Tag: Delaware

by Mike Pavlichko

Next stop: Delaware for Hillsborough’s Thomas Amankwaa, seeking playing time at WR

There was much pomp and circumstance when Thomas Amankwaa – one of the most talented football players to come from Hillsborough High School – signed on to play at Rutgers in December, 2021.

It was the first full season after the COVID pandemic, and with no playoffs in 2020, he took the bull by the horns – or maybe just the ball – and ran with it. He also caught it, whether on offense or defense, and led the Raiders to the Central Jersey Group 5 title, and the South Group 5 Regional Championship, making them the first – and so far only – Somerset County school to go 13-0 in a season.

Fast forward to 2024, and Amankwaa entered his name into the transfer portal, seeking more playing time.

And he found a landing spot with his former high school coach’s brother, signing on Ryan Carty at Delaware.

“We’re so excited to add Thomas to the Blue Hen family,” Carty told Central Jersey Sports Radio Monday. “He’s such a talented, long athlete that will translate to an immediate impact on our offensive side. We can’t wait to get him to Newark.”

The Blue Hens were 9-2 this year, their only losses coming to Richmond and Villanova, the second of which was in their season finale. As a team, they threw for 2,789 yards this season in eleven games, a little more than 300 yards more than Rutgers did in 12 contests.

Click below to hear Hillsborough alum Tommy Amankwaa talk about his decision to transfer to the University of Delaware with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Good news keeps coming for Carty family; Ryan will be next Delaware head coach

Ryan Carty – who has served for four seasons as the Offensive Coordinator at Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas, will be introduced Monday as the next head coach of the University of Delaware, where he won a national championship as a collegiate player in 2003.

The hiring of Carty was announced today by Athletic Director Chrissi Rawak.

“I could not be more excited and proud to bring Coach Carty and his wife Katie home to the University of Delaware,” Rawak said today in a statement.

MORE: Coaching is in the Carty family; Kevin Jr. and Sr. share the sidelines at Hillsborough

“I’m so humbled and excited to be involved in ushering in a new phase of one of the elite traditions in all of college football,” said Carty, in a statement. “My own student-athlete experience at the University of Delaware prepared me for this moment.”

Carty has been a winner at all levels. He was inducted into the Somerville Hall of Fame in 2007, graduating in 2002, lettering three years in football, one at wide receiver, two at quarterback; he holds several school passing records. In addition to winning a national title with Delaware in 2003, he helped Sam Houston State to the FCS championship last season.

His brother, Kevin Carty, Jr., just wrapped up a 13-0 season as the head coach of Hillsborough, racking up a program record number of wins, and winning the school’s first state title in 21 years. His dad, Kevin Sr., is an assistant on his staff.

MORE: Perfection! Hillsborough caps 13-0 season with milestone win over Kingsway

Kevin Jr. says his brother plans to remain with Sam Houston State as long as they’re alive in the playoffs. The Bearkats play Montana State tomorrow night at 7:30 in Huntsville in the NCAA FCS quarterfinals. He says his brother will fly to Delaware for Monday’s introductory presser, and if Sam Houston is still playing, fly back to Huntsville for as long as their season lasts.

by Mike Pavlichko

Pioneers remain No. 1, but Hillsborough edges closer after Top 5 win against Ridge

There’s no change at the very top of the Central Jersey High School Football Top Ten, but there is right below, as Hillsborough edges up from second to third.

The Raiders gained after a 42-14 win at previously-No. 5 Ridge, in a game where the Raiders where in control virtually wire-to-wire. No. 2 Union – which beat Westfield Friday night 14-3 in the Big Central Game of the Week driven by Autoland on Central Jersey Sports Radio – dropped to third.

Ridge remained in the Top Ten, but Phillipsburg did not, after the Stateliners suffered their third loss of the season, this one 17-7 at home to previously-unranked Bridgewater-Raritan, which enters the poll at No. 7, tied with Cranford.

Also dropping out after a one-week appearance was St. Thomas Aquinas, which was idle after South River had to cancel their Saturday game with the Trojans. Colonia, however, jumped in, tied for tenth with unbeaten Delaware Valley. The Patriots beat Linden on the road, 23-14, a Tigers’ team that had just beaten ranked Westfield the previous week. Colonia plays at No. 7 Cranford Friday night.

Below are the Week 5 rankings: