Tag: Hillsborough

by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Roundup: Cranford stops Bernards’ long streak; Rahway upsets Summit; JP Stevens is 2-0 for first time in over two decades

There was a lot to talk about Friday night in the Big Central Conference, besides No. 3 Piscataway shutting down a very good Somerville offense in a big 28-14 home win over the No. 5 Pioneers, in the Bellamy & Son Paving Game of the Week.

Two of the three longest active league win streaks came to an end, Rahway had a big upset of No. 8 Summit at home, and JP Stevens is 2-0 for the first time in a long time.

Read on for game recaps and notes, audio, and links to other coverage, as well as the full slate of Friday night scores, plus Saturday’s games and coverage plans.

Rahway gets big win at No. 8 Summit…

After winning a wild opening game down at Willingboro in Week Zero, including lightning delays, things didn’t look to get any easier for Rahway in Game Two with eighth-ranked Summit coming to town.

But that didn’t daunt the Indians, who jumped out to a 14-0 lead, saw that advantage shrink to four, then pulled away for a 21-0 win over the Hilltoppers with an excellent defensive effort at Madden Field.

The win leaves Rahway 2-0 for the second time in three seasons as head coach Brian Russo returns to his old stomping grounds next Friday when the Indians take on Woodbridge (1-1), which rebounded off a season-opening home loss to Bridgewater-Raritan last Friday (heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio) with a 14-8 road win at Edison Thursday night.

They’ll be looking to avenge a 21-7 loss in the first round of last year’s North 2, Group 4 playoffs. Before that, Rahway had been 4-0 against the Barrons in three meetings from 1927 to 1929 and in 1915.

Click below for postgame reaction from Rahway head coach Brian Russo and Defensive Coordinator Troy Eastman:

Bernards, Manville see Big Central win streaks end…

It had been straight 32 Big Central wins for the Bernards football program heading into Friday night’s home game at Olcott Field against Cranford, and the visiting Cougars made sure that streak went no farther.

In the season opener for the Cougars, Aidan Capizzi threw touchdown passes to Luke Owens and John Fiore, Jr., to help power Cranford to a 31-24 win.

After a 24-7 lead shrunk to 24-21 in the third following a 15-yard Bernards TD catch by Sean Arcelay, and a 35-yard pick-six by Luke Bubnowski, Logan Murray’s 45-yard TD run for Cranford in the fourth gave them enough cushion to survive late field goal.

Bernards was within three victories of tying the league record for most consecutive BCC wins of 35, held by St. Thomas Aquinas. That streak ended last year.

The Mountaineers’ last Big Central loss had come on September 2, 2022, to Hillside, 35-20.

Click here for postgame reaction from Cranford head coach Erik Rosenmeier with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

But that wasn’t the only one that ended Friday night.

Manville – which had won 12 in a row against BCC competition, including its last five in 2024 and all seven last season – fell Friday night at Brearley, 21-18.

That leaves New Providence with the league’s top active win streak against BCC opponents. The Pioneers have won 14 Big Central games in a row, including their last five in 2024, all eight last season, and Thursday night’s league opener against Voorhees, 27-7.

Now, the second longest league win streak belongs to St. Joseph-Metuchen. The No. 2 Falcons host No. 6 St. Joseph-Metuchen at 1 pm Saturday. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for live coverage, with a recap and postgame reaction to follow later on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Stevens in uncharted recent territory…

When the final horn sounded in North Edison Friday night, JP Stevens did two things it hasn’t done in a very long time: start a season 2-0, and win back-to-back regular season games.

To start, it’s the Hawks’ first 2-0 start since Frank Zarro was the head coach in 2003. That team beat North Brunswick, 14-7, in the season opener on September 12th, a date which seems quaint these days, with the season now starting in late August. they followed it up with a 35-7 win over Perth Amboy the following week. The started that season 3-0, and finished 6-4, with a North 2, Group 4 first-round playoff loss to Union, which lost to Piscataway in the finals at Giants’ Stadium, earning Dan Higgins his first of seven state titles.

Secondly – no pun intended – the 2-0 start gives JP its first back-to-back regular season wins since that same stretch in 2003. The Hawks have won consecutive games in a season only three times since – in 2006, 2009 and 2012, but all three included a “postseason” consolation game win.

Notes and Nuggets…

  • East Brunswick’s 2-0 start – after a 36-19 home win over North Hunterdon – also is its first in quite some time. The last time they did that, CJSR analyst Marcus Borden was the head coach. It was in 2009, and the Bears began the year 3-0, en route to an 8-4 season and a 9-0 win over Brick Memorial in the Central Jersey Group 4 final.
  • Piscataway’s Zaire Young finished with 268 rushing yards Friday night in a 28-14 win over Somerville, and volunteer Chiefs assistant John Thompson says that’s the fifth-highest single-game rushing performance in school history. The only four better: Kelvin Veras (289 vs. Old Bridge on October 16, 1998), Tyshnn Jackson (300 vs. Franklin on Thanksgiving, November 28, 1989), Juwon Jackson (303 vs. Edison on November 3, 2017) and Tevin Shaw (304 vs. Elizabeth in the North 2, Group 4 final on December 3, 2011). That also makes it the No. 2 rushing performance against a Somerset County school, as well as the fourth-best regular season rushing output in a game in program history.

FRIDAY SCORES:

  • #1 Phillipsburg 24, Emmaus (PA) 10
  • #3 Piscataway 28, #5 Somerville 14 (Recap with Audio)
  • #4 Old Bridge 49, Montgomery 21
  • Ridge 21, #7 Sayreville 7
  • Rahway 21, #8 Summit 10
  • #9 Elizabeth 43, Plainfield 20
  • #10 St. Thomas Aquinas 24, Westfield 20
  • Union 15, Watchung Hills 12
  • Monroe 28, Governor Livingston 7 (Coverage from Marcus Borden)
  • Metuchen 29, New Brunswick 0
  • Spotswood 51, JFK 13
  • East Brunswick 36, North Hunterdon 19
  • Brearley 21, Manville 18
  • South Brunswick 27, North Brunswick 19
  • Colonia 16, Franklin 14
  • Highland Park 27, Middlesex 0
  • South Hunterdon 35, South River 8
  • Cranford 31, Bernards 24
  • JP Stevens 21, Dunellen 7
  • South Plainfield 20, North Plainfield 10

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

  • #6 Bridgewater-Raritan at #2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 1 pm (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)
  • Roselle at Hillside, 1 pm

THURSDAY SCORES:

  • Hillsborough 21, Hunterdon Central 14 (Recap w/ Audio)
  • Dayton 43, Bound Brook 12 (Coverage from Marcus Borden)
  • Woodbridge 14, Edison 8
  • Belvidere 28, Roselle Park 27
  • Delaware Valley 34, Johnson 33
  • New Providence 27, Voorhees 7
  • Carteret 26, Perth Amboy 20
  • Linden 34, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 6

by Mike Pavlichko

Thursday Night Big Central Roundup: Hillsborough defense holds off Hunterdon Central; Dayton pours it on; Delaware Valley, Belvidere eke out wins

It was a rare busy Thursday night in the Big Central Conference, with eight games on the slate, highlighted by some great games.

Hillsborough beat Hunterdon Central, 24-21, in a game where all the offense came in the first half, and the game was essentially sealed on a pass break-up on fourth down near the goal line, while Belvidere and Delaware Valley both eked out one-point wins. And Dayton got five first-half touchdown passes from senior Adrian Bernknopf an route to a home blowout of Bound Brook.

Scroll through more details, all of Thursday’s scores, links to individual game stories, and the Big Central schedule for the remainder of Labor Day Weekend.

County Seaters get past Roselle Park…

Belvidere scored the first touchdown of the game, and the last, to come up with a 28-27 road win in Union County Thursday night. Elijah White’s 47-yard touchdown catch from QB Jake Enderley got the Seaters on the board first with 1:43 to go in the first quarter, but the Panthers tied it on a 52-yard touchdown run from Maxwell Griffin down the left sideline as time expired in the period..

They went up 13-7 on Nick Salas’ 52-yard touchdown run, but missed an extra point that turned out to be critical, and led 13-7 early in the second, before Belvidere scored twice before the half – on a Kaiden Drake three-yard run and another touchdown catch, this one five yards, by White – to take a 21-13 lead into the break.

Roselle Park got a 53-yard run for a touchdown by Nasir Cheston in the third quarter to open the second-half scoring, and Salas ran in a two-point conversion to knot the game at 21. Then, in the fourth, Cheston scored from 17 yards out, but again, the Panthers missed the PAT, leaving them up by six.

Kaiden Drake’s 53-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Jake Enderly then knotted the game, and White’s PAT gave Belvidere a 28-27 lead with 5:29 to go.

THURSDAY SCORES:

  • Hillsborough 21, Hunterdon Central 14 (Recap w/ Audio)
  • Dayton 43, Bound Brook 12 (Coverage from Marcus Borden)
  • Woodbridge 14, Edison 8
  • Belvidere 28, Roselle Park 27
  • Delaware Valley 34, Johnson 33
  • New Providence 27, Voorhees 7
  • Carteret 26, Perth Amboy 20
  • Linden 34, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 6

FRIDAY SCHEDULE:

  • #5 Somerville at #3 Piscataway, 6 pm (LIVE on CJSR)
  • #4 Old Bridge at Montgomery, 6 pm
  • #8 Summit at Rahway, 6 pm
  • #9 Elizabeth at Plainfield, 6 pm
  • Westfield at #10 St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 pm
  • Colonia at Franklin, 6 pm
  • Union at Watchung Hills, 6 pm
  • Governor Livingston at Monroe, 6 pm (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)
  • New Brunswick at Metuchen, 6 pm
  • Spotswood at JFK, 6 pm
  • North Hunterdon at East Brunswick, 6 pm
  • Manville at Brearley, 6 pm
  • South Brunswick at North Brunswick, 6 pm
  • #1 Phillipsburg at Emmaus (PA), 7 pm
  • Ridge at #7 Sayreville, 7 pm
  • South River at South Hunterdon, 7 pm
  • Middlesex at Highland Park, 7 pm
  • Dunellen at JP Stevens, 7 pm
  • Cranford at Bernards, 7 pm
  • South Plainfield at North Plainfield, 7 pm

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

  • #6 Bridgewater-Raritan at #2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 1 pm (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)
  • Roselle at Hillside, 1 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough bounces back with stellar passing game, lock down defense in second half to get by Hunterdon Central, 21-14

The Hillsborough football team will pass the ball more this year, something head coach Kevin Carty, Jr., admits his family will love to see, thanks to some excellent targets and a solid QB in junior Cooper Wright.

That – and a stout defense that came up with a huge fourth-down stop late – were all instrumental as the Raiders beat Hunterdon Central at home Thursday night, 21-14.

All the offense came in the first half. After the Red Devils (0-2) punted on their first possession, Hillsborough (1-1) capped a methodical but always forward-moving first drive of ten plays, 93 yards with a 21-yard touchdown catch by Logan Jankowicz.

Central countered with a 13-play drive of its own covering 70 yards, punctuated with a one-yard TD push by Jayden Cozze at 7:34 of the second quarter to tie the game at seven.

And the scoring was off and running, with three more TDs in the last two-and-a-half minutes before the break.

Hillsborough similarly went 13 plays on its next drive, with Lavecchia scoring on a two-yard run at the 2:20 mark to take a 14-7 lead. But Central moved qucily on the ensuing possession, going 66 yards in six plays and 1:23 to knot the score at 14 on a 20-yard touchdown catch by Aaron Erb with 57 seconds left before halftime.

And the scoring still wasn’t done. Hillsborough took its third lead of the game on a six-play, 55-yard drive in just 49 seconds, finished off by a 13-yard strike from Wright to Logan Jankowicz, whose brother Jackson previously starred for the Raiders.

That came with eight seconds to go, and Central got one more play off, a Hail Mary down the right sideline, but Hillsborough picked off the toss-up, and went into the locker room up one score.

The second half belonged to the defenses. Hillsborough punted twice. Central had a turnover on downs, but off a fumble by the Raiders at the Red Devil 30, Central would get one last possession.

Hillsborough hosts Hunterdon Central in a Big Central Conference crossover game on September 3, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

And it looked like they might score, especially after back-to-back pass interference calls on Hillsborough. But despite allowing 30 yards on those two scores, on fourth-and-eight from the Boro 38, QB Odin Potinsky put one up down the right sideline which junior the defensive back Shawn Abline broke up, ultimately sealing the win.

With no time outs left for Central, the Raiders set up in victory formation, and took an all-important win with sixth-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan visiting next Friday for the Battle of Route 206.

Click below for postgame reaction, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Hillsborough QB Cooper Wright
Hillsborough head coach Kevin Carty, Jr.
by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan 2026: Edison hosts scrimmage vs. Watchung Hills

It’s Week Two of high school football preseason camp in New Jersey, with scrimmages in full swing. On Thursday, for his first stop of the day, Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden visited Edison to watch the Eagles in a scrimmage with Watchung Hills.

Later, Coach Borden will be in Old Bridge to watch the Knights scrimmage Red Bank Catholic, with that being moved up from 6 pm to 2 pm, due to potentially strong thunderstorms in the forecast later in the afternoon and early evening.

Watch Borden’s full coverage below of Thursday’s scrimmage, featuring interviews with head coaches and key players.

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan coverage of Edison with fourth-year head coach Matt Yascko, along with seniors Shaun Garland (FB/DE), Johnson Lin (TE/DE), and Gavin Boslet (G), as well as junior Brayden Roma (T):

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan coverage of Watchung Hills with first-year head coach Joe Ascolese, along with seniors Evan Williams (RB), Owen Lapetina (WR) and Matthew Connell (WR), as well as junior Marc Drews (QB):

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan 2026: Montgomery hosts Hillsborough, Linden, Nottingham

It’s Week Two of high school football preseason camp in New Jersey, with scrimmages in full swing. On Wednesday, Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden visited Milich Field in Montgomery to watch the Cougars in a quad scrimmage with Hillsborough, Linden and Nottingham.

Watch Borden’s full coverage below of Wednesday’s scrimmage, featuring interviews with head coaches and key players.

CORRECTION:  The promo graphic at the end of all three videos is incorrect; Old Bridge will be scrimmaging Red Bank Catholic on Thursday, not St. John Vianney.

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan coverage of Montgomery with head coach Sean Carty, along with seniors Jack Schmelzer (TE/LB), Zach Furey (TE/LB), Xavier Harrigan (WR/DB) and Damien Perone (OL/DL):

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan coverage of Hillsborough with head coach Kevin Carty, Jr. entering his 15th season with the Raiders, along with seniors Jeff Progin (WR/OLB), Nick Kipila (RB/DB), Joandel Nebot (DL) and Gavin Glazewski (C):

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan coverage of Linden with second-year head coach Mark Ciccotelli along with seniors Zion Francis (WR/S), Joe Boyd (RB/LB), Amir Campbell (LB) and Alan Szurgot (TE/LB):

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: American Silver is one team smaller, but no easier for those who remain

When the Big Central Conference did its realignment this off-season, part of a two-year cycle, it pulled Hunterdon Central from the American Silver Division and put them with smaller schools in the Liberty Silver, including Somerville and Montgomery, among others.

But that won’t make life any easier for the teams left in the American Silver, as Ridge, Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough and Phillipsburg still get the Red Devils as a crossover – and, of course, still have to play each other. The Stateliners moved up to the North Group 5 supersection due to its new success formula, but that doesn’t affect the BCC. And besides, there were in Group 5 in 2022 and 2023 before moving down to four the last two seasons.

And just as an example of how brutal this division can be, both Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan, 4-0 and 1-3 in the division, respectively, won state sectional titles last season.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the American Silver 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.

Phillipsburg Stateliners (10-3, 4-0, American Silver Division Champions)
Head Coach: Frank Duffy, 11th season (85-27)

  • Week 0: Parkland (PA)
  • Week 1: at Emmaus (PA)
  • Week 2: at Freedom (PA)
  • Week 3: Hillsborough*
  • Week 4: at St. Joseph-Metuchen
  • Week 5: at Ridge*
  • Week 6: BYE
  • Week 7: Bridgewater-Raritan*
  • Week 8: Hunterdon Central
  • Thanksgiving: Easton (at Lafayette College)

Due to the NJSIAA’s new success formula, since the Stateliners can pull kids from other districts, and won North 2, Group 4, advancing to the state semifinals last year, they are now up in Group 5 as far as the playoffs concerned. But no matter: Phillipsburg has made the last four sectional finals – twice in Group 5 then twice in Group 4, winning trophies each of the last two seasons. And while they will lose senior runningback Sam Dech – who had a team-leading 1,530 yards on the ground last year and 23 touchdowns – sophomore QB Dominic Bracco is back. All that remains to be seen is which has more juice, the run game or the pass game, and how P’burg will adapt, because one thing is for sure: the Stateliners always have talent. But they will take a big hit defensively from the loss of senior Aeden Hywell, the reigning Central Jersey Sports Radio Defensive Player of the Year, who finished the season with 17 1/2 sacks and 27 TFLs, leading a defense that allowed just 12.4 points per game.

Ridge Red Devils (5-4, 3-1, 2nd place American Silver)
Head Coach: Jeff Sutherland, 2nd season (5-4)

  • Week 0: OPEN
  • Week 1: at Sayreville
  • Week 2: at Hunterdon Central
  • Week 3: at Bridgewater-Raritan*
  • Week 4: Elizabeth
  • Week 5: Phillipsburg*
  • Week 6: Westfield
  • Week 7: at Hillsborough*
  • Week 8: Old Bridge

Second-year head coach Jeff Sutherland has some work to do in finding some key offensive replacements. Senior QB Sawyer Paul graduated, as did top runningback Nick Pfennig (129 carries for 692 yards), along with tight end and top receiver Toby Nicholson, but close No. 2 runningback C.J. Griffith (688 yards, 4 TDs) is back for his junior year, and could be a focal point moving forward, while senior Tristan Frank likely is a top candidate under center. Senior defensive lineman Anthony Valera (4 1/2 sacks) will be missed, as will Nicholson (3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT), among others, but rising senior DE Greg Brown (3 1/2 sacks, 6 TFL) will be back. Ridge will crossover with two Middlesex County schools this year, Sayreville and Old Bridge, both of whom – if the NJSIAA ran football playoffs like every other sport – should have both been Central Jersey Group 5 finalists last season (instead, they met in the semis due to snaking).

Hillsborough Raiders (4-6, 2-2, 3rd place American Silver)
Head Coach: Kevin Carty, Jr., 15th season (92-64)

  • Week 0: at Manalapan
  • Week 1: Hunterdon Central
  • Week 2: at Bridgewater-Raritan*
  • Week 3: at Phillipsburg*
  • Week 4: Union
  • Week 5: Colonia
  • Week 6: at Elizabeth
  • Week 7: Ridge*
  • Week 8: at Montgomery

It’s a unique schedule for the Raiders, who will visit Shore opponent Manalapan opening weekend and close on Cutoff Weekend with the Carty Bowl, coaching against his brother, Sean, now in his second year as head coach at Montgomery. (They coached against each other in the COVID year when then-head coach Zoran Milich had to miss the game for a medical situation – and famously were not permitted to “shake hands” after the game, per NJSIAA COVID policy.) Gone are twins Devon Khurana (QB with 1,125 yards passing) and Shane (WR with 30 catches for 537 yards and 3 TDs), but sophomore Cooper Wright got some experience last year, and should be the leading candidate to take over at quarterback. Carty also will have to replace top RB Andrew Schwarz, who rushed for 1,114 yards and 12 scores last season. Watch Logan Jankowicz, younger brother of Jackson, whose senior season was 2004 and twice rushed for over a thousand yards. The defense will look at guys like Jamie Piccirillo (3 sacks, 3 1/2 TFLs as a freshman) and rising junior LB Tyler Zysk (1 1/2 sacks, TFLs) to hold down the unit.

Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers (9-4, 1-3, 4th place American Silver)
Head Coach: DJ Catalano, 4th season (16-18)

  • Week 0: at Woodbridge
  • Week 1: at St. Joseph-Metuchen
  • Week 2: Hillsborough*
  • Week 3: Ridge*
  • Week 4: at Westfield
  • Week 5: Hunterdon Central
  • Week 6: at Union
  • Week 7: at Phillipsburg*
  • Week 8: Watchung Hills

The defending North 2, Group 5 champions will likely look to Evan Woodring as the leading starting QB candidate, with the graduation of Declan Kurdyla (1,371 yards, 13 TD), just as they did when Kurdyla was missed a couple of games last season. But they’ll have top runningback Jahmier Black for his senior season; Black ran for 978 yards and seven touchdowns last season, which also catching nine passes for 187 yards. Defensive end Jamelle Jones (8 sacks, 12 TFLs) is the most disruptive player returning from what was a very senior-led defense in 2025. The Panthers open with two tough crossover tests against Middlesex County foes Woodbridge and St. Joseph-Metuchen, both of whom won eight games last season.

by Mike Pavlichko

Skyland Conference 2026 All-Division baseball honorees unveiled

The coaches from the Skyland Conference have unveiled their 2026 All-Division teams, honoring 139 players from across its four divisions, including the 14 Somerset County schools in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.

Here’s the full list of players honored, by division, with teams in alphabetical order:

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – DELAWARE DIVISION

First Team

  • Bridgewater-Raritan: Kellan Komline (P/OF), Michael Lobosco (C)
  • Hillsborough: Elijah Dawes (SS)
  • Hunterdon Central: Dany Contillano (OF), Nick Holot (OF)
  • Immaculata: Luca Catanzarite (2B), Owen Schilling (C), Ryan Auten (P), Cole Raymond (P)
  • Ridge: Jake Dolan (CF), Kieran Callanan (SS), Casey Kucerka (C)
  • Watchung Hills: Robert Centamore (P/DH), Jacob Jaconski (C), Lucas Sheehan (P)
Immaculata senior Ryan Auten threw a complete-game two-hit shutout in a 6-0 win over Ridge at Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ, on April 22, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Second Team:

  • Bridgewater-Raritan: Kevin Kelly (3B/P), Andrew Schmeider (OF), Nick Spirra (2B/P)
  • Hillsborough: Tommy Kester (OF), Gavin Glazewski (P/1B), Jon Feltre (P)
  • Hunterdon Central: Jack Edwards (P), Liam Goyette (P)
  • Immaculata: Bryson Auten (P/3B), Justin Labrador (SS)
  • Ridge: Sawyer Paul (1B), Dimitri Romer (P/3B)
  • Watchung Hills: Brady Simo (3B), Stefano DiGeronimo (SS)

Honorable Mention:

  • Bridgewater-Raritan: Stephen Pikulin (1B/DH)
  • Hillsborough: Anthony Guerrero (OF)
  • Hunterdon Central: Cola Jacobs (P)
  • Immaculata: Jackson Lewis (OF)
  • Ridge: Lucas Grob (2B)
  • Watchung Hills: Landon Pudlak (2B)

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – RARITAN DIVISION

First Team:

  • Franklin: Stanley Madera, Mason Bonds
  • Montgomery: Ian Quinn, Henry Maddox
  • North Hunterdon: Hunter Brown, Alex Famolari, Brooks Lunger, Graham Berry
  • Phillipsburg: Nick Yaccarino, Chase Passmore, Mike Bracco
  • Rutgers Prep: Li Perez, Alex Perez, Maddox Chu, Ethan Nepomuceno
  • Somerville: Justin Snow, Michael Meyers
Rutgers Prep’s Li Perez pitches in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals against Bridgewater-Raritan in Somerset, NJ, on May 14, 2026. (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)

Second Team:

  • Franklin: Dylan Shah, Shayne Rooney
  • Montgomery: Jake Hayes, Alex Bender, Mason Neufeld
  • North Hunterdon: Ty Kane, Jason Krisanda, Zach Linzer
  • Phillipsburg: Wyatt Garrison, Kevin Buonocole
  • Rutgers Prep: Peter Wheeler, Mason Cimini, Okasha Asrar
  • Somerville: Matty Brong, Jordan Snow, Michael Murphy

Honorable Mention:

  • Montgomery: Liam McDonnell
  • North Hunterdon: Evan Doty
  • Phillipsburg: Brent Ottw
  • Rutgers Prep: Micah Krugar-Serrano
  • Somerville: Dalton Carman

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – VALLEY DIVISION:

First Team:

  • Bernards: Casey Hoeckele, Sean Arcelay, James Ferrante
  • Gill St. Bernards: Gavin Bucceri, Niko West, Joey Fava, Jack Markovich, Trip Hogarty
  • Pingry: Langston McDonald, Aaron Wu
  • Voorhees: Alexander Dyevich, Matteo Tramutola
  • Warren Hills: Cohl Stevens, Owen Spender
Pingry’s Zach Zaslow pitches against Montgomery at TD Bank Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Second Team:

  • Bernards: Tyce Hanratty, James Gallagher
  • Gill St. Bernards: Andersen Eide, Noah Schultz, Jude Walters, Steve McRae
  • Pingry: Andrew Crowley, Zach Zaslow, Connor Lahay
  • Voorhees: Dylan Vernick, Jack Schlaudecker
  • Warren Hills: Reece Schott, Ryan Everett

Honorable Mention:

  • Bernards: Alex Frankfelder
  • Gill St. Bernards: A.J. Kolenski
  • Pingry: Michael Cardona
  • Voorhees: Turner Toombs
  • Warren Hills: Kyle Kucharski

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – MOUNTAIN DIVISION

First Team:

  • Belvidere: Jake Ackerman, Chris Knight
  • Bound Brook: Aiden Boehm, Ryan Cunha
  • Delaware Valley: Dylan Rasimowicz, Gabriel Miller, Cooper Fransen, David Hudock, Brooks Brunner, Carter Glacken
  • Manville: Collin Shimp, Brandon Shimp, Evan Canica, Josh D’Ambrosio
  • South Hunterdon: Trevor Lingerfield, Jack Budrewicz
Manville (in white) and Montgomery square off at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 7, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Second Team:

  • Belvidere: Justin Hummel, Troy Boehm, Carter Crow
  • Bound Brook: Gabriel Valentin, Jayden Cruz
  • Delaware Valley: Chris Cialone, Matt Feeney, Danny Cialone
  • Manville: Aidan Johnson, Ben Canuso, Bobby Petrone
  • South Hunterdon: Trevor Sinkus, Landon Katz, Michael Budrewicz

Note: The Mountain Division coaches did not choose any Honorable Mentions.

by Mike Pavlichko

Three of four go to chalk in Somerset County Tournament, as Bridgewater, Montgomery, Hillsborough advance to quarterfinals, while Franklin gets there with upset of Somerville

Three of the four higher seeds won Monday in the Somerset County Tournament’s second round, as fifth-seed Bridgewater-Raritan, sixth-seed Hillsborough and eighth-seed Montgomery all advanced, while 10th-seed Franklin picked up a 10-8 upset over seventh-seeded Somerville.

That sets up Thursday’s quarterfinal round, all to be played at the higher seeds of the top four teams that earned byes to the quarters.

Read through for a recap of all four games, plus the schedule for the remainder of the Tournament.

(5) Bridgewater-Raritan 8, (12) Pingry 4: The Panthers (7-14) gave up an early 2-0 lead after one and fell behind 4-1 after the Big Blue (8-10) put up a four-spot in the fourth, but it was all Bridgewater from there on out, as they pulled ahead with five in the bottomof the fourth and added an insurance run in the fifth.

All those runs in the decisive fourth came with two outs, as the first two hitters were retired. After a walk to Anthony Lorino, courtesy runner Matt DeLucia took his place and scored on a single by Josh Moore. Moore went to second on a wild pitch to Cody Rible, who then singled to drive him in, tying the game at four. Rible then stole second, and Kellan Komline singled to make it 5-4. Komline then stole second and advanced to third n a bad throw then scored on a single by Nick Spirra. And Michael Lobosco then doubled to drive in Spirra, giving the Panthers a 7-4 lead they’d never relinquish.

Gavin Butch got the win for Bridgewater-Raritan, going five innings, allowing one earned run, striking out three – and he did that all in an efficient 67 pitches.

Next up, the Panthers will travel to fourth-seed Rutgers Prep (12-4) in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The Argonauts took a 12-8 decision from Bridgewater last Monday in a Skyland Conference crossover game.

(6) Hillsborough 3, (11) Bernards 0: Raider head coach Matt Mosko picked up his 50th win as the Raiders got back to the .500 mark with the victory. Hillsborough (9-9) got one run each in the first, third and fifth, while Gavin Glazewski, Jonathan Feltra and Aidan Murphy combined to blank the Mountaineers, with Glazewski getting the win, tossing the first four innings, allowing just two hits, striking out five. Those wre the only two hits Bernards could muster.

Tommy Kester scored the first run on a wild pitch with Elijah Dawes at the plate. The second run came on an Anthony Guerrero ground ball to first that was misplayed and went into the outfield, scoring a run. Shane Khurana also scored on a wild pitch with Guerrero at the plate in the fifth.

Click hear to listen to Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the Raiders’ win over Bernards.

The Raiders will now play at third-seed Ridge (13-7) in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Sklyand Conference Delaware Division foes, the teams met just once this year, with the Raiders taking a 9-5 decision in Basking Ridge last Tuesday. Their second meeting, scheduled for last Thursday, was postponed due to a scheduling conflict, and a makeup has not yet been set.

(8) Montgomery 11, (9) Gill St. Bernard’s 4: The Cougars (9-11) trailed 2-0 after three and 4-1 through four-and-a-half innings before rallying for ten runs in the fifth and sixth innings to come up with the win.

Gill went ahead 2-0 in the third on a two-RBI single by Niko West. Montgomery got one back in the fourth on an Evan Puleio sac fly, then the Knights got an RBI single from West and and RBI double by Ian Quinn to make it 4-1.

But things turned Montgomery’s way in the bottom of the fourth. Alex Bender walked with one out, then Quinn did the same, and Mason Nefueld got plunked to load the bases. That set up Henry Maddox for a bases-clearing double to tie the score at 4-4, while Liam McDonnell singled to drive in pinch-runner Like Awadalla, giving Monty its first lead of the game.

And the fifth went mostly the same way. Spencer Harris got plunked to lead off, and Kenta Komatsu walked. Alex Bender followed with a single for one run, and Quinn did the same to make it 7-4. After a Neufeld single, Maddox singled to drive in Quinn, and after a fly out for the first of the inning, Puleio reached on an error, with pinch-runner Evan Petronella scoring the tenth and final run.

Jake Hayes went the distance, allowing ten hits and four runs, but throwing just 88 pitches through seven, striking out four to get the win.

Next up, Montgomery will visit top-seed and defending champion Immaculata (14-4) at Diamond Nation in Flemington in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The two haven’t met this year, nor did they play last year. The Cougars and Spartans split a pair in 2024.

(10) Franklin 10, (7) Somerville 8: The Warriors (6-7) gave up an early 6-0 lead after two innings and trailed 8-1 after five, but rallied for five in the fifth to take the lead and held off the Pioneers (9-12) for the victory.

Franklin got all six runs in the second with one out. The first two came on an error by the shortstop on a ground ball by Christian Jacas. Then, two more scored on a single by Kevin Heuston. Two more came in on a double by Stanley Madera.

But Somerville cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third on two bases loaded walks and a groundout, and Franklin went up 7-3 on a ground out by Dylan Shaw in the top of the fourth.

The Pioneers finally took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. A Peter Keller double cut with nobody out cut it to 7-5, pinch-hitter Brett Meyers reached on an error to cut it to one, and a bases loaded balk brought in a run to tie the game. Somerville took an 8-7 lead on a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded by Travis Binkley.

But Franklin went ahead for good on a two-out, three-run homer by Elijah Zavatsky to make it 10-8, and Shane Rooney closed out the next two innings to get the win.

Next up, the Warriors are at second-seed Watchung Hills (11-5) Thursday in the quarterfinals, a battle of the Warriors. This will be their first meeting this year; the “Hustlin’ Warriors” – the baseball program’s nickname – took two of three from Franklin last year, but Franklin won their matchup in the SCT quarterfinals 12-10.

THURSDAY, MAY 14 – SCT QUARTERFINALS

(8) Montgomery at (1) Immaculata
(5) Bridgewater-Raritan at (4) Rutgers Prep
(6) Hillsborough at (3) Ridge
(10) Franklin at (2) Watchung Hills

MONDAY, MAY 18 – SCT SEMIFINALS (at TD Bank Park, Bridgewater)

Semifinal #1: 1 pm (LIVE on CJSR)
Semifinal #2: 4 pm (LIVE on CJSR)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 – SCT FINAL (at TD Bank Park, Bridgewater)

Finals: 6 pm (LIVE on CJSR)

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: No. 2 Immaculata 3, No. 8 Hillsborough 0

Second-ranked Immaculata got three late runs – one in each of the final three innings – and a combined one-hitter from starting pitcher Cole Raymond and reliever Bryson Auten to beat No. 8 Hillsborough on the road on Opening Day 2026, 3-0.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from Hillsbrough High School on March 31, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 2 Immaculata downs No. 8 Hillsborough in pitchers duel, 3-0 behind combined one-hitter from Raymond, younger Auten

Ryan Auten is the senior pitcher heading to Wake Forest, but it was his freshman brother, Bryson, who got the win Tuesday on Opening Day for Immaculata.

Cole Raymond made his first start, after coming out of the bullpen last season, and went 3 1/3 innings without allowing a hit or a run, and just three baserunners. But Bryson Auten got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the fourth out of the ‘pen, then finished things off for a 3-0 win for No. 2 Immaculata at No. 8 Hillsborough on Opening Day, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Bryson got the win – as the game was scoreless when he entered – thtrowing 3 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit, striking out six.

Early-season baseball in the Northeast is hardly pretty, but with a game-time temprature of 81 degrees, and a solid breeze that turned into a gusty wind from time-time-time, it was more like early May baseball, and the play reflected it, with both starting pitchers having good control.

Raymond struck out five and walked two, while Hillsborough starter Shane Borer – who barely threw more than six innings all year last year – went 5 2/3 innings, allowing just two earned rund on four hits, walking one and striking out five.

And the defense was solid, too, even though Immaculata was charged with two tough errors, neither of which came back to bite them.

Scoreless into the fifth, Immaculata got a run in each of the last three innings. In the fifth, No. 7 hitter Connor Quinn reached on a one-out double down thwe left field line. Owen Rivernbark walked, and Quinn moved to third on a 5-4 fielder’s choice, then came home on a wild pitch to leadoff hitter Luca Catanzarite.

In the sixth, Immaculata picked up another run on an RBI single up the middle by Brian Cilento, who drove in Nehemiah Diaz from third. He’d reached on a single, and stole second and third during Cilento’s at bat to earn him an easy trot home.

Then, in the seventh, the Spartans got one more for insurance. Quinn singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and later stole third. After Rivenbark walked, Gino Spigarelli grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to bring in Quinn with his second run scored of the game.

Hillsborough threatened in the fourth, getting runners on second and third, but ‘Lata brought in Bryson Auten to get out of the jam, and he did just that in his first high school pitching appearance, getting Samuel Malone to fly out to right, and Matt Battoglia to strike out looking to end the inning.

They had another chance in the fifth, with Anthony Guerrero reaching on a one-out walk, and evenutally advancing to third on a couple of wild pitches by Auten, but the freshman wound up striking out the side to escape unscathed.

Hillsborough (0-1) faces Montgomery Wednesday before visiting Immaculata (1-0) – which is off Wednesday – to finish the two-game set out at Dimaond Nation.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from Alec Crouthamel with Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust, pitcheer Bryson Auten and first baseman Conor Quinn, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: