Tag: Marcus Borden

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan 2026: That’s a Wrap! A look back at coverage of 20 Big Central teams over 12 days

“Put it in the books” … as the great Howie Rose would say.

Camp Caravan 2026 has come to an end, and teams are now into Week Zero prep as the 2026 high school football season in New Jersey gets set to kick off! And Mike Pavlichko joins Marcus Borden at LaMonte Field in Bound Brook to talk about it all.

Scroll to the bottom for links to all of Marcus Borden’s “Camp Caravan 2026” coverage…

Click below to watch Mike and Marcus look back at Camp Caravan 2026, with coverage of 20 Big Central Conference teams over two weeks:

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan 2026 Coverage Links:

by Marcus Borden

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan 2026: Week 1 Notebook

Week One (August 10-15) of the Caravan was hot and humid with the temperatures in the high 80’s and 90’s!

Monday morning, I kicked off the 2026 preseason at J.F. Kennedy’s Louis M. Bartha Memorial Stadium as first year head Coach Anthony Nyers and his young staff, which includes his younger brother Nick, never stopped coaching/talking to the forty-plus players who have been working hard since February.

Senior WR/DB Kamali “KJ” Walker emphasized the importance of being there for his teammates and stressing the need to encourage them to focus in on what has to be done to have back to back winning seasons.

SCROLL DOWN FOR LINKS TO WEEK ONE OF MARCUS BORDEN’S CAMP CARAVAN
AS WELL AS LINKS TO THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE AND COVERAGE!

Fellow senior captains Braylon Diaz and Dushyant Kumar know that the youthful Mustangs have to continue to put in the work by being prepared, knowing the plays and having each others back.

Junior Jonathan Sedlmayer, who has not missed a workout since his new coach was hired, said he looks forward to playing defense for J.F. Kennedy and he can’t wait until they kick off the season August 28 at East Brunswick.

Spotswood’s Andy Steinfeld talking to the Offense (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Tuesday’s stop at Spotswood High School saw the Chargers marching into the stadium all wearing the same blue and gold tee shirt with a clear message on the back: Work Hard, COMPETE, Do it Right.

Emphasis in pre-practice was the kicking game while the lineman worked on footwork and blocking progresions. This was followed by a team dynamic warm-up.

Individual period saw a variety of drills performed by position groups and it was obvious that plenty of work was done during the summer by the 40 plus players in attendance.

Head Coach Andy Steinfeld had the practice well-scripted and there was little time wasted as the coaches focused on technique and intensity.

Spotswood has great Senior leadership with QB Jonathan Regan, and Linemen Nicholas Albert and Phil Palmer. Junior WR/DB/KR Ryan Foster made a name for himself last year in all three phases of the game and will be counted on to do the same as the Chargers prepare for a Week 0 match-up with Monmouth Regional on Thursday August 27.

Delaware Valley senior WR Brayden Picardo-Leask. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Wednesday’s nine am practice at Tapp Webb Memorial Field at Delaware Valley H.S. saw about 45 players in half-pads with the Varsity in navy and JV’s in white.

Ben Ibach begins his fourth campaign as head football coach without his talented son Kelton who was the quarterback the past two seasons. All he did was throw for nearly 3000 yards and 36 touchdowns. The younger Ibach, a talented lacrosse player leaves for Hood College tomorrow.

How do you replace your signal caller? Insert the 6’5″ athletic Junior Chase Kraucheunas who has an offer from Syracuse as a free safety. His ability to throw and run the ball was quite evident throughout the practice as teammate Picardo-Leask will attest with his catch above.

Expectations are high for the Terriers who return a plethora of defensive starters like Marcus Gary, Ben Culberson, Brayden Costello as well as Picardo-Leask and Kaucheunas.

The focus of this group is to return to the playoffs with the goal of earning the right to play for a championship. With that being said, Delaware Valley will rely on their defense as the offense continues to develop throughout the preseason.

The Terriers open up Week O with an August 27 Thursday night 6:00 p.m kickoff vs. neighboring North Hunterdon.

East Brunswick Bears Tackling Drill. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Thursday the East Brunswick Bears were on the field at 7:30 am at Jay Doyle Field. Second-year head coach Zach Gega wasted little time getting his team focused on the practice plan which was defense.

There was plenty of energy as the players moved quickly between drills and scripted periods which covered every phase of the game.

Senior linebackers Cole Zebro and Nicholas Espindola were vocal leaders as they encouraged their teammates to give the maximum effort and focus in on the finer details of alignment and play recognition.

Senior Brendon Adams a stalwart on the offensive and defensive line was equally impressive as he laid the leather during a one on one drill with force and and leg drive as the circle of his Bear teammates “oohed and aahed” during the drill.

East Brunswick had about 70 players on the main field while their 8th grade team was down on the lower turf field.

The Bears will host J.F. Kennedy on Thursday August 27 at 6:00 p.m. with two head coaches who are quite familiar with each other as they were on the Woodbridge staff with former coach Joe LaSala.

New Brunswick FS Arisniel Mota-Sánchez interception during preseason camp. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Friday’s practice in New Brunswick was held at Memorial Stadium on Joyce Kilmer Ave which is behind the New Brunswick Middle School. Players were picked up and bused to practice.

Second-year head coach Geoffrey Chrisman and his assistants were there early unloading the players equipment which was tied together with the helmet and shoulder pads. Practice pants and knee and thigh pads were distributed as players got off the bus then headed to the locker room under the stadium.

Practice got underway after listening to an impassioned speech by their coach with the emphasis on building off last year’s season-ending victory which ended the Zebras 32-game losing streak.

Sophomore Arisniel Mota-Sánchez a running back and free safety was impressive as a defender during the defense’s Skelton Pass session and reminded me of Maurice Ffrench who played at the University of Pittsburgh. Senior Alan Rodriguez along with Juniors Arion Lugo-James and Ervin Muñoz-Juares all bring experience and leadership to a team that opens their season at Highland Park.

Christian has increased the team’s roster to about 50 kids with a large sophomore class with several players who got their feet wet as freshmen in last year’s season finale.

Aquinas Red and Black Scrimmage. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

The final stop of the Week 1 BCC Camp Caravan Tour was Saturday morning at St. Thomas Aquinas as the Trojans hosted a Red and Black intrasquad scrimmage as well as a barbecue for players and coaches prepared by the parents Booster Club..

The return of junior quarterback Zymere Weaver who threw for 2236 yards with 24 touchdowns last season along with seniors Tristan Bester at receiver and defensive back, Sebastian Azofeifa on the offensive and defensive line and linebacker Jaylen Frias with over 100 tackles in 2025 has second-year head coach Shamir Bearfield feeling good about the team improving this season.

If Saturday’s situational scrimmage was any indication of how this team can handle adversity on game day, the Aquinas faithful can be rest assured that the Trojans will be ready for anything that comes their way this season as they open up on the road at Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn on August 29 at 1:00 p.m.

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan Week 2 Scrimmage Schedule is as follows (subject to change):

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan Week 1 Coverage:

by Marcus Borden

Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Marcus Borden resumes his Big Central Conference Camp Caravan for 2026; Details and Week 1 Schedule

Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden resumes his fourteenth annual Camp Caravan tour of preseason practices of many of Middlesex County’s 24 members as well as several of the Big Central’s ten division programs beginning next week.

In addition, Borden will be covering scrimmages of GMC schools and select Big Central teams throughout the preseason.

During each Camp Caravan stop, Borden will conduct video interviews with coaches and top players, will post on X/Twitter (follow Marcus here) photos and video of drill work, along with some commentary. Stories will be posted on cjsportsradio.com each day, with links to Camp Caravan videos, all of which will be published on our Central Jersey Sports Radio YouTube channel.

Here’s where you can find past Camp Caravan videos on our YouTube channel:

Borden’s Week One Camp Caravan schedule can be found below, with additional Week Two visits to be added to the schedule at a later date.

Somerville Student Section (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Follow Borden on X/Twitter @bordenfb4ever for live updates with video clips, photos and insight from all practice sessions and scrimmages.

CJSR’s Mike Pavlichko and Borden are preparing an exhaustive GMC/BCC preview package, which will include:

  • Coverage of Big Central Media Day on August 5th
  • Marcus Borden’s Preseason BCC Top 10 team rankings
  • Audio previews of all 12 Big Central divisions
  • Preseason features and news stories
  • Breakdown of Week Zero games
  • Our Weekly “Gameday with Marcus Borden” Preview Show
  • And much, much more

In addition, Borden will unveil his preseason All-BCC offensive and defensive selections by position, in advance of August’s season-openers. He’ll also be promoting the top players in the entire Big Central Conference with his “Borden’s Ballers” team and voting later in the season.

Borden’s Camp Caravan schedule – which will be updated daily with links to stories with video as they’re posted – features the teams below. The Week 2 Camp Caravan schedule will be out next weekend!

Camp Caravan – Week 1

  • Monday, August 10: John F. Kennedy
  • Tuesday, August 11: Spotswood
  • Wednesday, August 12: Delaware Valley
  • Thursday, August 13: East Brunswick
  • Friday, August 14: New Brunswick
  • Saturday August 15: St. Thomas Aquinas

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio’s coverage plans for Cutoff Weekend in high school football

The entire high school football season is a lot of fun, from the eternal hope that springs in the hot summer days of August through pre-season camp and scrimmages, to that first time under the lights, to the air getting cooler, right through the sectional and state championships at Rutgers and the Meadowlands.

But Cutoff Weekend is one unique ride, indeed.

Some teams have their positions locked down, or at least relatively so. Others are jockeying for home games. Some face a “win and you’re in” scenario, while others need to come out victorious and need four wishes from a genie in a bottle to get in.

Some years, we even think a team is in, then out, then back in again when that one, random residual game gets added to the mix.

Don’t worry, Central Jersey Sports Radio has you covered!

Here are our plans for coverage this weekend.

FRIDAY:

  • We’ll take a look at the weekend schedule with times and notes on what implications each game have on the playoff standing of Big Central Conference teams.
  • Marcus Borden will be at LaMonte Field in Bound Brook as the Crusaders take on undefeated Manville in a great rivalry game. It’ll also decide the Freedom Silver Division title, where a Mustangs win would give it to them outright, and a Crusaders win would leave them tied, with Bound Brook taking the title on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Follow Coach Borden on Twitter for updates during the game, and we’ll have his video postgame reaction on the site late after the game.
  • Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino will be in Rahway as the Indians entertain No. 3 Montgomery. Click here to listen. The Cougars are looking to improve their standing, while Rahway appears to be facing a “win and in” situation where a loss requires a lot of help. We’ll have a recap and postgame reaction on the site after the game.
  • Check out our Friday Night Big Central Roundup for notes on some of the key games, links to individual game coverage and interviews, as well as a full Friday night Big Central scoreboard, and the Saturday schedule, with times.
  • We’ll have an unofficial playoff standings update Friday night, once all the results are in. We’ll update the full standings for all ten public supersections, with minimal notes on who may have made a big move up or down, clinched a playoff spot or a top seed, or been eliminated.

SATURDAY

  • Throughout the day Saturday, we may have some additional analysis on those standings, as warranted, as we get a chance to take a closer look at how the teams moved, and how it affects any playoff scenarios for games being played on Saturday. That’s going to be one of the busiest Saturdays in the league this season, with 16 teams involved in eight games.
  • At 6 pm, we’ll have the 2025 Playoff Projection Show, hosted by Mike Pavlichko with analyst Marcus Borden in studio. Click here to listen. We’ll go through the sections, one by one, and rundown the field of 16, explain any tiebreakers, and give you our projections as to what we believe the final brackets will look like. We’ll also hear from several Big Central coaches. Gridiron New Jersey – which does the official calculations for the NJSIAA – will reveal its projections later that evening, and the NJSIAA will release the brackets sometime Sunday, with the parings typically becoming official at noon Monday (in case there are any issues, appeals, etc.)
Photo Credit: Marcus Borden
by Marcus Borden

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan 2025: Week 1 Notebook

Week One (August 11-16) of the Caravan was hot and humid with the temperatures up significantly after last week’s fall-like high 70’s or low 80’s depending where you were!

Monday morning, I kicked off the 2025 preseason at Perth Amboy’s Waters Stadium, which is about a mile from the new High School located at 931 Convery Boulevard.

The message was clear from the leadership, we have a new high school and a new attitude.

Junior quarterback Amaris Peguero took it upon himself to run summer captains practice in Albert G. Waters Stadium. He emphasized the importance of turning the page on last season and the need to be positive no matter what the situation.

Camp Caravan – Week 1

Fellow captains junior Ricardo Henriquez as well as seniors Tyler Pedrosa and Cesar Marquez made sure to let everyone know the Panthers plan to take each week to prove themselves by being prepared, confident and having each others back throughout the season.

You can interpret their drive or purpose as ganas in Spanish, which they will have on full display when they kick off the season August 29 at home versus J.F. Kennedy.

Photo Credit: Marcus Borden
Montgomery junior Xavier Harrington (WR/DB) and Marcus Borden at Cougars’ preseason camp on August 12, 2025. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Tuesday’s stop at Montgomery High School ironically started with me meeting Eric Legrand’s nephew Xavier Harrington, a junior wide receiver and defensive back. I had no idea that he was a member of the Cougars football team.

The Cougars entered the stadium and began practice with an offensive walk through of plays and formations. Each player wore a jersey that quickly identified their status in the program: white was worn by the freshmen, green by sophomores and juniors, gold for the seniors and black for the captains.

Yes, there were quarterbacks in red except returning captain and senior Jack Kristjanson, who wore black. I recommended he wear a red undershirt or red Guardian cap as to remind the defense it’s hands off during practice or scrimmages.

First year head coach Sean Carty had the practice well-scripted and on the clock as the scoreboard was used to indicate when the periods ended. This is only the 3rd school I have seen do this while on the road for Camp Caravan. Delaware Valley and Old Bridge have had similar success over the years.

Montgomery is poised to rebound after last year’s disappointing season with a solid group of talented seniors led by Mike Bellamy, Trey McFadden, Dragomir Georgiev, Brian Gambia and Aidan Mireider who will join Kristjanson as they prepare for their opener at Hopewell Valley.

Old Bridge senior QB Brody Nugent. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Wednesday’s 6:30 a.m. practice at Bob DeMarco Stadium in Old Bridge saw about 90 players in half-pads with the offense in black and defense in purple.

Matt Donoghue began his fourth campaign as head football coach on his birthday with the most talented team the Knights have had in some time. Old Bridge was 7-4 in 2024, having lost four games by a combined 10 points which included a playoff contest against Cherokee.

With dual-threat senior quarterback Brody Nugent at the helm, the Knights looked impressive in just their third preseason practice. They have size on the line and skill players who can take it to the house if you pay too much attention to their Houdini-like signal caller.

The focus of this group is to return to the playoffs with the goal of earning the right to play for a championship. With that being said, don’t be surprised to see Nugent in a variety of positions on offense and defense.

Senior captains Jayden Endaz, Tommy Kasoff and Justin Valinotti prefer to let their shoulder pads do the talking on defense as they prepare to open up the season at Rowan University on Saturday August 30 at 3:00 pm against a talented Cedar Creek team in the Battle at the Beach.

St. Thomas Aquinas senior TE/LB Anwar Witherspoon. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Thursday the Trojans of St. Thomas Aquinas were on the field at 9 a.m. following a team meeting prior to practice. First year head coach Shamir Bearfield used a small white megaphone to be sure his players heard him over the music playing on the grass field behind the stadium fencing.

There was plenty of energy as the players moved quickly between drills and scripted periods which covered every phase of the game.

Linebacker Anwar Whitherspoon Jr., a University of Buffalo commit, showed why he is one of the state’s top defenders while only being in half pads. His vocal leadership was evident as he encouraged his teammates to give the maximum effort.

Senior Channon Johnson, a stalwart on the offensive and defensive line was equally impressive as he and his fellow linemen will look to protect sophomore quarterback Zymere Weaver who has proven to be an accurate passer in some big games last year.

St. Thomas Aquinas has not shied away from the competition as they will travel to Montclair, host Catholic Memorial (MA) and Paramus Catholic while finishing the season at Pope John in Sparta.

The Trojans 31-game winning streak against Big Central Conference opponents may have its most serious threat on September 26 when they host a pretty talented team, the Elizabeth Minutemen.

Hunterdon Central QB Drew Cella takes a snap during preseason camp in Flemington on August 15, 2025. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Friday’s 8 a.m. start at Hunterdon Central was a bit more humid with a slight breeze in Stewart Field, the Home of the Red Devils.

I was greeted by former head coach, Jim Meert, who is the offensive line coach for Casey Ransone, who is entering his ninth season as the team’s mentor.

Expectations are high for this year’s senior class led by returning quarterback Drew Cella who is confident that when he gets the ball into the hands of fellow senior James Mongno, goods things are going to happen. This was clearly on display during the team’s second day in full pads.

The Red Devils mixed it up with positional drill work, a tackling circuit, no huddle skeleton pass period with the plays signaled from the sidelines as well as some well-choreographed offensive and defensive scripted play sequences.

Junior Jayden Cozze was impressive as a defender during the defense’s Skelton Pass session and in the full team scout offense versus the first team defense. Seniors Kasey Kingsley, Nick Vasquez and Mike White all bring experience and leadership to a team that opens their season at rival North Hunterdon in the Battle of Route 31.

The real hitting begins for Hunterdon Central on Monday August 18 as they will travel to South Brunswick for a tri-scrimmage at 10 am. This will be their wake-up call and a chance to see where they stack up against the competition.

The 2025 Bernards football coaching staff. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

The final stop of the Week 1 BCC Camp Caravan Tour was Saturday morning at Bernards as the Mountaineers hosted a Red and White intrasquad scrimmage and media day.

The return of a veteran senior class with the physical Thomas Diemar at linebacker who registered 18.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and Logan Stevens at running back who amassed nearly 900 yards and 12 touchdowns as a runner and receiver, along with center James Renz, tackle Justin Simpson and guard Finn Osborne has head coach Jon Simoneau looking forward to the upcoming season.

Of course when you add in junior returning quarterback Nolan Walsh’s nearly two thousand yards passing and 18 tosses for scores along with classmate Patrick Carlisle who relishes running you over, the Bernards offense looks to pick up where it left off as it takes on Cranford in a Week 0 contest.

While many pundits might have been surprised by the Mountaineers 12-1 record last season, don’t be fooled by the fact that this small Group 2 school has averaged a 7-3 record over the 18 seasons Jon Simoneau has been in charge of the program. They expect to win and will put in the work to get it done.

Borden’s Camp Caravan Week 2 Scrimmage Schedule is as follows:

by Marcus Borden

Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Marcus Borden resumes his Big Central Conference Camp Caravan for 2025; Details and Week 1 Schedule

Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden resumes his thirteenth annual Camp Caravan tour of preseason practices of many of Middlesex County’s 24 members as well as several of the Big Central’s ten division programs beginning next week.

In addition, Borden will be covering scrimmages of GMC schools and select Big Central teams throughout the preseason.

During each Camp Caravan stop, Borden will conduct video interviews with coaches and top players, will post on X/Twitter (follow Marcus here) photos and video of drill work, along with some commentary. Stories will be posted on cjsportsradio.com each day, with links to Camp Caravan videos, all of which will be published on our Central Jersey Sports Radio YouTube channel.

To see all of Marcus Borden’s videos from last year, check out the 2024 Camp Caravan playlist on our YouTube Channel.

Borden’s Week One Camp Caravan schedule can be found below, with additional Week Two visits to be added to the schedule at a later date.

Photo Credit: Marcus Borden
Old Bridge (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Follow Borden on X/Twitter @bordenfb4ever for live updates with video clips, photos and insight from all practice sessions and scrimmages.

CJSR’s Mike Pavlichko and Borden are preparing an exhaustive GMC/BCC preview package, which will include:

  • Coverage of Big Central Media Day on August 7th
  • Marcus Borden’s Preseason GMC Top 10 team rankings
  • Preseason BCC Top 10 team rankings
  • Preseason features and news stories
  • Our Weekly “Gameday with Marcus Borden” Preview Show
  • And more

In addition, Borden will unveil his preseason All-BCC offensive and defensive selections by position, in advance of August’s season-openers. He’ll also be promoting the top players in the entire Big Cenrtral Conference with his “Borden’s Ballers” team and voting later in the season.

Borden’s Camp Caravan schedule – which will be updated daily with links to stories with video as they’re posted – features the teams below. The Week 2 Camp Caravan schedule is coming soon!

Camp Caravan – Week 1

Camp Caravan – Week 2

by Mike Pavlichko

They don’t make ’em like this anymore: Marcus Borden talks about longtime football coaches Dave DeNapoli, Zoran Milich hanging them up

First, there was Zoran Milich stepping down, the only man ever to coach Montgomery High School football. That was back in Janaury, after a quarter century building and running the Cougars’ program.

This week, it was Dunellen’s Dave DeNapoli, who has been the Destroyers’ coach since 1996, stepping down after 29 years at the helm. A lifelong Dunellen resident, DeNapoli played quarterback there, graduating in 1975.

There are few left like these two. While many coaches have been around a long time – like Joe Goerge, who has had great success at places like Woodbridge last year, Franklin, South Brunswick and Dayton, where he completely restarted the program – few grow up, play and coach in the same time.

The last of their breed in our area would be Rich Marchesi, who has won well over 200 games and is the winningest coach in Rams’ history. This upcoming season will be his 29th on the sidelines.

Rich Marchesi and his players on the sideline in an August 28, 2021 game against South Plainfield. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

We sat down with Central Jersey Sports Radio football analyst Marcus Borden to talk about DeNapoli’s retirement, Zoran Milich stepping aside, and the dedication these longtime coaches have shown to their football programs, their schools, and their communities. Click below to listen:

North Brunswick
by Marcus Borden

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan 2024: Week 1 Notebook

Photo credit: (Marcus Borden)
Photo Credit: (Marcus Borden)

Week One (August 12 -17) of the Caravan was exciting, and with the weather cooling down significantly after several weeks of 90-degree heat for most of July as well as those dreary rainy days of early August!

Monday morning, I kicked off the 2024 preseason at the South River High School campus, which is under construction along Drew Pearson Hall of Fame Way.

The Rams’ senior leadership is excited to show that its off-season work will be rewarded when they host Point Pleasant Beach on Saturday August 31 at noon in a much different looking Bill Denny Stadium.

Four-year starter Michael Marchesi – the head coach’s son, who led the captains’ practices – will play tight end and outside linebacker. Senior Aiden Velez brings the energy on defense as he will make the calls from his middle linebacker position and will also help carry the football as a fullback.

Returning center senior Karl Nielsen will anchor the middle on offense and defense as the center and nose guard. Ryker Stewart returns for his final season at guard and inside linebacker and he is looking forward to bringing back that South River Ram rich tradition.

Monday’s afternoon stop was at Highland Park’s Joe Policastro Stadium, which was recently re-turfed last year, while also adding new lighting.

The Owls are soaring high since their final regular season game win at Point Pleasant Beach, 46-29, ending the program’s 51-game losing streak, at the time, the longest active skid in New Jersey.

Many of those players were underclassmen who now return with the knowledge of how to win by finishing the game.

Multi-talented senior quarterback Markos Hantsoulis showed everyone that he can beat you with his legs and his arm. His ability to escape pressure while on the run and his pinpoint accuracy will pose problems for the opposition. Hantsoulis’ junior cousins Stamatis and Konstantinos will also make a difference on offense and defense.

Senior Zyaire Holland is excited about the season and believes he can make his mark at running back and linebacker. Brian Mahoney, who returns for his final season at guard and linebacker, brings toughness and discipline after a great off-season in the weight room and in summer workouts.

Tuesday’s 6:45 a.m. practice at Bob Demarco Stadium in Old Bridge was non-stop and well-orchestrated with a plethora of talented players separated by offense and defense on either side of the 50-yard line.

Junior quarterback Brody Nugent returns after being inserted into the starting lineup early in the 2023 season. His 2000 plus yards rushing and passing accounted for 18 touchdowns making the Knights excited about this season’s prospects.

With massive 6’4″, 270 lb. returning senior two-way tackle Noah Balbuena opening holes for Nugent and a host of underclassmen with experience, Old Bridge hopes to continue its improvement as they finished the 2023 campaign by winning four of their last six games.

Seniors Zahmir Evans and Munvy Francois return on defense along with at least eleven other underclassmen having played on either side of the ball.

North Brunswick
Photo Credit: (Marcus Borden)

Wednesday the Raiders of North Brunswick were on the field at 9 a.m. with the music playing throughout the session just like it was the day before at Old Bridge.

I have to say, I rather enjoyed the mix of heavy metal, rap, disco and classic rock. However, I didn’t hear any Bad Bunny, Karol G, Anuel, Myke Towers nor Young Miko…¡tú sabes!

North returns a hungry group focused on the team and what they can do together to finally make a successful championship run. Senior QB Al Trevelise said it best when he touted the newly formed Leadership Council and the importance of key words used as reminder how successful teams work with each other.

The Raiders are one of the winningest teams over the last seven years averaging eight wins and two losses a season. With the likes of seniors Trevelise, U of Penn bound speedster Jahir Dawud, linebacker Abdul Kargbo and strong safety Tommy Koroma, the message is clear: focus and finish.

With a physical offensive and defensive line led by junior tackle Ruhan Sriram, and fellow classmate Anthony Walker making his mark on both sides of the ball, North Brunswick will be ready for their opener in Jackson.

Barrons dance Team
Photo Credit: (Marcus Borden)

Thursday’s 9 a.m. start in Woodbridge was a bit more humid with a slight breeze in Nicholas A. Priscoe Stadium. I was welcomed by the Barrons’ Dance Team, which reminded me that Halloween will be cutoff weekend for non-public schools for the playoffs.

Woodbridge’s new head coach, Joe George is playing catch-up as he was hired in May replacing Joe LaSala who is now at Fairleigh Dickinson University as receiver coach.

The well-traveled George is no stranger to the Tri-State area, as he has been successful everywhere he has coached.

The Barrons have a strong core of returning players with the Anderson twins, one of the Big Central Conference’s best passing duos. Derek threw for 1,750 yards and 21 touchdowns four of which landed in the hands of twin brother Bryan.

With massive two-way tackle senior Jancarlos Mena leading the way for fellow classmen Jahmir Beal and Daunte DiFonzo at running back, you can expect Woodbridge’s multiple offense to be solid running and throwing the ball.

Bryan Anderson and Beal will return to the defensive secondary along with Senior Tyler Simkovich who has a nose for the football at inside line backer.

Friday morning had the Caravan pulling up to the Southside of Edison for the Eagles 9 a.m. practice. I toured the campus checking out the field turf baseball stadium and ended up at the grass soccer practice field where an encased field turf “E” was on the small hill near Boulevard of the Eagles. Is that field next?

There were nearly 100 players on the field as the humidity was high and the temperature was already rising as the team did a dynamic warm-up. They quickly transitioned to five stations which emphasized footwork and agility by position.

Seniors Justin Boslet and Gavin Bailey return to anchor the offensive line which has size and potential. Junior tight end Robert Roma was impressive as a blocker and receiver.

Quarterback Anthony Calantoni is back for his final season with a year under his belt, bringing athleticism and big play capability when he threatens the edge with run or pass. Fellow classmate Dedrick Harvey will be on the receiving end of Edison’s play action pass attack while sophomore Shaun Garland will align in the backfield as a blocker or runner alongside senior running back Nyekir Eato.

South Plainfield FB
Photo Credit: (Marcus Borden)

The final stop of the Week 1 Camp Caravan Tour was Saturday morning at South Plainfield. The Tigers were in full pads for the first time this season and were greeted by Mr. Ken Totten and his officiating crew to talk about what the players can expect from the officials when they start scrimmaging in the upcoming week.

The return of a veteran senior class led by quarterback Ryan Balent, center Ryan Rizk and tackle Evan Brown has head coach Bill Hamilton excited for the upcoming season. Of course when you add in junior returning running back Dominic Massaro’s nearly one thousand yards rushing for last year, there is reason for optimism.

Defensively seniors A.J. Perales and Jack Jones are both playmakers at linebacker/defensive end with the duo accounting for 31 tackles for a loss between them last year. Massaro shines on defense too, having registered 85 tackles in 2023.

Borden’s Camp Caravan Week 2 Scrimmage Schedule is as follows:

Below are links to Borden’s Week One coverage:

by Marcus Borden

Borden resumes his GMC and Big Central Conference Camp Caravan tour

The “Camp Caravan” is back, with a new home!

Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden resumes his twelfth annual Camp Caravan tour of preseason practices of many of Middlesex County’s 24 members as well as several of the Big Central’s ten division programs beginning next week.

In addition, Borden will be covering scrimmages of GMC schools and select Big Central teams throughout the preseason.

During each Camp Caravan stop, Borden will conduct video interviews with coaches, top players, will post on Twitter photos and video of drill work and provide some commentary.

Borden’s Week One Camp Caravan schedule can be found below, with additional Week Two visits to be added to the schedule at a later date.

South River (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Follow Borden on Twitter/X @bordenfb4ever for live updates with video clips, photos and insight from all practice sessions and scrimmages.

CJSR sports personality and announcer Mike Pavlichko and Borden are preparing an exhaustive GMC/BCC preview package, which will include:

  • Coverage of Big Central Media Day on August 8th
  • Marcus Borden’s Preseason GMC Top 10 team rankings
  • Preseason BCC Top 10 team rankings
  • Preseason features and news stories
  • Our Weekly “Gameday with Marcus Borden” Preview Show
  • And more

In addition, Borden will unveil his preseason All-GMC offensive and defensive selections by position, in advance of August’s season-openers. He’ll also be promoting the top players in Middlesex County with his “Borden’s Ballers” team and voting later in the season.

Borden’s Camp Caravan schedule, which will be updated weekly to include GMC and Big Central remaining schools, features the following teams. And you can link from this article to all the Camp Caravan video as it’s posted.

Borden’s Camp Caravan Week 2 Scrimmage Schedule is as follows:

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden picks Borden’s Ballers 2023 Middlesex County All-Area Team

In his first year joining Central Jersey Sports Radio, longtime former East Brunswick coach and high school football analyst Marcus Borden is bringing his Middlesex County All-Area team to our pages!

Borden has handpicked first and second teams on Offense, Defense, and Special teams, plus a group of Honorable Mentions, all of which combine to have all 24 Middlesex County schools represented.

Scroll through this story to see this year’s honorees.