Tag: Governor Livingston

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 7 Friday night Playoff Analysis: Group 3

Through the end of the season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will be updating unofficial playoff standings following Friday night’s games. Full analysis after the weekend will come during the week as the official standings are released by Gridiron New Jersey.

Here’s a look at unofficial standings after games of Friday, October 13th in Group 3. Results are calculated using scores on Gridiron New Jersey as of 9:30 am on October 14th:

Summit’s win over Colonia Friday night keeps them in second place with a 1.6 UPR, still solidly in second over the third-place team with a 4.2 UPR, although it’s now Parsippany Hills (5-2) instead of Warren Hills (5-3), which had to take a forfeit loss last night to Montville, and whose game next week against Hackettstown is up in the air, too.

Hillside climbed from No. 8 to sixth place after a win at Delaware Valley, putting them more solidly in the top eight, which guarantees at least a first-round home game. That sets up a big game at 7-1 Carteret next Friday, where a win could boost them even higher.

Cranford’s loss to Linden dropped the Cougars (4-3) from sixth to ninth place, while Governor Livingston held steady in 15th (and their UPR held at 16.2). But the Highlanders drop to 16th even with a win over South River today, since the Rams are winless, not counting anything else other teams may do today, or potential residuals.

Carteret’s win over a 3-5 Rahway team still leaves them one shy of a school record sixth game in a season of 40 or more points (they won 19-15) but it did boost them from 12th all the way up to ninth, and puts them just 0.4 UPR points out of a top four finish. We’ve already mentioned their meeting next week with Hillside as a huge one for the Comets; the same can be said for the Ramblers.

Somerville’s loss to Hillsborough Friday night drops them two spots from ninth to 11th and behind Carteret. The Pioneers are 4-4 with a 10.6 UPR, but are still just 1.4 points out of the top eight, and have a big home game against South Brunswick with 12 residuals next week that could get them in, maybe with some help. (While the Vikings have five wins, the fifth came in Game 8, and residuals only count for an opponents first seven games, so the Pioneers would only get 12 residuals, not 15).

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 7 Playoff Analysis: Group 3

With just two weeks of play left before the state playoffs are seeded, things are heating up in the playoff chase. Here’s our look at the Big Central Conference teams in playoff contention in Group 3 as we head into Week 7 of high school football around the state.

And, of course, don’t miss our “Playoff Projection Show,” scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, October 21st, when we’ll reveal our predicted matchups and seeds for the postseason. It’s all presented by My Family Appliances of Edison, which will be giving away three $100 gift cards during the show to lucky listeners!

All our analysis is based on Gridiron New Jersey’s official playoff calculations performed for the NJSIAA and listed on their website as of 9:30 pm on October 10. For full standings, click on each supersection’s header below:

NORTH GROUP 3:

2. Summit (5-1, 1.6): The Hilltoppers are a pretty solid two two finisher at this point, wiht a 2.6 UPR lead over third-place Warren Hills (5-2, 4.2 UPR). They close with two challenging road games, this Friday night at Colonia and next Saturday afternoon at St. Joseph-Metuchen. It’s pretty simple for Summit. We think they at least split those, and that might lock it up. A sweep most assuredly does so.

6. Cranford (4-2, 6.0): The Cougars are not yet assured of a top eight finish, which would give them at least a first round home game. They close with two challenging games as well: Linden at home Friday night, and at North Brunswick next Friday night. The teams behind them are tightly-packed: Vernon (6.2 UPR), Hillside (6.6) and West Essex (7.6). They shouldn’t have to worry about West Essex in tenth at 10.2 UPR. In fact, even with a split, it looks like regardless of which team they beat, and irrespective of what Hillside and Vernon do, they would end up a top eight team. A sweep and they may finish in the top four depending how things shake out. Two losses, and it’s another story.

8. Hillside (4-2, 6.6): We think the Comets have a crack at a top eight finish if they can play their cards right and win their last two games. That could be easier said than done, though, with two road games: Delaware Valley this Friday and at Carteret next Friday night. Two wins keep them in the top eight. A split, and things could go either way. Two losses, it’s a first round road trip.

15. Governor Livingston (5-2, 16.2): The Highlanders are still on the bubble, but at least two spots on the right side of it. The good news is that 17th place Sparta and 18th place River Dell only have one win each. So they may not do much winning these last two weeks. Both play some good teams these final two weeks, and with the Spartans and Golden Hawks the first two teams out right now, GL may only have to worry about Mendham in 19th place, but they’re 2.2 UPR points behind. The schedule is what’s interesting for Governor Livingston, which has low-rated South River on the road Saturday, but undefeated Bernards next weekend. A win over South River may actually hurt them, but a loss to Bernards might actually help them. An interesting one to watch.

SOUTH GROUP 3:

9. Somerville (4-3, 9.4): Let’s just say these last two games are huge for the Pioneers, who can make a huge jump with a win on their short road trip down Route 206 to play Hillsborough Friday night. They finish with South Brunswick at Brooks Field next Friday night. They’re a 50-50 at getting a first-round home game, via a top eight finish. Three teams from 8th to 9th are bunched up, with Manasquan at 9.2 UPR, Somerville at 9.4, and Seneca, with a 9.8 UPR. The ‘Ville may need a sweep to play another game at Brooks Field in the opening round.

12. Carteret (6-1, 12): Having six wins already and not being in the top eight means the Ramblers probably can’t make the move up unless the teams ahead of them all collapse down the stretch. Nice thought, but there’s no one ahead of them with only a couple of wins to catch. They’re all good. In fact, 13 of the top 16 teams here have reached three wins already. Carteret has two strong opponents here, Rahway and Hillside, and if they are to have a chance at opening the playoffs at the Pit, they’ll need to sweep, and probably need some help.

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 6 Playoff Analysis: Group 3

As we head down the home stretch of the high school football season in New Jersey, attention begins to turn to the postseason, and where everyone’s favorite team will fall.

Central Jersey Sports Radio has you covered the next three weeks, with our playoff analysis brought to you by My Family Appliances, Route One South in the Wick Plaza in Edison. They’re also the presenting sponsor of our “Playoff Projection Show” on Saturday, October 21 at 5 pm, and will be giving away three $100 gift cards to some lucky listeners!

In the meantime, a lot can happen between now and Cutoff Weekend, but here’s out team-by-team breakdown of where every Big Central Conference team in contention for the playoffs could end up. Click the supersection header to be taken to the official UPR standings heading into Week 6, as calculated for the NJSIAA by Gridrion New Jersey:

NORTH GROUP 3:

2. Summit (4-1): The Hilltoppers are rolling, their only loss coming to undefeated St. Thomas Aquinas in between a pair of wins their first two weeks, and two straight victories since. We think Summit pretty much controls its own fate. If they can take care of business in their last three games, they should be able to at least hold onto one of the top two seeds. Summit already is first in power points – by a lot – by virtue of having played Aquinas, a multiplier, for which they received 24 points for a loss. And their OSI is third, at 58.09. So there’s not much room for them to go up. But the nearest team behind them in OSI is Parsippany Hills at 54.64, then Vernon, Pascack Valley, and West Essex all around 52. Summit’s next three opponents all have SI values that should bring their OSI up: that’s Linden this week at Tatlock Field, then road trips to Colonia and St. Joseph-Metuchen. If Summit keeps doing what it has been doing, the Hilltoppers will be in fine shape for a top two finish and a No. 1 seed in whatever section they end up.

6. Cranford (3-2): The good news is the Cougars are in the top eight, with a UPR of a pure 6 (which is sixth in both power points and OSI) and the next team – Pascack Valley – is two full OSI points behind them. After 1-5 Scotch Plains on the road this week, things get a little tougher: Linden at home next week, then at North Brunswick the Friday night of Cutoff Weekend. Two wins – including SPF – should be enough to keep a hold on a top eight finish, which would give the Cougars at least a guaranteed first round home game in the playoffs.

9. Hillside (3-2): The Comets are squarely on the “first round home game bubble,” if you will. They’ve got a 9.2 UPR, while 8th place Passaic Valley has an 8.8 UPR. Their remaining schedule is not easy, with Johnson at home this week, then road games at Delaware Valley and Carteret, all of whom have winning records. That’s something very few teams have here in the last few weeks. Most have at least one winless or one- or two-win team. Barris Grant’s team will be challenged, but it’s also an opportunity to lock down a first-round home game at Conant Street Park. We’re not sure if two will do it, but three very well should. Check back again next week; we’ll have a better idea then!

15. Governor Livingston (5-1): The Highlanders are having a tremendous season, Owen Chait just won the Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week award for Week Five, and yet they’re in 15th place, on the bubble. It’s a 2.8 UPR point lead for GL over the 17th place team, 1-4 Sparta. Our take is that sub.-500 teams don’t belong in the playoffs, but that’s a debate for another time. The remaining schedule is a two-fold challenge for Governor Livingston. On the one hand, they have very tough games this week against Carteret, and in two weeks against Bernards; those two teams are a combined 11-1. Both are at home. In between is South River, a game that could very well hurt their standing, even with a win. It’s possible they may need to sweep, but they might be able to get away with two wins, since one of those victories would have to come over a very good team. Let’s see what happens against the Ramblers, and what everyone else does. We should have a much clearer picture by then.

21. Voorhees (3-3): Though the Vikings are .500 on the year, they have a 21 UPR, 5.2 points out of a playoff spot. We think they’re out regardless of how they finish, since their last three opponents are a combined 3-14 between South Plainfield, JFK and North Hunterdon, and the Tigers own all three of those wins. It’s too much ground to make up with a schedule that isn’t strong enough.

SOUTH GROUP 3:

8. Somerville (4-2): The Pioneers are the highest-ranked BCC team in the supersection, and they have Camden and Ocean Township both 1.6 UPR points behind, nipping at their heels. Their losses have come to the best two teams they’ve played so far: Montgomery and Union, both top ten teams. They’re at Westfield Saturday, Hillsborough next week, then back home for South Brunswick at Brooks Field Friday night of Cutoff Weekend. The teams behind them have a mixed bag of a schedule. For example, Camden has a 5-0 team and an 0-5 team to face. Wins in both could cancel out. Ocean Township has an ok schedule, too. We think Ville’s is tougher, so we’re thinking two wins in their final three games might lock up a top eight finish, and a first round home game.

12. Carteret (5-1): The Ramblers are having a great season, and while we won’t exactly place them on the bubble here, we think it’s a good probability the Ramblers get in. Our thinking is they win at least one if not two of their remaining games. Either should be enough to keep them in. But it won’t be easy. This week, it’s Governor Livingston on the road – a game they may well need, too – and then home to Rahway and Hillside the last two weeks. Both should be fun matchups! Can the Ramblers reach No. 8? Well, that may require a sweep. Let’s see how things shake out this week against GL – and with the teams ahead of them and behind them – and we’ll have a clearer picture.

by Mike Pavlichko

Chait’s big night gets Gov. Livingston off to best start since 2006, earns the Week 5 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week award

Governor Livingston football is having a bit of a renaissance.

Senior Owen Chait is a big reason why.

The senior and team captain is heating up at the right time, having notched his second straight 100-yard rushing game of the season Thursday night in a 25-6 win over South Plainfield where the Highlanders fell behind early, but scored the next 25 points for the victory, holding the Tigers off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

He carried 16 times for 156 yards and a touchdown, while adding ten tackles and 3 1/2 TFLs from his spot at inside linebacker. It’s his second double-digit tackle game in three games, and on Thursday, it was part of a 331-yard team rushing effort.

For all that, Chait is our Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Five.

Chait – along with other standouts like junior QB Lucciano Santamaria and senior receiver Matthew Shaffer – have Governor Livingston off to their best start since 2006, when they started 8-1, but dropped their final two games, losing to Raritan in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals.

It’s also their first five-game win streak since then, a year they started 1-1 but won their next seven games through the first round of the playoffs.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko’s interview with Week Five Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Owen Chait of Governor Livingston:

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 we did last year, we will recognize a few “Honorable Mentions,” and include all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Jakir Thomas, Carteret: Playing only in the first half of a lopsided win for the Ramblers, 46-7, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio Friday night, Thomas had ten carries for 154 yards and four touchdowns of 29, 31, 11 and 35 yards. Quite the night!
  • Jaeden Jones, Colonia: Jones was responsible for four out of seven total touchdowns for the Patriots in a 48-24 home win over North Hunterdon, a revenge win after a defeat out in Annandale a year ago. Jones carried 15 times for 136 yards and three touchdowns, adding two receptions for 16 yards and another touchdown, while passing for 100 yards on 3-of-6. At safety, he added eight tackles.
  • Matt D’Avino, Montgomery: D’Avino and his QB, Michael Schmelzer, Jr., have been hot lately, connecting on five of the last eight touchdowns the Cougars have scored in their last two games. This past week, in a 29-21 win at Watchung Hills – a battle of undefeated teams – D’Avino grabbed nine catches – three of them for touchdowns, and none longer than 31 yards – for a total of 122 yards; that’s 13.6 yards per catch!
  • Will Deady, Ridge: In a 30-24 win over Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night, the senior did it all. He scored the first TD of the game for his team on a 75-yard pick-six. At runningback, in addition to a catch for 28 yards, he had 21 carries for 147 yards and a 33-yard touchdown, which put his team up 30-12 with under four minutes to go. It was much-needed insurance, too, as the Panthers rallied for two late TDs to make it 30-24, though they would get no closer.
  • Daniel DeGennaro, St. Joseph-Metuchen: In a 17-14 win over Westfield at home Saturday, the senior QB led two 90-plus yard drives in the fourth quarter that led to ten points and a come from behind win. The first ended on a TD pass to Jeremy DeCaro that tied the game at 14-all with the extra point. The last led to the game-winning field goal as time expired. DeGennaro threw 10-of-12 for 166 yards, and the touchdown.

Other Nominations:

(in alphabetical order, by school)

  • Jax Jarvis, Middlesex: The junior runningback scored four different ways in a 45-0 win over Belvidere Friday night. He had a 58-yard touchdown reception out of the backfield, rushed for a 12-yard touchdown, threw a 24-yard touchdown pass, and had a 24-yard pick-six on defense.
  • A.J. Bosch, Woodbridge: In the Barrons’ 42-7 win over Perth Amboy – their 100 Years of Woodbridge Football Celebration – Bosch played only the first half, but still had six catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns, three punt returns for a total of 66 yard and a kick return for another 18 yards, giving him 181 all-purpose yards against the Panthers.
  • Braden Paulmenn, South Brunswick: In a 21-0 home win over Monroe on Friday night, the senior QB carried 15 times for 158 yards running the triple-option, scoring three touchdowns – including a 40-yarder. A safety, where he calls the defenses for his teammates, he had three tackles and an interception.
  • Patrick Carlisle, Bernards: In a 40-0 win over North Plainfield, the freshman runningback shined, with two touchdowns and just 41 yards on six carries. He’s scored five TDs in his first six games on the varsity squad.
  • Jose Baretto-Martinez, Edison: The senior linebacker had five tackles for a loss, a sack, a pass breakup, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in a 35-6 win over New Brunswick Friday night.
  • Ala-Meen Watkins, Plainfield: The junior quarterback/defensive end – a rare combo to see! – was big in a 33-0 win over North Bergen last week, throwing 8-of-11 for 207 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 55 yards, scoring two more times, and on defense had nine tackles and a TFL.
  • Shawn Young, St. Thomas Aquinas: The senior linebacker had six tackles and two interceptions in a 17-0 blanking of Hillside up in Union County last Saturday. The first of the picks came on the goal line to stop the COmets’ opening drive. His second came in the fourth quarter to help ice the game.
  • Samaad Hicks, North Brunswick: The senior had six tackles at free safety in a 50-0 shutout of Franklin, while also carrying ten times for 120 yards and two touchdowns on defense from his spot at free safety.

And this week, there was one “team” nomination:

  • Spotswood: Head coach Chris Meagher gives a big thumbs up this week to his entire defense, which pitched a 7-0 shutout against Roselle Park Friday night, fourth of the season for the Charger defense. They held Roselle Park to just 31 yards and three first downs the entire evening.
by Mike Pavlichko

Highlanders do it with defense: Governor Livingston stymies South Plainfield, 25-6

Governor Livingston entered Week 5 play Thursday night in 16th place in the North Group 3 playoff chase, despite being 4-1.

All they can do is win games at this point, and so far, just about all they have been doing is winning games.

The Highlanders made it their fifth in a row with a 25-6 win at South Plainfield’s Frank Jost Field Thursday night, pulling away in the second half and blanking the Tigers after halftime.

Quarterback Ryan Balent found Patrick Smith four minutes into the game on a 15-yard touchdown pass, and after a failed two-point pass, they led 6-0.

That was all they would muster the rest of the game. GL scored 25 unanswered, starting with the equalizer, a one-yard run by Jack Dally after quarterback Lucciano Santamaria – a fellow junior – set him up with a huge run on fourth down to get near the goal line. The extra point made it 7-6 with 2:39 to go in the quarter.

After a scoreless second, Governor Livingston ratcheted up the defense, and got some insurance. A Mason Barker field goal made it 10-6. A touchdown pass to Matthew Shaffer made it 17-6. A safety made it 19-6, and Owen Chait capped it off with one last touchdown.

The win gives the Highlanders their best start since 2006, when they started 8-1, but dropped their final two games, losing to Raritan in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals. It’s also their first five-game win streak since then, a year they started 1-1 but won their next seven games through the first round of the playoffs.

South Plainfield fell to 3-3.

Click below for postgame reaction with Marcus Borden from Frank Jost Field, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Mid-Season Playoff Analysis: Summit, Cranford, Carteret may have chance at top seeds in Group 3

It’s our first week of playoff analysis here at Central Jersey Sports Radio – this year, presented by our friends at My Family Appliances in Edison – and it seems like more teams have a legitimate shot at earning top seeds.

That may just be anecdotal evidence, and there’s still a lot of football to be played, but as of now, at least three Group 3 schools may have a chance.

But first…

Playoff Qualification Primer

The NJSIAA uses the United Power Ranking (UPR) to determine where teams are seeded. Without getting into all the behind the scenes calculations and caveats, each team’s UPR is based on two factors: their rank in the supersection based on power points and on OSI.

Power points are an average and based on the traditional formula that’s been used – albeit altered from time-to-time – over the years. Teams get six points for every win, group points based on the group of the opponent, and residuals – 3 for every win by a team you beat, 1 for every win by a team you lost to.

OSI is the Opponent Strength Index, and average of all the opponents played. Teams get the full value of a team’s Strength Index for a win, half for a loss. A win over an opponent with an SI of 80 gets and 80, a loss gets you 40 points. SI varies based on results throughout the year.

Teams are ranked in each category. OSI values are worth 60 percent of the formula, power points 40 percent. That added number makes the UPR, with lower numbers better. The best UPR a team can have is a 1, which is first in both power points and OSI.

The UPR is calculated for the NJSIAA by the website Gridiron New Jersey. Central Jersey Sports Radio also does its own unofficial calculations throughout the season, and will unveil its playoff projections in our annual special broadcast, this year on Saturday, October 21 from 5-7 pm, presented by My Family Appliances in Edison.

North Group 3

While Old Tappan (4-0, 10-game win streak, second longest active in the state) sits at the top, Summit (3-1) is No. 2 overall at the moment in the section, with a 2.2 UPR, right behind Old Tappan (1.4) and ahead of Warren Hills (4-1, 2.4 UPR) by a smidge. Cranford (2-2) is just behind the, but it’s a wider gap, as they have a 6.4 UPR, which is decent ground to make up.

The Hilltoppers have a good schedule coming up after winless Scotch Plains-Fanwood at home this weekend, with strong teams like Linden at home next week, then two road games to closer it out at Colonia and St. Joseph-Metuchen. Old Tappan’s schedule may be slightly lower in quality the rest of the way out, and Warren Hills is fairly similar, too. Summit may have to win out to earn a top seed, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Cranford has a tough schedule, too, including closing with Group 5 North Brunswick. The Cougars may need some help, but it’t not out of the question for them either if things break right.

The next area team in the standings is Hillside at No. 12. The Comets are 3-1, and should fairly safely be in the playoffs if they continue to play at the level they have been; their lone loss is to Ridge.

Governor Livingston is an interesting study. The Highlanders are 4-1, having won four straight after losing their opener. It”s their best start since going 8-1 to start 2006, a season they finished 8-3. It’s their first four-game win streak since 2008, when the Highlanders went 7-5 and lost to Caldwell in the North 2, Group 2 title game.

All that and GL is only in 16th place.

It’s mainly due to their schedule: three of their four wins have come against teams that are a combined 0-14 in North Plainfield, JFK and JP Stevens. The schedule gets tougher though, with Carteret and Bernards – teams with top-seed playoff aspirations – among their final four games. Both are at home, the Ramblers next week, and Bernards on the Saturday of Cutoff Weekend.

A win against one of those might be needed in order to combat the weak schedule. Stay tuned, they could be this year’s cause celebre in the Big Central, a la Spotswood last year and Manville two years ago. They finished with seven and six wins, respectively, at the cutoff, and didn’t make the postseason, and scheduling had a lot to do with it.

South Group 3

It might be a bit of a longshot, and playing winless JP Stevens won’t help them this week, no matter how close they keep it, but Carteret sits in sixth with a 7.4 UPR, 4.8 points behind second-place Holmdel.

Then again, after the Hawks this Friday night (7 pm on CJSR) the schedule gets tougher. There’s 4-1 Governor Livingston, then Rahway and Hillside.

A lot may depend on what others do.

Somerville (3-2) sits in eighth at the moment, so they’re right on the bubble of a first round home game. They could go either way at this still-early date.

South Plainfield, like Governor Livingston, is another plus-.500 team in rough shape. At 3-2, the Tigers sit in 24th place, a full nine UPR points out of the playoff window. Worse yet, their remaining schedule is not good. Other than GL this week, they have Voorhees, at Perth Amboy, and home to Monroe the last three weeks; those three teams are a combined 6-9. It’s not awful, but there’s no “big win” either, to give them a big boost.

by Mike Pavlichko

Who’s got the best defense in the Big Central Conference? A closer look through Week Three

There are a half-dozen teams in the Big Central Conference with 4-0 records through Week 3 – go ask the NJSIAA about the math – and all of them reside in among the top 15 out of the 59 teams in the league in terms of scoring defense.

Through four games, the Spotswood Chargers have allowed the fewest points, averaging 5.5 per game allowed, just under the 6.8 St. Thomas Aquinas has given up. Both teams are 4-0, and each has pitched two shutouts. Put another way, they’ve each blanked half their opponents so far.

Spotswood shut out Bordentown in Week Zero and Highland Park last week. Aquinas has blanked New Providence in Week One and Scotch Plains-Fanwood the following week.

Also at 4-0 is Bernards, which checks in at third on the list at 7.8 points per game, although the Mountaineers haven’t shut out anyone yet. The most they’ve allowed this year in a game is 12 to Hillside, while allowing seven to South River and six each to Jefferson and Voorhees.

The only top ten teams to have logged a shutout on the year are St. Thomas (2) and Sayreville (1).

Seven teams are allowing fewer than 10 points a game at the moment, with North Brunswick next on the list at eight, Governor Livingston at 8.8, Phillipsburg at 9.3 and Union at 9.8 points per game.

Ridge has the highest defensive scoring average among teams in the Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten. But that doesn’t mean the Red Devils are giving up a lot of points: just 11.4 through three games, with 21 of the total 35 points they’ve allowed being scored in their lone loss, by Phillipsburg.

Big Central Scoring Defense thru Week Three

by Mike Pavlichko

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Week 4: Rumbling on the Raritan, Top Defenses

It’s Week Four – yes we’re almost halfway through the regular season for most teams – and time for another episode of “The Big Central in Two Minutes,” as veteran CJSR sportscaster Mike Pavlichko shares notes, stats, and observations on area high school football.

This week, we look at Sunday’s Rumble on the Raritan, Big Play Ray, the Phillipsburg/Montgomery game with almost four dozen penalties, top defenses, and a nearly 100-year-old rivalry played under the lights for the very first time.

Click below to listen to the Week Four edition of “The Big Central in Two Minutes”:

by Mike Pavlichko

Group 3 playoff analysis: Somerville needs some wins, and badly, while Cranford battles for a home game

With the midway point of the high school football season upon us, we start to take a closer look at playoff standing and the chase for the postseason, with Cutoff Weekend just four weeks away. Below is a look at Group 3:

NORTH (Click here for official standings)

Defending North 3 Regional Champion West Morris remains the class of the section this year, as the Wolfpack sit 5-0, with a UPR of 1.0, and Old Tappan behind them with a 2.4 UPR. Two undefeated teams lie ahead, both 4-0 at the moment: Morris Knolls this Friday night, and Randolph on the road two weeks later.

Cranford – which won the North 2, Group 3 section last year, but lost to West Morris in the regional final at Met Life Stadium – is the highest-ranked Big Central team here, at 2-2. They have wins over Summit and Woodbridge, with losses to North Hunterdon and St. Thomas Aquinas. If those schools continue to have good years, it will bode well for Cranford, with the goal here to earn at least a first-round playoff game, which necessitates a top eight finish.

They visit Rahway this Friday, which just took its first loss of the season Saturday on Central Jersey Sports Radio, 20-0 to winless Summit. That’s a big game, and then there’s a huge one cutoff weekend at home against North Brunswick. Should they beat the Raiders, that could seal the deal.

To find the next team in the section, you need to go all the way down to No. 17 to find Summit, a full UPR point behind Wayne Hills, with a 15.6 UPR. The Hilltoppers’ win over Rahway could be a turning point for the season, with winnable games against Scotch Plains-Fanwood (2-2) and Linden (1-3) the next two weeks before facing some of the big boys – Colonia (5-0) and St. Joseph-Metuchen (3-1) – the last two weeks.

After an 0-2 start, which has hurt them, Governor Livingston has all of a sudden won three straight. But they’re in 21st place, and the Highlanders have a tough schedule the rest of the way, though. South Plainfield, Carteret, South River and Bernards are a combined 14-4. The good news is this: beating those good teams will boost their chances a lot.

SOUTH (Click here for official standings)

This is a playoff section where – for the last several years, it’s been Somerville mostly trying to get over the hump to earn a top-seed despite their weak schedule. And more often than not, there was nothing they could do about except win and hope for the best.

That will be the thinking again this year, but that’s just to make the playoffs. After five straight playoff appearances (not counting 2020 where there were no playoffs) with one title and three finals berths, the Pioneers are in drastic danger of snapping that string under first-year head coach Ian Pace.

They sit in 23rd place, with a 22.2 UPR, ironically right behind Camden East Side (nee Woodrow Wilson), the team they lost to in their last finals appearance, in 2019. They will have to make up oodles of ground to get into the top 16, with Manasquan holding that last playoff position with four weeks to go, with a 16.8 UPR.

The good news is that if Somerville can get it in gear, their tough schedule will help it immensely. They play five Group 5 schools to finish the regular season, starting this weekend at Elizabeth, which just knocked off St. Joe’s in Metuchen Saturday afternoon for its first win of the season. Then, they have Westfield and Hillsborough at home before closing on the Friday night of Cutoff Weekend at South Brunswick. All will boost their power points and OSI – if they can beat them.

The highest-ranekd team here is South Plainfield in ninth, as Bill Hamilton has the Tigers 4-0 in his second season as head coach. Can they crack the top eight to earns first-round home playoff game? Too early to say, as their schedule the rest of the way is a bit weak after a Saturday afternoon road game at resurgent Governor Livingston. That’s the best team left on their schedule, with a road game at Voorhees the next week, followed by Perth Amboy at home and Monroe on the road.

Want a shot at a home game? GL is a must win.

Carteret is also having a fine season. Kevin Freeman’s squad is 4-1, their lone loss to South Plainfield, and they sit in 13th. Considering that among the teams behind them are Manasquan (0-3) and Triton (1-3) and the minimum number of wins to make the playoffs is two this season (up from one last year) it would appear Carteret, should they continue their excellent play this year, is a good bet to make the playoffs, and end up on the road in the first round. Next up is Group 5 JP Stevens in Edison this Friday night, the third Group 5 team they’ll play this year. (They’ve already beaten Perth Amboy and Plainfield.)

by Mike Pavlichko

Just for kicks: Big-time boot earns Governor Livingston’s Quigley Week 9 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Award

Sometimes it’s a big interception, or five or six touchdowns, or an outstanding performance in all three phases.

Sometimes, it’s just a kick.

And sometimes, it’s a really big kick, as was the case for Governor Livingston junior Liam Quigley on Saturday afternoon.

See, the Highlanders hadn’t won a game all season. So it wasn’t as if the playoffs were on the line, but it was still a really big kick.

Knotted up at 21-all with A.L. Johnson, with 2.8 seconds left and the ball on the 23 yard line, out came Liam Quigley to try a 40-yard field goal attempt.

By the time the clock read :00, the Highlanders had their first win of the season, and Quigley and his teammates ran all over the field celebrating.

Click below to see Quigley’s game-winning 40-yard field goal against A.L. Johnson, as well as some of his other long kicks in the game:

Click below to hear Liam Quickly talk about his game-winning 50-yard field goal against A.L. Johnson:


At the end of the season, all the Bellamy & Son Players of the Week will receive a custom football, and one of the winners will receive a $500 scholarship from Bellamy & Son Paving.

Honor Roll:

All season long, Zaon Laney has been a workhorse for Rahway, and in a big 40-21 win Saturday at Hillside it was no different. Laney – a Week 6 winner – rushed 35 times for 293 yards and three touchdowns – with a long of 65 – and had two catches for 11 yards as well. He had a 31-yard kick return, too, and was involved in four tackles on defense, adding a pass breakup and a 21-yard interception return.

You certainly couldn’t ignore Hashym Hobbs-Harris’ performance for No. 1 Somerville in the swirling rain Friday night, in a 45-22 win over Summit. He ran for 200 yards on just 13 carries, but more impressively, took over the game after Ethan MacNair left with an ankle injury. On Somerville’s next offensive play from scrimmage, he ran 63 yards for a score. And on the Pioneer’s next touch he went 72 yards to paydirt.

There were a lot of big nights on the ground Friday, with the weather hampering passing games all over the state. Lucas Hudkins rolled off 226 yards on just 20 carries in a 35-13 win over Elizabeth, scoring three touchdowns. Ridge could be a dark horse in the upcoming state playoffs, and Hudkins is a big reason why.