Tag: Manville

by Mike Pavlichko

Bernards, Pingry advance in first round of SCT

Both higher seeds advanced Friday afternoon in the opening round of the Somerset County Tournament, with 11-seed Bernards and 12th-seed Pingry both coming up with wins.

They’ll both move on the the second round, scheduled for Monday, with eight games on tap, and winners heading to Thursday’s quarterfinals, with all games at higher seeds.

(11) Bernards 13, (14) Bound Brook 3: In a ten-run rule walk-off, the Mountaineers (12-6) scored in every inning, including two in each of the first two innings, five in the third, one in the fourth, and three in the bottom of the fifth to end it when James Renz singled to left field, bringing in Casey Hocekele. Sean Arcelay had a 3-for-4 afternoon with a double, one RBI, two stolen bases and three runs scored in a complete effort; seven different players drove in runs, with James Ferrante and Sonny Liranzo each knocked in in a pair.

On the mound, starter Landon Farmer went four innings, giving up three runs, only one of them earned. He also fanned six, then Tucker Gallagher pitched a scoreless fifth.

Bound Brook falls to 2-11.

Next up, Bernards will visit sixth-seed Hillsborough (7-9) Monday afternoon in the second round at 4 pm. It’ll be their first meeting since 2023, a meeting the Mountaineers won 5-0.

(12) Pingry 8, (13) Manville 1: The Big Blue (8-9) never trailed, scoring one in the second and three in the fourth before the Mustangs (7-9) could get on the board. Freshman Connor Lahey drove in two runs and scored once on a 3-for-3 day, while Langston McDonald also went 3-for-3 on the afternoon, and scored twice.

Zach Zaslow improved to 3-0 with the win, going the distance and scattering four hits over seven innings, giving up one unearned run, while striking out seven.

On Monday, Pingry will head to 5th-seed Bridgewater-Raritan (6-14). The two have not met since at least prior to 2008, the last year for which records are available online.

Here’s the Monday Somerset County Tournament second round schedule, with a look ahead to projected quarterfinal matchups on Thursday, all at higher seeds:

  • (9) Gill St. Bernard’s at (8) Montgomery, winner at (1) Immaculata
  • (12) Pingry at (5) Bridgewater-Raritan, winner at (4) Rutgers Prep
  • (11) Bernards at (6) Hillsborough (4 pm), winner at (3) Ridge
  • (10) Franklin at (7) Somerville, winner at (2) Watchung Hills
by Mike Pavlichko

Four titles earns Gill St. Bernard’s No. 1 ranking in final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten

When high school basketball teams open their preseason, hitting the gym in earnest for the first time, they can set all kinds of different goals. For most with high-end aspirations, there are four main ones: win the division, win the county, win a sectional, win a state championship.

In 2025-26, it was check, check, check, and check one more time for Gill St. Bernard’s. And that’s why they finish as the No. 1 team in the final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball rankings of the year.

With a mark of 28-2, the Knights won the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, and while they played though the division only once due to the new alignment, they decided to play Rutgers Prep twice anyway, the last meeting coming after the SCT seeding meeting, and took both matchups. They then beat the Argonauts in the Somerset County Tournament final, went on to avenge a defeat at the hands of Roselle Catholic in the Non-Public Group B title game, then put on a defensive masterclass in the Non-Public B state final at Rutgers, beating Holy Cross Prep of Delran to win the program’s first state title in school history

The Knights are followed by a very close second in St. Joseph-Metuchen. In their first season under alum Mark Taylor – in his second go-round coaching the Falcons – they went 29-2, their lone loss coming to South Plainfield by one on the road before falling in the Non-Public South A final to St. Peter’s Prep – which, by the way, beat every Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team it played this year: Colonia, Gill St. Bernard’s, Rutgers Prep, St. Thomas Aquinas (twice) and St. Joe’s.

Montgomery finishes in third. At 26-5, the two-time defending champion Cougars won a third straight Central Jersey Group 4 title, but this time had to go on the road to do it after being the top seed each of the last two seasons. Not only did they win at top-seed Hillsborough in the final, but the Cougars dominated Cherry Hill East in the Group 4 semifinals, and made it all the way to Rutgers for the state Group 4 final, where they lost back on Saturday to Plainfield for a second straight season, in a tight game most of the way.

Close behind in fourth is Colonia, which finished 21-11 after a 2-6 start, and having lost several key starters, including Aiden Derkack (transfer to Spire Academy in Ohio) and R.J. Wortman (early football enrolee at Rutgers) among others. The Patriots bowed out to Piscataway in a tight GMC Tournament semifinal game, but wound up getting the top-seed in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3, and won the sectional title for a fifth straight year, and sixth time in the last seven playoff seasons, all under head coach Jose Rodriguez. They made their first state final ever, too, but fell to Ocean City Sunday in the Group 3 finals at Rutgers, giving the Red Raiders their first state title in over 60 years.

Checking in at five is Piscataway (23-8). The Chiefs – despite a lack of height – were tough again in the GMC Red American Division this year, and took St. Joe’s to overtime in early January. They made it all the way to the county final, where they fell to the Falcons in the title game, and bowed out of a brutal North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 playoff section in the semifinals to eventual state Group 4 champion Plainfield.

At six, it’s Rutgers Prep (18-10). The Argonauts still had Will Brunson, but had to deal with the loss of Andrew Kretkowski, who transferred to St. Joseph-Metuchen. But they still showed out this season, reaching the Somerset County Tournament final, where it was another battle with Gill St. Bernard’s, who won the championship.

Hillsborough (22-8) checks in at No. 7, after putting together their first 20-win season under head coach Tim Palek, who just wrapped up his fifth season on the bench. The Raiders had fans enthralled through their playoff run, with an exciting win over Jackson Twp. in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, and they took Montgomery to overtime in the championship before taking the loss.

At No. 8, it’s Immaculata (21-7), the Skyland Conference Raritan Division champs. Season highlights included a home win over in-town rival Somerville, and handing Bridgewater-Raritan its first loss on the road after an 8-0 start by the Panthers.

The last three teams were unranked in the final poll before the postseason.

East Brunswick comes in at nine – going 21-7 this season, and winning the GMC Red National Division with an 8-0 mark – while two others share the tenth and final spot.

We put Perth Amboy (22-6) in at the ten spot along with Manville (19-9), honoring two teams for their full body of work, teams that might not otherwise get recognized in a crowded field of 48 teams between Middlesex and Somerset Counties. The Panthers won their first division title since 1993, claiming the GMC’s White American with an unblemished 12-0 record. The Mustangs, meanwhile, were Skyland Conference Mountain Division champions at 8-0, and beat rival Bound Brook twice this season, with the first of their two victories being their first against the Crusaders in 20 years.

Dropping out were Pingry (13-10) and South Plainfield (18-11).

Below is the complete final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for 2025-26:

Manville guard Josh D'Ambrosio (3) directs traffic for the Mustangs against Middlesex in the Central Jersey Group 1 quarterfinals.
by Alec Crouthamel

Manville boys rally, stun Middlesex in Central Jersey Group 1 quarterfinals

Midway through the third quarter, Manville was on the ropes.

In the Central Jersey Group 1 quarterfinals, the sixth-seeded Mustangs (19-8) trailed Middlesex 36-22 on the road, with a rising home crowd.

But just as it looked like the playoff matchup was going to slip away from Manville, they struck back.

The Mustangs ended the third quarter on an 11-2 run, and kept their foot on the gas to eventually pull away late and stun the third-seeded Jays (19-9) 47-44. Senior Josh D’Ambrosio finished with a game-high 22 points – 14 in the second half – and knocked down a go-ahead three with under two minutes to play to take the lead for good.

As the final buzzer sounded to end a frenetic final minute, Manville came out of the fray with a victory, before being promptly mobbed by the section’s worth of students who made the trip down Route 28.

Middlesex opened the game rolling on both sides of the floor, complementing an aggressive and opportunistic defense with a balanced scoring attack on offense. Five different Jays scored in the opening quarter.

They took a nine-point lead into halftime, led by 13 points from Jax Robel. He finished with a team-high 19 in the loss, as the Mustangs’ defense held him without a point in the final quarter. As a team, Middlesex knocked down six three-pointers in the opening half, but made none in the second half.

Once the teams exited the locker room after halftime, it was clear Manville had a different intensity than the opening 16 minutes.

The Mustangs attacked the basket and set up threes of their own on offense, and did a much better job matching up on the defensive side, forcing turnovers and bad shots.

The late run to end the third quarter was just as much due to Manville’s defensive intensity as its deliberation and efficiency on offense. In addition to D’Ambrosio taking more scoring initiative, the Mustangs got a major boost from junior forward Jonathan Gosk with seven points in the third quarter alone. He finished as the team’s second-leading scorer with ten points.

Manville trailed by five at the end of the third, and the momentum fully swung the visitors’ way quickly to start the fourth. D’Ambrosio drew a three-shot foul to open the scoring, and freshman guard Levan Chankotadze added a three-pointer of his own to take the lead for the first time in the half.

The two teams went back and forth from there, including a go-ahead three-point play chance from Chris Kozak, but Manville found its footing from the perimeter and knocked down its free throws late to seal the upset victory. D’Ambrosio scored 11 of the Mustangs’ 14 fourth-quarter points.

Manville moves on to the semifinal round for a third straight year, where it will face the winner of the opposite quarterfinal between second-seeded Point Pleasant Beach and tenth-seeded Dayton. The location will depend on the winner of the game. Middlesex’s season comes to a close with a 19-9 record.

Click below for postgame reactions from Manville head coach Bill Rooney and guard Josh D’Ambrosio with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Manville girls’ coach Mike Knitowski wins 100th game as Mustangs defeat College Achieve Central

The Manville girls’ basketball program is having one of its best seasons in years, with a shot at its first winning record in well over a decade.

Senior Sadie Fleming not only joined the 1,000 point club, but also reached that milestone in the rebounding category, no small feat.

Now, head coach Mike Knitowski has his 100th career win.

He’s been leading the program at his only head coaching job for 13 years, and this is the best season they’ve had. And it’s made for exciting times at the school. The boys’ basketball team beat rival Bound Brook for the first time in over two decades this season – not once, but twice. And the football team notched its first ever playoff win this November against Asbury Park.

Manville girls’ basketball coach Mike Knitowski holds a commemorative banner after picking up his 100th win at College Achieve Central on February 2, 2026. (Photo courtesy Mike Knitowski)

For Knitowski, it’s been a long time coming, with some very lead years early on. High school sports, especially among the public schools, is always cyclical, but that’s even more pronounced at small schools like Manville. Who knows what next year will being with a talented group of seniors graduating, so the Mustangs are enjoying it while they can.

Knitowski’s 100th came Monday night, via a 41-31 win at College Achieve Central in North Plainfield. Sadie Fleming led with 17 points, as Manville improved to 10-6.

Knocked out of the Somerset County Tournament this past weekend in the second round by Bridgewater-Raritan, they’ve really only got one more guaranteed loss this season unless they win the state Group 1 championship, which means they have a really good chance at finishing above .500 for the first time in Knitowski’s tenure, since 2012-13, the year before he arrived, when the Mustangs finished 13-11.

Last year’s squad was 13-13, with their trend headed in the right direction, and they’ve lived up to all those expectations so far.

Click below to hear Manville girls’ basketball coach mike Knitowski talk about the path to his 100th win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – BOYS: Manville 58, Bound Brook 41

Manville used a 21-0 run to erase an eight-point third-quarter deficit, pulling away in the fourth to beat visiting Bound Brook 58-41 in a Skyland Conference Mountain Division game, behind 15 points from Jimmy Cuadra and 12 from Josh D’Ambrosio.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko And Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from Manville High School on January 16, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Big third quarter run, masterful defense, send Manville past Bound Brook a second time, 58-41

After a game, win or lose, coaches will show their team the game film to look at all the things they can improve upon and the things they need to work on.

So, if at any other point this season, Manville is struggling defensively, head coach Bill Rooney will want to put on the tape of Thursday night’s home game against Bound Brook, starting with about five minutes left in the third quarter.

That’s when the Mustangs faced their biggest deficit of the game against the Crusaders, eight points, after a three-ball by Titus Godwin.

But after that? Manville went on a 21-0 run, fueled by intense defense that forced Bound Brook into missing bad shots, and they were able to convert on the other end to take a 13 point lead that eventually grew as big as 17, and wound up being the final margin, in a 58-41 win heard live Friday night on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

In the end, Manville finished the game on a 37-12 run, from eight down to win by 17.

Remarkable.

In that run, Collin Shimp – even playing with three fouls – had two big threes. Twin brother Brandon hit one at the buzzer at the end of the third – a microcosm of how the quarter went for both teams – and Jimmy Cuadra had a number of steals along with six points in the period.

After five first quarter lead changes, Bound Brook took the lead, and finished the first half with a 23-19 advantage. They extended that to eight points – the biggest lead for either team at that point – with a three by Titus Godwin, who had 12 points in the first half but was held to five in the second.

And all game, Manville did a number on Dorian Roundtree, the Bound Brook senior who came in averaging 20.6 points per game, but was held scoreless in the first 16 minutes and finished with just six points.

Head coach Bill Rooney’s game plan was a bit novel. Most teams would try and slow down Bound Brook, getting them into a half court game since they get up and down the floor well. But Manville hit some shots, got back on defense, pressed, forced turnovers and got out in transition. They didn’t always hit on the other end, but it frustrated the Crusaders to no end.

Cuadra led the Mustangs with 15 points, while Josh D’Ambrosio added a dozen and Collin Shimp finished with 11. Godwin finished with a game-high 17 for Bound Brook.

It was the second straight win over Bound Brook for Manville (7-5, 5-0 Skyland Conference Mountain Division), which – coming into this season – had not beaten the Crusaders in 25 games over a span of ten years from 2005 to 2015, and they didn’t play each other for the next decade.

That changed December 16, when they picked up a 50-43 win at The Brook. Thursday’s win over Bound Brook (8-3, 3-3 Skyland Mountain) swept the season series.

The last time they beat Bound Brook back-to-back games? Well, that might take some digging. Based on easily available online records, it would predate the 2004-05 season, making it at least 22 years ago.

Click below for postgame reaction from Manville senior Collin Shimp and head coach Bill Rooney, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

After first win over rival Bound Brook in 20 years, Manville seeks season sweep at home Friday nite

Hard to believe that two similar-size schools don’t play each other every year in every sport, but that was the case for the past decade, as Manville and Bound Brook hadn’t played each other in basketball for a decade.

Maybe it had something to do with the Crusaders winning all 25 matchups between then from 2005 through 2015, by wide margins in the later years of that stretch.

That all changed on December 16th, when the two teams played in Bound Brook, and the visiting Mustangs came out with a 50-43 win. Prior to that, Manville’s last win in the series had come on January 20th, 2005.

Friday night, the two will meet for a second time in a Skyland Conference Mountain Division game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Tip-off is at 6 pm, pregame starts at 5:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

Manville will enter the game at 6-5 (4-0, first place in the Mountain Division), having a bit of an up-and-down season not entirely in their control. They’ve had some injuries, and the team even got the flu bug together at one point. Looking healthier now, they come in off a 67-61 win Tuesday over South Hunterdon.

Bound Brook has a better overall record at 8-3, but is 3-2 in the division, in third place, with South Hunterdon ahead of them at 3-1. They’re coming off a 58-46 win at Roselle Park Saturday, but have been otherwise idle this week.

A win for the Mustangs could solidify their chances at the division title, with a rematch in two weeks with South Hunterdon likely deciding it. A Crusader win would make things interesting; on its own, it would drop them into a first-place tie with the Eagles, both a game ahead of Bound Brook in the loss column.

Bound Brook is a much higher-scoring team, averaging nearly 70 points a game, with four players in double-figures, led by senior Dorian Roundtree. He’s averaging 20.6 points per game, and scored 28 in the December loss to Manville. Junior Titus Godwin is scoring at a 17.9 point per game clip, with seniior Jasahn Canary averaging a double-double: 11.3 points and 11.7 rebounds. Sophomore Cameron Newton is averaging 10 flat per game.

Manville, though scoring less, also is balanced. Senior Josh D’Ambrosio is averaging 12.2 points a game to lead the team, also No. 1 in threes (17), assists (43) and steals (22). The next four down all are scoring between 9.3 (sophomore Owen Kenyon) and 6.5 points per game.

The first meeting was a good one defensively for Manville, which held the Crusaders to what remains a season-low, just 43 points. Bound Brook is 0-3 when scoring fewer than 50 points in a game, with losses coming to Princeton and South Hunterdon.

Click below for preview interviews with both head coaches:

Manville head coach Bill Rooney with Mike Pavlichko
Bound Brook head coach Anthony Melesurgo
by Mike Pavlichko

Manville’s Sadie Fleming overshadows joining 1,000-point club with buzzer-beating layup to top College Achieve Central, 36-34

It was supposed to be a celebratory night in Manville, with senior Sadie Fleming needing just nine points to join the 1,000 point club, with just four others in Mustang girls’ history.

And it was, but not just for that reason.

While Fleming easily cracked the milestone, it was the last basket she hit, a layup in the lane with two seconds to go that broke a 34-34 tie, that really set off a celebration. It gave Manville a rousing 36-34 home win over College Achieve Central Thursday night.

Even more unique, as if you needed anything else, she’s just the second in school history – girls or boys – to score a thousand points, while also grabbing 1,000 rebounds. Fleming got that the day after Christmas in a 50-25 win over Dunellen in the opening round of the Manville Holiday Tournament, had ten on Thursday to give her her fifth double-double of the season, and is 38 away from breaking the all-time record set by Candy Kaschak in 1980, now at 1,040 in her career.

Kaschak also is a member of the “Double 1K” club.

Fleming is now fifth on the all-time girls’ scoring list, behind Julie Pankowski (1,205), who graduated in 2017.

“Personally, for me it’s cool to have coached two 1,000 point scorers, said head coach mike Knitkowski, a Manville alum himself. “I was 25 points short of my 1,000 and ended with 975 in 2007, but I only played in 68 career games, and missed 12 games my freshman year due to injury, or I would have easily gotten it too.”

Knitkowski called it a “full circle moment” for the team, which, with the rest of the starting five – including Val Fonseca, Sarah Alfraro, Deanna Betancourth and Sophia Grosk – “have all been playing basketball together since fifth grade recreation, and have basically grown up together.”

Fleming is committed to play basketball next year at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, just outside of Harrisburg.

Currently fifth overall on the all-time girls’ scoring list, depending how deep Manville goes in the Somerset County and state tournaments this year, Fleming – a four-year varsity player – has a legitimate shot to end up at least fourth, perhaps third on the all-time scoring list. Sandy Baranowski (1986) is No. 1 all-time, at 1,796

Click below to hear Manville senior Sadie Fleming talk about being the newest member of the Mustangs’ 1,000 point club with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Manville All-Time Girls’ Basketball Scoring Leaders

  1. Sandy Baranowski – 1,796 (1986)
  2. Gibika Hilinka – 1,596 (1991)
  3. Candy Kaschak – 1,292 (1980)
  4. Julie Pankowski – 1,205 (2017)*
  5. Sadie Fleming – 1,010 (active)

*coached by Mike Knitkowski

Manville All-Time Boys’ Basketball Scoring Leaders

  1. Edryn Morales – 1,350 (2025)
  2. Kevin Collins – 1,080 (1972)
  3. Tyler Kesolitz – 1,066 (2024)
by Mike Pavlichko

Manville hangs on for 48-46 win over Highland Park in opening round of Mustangs’ Holiday Tournament, will meet North Plainfield Monday

After a big 15-0 run to break a 26-all tie and end the third quarter, Manville had to sweat one out, as the Mustangs hung on to beat Highland Park 48-46 in the opener of their own holiday tournament Friday afternoon.

Manville (3-2) got 12 points apiece from junior Jonathon Gosk and sophomore Owen Kenyon, the second of whom scored six straight points in that third-quarter run, with and and-one followed by a triple.

The teams played a tight first quarter, with the Owls (2-4) taking a 2-0 lead, but ending the first eight minutes down 12-8. The second quarter saw Highland Park close on a 13-4 run to make it a tie game at 22 at the break.

The second half was back-and-forth early, with the teams trading buckets, and they were knotted up at 26.

Owls head coach Colin Copperthwaite called a time out at that point, with 4:55 to go in the third, just to settle things down a little. But over the next three minutes, the Mustangs went on a 12-0 run to take a 38-26 lead, forcing Highland Park to call another time out. Manville finished the half on a 15-0 run to take a 41-26 lead into the final period.

That’s when Evangelinos Kambitsis came alive, hitting a pair of threes early in the fourth. Cooper Ballentine scored a couple, and all of a sudden, the Owls were within nine. After a three by Ballantine, and another by Kambitsis, Manville’s lead was slashed to three. With the ball, and a minute to go, Highland Park again called time out.

They got a good look at a three but missed, and couldn’t convert on two putbacks. A foul put Manville at the line, where Collin Shimp missed a pair with 25.6 seconds left. The Owls got the rebound, but a pass up the floor went out of bounds on the sideline. Manville got fouled again with 13.4 to go, and this time Josh D’Ambrosio split a pair, making the second, putting them up by four.

But Highland Park couldn’t quickly get a good look, and settled for a late bucket to make it 48-46, as the clock ran out with just a few seconds left, and the Owls out of time outs.

The Manville Holiday Basketball Tournament resumes Tuesday for the boys, with the Consolation Game at 3 pm and the Championship at 7.

The Consolation will feature Dunellen (2-3) and Highland Park, while the Mustangs will meet North Plainfield (1-4). The Canucks got their first win of the season Friday, beating the Destroyers 56-32 behind a game-high 17 points from Cayden Prince. It was a solid defensive effort in the game from North Plainfield, which led 32-11 at the break; the Canucks also hit seven times from beyond the arc.

Click below to hear Manville head coach Bill Rooney talk about the Mustangs’ win over Highland Park with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Manville’s Josh D’Ambrosio still has sports to play, but four-year starter takes CJSR’s 2025 Longevity Award

“You never had the makings of a varsity athlete.” -Junior Soprano

“Josh has been a varsity athlete since he stepped on the gridiron as a freshman.” Dave Markowitch

The Manville coach has it right.

Josh D’Ambrosio got into the game as a ninth grader at outside linebacker, and has had an extraordinary career. This season – at free safety – he had 32 tackles, 13 solo, nine TFLs and two interceptions for a defense that allowed just nine touchdowns all season. He’s been there his entire four-year career in blue and gold.

But it was on offense where he may have helped the team most all year. He threw for 720 yards and nine touchdowns without a single interception in 51 pass attempts, but also carried 156 times for 1,268 yards and 18 scores, with a long of 74.

The Wing-T isn’t an easy offense to run, but D’Ambrosio did it well in his three years as the starting signal caller. In his career, he’s accumulated over 4,300 yards.

But even more importantly, he developed over time into a vocal leader, the person his teammates looked to in good times or bad.

And in the end, he went out making history – helping lead the team to its first undefeated regular season since 1968, and a program record for wins with 10, the last one coming at home against Asbury Park, for the Mustangs’ first playoff win in school history.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas talk with Manville senior Josh D;Ambrosio:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Logan Stevens, Bernards: In a three-year varsity career, he never lost a single regular season game. A runningback/defensive back, Stevens rushed for 2,386 yards in his career, also grabbing 59 passes for 814 yards, scoring 39 career touchdowns and 236 points. On defense this year, he had 34 solo tackles, three interceptions, nine pass breakups, a TFL and a forced fumble. He also excelled on special teams, with 642 kick return yards – for a 23.8 average – with the Mountaineers’ getting average field position of their own 36-yard line.
  • Andrew Avent, Rahway: Spending four years on varsity, Avent came on the scene as a baby-faced freshman. He leaves as a baby-faced senior with a million-dollar smile, and several program records, including career rushing yards (4,524), single-season rushing yards (1,961), career touchdowns (77) and points scored.
  • Nate Endgdahl, Ridge: Sophomores rarely play line on the varsity Red Devils team, but Engdhal did, making him the first defensive lineman in first-year head coach Sutherland’s time at Ridge (five years, the first four as Defensive Coordinator) to have started three consecutive years. Sutherland calls him a “once-in-a-decade player.” This season, he had four sacks in six games played, logging 33 tackles and six TFLs.
  • Filipe Granadiero, South River: The senior linebacker led his team with 91 tackles this season, and also owns the career record with 264, taking the mantle from his brother, Marcus, who also was a Rams’ linebacker for longtime head coach Rich Marchesi.