Tag: high school football

by Mike Pavlichko

Rahway’s Laney awarded Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Scholarship

Each week during the 2021 regular season, Bellamy & Son Paving sponsored Big Central Player of the Week Honors.

Nine weeks, nine winners.

One of them was to get a $500 scholarship at the end of the year. In its inaugural year, the winner is Rahway’s Zaon Laney.

Rahway’s Zaon Laney got it done in all three phases in a Week 6 win over Warren Hills (Source: Twitter)

Laney was the Week Six winner, for his efforts in a 27-7 Senior Night victory over Warren Hills. He rushed for 225 yards, and 2 catches, and 3 touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 10 tackles, 6 solo, and had an interception. He also had a 24-yard punt return.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko surprise Zaon Laney of Rahway with the Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Scholarship award:

Here’s the full list of Bellamy & Son Paving Players of the Week for 2021:

  • Week 1: Davison Igbinosun, Union
  • Week 2: Tommy Amankwaa, Hillsborough
  • Week 3: Zaimer Wright, Sayreville
  • Week 4: Mike Olivo, Ridge
  • Week 5: Khiri Summers, South Brunswick
  • Week 6: Zaon Laney, Rahway
  • Week 7: Alex Benitez, Montgomery
  • Week 8: Anthony Robinson, Scotch Plains-Fanwood
  • Week 9: Liam Quigley, Governor Livingston
by Mike Pavlichko

Despite injury, Knights’ Haughney picks up CJSR’s “Longevity Award”

While he suffered a season-ending injury in his sixth game of the season, it still feels like Owen Haughney has been an Old Bridge Knight forever.

A dual-threat quarterback, it was a disappointing ending in a promising season, but Haughney had one heckuva career, and was named Central Jersey Sports Radio’s “Longevity Award” winner for 2021.

Despite the injury, Haugney went 52-82 passing this year for 823 yards and 9 TD with just two picks. He also rushed 60 times for 336 yards.

In his career, he racked up 2,533 passing yards and 26 TDs. He easily would have passed 3,000 had he not gotten hurt this year. Haughney threw for over 100 yards in 14 career games. He also had 732 career rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground.

Click below to hear Dom Savino talk with Old Bridge’s Owen Haughney:

Honorable mentions included Colonia’s Josh Oluremi, who has rushed for over 2,000 yards and passed for over 1,800 in his career, as one of the most electrifying players in the Big Central Conference. Mike Leanza also was recognized, a senior who rushed for 1,000 yards this year in seven games, despite breaking his leg late in the season and missing his team’s playoff games. Also noted was Matt Marchesi of South River, the son of Rams’ head coach Rich Marchesi, who just finished his 33rd season. Matt has been a water boy for his dad since he was five, and hasn’t missed a practice in 12 years!

by Mike Pavlichko

Teammates go down, Bird steps up; North Plainfield senior wins CJSR’s “Leadership Award”

The North Plainfield football team entered the 2021 season with three captains. But it wasn’t long before two of them were down for the count: Keiahn Grenald, and Khan-Yae Stevens.

Stevens was Central Jersey Sports Radio’s “Jack-of-All-Trades” last year – and an honorable mention for Two-Way Player of the Year – meaning he does a little of everything, and now that was missing. And Grenald is one of the more electrifying players in the league as well.

In stepped senior linebacker/H-back Jordan Bird, who may helped keep the team together after a 1-3 start to go 5-1 the rest of the way, finishing 6-4, to go 13-5 the past two seasons. It helped the Canucks go .500 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2007-08.

Click below to listen to Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dom Savino talk with Jordan Bird:

Honorable mentions in the “Leadership Award” category include Connor Tracy of Governor Livingston and Josh Oluremi of Colonia.

Tracy is the son of GL offensive coordinator Bill Tracy, the former Ridge coach. As the starting quarterback the last two years, he’s thrown for 1,129 yards and 10 TDs. But more importantly, he was a “consummate leader” all year, and came in early before practice to work with a young ballclub in a rebuilding year. His coaches call him “a great role model and leader for our program regardless of circumstance,” referring to the Highlandeers winning just one game this year.

Oluremi, a QB/CB for the Patriots, rushed for 1,594 yards and 20 TDs this year, while throwing for 954 yards, but more notably led by example. A two-year captain, he has a 3.9 GPA and is a member of two honor societies. He also participates in the “Heroes and Cool Kids” mentorship program in the district middle schools.

by Mike Pavlichko

East Brunswick has breakthrough year under Steinfeld, named CJSR’s “Turnaround Team of the Year”

After a pair of seasons hovering around the .500 mark, a close, heartbreaking loss was not the way East Brunswick wanted to start the 2021 football season.

But that feeling didn’t last long.

After a tough 27-24 season-opening loss in the Battle of Route 18 to Old Bridge, the Bears reeled off eight straight regular season wins, before falling in the first round of the playoffs to Toms River North.

Their 8-2 mark – following a 4-5 debut season under head coach Andy Steinfeld, and a 4-4 mark in his second campaign during last year’s COVID-shortened season – earned them this year’s Central Jersey Sports Radio “Turnaround Team of the Year” award.

Representing the Bears on Thursday night’s awards show was runningback/linebacker Gianfranco DeGuida, a senior co-captain who ran for 442 yards this season, while contributing on defense, and blocking two extra points on special teams.

Click below to listen to Gianfranco DeGuida talk with Mike Pavlichko:

St. Thomas Aquinas checks in as an honorable mention. The Trojans had a steadier progression over three years under Joe Vigilante, who debuted with a 2-8 season, went 4-6 last year, and finished this year 9-1, with 8 wins on the field (one was a COVID-related forfeit). They allowed just nine points in the regular season, all coming in their finale against Delaware Valley, after shutting out their first seven opponents of the campaign.

by Mike Pavlichko

Plainfield’s Ellis feels like he helped start something for the Cardinals, as he heads to Delaware State

When Tahmir Ellis – a wide receiver and defensive back at Plainfield – signed his National Letter of Intent Wednesday to play at Delaware State, it was more than just the end of his high school career, and the beginning of his college career.

He also hopes it’s the start of something good for the Cardinals.

James Williams – his head coach – hopes his encore can be just as good as his debut, after going 5-5 in 2021, the team’s best record in almost a decade.

Plainfield last had five wins in a season all the way back in 2004, when they also split ten games.

A big reason this year was Tahmir Ellis.

Ellis was the Cardinals’ top receiver in 2021; he had 38 catches for 567 yards and seven touchdowns on a team where a half-dozen different receivers all had had 150 yards or more each. Then on defense, he led the team with 81 tackles, 51 solo, adding one sack and one interception.

Click below to head Tahmir Ellis talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about his decision to go to Delaware State University, and this past season with the Cardinals:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big Central players take the next step, sign on the dotted line on December National Letter of Intent day

In a ceremony at 7:30 this morning at Cranford High School, offensive lineman Matt Fries became the first Big Central Conference football player to signing on the dotted line to join to attend the college of his choice for 2022-23. His National Letter of Intent has been signed, sealed and delivered (electronically, of course) to the University of Illinois, where he’ll play Big Ten football next fall.

Several others are expected to sign today, while some will wait until the February signing date as they await other college offers, a process that has been delayed somewhat since the pandemic – especially at smaller schools – thanks to extra years of eligibility for college student-athletes and the proliferation of the transfer portal.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will be talking to local he student-athletes today as they make their decisions official, and will update this story with photos and audio as they become available.

Below is a list of players from each school, which college they are expected to sign or have signed with with, and the approximate time they’re expected to sign and send in their NLI, if they haven’t already.

Cranford:
Matt Fries – University of Illinois

Illinois football’s announcement that Cranford’s Matt Fries has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Illini. (Source: Twitter)

Hillsborough:
Thomas Amankwaa – Rutgers University

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, on Amankwaa, at today’s signing day presser:

“All he did was go out and have a tremendous senior year, like blew the doors off it. Something opened up, fortunately, and I think we’re getting a really spectacular — I think the biggest decision is do you play him on offense or play him on defense? Fran and Tiquan are fighting over this guy. So we’ll see. I think he’s not only a great player, but a great athlete.”

Hillsborough’s Thomas Amankwaa and his family on signing day in the High School Library (photo: Mike Pavlichko)

JFK:
Isaiah Cherry – University of Delaware

Montgomery:
Brandon Feury – Marist College

Plainfield:
Tahmir Ellis – Delaware State University
FULL STORY with AUDIO: Plainfield’s Ellis feels like he helped start something for the Cardinals, as he heads to Delaware State

South Brunswick:
Jai Patel – Rutgers University
Omar Abdelaziz – Wagner College
Brian Rawls – Colgate University

It remains a mystery where the Big Central’s most highly-sought after recruit – Union athlete/DB Davison Igbinosun – will sign, but it appears he may be waiting until the All-American Bowl on January 8th. Union head coach Lou Grasso Jr. told Central Jersey Sports Radio that last week, but Igbinosun stirred the Internet Tuesday night with a Twitter graphic showing him and his brother Desmond, who’s currently at Rutgers, saying “Brothers for Life” adding “Next stop… Rutgers.”

That tweet posted at 8:49 p.m., and stood on its own for about 40 minutes, until 9:29 pm, when three more posts were made, showing similar recruiting-style graphics from Ole Miss, Tennessee and Kentucky, just three more among the 30-plus major D-1 offers Igbinosun holds, according to Grasso.

by Mike Pavlichko

Hilliard steps down at St. Joseph-Metuchen

After five seasons leading the St. Joseph high school football team, Rich Hilliard is leaving Metuchen.

Hilliard – the third head coach in the Falcons’ short history – handed in his resignation this week, following a 3-6 season, with one COVID-related forfeit loss.

With a mark of 30-17 in his tenure at St. Joe’s, their best season under his tutelage was a 9-1 campaign in 2017, his first season with the Falcons.

He coached several D1 prospects, including big offensive lineman John Olmstead, who graduated in 2018 and went to Notre Dame; he later transferred to Lafayette. He also coaches Jon Sot’s senior year in 2017; he went on to Harvard and became the school’s best-ever punter.

Hilliard told Central Jersey Sports Radio Tuesday he’s not looking for another head coaching job, but he’d consider it if the right one comes along. He said he had been thinking about retiring for some time, and – for now – plans to get out his golf clubs and hit the links, and spend more time with his family.

Hilliard replaced Casey Ransone in 2017, who was 26-13 in four seasons, following Bob Molarz, who began the program, which played its first varsity season against an independent schedule in 2011, joining the Greater Middlesex Conference the next year.

by Mike Pavlichko

“All in or all out”: With personal and professional life on the rise, Whitaker bids Somerville adieu

He’s getting married soon, and being made a partner at his real estate firm.

Coaching a high school football team just didn’t fit in the equation any more. At least, not the way the job should be done.

“It’s a sad moment for me,” Dallas Whitaker told Central Jersey Sports Radio Wednesday night, just days after stepping down from the helm of the program he led to a 36-6 record over four seasons, with just five on-field losses (one this year was a COVID-related forfeit). Two of those losses came in sectional finals: to Rumson in 2018 and Woodrow Wilson in 2019.

Whitaker was brought on by Jeff Vanderbeek, the former New Jersey Devils owner who resurrected the program in 2016, after splitting time as co-head coach with Chris Cassamento in 2015. Somerville had lost 26 straight games – the second longest active streak in the state at the time – before snapping the skid with a win against North Plainfield, and finished the season 2-8.

The next year, Vanderbeek took the reins solo. And with Whitaker as Offensive Coordinator, they went 10-1, falling to Rumson-Fair Haven in the sectional semifinals in 2016, before beating the Bulldogs in 2017 to win the Central Jersey Group 3 title.

Somerville players celebrate their 2017 Central Jersey Group 3 championship – the school’s first since 1994 – at midfield at Rutgers’ High Point Solutions Stadium.

Just this Monday, the 29-year-old Whitaker had been named one of the American Football Coaches’ Association’s “35 Under 35,” which is “a prestigious program aimed at identifying and developing premier, future leaders in the football coaching profession.”

Whitaker announced his resignation via the @VilleFootball twitter account on Tuesday.

Click below to hear Dallas Whitaker talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big Central Conference releases All-Division Teams

Following the first full year of play in the Big Central Conference – after the league’s debut in the COVID-shortened 2020 season – the BCC’s coaches have announced their All-Division Teams for 2021.

Overall, 384 players were honored.

(This post has been updated with a missing page of the Division 5D honorees.)

That includes ten players on the All-Division 5B Team from Hillsborough, the first Big Central team to win 13 games in a season as a member of the league. (Piscataway won 13 games in 2018, the first year the playoffs expanded by a round, but the BCC did not begin play until last season.)

BREAKING: Amankwaa set to graduate Hillsborough early, join Rutgers in January

Hillsborough won the Central Jersey Group 5 championship – its first state title in 21 years – and also won the South 5 regional championship.

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

Cranford also had ten players honored – on the All-Division 4 Team – after a season in which it went 11-1, winning the North 2 Group 3 title, its third in eleven seasons.

MORE: Murray’s career game, Gallagher’s three picks help Cranford win third state title

Click below to view a PDF file of all ten Big Central Conference All-Division teams. Players were selected by the league’s coaches. Some divisions also chose an 2nd Team, while others did not.

2021 Big Central All-Division Teams (rev 1)Download
by Mike Pavlichko

Raiders sweep Big Central rankings with No. 1 pick by league media

In the final Big Central Media Poll of the season, the Hillsborough Raiders – not the least bit unexpectedly – finished the season atop the rankings, after going undefeated, winning a Somerset County record 13 games, taking the Central Jersey Group 5 crown, and winning the South 5 regional championship.

All six media members – including two from Central Jersey Sports Radio – picked Hillsborough, after splitting their vote among various teams much of the year, including the Raiders, Somerville and Union for the last three weeks of the season.

The Farmers – whose season was cut short by COVID in the second round of the playoffs – finished second, with a mark of 9-2. They were division 5A champions and widely considered a favorite to win North 2 Group 5.

Cranford – which won a sectional title for the third time in eleven years when it cruised past Sparta in the North 2 Group 3 final – came in third, finishing 11-1.

Somerville, the Division 3 champion which finished 8-3, was voted fourth, while Ridge (7-3) came in fifth and Sayrevile – 8-3 and Division 5D champions – came in sixth.

The top six places in the media poll mirrored the Central Jersey Sports Radio rankings.

In seventh was North Brunswick (8-4), followed by Woodbridge (7-3) and St. Thomas Aquinas (9-1), while Phillipsburg finished tenth.

Six teams also received votes.

See the full poll below: