Tag: Kevin Carty Jr

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough hopes the beat continues to go on against arch-rival Bridgewater-Raritan tonight

Having lost the offensive firepower they did, one would excuse the Hillsborough High School Football team if it had some bumps along the way in 2022, following a 2021 season where the team went 13-0 – its first unblemished season ever – and won its third state championship, plus the South Group 5 Regional title.

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But that hiccup never came, at least not in Game One.

Maybe it was the extra week the Raiders had to prepare, unlike many of the Week Zero teams that played mistake-prone football – and, in some cases, still won.

Either way, Hillsborough thumped a pretty good East Brunswick team 42-6 in its opener at home last Thursday. And head coach Kevin Carty wants to see that continue Friday night when his Raiders (1-0) face arch-rival Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1) on the road for the second straight year.

It’ll be on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe calling all the action on the Big Central Game of the Week, with kickoff at 7 pm and pregame starting at 6:45. Click here to listen.

Hillsborough has won four straight in the series, and leads 17-13-1 since the 1991 merger of Bridgewater East and West.

The last Panther win was the last of a three-game win streak for BR, which coincided with a three-year stretch in which Bridgewater-Raritan had gone a combined 31-5 from 2015 to 2017.

They made the North 2, Group 5 title game each of those seasons, almost implausibly losing to Westfield in all three finals at Met Life Stadium in the Meadowlands. (Westfield didn’t lose a single game in that entire three-year stretch, going 36-0 in that time.)

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Hillsborough head coach Kevin Carty, Jr.:

by Mike Pavlichko

New faces, same results: Hillsborough wins opener led by Tasetano-Donoghue connection

Let’s make it perfectly clear: everyone who put up big numbers for Hillsborough’s undefeated, 13-0 state championship team in 2021 is gone.

You wouldn’t know it by looking at the scoreboard.

Just like last year’s team, which had played together since their days with the Junior Raiders, the 2022 version of Hillsborough High School football has some kids who’ve done the same. And Friday night, in their season opener at home, the Raiders found that connection as quarterback Ryan Tasetano found receiver Shane Donoghue for two long touchdowns, as the Raiders scored the first 35 points of the game in a 42-6 blowout of East Brunswick.

The win extends the Big Central Conference’s longest active winning streak to 14 games. That’s also the second longest active streak in the state, tied with Bergen Catholic, which has won 14 in a row, including a 12-0 state championship season last year, and a win in its final game of the 2020 COVID year. Only Caldwell – last year’s North Group 2 Regional Champion – has won more consecutive games: 15 and counting, with their season opener coming up tomorrow night at Morris Catholic.

It was the opening game for both teams, and next week, Hillsborough will play at arch-rival Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night, in a game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Rick Mantz, who won a title as a player (1980) and head coach (2020) at Hillsborough is now the Panthers’ head coach, adding even more juice to one of the Big Central’s biggest rivalries.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with postgame reaction from Hillsborough’s season-opening win over East Brunswick:

QB Ryan Tasetano (left) and TE Shane Donoghue talk with CJSR after their season-opening win. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
QB Ryan Tasetano and TE Shane Donoghue
Head coach Kevin Carty Jr.
by Mike Pavlichko

This Week in the Big Central – Episode 15: The Cartys

There’s just one more team left!

On Episode 15 of “This Week in the Big Central,” driven by Mark Montenero and his team at the world-famous Autoland – our final regular weekly show – Mike Pavlichko takes a quick look back at Cranford’s loss in the North 3 regional championship, then has a full-on preview of Hillsborough’s South 5 regional title game against Kingsway out of the West Jersey Football League.

First, we hear from senior wide receiver and defensive back Tommy Amankwaa – the Rutgers commit – and senior quarterback Jay Mazuera.

Then, a very special segment on head coach Kevin Carty, Jr., and his father, Kevin Senior, who’s on his staff, working with the wide receivers. They talk about their time together as player and coach at Somerville, winning their championship in 1994 over Manasquan, and what it’s like with a life of football, including the younger Carty’s siblings, Ryan and Sean, who also are in coaching.

Then, it’s on to Saturday’s matchup at SHI Stadium at Rutgers, as we hear from Kingsway head coach Mark Hendricks and Carty Junior.

Finally, Mike gives his breakdown of the game.

by Mike Pavlichko

This Week in the Big Central – Episode 14: The Lucky Threes

We’re off to the Meadowlands!

On Episode 14 of “This Week in the Big Central,” driven by Mark Montenero and his team at the world-famous Autoland, Mike Pavlichko has a look back at Hillsborough and Cranford’s state title wins, with postgame reaction from players and coaches.

Then it’s on to preview the North Jersey Group 3 Regional Championship, as Cranford gets set to take on West Morris at Met Life Stadium Friday afternoon.

First, Mike talks with West Morris head coach Kevin Hennelly.

Then, it’s on to Cranford as we catch up with Illinois-bound Cranford offensive lineman Matt Fries, who talks about the tight bond on the O-line, as well as following in his brother Will’s footsteps. Then, we hear from head coach Erik Rosenmeier on the matchup with West Morris.

Finally, Mike breaks down the matchup on both sides of the ball.

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough wants to keep good times rolling right on through the Battle of Route 206

The Raiders are clicking on all cylinders right now.

No. 3 Hillsborough is 3-0, and they’re winning games in every way, most notably against Phillipsburg.

They beat the Stateliners 21-14 two weeks ago in overtime, on a game-tying TD and two-point conversion by Rutgers-bound Thomas Amankwaa, who then scored the go-ahead touchdown in OT and picked off a ‘Liners’ pass to seal the deal.

While head coach Kevin Carty Jr. says it’s going as well as it can right now, he knows all that is out the window in a big rivalry game Saturday afternoon, when Hillsborough travels to Basilone Field to take on Bridgewater-Raritan (2-1) in the Big Central Game of the Week driven by Autoland.

(Note: This game was originally scheduled for Thursday night, but postponed due to thunderstorms and lightning in the forecast.)

Game time is 2:00, with pre-game set for 1:45 on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko calling all the action. Click here to listen live.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko preview the game with Hillsborough head coach Kevin Carty Jr:

by Mike Pavlichko

This Week in the Big Central – Episode 4: The Mr. Old Bridge

A pair of big wins for a pair of Raiders, and the Big Man in Old Bridge.

Those are some of the highlights of Episode 4 of “This Week in the Big Central,” driven by Mark Montenero and his team at the world-famous Autoland.

We take a closer look at the top-ranked North Brunswick’s big win at Old Bridge, thanks to a big night from Marqis Perry. Then Hillsborough came up with a statement win over Phillipsburg in overtime.

Later, host Mike Pavlichko talks with Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week Tommy Amankwaa, and sits down with Mr. Old Bridge, Ron Mazzola, to talk about his PA work for Old Bridge and Spotswood, work with GMC wrestling and gymnastics, and great moments in Knights’ football.

Then, Dom Savino slides into the chair across from Mike to preview Week Three action in the Big Central.

by Mike Pavlichko

Tuesday Night Quarterback-Episode 12: The Vote (Special Edition)

On a special edition of the “Tuesday Night Quarterback,” Mike Pavlichko takes a deeper dive into Wednesday’s historic landslide vote to remove language from the NJSIAA’s constitution that prohibited state championships in football. The move paves the way for public school group champions to be crowned by way of a five-week playoff season as early as 2022.

Dom Savino joins Mike to discuss the vote and what it means for high school football, particularly as it relates to the Big Central Conference. Mike is then joined by several guests to discuss the meaning of the vote:

  • Hillsborough head coach and NJSIAA Executive Committee member Kevin Carty Jr.
  • Hackensack head coach, NJSIAA Executive Committee member and NJ State Assembly Deputy Speaker Benjie Wimberly (D-35)
  • Former East Brunswick head coach, two-time state champ and MyCentralJersey.com football analyst Marcus Borden