Tag: Highlight Reel Play of the Year

by Mike Pavlichko

Dre Garcia’s pick, handoff to Greg Brown, earns Ridge Red Devils the win for the 2025 Highlight Reel Play of the Year

Seven nominees, seven really good highlights.

But in the end, the fans must pick one.

With nearly six thousand votes cast, the Ridge Red Devils nearly had a plurality, earning almost 29-hundred votes – and almost 48 percent of the total – in our fan balloting for the 2025 Highlight Reel Play of the Year.

And like many nominees – and some past champions – it wasn’t a play that was drawn up or routinely worked on at the end of practice.

Junior nose tackle Dre Garcia read the screen pass from the North Brunswick quarterback perfectly. It came right to him, and he made his push forward.

But he quickly saw linebacker Greg Brown running right next to him. Brown says his plan was to block downfield for him, figuring he was faster and could get in front of him to stifle the Raiders’ offense, now trying to stop the ball carrier.

But Garcia said, “here, you take it” – if not in so many words – and he shoved the ball into Brown’s chest.

Brown took it the rest of the wat for a score in a 57-20 home win over North Brunswick on October 17th at Lee Field in Basking Ridge.

Click below to see Ridge’s winning Highlight Reel play, then scroll further down to hear Dre Garcia, Greg Brown and head coach Jeff Sutherland talk about the play with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sport Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Ridge NT Dre Garcia, LB Greg Brown and head coach Jeff Sutherland:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Third Place: Andre Pereira, Cranford, October 3rd: After a successful onside kick, Pereira’s number was called again with his team down 41-40 at home against Rahway late in the game. The attempt would be from the left hash mark, a 37-yard try. Not only did he nail it to set off a wild celebration over the win, but he just got it around a Rahway defender who charged across the line of scrimmage from his left.
  • Second Place: John Archer and Dorian Roundtree, Bound Brook, September 26: On a fourth-and-ten from their own ten yard line, Archer hits Roundtree on the right sideline, right at the sticks. Then, he turns and gets upfield for the remaining 80-yards, and it’s a 90-yard touchdown to put the Crusaders over Belvidere, 28-27.

Click here to watch all seven nominees for the Highlight Reel Play of the Year!

by Mike Pavlichko

Jahai Johnson’s tackle-breaking 89-yard kick return for a score – his third of the game – is CJSR’s 2024 Highlight Reel Play of the Year

Have you ever seen a high school football game with four kickoff returns for touchdowns?

Neither did we until this year.

But that’s what happened on September 6 at Kenny Armwood Stadium, where Jahai Johnson of Piscataway had three of them in a game the Chiefs would lose 52-48, one of those “whoever scores last wins” type of contests.

It was back-and-forth all night, with Johnson trying to will his team to victory.

He started with an 80-yard kick return for a score in the second quarter. When Bridgewater-Raritan’s Nick DiEsso took the opening kick of the second half to the house, Johnson answered with one from 69 yards away. Then, he added one more for 89 yards, and that was the one that impressed everyone the most.

That’s because he broke more than a half-dozen tackles on his way to the end zone. And as the fans decided the Highlight Reel Play of the Year for 2024, it appears the voters were impressed as well.

Johnson got 711 votes, 49 percent of all the votes cast last week, beating out three other contenders.

Click below to see Johnson’s winning Highlight Reel play, then scroll further down to hear him talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sport Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Piscataway senior Jahai Johnson:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Fourth Place: Laivon Balthazar and Brandon Bradsher, Perth Amboy: The pair hook up on a long pass play for a touchdown early against JFK in Week Zero, helping the Panthers to their only win of the season.
  • Third Place: Kamr McLean, Governor Livingston: His long kickoff return gave the Highlanders the lead, and they hung on for a big road win over Voorhees.
  • Second Place: Max Austin, Bernards: His pick-six at the 19-yard line helped the Mountaineers take a big lead and put away Hillside early in a big rivalry game.

Click here to watch all four clips in our original fan vote video!

by Mike Pavlichko

Laverty-Caldwell connection takes home fan vote for Highlight Reel Play of the Year

There were some great touchdown runs and some trickeration on a kickoff.

But the clip that won the Highlight Reel Play of the Year in our annual fan vote was the one that helped lead Bernards to its first ever state sectional title.

Without it, the Mountaineers might very well have seen its hopes dashed by Lakeland. Instead, the Lancers’ field goal at the horn sent the game to overtime, where the ‘Nards Ball defense held, and senior quarterback Connor Laverty scored on his own to win the game.

On 4th and goal from the 11, Laverty hit fellow senior and favorite wide receiver target Jake Caldwell for a touchdown that, with the extra point, put his team up by 3.

Click below to see the winning play!

For the full video of all five nominated highlight reel plays, click here.