Tag: East Brunswick

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s already the playoffs for Piscatway: Chiefs need to keep winning; next up East Brunswick

They say the only sure things in life are death and taxes.

Making the playoffs in high school football isn’t anywhere near the list.

That being said, Piscataway (3-3) has a chance to take care of business over the next three weeks that can get them in the postseason, starting with a Friday night matchup against East Brunswick (0-6) in a Big Central Conference National Gold Division game that can be heard right here on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with kickoff set for 6 pm at Kenny Armwood Stadium.

Pregame is at 5:45 with Alec Crouthamel and Mike Pavlichko on the call. Click here to listen.

The Chiefs are a young bunch, with only four seniors who see significant playing time. The better news is that their quarterback, Elan McCrorey, and top runningback, James Bodely, are both juniors. Their offensive line will graduate just one senior, and will bring back three of them, along with a sophomore, while eight of 11 defensive starters also will return.

Still, Piscataway is focused on doing something good this season, too. Their first two losses – to Long Branch and Hunterdon Central – came by a combined three points, with the Red Devils needing overtime to beat the Chiefs. They could just as well by 5-1 right now.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Piscataway head coach Dan Higgins about the 2023 Chiefs and Friday night’s matchup with East Brunswick:

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

2023 Big Central Preview: National Gold Division

From a championship program ascent from it’s nadir to a slinging quarterback returning to his hometown, the National Gold Division could shape up to be one of the most interesting in the Big Central Conference in 2023.

Piscataway rebounded from a winless season after sitting out 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic – an administrative decision, not a team one – to go 6-3 last year and win the division. Expectations are even higher for the Chiefs, where winning state titles is the ultimate goal year-in and year-out.

East Brunswick will get Vito Tropeano, Jr. back, after he spent a year at Elizabeth playing for John Fiore.

The rest of the division can make some moves, too. Old Bridge is coming off a .500 campaign but ran into the gauntlet that was Toms River North in the playoffs last season. South Brunswick also was 5-5, and is looking for big things in Joe Goerge’s second year back in Monmouth Junction.

And there’s a new coach at Monroe, alum Nick Isola, who played under Chris Beagan and coached under Dan Lee.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko’s preview of the United Gold Division from the Big Central Conference’s inaugural Media Days:

by Mike Pavlichko

WATCH: East Brunswick lineman Omar Rackley keeps pushing, pushing to score first-ever TD in Bellamy & Son Paving Marisa Rose Bowl

Lincoln University in Missouri is getting a versatile offensive lineman who can score.

That’s something Omar Rackley, a 6-5, 370-pound offensive lineman from East Brunswick will never forget.

Mike Cipot of North Brunswick, the head coach for Team Rose in the 2023 Bellamy & Son Paving Marisa Rose Bowl, decided he would utilize the kid’s big frame not just as a blocker, but as a runningback in short yardage situations. He wowed the crowd with a short run in the first quarter in a goal-line situation.

Presented with a similar spot in the third quarter, after a two-yard gain earlier on the drive, Rackley got the ball three yards from the end zone, and bullied his way across the goal line, inching defenders foward until he got six points for his side.

Rackley confirmed to Central Jersey Sports Radio Friday that It’s the first touchdown he’s ever scored in his career. It may also be his last, unless Lincoln head coach Jermaine Gailes watches this video.

Click below to watch Omar Rackley’s third quarter touchdown for Team Rose, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe on the call:

by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge finishes No. 1 in final Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top 10; Knights are CJSR Team of the Year

The Old Bridge baseball team reached unprecedented heights in 2023, reaching its first-ever state title game. And though they fell just a few runs short of an overall Group 4 title, the Knights – who won Central Jersey Group 4 for the first time in eight years – are the No. 1 team in the final Bellamy & Son Paving rankings, making them the Central Jersey Sports Radio Team of the Year.

Old Bridge finished 21-9 on the season, and beat North Brunswick 2-1 in the CJ4 title game, their first appearance in the finals since 2019. It was the first ring for head coach Matt Donaghue, who played for the Knights in high school under the legendary Fred Cole.

Scroll down for the full rankings.

Finishing second is St. Joseph-Metuchen (21-10), which was in the top ten during the season, but fell out in the last rankings before the state tournament started. The Falcons were the GMC Tournament champions, besting Red Division champion North Brunswick in the finals.

Ridge (25-4) finishes third in the rankings, despite the Red Devils’ being disqualified from the state tournament for a pitch count violation in their North 2, Group 4 quarterfinal game. Ridge had a successful season to that point, and still is one of the best teams in the area.

North Brunswick (21-7) comes in fourth in the final rankings, having won the Red Division in the GMC. But they fell just short in the league tournament finals, and lost to Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game.

Checking in at No. 5 is Rutgers Prep (14-15), which had a wild season. The Argonauts started 1-6, then won five straight to win the Somerset County Tournament, beating the top two teams in the county en route: Bridgewater-Raritan in the semifinals and Ridge in the finals. They also made it all the way to the Non-Public South B title game, losing on a walk-off single at St. Mary-Rutherford.

Bridgewater-Raritan (23-7) comes in sixth. The Panthers were the top-seed in the Somerset County Tournament, thanks to early wins over Ridge in-league, and Hunterdon Central out of conference.

Spotswood (21-8) had a terrific season, winning the GMC Blue Division title, and going all the way to the Central Jersey Group 2 title game, where the Chargers lost to Rumson-Fair Haven.

Woodbridge (20-6) comes in eighth, with its second straight 20-win season.

Coming in ninth is Middlesex (17-9), which made it all the way to the Central Jersey Group 2 championship game, where the Blue Jays lost to Point Pleasant Beach for the second year in a row.

In tenth is South Plainfield; the Tigers reached the GMC tournament semifinals – losint 2-1 to St. joe’s – and made the North 2, Group 3 semifinals, eliminated by Millburn in another 2-1 loss.

Below are the full, final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten Rankings for 2023:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinal – (1) Old Bridge 8, (5) East Brunswick 0

Frank Papeo and Justin Meyer combined for a shutout and Kyle McSorley hit a three-run home run as top-seed Old Bridge advanced to its first sectional final since 2019 with an 8-0 win over visiting fifth-seed East Brunswick.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the play-by-play on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

by Mike Pavlichko

Papeo, Meyer shut down East Brunswick, as McSorley’s blast and Old Bridge bats send Knights to CJ4 final

Frank Papeo threw five scoreless innings, then Justin Meyer came in from right field to handle the last two innings, as top-seed Old Bridge blanked fifth-seed East Brunswick Tuesday, 8-0, in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, sending the Knights to a title game for the first time since 2019.

Old Bridge (19-8) will host second-seed North Brunswick (21-6) for the CJ4 title Friday at 4 pm at Fred Cole Field. The Knights won both meetings with the Raiders this season.

Old Bridge chipped away early at East Brunswick starter Dustin McGuinness.

The first run came in the second. Justin Hascup hit a one-out double, then Evan Smith hit a grounder to the left side of the infield that Jack Gerould cut off. He got Smith at first, but when Hascup treid to go to third, first baseman Jack Ryan fired across the diamond high. The ball went up the line, and Hascup beat a high throw to the plate from left fielder John Oranchak to make it 1-0.

In the third, John Smith led off with a walk, and after a sac bunt put him in scoring position, and a fly out to center, Mike Villani tripled to drive in Smith, then scored himself on a single by Old Bridge starting pitcher Frank Papeo.

Though Old Bridge wouldn’t score again until the top of the sixth, the turning point may have come in the top of the fourth. With one out and two-on, McGuiness was called out looking on strikes, but was tossed from the game for arguing with the home plate umpire. When head coach Chris Kenney came out to argue, he was likewise ejected.

That left Joe Ditzel – who pitched very well in a quarterfinal win over Manalapan last week – to relieve McGuinness. After a 1-2-3 fourth, he gave up a walk and single to start the fifth, but got out of it without any damage being done.

The damage would come in the sixth inning.

Shawn Bogda singled, and after a pop up bunt was caught, Adam Scire walked, and Bogda advanced to third on a wild pitch thrown to pinch-hitter Akhil Penkala. But on a pickoff attempt at first, Bogda got caught trying to score, and Scire moved to second. Penkala walked, and so did John Smith to load the bases.

Thomas Papeo drove in two of those runs with a single to make it 5-0, and then came the bomb: a three-run blast to right center field by Kyle McSorely to make it 8-0.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Old Bridge’s Thomas and Frank Papeo
Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue
by justinsontupe

Old Bridge a win away from first sectional final berth since 2019

Much has been made – a good deal by us, and rightly so – about the quality of the GMC Red Division.

Matt Donaghue disagrees with our assessment that it may be one of the best in the state. The Old Bridge coach says it is the best in the state.

So what does it mean when Old Bridge is the only team in the Red to have beaten every single one of its divisional opponents?

The Knights didn’t sweep anyone, but they have a win each against East Brunswick, South Brunswick, St. Joseph, South Plainfield and Monroe, and swept North Brunswick – which wound up winning the division.

So, in an all-GMC Red Division semifinal, the top-seed Old Bridge (18-8) has just as good a chance as anyone else to win it all. On Tuesday evening, they take on fifth-seed East Brunswick (15-11) for a trip to Friday’s sectional finals. It would be the Knights’ first since 2019, as they seek their first title under Donaghue, who took over as head coach in 2018.

First pitch is set for 6 pm; pregame begins at 5:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe calling all the action. Click here to listen.

Both teams are hitting about the same, though East Brunswick has been coming on of late at the plate, while Old Bridge has gotten better pitching all year.

On Tuesday, he’ll throw his No. 1 starter in Frank Papeo (5-2, 1.71 ERA). He’s become a bit more of a strikeout pitcher in 2023, even though his ERA is up about a half a run. Part of that came in two slugfests with St. Joseph-Metuchen and Sayreville, games which they won 10-8, and 7-6, respectively.

Click below to learn more about Old Bridge as head coach Matt Donaghue talks with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe:

by Mike Pavlichko

McGuinness, East Brunswick ready to tackle top-seed Old Bridge in CJ4 semis Tuesday

Dustin McGuinness fancies himself more a position player than a pitcher, which is remarkable for someone who’s been a big starter for the last couple of years for the East Brunswick baseball team.

But all indications are he’ll get the ball Tuesday evening when the fifth-seeded Bears (15-11) visit top-seed Old Bridge (18-8) in a Central Jersey Group 4 semifinal game you can hear right here on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

First pitch is set for 6 pm; pregame begins at 5:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe calling all the action. Click here to listen.

McGuinness is 1-1 all-time against the Knights, but didn’t pitch against them in their two meetings this year.

Meanwhile, the Bears have a lineup that’s coming around at the right time. Head coach Chris Kenney says third-baseman Jack Gerould has upped his average about 150 points in the past few weeks, while others in the lineup have followed suit, in typical “that’s baseball” fashion.

Tuesday’s winner will face either third-seed Monroe or second-seed North Brunswick Friday in the sectional title game, with a GMC Red Division team guaranteed to take home the CJ4 crown.

East Brunswick is in the semis for a second straight year – its third trip in the last five seasons – and seeking back-to-back berths in the title game, where they lost last year 8-2 to Howell, a team they beat in this year’s opening round.

Old Bridge last made the CJ4 finals in 2019, when they lost at Manalapan, 3-2.

Click below to learn more about East Brunswick as head coach Chris Kenney talks with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Near-no-no by Ditzel puts East Brunswick in CJ4 semifinals against top-seed Old Bridge

The bid for a no-hitter in a critical state sectional semifinal game was lost unceremoniously.

It came on an infield hit, a ground ball in the hole fielded by East Brunswick first baseman Jack Ryan, who had no one to throw to, and just barely lost the footrace to the bag against Manalapan’s Christian Bernardini.

But no matter. Bears starter Joe Ditzel got out of the resulting bases loaded, one-out jam without a run coming across, and after Aaron Warner closed out the game – giving up a run on the final play where Eric Johnson was cut down trying to stretch a single into a double for the last out – East Brunswick had a 7-1 win in the Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals.

The win puts 5th-seeded Bears (14-11) in the sectional semis this coming Tuesday night at Old Bridge. The top-seeded Knights (18-8) beat West Windsor-Plainsboro North 10-0 in five innings Thursday.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast that game at 6 pm from Fred Cole Field, with pregame at 5:45 pm.

And East Brunswick is now a win away from a second straight CJ4 final, where they lost last year to Howell, 8-2, the same Rebels team they beat in this year’s opening round back on Monday.

Ditzel allowed just one hit in six innings, striking out ten, in the first game all year he felt healthy after being bit by the injury bug for most of the year.

On offense, it was all East Brunswick until the last play of the game.

They got a run in the first on a sac fly to center by Dustin McGuinness that scored Jack Gerould, who drew a one-out walk as the second batter in the game.

They got two in the third on an RBI single by Derek Christie and and a sac fly by Jason Agrait.

Then, in the fifth, East Brunswick plated three runs to put the game out of reach. After a leadoff single by McGuinness chase Manalapan starter Dylan Shaffer, reliever Daniel Burns picked up a strikeout, but then walked Agrait, setting the table for a two-RBI single by John Oranchak, who later scored on a wild pitch.

And the Bears got one insurance run in the seventh after Gerould led off with an infield hit, moved to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a sac fly to right by Ryan Schultz. McGuinness – who should get Tuesday’s start against Old Bridge – lined one to second that was ruled in E4, driving in the last run.

East Brunswick and Old Bridge split during the regular season, the Bears losing a 5-2 decision, but winning the rematch 5-4. McGuinness didn’t pitch in either game, but is 1-1 against the Knights all-time.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by SportsPlex at Metuchen:

East Brunswick pitcher Joe Ditzel
East Brunswick head coach Chris Kenney