Jahmier Black – Central Jersey Sports Radio

The Bridgewater-Raritan football team doesn’t have to be at its best in August, but they do want to be their best in November. Just like they were last year when they won the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 championship, the first in school history.

But getting better day-by-day in August will lead the Panthers to where they want to be in November: playing meaningful football when its about 40 degrees cooler outside.

That’s the mindset of now-fourth-year head coach D.J. Catalano, who succeeded Rick Mantz in 2023, and took the team from 3-7 to 4-7, then to 9-4 in 2025 with a sectional trophy. (We say “defending” because due to the NJSIAA’s snaking playoff system, it’s unknown which section they could end up in – but that’s another story for another time.)

The American Silver Division in which Bridgewater plays is perhaps the toughest top-to-bottom in the Big Central Conference. And even though it’s one team smaller – Hunterdon Central moved out – those Red Devils still play the four remaining American Silver squads in crossovers.

Throw in the Panthers’ crossovers – Woodbridge, St. Joseph-Metuchen, Westfield, Union and Watchung Hills – and it’ll be a challenging schedule again, to be sure.

There will be a number of holes to fill, starting on offense with the graduation of senior quarterback Declan Kurdyla, who threw for 1,371 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. But Evan Woodring, his very capable backup, who proved himself when Kurdya missed some time due to injury last year, is back.

So is leading rusher Jahmier Black, who carried 185 times for 978 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago, although Woodring will need to find some new targets to throw to.

There are holes to fill on defense, too, where Black returns and could see an increased role, while rising senior Jamelle Jones (8 sacks, 12 TFLs, and a pick-six) returns, along with defensive back Jasper Schwamberger (one fumble recovery), who also expects to be one of Woodring’s new passing targets.

Click below to learn more about the Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers in 2026 from head coach D.J. Catalano, senior runningback/linebacker Jahmier Black and serinor wide reciever/safety Jasper Schwamberger with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko at Big Central Conference Media Day:

In 2015, the Bridgewater-Raritan football team made its first-ever sectional final – 23 years after the merger of the East and West high schools – with an undefeated record.

They would fall that year to unbeaten Westfield. The same happened the next year. And they would fall to Westfield one more time in 2017.

It took eight more years for the Panthers to get back to that stage, and this time they made it count.

Friday night at Basilone Field, the Panthers clinched the first sectional title in program history with a 21-14 win over Bayonne.

Bridgewater-Raritan started the game on the back foot, as Bayonne went ahead 7-0 off a 20-yard touchdown run from Chance Fisher with 2:56 left in the first quarter. The Panthers marched 77 yards down the field late in the second quarter, but the drive stalled at the nine-yard line with an interception thrown by Declan Kurdyla.

The first turning point came with 1:14 remaining in the first half. On fourth and goal from the 1-yard line, Bridgewater-Raritan’s front seven held up to deny a touchdown for Nico Sampson to keep it at 7-0 entering the second half.

The Bees received the second half kickoff – but the first play of the half went awry as a botched snap led to a fumble that was returned 33 yards for a touchdown by Jamelle Jones to tie the game.

The Panthers took the lead for the first time with an 11-yard touchdown run for Jahmier Black with 2:56 to play in the 3rd quarter. Bayonne responded quickly, as Fisher punched in a 66-yard touchdown to tie it up at 14 with 28 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Bridgewater-Raritan went ahead for good late in the fourth, as a fourth-and-one turned into a 58-yard touchdown pass from Kurdyla to Jack Cifuentes to take the lead for good with 2:33 to play. A muffed kickoff was recovered by the Panthers to seal the win.

Black led Bridgewater-Raritan with 15 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown in the win, while Kurdyla completed six of 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown through the air. Cifuentes led all Panther receivers with four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Next up, Bridgewater will play in the Group 4 semifinals at home next Friday – likely at 6 pm – against North 1, Group 5 champion Passaic Tech. The second-seeded Bulldogs knocked off top-seed West Orange Friday night, 56-42 on the road.

Click below for postgame reaction from Chris Tsakonas with Bridegwater-Rartitan’s Declan Kurdyla, Jahmier Black, Jack Cifuentes, Jamelle Jones and head coach Declan Kurdyla, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: