Tag: Hunterdon Central

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough upsets top-seed Hunterdon Central in CJ4 quarters; will host Montgomery Tuesday

Unlike the bottom half, the top-half of the Central Jersey Group 4 NJSIAA baseball playoff bracket has been riddled with upsets.

Montgomery – the 12-seed – knocked off fifth-seed New Brunswick 14-2 in the opening round, and four-seed Hightstown 5-4 Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Now, they’ll meet a team that pulled an upset of its own to get to the semis.

Ninth-seed Hillsborough (12-10), which edged eighth-seed Freehold Township, 6-2, in the opening round, booted top-seed Hunterdon Central (17-7) with a 3-1 win in Flemington Friday.

It’s a win that – coupled with Monty’s upsets – will make the Raiders a surprise semifinal host when they play their neighbors, the Cougars, Tuesday for a trip to the Central Jersey Group 4 title game.

Boro jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third, and the pitching held it – mostly – from there. With a Tommy Kester walk and a TJ Westlake single sandwiched between a leadoff flyout and a strikeout, Brayden Fox singled to right to score Kester, Alex Reiling singled to score Fox, then a balk by A Petino brought in Westlake from third.

Hunterdon Central’s lone run came in the fourth, on an RBI single by Matty Dalfonzo. They would get just one hit and two baserunners total over the next three innings, shut down by starter James Drinkwater in his final inning, the fifth, and reliever Aiden Cooper, who pitched two scoreless innings to get the save, while Drinkwater picked up the win.

It’ll be an all CJSR-area semifinal in Central Jersey Group 4. In addition to Hillsborough hosting Montgomery in the “Skyland Conference” half of the bracket, it’ll be a “GMC” semi on the other side, with second-seed Old Bridge hosting third-seed Edison at 5 pm Tuesday at Fred Cole Field, in a game that can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The final is scheduled for Thursday at the home of the higher seeded team. Hillsborough last reached a sectional final in 2012, when the Raiders beat Central in the North 2 Group 4 final, beat Ridgewood in the state semis, but lost to Manalapan in the state Group 4 title game.

Click below to hear from Hillsborough winning pitcher James Drinkwater and head coach Matt Mosko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams keep pace in Week 2 CJSR H.S. Football Top Ten; Colonia and Rahway debut

Once again, the upper echelon in the Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football rankings didn’t change, but there was turmoil in the bottom half.

Phillipsburg, St. Thomas Aquinas, Woodbridge and Somerville all held their positions at the top, but No. 5 Hillsborough and No. 9 Bridgewater-Raritan – both of which lost to drop to 1-2 – fell out. That left room for Colonia and Rahway to make their debuts in the last two spots, in that order.

Phillipsburg continues to hold the No. 1 position, improving to 2-0 Friday night with a 35- shutout of Hunterdon Central. The Stateliners visit Ridge (1-1) this Friday night, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with kickoff at 7 pm and Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas on the call of the Big Central Game of the Week presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Holding at No. 2 is St. Thomas Aquinas, which moved to 2-1 after a 42-6 thumping of North Brunswick on the road Friday night that extended their league-best win streak against Big Central competition to 26 games. They’re back at it Friday in their home opener against Franklin (3-0).

Staying in third is Woodbridge (3-0). The Barrons got four touchdowns from Jahmir Beal Friday night in a 41-26 home win over Plainfield. Next up is in-town rival and newly-ranked Colonia (3-0) on the road on the blue turf.

Holding the line in fourth is Somerville (3-0). The Pioneers crushed Montgomery 42-7 on the road Friday night, and will entertain Rahway (3-0) in a battle of undefeated teams Friday night at Brooks Field.

Up a spot this week t No. 5 is Bernards (3-0). The Mountaineers got just one touchdown, but that’s all they needed Friday night to beat Delaware Valley in Alexandria to win the Mountain Valley Trophy game between rivals for the third year in a row. Voorhees (2-1) comes to Olcott Field this Friday night.

South Brunswick (3-0) also is up a spot to No. 7, as the Vikings won their third road game in a row to start the season, topping Monroe 28-21. It’s the first time South Brunswick has won its first three road games of the year since 2-16, when they went 8-3 under Joe Goerge – in his first go-round. They’ll play their first home game of the year Friday night when Old Bridge (1-2) comes to Monmouth Junction.

Piscataway (2-1) rose to No. 7 after a narrow, gut-check 22-21 win over Old Bridge that wasn’t over until Najay Best recovered an Old Bridge fumble in the closing seconds. The Chiefs go out-of-conference next week when they visit Ridgewood (3-0), the first meeting between the teams since the 2018 North 5 regional bowl game, which Piscataway won to finish undefeated, 13-0, the most wins ever recorded by a Middlesex County team.

Despite the loss to top-ranked Phillipsburg, Hunterdon Central (2-1) holds in eighth. The Red Devils entertain Bridgewater-Raritan (1-2) in Flemington Friday night.

Then, there are two new teams in the rankings. In ninth is Colonia (3-0). The Patriots came back to beat Linden on the road in Union County on Saturday afternoon, and host Woodbridge (3-0) Friday night.

New to the rankings in tenth is Rahway (3-0). With a 28-7 road win Friday at Perth Amboy, the Indians have allowed just one touchdown apiece in the last two games, and will visit Somerville (3-0) in a battle of unbeatens Friday night.

Also considered in this week’s rankings are Ridge (1-1) and Summit (2-0). The Red Devils thumped Hillsborough 34-7 at home Friday and entertain No. 1 Phillipsburg (2-0) Friday, while Summit (2-0) trampled Hillside on the road 41-14 Saturday afternoon.

Below is the full Central Jersey Sports Radio Week 2 Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Matt Bastardi features the Elite QB “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 1

We’re back again this year with Central Jersey Sports Radio sponsor Elite QB, highlighting Coach Matt Bastardi’s “Elite Performers of the Week.”

Run by Matt Bastardi, a former high school and college quarterback who has either played the position or coached it for over 40 years, Elite QB trains players at all position levels, with an emphasis on QBs.

Click here to visit Elite QB’s website and find out more
about how to train with Matt Bastardi at Elite QB.

Once again, each week of the entire 2024 season, Matt will highlight the key stats for players under his tutelage at Elite QB, which include quarterbacks and other skill position players.

Click below to listen to the Elite QB “Elite Performers of the Week” for Week 1:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams hold steady in Week 1 CJSR H.S. Football rankings; Hunterdon Central, Bridgewater-Raritan, South Brunswick debut

While the top half of the Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football rankings remained steady this week, there was a bit of a shakeup in the bottom five, as teams eight through ten – North Brunswick, Ridge and Watchung Hills – all dropped out.

That made way for three new teams to join the Big Central Conference’s best, with Hunterdon Central, Bridgewater-Raritan and South Brunswick joining the fray.

Holding at No. 1 this week is Phillipsburg, which won its opener Friday night at Maloney Stadium against Westfield, 44-17. The Stateliners host No. 8 Hunterdon Central (2-0) this Friday night and put a six-game Big Central winning streak on the line.

Staying at No. 2 is St. Thomas Aquinas (1-1). The Trojans rebounded from a season-opening loss to beat Lincoln (NY) up at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson Saturday night, 53-28. Aquinas will visit winless North Brunswick (0-2) Friday night to begin Big Central play, having won 25 straight against league competition, the longest current streak of its kind in the BCC.

Off to a 2-0 start under new head coach Joe Goerge, Woodbridge remains at No. 3, following a 13-10 win over then No. 10 Watchung Hills Friday night. The Barrons will host Plainfield (1-1) Friday night at 7 pm in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Somerville (2-0) holds in fourth place following a 32-14 win over Cranford in the Pioneers’ first road game of the season. They’re back on the trail Friday night when they visit Montgomery (0-2).

And holding in fifth is Hillsborough (1-1), which edged out Union 21-14 at home Friday night to get in the win column after a one-point season-opening defeat at Somerville. The Raiders travel to Ridge (0-1) Friday night.

Bernards (2-0) moves up to No. 6 after a solid 30-14 win over Hillside Friday night. The Mountaineers have now won ten straight home games and 16 in a row overall against the Big Central, the league’s second-biggest streak at the moment. They’ll visit Delaware Valley Friday night for the Mountain Valley Trophy.

Debuting at No. 7 is South Brunswick. The Vikings are 2-0 after their first win in seven years over arch-rival North Brunswick, a 30-21 victory at Steve Libro Field. They’ll make their shortest trip of the year Friday night when they play at Monroe (1-1).

Hunterdon Central also is new to the rankings this week. The Red Devils are off to a 2-0 start for the second year in a row (they began 4-0 last year) after a 30-14 win over Monroe, and will visit top-ranked Phillipsburg (1-0) Friday night at Maloney Stadium in a huge divisional matchup.

The third new team this week is Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1), which checks in at No. 9 after beating then No. 6 Piscataway in a wild game Friday night, 52-48. That result also moves Piscataway (1-1) down to No. 10. The Panthers visit 1-0 Morris Knolls Saturday for a non-league game, while the Chiefs play Friday night at Old Bridge (1-1).

Also considered in this week’s rankings are Rahway and Colonia, both 2-0.

Below is the full Central Jersey Sports Radio Week 1 Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

2024 Big Central Preview: American Silver Division

Like the Big Central Conference’s American Gold, the American Silver Division is a brutal one: all tough teams, night in, night out, and none seem to take a break when it comes to crossover and non-conference games either.

Ridge loses a lot from last year, but they always seem to bounce back. Can they challenge Phillipsburg, which has made it to two straight sectional finals and beaten Easton in back-to-back years since 2002-2003? Hillsborough will have a lot to say about that, with star back PJ Jankowicz returning for his senior year.

Bridgewater-Raritan will look to make strides in Year Two under DJ Catalano, while Hunterdon Central looks to build on a 6-4 record that was the best year the Red Devils have had since Casey Ransone came to Flemington from St. Joe’s Metuchen in 2017.

Click below to hear our preview of the American Silver Division from Big Central Conference Media Day:

by Alec Crouthamel

Second time’s the charm! Bridgewater-Raritan wins North 2, Group 4 title, blanking Hunterdon Central 2-0 with dominant pitching

Despite coming into the game with a 14-year sectional championship drought – including a loss last year in this game at home to Bayonne – the top-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers brought expectations of a victory into the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title game against seventh-seeded Hunterdon Central.

It’s safe to say those expectations were met, as the Panthers beat the Red Devils at home Monday, 2-0, for their first sectional crown since 2010, and second under head coach Max Newill.

Bridgewater-Raritan struck first in the second inning, as Joe Spirra hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score JR Rosado. It remained a 1-0 battle until the bottom of the sixth, when Matt Cichocki reached base on an infield single and proceeded to steal second, advance to third on a groundout before scoring a crucial insurance run on a wild pitch. Those two runs proved to be the difference in a fast-moving pitcher’s duel

The Panthers were dominant on the mound, keeping the Red Devils off the scoreboard. Starter Jack Lanum battled through a shaky first inning to settle in and shut down Central. He finished with 4 shutout innings, allowing only one hit and striking out two. Michael Taylor came in for the fifth inning and retired his first three batters.

After he allowed a leadoff single in the sixth, head coach Max Newill made a big move and brought in closer Cory Rible, who Newill has kept faith in all year long as their premiere bullpen arm. Newill’s trust paid off and then some, as Rible retired all six batters he faced and stranded the potential tying run in the sixth. In the seventh, he struck out the side in dominant fashion – coming one ball shy of an immaculate inning – to close out the Panthers’ first sectional championship victory since 2010.

Rible has appeared in 16 games this year, all out of the bullpen, and Bridgewater has won all 16 of those contests.

The Red Devils had a very solid game on the mound in their own right. Starter Ryan Lundari also had to work through a long first inning, but he settled in nicely to finish with five innings pitched and six strikeouts while only allowing four hits.

The Panthers (28-3) will move on to play in a Group 4 semifinal at home Wednesday, hosting Livingston (22-7-1). The Lancers – the third-seed in North 1, Group 4 – won that title Monday with a walkoff, 4-3, victory over fourth-seed Montclair.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Bridgewater-Raritan pitchers Cory Rible, Jack Lanum and outfielder Matt Cichocki
Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill


by Mike Pavlichko

FRIDAY Cutoff Weekend Playoff Analysis: Group 5

It’s Cutoff Weekend, and we’re the place to get all the updated playoff standings all week long, with our coverage brought to you by My Family Appliances on Route 1 South in the Wick Plaza, Edison.

We’ll have more analysis throughout the day Saturday as scores roll in. And don’t forget to join us for our “Playoff Projection Show” on Saturday at 6:00 pm as Mike Pavlichko brings you all the playoff projections, with analysis and commentary by Marcus Borden, live in studio!

Here’s an updated look at the Group 5 supersections based on Friday night results as reported to Gridiron New Jersey.

NORTH GROUP 5

Passaic Tech clinched the top seed with a win over Paterson Eastside Thursday night, while also capping off its first perfect regular season since 1998. Phillipsburg‘s win over East Brunswick didn’t hurt them at all in power points, OSI rank or UPR, still 0.2 ahead of Union City, which also won Friday night.

Watchung Hills and Plainfield remained in fourth and fifth, respectively. The Warriors beat Elizabeth Friday night by a touchdown, but the Cardinals are in action Saturday against Franklin. We’ll see if that hurts them any, even with a win. They’re just 0.4 UPR points ahead of 6th place Montclair (5-3), which plays at Columbia (4-3) Saturday.

A loss by Union and a huge win by Westfield saw both those teams go in opposite directions Friday night. The Blue Devils beat Hillsborough on the road to improve to 4-4, and climbed from 13th to 7th pace. But the Farmers lost to Ridge and dropped from 6th to 8th place, tied with Ridgewood, which lost Friday night. It that tie remains, Union would get the tiebreaker, with a higher OSI at 52.20, compared to 48.36 for the Maroons.

Bridgewater-Raritan‘s win over Old Bridge was a big one, pushing the Panthers to 3-6 on the year, and elevating them from 15th to 14th, tied with Morristown, and if it remains that way, they Panthers get the tiebreaker with a 45.66 OSI, and Morristown with a 43.86 OSI. The Colonials lost Friday night, while Bayonne won to move from 17 to 16, with Eastside moving out to 17.

We’re taking BR off the bubble. They’re in, making it six Big Central teams in this section, with Phillipsburg the top-seed in what we think should be North 2; PCTI will get the top seed and probably be in North 1.

Key Saturday Games to Watch:

  • #5 Plainfield at Franklin
  • #6 Monctlair at #11 Columbia

SOUTH GROUP 5

The loss by Hillsborough to Westfield ended any chance the Raiders had at a top seed, having entered the night in second place. They fall to No. 5, behind No. 1 Cherokee, Toms River North, Washington Twp., and Marlboro. A win by North Brunswick over Cranford puts the Raiders up a spot to 6th place, right behind Hillsborough by one UPR point. Their standing is still up in the air though depending on two Saturday games, 4th place Marlboro hosting Middletown North and 7th place Rancocas Valley hosting Highland Regional.

Hunterdon Central moved up a spot from 9th to 8th with a win over Perth Amboy, while a South Brunswick loss to Somerville dropped the Vikings from 8th to 12th, so it looks like they start on the road. They look locked into the 12-seed at the moment, but everyone else in the BCC will have to wait for those two games tomorrow.

Key Saturday Games to Watch:

  • #4 Marlboro vs. Middletown North
  • #7 Rancocas Valley vs. Highland Regional
by Mike Pavlichko

Cutoff Weekend Playoff Analysis: South Group 5

It’s down to the final weekend of the regular season in high school football, and Cutoff Weekend is just days away. This week, Central Jersey Sports Radio will bring you exclusive, team-by-team analysis of all the playoff scenarios for the 57 public schools in the Big Central Conference.

It’s all brought to you by My Family Appliances on Route 1 South in the Wick Plaza, Edison.

And don’t forget to join us for our “Playoff Projection Show” on Saturday at 6 pm (moved to an hour later) as Mike Pavlichko brings you all the playoff projections, with analysis and commentary by Marcus Borden, live in studio!

With that, here’s a look at the North Group 5 supersection, with all scores and playoff standings based on Gridiron New Jersey’s official calculations as of Sunday, October 15, 2023. Click on the heading to see the standings at Gridiron New Jersey:

SOUTH GROUP 5

2. Hillsborough (7-1, 2.8 UPR): We think it’s simple for the Raiders. A win over Westfield (4-6) Friday night at home would sew up second-place overall – if Toms River North loses at Red Bank Catholic (6-1) on Friday – and the top-seed in Central Jersey Group 5. (The South’s top seed would go to overall No. 1 Cherokee.) A loss, and Toms River North moves up to second regardless since RBC is a multiplier, leaving ‘Boro looking at anywhere from a three to a five seed, depending on how Washington Twp. and Marlboro do this weekend. Wins from them would push the Raiders further down; losses by both would keep Hillsborough third, we believe.

7. North Brunswick (7-0, 6.6 UPR): These Raiders’ have a huge game Friday night at home against Cranford (4-3), one of the bigger playoff implication games this weekend. Their ceiling appears to be right where they are now, at No. 7, but we don’t think everything is going to break that way. Assuming North Brunswick beats the Cougars, giving wins to everybody else from one through nine – which seems realistic except Rancocas Valley (6-2) vs. Highland Regional (4-3) could be a toss-up – and we think puts the Raiders in sixth, which would make them the three seed in Central 5, putting them on a collision course with Toms River North potentially – on the road – in the sectional semifinals. Put a North Brunswick loss in that scenario, and we think they end up seventh, the four-seed in Central 5, with a potential all-Raider semifinal in Hillsborough in the second week of the playoffs. How could you not root for matchups with the same school nickname?

8. South Brunswick (5-3, 9.2 UPR): The middle of three Big Central Conference teams lined up from seven through nine, the Vikings visit Somerville (4-4) Friday night in another critical game that could go either way. Looks like seven might be the ceiling for South Brunswick if they come home winners from Brooks Field and things break the right way for them with teams around them losing. North Brunswick’s matchup with Cranford being a toss-up, plus Rancocas Valley, makes it all the more complicated to predict where the Vikes’ will actually finish. A loss, and South Brunswick could drop to ninth, losing a first round home game in the process.

9. Hunterdon Central (5-3, 10.6 UPR): With a home win over Perth Amboy (2-6) likely, the Red Devils probably can’t get any higher than the eight seed, but jumping up to a first round home game isn’t impossible if things break the right way, including the North Brunswick-Cranford and Rancocas Valley-Highland Regional tossups (they need losses by the the Raiders and RV). But unlike the two teams above them, who play more solid opponents, a defeat to the Panthers could drop them to 11th or lower, so this is a big win for Central if they can secure it Friday night.

OUT: We tried everything in the book, giving the Knights a win over visiting Bridgewater-Raritan (2-6) Friday night, and losses to the four teams above them in both OSI and power point average – Cherry Hill East, Howell, Eastern, Williamstown, Vineland, and Southern – and could only get them as high as 17. That’s where they finished last year with a big win on Cutoff Weekend, but they got in based on an NJSIAA head-to-head tiebreaker rule with South Brunswick, which they had beaten in the regular season. This year, it’s Howell at 16, and they haven’t played, so that loophole is out, and – we believe – so are the Knights.

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 7 Friday night Playoff Analysis: Group 5

Note: This article contains an update to the North 5 standings and analysis due to a technical glitch on our part which didn’t include quality or group points for any of the teams. The below reflects the updated standings.

Through the end of the season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will be updating unofficial playoff standings following Friday night’s games. Full analysis after the weekend will come during the week as the official standings are released by Gridiron New Jersey.

Here’s a look at unofficial standings after games of Friday, October 13th in Group 5. Results are calculated using scores on Gridiron New Jersey as of 9:30 am on October 14th:

A quick look shows the Stateliners held steady with their win over Union, though their lead over third-place Union City has shrunk from 0.8 UPR points to 0.2 points. The question is: can they hang on with a win over winless East Brunswick next week, or will it hurt them? And will they get some help from Union City or others behind them? The Soaring Eagles play at 3-5 Clifton next week.

Watchung Hills holds in fourth, their UPR from from 3.4 to 4, while Union drops from fifth to seventh with their loss last night to the Stateliners, and Plainfield holds in sixth with a 6.2 UPR. Bottom line is all those teams should be pretty safe for first round home games if they close with wins next week.

Westfield dropped to 11th place; the Blue Devils host Ridge Saturday afternoon.

As expected, Bridgewater-Raritan went from the wrong side of the playoff bubble to the good side – 17th to 16th – with a huge home win over Elizabeth Friday night. The Minutemen dropped to 20 and should be out; they’ll guarantee that if they lose next week, having only one win, where the NJSIAA minimum is two.

Piscataway dropped to 18th place with its loss to Sayreville at home Friday night. The Chiefs visit New Brunswick next week, and even a win may not help them; the Zebras are winless, and without any other results entered, a win there would drop them from 18th to 21. It doesn’t look good for the Chiefs.

Hillsborough’s win last night, coupled with a Marlboro loss, puts the Raiders up a spot into third, while North Brunswick – which defeated winless East Brunswick Friday night – drops from No. 5 to sixth place. They will try and recoup those points when they play a solid Cranford team at home next Friday night.

Hunterdon Central holds in ninth as the Red Devils snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Franklin, while South Brunswick’s win over Edison gave them a big boost, moving the Vikings from 12th into eighth place.

Old Bridge’s win at New Brunswick didn’t move the needle, as expected, keeping the Knights in 18th place. Franklin and Edison would have a lot of ground to make up. The Warriors are in 21st place, with Edison behind them at No. 22.

Then again, there are three teams in front of them who may not qualify for the playoffs. Williamstown (17th, 0-8) definitely won’t, since they have one game remaining and won’t meet the two-win threshold by the NJSIAA for playoff qualification. That might also be the case for Vineland (19th, 1-5) and Eastern (20th, 1-6), except they both still have two games left: one today, one next week. But even if they don’t, they still play into the UPR formula, so Franklin is 6.2 UPR points out of a playoff spot; Edison is 6.6 points out. That’s a lot of ground to make up. The one caveat here is that Edison plays St. Thomas Aquinas next Friday night and will be guaranteed at least 24 power points if they lose (way more if they win). That would up them from a 7.63 power point average to 9.45, a jump of five spaces (as of today) in power point rank, shedding 2 points off their UPR number.

Bottom line: Old Bridge has a chance, Edison may be a longshot. Vineland and Eastern are the games to watch today. Franklin should be out.

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 7 Playoff Analysis: Group 5

With just two weeks of play left before the state playoffs are seeded, things are heating up in the playoff chase. Here’s our look at the Big Central Conference teams in playoff contention in Group 5 as we head into Week 7 of high school football around the state.

And, of course, don’t miss our “Playoff Projection Show,” scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, October 21st, when we’ll reveal our predicted matchups and seeds for the postseason. It’s all presented by My Family Appliances of Edison, which will be giving away three $100 gift cards during the show to lucky listeners!

All our analysis is based on Gridiron New Jersey’s official playoff calculations performed for the NJSIAA and listed on their website as of 9:30 am on October 10. For full standings, click on each supersection’s header below:

NORTH GROUP 5:

2. Phillipsburg (5-1, 2.4 UPR): The Stateliners remain in the second spot this week, but their lead has slimmed a bit over the third place team, which now is Union City, just 0.8 UPR points behind. Watchung Hills is just one point back. A win at Union this weekend would help bolster their cause, but it remains to be seen if a win over East Brunswick at home on Cutoff Weekend would hurt them. The Bears – at the moment – are the second winless team on P’burg’s schedule, which otherwise has three ranked teams – Sayreville, Ridge, Hillsborough – and two others (Hunterdon Central and Union) that had been ranked in the past couple of weeks.

4. Watchung Hills (6-1, 3.4 UPR): The Warriors rebounded off their first loss of the season to Montgomery with a road win against a very good Plainfield team. Things get no easier the next two weeks, with St. Joseph-Metuchen at home, then a road game at Elizabeth – which just stunned Elizabeth for its first win – on Cutoff Weekend. There’s a slim chance that if the Warriors could win out, they could get a top two finish and a top seed, but a lot of scenarios would have to break right. We’ll have a much better idea after this weekend.

5. Union (4-3, 5.8 UPR): The Farmers held steady this week in fifth, despite the loss to previously-winless Elizabeth, but they fell one spot in OSI standing and dropped in their UPR by 0.6 points. If things go right, they could end up with a top four finish, but they would also have to pull off two huge upsets, topping No. 4 Phillipsburg at home then No. 2 Ridge on the road in successive weeks.

6. Plainfield (4-2, 6.2 UPR): The Cardinals are a good example of what playing a strong schedule does. Despite their loss to Watchung Hills last Saturday, they gained 0.4 UPR points and moved from seventh place to sixth in the standings. Two teams (5-2 Montclair and 3-4 Clifton) are right behind them, within one UPR point, so there could be some movement there, but it looks like the Cardinals won’t finish in the top four, which only guarantees them a first-round home game.

10. Westfield (3-3, 11.4 UPR): The Blue Devils had a big win over Somerville Saturday, and climbed up five points in the standings in the process. We called them a bubble team last week, but no more. And with two challenging games remaining, we’re not even sure going 0-2 the rest of the way – with a loss to Ridge at home this week and Hillsborough on the road next week – can keep them from the postseason. We’re calling Westfield in, clinching a berth with their win against the Pioneers.

15. Piscataway (4-3, 15.2): Another example of how your schedule affects your standing, PIscataway dropped in UPR to 15.2 (by 0.2 points) and fell a spot from 14 to 15 this week with a victory over winless East Brunswick. The last two weeks, the news is a mixed bag. The Chiefs host a huge game this weekend with old GMC rival Sayreville (Friday night at 6 on CJSR – click here to listen) that they very well may need to make the playoffs, because their season finale against currently winless New Brunswick isn’t going to help them either. That would make it two winless teams and two two-win teams (Franklin and Monroe) killing their schedule. So it makes this Friday night uber-important.

17. Bridgewater-Raritan (1-6, 16.6 UPR): The Panthers are a win shy of the minimum wins required by the NJSIAA (2) to make the playoffs, but if they get one at this point, it will give them a huge jump against the six losses they have, even if it does come against one-win Elizabeth and/or two-win Old Bridge. They might need to win both, they might need to win just one, depending on what the teams around them do. We’ll have a better idea after next week.

SOUTH GROUP 5:

4. Hillsborough (6-1, 3.8 UPR): Thanks to No. 1 Cherokee and No. 2 Toms River North continuing to win – and even Marlboro, which has won its first division title since 1994 – it doesn’t look like the Raiders have a shot at a top four seed. The likely scenario is they finish fourth – giving them a two seed in whatever section they land – assuming they can close out the season with two wins over Somerville and Westfield. And both of them are at home.

5. North Brunswick (6-0, 5.2 UPR): Ah, the schedule. A road trip to winless East Brunswick this weekend may not hurt their cause much, but won’t help them either. The Raiders already dropped a spot from fifth last week to sixth this week, but with a win over the Bears – and another next week at home to Cranford – North Brunswick may be able to keep from dropping further, depending what everyone else does. As long as the Raiders don’t lose to East Brunswick, we’ll assume they start the playoffs at Steve Libro Field.

9. Hunterdon Central (4-3, 10 UPR): Here’s the benefit of a good schedule: despite a third straight loss, the Red Devils didn’t drop this week in the standings, though their UPR did go from a 9.6 to a 10, showing a fall of one ranking spot in power points. They are 0.8 UPR points behind eighth-place Atlantic City (6-1, 9.2 UPR). Can they finish in the top eight and get a first round home game? It might be doubtful, considering they visit Franklin this week and host Perth Amboy the next, a significant drop in their schedule from the likes of Ridge, Phillipsburg and Hillsborough the past three weeks.

12. South Brunswick (4-3, 10.8): If you figured this out and looked at the math, yes, the Vikings are just 0.8 UPR points behind Hunterdon Central, but three places back. IN fact, there are five teams within 1.6 UPR points of each other, from Atlantic City to Hunterdon Central, Kingsway, Freehold Township and South Brunswick. It just means anything can happen in the middle of the pack here, but we still think the Vikes end up in the bottom eight and playing on the road in the first round.

18. Old Bridge (2-5, 19.8): For the Knights, 32. UPR points is a tough hill to climb. They’ve won two of their last three – albeit against East Brunswick and Monroe – and visit New Brunswick this week (0-7) and host Bridgewater-Raritan next week (currently 1-6). We don’t think it’s enough to move the needle, unless the Knights get a lot of help, but it’s tough to tell if it’s possible until the Strength Index numbers lock next week and we know for sure how much each game is ultimately worth.

19. Edison (3-4, 20.2 UPR): Despite being a spot below the Knights, the Eagles have an extra win, and have a better shot at making the postseason a year after winning their first sectional title since 1991. Now, they might have to beat St. Thomas Aquinas to get in, but we’ll see. Assuming they beat South Brunswick this weekend, Edison would be a very good playoff candidate with a victory over the Trojans. A loss – even with the multiplier – might leave them in 17th, and then it depends what teams like Howell, Southern, Williamstown and even Old Bridge might do. Some of that help could come this week, so again, the picture will be clearer after this weekend.