Tag: HS Football

by Mike Pavlichko

New York Giants name Elizabeth’s Eugene Kline Coach of the Week after big win over Falcons

The Elizabeth football team is off to a fantastic start this year, 4-0 for the first time since 2015, but after its biggest win of the year – a 62-35 home victory Friday night over St. Joseph-Metuchen – head coach Eugene Kline has been named the Lou Rettino Coach of the Week by the New York Giants.

Kline has been instrumental in elevating the Minutemen this year to what now is a No. 3 ranking in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, and his players are putting up video-game numbers seemingly week in and week out.

In the win over the Falcons Friday night – heard live right here on Central Jersey Sports Radio – senior and fourth-year starter A’rique Fleming threw for 378 yards and five touchdowns. He was he Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week two weeks ago; this week it was Qua’Yon Williams, who scored four touchdowns – two receiving, one rushing, and one on a 48-yard punt return.

Now 4-0 on the season, No. 3 Elizabeth can match its win total of five from last season with a victory Friday night at No. 10 Ridge (2-1).

With Kline’s honor comes a $2,000 check from the Giants Foundation and Gatorade that will go to the school’s football program. Kline also will receive a certificate of recognition signed by Big Blue head coach John Harbaugh, and will be honored at a postseason dinner, and at a preseason home game next season.

“It is with great humility and gratitude that I would like to extend a huge thank you to the New York Giants and Gatorade for naming me the Lou Rettino High School Coach of the Week,” Kline said in a press release issued by the Giants. “Thank you for all that you do to support high school football and for thinking of me and our program. This recognition means a great deal to me.

“This is not a ‘me’ award—it is a ‘we’ award, Kline added. “It represents the collective effort, sacrifice, and commitment of everyone who is a part of our program. ‘All In, All Together!'”

Read the full release from the Giants here, with a message from Kline here.

From the New York Giants: “The Lou Rettino High School Football Coach of the Week Award is part of the Giants’ continuing effort to support local high school football programs. The Giants elected to name the award in memory of former Union High School (NJ) coach, Lou Rettino, for his fine commitment to the game of football, his community and the betterment of his athletes’ lives. Each week during the high school football season, the Giants select one area high school head coach as the Coach of the Week winner. The selection is based on the coach’s continuing commitment towards promoting high school football, developing motivated student-athletes and contributing overall to their community.“

by Mike Pavlichko

Finally in the win column, Edison looks to keep it going Thursday night at Summit

After three tough losses to open the season, Edison got its 22026 campaign headed in the right direction in Game Four on Week Three. (We know, it doesn’t make any sense. Just roll with it.)

That’s when they exploded for 34 points – after scoring just 14 in their first three games – in a ten-point win over North Brunswick, with senior Shaun Garland having himself a day.

Their biggest standout, the senior scored four times on runs of one, seven and 18 yards, while also picking off a second quarter pass and taking it 33 yards to the house.

They’ll need a mirror image of that effort, and maybe more, when the Eagles (1-3) travel to Summit for a rare Thursday night game at Investors Bank Stadium at Tatlock Field up in Union County.

It’s our Thursday night Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, with kickoff slated for 6:30 pm. Pregame starts at 6:15 with Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas on the call; click here to listen.

The first three games weren’t exactly pretty for Edison – a 35-0 loss to Union, 14-8 loss at Woodbridge, and a 41-6 loss two weeks ago at Sayreville, their only road game so far. But they certainly have some pieces.

Beyond Garland, who’s actually the team’s second-leading rusher, though he has a team best four touchdowns, there’s senior Michael Florentino with 245 yards on 53 carries, both team bests. The Eagles won’t throw the ball much, as senor Ryan Toth – who transferred in from Metuchen before the 2025 season – has only attempted 41 passes on the year; the team has yet to record a receiving touchdown.

Among their most active on defense are two seniors: defensive back Maki Williams (23 tackles, 14 solo, 1 sack, 2 TFLs) and linebacker Logan Ulozas (a team-high 29 tackles). And, of course, there’s Garland, who plays up front, and had a big pick-six against the Raiders in last week’s win.

It’s only the second-ever meeting between Edison and Summit. Their first came in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, with the Eagles taking a 20-17 win on Mischief Night.

Click below to hear Edison head coach Matt Yascko talk about the Eagles’ season so far and Thursday night’s matchup at Summit with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big Central Schedule for Week Four: More Top 10 matchups as we hit midway point of season

Hard to believe, but we already are at the midway point of the 2026 high school football season in New Jersey, and the games keep getting bigger and bigger.

That’s the way the slate goes for Week Four in the Big Central Conference, with a pair of Top Ten matchups on the slate, and other big games this weekend.

Among the highlights: No. 2 Old Bridge (3-1) visits No. 2 Piscataway, as the Knights’ new cast of characters are drawing results similar to last year’s cast, while the Chiefs go for their first 5-0 start since their incredible 13-0 season in 2018, when they went all the way to the North Group 5 Regional Championship and beat Ridgewood, setting a record for single season wins by a Middlesex County team that remains untouched to this day.

The other Top Ten matchup features No. 3 Elizabeth – up four spots this week after knocking off No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen 62-35 Friday night at home – traveling up to play No. 10 Ridge at 6:30 Friday night. The Minutemen are looking to match their 5-0 start from 2011, while Ridge is coming off a close loss in a tight game at then No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan, 7-3.

There are two Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week broadcasts this week, as Edison travels to Summit for a 6:30 pm start Thursday, while South Plainfield visits the Pit to face Carteret in a classic former GMC matchup Friday night at 7:00. You can listen to both games by clicking here.

And No. 8 Rahway hosts unranked Cranford in a battle of unbeatens Friday night at 6, with Marcus Borden providing updates on Twitter, and postgame reaction on CJSR and our YouTube Channel. Click here to follow him.

Below is a look at the Week Four schedule in the Big Central Conference:

THURSDAY SCHEDULE

  • Edison (1-3) at Summit (2-2), 6:30 pm (LISTEN LIVE on CJSR)
  • Governor Livingston (2-2) at Lyndhurst (0-4), 6:45 pm

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

  • #2 Piscataway (4-0) at #4 Old Bridge (3-1), 6 pm
  • #7 Somerville (3-1) at Montgomery (2-2), 6 pm
  • Sayreville (3-1) at #9 St. Thomas Aquinas (3-1), 6 pm
  • Voorhees (1-3) at East Brunswick (2-2), 6 pm
  • Woodbridge (2-2) at Colonia (1-3), 6 pm
  • Perth Amboy (3-1) at Metuchen (1-2), 6 pm
  • North Plainfield (2-2) at JFK (0-4), 6 pm
  • New Providence (3-0) at Roselle (0-3), 6 pm
  • JP Stevens (2-2) at Brearley (3-1), 6 pm
  • Union (3-1) at Hillsborough (1-3), 6 pm
  • Dayton (3-1) at Roselle Park (1-3), 6 pm
  • Hillside (4-0) at New Brunswick (0-4), 6 pm
  • Monroe (3-1) at South Brunswick (1-3), 6 pm
  • Watchung Hills (1-3) at Hunterdon Central (1-3), 6 pm
  • #3 Elizabeth (4-0) at #10 Ridge (2-1), 6:30 pm
  • Cranford (3-0) at #8 Rahway (4-0), 7 pm (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)
  • South Plainfield (2-2) at Carteret (2-2), 7 pm (LISTEN LIVE on CJSR)
  • Bound Brook (0-4) at Belvidere (3-1), 7 pm
  • North Hunterdon (0-4) at Scotch Plains-Fanwood (0-4), 7 pm
  • Bernards (2-2) at Delaware Valley (3-1), 7 pm
  • Middlesex (0-3) at Dunellen (0-3), 7 pm
  • South River (0-4) at Highland Park (4-0), 7 pm
  • Spotswood (2-2) at Johnson (1-2), 7 pm
  • Manville (3-1) at South Hunterdon (3-1), 7 pm
  • Linden (2-1) at Plainfield (1-3), 7 pm

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

  • #1 Phillipsburg (3-1) at #5 St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-1), 1 pm (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates)
  • #6 Bridgewater-Raritan (3-1) at Westfield (1-3), 1 pm
  • North Brunswick (1-3) at Franklin (0-4), 2 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

“The Big Central in 2 Minutes” – Week 4

Hard to believe, but we’re almost at the halfway point of the 2026 high school football season in NEw Jersey, and Mike Pavlichko takes a closer look on “The Big Central in 2 Minutes” for Week Four!

On this week’s episode, Mike talks about “The Year of the Resurgence” for some Big Central teams – like Elizabeth, Highland Park, Rahway and Perth Amboy. There’s a quick look Bernards’ potentially leaving the Skyland and Big Central Conferences, and a look at some moves in the playoff standings after Week Three of play.

All on this week’s edition of “The Big Central in Two Minutes!

Click below to listen to the 2026 Week 4 edition of “The Big Central in Two Minutes”:

by Mike Pavlichko

Elizabeth nets back-to-back Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors, as Qua’Yon Williams scores every which way vs. St. Joe’s

It’s rare that even two different players from the same team will earn a Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honor. After all, with nine weeks of the regular season and 59 teams in the Big Central Conference, we try to spread it around a little bit.

But sometimes, it’s a no-brainer.

And there are many worthy candidates each week, but big numbers aren’t the only factor. The level of the opponent also has to factor in, and that was the case this week as an Elizabeth player takes the honors for the second straight week – and, to be fair, probably for the last time this season!

In Week Two, it was A’rique Fleming of the Minutemen, not only having a big game at quarterback, but helping seal the victory with a late interception in a tight win against Union.

In Week Three, it’s Qua’Yon Williams, Elizabeth’s uber-talented senior wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner, who just so happened to not only score in three different ways, but did it in a mammoth upset win in one of those crazy, anything-can-happen shootout type games against St. Joseph-Metuchen, it what turned out to be a 62-25 home win over the then-No. 2 Falcons.

Williams scored four touchdowns in the game: two receptions of 38 and eleven yards, a 15-yard run, and a 48-yard punt return. He ended up with 212 all-purpose yards, plus had seven tackles and a pass breakup on defense. All the while, helping Elizabeth to 529 yards of total offense, which head coach Eugene Kline says is the highest single-game total since at least the year 2000.

For his efforts, Qua’Yon Williams of Elizabeth is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Three.

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

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Three Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Qua’Yon Williams of Elizabeth:

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

Honorable Mentions:

  • Shaun Garland, Edison: It’s one thing to do what the senior did Friday night in a 34-24 home win over North Brunswick. It’s another to do it after being sick the entire previous weekend. But the H-back/tight end hybrid finished the game with four touchdowns – on runs of 18, one and seven yards, along with a 33-yard pick six from his defensive end position – giving him 146 yards on 22 carries, including on 13 consecutive plays at one point in the fourth quarter. On defense, he also had a TFL, 2 QB hurries, and two pass breakups.
  • Zach Mutton, Montgomery: In a 28-12 win over Colonia in Skillman on Friday, the senior QB and runningback carried the ball 21 times for 122 yards and four touchdowns. He also made a huge throw to receiver Xavier Harrigan for a fourth-down conversion late, then followed it up with a touchdown run to put his team ahead for good,
  • Dylan Boehm, Somerville: The sophomore quarterback had a big night in a 55-24 win over Watchung Hills on Friday. He threw 18-of-25 for 362 yards and five touchdowns, hitting four different wideouts, three of which went long: for 75, 69 and 46 yards.
  • Charlie Dickerson, South Hunterdon: The Eagles may not have much in terms of numbers, but they’re making it count en route to a 3-1 start, their first since they went 9-2 in 2023. The senior linebacker recorded 14 tackles and anchored the defense in a double overtime win, 20-14, over Bound Brook.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Logan Stack, Governor Livingston: The senior inside linebacker “keyed the defense,” according to head coach Pete Ramiccio, with 13 total tackles and 3 1/2 for loss against JFK in a 49-12 home win Saturday, which got the Highlanders back to the .500 mark.
  • Travis Miles, Hillside: In a 29-7 win at Voorhees on Friday, the senior wide receiver had a 62-yard touchdown catch, and from his defensive back spot, added a 50-yard pick-six, one of two defensive scores in the game for the Comets, who now are 4-0, their best start in three years under head coach Isa Abdul-Quddus, after going 8-11 combined over the past two seasons.
  • Thomas DeMetrio, Monroe: The senior does it all, playing wide receiver, working out of the wildcat, linebacker, and handling kicking duties for the Falcons, and he was a major contributor to the Falcons’ 28-0 home win over East Brunswick on Friday. At linebacker, he had five tackles, two TFLs and a sack. And while he only had seven touches on offense, he scored three touchdowns – on a 23-yard catch and rushes of three and 13 – plus two booming, 50-yard punts, and went four-for-four on extra points.
  • Alex Kruszcynski, North Plainfield: The senior was instrumental on both sides of the ball in a 25-0 shutout of New Brunswick on Thursday. He had 19 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown at runningback, then at linebacker had two solo tackles and a TFL for a unit that produced its second whitewash this season, and has allowed just under 4.3 points per game through its first four games.
  • Chase Rizzo, Old Bridge: The senior runningback went off for 252 yards on 25 carries, for just over ten yards per, including two touchdowns in a 26-24 win over St. Thomas Aquinas. He also added a sack on defense.
  • Shane Moore, Phillipsburg: The senior runningback carried 13 times for 120 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-7 home win over division foe Hillsborough Friday night.
  • Walter Price, Rahway: The senior linebacker had eleven solo tackles, one assist two TFLs, a forced fumble, and a recovery for 17 yards in a 42-14 win over neighboring Linden Friday night. He made the first five tackles of the game for a defense that surrendered just 122 total yards to the Tigers.
  • Sherwin Appiah, Sayreville: The senior halfback rushed 15 times for 144 yards and the Bombers’ first four touchdowns in a 41-6 home win over Franklin Friday night.
  • Vinny Young, Spotswood: The senior runningback eclipsed 100 yards in his third straight game, albeit a 35-7 loss to Perth Amboy at home on Friday. He carried 19 times for 149, and also had five tackles on defense.

by Mike Pavlichko

Two NJ multipliers lose status in Week Three, while two more drop into D category

It wasn’t a great weekend for the multipliers across New Jersey this weekend, and by extension, for those that have lost to them.

Multipliers are considered among the elite non-public teams in the state by the NJSIAA, and they are grouped into four categories: A, B, C and D.

While all multipliers are worth their regular Strength Index value to teams that beat them, those that lose to an A multiplier receive 80-percent of their SI value for a loss. B teams are worth 75, and C and D teams are worth 70 percent.

But those numbers aren’t locked all season. If a multiplier loses to a non-multiplier NJSIAA member school, teams in the A, B and C categories move down to D. Then anyone who either started as a D or got bumped down, if they lost just once, they lose multiplier status entirely.

That means a team that lost to a D multiplier earlier in the year would get 70 percent of the SI value, but if that multiplier loses to a non-multiplier, they value goes back to the normal 50 percent.

Here’s what happened this weekend:

  • St. Thomas Aquinas began the season as a D multiplier, and has wins over Westfield and Franklin, but a loss Friday night at Old Bridge knocks them out of the multiplier status completely.
    • That means Westfield and Franklin only get 50 percent – rather than 70 – of STA’s natural SI value, as will future opponents Sayreville, Somerville, North Brunswick and Edison.
  • St. Joseph of Metuchen began the season as a B multiplier (75%). Their loss at Elizabeth Friday night means they are now a D (70%), and one more loss to a non-multiplier would boot them out entirely.
    • The Falcons have three more such teams on the schedule before the cutoff: Phillipsburg (this Saturday), Piscataway (October 9) and Union (October 16). Losses to Delbarton (October 3) or St. Thomas Aquinas (October 23, Cutoff Weekend) would not affect St. Joseph’s status. That’s despite the fact that St. Thomas is no longer a multiplier. NJSIAA rules say non-publics that start the season as multipliers are still considered so when they play another multiplier.
    • As of now, Bridgewater-Raritan and Westfield – both of which lost to the Falcons earlier this year – will get 70 percent of St. Joseph’s SI value instead of 75, as will Phillipsburg, Piscataway and Union, if they lose those games. One more loss, and all those teams would get the natural 50 percent.
  • Pope John lost to Immaculata this weekend, which knocks the Lions completely out of the multiplier, as it was their second loss to a non-multiplier. Though they have no additional non-multiplier games, they also lost to Washington Twp. in Week Zero in the Battle at the Beach in Ocean City.
  • St. John Vianney also lost its multiplier status in its first game against a non-multiplier, falling to Holmdel this weekend.
    • That means the Lancers are only worth 50 percent for all future non-multipliers who lose to them, including Wall, Middletown North, Manalapan, Brick Twp. and Rusmon-Fair Haven.

Vianney’s loss also will make things much less tricky for UPR calculations on cutoff weekend. That’s because Rumson-Fair Haven had three multipliers on their schedule: Red Bank Catholic, Donovan Catholic and St. John Vianney. But the state only allows two multiplier values to be used, which means the top two values would count, while the lowest would be 50-percent.

With the Lancers no longer a multiplier, that will no longer have to be figured out, as only Red Bank Catholic and Donovan Catholic would count. That’s assuming neither drops another game between now an then.

The Caseys still have Holmdel, Winslow, Rumson and Wall, while the Griffins have Southern, Rumson, Pt. Pleasant Boro and Toms River North.

by Marcus Borden

Phillipsburg, Piscataway still 1 and 2 in Marcus Borden’s Week 4 Big Central Top Ten; plus BCC West, Middlesex and Union County rankings

My Friday night game saw Old Bridge build an early 23-8 halftime lead over Aquinas with a pressure defense and opportunistic offense which mixed the run and pass early knowing they needed to keep the Trojans talented quarterback Zymere Weaver on the sideline.

Like two heavyweight boxers who traded punches in a highly-anticipated matchup, Weaver would strike quickly in the third quarter on a 69-yard pass fake off a power read to the right while a slanting Aaron Crooms would take the dart 69-yards down the Knights sideline for the score. Aquinas would quickly lineup and run Aiden Morse on a quick dive for the two-point conversion closing the gap to 23-16 midway in the 3rd quarter.

Old Bridge would follow the script of putting the ball in the hands of their workhorse Chase Rizzo as they answered with a 37-yard field goal by Arain Mezera increasing the home teams lead to 26-16 late in the 3rd quarter

Aquinas would respond by driving down the field deep into the red zone but turn the ball over on downs as the Knights kept the defensive pressure on the Trojans offense.

Tristan Bester’s interception at 8:23 in the 4th quarter would give the visitors the ball back with Weaver sprinting to his right while pulling up to throw a bomb to sophomore Elijah Delirus who was streaking across the field to the left and then down the visitors sideline. He was tackled at the one yard line. Weaver would hurry up and run it for the touchdown followed by his 2-point conversion making it 26-24 with 7:46 remaining in the game.

Old Bridge would put the ball in Rizzo’s hands as he refused to be taken down by one tackler and finished the night on 27 carries for 252 yards and two scores. The Knights would force the Trojans to use their remaining timeouts as they methodically milked the clock while dealing St. Thomas Aquinas their first defeat of the season.

Saturday I made the short trip to Bill Denny Stadium for a 1:00 p.m. match-up with the David Brearley and South River. The Rams are a youthful squad with several freshmen playing on a team of about 24 players.

The Bears would keep the ball pretty much on the ground using their two backs Monroe Passmore and Nehemiah DeLeon who tallied a combined 252 yards and 3 scores while quarterback Ryan Nelson would toss two TD passes to Rocco Federico and Nate Bonnet.

Brealey would earn every one of their 42 points as the Rams led by seniors Dominic Harris and lineman Junior Funez showed incredible passion and desire as they kept fighting and leading by example for their young teammates. Harris would score on a 53-yard jaunt in the 3rd quarter and a 20-yard dash in the final stanza while Funez did his best to block the opposition.

Here are my Week 4 Top Tens for the entire Big Central Conference, plus the BCC West, Middlesex County and Union County:

scientific calculator on wooden surface
by Mike Pavlichko

OFFICIAL NJ Football Strength Index numbers for all teams following Week Three action

At nearly the mid-way point of the high school football season, teams throughout New Jersey are making moves in the playoff standings, with 60 percent of the NJSIAA’s UPR formula being the OSI factor.

Team’s get 100 percent of an opponent’s Strength Index (SI) value for a win, and 50 percent for a loss, with defeats at the hands of some non-public teams (multipliers) worth more, anywhere from 70 to 80 percent.

But it’s all based on the Strength Index value of teams, and we’re the only place you can find all of the numbers in one, handy location.

The values below are all Central Jersey Sports Radio’s calculations, confirmed with the numbers for every single team in the state on NJ.com, which performs the official calculations for the NJSIAA.

Each week, SI values change based on the final score and the rating of the two teams that played. Here’s an example. SI goes up or down depending on how a team did compared to the difference between the two teams. If Team A (80 SI) plays Team B (60 SI) and Team A wins by 20, there’s no change. If Team A wins by 10, they underperformed by 10 points, and Team B overperformed by 10 points. Team B increases by 2 points to become a 62, and Team A drops to a 78. Team A then gets the full value of Team B for its OSI (62) while Team B gets half the value of Team A (39).

Here are Central Jersey Sports Radio’s UNOFFICIAL Strength Index values after Week Three play:

2026 Strength Index (Official) through Week 3Download

Note: The NJ.com standings also revealed the SI values of out-of-state opponents for games already played. You can find them by going to a team’s power point calculation page.

Changes? NJ.com says that updates will push every morning at 6 am, if there are any. If an incorrect score has been confirmed and changed, that could affect the SI and OSI of multiple teams, depending on how many games have been played, if any, since the error.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  Governor Livingston 49, JFK 12

Connor Jakubowski had a touchdown catch, touchdown run and and interception for a score to lead Governor Livingston past visiting JFK, 49-12, in a Big Central Conference United Silver Division game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Logo for Bellamy & Son Paving, promoting the Big Central Game of the Week, featuring bold text in red and yellow colors.

Click below to listen to Chris Tsakonas and Nick Hart call all the play-by-play live from Berkeley Heights, NJ, on September 19, 2026:

1st Half
2nd Half
by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  No. 7 Elizabeth 62, No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen 35

Senior quarterback A’rique Fleming threw for 378 yards and five touchdown passes – two each to Qua’Yon Williams and Eric Cespedes – as the No. 7 Elizabeth Minutemen knocked off No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 62-35, in a Big Central Conference American Gold Division game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Logo for Bellamy & Son Paving, promoting the Big Central Game of the Week, featuring bold text in red and yellow colors.

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel and Dylan Allen call all the play-by-play live from Williams Field in Elizabeth, NJ, on September 18, 2026:

1st Half
2nd Half