Tag: Defensive Player of the Year

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg’s disruptive Aedan Hywel is the Central Jersey Sports Radio Defensive Player of the Year for 2025

With a reputation for being one of the Big Central Conference’s most physical football teams, having someone who’s a ball-hawk all over the field is a nice touch.

More than that, senior Aedan Hywel is not just a ball-hawk, he’s a quarterback hawk.

He is a major reason the Phillipsburg Stateliners shut out two teams, held two more to single digits, and – through the North 2 Group 4 championship game, were holding teams to an average of just 12.4 points per game, despite playing in perhaps the most challenging division in the league, top to bottom.

And a big reason why they’re state sectional champs for the second year in a row.

It’s hard to argue with the numbers.

Hywel had 27 tackles for loss and a monster 17 1/2 sacks, along with 68 tackles, and 59 of them all by himself.

Beyond the numbers, he’s a player you have to account for, forcing opposing offenses to play defense.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Defensive Player of the Year Adena Hywel of Phillipsburg:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Jamelle Jones, Bridgewater-Raritan: Just a sophomore, he’ll remain a key for the Panther program is they look to build off their 2025 North 2, Group 5 title, the first sectional crown in program history. Jones had just 38 tackles, 20 solo, but made an impact with eight sacks and 12 TFLs. He also had a critical scoop-and-score for 35 yards in the third quarter of the final against Bayonne.  Down 7-0 at the half, that tied the game at seven, and Bridgewater would score two of the next three TDs for a 21-14 win over the Bees.
  • Julien Jones, Colonia: The middle linebacker recorded a whopping 162 tackles – a busy man – with 104 of them solo. He also had eight sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and a 75-yard pick-six against Cranford in a 40-15 win on October 17th.
  • Michael Wellett III, St. Joseph-Metuchen: A senior who transferred in from Seton Hall Prep, and sat out the early season due to transfer rules, he recorded 41 tackles in just six games, 15 solo, with five sacks and eight TFLs, as well as a fumble recovery. Hr signed his NLI with the University of Rochester last week.
  • Anwar Witherspoon, St. Thomas Aquinas: With 115 tackles, eight TFLs, 1 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and a recover, first-year head coach Shamir Bearfield calls him “a menace” on defense. The linebacker just signed his National Letter of Intent last week with Buffalo.
  • Anthony Trujillo, Summit: Named first-team All-Big Central in their division, the senior defensive tackle had 60-plus tackles, 14 TFLs and nine sacks. HEad coach kevin Kostibos says he “singlehandedly” shut down the inside run game, and was the “main reason” they made the North 2, Group 3 title game.
  • Matt Seward, Westfield: The linebacker was “all over the field” this year, accoridng to head coach Matt Andzel, with 83 tackles, seven TFLs, five sacks and four forced fumbles, three of which recovered. His stat line continues with three blocked kicks, a pick and a safety. But more impressive? The kid is just a tenth grader!
by Mike Pavlichko

Dominant Terrence Hanratty of Bernards named Central Jersey Sports Radio Defensive Player of the Year for 2024

When you play the Bernards football team, they’ll punch you in the mouth and ask if you want more.

It’s a way of life, and few embody that more than senior Terrence Hanratty.

He is a big reason why the Mountaineers reached their second straight sectional final this year, having brought home the North 2, Group 2 trophy a season ago with an overtime victory against Lakeland.

Head coach Jon Simoneau – who instills that attitude in his Mountaineers – calls him a “dominant middle linebacker,” adding that Hanratty made it nearly impossible for teams to run the ball – or score – on them.

The stats? 132 tackles, 100 solo. Two sacks, six TFLs, a forced fumble, three fumble recoveries and one interception.

Yes, he does it all.

What’s more impressive? Those numbers would be enough for any linebacker who played 12 games. But he only played in the second half of eight of them; that’s how dominant Bernards was this season, and Hanratty was a major reason why.

While he was on the field, Bernards allowed just 97 points through its first ten games.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Defensive Player of the Year Terrence Hanratty of Bernards:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Julien Jones, Colonia: The senior linebacker moved from the outside to the inside this year, and registered 137 total tackles, along with three sacks, 14 tackles for loss, a pick, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. His total tackles put him No. 2 on the single-season list at Colonia, behind Eric Legrand.
  • Anwar Witherspoon, St. Thomas Aquinas: Top defensive player, filling the graduation void left by last year’s CJSR Defensive Player of the Year, Christian Magliacano. He was all over the field, making plays sideline to sideline, in coverage, and behind the line of scrimmage. He totalled 105 tackles this season, along with 20 TFLs, four sacks, three picks – one for a touchdown, while also scoring on a kickoff return in the season opener down in Delaware against Mount St. Joseph (MD).
  • Josh Stephens, Piscataway: The senior linebacker led the Chiefs with 132 tackles, giving him 211 over the last two years. An outstanding defender, he had 3 1/2 sacks and 16 tackles for loss on the season.
by Mike Pavlichko

Trojans’ Christian Magliacano dominated for St. Thomas Aquinas, named Central Jersey Sports Radio Defensive Player of the Year

In three seasons since the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, St. Thomas Aquinas has lost a grand total of four games. Only one has come in the regular season and nobody in the Big Central Conference has beaten them.

The schedule has gotten tougher in successive seasons, with the same results. And one of the key players who helped lead that effort in 2023 was Christian Magliacano, who transferred in from St. Joseph-Metuchen, just hop, skip and a jump away down Plainfield Avenue.

“Mags” registered 162 tackles, 32 for a loss, three forced fumbles, two interceptions – with a pick-six against Cranford – anchoring a defense that pitched five shutouts this season, and only allowed 35 points in eight Big Central games, 20 of them being scored by Summit alone.

Not only that, but only one Big Central player – Carter Shallcross of Summit – logged more than 100 yards rushing in a game against the Aquinas defense all season. And he’s only the second in the BCC to do it that last three years, Nyekir Eato of Edison having done it in 2022.

For his efforts, Magliacano is the Central Jersey Sports Radio Defensive Player of the Year for 2023. Scroll down to see Honorable Mentions.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with St. Thomas Aquinas senior Christian Magliacano:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

  • Myles Hamilton, Linden, LB: Set a single-season school record with 155 tackles; recorded 23 TFLs, 10 sacks, 3 forced fumbles. His 341 career tackles is also a school record.
  • David Brothers, Bernards, DE: In his first year of football, set a school single-season record with 13 sacks for 155 yards. Set single-season record with 4 sacks vs. Delaware Valley. led team with 78 tackles, 21 for a loss, 5 QB hurries, 1 forced fumble/recovery
  • Jonathan Lobelo, Hillsborough, LB: His 261 career tackles are tops in Raider history. Finished season with 113 tackles, 60 solo, 19 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 INT, and 7 pass breakups.
  • Cam Robinson, Middlesex, DE: The 2023 Borden’s Baller of the Year had 64 tackles, 9 TFLs, 5 sacks and a forced fumble/recovery for the Blue Jays.
by Mike Pavlichko

A disruptive force, Somerville’s Pena named Defensive Player of the Year

He was a force to be reckoned with, even though not all of the stats exist to back it up.

Somerville senior A.J. Pena has been named Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Checking in at 6-3, 240 pounds, Pena is a hybrid defensive end and outside linebacker. Pioneers’ coach Dallas Whitaker calls him “the most dominant player I have seen in six years of coaching high school.”

WATCH: A.J. Pena’s senior year highlights

Whatever you call him, the big number you need to know is 12. That’s how many sacks Pena had this year.

But you also need to know that he got to opposing quarterbacks and runningbacks much more. It’s just that no one can say how much. Whitaker says they don’t keep track of QB hurries or pass breakups. But you can be sure he got his mitts on more than a few.

Click below to listen to Pena and teammate Cookie Desiderio talk about Somerville’s 7-0 season:

Honorable mentions for Defensive Player of the Year included New Providence’s Charlie Barth and North Plainfield’s Adam Elsais.

Barth – CJSR’s Two-Way Player of the Year – led the Big Central in tackles in its inaugural season, registering 115 of them, 16.5 percent of the entire defense. He also added two sacks for the 8-1 Pioneers.

The Canucks’ Elsais registered 109 tackles to lead the team, 10 TFLs and a sack in a 7-1 campaign, the best in North Plainfield in a decade since they went 9-1 with a playoff loss to Carteret. He also ranks third in his class in GPA, according to head coach Jimmy DiPaolo. Elsias will finish his scholastic career with 323 tackles in 3 seasons as a starting linebacker.

LISTEN: Elsias, Canucks cruising to best start since 2010