Tag: Elizabeth

by Alec Crouthamel

No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen travels to division foe No. 7 Elizabeth in battle of strong unbeatens

On paper, No. 2 St. Joseph of Metuchen may have looked set up for a downturn after back-to-back Big Central American Gold Division titles. The Falcons (2-0) lost their leading passer, top four rushers, and top three receivers from 2025.

But on the field, St. Joseph has been just fine.

The Falcons, with a strong mix of rising youngsters and returning veterans, have continued their winning ways, already with a division win in their pocket, as they target a third straight crown. They’re also looking for their tenth straight win in the division, having not dropped an American Gold contest since nearly three years ago to the day, a 22-15 loss to Union on September 16th, 2023. They have also won ten straight Big Central Conference matchups.

Who stands in their way? No. 7 Elizabeth, armed with a star quarterback and a high-flying offense, as well as a desire for vengeance.

Nobody on St. Joseph’s roster has lost a division game in their time on the field, and the Falcons have beaten the Minutemen three straight times, including one- and two-point victories in 2023 and 2024.

The two unbeaten teams will battle at Williams Field, in a Big Central American Gold showdown, on Friday at 6 pm, with both teams already 1-0 in division play. You can hear it live as one of two Bellamy & Son Paving Games of the Week this week, with pregame at 5:45. Alec Crouthamel and Dylan Allen are on the call; click here to listen.

After losing standout quarterback Justin Scaramuzzo to graduation, rising junior Cole Seyler has fit in seamlessly. He’s spread the ball through the air, with 571 yards and seven touchdowns in two games.

The run game has been strong as well, as it always is under fifth-year skipper Bill Tracy. All around, the offense is versatile, featuring several different contributors, with a stable of options to run the ball and catch passes from Seyler.

And the Falcons have been tested in the early goings as well.

In the Week 1 opener against No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan, St. Joseph held a 20-point lead early in the third quarter. But a fellow high-powered offensive attack from the Panthers helped them storm back into the game, rallying to take a one-point lead in the fourth quarter.

But the Falcons kept to their plan, and Seyler came through with two touchdown passes in the quarter to give St. Joseph the lead back, eventually holding on for a wild 43-36 victory.

Things came a little bit easier in a 28-6 win over division opponent Westfield in Week 2, but the goals remain the same.

It’ll be another tough test for a stout Falcons defense on Friday, facing fourth-year starting quarterback A’rique Fleming, the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week. Fleming and his strong cast of targets are going to put a lot of pressure on first-year DC Don Sofilkanich’s unit, but St. Joseph has shown over the years it can handle nearly anything the Big Central slate throws its way.

That doesn’t mean it has to be easy, though.

Click below to hear St. Joseph (Met.) head coach Bill Tracy talk about the Falcons’ season so far and the upcoming trip to Elizabeth with CJSR’s Alec Crouthamel:

by Dylan Allen

After best start in over a decade, No. 7 Elizabeth hosts No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, looking to remain unbeaten

With one exception, St. Joseph-Metuchen and Elizabeth have played some tight games the last few years.

The Falcons won this game 41-20 a year ago. The previous two times these two clashed, in 2023 and 2024, the combined margin of victory for St. Joseph was three points. And in 2022, Elizabeth won 23-21, but that was four years ago.

This new class of Minutemen and head coach Eugene Kline, since being named the head man at Elizabeth, have yet to know the feeling of defeating the Falcons.

In order for history to be made Friday night, fourth-year staring quarterback A’rique Fleming has to be on his A-game. The senior is 0-3 against St. Joe’s in his career, completing 58.9% of his passes for 565 yards (188.3 ypg), six total touchdowns, and three interceptions.

You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio in the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Kickoff is set for 6 pm, with pregame at 5:40 pm from Williams Field. Alec Crouthamel and Dylan Allen are on the call; click here to listen.

More importantly, the Minutemen’s run defense has to be top-notch.

In the past three games against St. Joseph, the Falcons have averaged 197.7 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns per contest. In that span, the closest Elizabeth has been to victory was a 21-20 loss in 2024. The Minutemen held Joe’s to just 62 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, while shutting them out in the second half.

It was almost a comeback for the ages as Elizabeth trailed 21-0 at halftime. But across the other two losses, the Falcons ran for a combined 531 yards.

Fortunately for A’rique Fleming – the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week, who earned the award for a big pick-six he had late to seal the win, in addition to his QB exploits – he has some star-studded wide receivers to choose from in Qua’Yon Williams, Erick Cespedes, and Nahjae Smith.

Williams and Cespedes have combined for 433 yards and five touchdowns, while Smith has missed time due to an ankle issue, according to Kline, he’s still a player you do not want to take lightly. In 2024, his sophomore season, Smith had his breakout year with 32 receptions, 640 yards, and seven touchdowns – all career highs.

What’s at stake for these two teams besides snagging a win in the American Gold division? Remaining unbeaten. St. Joseph enters the contest at 2-0; Elizabeth at 3-0, for the first time since 2015, when they started 4-0, and finished 7-2.

St. Joseph is coming off a 28-6 win at Westfield, while Elizabeth took the trip to Union, beat the Farmers 19-7, and now are playing their first home game of the season.

Click below to hear Elizabeth football head coach Eugene Kline talk about the Minutemen’s season so far and upcoming matchup against St. Joseph-Metuchen, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dylan Allen:

by Mike Pavlichko

A four-year starting QB, A’rique Fleming gets it done on defense, too, and earns Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors

It was August 25, 2023 at Kean University in Union when a fresh-faced ninth-grader named A’rique Fleming took to the field to play quarterback for the Elizabeth football team.

He might be a little raw, then-head coach John Fiore told us, but “You’ve gotta see this kid,” he added.

Sometimes coaches are given to hyperbole, and Fiore is no exception. But he was dead on the money on this one.

Elizabeth didn’t win the game, falling 27-22 to the rival Tigers, but Fleming showed great poise for a freshman in a back-and-forth game where the lead was always changing: 7-of-12 passing, 140 yards, one touchdown, one interception. Fiore was on the Fleming bandwagon, and now we were, too.

Fast forward three years to 2026, and he’s been one of the premier quarterbacks in the Big Central for a while now, and he’s already thrown for 622 yards and seven touchdowns in three games.

His latest performance was 17-of-21 throwing the ball for 220 yards and a touchdown, with a team-high 45 rushing yards (and a touchdown). But more impressive? He also plays defense, and is very good at it.

He was especially good last Friday night in a 19-7 win at Union. Playing linebacker, he had a forced fumble and recovery, a team-high tackles, and two interceptions.

One of them was quite critical in the win, too: a 72-yard pick-six with Union driving deep into Elizabeth territory with under two minutes left in a 13-7 game the Minutemen led.

“He made a great read on the play,” says his head coach, Eugene Kline, breaking “multiple tackles on the play” as Elizabeth hung on and made it a 3-0 start to a season for the first time since 2015.

For his efforts, Xavier Wilson is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Two.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week A’rique Fleming of Elizabeth:

We’ll get to see Fleming at least one more time on Central Jersey Sports Radio when No. 7 Elizabeth hosts No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-0) in the Friday night Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week. Kickoff is 6 pm at Williams Field, with pregame at 5:40. Alec Crouthamel and Dylan Allen will have the call; click here to listen.

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Nolan Walsh, Bernards: In a 49-29 win over Governor Livingston – the Mountaineers’ first of the season after starting 0-2 – the senior QB rushed for four touchdowns (of 3, 34, 30 and 11 yards) while throwing for 54- and 19-yard scores. He completed 13-of-18 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. logging 348 yards of total offense and accounting for all five of Bernards’ first-half scores.
  • Zach Mutton, Montgomery: The senior plays five positions for Sean Carty’s Cougars, who got their first win of the season Thursday, 32-14 up at Watchung Hills. At running back, he took the rock 23 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also a kicker, and made two field goals of 32 and 41 yards, the latter a new school record. He had a punt, too, that pinned the Warriors back on their own two-yard line early to help establish momentum. At defensive back, he also added two tackles, both of the solo variety.
  • Ja’Quan Robinson, Rahway: The senior quarterback often does a lot of great things on the field, but it was more than that Friday night in a 42-21 win at Woodbridge. He tossed 2-for-6 for 50 yards and two touchdowns, and carried ten times for 129 yards and two more scores of nine and 55 yards. On defense, at linebacker, he also had three solo tackles and a TFL. And he even had three punts for 109 total yards. But his coaches say the captain did his biggest work in the locker room, bringing the group together and spurring them on to outscore Woodbridge 21-7 in the second half. And then, he put his money where his mouth is, scoring a 55-yard touchdown to finish the game.
  • James Hampton, Somerville: In a 54-6 shellacking of North Hunterdon Thursday night, the junior wide receiver had seven catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns of 32 and 15 yards. At cornerback, he also had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.
  • Tyler Hicks, South Hunterdon: The senior quarterback for the Eagles – 2-1 in Kyle Hart’s first season as head coach – went 16-of-29 for 210 passing yards and a touchdown in a 21-15 win over Middlesex Thursday night. Facing a 15-13 deficit with under a minute to go, he scrambled on fourth down to evade two tacklers. His pass went incomplete, but drew a pass interference call. Eventually, on third down on the Blue Jay six, he hit Charlie Dickerson for a touchdown to take a 19-15 lead, then hit him again for a two-point conversion for the final score.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Elijah White, Belvidere: IN a 42-2 win at Dunellen Friday, the senior wide receiver had four catches for 2333 yards, with three of those hauls going for touchdowns, including a 96- and a 55-yarder. He Laos had an 80-yarder called back on a penalty.
  • Marcus Smith, Highland Park: In the third straight win for the Owls – a 43-0 win at JP Stevens that gives them their second 3-0 start in three seasons – Smith threw for 74 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 48 and a second score. Highland Park has outscored its first three opponents 99-0, and has three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1964. (They had six in a row that year.)
  • Jonathon Gosk, Manville: The senior quarterback – in his first year starting – was 9-of-13 passing to 148 yards and touchdown passes of 46 and five yards in a 35-7 home win over arch-rival Manville Friday night, heard here on Central Jersey Sports Radio. He also rushed five times for 18 yards and scoring runs of 21 and two yards.
  • Tommasso Demetrio, Monroe: In a 42-7 win at North Brunswick, the senior wide receiver caught five balls for 60 yards and a touchdown, as well as five rushes for 25 yards and another score. Four of his first five touches were either a touchdown or gave his team a first down. At outside linebacker, Demetrio had three tackles, two TFLs, and a sack. Oh, and he also was 6-for-6 on PATs and booted two 50-yard punts.
  • Charlie Maneely, New Providence: The senior runningback carried 12 times for 87 yards and a score, while also catching four passes for 36 yards and another score in a 27-20 win at Johnson on Thursday. At linebacker, he also had three tackles and two fumble recoveries.
  • Ariel Rosario Sime, Perth Amboy: In a 42-6 win over Roselle
  • Gabriel Manson, Sayreville: The senior H-back carried six times for 104 yards and two scores for the Bombers, while adding a 60-yard catch in a 41-6 home win over Edison. More impressively, he allowed zero catches from his position at cornerback.
  • Vinny Young, Spotswood: Very similar to his last outing, the senior runningback carried eight times for 121 yards and two touchdowns, while also grabbing two passes for 22 yards in a 47-14 home win over Metuchen Thursday night. At outside linebacker, he added four solo tackles, two assists and a TFL.
  • Aiden Morse, St. Thomas Aquinas: The junior running back carried ten times for 73 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-0 win at Franklin on Friday night.

by Mike Pavlichko

All but Phillipsburg win, and all ten teams remain the same in Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Top 10

Sure, there was a full slate of games in the Big Central in Week Two, but Top Ten wise, it was very quiet.

And while No. 1 Phillipsburg (2-1) was the only team to lose, falling 32-31 to Freedom (PA) in their final Pennsylvania game before getting into the BCC slate, that loss didn’t cost them, as they retained their top spot in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Week Three Top Ten.

This week, the Stateliners open divisional play in the BCC American Silver Division when they come back home to Maloney Stadium to take on Hillsborough.

In fact, nobody moved this week – all ten teams remained in their same positions as last week.

That includes St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-0), which beat Westfield on the road Friday night, 28-6. They’ll be one of six teams involved in three Top Ten matchups this weekend, as they travel to No. 7 Elizabeth (3-0) Friday night to face the Minutemen in a battle of unbeatens you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with kickoff set for 6 pm. Elizabeth was a 19-7 winner at Union Friday night.

Holding in third is Piscataway (3-0). The Chiefs were 42-7 winners at East Brunswick on Thursday night, and this week are back at Kenny Armwood Stadium to face South Brunswick at 6 pm.

Old Bridge (3-0) remains in fourth after a 21-0 win at South Brunswick Thursday night, in which starting QB Aiden Rios dinged up his non-throwing shoulder. The Knights will hope he can be back Friday for a home date with No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas. The Trojans (3-0) were 40-0 winners Friday night at Franklin.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

Holding at No. 5 is Bridgewater-Raritan (2-1), which beat Hillsborough for the first time since 2017 Thursday night, 40-14. The Panthers, whose lone loss came in a barnburner at St. Joseph-Metuchen last Saturday afternoon, are back in action for a Top Ten matchup against No. 9 Ridge (2-0) at Basilone Field Friday night. They won out at Hunterdon Central Thursday night, 23-17.

Somerville (2-1) maintains the sixth spot, thanks to a 54-6 drubbing of North Hunterdon at Brooks Field Thursday night. The Pioneers are back in the Ville again this week, hosting Watchung Hills at 6:30 pm.

And No. 10 Rahway (3-0) held serve with a 42-21 win at Woodbridge, the return of head coach Brian Russo to his alma mater, where he also coached. The Indians visit neighbor Linden Friday night at 7.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Three Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams win, middle teams drop games, so Bellamy & Son Paving Week 2 Top Ten sees more changes; Phillipsburg still No. 1

Four of the teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Week One Top Ten lost last weekend, which leaves half of them still in the rankings, and the other half out, while the top four all stayed put in Week Two.

That starts with Phillipsburg (2-0) still atop the list, after a 24-10 win at Emmaus (PA) Friday. The Stateliners finish out their three-game Pennsylvania stretch to start the season this Friday when they visit Freedom (PA).

St. Joseph-Metuchen (1-0) won its season-opener in thrilling fashion Saturday afternoon, outlasting then-No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan, 43-36. The Falcons are back at it Friday afternoon at 4 when they travel to Westfield.

Holding in third is Piscataway (2-0). The Chiefs were 28-14 winners over then No. 5 Somerville Friday night in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week, the first time the Pioneer offense has been held without a point since 2023. Thus week, it’s a Thursday trip to East Brunswick for Piscataway.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

Rounding out the unchanged top four is Old Bridge (1-1), which got in the win column after a season-opening non-conference loss to Shawnee in the Battle at the Beach in Ocean City with a 49-21 win over Montgomery Friday. Thursday, the Knights visit South Brunswick, in our Friday night Bellamy & Son Paving Game of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Up a notch from six to five this week is Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1). Though the Panthers lost, they hung in nearly to the wire Saturday in a 43-36 loss at No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen. This week, it’s the Battle of Route 206 as Bridgewater welcomes in Hillsborough.

Flipping with Bridgewater and dropping one spot to sixth is Somerville (1-1), which took a 28-14 loss at No. 3 Piscataway Friday night in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week. The Pioneers host North Hunterdon on Thursday.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

The next two teams both move up two spots this week, after losses by then-No. 7 Sayreville and then No. 8 Summit, both of whom dropped out. It starts with Elizabeth (2-0) at No. 7, following a 43-20 home win over Plainfield Friday. The Minutemen visit Union this Friday. And St. Thomas Aquinas (2-0) moves up to No. 8 after a 24-20 win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood, with a Friday date at Franklin awaiting the Trojans.

The final two teams join the rankings for the first time this season. Ridge (1-0) is at No. 9 after opening its season with a 21-7 win over then-No. 7 Sayreville. The Red Devils visit Flemington to play Hunterdon Central this Thursday.

And Rahway (2-0) comes in at No. 10, after a 21-10 home win over previously-No. 8 Summit. The Indians visit Woodbridge Friday as head coach Brian Russo goes up against his alma mater, where he also previously coached.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

No change atop the Week 1 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten, but two new teams join the list

There was little change from the preseason in the latest Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, with Phillipsburg remaining atop the rankings, while two other teams flip-flopped and two others near the bottom dropped out with losses in their opening games.

Phillipsburg remained at No. 1 after a season-opening 28-21 win over Parkland (PA) at Maloney Stadium. The Stateliners open the season with three straight Pennsylvania opponents, and this week, they cross the “state line” to go play Emmaus (PA) Friday night at 7.

St. Joseph-Metuchen was idle, and remains in the No. 2 spot. The Falcons will welcome in No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan (1-0) Saturday for a 1 pm matinee to kick off their 2026 campaign.

Piscataway won its opener, hanging on with a goal line stand to win 26-20 at East Orange, moving them up one spot to No. 3 in the rankings. They’ll play host to No. 5 Somerville – their first meeting since 1987 – Friday night at 6 in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Old Bridge dropped a tough 43-35 decision to Shawnee out of the West Jersey Football League Friday down at the Battle at the Beach in Ocean City. The drops them one spot to fourth this week. Friday night at 6, they visit Montgomery.

Rounding out the top five is Somerville. The Pioneers beat South Plainfield in their opener at Brooks Field, 40-21, on Friday night, and this week, travel to No. 3 Piscataway. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio at 6 pm.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

Bridgewater-Raritan holds in the No. 6 position after opening the season with a dominating 28-7 win at then-No. 8 Woodbridge Friday night, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. This week, it’s a tough test at No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, Saturday at 1 pm at Brenner Family Field.

Sayreville also won its opener, beating Plainfield 23-19 Friday night. That lets them keep the seventh position. The Bombers will host Ridge this Friday at 6:30 pm.

Summit moves up a spot to No. 8 after beating Colonia at home Friday afternoon, 23-21, with Jackson Marx intercepting a two-point conversion just outside the goal line late in the fourth-quarter to help preserve a lead that ended up being the final margin. This week, they visit Rahway for a 6:00 start Friday night.

Jumping in at nine is Elizabeth, one of two new teams in this week’s rankings. The Minutemen were 53-6 winners at Carteret on Friday night, and will visit Plainfield this Friday for a 6 pm kickoff.

The other new team is St. Thomas Aquinas, which won its opener out in Sheepshead Bay over Frank J. Macchiarola (NY), 36-12. The Trojans are back in action Friday, when Westfield visits North Edison for a 6 pm kickoff.

Below is the complete 2026 Week One Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

Dropping out this week are previous No. 8 Woodbridge and previous No. 10 Bernards. The Barrons lost to Bridgewater-Raritan, 28-7, Friday night, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, while the Mountaineers fell 26-20 at Rutherford Friday night.

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan 2026: Elizabeth, Hillside scrimmage with Toms River North

It’s Week Two of high school football preseason camp in New Jersey, where teams start taking part in scrimmages, and Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden takes a trip to Elizabeth to watch the Minutemen in action with Hillside and Toms River North.

Watch Borden’s full coverage below of Monday’s three-team scrimmage, featuring interviews with head coaches and key players.

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan coverage of Elizabeth with head coach Eugene Kline and seniors Arique Fleming (QB/LB), Qua’Yon Williams (WR/DB/Athl.), Nahjae Smith (WR/DB), and Jaden Mondesir (OT/DT)!

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan coverage of Hillside with head coach Isa Abdul-Quddus and seniors Travis Miles (WR/FS), Zahir Granberry (WR/FS), Jabir Parker (TE/LB) and Kamsi Igboanugo (OT/DT)!

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: St. Joseph still team to beat in American Gold Division, but has a lot to replace

Having swept the Big Central Conference’s American Gold Division each of the last two seasons, one would have to consider St. Joseph-Metuchen a team that will at least be right back in the thick of things in 2026, but there will be work to be done for Bill Tracy and his program, with some key talent lost to graduation.

Their next best competition could very well be Elizabeth, with senior QB Arique Fleming back for his fourth year as the starting signal-caller for the Minutemen. Westfield – coming off a 4-6 season under first-year head coach Matt Andzel – also will look to make strides, as will Union, which went 3-8 last year with a very young club under Barris Grant, who left Hillside for the job.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the American Gold Division teams – in order of 2025 finish – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge as of the date of publication, along with a few notes on each squad. Division games are starred.

St. Joseph-Metuchen Falcons (8-2, 3-0, American Gold Division Champions)
Head Coach: Bill Tracy, 5th season (25-15)

  • Week 0: bye
  • Week 1: Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Week 2: at Westfield*
  • Week 3: at Elizabeth*
  • Week 4: Phillipsburg
  • Week 5: at Delbarton
  • Week 6: at Piscataway
  • Week 7: Union*
  • Week 8: at St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Week 9: Donovan Catholic

St. Joseph put up big numbers last year, but some key players who posted those numbers are gone. Senior dual threat quarterback Justin Scaramuzzo threw for 1,212 yards and 12 touchdowns – with just one pick – while leading the team in rushing with 580 yards, while senior wideout Reggie Bropleh had a team-best 522 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Only 70 of 1,604 rushing yards are back, and 206 of 1,215 receiving. And while they’ll lose senior Michael Wellett III (5 sacks), Tommy Kwiatkowski (4 sacks) and Jason Gross (team-best 8 sacks) on defense, others like Jack Cummings (3 1/2 sacks) will be counted on. Always strong coaching when Bill Tracy is running the show, and that helps.

Elizabeth Minutemen (5-5, 2-1, 2nd place American Gold)
Head Coach: Eugene Kline, 2nd full season (9-9)

  • Week 0: at Carteret
  • Week 1: at Plainfield
  • Week 2: at Union*
  • Week 3: St. Joseph-Metuchen*
  • Week 4: at Ridge
  • Week 5: Linden
  • Week 6: Hillsborough
  • Week 7: at Westfield*
  • Week 8: Somerville

It’ll be one last go-round for Arique Fleming, a true team leader who has been the starting quarterback and matured in leaps and bounds since his very first start in the 2023 season opener as a freshman. He tossed for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns a season ago, while also leading the team with 551 rushing yards. And with four of the five receivers who each caught at least 200 yards’ worth of passes last season coming back, Fleming will have plenty of options. The defense should be solid, too, with key players like defensive back Eric Cespedes (2 INTs) and and linebacker Isaiah Butler back as well.

Westfield Blue Devils (4-6, 1-2, 3rd place American Gold)
Head Coach: Matt Andzel, 3rd season (9-12)

  • Week 0: Scotch Plains-Fanwood
  • Week 1: at St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Week 2: St. Joseph-Metuchen*
  • Week 3: at Union*
  • Week 4: Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Week 5: at Woodbridge
  • Week 6: at Ridge
  • Week 7: Elizabeth*
  • Week 8: Plainfield

Matt Andzel embarks on his third season as head coach, and gets a tough schedule out of the gate with the two non-publics – St. Thomas Aquinas and division foe St. Joseph – back to back in Weeks One and Two. And the crossover slate doesn’t get any easier with North 2, Group 4 champion Bridgewater-Raritan and a trip to Ridge also on the slate. QB Cole Weidler returns; he began 2025 as the starting quarterback but was replaced by Jordan Walsh when top receiver Ezno Ferrera went down to injury, and the team began to run the ball more.

Union Farmers (3-8, 0-3, 4th place American Gold)
Head Coach: Barris Grant, 2nd season

  • Week 0: at Edison
  • Week 1: at Watchung Hills
  • Week 2: Elizabeth*
  • Week 3: Westfield*
  • Week 4: at Hillsborough
  • Week 5: at Plainfield
  • Week 6: Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Week 7: at St. Joseph-Metuchen*
  • Week 8: at Linden

Barris Grant’s first season resulted in an immediate boost of one win for the very young Farmers, but they are poised to take the next step this season. Take their starting quarterback, for example. Elijah Bryant was just a sophomore, but threw for 1,259 yards and five touchdowns, though he’ll want to cut down on the turnovers this season. The top runningback was a junior; Jamir Hall finished just shy of 1,100 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. The defense was a little more veteran, as seven seniors will graduate, but not all of them starters.

by Mike Pavlichko

The playoffs are here! More than two dozen Big Central public schools open postseason play this weekend, with 20 games on tap. Here’s Part One of our preview on Groups 4 and 5

It’s time for the playoffs!

We got through opening weekend in the sweltering heat of the late dog days of August. We didn’t really have much of a fall, but the weather mostly nice. And Cutoff Weekend last weekend saw some teams sweating it out, some disappointed, and others rewarded for their play during the season.

Now, it’s time to get it all going!

Here’s Central Jersey Sports Radio’s look at all the playoff games involving BCC schools this weekend, section by section in Groups 4 and 5, including game dates and times. Games are Friday, except where noted.

Find our preview of Group 1, 2 and 3 schools will by clicking this link.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

  • #8 Linden (3-6) at #1 Bridgewater-Raritan (6-3), 6pm: The Panthers, after making the playoffs out of a strong division with no more than four wins each of the last three seasons, broke through in Year Three under the young, energetic DJ Catalano as head coach. And they survived two games without QB Declan Kurdyla, a Rutgers lacrosse committ whose season it was thought might be over after a lower body (knee) injury against Hunterdon Central in Game Four. It turned out to be not as serious as originally thought, and he was back three weeks later. A win over Piscataway – a two-seed in the same section – may have been their best of the year. As for Linden, Mark Ciccotelli’s took over for Al Chiola, and the Tigers struggled a bit out of the box, starting 0-3, and going 1-5 through their first six. But they won two of their last three, beating Perth Amboy and Carteret, then lost by one to a super-talented, if inconsistent Plainfield team last weekend. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates and we’ll have video postgame reaction late Friday night.
  • #6 Bayonne (6-3) at #3 Elizabeth (5-4), 6 pm: When you have a three-year starter like the dynamic Arique Fleming in quarterback – a three-year starter who’s still only a junior – you have to like the Minutemen and their chances. After a 2-1 start, they lost three straight, but have won three in a row over Morristown, Watchung Hills and Union, the win over the Warriors – on the road – being the most impressive. But Bayonne comes in hot, too. The Bees won just one of their first four games, but have reeled off five straight coming into the playoffs. But that one win they had early? It came over Elizabeth, 26-21, at Williams Field. Can the Minutemen return the favor?
  • #7 Plainfield (4-5) at #2 Piscataway (7-2), Saturday 1 pm: This is our Saturday “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Click here to listen, with pregame starting at 12:45. The Chiefs are looking like their old selves again, that is, a team that’s capable of winning a championship, even if they have to clean up some penalties and miscues. They and Plainfield both have talent over the field. Landon Pernell can get the ball to receivers like Josiah Zayas, who came back to the program from St. Thomas Aquinas, and Zaire Young can do things on the ground. Devin Thomas – the Plainfield quarterback is dynamic, having thrown for over 2,000 yard – with 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions – and leading the team in rushing at 466 yards. This is going to be a game with a lot of big plays. Read our full preview and hear from both head coaches at the link.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

  • #5 Hillsborough (4-5) at #4 Rancocas Valley (5-4), Saturday 12 pm: This is a tough draw for the Raiders, being on the road, but they’re also familiar with the West Jersey Football League, playing fellow Group 5 squad Washington Twp. in the Battle at the Beach down at Rowan back in August. That 43-12 loss came to a team that was 9-0, but don’t discount the Red Devils, even though they’re “just” 5-4. They have a run-heavy attack led by Jameer Bellamy (864 yards, 11 TDs), and have a sophomore in Michael Beasley and a junior in David Ogunsola who have combined for 22 1/2 of the team’s 29 sacks this year. Hillsborough will have to protect senior QB Devon Khurana – who already played the early part of the season with a broken pinkie – and will be challenged to get thousand-yard rusher Andrew Schwarz the numbers they’d like. Fun fact: This will be the third “Red Devils” opponent for the Raiders this year, who lost 28-7 to Ridge, but beat Hunterdon Central in Flemington last week, 33-8.
  • #6 Freehold Twp. (5-4) at #3 Old Bridge (8-1), Saturday 6 pm: The Knights have one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the area in Brody Nugent, the senior QB who has thorwn for 1,811 yards and 15 touchdowns, while rushing for a team-best 799 yards and 15 more scores. He’s a points machine for a team that has been perfect in the six games since they lost 28-21 at Piscataway on September 12th, a full month-and-a-half ago. Freehold Township had won three straight before falling to Manalapan last week. A pass-heavy offense that has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards between two quarterbacks could make this a very entertaining game, indeed.
  • #7 Trenton (6-3) at #2 Sayrveille (8-1), 7 pm: The Bombers rebounded from a 43-15 loss to Montgomery two weeks ago with a 33-26 win over St. Thomas Aquinas that ended their Big Central-record 35-game winning streak. Shaun Jackson has been the offensive weapon all season long, with 1,650 yards and 20 touchdowns on 162 carries. Almost on the nose, he touches the ball a little more than every other play. The Tornadoes have a more balanced attack, with junior QB Keith Williams throwing for 1,210 yards, and have won three straight coming in. This will be the Bombers’ first opponent from Mercer County since 2008, when they beat West Windsor-Plainsboro South in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, before losing in the title game to Brick Memorial.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:

  • #8 Newark Central (6-3) at #1 Phillipsburg (7-1), 7 pm: The Stateliners get to defend their North 2, Group 4 title, and the beginning of theat defense starts with an explosive Blue Devil club out of Newark. They have a sophomore quarterback who has thrown for almost 1,400 yards in Zahyir Taylor, but while he’s thrown 14 touchdown passes, he’s also been prone to throwing picks, with nine on the season. This is a very balanced attack, but Central doesn’t play nearly the schedule Phillipsburg does. They are still humming along even after a 21-0 loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen a couple of weeks ago, with another sophomore QB in Dominic Bracco playing traffic cop with the ground game, which has reeled off nearly 2,300 yards and 30 touchdowns this season.
  • #5 Colonia (6-3) at #4 Ridge: (5-3), 7 pm: This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools, and both have had fine seasons. The Patriots had won four straight before a Cutoff Weekend loss to Old Bridge, but it’s also been the most comfortable Cutoff Weekend Colonia has had in the last few years, since they had a playoff berth already locked up coming in. It’s a solid senior group that has put up big numbers through the air, with Dylan Chiera tossing for 1,971 yards and 21 TDs with just two picks all season, and favorite target RJ Wortman already over a thousand-yards receiving. Ridge will need to keep an eye on Julien Jones, who has racked up nine of the team’s 19 sacks on the season. Ridge also had won four in a row before falling to Westfield last week This will be Colonia’s passing game against the Red Devils’ ground attack, which has amassed 1,802 yards on the season. They’ve run it 334 times compared to 114 passing plays. Oh, and their defense can get after it, too. They have five picks, one for a touchdown.
  • #6 Westfield at #3 Montgomery, 7 pm: The last meeting between these schools was ten years ago, as the schools finished a home-and-home that saw the Cougars win in 2014, the Blue Devils in 2015. That being distant history, the Cougars are a bit banged up right now after the Rahway game, in which senior QB Jack Kristjanson went down with what appeared to be a lower leg injury late in the game after a sack. They’ve got some big wins, over Somerville and Sayrville, and in overtime in their opener against a solid 7-2 Hopewell Valley squad. The Blue Devils, meanwhile, are looking for their first back-to-back wins of an up-and-down season. But if they can play like they did against Ridge last week, when they netted a 14-7 upset win at home – their first win over the Blue Devils since 2017 – they can pull this one off. Senior Jordan Walsh is the reigning Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week, coming up with big plays late in that win.
  • #7 Rahway (6-3) at #2 Woodbridge (7-2), 6 pm: The side story here is that this is the “Russo Bowl.” Rahway head coach Brian Russo is a Woodbridge grad, won a state title there, coached there, and his son, Sean, is a senior wide receiver for Joe Goerge. The main storyline here is: this should be one damn good football game. The Indians were physical in a 28-7 upset win over No. 3 Montgomery last Friday night, a win that got them in the playoffs, and senior Andrew Avent – who’s now the school’s all-time rushing leader at 4,395 career yards and 79 overall touchdowns – can change the game in a hurry. But they can get to the quarterback, too, with the defense coming up with at least four sacks last week alone. The Barrons have been one of the best teams in the Big Central the last two years, with just one regular season loss, that coming to St. Joe’s a couple of weeks ago. Joshua Allen is also a great back; the senior has gone for 1,355 yards and 18 scores this season. Can they limit Rahway on the scoreboard? Though the Barrons have pitched two shutouts, those came against Union and Perth Amboy. But the rest of the schedule has all scored at least 18 points against them in every game.

by Mike Pavlichko

Cutoff Weekend Friday Playoff Update – Group 5: Bridgewater-Raritan should earn top seed, Plainfield and Hillsborough clinch berths, Hunterdon Central eliminated with loss

With Friday night’s Cutoff Weekend high school football games all in the books, Central Jersey Sports Radio is updating the unofficial NJSIAA playoff standings as we head into Saturday action.

We’ll have further analysis late morning into the afternoon Saturday, with our 2025 “Playoff Projection Show” scheduled for 6 pm where we give our bracket projections. The full tournament for the public schools will be unveiled on Sunday by the NJSIAA via Gridiron New Jersey. We’ll have them shortly after. The brackets become official at noon on Monday.

NORTH GROUP 5

Table displaying the unofficial NJSIAA playoff standings for North Group 5 high school football teams, including team names, wins, losses, ties, and various rankings and statistics.
  • Bridgewater-Raritan holds the two-spot, despite a hard-fought loss Friday night at Phillipsburg. The Panthers should be the No. 1 seed in North 2, Group 4, while West Orange would get the one-seed in North 1, Group 4. Very little changed at the top, and it won’t Saturday since the first nine teams all finished their games this weekend.
  • That includes Piscataway holding in third and Elizabeth in fourth. They should be the second and third seeds in North 2, Group 4. The Chiefs lost to Bridgewater earlier this year, so there’s no head-to-head jump there.
  • Plainfield clinched a playoff berth with a win Friday night at Linden, 28-27. They moved all the way up from 17 to 12 in the supersection. Linden dropped one place after the loss to Plainfield, right behind them at 13. But keep reading to see the effects of the Irvington game Saturday…
  • The Union-City-Livingston tiebreaker will go to Union City. They didn’t meet head to head, and against common opponents, both beat all three of them, Montclair, Irvington and Columbia.
  • Irvington plays Seton Hall Prep Saturday, and the Marauders are a multiplier. That’s the only other significant game we’re waiting on, as Barringer plays Hackensack but was 21st in the standings, so that shouldn’t affect things. Should Irvington win, they move up one to ninth and Bayonne moves down to tenth. Should Irvington lose, they would stay where they are, but Plainfield and Linden would flip-flop, but only momentarily. While the Cardinals would then be behind Linden in 13th, since they just beat them head to head, they go back the way they were.
  • Also important to note, while Montclair made the top 16, they’re 1-8, and two wins is the minimum for playoff eligibility. That means No. 17 Passaic (4-4) gets in as the final team.

SOUTH GROUP 5

Table displaying the standings for South Group 5 high school football teams, including wins, losses, points average, and rankings.
  • As predicted, a Sayreville win over St. Thomas Aquinas Friday night didn’t get the Bombers a top-seed. They should be the two-seed in Central Jersey Group 5 behind overall No. 1 seed Washington Twp., which capped a 9-0 regular season Friday night, while Atlantic City – which was idle this weekend – gets the top-seed in the South Jersey Group 5 section.
  • Old Bridge would be the second seed in Central 5 if it all holds, which it should, as the next team back, Rancocas Valley (4-4) plays Lenape (0-8) Saturday. While Valley should win, it’s a weak opponent, and we don’t believe they can catch the Knights.
  • Hillsborough solidified its playoff spot, and moved up from 13 to 9 overall with a win at Hunterdon Central, which looks like they won’t make it, finishing 20th. We think the Raiders are likely locked in as the five-seed in Central Jersey Group 5.
  • Franklin picked up a Friday night win, but over winless North Brunswick, and that didn’t help them move up into the top 16, despite a 5-4 season.