Tag: Cranford

It’s February signing day, as more Big Central players sign on the dotted line.

The “early” National Letter of Intent Signing Day for football is in December, and while it’s morphed into the main day, when most players sign, not all do.

The extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA has also affected student-athletes coming out of high school, but that’s another story altogether.

Still, many – whether it’s because they’re looking for more offers, whatever the case may be – wait until the February signing day, as a number of Big Central players have signed today.

Here’s a look at Big Central signees. Please check back as this list will be added to as we hear about additional signings.

Warriors send Seubert, McCann to Rutgers as PWOs…

Watchung Hills head coach Rich Seubert – the ex-Giant and Super Bowl champion – is sending two seniors off to play for Greg Schiano in the fall. One is his own son, two-way lineman Hunter Seubert. The other is Riley McCann, who is expected to kick and/or punt for the Scarlet Knights.

Both are preferred walk-ons.

“I’m a proud father and coach,” Seubert told Central Jersey Sports Radio. “Having two student-athletes continuing their academics and football careers at Rutgers is special. To have two home-grown young men stay and play for us here at The Hills is special, as they both proved it doesn’t matter where you go to school but how you perform on the field and in the classroom.”

McCann was the No. 2 receiver for the Warriors this past fall, with 13 catches for 261 yards and a touchdown, in addition to being a kicker, where he hit all of his 32 PATs in 2022. He was also 12-of-16 on field goals, with four over 40 yards and a long of 50 at St. Joseph-Metuchen in October.

“Riley has been a leader both in the classroom and on the field for some time,” said Seubert. “He has worked hard for this opportunity and is excited to go earn it the fun way.”

“Coach Schiano is getting two great young men to compete on the field and in the classroom.

Edison’s Malcolm Stansbury chooses Delaware State…

Edison’s Malcolm Stansbury (second from right) after signing to play football at Delaware State. From l. to r.: Edison head coach Matt Fulham, Principal Charlie Ross, mother Kiyanna, Malcolm, and Athletic Director Dave Sandaal. (submitted photo)

A four-year starter for the Eagles – who won their first state sectional title in 31 years this past fall – Stansbury with 146 catches for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was also a great cornerback, registering five interceptions in the defensive backfield over the course of his career, but is projected to play wide receiver for the Hornets.

Click here to read the full story on Edison’s Malcolm Stansbury signing with Delaware State University.

Cranford’s Kanterman, Godwin and Lynskey headed to New England…

Shane Kanterman was the Cougars’ leading tackler at the middle linebacker spot the last two years, including on the state championship team in 2021, and signed with Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven Wednesday. QB Liam Godwin will be playing just down the road, as he inked with the University of New Haven, and Ryan Lynskey signed with Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

This year, he was also the top runningback on the team with 787 yards on 120 carries and nine touchdowns, finishing No. 2 in rushing behind dual-threat quarterback Liam Godwin, who rushed for 930 yards and 15 touchdowns, while throwing for 887 and another ten TDs. On the state title team two seasons ago, Godwin was on the receiving end of star QB Shane Van Dam, grabbing 11 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns.

Runningback Ryan Lynskey is also a dual-threat. He had the third-most rushing yards on the team in 2022, carrying 101 times for 636 yards and 7 touchdowns, while also hauling in 9 catches for 195 yards and 3 TDs. He also had 64 tackles and 3 interceptions playing defensive back this past season, and projects to play safety there, as well as Godwin, who registered 86 tackles and six interceptions in the past two years at the position.

Woodbridge’s Barahona headed to the Poconos…

Defensive end Kaelyb Barahona is heading to Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. He logged 51 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks his senior season for the Barrons, including two in a narrow 14-13 loss at in-town rival Colonia in late September.

North Hunterdon edges out Phillipsburg for top spot in final Big Central Media Poll

In a split vote, North Hunterdon earned top honors in the final Big Central Media Poll of the 2022 high school football season over Phillipsburg, with the Lions getting three of the five first-place votes. The Stateliners got the other two.

The final media poll of the season mirrored the final Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten with one exception: Watchung Hills got in the media poll at No. 9, while Westfield took that spot in the CJSR poll. Both teams were 7-3 on the season.

North Hunterdon got the top spot on the strength of its North 2, Group 4 championship, though the Lions were knocked out in the first-ever group semifinals by Northern Highlands back on Saturday.

Phillipsburg was upset in the North 2, Group 5 finals by West Orange, but beat North Hunterdon early on in the regular season.

Edison came in third, despite four losses, after making a huge run as the sixth-seed in Central Jersey Group 5 to win a sectional title. Along with West Orange, they were the lowest seeds in the state among public schools to reach sectional finals, and both wound up winning titles.

St. Thomas Aquinas, which beat Edison in the regular season, but got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, checks in at No. 4. Aquinas holds the Big Central Conference’s longest league winning streak going into next year at 17 games, with Phillipsburg and Brearley behind them at eleven straight regular season league wins.

North Brunswick checks in fifth, having been knocked out of the playoffs in the Central Group 5 semifinals by Edison.

Ridge came in sixth, followed by North 2 Group 3 finalist Hillside in seventh.

Cranford was No. 8, Watchung Hills rated ninth, and Montgomery finished in tenth, while Westfield, Bernards, and North 1 Group 1 finalist Brearley (10-1) also received votes.

Below is the complete final Big Central Media Poll for 2022:

North Hunterdon rises to No. 1 in final Top Ten rankings; Lions are CJSR 2022 Team of the Year

CORRECTION: Our initial version of this poll inadvertently omitted Watchung Hills, which tied for third in the poll for 9th place with Westfield and Montgomery. The rest of this story has been updated to correct that omission.

In the final Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football rankings of 2022, North Hunterdon is Number One, and the CJSR Team of the Year.

With just one regular season loss – to Phillipsburg, which finished at No. 2 – the North 2, Group 4 Champion Lions finished the season 11-2, after a loss to Northern Highlands in the Group 4 semifinals this past Saturday, 21-20 in OT at Franklin High School.

Led by the backfield tandem of Kente Edwards and Alex Uryniak, quarterback Luke Martini, and top receivers Derek Vaddis and Danny Delusant – with several of those players also playing critical roles on defense – North Hunterdon won its first state title since 2017, beating Randolph in a finals for the ages, 49-35, a contest which saw the teams explode for a combined 49 points in the final quarter.

The Lions also won the Liberty Silver Division of the Big Central Conference.

Phillipsburg, which was undefeated going into the North 2 Group 4 final, was shocked in the title game by West Orange, 28-7. The American Silver Division champs are 10-1, heading into their Thanksgiving Day battle with Easton.

In third was Edison, the Central Jersey Group 5 champion, which beat Lenape in the title game 28-14 a week ago down in Medford. It was the Eagles’ first title in 31 years, and they finished the season 9-4 with a group of seniors that included several four-year starters, including QB Matt Yascko, wide receiver Malcolm Stansbury, offensive lineman Matthew Bueno, and and kicker/linebacker Selbin Sabio.

Tied for fourth was St. Thomas Aquinas and North Brunswick. The Trojans beat Edison in the regular season, but got knocked out of the playoffs in the opening round by Holy Spirit. Aquinas won the United Gold Division title, and will take a 17-game conference winning streak into the 2023 season, the best in the league. (Phillipsburg and Brearley both have won 11 straight regular season BCC games, the closest teams to Aquinas.

The Raiders finished 8-2, National Silver Division champions. Their lone regular season loss came out-of-division to Cranford, but they lost in the Central 5 semifinals to Edison, after the Eagles scored the game’s final 16 points in a furious comeback in the final five minutes of the game, recovering two on-side kicks and winning on a field goal with :04 left on the clock.

Ridge finished the year 7-3 and came in sixth.

In seventh was Hillside, which finished the season 9-2, tied with Cranford. The Comets were the Patriot Silver Division champions, and their only regular-season loss came to St. Thomas Aquinas in a divisional crossover. They made the North 2, Group 3 finals, but lost to Old Tappan 28-14; the Golden Knights are in the first-ever statewide Group 3 final at Rutgers in two weeks.

Cranford was 7-3, and won the American Gold Division title.

Westfield, Watchung Hills and Montgomery all tied for tenth. The Warriors and Cougars both finished 7-3, while Westfield also is 7-3, but still has to play its Thanksgiving game against Plainfield.

Below are the complete final 2022 Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football rankings:

Four Big Central teams punch their tickets to sectional title games, Hillside has a Saturday semi

Top-seeds Phillipsburg and North Hunterdon, along with Brearley and Edison, will play for sectional championships next weekend in the NJSIAA state high school football playoffs, after winning semifinal games Friday night.

Hillside, the ninth team that advanced int he first round, still has to play a semifinal game in North 1, Group 3, as the second-seeded Comets host third-seed River Dell at Conant Street Park at 1:00 Saturday afternoon.

In North 2, Group 5 action, Phillipsburg remained undefeated with a 30-7 win over fourth-seed Paterson Eastside at Maloney Stadium. Click here for a recap and audio from the Phillipsburg game.

In North 1, Group 5, third-seed Westfield saw its season come to an end with a 20-14 loss at second-seed Union City.

In Central, Group 5, sixth-seed Edison stunned second-seed North Brunswick, 33-31 on two touchdowns and a field goal, all in the final four minutes, aided by two onside kick recoveries. Click here to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with reporter Chris Tsakonas, who was at the game, and had postgame reaction.

In North 2, Group 4 – in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, North Hunterdon fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter to visiting 5th-seed Morris Knolls, but came back to win 25-14. Click here for a full recap and postgame reaction with Mike Pavlichko.

Meanwhile, in North 1, Group 4, third-seed Ridge was eliminated with a 34-27 loss at second-seed Ramapo.

In North 2, Group 3, Cranford was knocked out, as the 2nd-seeded Cougars lost 14-7 at third-seed West Essex.

And in North 1, Group 1, Brearley made it to its first final since 2015 as the fourth-seeded Bears ran past 8th-seed Kinnelon, 45-14 in Kenilworth. Click here for postgame reaction form head coach Scott Miller and quarterback Matt Sims.

Here are Friday’s results in the sections with teams remaining:

North 2, Group 5:
#1 Phillipsburg def. #4 Eastside (Paterson), 37-0
#6 West Orange def. #2 Ridgewood, 34-31 (2OT)
Final: #6 West Orange at #1 Phillipsburg, Friday at 7 pm

North 1, Group 5:
#1 Passaic Tech def. #4 Clifton, 21-14
#2 Union City def. #3 Westfield, 20-14
Final: #2 Union City at #1 Passaic Tech, Friday at 7 pm

Central Group 5:
#1 Lenape def. #5 Atlantic City, 21-20
#6 Edison def. #2 North Brunswick, 33-31
Final: #6 Edison at #1 Lenape, Friday at 7 pm

South Group 5:
#1 Toms River North def. #5 Marlboro, 42-6
#2 Kingsway def. #3 Cherokee, 41-14
Final: #2 Kingsway at #1 Toms River North, Friday at 7 pm

North 2, Group 4:
#1 North Hunterdon def. #5 Morris Knolls, 25-14
#2 Randolph def. #3 Wayne Valley, 31-28
Final: #2 Randolph at #1 North Hunterdon, Friday at 7 pm

North 1, Group 4:
#4 Northern Highlands def. #1 Irvington, 17-14
#2 Ramapo def. #3 Ridge, 17-13
Final: #4 Northern Highlands at #2 Ramapo

North 2, Group 3:
#1 West Morris def. #5 Warren Hills, 49-15
#3 West Essex def. #2 Cranford, 14-7
Final: #3 West Essex at #1 West Morris

North 1, Group 3:
#1 Old Tappan def. #4 Sparta, 37-14
#3 River Dell at #2 Hillside, Saturday at 1 pm

North 2, Group 1:
#4 Brearley def. #8 Kinnelon, 45-14
#2 Mountain Lakes def. #3 Waldwick, 27-21
Final: #4 Brearley at #2 Mountain Lakes, Friday at 7 pm

North 1, Group 1:
#4 Cedar Grove def. #1 Wood-Ridge, 17-10
#2 Weequahic def. #3 Butler, 45-28
Final: #4 Cedar Grove at #2 Weequahic, Friday at 7 pm

Every Big Central team in this week’s sectional semifinals can get to a title game: We explain how

With nine public schools from the Big Central Conference remaining in the state playoffs – and just one win away from a sectional final – we think all of them have a good chance to make it to a championship game and play for a title.

Of course, the road won’t end there. For the first time ever, the NJSIAA has football playing down to group championships. So anyone who wins a sectional title in 2022 will go on to the group semifinals the week before Thanksgiving. North 1 and North 2 winners in each group will play locally at Franklin High School, while South and Central winners in each group will play at Cherokee High School in Burlington County, about 15 minutes East of the Turnpike in the Cherry Hill area.

The Group Championships are two weeks later, the first week of December, at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium in Piscataway.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, here’s each team’s path to the sectional finals:

#1 Phillipsburg (9-0) vs. #4 Paterson Eastside (6-3): North 2, Group 5 semifinals, Friday 7 pm

The top-seeded Stateliners have been dominant all season long. Since a 14-7 Week One win at Sayreville, they have not won a game by fewer than two touchdowns, and have an average margin of victory of 25 points. Any concerns how a talented group that wasn’t entirely the “A” team last year certainly has been washed away by this season’s performance.

READ MORE: “Score early, score often” is the recipe for success as Phillipsburg cruises past Elizabeth for first round playoff win

The fact that P’burg is balanced also makes them less vulnerable to a team that can shut down one player. Xavier Moore leads a ground game that has rushed for 1,804 yards and 26 touchdowns with 627 yards and seven scores of his own. But junior Caleb Rivera – who should get the bulk of the carries next year when Moore graduates – has 427 yards and seven scores, while Jinior John Wargo has 336 yards and five touchdowns, and QB Jett Genovese – just a sophomore – has rushed for 252 yards and 6 touchdowns. Plus, five receivers have at least 120 yards, including top catcher Matthew Scerbo, Jr.

Paterson Eastside has played some good teams, but their schedule is not nearly as challenging as Phillipsburg’s. You’d be hard-pressed for us to find a team we think can beat the Stateliners this year – and that may include Easton on thanksgiving.

For the record, the program’s last undefeated season was in 2005, when the ‘Liners went 12-0 under Bob Stem, beating Easton on Turkey Day, and Piscataway the following weekend in the North 2, Group 5 championship game, a win that stopped the Chief’s three-year reign as sectional champions, the first of which came in Joe Kuronyi’s last season as head coach at P’way.

#3 Westfield (7-2) at #2 Union City (8-1): North 1, Group 5 semifinals, Friday at 7 pm

This may be the challenging game for a Big Central team this weekend. Not taking anything away from anyone else’s opponents, but just the style of play is different from what Westfield sees in the Big Central, particularly the type of teams on its schedule. Not to mention Roosevelt Stadium (a.k.a. the Eagles’ Nest) is on the roof of the high school!

Altitude issues aside (just kidding), Union City can pour on points like nobody’s business. They have scored 45 or more points four times this year, beating Union in the opening round of the playoffs 62-20 (Westfield beat them 21-14 in Week Two) and routed Livingston 66-7 on September 9.

READ MORE: Westfield uses ground game and its usual stellar defense to top Bridgewater-Raritan

Last week, the Blue Devils made some early mistakes and fell behind against Bridgewater-Raritan. They were able to recover, but that may not be possible against Union City. Westfield not only will have to avoid early mistakes, but avoid them almost entirely.

READ MORE: Westfield’s Wragg wants Blue Devils to have success he saw growing up

They’ll need a mix of the run and pass game from guys like runningback Dylan Wragg and dual-threat QB Trey Brown, son of former Giants quarterback Dave Brown. And they’ll need to keep fresh on D. The Soaring Eagles run the Wing-T, and don’t bust a lot of big plays. Time of possession could be a factor here, and the best Westfield defense is a good offense that can keep Union City off the field.

#6 Edison (7-3) at #2 North Brunswick (8-1): Central Group 5 semifinals, Friday at 7 pm

These two teams have played some epic games over the years, with North Brunswick winning all five coached by Mike Cipot. Edison’s looking for its first title since 1991, and the Raiders are looking for their first ever, but having made two finals in the last four Playoff years – 2018 and 2021 – losing an epic in its own right, 6-0 at Sayreville in 2018, as the Bombers went on to win the South 5 “bowl game” that year.

READ MORE: Edison-North Brunswick rivalry is a friends and family affair as they meet again, this time for a chance at a title

All that aside, the last time out was on September ninth in Edison, a 13-10 win for North Brunswick. But Edison QB Matt Yascko was out that game – for a second straight week – with a broken nose, while top receiver Malcolm Stansbury also missed the game due to injury. Getting those two back could be a difference-maker if there wasn’t always some other storyline surrounding the game. This is one where anything can happen.

READ MORE: Edison guts one out at Hillsborough, knocking off defending Central Jersey Group 5 champs on the road

For Edison to move on to the sectional final (it would be a surprise if it weren’t on the road at Lenape next week) they’ll need Yascko – in his fourth season as a starter – to have one of his big games. The kid is a leader, and his team will follow. But he’s also 0-3 against North Brunswick. (He didn’t start the game against the Raiders his freshman year; that was Lucas Loffredo, whose injury later that season opened the door for Yascko to be the No. 1 QB.)

Remember that 50-49 win at the end of the COVID season over Hillsborough? Yascko ran in a two-point conversion for the lead as the Eagles went for the jugular. That’s the kind of performance Edison needs.

READ MORE: North Brunswick tops Hunterdon Central in a shootout, will face another Big Central team in CJ5 semis

And while Edison has a very good defense and can get after the QB, Frankie Garbolino will pilot the offense. He’s another leader, and a champion – playing on the Raiders’ GMC Tournament winner last year – and he and the offense will put up some points. North’s D will have to continue playing at the high level it’s played at all year long, and clean up any mistakes they made two weeks ago in the regular season finale against Cranford – where they allowed a season-high 34 points – and in last week’s opening round win over Hunterdon Central, a 45-31 win. That’s an average of 32.5 points per game allowed in the last two contests. In the first seven games of the year, North Brunswick had three shutouts, allowed an average of 5.9 points, and had three shutouts. That’s the form they’ll need against the Eagles.

#1 North Hunterdon (9-1) vs. #5 Morris Knolls (7-2): North 2, Group 5 semifinals, Friday at 7 pm (on CJSR – click here to listen live)

One might have wondered when Kente Edwards got banged up against Colonia how the Lions would fair with only one of their two-headed monster backs on the turf at a time.

Just fine, thank you.

In fact, North Hunterdon has tightened up defensively, allowing more than a touchdown only once since then, in a 21-14 road win over a good Montgomery team. They’ve held six of their ten opponents to a single touchdown, and their only loss is to Phillipsburg, a team they won’t have a chance to see in the playoffs, being in different groups.

READ MORE: North Hunterdon keeps winning, as Lions cruise past Middletown North in North 2, Group 4 opening round

And Alex Uryniak has more than held up his end of the bargain. He’s now rushed for 900 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season, including 169 yards and two scores – his first multi-TD game of the year – at Montgomery, and a career high 264 yards and three touchdowns the following week against Woodbridge. Now, he did go for under 100 in the next two games, but they didn’t really need all that much, and relied a little more on the passing game in a 35-7 win in the regular season finale over Voorhees and a 34-7 opening round playoff win over 8th-seed Middletown North.

I’d count on the offense doing what it does, and even a bit more of Edwards’ presence. The question is the defense.

The key for North Hunterdon will be stopping the “Houston veer” option offense, which can really take advantage if a team is not disciplined. Sure, the Lions have lost to Morris Knolls in their last two matchups. But the first of those was the opener of the 2020 season, and a game scheduled within a day, essentially, after a last-minute COVID cancellation, something that happened fairly frequently that year all across New Jersey. Preparing for this offense takes more than a day. That game was a 35-14 loss, and they met again to open last season, with the Lions falling 35-21. They narrowed the gap, and this year’s North Hunterdon team is better, hungry and extremely focused. If the defense can learn from last year’s game and be prepared, the the offense keeps doing what it does, North Hunterdon will be in its first final since it won it all in 2017 over – of all teams – Phillipsburg.

#3 Ridge (7-2) at #2 Ramapo (7-2): North 1, Group 4 semifinals, Friday at 6:30 pm

Both these teams can score, but Ridge has had a better defense, at least in its wins. In the Red Devils’ seven victories, they have allowed a grand total of 24 points, but in their two losses allowed 49. They turned it over early, particularly in the air, but one could also say that had something to do with the teams they faced: Phillipsburg and Hillsborough, the only two squads to beat Ridge this year. They have pitched three shutouts, and no one has scored more than a touchdown against them in any of their wins.

READ MORE: Ridge pounds Roxbury to move on in North 1, Group 4 playoffs

That allows their offense the opportunity to produce, and produce they do. Junior Will Deady has rushed for 1,071 yards and 14 touchdowns, while quarterback Jack Berisha has passed for 1,304 yards and nine touchdowns. While he has thrown seven interceptions, six of them came against P’burg and ‘Boro; he threw one more in a 35-7 win over Hunterdon Central, and has been flawless since – a streak of five games without a pick.

READ MORE: Deady has helped Ridge dominate since 1-2 start, as Red Devils seek first title game berth since 2013

Valuing the ball will be key for Berisha and Ridge, and then stopping Ramapo, which has racked up 2,263 passing yards behind the arm of junior QB Landon DePrima, who has found seven different receivers this year to the tune of at least 100 yards each. On the ground, they’ve rushed for another 1,562 behind a blanaced attack led by senior runningback Ethan Morgan. The Red Devils’ need to keep the ball out of Ramapo’s hands, and get it into the end zone. Eating some time off the clock wouldn’t hurt either.

#2 Cranford (7-2) vs. #3 West Essex (6-3): North 2, Group 3 semfinals, Friday at 7 pm

Cranford and Hillsborough were the only two Big Central teams to win championships last year, and both graduated a ton of talent. Yet both were looking in contention for another trophy this year. That is, until the Raiders suffered a couple of quarterback injuries to backup Tyler VanCleef, then starter Ryan Tasetanoi,and were down to their third string quarterback, sophomore Alex Reiling.

Cranford suffered no such bad luck, and could very well be back in a final for the second straight year. Their only two losses are to a pair of the Big Central’s top teams: North Hunterdon and St. Thomas Aquinas. And they knocked off state-ranked North Brunswick, 34-14, on Cutoff Weekend, depriving the Raiders of a top seed in the South Group 5 supersection.

How’d they do it? With homegrown talent that grew up playing together all through youth football, just like last year’s team did. And a coach – in Erik Rosnemeier – who encourages his players to participate in multiple sports. (It’s really more of a blessing than a curse!)

Shane VanDam threw for over 1,500 yards last year, while Colin Murray rushed for over 2,100 and a state-best 31 touchdowns. And though no one has Murray’s number’s, this year’s Cranford team has more of a ground game, albeit more balanced, and that can make them extra dangerous. It starts with their quarterback, Liam Godwin – a bit player last year with 166 receiving yards – good for fourth on the Cougars – who has moved to quarterback and proved a dual threat. While he doesn’t have gaudy stats, you just don’t know what he’s going to do with the ball; he’s thrown for 750 yards and five touchdowns, but rushed it for 866 – to lead the team – and 14 trips into the end zone. Cranford has three – yes, three! – runningbacks with over 600 yards, including senior Shane Kanterman (772, 9 TDs) and Ryan Lynskey (636, 7 TDs). Such balance and mystery has been the key to the Cougars’ success.

READ MORE: Cranford a win away from another title game after 31-7 opening round playoff win over visiting Wayne Hills

Their opponent Friday night has three very good losses: at Wayne Valley, to Caldwell and at West Morris, teams that are a combined 29-0, and they will be a challenge, no doubt. There’s never been a truer cliche: Cranford just needs to play Cranford football.

#2 Hillside (8-1) vs. #3 River Dell (5-4) : North 1, Group 3 semifinals, Saturday at 1 pm

Sometimes you’d rather be lucky than good, but fortunately Hillside is both. The Comets – who are playing up in Group Three this year, don’t forget – had to pull one out last week to beat seventh-seed Parsippany Hills and Conant Street Park last Saturday afternoon in the first round. But they were good enough to score the game’s final 19 points to survive and advance to this week’s semifinals, getting another home game to boot.

It all starts with a pair of thousand-yard rushers from last year, Syracuse-bound Muffawaq Parkman and Army-bound Kyon Simonson. Yet, it was someone else, Darvens Tunis, whose 44-yard touchdown catch gave Hillside the lead, after they thought they had the game tied up at 28, but didn’t as Par Hills blocked the PAT.

READ MORE: Hillside scores 19 unanswered to top Parsippany Hills in a wild one in North 1, Group 3 first round

River Dell has been a bit of a mystery this season. They were just .500 heading into the playoffs, and have a loss to the top-seed in this section, Old Tappan. But they also have losses to 4-5 Parsippany Hills and 3-6 Pascack Valley, while also losing to unbeaten Westwood (9-0). So go figure this one.

We’ll try. Put it this way: for all the offense Hillside has, this one may come down to denfense. They have pitched three shutouts on the season, and held two others to a single touchdown.They are 7-1 when holding the opposition to under 21 points, which isn’t really a big ask, all things considered. In their only loss, St. Thomas Aquinas only needed 17 points in a 17-7 win, but River Dell’s D is not nearly as good. They’re allowing 26 points a game, and only twice have they allowed fewer than 15 points. But those have come in the last two games: seven by Paramus in the regular season finale, and 14 last week in the opening round to 6th-seed Vernon, which was a season low for the Vikings.

#4 Brearley (9-0) vs. #8 Kinnelon (6-3): North 2, Group 1 semifinals, Friday at 7 pm

I’ve never understood teams that root for the 8-seed in an 8/1 game, figuring that team will be the easier one. Quite the opposite, they scare me. Anyone who can knock off a No. 1 seed in the playoffs scares me, because they’re playing good football. It’s hard to get that lucky, especially in either of two brackets that are snaked, because you’re really talking about the 1/16 or 2/15 game, and – in general – there’s a bigger disparity.

That said, Brearley head coach Scott Miller surely will have his team respecting 8th-seed Kinnelon, which knocked off top-seed Pequannock last weekend. Miller told CJSR he was all ready with buses on cue if they needed them; now the Bears get an unexpected home game.

READ MORE: Brearley rides Sims – surprise, surprise – to 9th straight win, and into North 2, Group 1 semifinals

It starts and ends with Matt Sims for the undefeated Bears. He has thrown for a modest 803 yards and seven touchdowns, with fellow senior Brendan Fitzsimmons his top target – 589 yards and four touchdowns – but has run it to the tune of 1,156 yards and 23 scores this season. (By the way, Sims – a two-way player – also has four interceptions on defense.)

Kinnelon is a tough nut to crack. There’s not a lot of history, with head coach Dustin Grande in his first year at the helm, but they play a ball control offense, run by his son, Zach. The Colts have gotten stronger as the season progressed, starting 2022 with a 2-3 mark, but winning their last three regular season games, in addition to their playoff opener. They won’t be intimidated on the road either; we saw that last week. But Park Ridge is not Brearley, although only two of their six wins came against teams below .500, so they’ve played a good schedule.

Who’s the “strongest” team in the Big Central? It’s a playoff team, but (maybe) not who you think

Phillipsburg is the No. 1 team in the latest Central Jersey Sports Radio and Big Central Media polls, which won’t be conducted again until the season is over for every league team, but in unofficial Strength Index numbers calculated by CJSR, the Stateliners are No. 2.

Who’s at the top of the list?

It’s Ridge, and if you’ve been sleeping on the Red Devils, apparently you should do so at your own peril.

While P’burg has gotten a lot of ink this year – and deservedly so – as has North Brunswick’s defense and St. Thomas Aquinas continuing to win (17 Big Central games and counting) despite a big bump up in quality of schedule, Ridge has done well, but it may have been the way they started.

The Red Devils’ first win was over Monroe, 48-0 in the season opener. The Falcons ended up the year 2-7. Ridge then lost to Phillipsburg – as everyone has this year – and Hillsborough, before they ended up on their third string quarterback. So, they were 1-2, with good losses, but unclear how good they may have actually been.

Since then, they’ve won six straight, including a playoff-opening win over Roxbury, and in that span have allowed a grand total of 24 points, with two shutouts, and never more than seven points in a game against Hunterdon Central, Bridgewater-Raritan, South Brunswick, Westfield, Union and Roxbury last weekend.

This Friday night, 3rd-seed Ridge travels to 2nd-seed Ramapo for a North 1, Group 4 semifinal game. Both teams are 7-2.

Phillipsburg is second in the current Big Central Strength Index rankings, followed by Cranford third and St. Thomas Aquinas fourth. Statewide, the Trojans are third among Non-Public South B teams, but seeded fifth, behind Holy Spirit and DePaul, which are behind Aquinas in Strength Index. The Trojans also finished first in power points and fourth in OSI.

North Hunterdon is fifth in the Big Central in Strength Index, followed by Hillside, Watchung Hills, Edison, Westfield and North Brunswick to round out the top ten.

All but Watchung Hills remain alive in the playoffs, while Aquinas opens the postseason this weekend at 4th-seed Holy Spirit.

The only Big Central playoff teams not in the top ten in league Strength Index are Brearley and St. Joseph-Metuchen.

The Bears are 11th, while the Falcons are 18th.

Below are the complete, current, and unofficial rankings based on SI value, as calculated by Central Jersey Sports Radio:

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Playoff Edition: Nine Advance, Aquinas Snub

After the opening round of the high school football state playoffs, just nine area teams remain. But as veteran sportscaster Mike Pavlichko explains in “The Big Central in Two Minutes,” any of them could win a title. And then there are the Non-Public brackets, with 8-1 St. Thomas Aquinas getting passed over for a top four seed, despite ranking No. 1, No. 4 and No. 3 in the NJSIAA’s metrics. What gives?

Click below to listen to the First Round Playoff edition of “The Big Central in 2 Minutes”:

The morning after: Here’s how the playoffs look for the Big Central after Friday night, and with Saturday first round games on tap

It wasn’t a great night for the Big Central. Seven teams won – three of them had to, being all-BCC matchups – and 20 had their seasons end after the opening night of the NJSIAA high school football playoffs.

But seven teams were victorious – many by big margins – and will move on to next weekend’s sectional semifinals. They include top-seeds in their respective sections Phillipsburg and North Hunterdon, as well as Edison, North Brunswick, Ridge, Cranford, and Brearley.

Undefeated South Plainfield suffered its first loss of the season, as the 4th-seeded Tigers fell to 5th-seed Camden Eastside, 27-6 at Frank Jost Field.

But the last two remaining undefeated Big Central teams are alive, as Phillipsburg and Brearley both advanced.

Below is a look at Friday’s results – with links to postgame reaction from the head coaches of all seven teams that won Friday night, plus our Big Central Game of the Week, Manville vs. Shore – followed by Saturday’s first-round games in sections involving Big Central teams, then a look ahead an next week’s matchups, whether they’re all set, or yet to be determined based on Saturday’s action.

FRIDAY RESULTS:

North 2, Group 5:
#1 Phillipsburg def. #8 Elizabeth, 49-13
#6 West Orange def. #3 Watchung Hills, 18-10
#4 Eastside (Paterson) def. #5 Piscataway, 28-7
#2 Ridgewood advances by forfeit over #7 Montclair

North 1, Group 5:
#1 Passaic Tech def. #8 Morristown, 27-7
#2 Union City def. #7 Union, 62-20
#4 Clifton def. #5 East Orange, 17-7

Central, Group 5:
#1 Lenape def. #8 Freehold Township, 40-0
#2 North Brunswick def. #7 Hunterdon Central, 45-31
#6 Edison def. #3 Hillsborough, 10-7
#5 Atlantic City def. #4 Rancocas Valley, 32-28

South, Group 5:
#1 Toms River North def. #8 Old Bridge, 49-7
#2 Kingsway def. #7 Southern, 35-6

North 3, Group 4:
#1 North Hunterdon def. #8 Middletown North, 34-7
#2 Randolph def. #7 Rahway, 42-7
#3 Wayne Valley def. #6 Chatham, 34-20
#5 Morris Knolls def. #4 Colonia, 35-14

North 1, Group 4:
#1 Irvington def. #8 Sayreville, 38-7
#2 Ramapo def. #7 Woodbridge, 49-19
#3 Ridge def. #6 Roxbury, 52-7
#4 Northern Highlands def. #5 Montgomery, 27-12

North 2, Group 3:
#1 West Morris def. #8 Hackettstown, 42-7
#2 Cranford def. #7 Wayne Hills, 31-7
#3 West Essex def. #6 Paramus, 41-14
#5 Warren Hills def. #4 Montville, 28-21

North 1, Group 1:
#1 Old Tappan def. #8 Lincoln, 42-8
#3 River Dell def. #6 Vernon, 35-14

Central, Group 3:
#1 Seneca def. #8 Somerville, 47-33

South, Group 3:
#5 Camden Eastside def. #4 South Plainfield, 27-6

North 2, Group 2:
#4 Ramsey def. #5 Bernards, 35-21

Central, Group 2:
#1 Pt. Pleasant Boro def. #8 Overbrook, 62-27
#2 Haddonfield def. #7 Cinnaminson, 35-12
#3 Gloucester City def. #6 West Deptford, 14-0
#4 Willingboro def. #5 New Providence, 52-7

South, Group 2:
#1 Raritan def. #8 Middle Twp., 34-14
#2 Rumson-Fair Haven def. #7 Monmouth, 37-0
#4 Pleasantville def. #5 Johnson, 25-7

North 2, Group 1:
#8 Kinnelon def. #1 Park Ridge, 36-34
#2 Mountain Lakes def. #7 Boonton, 35-10
#3 Waldwick def. #6 Cresskill, 51-31
#4 Brearley def. #5 North Arlington, 50-16

North 1, Group 1:
#1 Wood-Ridge def. #8 Shabazz, 44-28
#2 Weequahic def. #7 Hasbrouck Heights, 24-14
#3 Butler def. #6 North Warren, 35-13
#4 Cedar Grove def. #5 Wallkill Valley, 28-14

South, Group 1:
#3 Maple Shade def. #6 South Hunterdon, 31-7
#5 Shore def. #4 Manville, 23-16 (CJSR)

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

North 1, Group 5:
#6 Bridgewater-Raritan at #3 Westfield, 1 pm (follow @tsakonas_chris for updates!)

South, Group 5:
#5 Washington Twp. at #4 Marlboro, 12 pm

North 1, Group 3:
#7 Parsippany Hills at #2 Hillside, 1 pm

South, Group 2:
#6 Delaware Valley at #3 Oakcrest, 12 pm

NEXT WEEK’S SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS:

North 2, Group 5:
#4 Eastside (Paterson) at #1 Phillipsburg, Friday 7 pm
#6 West Orange at #2 Ridgewood, Friday

North 1, Group 5:
#4 Clifton at #1 Passaic Tech, Friday
#6 Bridgewater-Raritan/#3 Westfield at #2 Union City, Friday

Central, Group 5:
#5 Atlantic City at #1 Lenape, Friday
#6 Edison at #2 North Brunswick, Friday 7 pm

South, Group 5:
#5 Washington Twp./#5 Marlboro at #1 Toms River South, Friday
#3 Cherokee at #2 Kingsway, Friday

North 2, Group 4:
#5 Morris Knolls at #1 North Hunterdon, Friday 7 pm
#3 Wayne Valley at #2 Randolph, Friday 7 pm

North 1, Group 4:
#4 Northern Highlands at #1 Irvington, Friday 7 pm
#3 Ridge at #2 Ramapo, Friday 6:30 pm

North 2, Group 3:
#5 Warren Hills at #1 West Morris, Friday
#3 West Essex at #2 Cranford, Friday 7 pm

North 1, Group 3:
#5 Mendham/#4 Sparta at #1 Old Tappan, Friday
#3 River Dell vs. #7 Parsippany Hills (Friday) or at #2 Hillside (Saturday 1 pm)

Central, Group 2:
#4 Willingboro at #1 Pt. Pleasant Boro, Friday
#3 Gloucester City at #2 Haddonfield, Friday

South, Group 2:
#4 Pleasantville at #1 Raritan, Friday
#6 Delaware Valley/#3 Oakcrest at #2 Rumson-Fair Haven, Friday

North 2, Group 1:
#8 Kinnelon at #4 Brearley, Friday 6 pm
#3 Waldwick at #2 Mountain Lakes, Friday

North 1, Group 2:
#4 Cedar Grove at #1 Wood-Ridge, Friday
#3 Butler at #2 Weequahic, Friday

Cranford a win away from another title game after 31-7 opening round playoff win over visiting Wayne Hills

Seventh-seeded Wayne Hills scored first at Memorial Field in Cranford Friday night, in the Patriots’ opening round North Jewrsey, Section 2, Group 3 playoff game against the defending sectional champion Cougars.

But the rest of the night belonged to Cranford.

They scored 31 unanswered points the rest of the way for a 31-7 victory over Wayne Hills, that puts the second-seeded Cougars back at home next Friday night at 7 pm against third-seed West Essex, which beat 6th-seed Paramus 41-14 Friday night.

Quarterback Liam Godwin had three- and six-yard touchdown runs, and also kicked a 26-yard field goal, while Ryan Linskey had a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown for the game’s final score, in the fourth quarter.

Click below for postgame reaction from Cranford head coach Erik Rosenmeier:

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Week 8: It’s Playoff Time!

Now that the playoffs are upon us, “The Big Central in Two Minutes” with veteran sportscaster Mike Pavlichko takes a look at teams that can do some damage in the postseason, the double-multiplier effect, and how we did with our preseason playoff projections.

Click below to listen to the Week Eight edition of “The Big Central in 2 Minutes”: