Tag: JP Stevens

by Mike Pavlichko

JP Stevens’ OT touchdown to snap long skid is the Chris’ Auto Body “Drive of the Week”

Thanks to our newest sponsor, Chris’ Auto Body of Lambertville and New Hope, we have a new segment this football season on Central Jersey Sports Radio: “The Chris’ Auto Body Drive of the Week.”

Each week, we’ll pick the best drive from the previous weekend’s games, as shot by our high school football analyst Marcus Borden. And you’ll be able to watch the drive right here on cjsportsradio.com.

This week, it’s a no-brainer: JP Stevens – after rallying from 14 points down in regulation to send the game to overtime – scored on its OT possession after Bound Brook scored first to win 22-21, snapping the state’s longest active losing streak at 42 games.

Click below to watch the “Chris’ Auto Body Drive of the Week” for Week One:

by Mike Pavlichko

Not to be outdone, while JP Stevens snaps its skid, Highland Park wins second straight game, a 28-0 shutout at Dunellen

Highland Park snapped its 51-game losing streak – at the time, the longest in the state – last season, in its finale at Point Pleasant Beach, a game that only came together last minute because both teams wanted one more crack at a W.

That left JP Stevens the dubious distinction, coming into this season losing 42 straight.

But a funny thing happened on Friday night: both teams were victorious.

The Hawks passed the baton to Jersey City’s Ferris High School, while all of a sudden, Highland Park is on a two-game winning streak.

The Owls blanked Dunellen on the road at Columbia Park Friday night, 28-0 behind a strong night from senior quarterback Markos Hantsoulis, who rushed seven times for 96 yards and three touchdowns, and Zyaire Holland, who ran eight times for 97 yards.

Kaseem Qualls also recovered a fumble and brought it back 65 yards for a score.

Highland Park starts its season with a win for the first time since 2009, when the Owls went 8-4 under Rich McGlynn, and made it all the way to the Central Jersey Group 1 final, losing to Asbury Park up at Kean University in Union.

Dunellen, which won last year’s matchup in a shootout, 50-44, falls to 0-2.

Also notable, it was the first time Highland Park and JP Stevens won football games on the same weekend since they did it on the same night in 2015. The Owls won a consolation game, 21-14, at New Egypt on November 12, 2015, while the Hawks beat Dickinson 42-6 in their consolation game.

The last time they won a regular season game on the same weekend came in the 2012 season, when the Owls beat now-defunct Cardinal McCarrick, 71-32, on Friday, October 26th, finishing up 2-8. JP Stevens won at Monroe that same day, 14-9, and finished 4-6.

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s Over! JP Stevens’ 2 point conversion in OT snaps rising Hawks’ mammoth 42-game skid

On October 26, 2018, JP Stevens beat Monroe 29-14.

On September 6, 2024, they beat Bound Brook in overtime, 22-21.

In between were a lot of painful Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. There were 42 losses, and no wins.

But North Edison was all smiles Friday night.

JP Stevens players celebrate their first win in 53 games, a 22-21 OT win over Bound Brook in North Edison on September 6, 2024. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Down 14-0 to visiting Bound Brook, Stevens scored twice in the second half to tie the game, went to overtime, surrendered a touchdown to the Crusaders, then came back and got the potential equalizer on a TD run by Marquise Webb, his second score of the night.

A two-point conversion sealed the deal.

JP Stevens 22, Bound Brook 21 (OT).

Enjoy it, Hawks!

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Marcus Borden by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

The win means the two longest active losing streaks in New Jersey high school football came to an end in the last game of 2023 and first game of 2024.

Highland Park had lost 51 straight before ending it with a win in their season finale at Point Pleasant Beach last year. Stevens was next on the list, and they ended it in their opening game this year.

Now, the state’s longest active losing skid belongs to Ferris out of Jersey City. They’ve lost 32 straight dating to the start of the 2020 season, and will try to break it Saturday at home against Belleville.

by Mike Pavlichko

2024 Big Central Preview: Patriot Gold Division

The Big Central Conference Patriot Gold Division is one of the smaller ones in the league, with only four teams. And there’s a wide range here.

Bernards is the defending champ, coming off a 12-1 season in which their only loss came in the Group 2 semifinals at Westwood. They lose a ton of talent, but should still be the favorite here, as the Mountaineers rarely rebuild, they just reolad.

Delaware Valley will look to make strides in the Terriers’ second season with Ben Ibach at the held, while Voorhees has a new coach in John Hack – formerly of Immaculata and Morris Catholic – and will build off a solid ground game last year that ran for over 3,000 yards.

JP Stevens is new to the division, and will look to break the longest active losing streak in New Jersey, at 42 games. Their first chance to break the skid under second-year head coach Jason Goerge is Week One against Bound Brook, on September 6th.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joseph-Metuchen walks-off JP Stevens 10-0 on ten-run rule in GMCT play-in round

Matthew Ferber went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, two walks and three runs batted in, while Bobby Christensen knocked in two more, as 14th-seed St. Joseph of Metuchen won its opening game of the GMC Tournament.

The Falcons, who won the GMCT last year for the second time in three years, have struggled this season with a young ballclub, but they were able to blank 19th-seed JP Stevens at home 10-0 Saturday in a mercy rule-shortened victory in the play-in round.

The win was just the fourth of the year for the Falcons (4-15), while JP Stevens falls to 5-13.

Next up, St. Joe’s travels to a familiar place, Fred Cole Field in Old Bridge, where they’ll face the third-seeded Knights on Monday at 4 pm. The Falcons faced Old Bridge early in the season, losing both matchups, 4-0 on May 6th, and 5-0 on May 8th, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Click below to hear St. Joseph head coach Mike Murray talk about the Falcons’ win:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep finishes No. 1 in final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten

Though in the end, they fell just a few points short of a fourth state championship, Rutgers Prep’s Somerset County title, Non-Public South B title, and sheer dominance over area opponents have garnered them the No. 1 ranking in the final Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ basketball rankings of the 2023-24 season.

Rutgers Prep finished the season 24-5, and steamrolled though New Jersey competition much of the year. The Argonauts’ lone loss of the year to a New Jersey school came in the Non-Public Group B final Friday afternoon at Rutgers, a 52-49 defeat at the hands of Morris Catholic, which won its second straight state championship. Still, Prep’s sectional title was its third straight, coming after they beat Gill St. Bernard’s to win its fourth straight Somerset County Tournament championship.

Rutgers Prep is the only team to be No. 1 in the four-year run of the Bellamy & Son Paving/Central Jersey Sports Radio girls’ basketball top ten, holding the top spot for 37 straight weeks, with no sign of slowing down. The Argonauts have not lost a game to a Somerset County or Skyland Conference opponent since the 2019 SCT final, a loss to Franklin.

Coming in second was St. Thomas Aquinas, which went 22-8, sweeping the GMC Red Division to the tune of a 13-0 mark, then ran through the GMC Tournament for its fifth straight county title, this one under first-year head coach Tim Corrigan. The Trojans reached the Non-Public South A quarterfinals, before falling to Our Lady of Mercy.

Coming in at No. 3 was Gill St. Bernard’s, which finished 24-5, lost by three to Prep in the SCT final, and lost at Montclair-Immaculate in the Non-Public North B semifinals.

In fourth is Hillsborough (21-9), which had a solid regular season despite losing three times to Gill St. Bernard’s, twice to Rutgers Prep and once to Franklin. The Raiders went on a magnificent run in the North 2, Group 4 finals, claiming their first-ever sectional championship with a 59-46 win over Elizabeth.

At No. 5 is Colonia (22-9), which reached its second straight GMC Tournament championship game, a year after making its first-ever appearance, and that despite the loss to graduation this year of all-time leading scorer Matti Chiera, who was replaced at the top of the list this year by senior Taylor Derkack.

Checking in at No. 6 South Brunswick, which finished 16-12 and scored a quarterfinal knockout of Monroe in the Central Jersey Group 4 state tournament on a buzzer-beater by Avery Jenne. Monroe (18-10) came in right behind them in seventh place. The Falcons reached the semifinals of the GMC Tournament

Middlesex (17-4) is No. 8, as the Blue Jays had a fantastic run in the county and state tournaments. In the GMC Tournament, they upset third-seed JP Stevens in the first round, then knocked off six-seed South Brunswick in the quarterfinals, and took Colonia to overtime before falling in the semis. They also reached the Central Jersey Group 1 title game in the states, falling to Shore Regional for a second straight season.

Somerville (23-5) finished ninth, and reached the quarterfinals of both the Somerset County and NJSIAA state tournaments, JP Stevens (20-6) came in tenth.

Below is the final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the 2023-24 season:

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex girls avenge pair of regular season losses to JP Stevens with big upset in GMCT

Outstanding junior Jessica Devine scored 32 points in two regular season losses to JP Stevens this season. And she was determined not to make it three losses Thursday night when her 14th-seeded Blue Jays traveled to North Edison to take on the third-seeded Hawks in the first round of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.

Mission accomplished.

Devine led all scorers with 27 points in an inspired performance on the road to lift Middlesex (14-11) to a 48-39 win that sends them into Saturday’s quarterfinals against 6th-seed South Brunswick.

Saturday’s quarterfinals will be held at Spotswood High School, and game times will be determined once all Thursday’s games go final to avoid any conflicts with schools that may have girls’ and boys’ teams involved.

What was different this time around from a ten-point loss in the season opener, and a 17-point defeat on January 17th? First-year head coach Stew Lester says the Blue Jays were able to figure out the JP defense.

And of course, the 27 from Devine – as well as another 10 from Jaclyn Deshields – were a big help.

The win was the biggest upset in the girls’ GMCT since 2013, when fourth-seed St. Thomas Aquinas lost in the opening round to 13th-seeded Edison. No top four seed has lost in the round of 16 since. 

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Middlesex head coach Stew Lester about the win over JP Stevens:

by Mike Pavlichko

Final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ rankings before counties and states have Rutgers Prep atop for a 36th straight week

The run continues for the Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball team, and – if anything – the Lady Argonauts further bolstered their resume with a big win over a state-ranked team this weekend.

Rutgers Prep (17-4) holds the top spot for a 36th straight week – the only team to be No. 1 on the girls’ side in the four years we’ve run it. They beat Franklin and Blair this week, then topped state No. 3 (Prep is No. 2) Red Bank Catholic in the Coaches’ Choice USA Shore Classic on Sunday.

Gill St. Bernard’s (19-2) also had a solid week, going 3-0, with wins over Trenton Catholic, Ridge and St. Rose of Belmar in the Coaches’ Choice showcase.

Staying put in third is St. Thomas Aquinas (17-6), which beat North Brunswick, then lost to national power Long Island Lutheran, but came back for a win at Colonia before falling Saturday to Ocean Township in the Coaches’ Choice event.

Colonia (16-7) moves up a spot to fourth this week. The Patriots went 2-1 with wins over Piscataway and Paterson Eastside surrounding a home loss to Red Division rival St. Thomas Aquinas.

Hillsborough (13-6) also is up a spot, now at No. 5, with a 3-0 week, taking wins from Morristown, South Plainfield and Watchung Hills.

JP Stevens (17-2) made a big jump after a 3-0 week, which included wins over South Plainfield, Woodbridge, and finally, North Plainfield.

As a result, North Plainfield (16-4) dropped to seventh. They had a 1-1 week, with their win coming over Middlesex.

In eighth is Somerville (18-2). The Pioneers held steady with a 3-0 week that saw wins over Belvidere, American History, and Bound Brook.

Monroe (13-8) drops to ninth, going 2-1 this week with wins over North Brunswick and Woodbridge, but they closed out with a loss to South Brunswick.

And East Brunswick (13-8) falls one spot to tenth after a 2-1 week with wins over Edison and South River bookending a loss at South Brunswick.

Below are the full Week 8 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s now 35 straight weeks for Rutgers Prep atop Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten

The powerhouse that is Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball shows no sign of slowing anytime soon, as the Lady Argonauts maintain their position at No. 1 in the Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, the 35th strtaight week they’ve been atop the rankings. They’re the only team to hold that position in the nearly four-year history of the CJSR/Bellamy Top Ten.

In fact, none of the teams in the rankings moved at all this week.

Rutgers Prep (14-4) split its week, with a win over Roselle Catholic Monday, but a loss at the Mecca Showcase Sunday to Bishop McNamara of New York.

Holding in second is Gill St. Bernard’s (15-4), which went 3-0 in the week gone by, notching victories over Pingry, at Hillsborough, and at Mendham.

In third is St. Thomas Aquinas (15-4). They also were unbeaten in the past week, with wins at Notre Dame (NY), over East Brunswick, at Monroe, and over Piscataway.

Holding in fourth at 15-3 is North Plainfield, which had wins at Middlesex and South Plainfield sandwiched around a home loss by four to Woodbridge on Tuesday.

Colonia (14-6) holds at No. 5, going 3-1 this past week. While they opened with a home loss to Piscataway, they came back for three Red Division wins, topping Old Bridge, East Brunswick and Monroe.

Hillsborough (10-6) remains in sixth after a 2-1 week with wins over Watchung Hills and Randolph, followed by a two-point loss to Gill St. Bernard’s.

Monroe (11-7) held in seventh, despite an 0-3 week. They opened with a loss to Piscataway, then took losses to a pair of Top Five teams in St. Thomas Aquinas and Colonia.

Somerville (15-2) stays at No. 8 on a 4-0 week. They beat Union, Manville, Delaware Valley and Bridgewater-Raritan.

East Brunswick (11-7) holds in ninth. They split a four-game week, starting with a road win against West Winsdor-Plainsboro South. They then dropped two back-to-back, at Aquinas and home to Colonia, before closing the week out Saturday with a home win over North Brunswick.

And JP Stevens (14-2) holds on to the No. 10 spot. The Hawks went 3-0 this past week, with wins over Perth Amboy, at Edison, and back home over Sayreville on Saturday.

Below is the full Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 7:

by Mike Pavlichko

Little change in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, but JP Stevens makes its debut

None of the top nine teams in the Week 5 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten saw any change in their ranking, but a new team joined the group in Week 6.

JP Stevens is 11-2 on the year, and has won four straight games, with its only divisional loss coming to White Division leader North Plainfield, with a rematch on tap next week.

In the meantime, Rutgers Prep remains in the No. 1 spot with a 13-3 record following a 3-0 week that saw wins during the week over Hillsborough and Ridge – the second of which earned head coach Mary Klinger her 300th coaching win – as well as over Montclair-Immaculate in the More than a Highlight showcase Saturday.

That’s 34 straight weeks at No. 1 for Prep, which is the only team to hold the spot in the three-plus year history of the CJSR/Bellamy & Son rankings.

Gill St. Bernard’s (13-2) played in the same event Saturday, beating St. Mary’s-Manhasset (NY) following an earlier win during the week over Watchung Hills, keeping them at No. 2 in the rankings.

Third is St. Thomas Aquians (11-4), which also had an unbeaten week, including a home victory over South Brunswick and a road win at Old Bridge.

Checking in at No. 4 is North Plainfield (13-2). The Canucks went 3-0 this week, beating Perth Amboy, Edison and Sayreville, and have won eight straight games, the longest current streak among CJSR-area teams.

Colonia (11-5) holds in fifth despite a 1-2 week, which began with an MLK Day loss at the Jarel Lowery Showcase to Newark Central, and a mid-week non-conference loss to Chatham. The Patriots regrouped with a three-point road win over South Brunswick.

In sixth is Hillsborough (8-5), which fell to Rutgers Prep Wednesday, but bounced back with wins over Immaculata and Pingry.

Holding at seven is Monroe (11-4). The Falcons split a pair this week, beating East Brunswick, but losing an out-of-conference game to Plainfield.

Somerville (11-2) holds in 8th, bookending a mid-week loss to Voorhees with wins over Belvidere and Linden.

In ninth, it’s East Brunswick (9-5), which lost to Monroe Wednesday, but beat Piscataway Saturday afternoon.

Dropping out was Bound Brook (8-4), which went 1-2 this past week with losses to Piscataway and Westwood sandwiched around a victory over Manville.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 6: