Tag: HS Football

by Mike Pavlichko

Happy 2026! A genie granted us three wishes. Will they come true for New Jersey high school sports this year?

Another year behind us. They seem to go faster and faster these days.

Can anyone believe that Central Jersey Sports Radio will be finishing up its sixth season of covering high school sports this June when baseball packs it in? And we started this thing in the middle (July) of the pandemic?

Pretty bold move, but then hey, there were limits on fans at football games, and basketball games didn’t see fans beyond parents until later in that shortened season. Baseball was literally a breath of fresh air, the only sport untouched in 2021 since it never got played in 2020 – except for the Last Dance tournament.

Well, as soon as the ball dropped in Times Square last night, something strange happened in the Central Jersey Sports Radio studios.

Out of a dusty old microphone case – from an ElectroVoice RE20 for any audio geeks out there, the standard FM radio microphone for decades, by the way – popped a genie. No magic lamps around here.

And while he made no promises, he did at least grant us the opportunity to make three wishes for high school sports in the upcoming season. We’re not sure how connected he is to the folks down in Robbinsville, but we thought it over and came up with three.

Turns out, we think baseball is pretty good. So we’re going to leave that one alone for now. Our three wishes are for football and basketball (and other sports, we don’t generally cover, but we’ll explain in a moment)

1. Let’s get a Shot Clock in Basketball…

The NFHS – the National Federation of State High School Associations, which makes rules in high school sports across the country – adopted the shot clock in basketball in 2021, with the implementation of the 35-second clock coming in 2022-23.

Since then, 31 states and the District of Columbia have adopted it. (See a map and story on the NFHS site here.) Of those, three states are optional (Missouri, Kentucky and Florida) while three others use it in the regular season only (Wyoming, Alabama and South Carolina).

Most of the Western States use it, everything West and North of Colorado, including Hawaii and Alaska.

In the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, only Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Vermont and Maine have not adopted the shot clock in any way.

Here’s our take: Idaho and South Dakota aren’t exactly hotbeds of major high school basketball talent. Not like New Jersey and New York. But the Empire State has the clock, and the Garden State does not.

A scoreboard in a gymnasium displaying the home team's name 'Trojans,' with sections for the period, team scores, and fouls.
A recently installed scoreboard at St. Thomas Aquinas in Edison – whose gym was refurbished further this year – also has a shot clock, if and when New Jersey ever adopts it. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Will it increase scoring? Maybe. Take a look at some of those 39-6 scores you see at the lower levels, and there’s probably not much that can be done about that. We’d venture to guess the team that scored six points in 32 minutes missed a lot of the shots they took.

And we understand most teams in New Jersey don’t have a Division I prospect. But many will go on to play Division II, III or even NAIA and the JUCO route, and they all have the shot clock. Wouldn’t it be better to prepare them for the college game?

Plus, we can get away from team’s holding the ball – with no defense – for a minute or more on possessions late in the game.

The NJSIAA already adopted a running clock in the second half of games, so the time is going to run down. Might as well see some action!

2. Bring back the Tournament of Champions…

Joni Mitchell was right: you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone.

Following the 2021-22 season, the NJSIAA scrapped the Tournament of Champions in all sports, after a more than 30-year run that began in 1989. If we asked you a trivia question, to name the boys’ and girls’ teams to win the first one, only us old-timers might get it right.

Hoffman – now South Amboy – won the first girls’ TOC, while Bob Hurley’s St. Anthony of Jersey City won the first boys’ event. The Lady Guvs weren’t the reason the Tournament of Champions is gone now, but the Friars were, in a way.

(By the way, that first TOC? It was held at the Brendan Byrne Arena in the Meadowlands, home of the NBA’s Nets and NHL’s Devils at the time.)

One of the reasons the TOC was tossed out was that the NJSIAA said it was the same teams, every year. Out of 32 Tournaments on the boys’ side, St. Anthony won 13 of them, and St. Patrick of Elizabeth (now the Patrick School) won six. That’s two teams winning almost 60 percent of the time.

The girls’ side was often streaky, with St. John Vianney winning eight and Shabazz winning six. Vianney won a bunch in the 1990s, Shabazz more in the 2000s on. Franklin won two of three it appeared in, all in a row, taking the title in 2017 over Manasquan and 2019 over Saddle River Day, falling in 2018 to ‘Squan.

To which, we say, so what? If a program is good, let them win. Don’t people love sports dynasties? And the girls’ side was often won by public schools, in 19 of the 32 TOCs.

The other issue was allowing time for student-athletes to recover after a grueling season, and before heading on to the next. But that only lasted a couple of years.

In 2025, the last football game was played December third. Basketball teams could open up as early as December 8th, though many opened on the 13th. That’s still a span of just ten days for the teams that made the football state finals.

The winter-to-spring switch last year also was tight, and it will be again this year. In 2026, the last of the state hoops finals will end March 15th. Baseball competition may begin as early as the 16th, but for those who don’t, and start, say, a week later, still gives only eight days from the end of one season to the beginning of the next.

A basketball player wearing jersey number 20 hugs a coach in a celebratory moment surrounded by teammates in a sports setting.
The Hoffman girls’ basketball team celebrates winning the first Tournament of Champions in 1989. (Source: Newspapers.com)

As people say today, “Make it make sense.”

So, at this point, why not bring back the TOC?

We looked at the NJ.com posted rosters of the 12 teams – five on each side – that won Group Championships last year, the teams that would have qualified for the Tournament of Champions.

Of the girls, Group 3 winner Cherry Hill West and Group 1 winner New Providence were the outliers, with eight of 15 and seven of 11 roster players, respectively, playing multiple sports. Group 4 champ Hillsborough had one, Non-Public A champion Morris Catholic had none. Overall, 21 of 72 played multiple sports, and some only in the fall.

On the boys’ side, Manasquan had 12 of 15 playing multiple sports, but no one else had more than five, and the number was 25 of 91, a number likely higher due to football.

Keep in mind, not all of those multi-sport athletes are starters on both those teams, and some, like the boys’ on the Plainfield Group 4 champion squad, mostly played football in the fall. Few also played baseball, probably one of the toughest sports to get “game ready” for on a short turnaround.

Lacrosse coaches got together and got the NJSIAA to allow them to run their own TOC, although it’s not recognized by the NJSIAA. If they can do it, why can’t basketball?

3. Bring Back “true” Sectional Champions in Football

Ever since football adopted the state championship playoff format in football in 2022, we’ve bemoaned the fact that “sectional” champions are no longer champions from a certain geographic section.

Yeah, we know, we harped on that a lot this season, but when two teams from deep South Jersey are split up, like they were in Group 5 this year, allowing Kingsway to with the South Jersey Group 5 title and Washington Twp. – which is South of Philadelphia – to win the “Central Jersey” Group 5 championship, there’s something wrong with this picture.

In fact, adding state champions only makes it more important, in our mind, to go back to having predetermined geographical sections, rather than the top 16 teams in the North and South divided up by whatever the NJSIAA – led by the coaches and ADs on its Executive Committee – decide they want that year.

First, teams were broken up after the fact by geography. Then the sections were “snaked” by seed to ensure equal strength in both brackets. This year, the top two teams North and South were the seeds in each section, then the rest were split geographically and seeded in order of finish wherever they landed, ostensibly to cut down on travel.

What will next year bring?

There’s a push to go back to snaking, while some even want the best 32 statewide, then broken up after the fact. The NJFCA – New Jersey Football Coaches Association – asked its members their opinion in a survey, whose results have not yet been made public, but they say will be shared and considered by the NJSIAA.

But what makes football different than just about every other team sport in New Jersey? (Wrestling is, understandably, a different beast altogether.)

Absolutely nothing.

A group of high school football players in black and yellow uniforms pose for a photo, celebrating their victory with a trophy. In the background, a sunny sky and football field lights are visible.
North Hunterdon (left) and Edison both won sectional championships in 2022 which will never be forgotten, even with expanded playoffs going all the way to Group Champions. Do these kids look like sectional championships don’t matter to them? (Submitted photos)

And in any high school sport, anywhere in the nation, high school sports is inherently local. Does anyone in Middlesex County care about 90 percent of the Bergen County teams? Are they driving up there to see a Dumont and Fort Lee basketball game in early January?

Only if they have a niece, nephew, or grandchild playing.

By the way, it should be noted, the NJFCA honors excellence in high school football with its Super 100 list every year. Coaches nominate players, and the finalists are picked. There are 25 players – public and private together – recognized in each of four sections: North 1, North 2, Central and South.

Why not just do the best 100 overall? Well, that might shut out some whole counties or regions in the state.

So why are we even entertaining the thought when it comes to the football playoffs?

Of those coaches who voted several years ago to allow state championships in football, many wanted it, while others saw the writing on the wall, and didn’t want to prevent it from happening, but some feared less importance would be placed on winning a sectional title.

It’s not that way in any other sport, although it’s starting in football. But it’s not because of the new “state championships” – after all, every other sport had them (and some even had the Tournament of Champions beyond that).

It’s because crowning a South Jersey team a Central Jersey champion is just ludicrous.

by Mike Pavlichko

Maxwell Football Club announces New Jersey “Mini Max” winners; ten from the Big Central

The Maxwell Football Club is out again with its top players from across the region – in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware – announcing “Mini Max” winners from each state. And out of the 55 selected from the Garden State, ten come from the Big Central Conference, three more than a year ago.

The student-athletes are nominated by their coaches, and are evaluated based not just on their football skills, but also academics and community service.

The 55 from New Jersey – and ten from the BCC – are finalists for the Maxwell Club’s New Jersey as well as the Jim Henry Regional Player of the Year. All will be announced on February 1st at the Mini Max Awards Dinner in Drexel Hill, PA.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

Here’s the list of players honored from the Big Central:

  • Logan Stevens, Bernards: Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Two-Way Player of the Year for 2025 as a running back and defensive back, Steven excelled both ways. On offense, he carried 125 times for 1,100 yards and 14 scores, with four receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. On defense, he had 44 tackles, 18 solo, a TFL, a forced fumble, three picks and two blocked kicks. He was also the only non-quarterback to be a two-year captain in program history.
  • Stephen Pikulin, Bridgewater-Raritan: A senior defensive lineman for the North 2, Group 5 champion Panthers – their first sectional title in school history – Pikulin recorded nine TFLs and 1 1/2 sacks this year, along with 54 tackles, 28 solo.
  • Chidiogo Iherobiem, Dayton: Playing both sides of the ball, Iherobiem caught 21 passes this yer – tied for the team high – for 343 yards and five TDs, while also rushing five times for 15 yards and a score. At defensive back, he logged two picks, a forced fumble and nine TFLs, with 69 total tackles, 36 solo for the Bulldogs, who had a signature late-season win over then-undefeated Spotswood in a 7-2 campaign this fall.
  • Trey McFadden, Montgomery: The senior was a huge reason the Cougars made their first ever sectional final this season, though they eventually lost to Phillipsburg in the North 2, Group 4 title game. A wide receiver, McFadden caught 63 passes for 821 yards and ten touchdowns, with two multiple-TD games; he also rushed four times for 59 yards and another score. In the secondary, he logged 36 tackles, 30 solo, and had one fumble recovery plus five interceptions. He also returned kicks and was 14-for-21 booting extra points, kicked one field goal, and scored on a two-point conversion in a huge upset win at Somerville.
  • Mike Petses, New Providence: A runningback, Petses carried 45 times for 318 yards and four scores, after being called upon more following an injury to main back A.J. Whitehead; he also caught five passes for 57 yards. As a linebacker on defense, he recorded a whopping 105 tackles, 65 solo, with six TFLs and two forced fumbles. He also logged a safety, one interception, and had one of two blocked kicks by the Pioneers, who went to the North 2, Group 1 final for the second year in a row.

  • Sam Dech, Phillipsburg: Dech took the mantle at runningback as the main option of the offense after the graduation of Felix Matos and record-setter Matthew Scerbo, Jr., and the Stateliners did the same thing they did last year: won a sectional title in North 2, Group 4, their tenth overall in New Jersey. Winner of CJSR’s “Hard Nosed Runner” Award, Dech carried 92 times for 790 yards and nine touchdowns, leading the team in carries and rushing yardage, while also catching four passes for 38 yards. At linebacker on defense, he had 52 tackles, 42 solo, a sack, two TFLs, and one forced fumble and recovery.
  • Aidan Vesuvio-Bush, Somerville: The Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week for an outstanding performance against Plainfield late in the season, Vesuvio-Bush rushed for 1,299 yards and 18 touchdowns on 199 carries, the clear team-leader in all three categories. He also caught 26 passes for 254 yards and a score.
  • Sam Meekings, Voorhees: The senor quarterback had another great year leading the Viking offense, throwing for a career-best 1,560 yards on 99-of-165 passing for 19 touchdowns as Voorhees rode an 8-1 record into the postseason, where they fell in the first round to eventual state Group 2 champion Camden.
  • Dillon Nunes, Watchung Hills: Nunes, the Borden’s Baller selection from Watchung Hills, caught 35 passes this year for 637 yards and nine touchdowns, while also passing twice, completing both, one for a touchdown against Somerville. He also had four interceptions on defense in the secondary, and a fumble recovery, along with 33 tackles, 26 solo.
  • Ben Seward, Westfield: The senior defensive back recorded 53 tackle,s 35 solo and a TFL, along with a pick-six and half a safety.

by Mike Pavlichko

VOTE! Back for a second year, it’s the Central Jersey Sports Radio Tournament of Champions; You choose your favorite, and we’ll count down the Top 5 title games of 2025 on New Year’s Eve!

With New Jersey no longer holding the Tournament of Champions – which the NJSIAA did away with for the 2022-23 season – we still miss it. And you probably do, too.

Well, we’re bringing it back. Again.

For the second year in a row, we’re holding our own Tournament of Champions. We’re letting you, the fans, vote in our Tournament of Champions poll.

That’s right, you get to pick your favorite from the 13 championship games we broadcast live this season! (These are only games we broadcast and that were won by a team from the CJSR coverage area.) We’ll announce the winners on Wednesday, December 30th, then air the top five in order, back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back on New Year’s Even.

You can vote now through Tuesday, December 30th at noon!

Vote as often as you like – now through noon on Tuesday, December 30th! Just click on the game or games you want to hear below!

Here are the 2025 Championships to choose from!
Click the links to read the game stories, then scroll down to vote!

BASKETBALL

BASEBALL

FOOTBALL

  • NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 Final: Phillipsburg wins its second straight North 2, Group 4 title, beating Montgomery 41-21 to take its tenth NJSIAA sectional title in program history.
2025 CJSR Tournament of Champions

Sorry, voting is closed.

We’ll announce the top 5 championship games later today, and they will air tomorrow – New Year’s Eve – on Central Jersey Sports Radio!

by Mike Pavlichko

2025 NJFCA Super 100 All-State team unveiled: 23 honorees from the Big Central Conference

The New Jersey Football Coaches Association has come out with the 2025 edition of its “Super 100” All-State team, with nearly two dozen Big Central Conference standouts being honored.

The NJFCA Super 100 is chosen by coaches among its members, and 25 are recognized in each of four sections – Central, South, North 1 and North 2 – with non-publics included as well. The Big Central is represented in Central and North 2.

According to the NJFCA, players must first be nominated by their coaches for inclusion, then the selection committee makes its picks.

There were 22 Big Central teams represented, with all but North 2, Group 5 champion Bridgewater-Raritan getting one player each on the list; the Panthers got two.

Here are all players honored from the Big Central Conference, as well as others from the area:

Central

  • Andrew Scwharz, Hillsborough
  • Grant Lorentzen, JFK
  • Josh D’Ambrosio, Manville
  • Trey McFadden, Montgomery
  • Jordan Burnett, North Plainfield
  • Brody Nugent, Old Bridge
  • Josiah Zayas, Piscataway
  • Anwar Witherspoon, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Shaun Jackson, Sayreville
  • Aidan Vesuvio-Bush, Somerville
  • Dominic Massaro, South Plainfield
  • Joshua Allen, Woodbridge

North 2

  • Justin Simpson, Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Declan Kurdyla, Bridgewater-Raritan
  • R.J. Wortman, Colonia High School
  • Chidiogo Iherobiem, Dayton
  • James Keneally, New Providence
  • Sam Dech, Phillipsburg
  • Tylor Hunter, Plainfield
  • Andrew Avent, Rahway
  • Nathan Engdahl, Ridge
  • Anthony Trujillo, Summit
  • Matteo Tramutola, Voorhees

Others from Central Jersey

  • Daysir Spille, Immaculata

Here’s the full list of statewide NJFCA Super 100 All-State honorees, as the association unveiled Saturday morning on Twitter:

NORTH 1

A table listing high school students with their respective schools, first names, and last names.

NORTH 2

A table listing students' names and schools, detailing members of the NJFCA Super 100 All-State team.

CENTRAL

A list of honorees for the NJFCA Super 100 All-State team from various high schools, organized by school and player's name.
Please note: Aidan Vesuvio-Bush‘s name was misspelled on the original NJFCA posting above.

SOUTH

A table listing student athletes' names, first names, and the high schools they represent, organized into columns for easy reading.

by Mike Pavlichko

A look back at Central Jersey Sports Radio Award Winners through the years

With the 2025 Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Awards Show in the books, we decided to take a look back at all the award winners we’ve had in the show’s six years.

So far, we’ve honored 111 different players and 34 of the Big Central’s 59 teams, and that’s not even counting all the Honorable Mentions in the various categories.

Here’s a closer look at each category, followed by each year’s “specialty” awards:

Offensive Player of the Year:

  • 2020: Cookie Desiderio, Somerville
  • 2021: Colin Murray, Cranford
  • 2022: Jayden Young, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • 2023: Jaeden Jones, Colonia
  • 2024: Terrell Mitchell, Somerville
  • 2025: Brody Nugent, Old Bridge
Three individuals holding footballs in front of a brick wall with plaques, outdoors on a sunny day.
From left to right, Somerville RB Cookie Desiderio, head coach Dallas Whitaker, and DE A.J. Pena pose with their commemorative footballs honoring their CJSR Player of the Year picks, and Somerville’s Team of the Year award for 2020.

Defensive Player of the Year:

  • 2020: A.J. Pena, Somerville
  • 2021: Amari Macklin, North Brunswick
  • 2022: Adam Meiner, Ridge
  • 2023: Christian Magliacano, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • 2024: Terrence Hanratty, Bernards
  • 2025: Aedan Hywel, Phillipsburg
A smiling football player in an Edison team uniform with the number 11, standing on a field with a red turf background, holding a microphone from Central Jersey Sports Radio.
Edison LB Selbin Sabio had two of his team’s seven sacks in the Central Jersey Group 5 championship game on November 11, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Special Teams Player of the Year:

  • 2020: Shawn Martin, Scotch Plains-Fanwood
  • 2021: Jai Patel, South Brunswick
  • 2022: Selbin Sabio, Edison
  • 2023: Jonas Gonzalez, Bernards
  • 2024: Alexie Moreira, Phillipsburg
  • 2024: Dominic Massaro, South Plainfield (Returner); Cooper Smoragiewicz, Summit (Kicker)

Two-Way Player of the Year:

  • 2020: Charlie Barth, New Providence
  • 2021: Thomas Amankwaa, Hillsborough
  • 2022: Derek Vaddis, North Hunterdon
  • 2023: Joel Cordoba, Plainfield
  • 2024: Josiah Zayas, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • 2025: Logan Stevens, Bernards
A group of six people pose for a photo after a signing event at Hillsborough High School, featuring a table with a red and black tablecloth and Hillsborough Raiders branding in the background.
Hillsborough’s Thomas Amankwaa and his family on signing day in the Hillsborough High School Library on December 15, 2021. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Coach of the Year:

  • 2020: Mike Cipot, North Brunswick
  • 2021: Kevin Carty, Jr., Hillsborough
  • 2022: Tarig Holman, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • 2023: Jon Simoneau, Bernards
  • 2024: Joe Goerge, Woodbridge
  • 2025: D.J. Catalano, Bridgewater-Raritan

Leadership Award:

  • 2020: Angelo Drake, Manville
  • 2021: Jordan Bird, North Plainfield
  • 2022: Frankie Garbolino, North Brunswick
  • 2023: Cody Cardillo, Metuchen
  • 2024: David Silva, Bernards
  • 2025: A’Arrow Andrewz, Woodbridge
A young football player wearing a 'Metuchen' jersey smiles on a field with trees in the background.
Metuchen senior Cody Cardillo. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Longevity Award:

  • 2020: Sean Levonaitis, Hillsborough
  • 2021: Owen Haughney, Old Bridge
  • 2022: Matt Yascko, Edison
  • 2023: Connor Laverty, Bernards
  • 2024: Ja’Kir Thomas, Carteret
  • 2025: Josh D’Ambrosio, Manville

Turnaround Team of the Year:

  • 2020: North Plainfield
  • 2021: East Brunswick
  • 2022: Piscataway
  • 2023: Dunellen
  • 2024: Highland Park
  • 2025: Montgomery

Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Scholarship

  • 2021: Zaon Laney, Rahway
  • 2022: Antonio “Speedy” Rivera, Piscataway
  • 2023: Owen Chait, Governor Livingston
  • 2024: Brendan Pacheco, Somerville
  • 2025: Matteo Tramutola, Voorhees
A football player in a white and orange uniform stands on the field, preparing for the snap, while a referee and teammates are positioned nearby.
Somerville quarterback Brenden Pacheco. (Source: @BrendenPacheco_ on Twitter)

Team of The Year

  • 2020: Somerville (7-0)
  • 2021: Hillsborough (13-0)
  • 2022: North Hunterdon (12-1)
  • 2023: Bernards (12-1)
  • 2024: Phillipsburg (11-3)
  • 2025: Phillipsburg (10-3)

SPECIALTY AWARDS

2020

  • Record Setter of the Year: Teddy Gouldin, Bernards
  • Tech Wizards of the Year: Bernards coaching staff
  • Mr. Consistency: Ali Lee, Jr., Woodbridge
  • Jack-Of-All-Trades: Khan-Yae Stevens, North Plainfield
  • Medical Comeback: Luke Burns, Bernards
A football player in uniform, wearing a face mask, smiles while holding a microphone and speaking on a field with goal posts in the background.
Ali Lee, Jr., of Woodbridge talks to Central Jersey Sports Radio prior to his senior season in 2020. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

2021

  • Big Humans Award: Geoff Gretta, Kevin Shriner, Kyle Fay, Ryan Heesters, Matt Fries of Cranford
  • Nobody Scores Award: St. Thomas Aquinas Defense, represented by Jon Wyatt
  • Zaimer Wright, Sayreville: Rising Star Award
  • Mr. Versatility: Alex Benitez, Montgomery
  • Mentorship Award: Jehu Andrews, Carteret
  • Perseverance Award: Matthew Ihemsie, Hillside
  • Most Electrifying Player Award: Josh Oluremi, Colonia
  • Most Highly-Sought After Recruit Award: Davison Igbinosun, Union

2022

  • Best Rushing QB Award: Jaeden Jones, Colonia
  • Best Backfield Duo: Kente Edwards, Alex Uryniak, North Hunterdon
  • Rising Star Award: Jett Genovese, Phillipsburg
  • Best Returning QB/WR Tandem Award: Michael Schmelzer, Jr., Matt D’Avino, Montgomery
  • Nobody Scores Award: Bernards Defense, represented by Kai Dallimore, Enzo Britez
  • Playoff Beast Award: Luke Martini, North Hunterdon
  • Walk-Off Defender Award: Zamir Hawk, Hillside
  • Injury-Be-Damned Award: Adam Bowles, South Plainfield
  • Full 48 Award: Robert Orzol, Old Bridge
  • MVP Award: Shawn Purcell, Manville; Matt Sims, Brearley
A group of football players in black and yellow uniforms celebrating on the field at night, with some players hugging and others cheering in the background.
North Hunterdon quarterback Luke Martini (5) gets a hug from a teammate after a 25-14 win over Morris Knolls in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals in Annandale on November 4, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

2023

  • Three-Way Player of the Year: Sal Marchione, Monroe
  • Shutdown Defender: Renick Dorilas, Union
  • Record-Setter Award: A.J. Bosch, Woodbridge
  • Trailblazer Award: Michael Schmelzer, Jr., Montgomery
  • Heart & Soul Award: John Wargo, Phillipsburg
  • MVP Award: Highland Park (team)

2024

  • Dynamic Duo Award: Jett Genovese, Matthew Scerbo, Jr., Phillipburg
  • Scores Every Which Way Award: James Bodley, Pisctaway
  • Making The Grade Award: Lamar Raiford, JP Stevens
  • Rising Star Award: Chukwumah Odoh, St. Thomas Aquinas
  • OMG He’s Back Award: Andrew Avent, Rahway
  • Family Affair Award: Derek and Bryan Anderson, Woodbridge
  • Unbreakable Record Breaker Award: Jackson Jankowicz, Hillsborough

2025

  • Bodybuilder Award: Brady Gallogly, Pisctaway
  • Comeback Award: Jack Kalikas, A.L. Johnson
  • Great Hands Award: R.J. Wortman, Colonia
  • Hard-Nosed Runner Award: Sam Dech, Phillipsburg
  • I’m Back Award: Devin Thomas, Plainfield
  • IS He A Lineman, Is He A Fullback Award: Mike Bellamy, Montgomery
  • Sure, I’ll Play Quarterback Award: Alex Schwark, Summit
  • Best Player Not To Play A Snap Award: Cole Sabol, Summit
  • Tough Break For A Recordbreaker Award: Thomas Diemar, Bernards
by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg Stateliners repeat as sectional champs, No. 1 in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten in 2025… and once again are Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Big Central Team of the Year

Everyone knows the Phillipsburg mystique, but Frank Duffy prefers to call it “the standard.” The measuring stick by which all Stateliner teams are judged.

That stick has 758 marks on it, one for every win the program has, the most in New Jersey history, spread across 120 years of football that sometimes has taken them to Pennsylvania, more often here at home in the Garden State, and – like next year – will see a mix of Pennsy and Jersey schools on the schedule.

But in 2025, after losing key contributors like Jett Genovese, Matthew Scerbo Jr., and Felix Matos to graduation, Phillipsburg barely skipped a beat.

They went into the playoffs at 7-1, their lone loss coming to St. Joseph-Metuchen. In the last two years, they’ve lost to just one New Jersey pubic school (Ridge last season).

And with three playoff wins, they took the North 2, Group 4 title with ease, starting with a 55-14 joke of a blowout win against a horribly over-matched eight-seed in Newark Central, then a 35-7 win over Colonia, and a 41-21 victory over Montgomery to claim their second straight state sectional title.

For that, Phillipsburg is crowned – once again, for a second straight year – Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Team of the Year.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Phillipsburg head coach Frank Duffy, and seniors Sam Dech and Aedan Hywel about their 2025 season:

by Mike Pavlichko

Voorhees’ Matteo Tramutola runs off with Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Scholarship for 2025

As always, there were tons of great performances across the Big Central during the 202 high school football season, and it’s not always easy choosing the Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Award.

But, of course, thanks to Central Jersey Sports Radio founding sponsor Joe Bellamy – without whom none of this would be possible – somehow, we figure it out.

Each week, we pore over all the nominations. Some weeks it’s like a chip shot field goal. Other times we just fire it downfield and hope to hit the open man.

Then, after nine weeks of regular season play, we have to pick from those to award a $500 scholarship from Bellamy & Son Paving, and this year, we went west – far west – for Voorhees’ Matteo Tramutola.

Logo for Bellamy & Son Paving featuring the text 'The Big Central Player of the Week' in red and yellow colors.

Not only did the Vikings’ senior have a great year, but capped a fantastic four-year varsity career out in Glen Gardner. He rushed for a personal best 1,338 yards on 193 carries, scoring 17 touchdowns for the second straight season, giving him 39 for his career. And over four years, he ended up as the school’s all-time leading rusher. How’s this for symmetry: 444 total carries for an exactly even 3,000 career rushing yards?

Tramutola won the award in Week Six, when he carried 26 times for 154 yards and two touchdowns. But two other aspects made it all the more remarkable. First, his second touchdown of the game turned out to be he game-winner in a 21-14 win at Governor Livingston on October 11th. But the game also saw him set the Vorhees career rushing record.

Click below to listen to Matteo Tramutola get surprised by Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with the Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Scholarship:

Here’s the full list of Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Year Honorees. Click the links to read more about each player’s performance, plus Honorable Mentions and a full list of nominees.

by Mike Pavlichko

Proving it was no hype, just reality, Brody Nugent of Old Bridge delivers for Knights, wins CJSR Offensive Player of the Year Award

Before the season even started, before Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan, the ex-East Brunswick coach raved about Brody Nugent. He was a big fan, and predicted big things from the Old Bridge senior.

He delivered on every one of them.

Historic high school football stats are hard to come by in New Jersey. Around 2010 is the last year one can find somewhat reliable stats publicly available. And in all that time, it appears no one has done what Brody Nugent did this year.

That’s not counting the intangibles, of course: leadership, grit, toughness.

But numbers-wise? No Middlesex County quarterback has thrown for over 2,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 in the same season. There have been some really good ones, but typically they are either big passers or big runners. But not both.

Nugent certainly is both. In the passing game, he went for 2,276 yards and 19 touchdowns. On the ground, he ran for 1,262 yards and 20 more touchdowns.

That makes him responsible for 3,538 yards and 39 touchdowns leading an offense that helped take the Knights to the precipice, where they fell to eventual Group 5 champion Washington Twp. in the “Central Jersey” Group 5 title game.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel with Old Bridge QB Brody Nugent, the 2025 Central Jersey Sports Radio Offensive Player of the Year:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Dylan Chiera, Colonia: One of three Middlesex County quarterbacks to pass for over 2,000 yards this season, the senior led the Big Central with 2,436 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, helping the Patriots reach the North 2, Group 4 semifinals, where they fell to eventual champion Phillipsburg.
  • Jack Kristjanson, Montgomery: One of the senior captains on a team that made history, qualifying for its first-ever sectional finals a year after going just 1-9. “Confident and calm under pressure,” says first-year head coach Sean Carty, Kristjanson threw for 1,846 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.
  • Devin Thomas, Plainfield: One of four Big Central QBs to throw for 2,000-plus yards this year, it was even more impressive since he hadn’t played football since his freshman year at St. Thomas Aquinas. A member of the state Group 4 champion Cardinals’ basketball team last season, Thomas came back in the fall and threw for 2,214 yards and 29 TDs, while also rushing for 474 yards and five more scores.
  • Andrew Avent, Rahway: The CJSR Three-Way Player of the Year literally does it all for Rahway. But at runningback was where he did his best work in four years as a varsity starter. He finished with over 4,000 career yards and 77 touchdowns, getting 1,961 this season. He holds the career and single-season rushing and scoring records, and is – in a word – dominant.
  • Shaun Jackson, Sayreville: The senior runningback carried for 1,977 yards this season and 30 total touchdowns, while also logging 342 receiving yards. He was a big reason the Bombers improved from 4-6 last season to 9-2 this year, their only two losses coming to two sectional finalists: Montgomery in the regular season, and Old Bridge in the CJ5 semifinals.
  • Justin Scaramuzzo, St. Joseph-Metuchen: The senior ran the offense with aplomb, throwing for 1,212 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just one interception. The numbers aren’t flashy, but mistakes were rare, indeed, especially in a tight 0-0 game at the half in October that wound up being a 21-0 win over Phillipsburg in Metuchen, the Stateliners’ only regular season loss before the playoffs. Scaramuzzo also carried the ball 100 times for 580 yards and 12 more touchdowns.
  • Zymere Weaver, St. Thomas Aquinas: He also threw for over 2,000 yards this year, going for 2,236 and 24 touchdowns through the air, while also rushing for five scores.
  • Joshua Allen, Woodbridge: The senior runningback finished two carries shy of 200 and ran for 1,549 yards – 7.9 per carry – and 20 touchdowns, with a long run of 89 that was nominated for Big Central Highlight Reel Play of the Year.

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg’s disruptive Aedan Hywel is the Central Jersey Sports Radio Defensive Player of the Year for 2025

With a reputation for being one of the Big Central Conference’s most physical football teams, having someone who’s a ball-hawk all over the field is a nice touch.

More than that, senior Aedan Hywel is not just a ball-hawk, he’s a quarterback hawk.

He is a major reason the Phillipsburg Stateliners shut out two teams, held two more to single digits, and – through the North 2 Group 4 championship game, were holding teams to an average of just 12.4 points per game, despite playing in perhaps the most challenging division in the league, top to bottom.

And a big reason why they’re state sectional champs for the second year in a row.

It’s hard to argue with the numbers.

Hywel had 27 tackles for loss and a monster 17 1/2 sacks, along with 68 tackles, and 59 of them all by himself.

Beyond the numbers, he’s a player you have to account for, forcing opposing offenses to play defense.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Defensive Player of the Year Adena Hywel of Phillipsburg:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Jamelle Jones, Bridgewater-Raritan: Just a sophomore, he’ll remain a key for the Panther program is they look to build off their 2025 North 2, Group 5 title, the first sectional crown in program history. Jones had just 38 tackles, 20 solo, but made an impact with eight sacks and 12 TFLs. He also had a critical scoop-and-score for 35 yards in the third quarter of the final against Bayonne.  Down 7-0 at the half, that tied the game at seven, and Bridgewater would score two of the next three TDs for a 21-14 win over the Bees.
  • Julien Jones, Colonia: The middle linebacker recorded a whopping 162 tackles – a busy man – with 104 of them solo. He also had eight sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and a 75-yard pick-six against Cranford in a 40-15 win on October 17th.
  • Michael Wellett III, St. Joseph-Metuchen: A senior who transferred in from Seton Hall Prep, and sat out the early season due to transfer rules, he recorded 41 tackles in just six games, 15 solo, with five sacks and eight TFLs, as well as a fumble recovery. Hr signed his NLI with the University of Rochester last week.
  • Anwar Witherspoon, St. Thomas Aquinas: With 115 tackles, eight TFLs, 1 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and a recover, first-year head coach Shamir Bearfield calls him “a menace” on defense. The linebacker just signed his National Letter of Intent last week with Buffalo.
  • Anthony Trujillo, Summit: Named first-team All-Big Central in their division, the senior defensive tackle had 60-plus tackles, 14 TFLs and nine sacks. HEad coach kevin Kostibos says he “singlehandedly” shut down the inside run game, and was the “main reason” they made the North 2, Group 3 title game.
  • Matt Seward, Westfield: The linebacker was “all over the field” this year, accoridng to head coach Matt Andzel, with 83 tackles, seven TFLs, five sacks and four forced fumbles, three of which recovered. His stat line continues with three blocked kicks, a pick and a safety. But more impressive? The kid is just a tenth grader!
by Mike Pavlichko

In split award, South Plainfield’s Dominic Massaro is CJSR Special Teams Returner of the Year, while Cooper Smoragiewicz of Summit’s clutch boots win him Kicker of the Year

Sometimes, we just can’t decide.

Here we were, four members of the Central Jersey Sports Radio staff, gathered at a local watering hole to determine all our Player of the Year honorees, and we had an easier time picking appetizers.

Then again, maybe that should have been a sign: We eventually settled on three of them.

For the 2025 CJSR Special Teams award, we hemmed and hawed, then just decided to heck with it. We’ll split it up and have a Special Teams Returner of the Year and a Special Teams Kicker of the Year.

Those awards go to South Plainfield’s Dominic Massaro and Summit’s Cooper Smoragiewicz, respectively.

Returner of the Year – Dominic Massaro, South Plainfield:

The biggest compliment an opponent can give to a returner is to not kick the ball to him.

And South Plainfield’s Dominic Massaro – Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Special Teams Returner of the Year for 2025 – was complimented a lot this fall.

When the ball did find Massaro on special teams, he was a game-breaker (and on one occasion, a game-winner). He returned three punts for touchdowns this season – including the only one in a Week Zero win over East Brunswick. Even when he didn’t score, he set up great field position, averaging nearly 45 yards per return.

Dominic Massaro is about as South Plainfield of an athlete as they come, a tough-nosed kid who plays multiple sports at the only level he knows how: turned all the way up to eleven.

Noted for his grind-it-out rushing style, in a three-year varsity career, he’s rushed for over 3,000 yards, a thousand each of the past two seasons and just 25 yards shy – with 975 – his sophomore year.

On special teams, he had two kick returns for touchdowns in 2023, and another in 2024, and this year had three punt returns for scores, including an 85-yarder in Week Zero against East Brunswick that turned out to be the game-winner in a 9-7 road victory on August 28th.

What helped him most in that regard? Playing baseball. His comfort tracking down fly balls in the outfield helps him get to the right spot on special teams, and once the ball is in his hands, his running back instincts take over. 

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe speak with Dominic Massaro, our Special Teams Returner of the Year:

Kicker of the Year – Cooper Smoragiewicz, Summit

Last year, the Special Teams Player of the Year was Alexie Moriera of Phillipsburg, who kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Stateliners the North 2, Group 4 title.

This year, Summit’s Cooper Smoragiewicz won not one, but two playoff games with “walk-off” kicks. The first came in the opening round of the playoffs, a chip-shot from 19-yards out to beat Warren Hills, 24-21. The second came in the North 2, Group 3 semifinals from 34-yards out against West Essex, to send the Hilltoppers to the sectional finals with a 31-28 win.

In a season where six of Summit’s nine wins came by just three points – including those two playoff victories – Smoragiewicz was 24-of-24 on PATs.

Oh, and he’s just a sophomore, so there will be plenty more of his story to be written by the time he finished his senior season in 2027!

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel speak with Cooper Smoragiewicz, our Special Teams Kicker of the Year:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Thomas Diemar, Bernards: Though he didn’t play a full season due to a bad-luck, non-contact ACL injury in Game Three, Deimar – a nationally-ranked long-snapper, continued to do it for two more weeks after is injury! Head coach Jon Simoneau says he had a perfect career: never one bad snap!
  • Jaret Quesada, Manville: He led the Big Central Conference in PATs made this season, connecting on 54 of 59, and at one point connected on 17 straight. He had four touchbacks, and only attempted one field goal this year, connecting from 23 yards out in a Week Three, 31-0 home win over Belvidere.
  • Mike Bellamy, Montgomery: Ranked the No. 2 long snapper in New Jersey, the kid does it all, playing offensive line as well as fullback, where he scored four designed touchdowns this year – not just falling on a fumble by his own team in the end zone.
  • Gavin Pereira, Spotswood: After going 27-of-28 last year, the senior was 20-for-22 on extra points in 2025. He also hit on three of four field goal attempts, with a long of 38, while also getting four kickoff touchbacks. His coach Chris Meagher says he gets great placement on those that don’t sail out the back of the end zone.
  • Quaron Robinson, Union: Helping the Farmers win the field position battle, he averaged 35 yards per punt this year, many landing inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.