Tag: Dayton

by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood capitalizes on Dayton miscues as Chargers continue playoff push with 34-7 victory in first game on brand-new turf

The sun was shining on a gorgeous fall day, glistening off the field just in time for the Chargers’ first game on their brand-new turf.

Saturday afternoon didn’t start well for Spotswood, which went all the way down the field on its opening drive of the game, only to fumble on the one-yard line.

But most of the rest of the way? It all went their way in a 34-7 home victory in their first game on their brand-new turf field.

Dayton took the lead briefly in the game. After Gavin Periera booted a 34-yard field goal to put the Chargers up 3-0 with 30 seconds to go in the first quarter, J.J. DeSarno found Adrian Bernknopf for an eight-yard touchdown pass, putting the Bulldogs up 7-3 in the second quarter.

And that’s when the Charger offense came alive. First, quarterback Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage ran in a 12-yard score at 6:14 of the second to give Spotswood the lead back at 10-7 with the PAT.

On the next possession, the Chargers forced Dayton into a punt, then blocked it, with Jayson Tejada returning it for six, making it 17-7.

Another Dayton turnover on their next possession boosted Spotswood yet again, as Julian Sanchez recovered a fumble, and Seb Saracino capitalized with a three-yard TD run to make it 24-7 with 47 seconds to go before the half.

And they still weren’t done. Spostwood recovered a pooch kick on the ensuing kickoff, and with timeouts in hand, got down to the ten before Tolbert-Brimage hit Vinny Young for a touchdown pass 12 seconds before halftime to make it 31-7 going into the break.

Periera added a 35-yard field goal late in the third quarter.

Spotswood improves to 6-1 as it continues to push toward the playoffs. Despite one loss, they entered the week at No. 17 in the South Group 2 supersection, but unofficially pulled into 15th before the Dayton game based on results from Thursday and Friday night.

Gridiron New Jersey typically releases updated official NJSIAA UPR standings as early as Sunday during the season.

The Chargers will face South Hunterdon (3-3) Friday night at home. Dayton will host Dunellen (0-7) Friday night.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with the Spotswood Chargers, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Saturday Big Central Roundup: Great starts continue for No. 3 Somerville, No. 9 St. Joseph, and Summit

Dayton was the one to spoil the party Saturday afternoon.

In four Big Central football games, third-ranked Somerville, No. 9 St. Joseph of Metuchen and Summit all won, but South River fell to the Bulldogs at home.

Here’s a look at the Saturday afternoon contests:

No. 3 Somerville 22, Hillside 0: The Pioneers are quickly approaching a level they haven’t seen since the COVID-shortened season. With Saturday’s victory, The ‘Ville is off to a 5-0 start, its best since they ran the table in 2020, going 7-0. That season was cut short one game when their “postseason pod” finale with 6-1 Phillipsburg was cancelled due to players testing positive and contact-traced for COVID on both teams.

This one was all Somerville, which got all three touchdowns on the ground, including two from Terrell Mitchell, and one from Josh Rodriguez.

Somerville hosts Summit (4-0) next Friday night at Brooks Field, while Hillside (2-3) will host Roselle (0-5) Saturday afternoon at Conant Street Park.

No. 9 St. Joseph-Metuchen 35, Westfield 16: It’s the Falcons’ best start (4-0) since 2017, when they ran the table in the GMC and regular season for a second straight year and third time in five campaigns, finishing the season at 9-1 under Rich Hilliard, with their only defeat coming in the Non-Public Group A first round, 35-7 to Paramus Catholic.

Westfield had the only score of the first quarter, a 31-yard field goal from Enzo Ferrero, but St. Joe’s got the next five scores, including three touchdown passes from junior quarterback Justin Scaramuzzo in the second quarter, to take a 21-3 lead at the break. He ended up throwing five on the day, going 13-of-18 for 280 yards. The Falcons got two touchdowns in the third to make it 35-3, and with a 32-point lead, triggered the running clock for the remainder of the game, in which Westfield got a rushing touchdown from Luka Blasi and an 81-yard fumble recovery scoop-and-score for 81 yards from Jordan Walsh.

Next up, St. Joseph entertains North Brunswick (1-4) for a rare Friday night game under the lights at Brenner Family Field at 6:30 pm. Westfield drops to 2-2, and will visit Hillsborough next Friday night.

Summit 21, Cranford 7: The Hilltoppers are off to their best start since 2018, when they finished 10-2, beat Rahway for the North 2 Group 3 title, then lost to Ramapo at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands in the inaugural North Group 3 “regional bowl” game.

Quarterback Cole Sabol completed just three of 11 passes in the game, but for 105 yards, and two of those three completions went for touchdowns. He also rushed for one.

Summit visits Somerville – also 4-0 – in a battle of unbeatens Friday night, while Cranford (2-2) travels to Rahway (4-1) Friday night.

Dayton 12, South River 8: The Bulldogs got their first win of the season and improved to 1-3 behind two touchdown passes from John John DeSarno to Adrian Bernkopf.

Next Saturday, Dayton hosts Belvidere (4-1), while the Rams (1-3) visit Delaware Valley (3-1).

by Mike Pavlichko

2024 Big Central Preview: Freedom Gold Division

Our final two divisions to preview in the Big Central Conference are the Freedom Divisions, a pair of six-team groupings including some of the smallest schools in the league.

The Freedom Gold defending champion is Spotswood, which was 8-2 a year ago, but lost a big senior group. North Brunswick transfer Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage will take over at quarterback.

Brearley and Roselle Park are expected to challenge. The Bears were 3-1 in what was a five-team division last year, and the Panthers were 6-5 overall, coming into this year on a three-game winning streak.

Dayton is looking to take a step up, as is South River. And Highland Park is coming into a season off a win for the first time since 2017, as they snapped the state’s longest active losing streak of 51 games in last year’s finale, a win over Point Pleasant Beach.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2024 GMC/BCC Camp Caravan: Monday Morning quad scrimmage kicks off Week Two with JFK, Dayton and New Providence

Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden opened up Week Two of coverage with a busy morning, visiting a quad scrimmage at JFK in Iselin that included the Mustangs, New Providence and Dayton, along with non-conference Lakewood out of the Shore Conference.

You can find videos – including video highlights and interviews – from all three participating Big Central Conference teams below:

JFK: Head Coach Mike Henderson and seniors Brenden Denti (C/DL), Manny Perez-Quijano (FB/NG), Dylan Driz (MLB/FB) and Lee Tobon (WR/DB)

New Providence: Head Coach Chet Parlevecchio, Jr., and seniors TJ Munn (QB/CB), Owen Silver (WR/S/Ret), Sam Sicolil (OT/DT), and Jameson Moore (RT/DT)

Dayton: Head Coach Nick Iannacone and seniors John DeSarno (QB) and James Walker (RB/MLB)

by Mike Pavlichko

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Week 6: Titan Tussle, Monty’s Monsters

Things are heating up in the Big Central Conference. It’s the last three weeks of the season and big games continue to abound. Montgomery won a big battle with Watchung Hills, led by the dynamic duo of QB Michael Schmelzer, Jr., and WR Matt D’Avino. There are five unbeaten teams left in the league, and Phillipsburg and Summit could be primed for top seeds come the playoffs.

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 Six edition of “The Big Central in Two Minutes”:

by Mike Pavlichko

Career night for Sangiray, big TD run by Duplesis give Dunellen 18-7 win over Dayton in season opener

The Dunellen football team was without Chiekezie Ogbuewu for its season opener Friday night against Dayton. With just 24 players available, it was certainly likely to be a detriment to the Destroyers’ chances against the Bulldogs.

Well, his teammates did just fine without him, thanks very much.

After holding Dayton to a three-and-out on its first possession, Dunellen got an 81-yard touchdown run by Elijah Duplesis on its first play from scrimmage to take a 6-0 lead (they failed on the two-point run) that they would never relinquish.

Aidan Sangiray is all smiles after a career-high rushing performance in Dunellen’s season opening win over Dayton, 18-7 at home on September 1, 2023. (Photo: Dylan Allen)

While Dunellen (1-0) held Dayton to 87 yards of total offense in the first half – and just one first down – the Destroyers added another score late in the first quarter on a 10-yard run by Aidan Sangiray.

Dayton (0-1) cut it to 12-8 on a 51-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter by quarterback John John DeSarno, but that was all they’d get.

While Sangiray was rushing toward a career high 153 yards on 22 carries, he added a one-yard TD run in the third to give his team an 18-7 lead that would hold until the final horn.

Click below for postgame recation from Dunellen head coach Dave DeNapoli and senior Aidan Sangiray:

Dunellen senior Aidan Sangiray
Dunellen head coach Dave DeNapoli
by Dylan Allen

Dayton looks to make it four in a row against Dunellen in its season opener

Yes, you read that correctly, Dayton has beaten Dunellen three straight seasons.

These two faced off in the season opener last season with Dayton getting the 14-8 win. Senior quarterback Lujuan Quinones ran the ball eight times for 44 yards and scored both touchdowns for the Bulldogs.

And Friday night, the Bulldogs get a chance to extend the streak when they visit Columbia Park to take on the Destroyers in the Big Central Game of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Kickoff is 7 pm; pregame starts at 6:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen calling all the action. Click here to listen.

But with Quinones graduating, in steps junior quarterback John John DeSarno – the nephew of longtime Westfield head coach Jim DeSarno – who will make his first high school start this Friday night. (And with the Blue Devils home Saturday to Watchung Hills, it’s quite possible he’ll get to watch him play.)

Second-year head coach Nick Iannacone looks to win his fifth career game since being hired last August. The Bulldogs finished 4-5 in his first season with wins over Dunellen, Roselle Park, Highland Park, and Metuchen.

Click below to hear Dylan Allen talk with Dayton head coach Nick Iannacone ahead of the season opener vs. Dunellen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Dunellen looks for revenge against Dayton to open Destroyers’ ’23 campaign

Last year’s 3-7 Dunellen team almost got off on the right foot.

The Destroyers were up in Springfield to play Dayton and held the Bulldogs scoreless in the first half. The problem was Dunellen couldn’t score either.

Dayton got the first two touchdowns, and Dunellen answered with a kick return to the house by Chiekezie Ogbuewu to make it 14-8, but that was as close as they could get.

This year, Dunellen – with a 25-man roster, now 24 with Ogbuewu unavailable Friday – will try and flip the script when Dayton comes down to Middlesex County to open the season.

You can hear it all on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen on the call. Kickoff is at 7:00 from Columbia Park, with pregame set for 6:45. Click here to listen.

Dunellen runs the tough-to-defend double-wing offense, with some single-wing mixed in. It’s been dubbed the “offense in a phone booth,” and though head coach Dave DeNapoli says the goal is “two-and-a-half yards a carry” – they rarely throw the ball, if ever – it has been known to break some big runs.

They’ll need that in order to have a successful season in 2023.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko preview the Dunellen-Dayton game with Destroyers’ head coach Dave DeNapoli:

by Mike Pavlichko

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Week 0: First Wins, Big Wins”

That’s right, it’s Season Two of “The Big Central in Two Minutes,” and veteran CJSR sportscaster Mike Pavlichko is back with his thoughts and observations on area high school football.

In our first edition of this 2023 season, Mike Pavlichko gives plaudits to the two coaches who got their first wins at their schools this past weekend, two big wins for Carteret and St. Thomas Aquinas over South Jersey parochial powers, a coach’s take on JP Stevens, and cramping issues.

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