Tag: Elizabeth

by Mike Pavlichko

Stability at the top, chaos at the bottom of Week One Bellamy & Son Paving Football Rankings

While a good chunk of the first five teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving football rankings won this weekend (only St. Thomas Aquinas lost, and to the No. 1 team in Massachusetts) teams seven through nine all dropped out while three teams that haven’t lost yet made their first appearances.

Through it all, the top six and the tenth team all held their positions, while Hunterdon Central, Bridgewater-Raritan and St. Joseph of Metuchen – the first and last of which were in the “Also Considered” category last week – all joined the Top Ten after Week One of play.

Phillipsburg remains in the top spot after winning its opener Saturday afternoon, blanking Westfield 28-0 behind a 219 rushing yard performance from Sam Dech, who scored the first three touchdowns in the win. The Stateliners will visit Hunterdon Central (2-0) Friday night.

Somerville (2-0) remains in second following a 28-12 home win over Cranford at Brooks Field Friday night. The Pioneers got 182 yards and three scores from Aidan Vesuvio-Bush in the win. Next up, Montgomery (1-1) comes to town Friday night, with Somerville putting a 12-game regular season winning streak on the line.

Woodbridge (2-0) hangs tight in third after a 26-23 win at Watchung Hills, the Barrons third win over the Warriors in two seasons, having beaten them in the regular season and the playoffs last year. Woodbridge – winners of 11 straight regular season contests – visits Plainfield (1-1) next Friday night.

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Holding in fourth is Bernards (2-0), which took two days to beat Hillside on the road, 24-14, after thunderstorms in the area suspended Saturday’s game at halftime. The Mountaineers had to finish it off Sunday, and extended their state-best regular season winning streak to 27 games.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1-1) took a tough home loss Saturday, falling 35-7 to Catholic Memorial (MA), the No. 1 ranked MaxPreps team in the Bay State, but holds on to the No. 5 spot with an out-of-state loss to a very good team. They’ll host struggling North Brunswick (0-2) Friday night in North Edison.

Old Bridge (2-0) remains in sixth after a 28-6 road win at Edison Friday night. The Knights will have a big test when they visit Piscataway (1-1) Friday night.

Next up are three teams making their 2025 debuts in the rankings.

Hunterdon Central (2-0) joins the fray at No. 7. The Red Devils were 41-13 winners at Monroe Friday night behind a big offense. QB Drew Cella threw for 171 yards, while Jayden Cozze caught four passes for 110 yards and a touchdown and Reggie Osae-Aye ran 15 times for 197 yard and four scores. Central will host No. 1 Phillipsburg (1-0) Friday night.

Checking in at No. 8 is Bridgewater-Raritan (2-0). The Panthers followed up a season-opening win over Notre Dame with a 34-27 win over Piscataway, sweeping a home-and-home going back to last year. Bridgewater hosts Morristown (1-1) in non-conference action on Friday before welcoming in Hunterdon Central on the 19th in a game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

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In ninth is St. Joseph-Metuchen (1-0). The Falcons won their opener, 24-7 at Ridge on Friday night, behind a 102-yard, one-touchdown passing performance from senior quarterback Justin Scaramuzzo. The Joe’s will visit Union (0-2) Friday night.

And finally, New Providence (1-0) holds in tenth after winning Saturday at Governor Livingston, 42-7. In his first varsity start, junior Quarterback Kevin Reilly threw for 171 yards and a touchdown, while A.J. Whitehead scored two rushing touchdowns. The Pioneers will host Johnson (1-0) Friday night.

Here’s the complete 2025 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Week One Top Ten:

A table displaying the Week One rankings for the Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Conference, including team names, their records, and previous rankings.

Dropping out this week were No. 7 Ridge (0-1) after a 24-7 home loss to St. Joseph, No. 8 Piscataway (1-1) after a 34-27 loss at Bridgewater-Raritan, and No. 9 Elizabeth (1-1) after a 26-21 loss to Bayonne.

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In the “Also Considered” category, Sayreville (2-0) is there for a second straight week after a 28-14 win over Linden. So is Voorhees (2-0), which put up big numbers – including a 224-yard rushing effort from Matteo Tramutolo – in a 43-14 win at JFK. Summit (2-0) also get some attention after a 31-28 win at Montgomery. And Elizabeth – which was No. 9 last week, but lost to Bayonne, 26-21 – remains in consideration.

Next week, Sayreville travels to Edison (1-1), Voorhees goes to JP Stevens (0-2), and Elizabeth hosts Westfield (1-1), all on Friday night. Summit hosts Hillside (0-1) on Saturday.

by Mike Pavlichko

Week Zero Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten sees few changes near the top, but Elizabeth joins

Though most did, not every Big Central Conference school opened the season in Week Zero, including three teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten. That includes Phillipsburg, which remains at No. 1, and with many others winning their openers, the top five remained the same thiss week.

Phillipsburg (0-0) typically doesn’t start in Week Zero since they have their big Thanksgiving Day rivalry game against Easton. The Stateliners open up at Westfield (1-0) Saturday at 1 pm at Kehler Stadium. The Blue Devils beat arch-rival Plainfield, 21-14, in their season-opener Thursday.

Somerville (1-0) holds at No. 2 after a 34-17 season-opening win at Schalick Friday night, behind three touchdowns and 120 yards from senior RB Aidan Bush. The Pioneers are back in action this Friday when they host Cranford (0-1) at 6:30 pm.

Woodbridge (1-0) remains in third, coming off a 14-0 season-opening shutout win over Union. They’ve won eleven straight against the Big Central Conference, and will visit Watchung Hills Friday for a 7 pm game against the Warriors, who they beat twice last season, the second time coming in the first round of the playoffs.

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Bernards (1-0) won its opener, 27-15 over Cranford Friday, and stays in third in this week’s rankings. The Mountaineers have won 24 straight against the BCC – the second-best active streak in the league – and now will face the last league team to beat them. They visit Hillside Saturday at 1 pm, in a game you can follow with Marcus Borden on Twitter, with postgame reaction to follow on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1-0) put up a ton of points in a 56-3 rout of Montclair Friday night in North Edison, behind 260 passing yards from Zymere Weaver, and giving new head coach Shamir Bearfield a win his first time out in grand fashion. This weekend, they’ll host Catholic Memorial of Massachusetts, which was 12-1 last season.

Moving up from ninth to sixth after a big non-conference win down at the Battle at the Beach was Old Bridge (1-0). The Knights were 21-7 winners over Cedar Creek, getting 168 rushing yards and three touchdowns from senior quarterback Brody Nugent. Old Bridge will visit Edison (0-1) at 7 pm Friday for the first of back-to-back road games.

Ridge (0-0) drops to seventh, having sat out Week Zero. The Red Devils and new head coach Jeff Sutherland play Friday at home at 7 pm when St. Joseph-Metuchen (0-0) comes to town in the season opener for both schools.

Piscataway (1-0) holds steady in eighth after a 31-14, come-from-behind win over Edison Friday night. The Chiefs will travel to play Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night at six, in a rematch of a game heard last year on Central Jersey Sports Radio that saw the teams combine for 100 points and four kick returns for touchdowns, in a 52-48 Panthers’ victory.

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Making its debut this week is Elizabeth (1-0). The Minutemen impressed Friday night with a 42-7 road win at Linden in which junior quarterback Arique Fleming threw for 272 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for a fifth. Next up, Elizabeth gets Bayonne at home at Williams Field, 6 pm Friday.

Rounding out the group is New Providence (0-0), which held in tenth despite not opening up in Week Zero. The Pioneers will play Saturday at 1 pm at Governor Livingston in the season opener for bot schools, which you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Bookmark this link to listen!

Here’s the complete 2025 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Week Zero Top Ten:

Big Central Conference Week Zero Top Ten rankings table featuring team names, records, and previous rankings.

Rahway (0-1) dropped out this week after a 35-33 home loss to Willingboro.

In the “Also Considered” category, Sayreville (1-0) got a nod after a 26-18 win at Colonia Thursday night. The Bombers got 150 yards rushing and four touchdowns from Shaun Jackson, and next host Linden (0-1) Friday at 7 pm.

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Hunterdon Central (1-0) also merits a look after a 36-28 season-opening win at North Hunterdon Friday night. The Red Devils got 158 rushing yards from Reggie Osae-Aye in the win, and will visit Monroe Friday night at 7:00.

And St. Joseph-Metuchen remains in this category, having not played in Week Zero. They visit Ridge Friday night at 7 in the season opener for both schools.

by Mike Pavlichko

Fleming’s huge first half, 4 TD passes, powers Elizabeth past rival Linden, 42-7

Quarterback Arique Fleming’s first start for Elizabeth came as a freshman, against rival Linden, in a college stadium, two years ago.

That was a 27-22 loss at Kean University.

Two years later, now a junior, Fleming and his Minutemen opened the season at Linden’s Tiger Stadium.  

Friday night, in the season opener, he went 12-for-14 passing for 254 yards and 4 TDs, while running for another – all in the first half – en route to a 42-7 victory that gave Elizabeth its second straight win over the Tigers to open the season. He also ran for another score, a 28-yarder.

And all four passing touchdowns were long ones as the Elizabeth offensive line gave Fleming all the time in the world to throw.  No once could get to him, and that allowed him to get the ball to three different receivers, including a 36-yard TD to Qua’yon Williams, a 28-yard score to Nahjae Smith, and 62- and 65-yarders to Quameen Williams.

  

Elizabeth led 42-7 at the half, setting off a running clock for the final two quarters.

The Tigers’ Elijah Pierre had the lone first half score,  95-yard kick return that answered Elizabeth’s opening score, tying it at 7-7.

But that was as close as Linden would get.

It was Elizabeth’s largest margin of victory since a 55-6 win over Plainfield on October 5, 2018.

Click below for post game reaction from Elizabeth Head Coach Eugene Kline and junior QB Arique Fleming, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

2025 Big Central Preview: American Gold Division

Even though it’s got just four teams, the American Gold Division certainly packs a punch. Here’s our last look at the divisions in the Big Central in the 2025 preseason.

St. Joseph-Metuchen won the division in 2024, but struggled down the stretch, losing its last four regular season games and in the opening round of the playoffs after a red-hot, 5-0 start. This year, the goal is to finish, not just in games, but on the practice field, in the weight room – everywhere!

After a late start, getting hired over the summer, Matt Andzel and his staff at Westfield are looking at a bounceback year after going 5-6 with a Turkey Day loss to Westfield. They get to go right back at it when the teams meet this year in Week Zero.

Elizabeth got past the noise last year to finish at 6-5, and Eugene Kline – who came in as head coach mid-season – is back for a full year, with things feeling different around the Minutemen this summer.

Union was the only team that struggled mightily last year, with just two wins, but in comes Barris Grant after a nine-year run at Hillside where he practically minted major college recruits.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2025 Camp Caravan: Final stop sees Elizabeth visit Hillsborough

It’s one last ride for Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden, who closed out the 2025 Big Central Camp Caravan with a visit to see Hillsborough host Elizabeth in a Saturday morning scrimmage, the last before game week for both teams.

Below is video from the August 23, 2025 scrimmage at Noonan Field in Hillsborough:

Elizabeth: Head Coach Eugene Kline with seniors Quameen Williams (WR/S) and Brian Palamar (OL/DL), and juniors Nahjee Smith (WR/DB) and Arique Fleming (QB).

Hillsborough: Head Coach Kevin Carty and seniors Andrew Schwarz (RB/SLOT/OLB), Anthony Guerrero (LB), Jayden Carter (DB), Nick Duarte (OL/DL), Sanjay Mills (RB/DB) and Spencer Marso (OL/DL).

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2025: St. Joseph’s Tracy is longest-tenured among American Gold Division skippers

With coaching changes at the three other schools in the Big Central Conference’s American Gold Division over the last two years, defending division champion St. Joseph will have the most veteran coach at their school when the 2025 season kicks off in about ten weeks.

Despite a 5-5 overall record, the Falcons ran the table in the American Gold, going 3-0 last season under Bill Tracy, who’ll be entering his fourth season as head coach in Metuchen, following an eleven-year run at Ridge from 2009-2019.

As for the others, Westfield will bring back second-year head coach Matt Andzel, while Eugene Klein – who finished out last season after John Fiore was let go mid-year – will enter his first full season. Barris Grant slides over to Union after a successful nine-season tenure at Hillside.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the American Gold Division teams – in alphabetical order – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge. Please note game dates and times may be changed without notice as the season approaches. Division games marked with an asterisk (*).

Elizabeth Minutemen (6-5, 1-2, 3rd place in 2024)
Head Coach Eugene Klein (4-4, 1st full season in 2025)

  • Week 0: at Linden
  • Week 1: Bayonne
  • Week 2: Westfield*
  • Week 3: at St. Joseph-Metuchen* (Sat)
  • Week 4: at St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Week 5: at Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Week 6: Morristown
  • Week 7: Watchung Hills
  • Week 8: Union*

Despite many distractions last year, Klein helped right the ship later in the year, as the Minutemen won their last three regular season games heading into the playoffs, and even won a state game, topping Morristown 34-33 before bowing out to Passaic Tech. They’ll return one of the top quarterbacks in the league in junior Arique Fleming, a dual-threat who led the team with 1,572 passing and 664 rushing yards last year.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-5, 3-0, American Gold champs in 2024)
Head Coach: Bill Tracy (17-13, 4th season)

  • Week 0: bye
  • Week 1: at Ridge
  • Week 2: at Union*
  • Week 3: Elizabeth* (Sat)
  • Week 4: Westfield* (Sat)
  • Week 5: at North Brunswick
  • Week 6: Phillipsburg (Sat)
  • Week 7: at St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Week 8: Woodbridge (Sat)
  • Week 9: Donovan Catholic (Sat)

The Falcons got off to a hot start last year, winning their first five games, but finished by losing their last five. They bring back quarterback Justin Scaramuzzo (1,953 pass yards, 18 TDs, 4 INT), who will be a senior, and that’s a big plus. They also have a number of young runningbacks returning. The defense returns players that were young, but inexperienced last year, and that should be a help to avoid a late-season swoon.

Union (2-8, 0-3, 4th place in 2024)
Head Coach: Barris Grant (1st season)

  • Week 0: at Woodbridge (Thursday)
  • Week 1: Hillsborough
  • Week 2: St. Joseph-Metuchen*
  • Week 3: at Westfield* (Sat)
  • Week 4: at Hunterdon Central
  • Week 5: Ridge (Sat)
  • Week 6: South Brunswick
  • Week 7: at Phillipsburg
  • Week 8: at Elizabeth*

After a dropoff last season under first year head coach Jason Scott, who got the job late when longtime mentor Lou Grasso, Jr, departed to take the AD job at Colonia, the Farmers will look to bounce back with an experienced head coach who knows Union County football in Grant, who sent numerous student athletes onto great college destinations while with the Comets. They’ll lose dual-threat QB Omalley King to graduation, but freshman Elijah Bryant threw for 273 yards last year in a pair of late-season last year, and he could compete to be a starter. The defense will need to improve upon a 26.7 point per game average.

Westfield (5-6, 2-1, 2nd place in 2024)
Head Coach: Matt Andzel (5-6, 2nd season)

  • Week 0: at Plainfield
  • Week 1: Phillipsburg (Sat)
  • Week 2: at Elizabeth*
  • Week 3: Union* (Sat)
  • Week 4: at St. Joseph*
  • Week 5: Hillsborough (Sat)
  • Week 6: at North Brunswick
  • Week 7: at Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Week 8: Ridge (Sat)

A transition year with a new coach, alum Matt Andzel, after the longtime head coach Jim DeSarno stepped down to become athletic director was a mixed bag last year, but this traditionally solid program should right the ship this year. While their top rusher and receiver both graduate, quarterback Cole Wiedler (761 pass yards, 11 TD) is back, but will need to cut down on the picks (10). No. 2 rusher Jordan Walsh (539 yards, 4 TDs) is back for his junior year. There are significant losses on defense, including senior linemene Zac Wragg (2 sacks, 3 TFLs) and Lincoln Meyers (6 sacks, 5 TFLs).

by Mike Pavlichko

Gameday with Marcus Borden: Sectional Semifinal Playoff BONUS Edition!

With eleven public schools from the Big Central Conference in action in the sectional semifinals of the state playoffs Friday night – and St. Thomas Aquinas winning its opening round game – it’s time for a bonus edition of “Gameday with Marcus Borden!”

Mike and Coach Borden look back at all eleven sectional semifinals involving Big Central teams this weekend, as well as the Trojans and their non-public playoff opener against St. Mary-Rutherford, their first postseason victory since 2001.

Click below to listen to the Sectional Semifinal Playoff Bonus Edition of “Gameday with Marcus Borden”:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big Central Playoff Schedule for Nov. 8/9: Eleven publics seek sectional finals berths, while St. Thomas Aquinas opens non-public play

It’s early November, and the playoff field has been cut in half for the public schools, while a number of non-publics open up play this weekend.

Eleven Big Central public schools out of the 28 that made it are in action this weekend. Some like New Providence, and Ridge are looking for their first trip to a title game in a while, others like Phillipsburg, Cranford, Hillsborough have been there more recently.

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We’ve got the full schedule for Big Central Conference teams this weekend below, along with links to game previews of all teams playing in the sectional semifinals this weekend, and links to coverage.

North 2, Group 5
(4) Bridgewater-Raritan at (1) Union City, 7 pm Friday (PREVIEW)
(3) Passaic Tech at (2) Elizabeth, 6 pm Friday (PREVIEW)

North 1, Group 5
(3) Piscataway at (2) West Orange, 7 pm Friday (PREVIEW)

South Group 5
(3) Hillsborough at (2) Rancocas Valley, 6 pm Friday (PREVIEW). (Follow Vin Ebenau on Twitter for updates)

North 1, Group 4
(3) Ramapo at (2) Ridge, 7 pm Friday (PREVIEW)

North 2, Group 4
(5) Chatham at (1) Phillipsburg, 7 pm Friday (PREVIEW)
(3) Northern Highlands at (2) Woodbridge, 6 pm Friday (PREVIEW) (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)

North 2, Group 3
(4) Cranford at (1) Old Tappan, 6 pm Friday (PREVIEW)

Central Group 3
(4) Ocean City at (1) Somerville, 7 pm Friday (PREVIEW)

North 1, Group 2
(3) Pequannock at (2) Bernards, 7 pm Friday (PREVIEW)

North 2, Group 1
(3) Hasbrouck Heights at (2) New Providence, 6 pm Friday (PREVIEW) (LISTEN LIVE on CJSR)

Non-Public B
(12) St. Mary-Rutherford at (5) St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 pm Friday (PREVIEW)

by Mike Pavlichko

Gameday with Marcus Borden: Sectional Semifinal Playoff Edition!

The NJSIAA state playoffs are in the semifinals for public schools – with the field of 160 slashed in half to 80 and we talk about it this week on “Gameday with Marcus Borden!”

Mike and Coach Borden preview all eleven sectional semifinals involving Big Central Conference teams this weekend, as well as St. Thomas Aquinas and their non-public playoff opener against St. Mary-Rutherford.

Click below to listen to the Sectional Semifinal Playoff Edition of “Gameday with Marcus Borden”:

by Mike Pavlichko

Red-hot Elizabeth looks to keep it going when Minutemen host Passaic Tech in N2-G5 semis

With all the Elizabeth football team has gone through this year, the Minutemen might as well be playing with house money.

After two games, head coach John Fiore was ousted by the Board of Ed over an enrollment controversy regarding his son, and the former head coach has threatened legal action.

The move left players upset, many crowding into a packed school board meeting on September 19th in Fiore’s support.

They would go out and lose the following night to St. Joseph-Metuchen, and the next week, St. Thomas Aquinas star Chase Young collapsed on their field and had to be taken to the hospital.

But they would only drop one more game between then and now, the next week to Bridgewater-Raritan. Since then, they won three regular season games – at Morristown, home against Watchung Hills, and at Union – to grab a two-seed in North 2, Group 5.

And last week, the Minutemen won their fourth straight game, 34-33 in a rematch with Morristown, this time at Williams Field. Sophomore quarterback Arique Fleming pulled off the football equivalent of a double-double (or is it a “double-triple?”) by throwing for 189 yards and rushing for 108 in the victory.

They will no doubt run into a stiff challenge at home against third-seed Passaic Tech, which is 8-2 on the year – very good, but not quite the 13-0 team that lost by ten in the Group 5 title game a year ago to Toms River North.

That’s their opponent Friday night at 6:00 in the sectional semis, with a trip to the title game on the line. That’s a place Elizabeth hasn’t been since 2014, when they lost to Linden in the sectional final, 27-20.

But hey, no time like the present, right?

Click below to hear Elizabeth head coach Eugene Kline talk about the Minutemen, and this week’s sectional semifinal playoff game against Passaic Tech: