s Jackson was game changer against South Plainfield, earns Week 2 Bellamy & Son Player of the Week accolades

Antwaun Jackson is the young man most fans don’t know about, until they do.

His impact on a game defensively can’t be measured by stats alone. But they can begin to paint the picture.

Case in point: In a 40-7 Carteret win over South Plainfield, the game would have certainly been a lot closer were it not for Jackson’s 12 tackles (10 solo), seven TFLs, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

For that performance, the senior Rambler defensive end is the Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week for Week 3.

Jackson is putting together a very nice career. And if he hasn’t drawn the attention of local sports fans yet, he will. The coaches already know about him.

“They game plan him every week,” says third-year head coach and Carteret alum Kevin Freeman. In his career so far, the senior has logged 122 tackles, 38 1/2 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, five forced fumbles, three recoveries, and interception and a safety.

Jackson says as far as colleges go, he’s been talking to schools like Temple, Maine and Wagner, among others.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Antwaun Jackson of Carteret:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As we did last year, we will recognize a few “Honorable Mentions,” and include all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Jackson Jankowicz, Hillsborough: In a 29-21 win over Bridgewater-Raritan in the Battle of Route 206, the junior runningback carried 20 times for 162 yards and had two touchdowns, of 53 and 30 yards. He also played every snap of the game at cornerback. On offense, through three games, he has 420 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns, while averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
  • Salvatore Marchione, Monroe: The senior wideout was instrumental in getting head coach Nick Isola his first win as head coach at his alma mater, with 62 rushing yards and 39 receiving yards – plus a touchdown – on offense, while also throwing a touchdown pass for 47 yards. He also had two pass breakups that would have won the game for the Bears. He also had a 40-yard run that could have been a touchdown, but instead he went to the turf to allow the Falcons to simply run out the clock.
  • Tamir Gladden, North Brunswick: In a revenge win after last season’s wacky playoff game in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals, the senior had an all-around game on both sides of the ball in a 23-16 win over Edison. At defensive back, Gladden had five tackles, and a forced fumble and recovery. At runningback, he carried 13 times for 114 yards and two scores.
  • Braden Paulmenn, South Brunswick: The numbers are impressive enough: 20 carries for 154 yards and 3 touchdowns, but Paulmenn also threw 4-for-10 for 119 yards and another score. The three-year starter – who also boasts a 3.6 GPA coming into his senior year – led a 70-yard scoring drive that gave the Vikings the decisive score with just 70 ticks left on the clock.
  • James Curnal, Spotswood: In a lightning-shortened almost 42-minute game Saturday that was called with 6:09 remaining – and ended as a 31-14 win for the Chargers when both schools mutually agreed not to finish – Curnal led the defense with 17 total tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception from his middle linebacker spot, while also grabbing two catches for 29 yards on offense at wide receiver.
  • Carter Shallcross, Summit: The senior runningback is a big reason the Hilltoppers are off to a 2-0 start. In a 46-13 win at Cranford on Friday, Shallcross got the ball 22 times and rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns of 70, 58 and five yards.

Other Nominations:

(in alphabetical order, by school)

  • Connor Laverty, Bernards: The senior quarterback only had to play 14 minutes in a 42-7 home win over South River, but the captain made the most of it: 4-for-5 passing for 125 yards and four touchdowns.
  • Jaeden Jones, Colonia: The senior again was up to his usual tricks on the ground. He only needed six carries to rush for 193 yards and four scores. Two of them went for nearly the distance: 80 and 72 yards!
  • James Campbell, Governor Livingston: In a rare 2-0 win over North Plainfield at Kean University back on Friday, he helped the Highlanders’ defense pitch a shutout, with 6 tackles – half of them for a loss – plus a sack and a fumble recovery, allowing the Canucks just 145 total yards on offense.
  • Jax Jarvis, Middlesex: In a 34-0 win over Manville Friday night, the junior runningback carried seven times for 82 yards, scoring three times. He also had an interception at free safety on defense.
  • Nicholas Ramaci, North Hunterdon: The sophomore showed out with five catches for 113 yards – that’s 22.6 yards per catch! – in a home loss to Watchung Hills.
  • Jahmeil Brown, Perth Amboy: In a 26-0 win over JP Stevens on Friday, the senior running back carried eight times for 70 yards and a touchdown, while also logging nine tackles, 6 solo, and a pick from his strong safety position.
  • Elijah Abass-Shereef, St. Thomas Aquinas: In a 35-0 win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood in the “Holman Bowl” – between head coach brothers Tarig Holman of the Trojans and Austin of the Raiders – the senior runningback carried seven times for 124 yards and touchdown runs of 25 and ten yards.
  • Renick Dorilas, Union: The junior had a great game on both sides of the ball. At wideout, he had six catches for 71 yards and a touchdown, but also added four carries for 94 yards and a score, and even throw a 35-yard pass. At d-back, he logged a 43-yard interception.
  • Derek Anderson, Woodbridge: The junior quarterback scored the go-ahead touchdown with six minutes remaining in a wild 20-19 win over visiting Linden, finishing 10-of-17 for 111 yards, while also rushing for 48 and two scores.