Tag: Matt Donaghue

by Mike Pavlichko

Edison vs. Old Bridge home-and-home finale moved to Wednesday due to rain in forecast

Starting the season 0-2 wasn’t ideal for the Edison baseball team, which dropped its first two games to last season’s GMC Red Division champions, South Plainfield.

But the Eagles bounced back Saturday evening, rallying from three runs down in the seventh against defending GMC Tournament champion Old Bridge, then scoring four in the eighth to go ahead.

Junior Robert Roma closed it out for Edison (1-3), which will look to pick up right where it left off when the two teams meet Wednesday afternoon at 4 pm on the Eagles’ red-and-gold field, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Pregame starts at 3:45 as Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen have the call; click here to listen.

The game was originally scheduled for Monday, but moved due to rain in the foreacast. Edison fell 2-1 to Monroe Tuesday in a regularly scheduled GMC Red Divsion affair.

Roma was supposed to go against Old Bridge (2-3), which planned to have its ace, Justin Hascup, on the mound as well. But both went Tuesday, instead, as Roma started against Monroe, and Hascup started what ended up a 4-3 loss to South Plainfield.

Instead, the Eagles will go with Roma’s younger brother, freshman Brayden Roma. Old Bridge has yet to announce a starter.

The Knights and Edison started out on opposite ends of the spectrum. While Edison dropped its first two before picking up a win, Old Bridge started 2-0, with a Red Division win against East Brunswick, then a 7-3 crossover victory against Spotswood. But they’ve lost their last three now, falling to the Bears 3-1 on the road before Saturday’s 10-6, eight-inning loss to the Eagles, and Tuesday’s defeat at the hands of the Tigers.

Click below to hear preview interviews with both head coaches ahead of Wednesday’s game. (Note: Both were recorded Sunday before the originally scheduled game):

Edison head coach Vinnie Abene
Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue
by Mike Pavlichko

Defending GMC Tourney champion Old Bridge looks for more in 2025, but will need to replace three key pitchers to top last season

Despite a GMC Tournament championship in 2024, the season didn’t end the way the Old Bridge baseball team would have liked.

Then again, whose does? Only a handful of teams – sometimes even fewer – win a sectional title, and even fewer go all the way like Bridgewater-Raritan did in 2014, sweeping their division, the SCT, their state section, and the group title.

But for the Knights, who won Central Jersey Group 4 in 2023 and went to the state finals in Hamilton, it was still a disappointing end.

All that said, Old Bridge will have some question marks when it comes to the 2025 season, which opens next Tuesday at 4 pm when the Knights host Red Division foe East Brunswick, against whom they’ve won three straight, two via shutout.

On the mound, Justin Hascup returns. The senior threw 57 2/3 innings last year, more than anyone on the staff, and he’ll anchor the crew again this season. But Justin Meyer, Frank Papeo and Luke Hagen are gone; they combined to throw 110 innings in 2024. Head coach Matt Donaghue says it will be tough to replace them, but is confident he has some arms.

He plans to have senior John Smith as his No. 2 starter behind Justin Hascup. Donaghue calls him a “high-end” pitcher, who only threw an inning last year, mainly playing shortstop. He has other guys who can throw strikes, and as Donaghue says, “that’s half the battle.”

Offensively, Donaghue also is excited about John Smith, who hit .412 last year and was tied with now-graduated Michael Altman for the team lead in RBIs with 17. Donaghue believes he’s the best all-around player in Middlesex County. Akhil Penkala – who hit a team best .443 last season – Justin Hascup and Akhil Penkala also will be top-of-the-order guys for the Knights.

Click below to hear Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk more about the upcoming 2025 season for the Knights with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge rallies in second half, Colonia ties it, but Knights prevail in wild double-OT affair

It was a tale of two halves Friday night on the blue turf at Colonia.

The Patriots looked in control after 24 minutes, taking a 14-2 lead in halftime. George Simpson’s 25-yard touchdown run and Julien Jones’s one-yard run for a score had Colonia ahead, but things turned in the second half.

Old Bridge scored three second-half touchdowns to take an eight-point lead, only to see Colonia force overtime on another score by Jones with 32 seconds remaining, plus the two-point conversion to tie it.

Ultimately, the Knights prevailed for a 36-29 win in double-overtime, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Colonia began OT on offense and scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Chiera, but the Knights answered on a ten-yard TD strike from Brody Nugent.

Old Bridge started on offense in the second overtime period, and got a one-yard run from Zahmir Evans. Colonia got close on their possession, but a fourth-down pass was broken up in the end zone to seal the win.

With the victory, Old Bridge improved to 6-3, and has now won five of six since starting the year 1-2, the only loss in that span coming out of conference to Morristown. The Knights could now get a first round home game if they finish in the top eight of the South 5 supersection this Cutoff Weekend.

Colonia drops to 4-5, but might still have a shot at the playoffs in North 4, where a win would have sealed the deal.

Click below for postgame reaction from Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue and junior quarterback Brody Nugent, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Nugent’s 3 TDs power Old Bridge past East Brunswick, 31-7, in Battle of Route 18

The games have been close recently, but this one was a dominant performance from Old Bridge.

The Knights set the tone early against East Brunswick in Friday night’s game at Vince Lombardi Field, with junior quarterback Brody Nugent rushing for one- and 47-yard touchdowns to give his team a 14-0 lead they would never relinquish, in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy and Son Paving on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The Bears made it 14-7 on a 14-yard catch by Felix Munoz with 2:10 to go in the first quarter, but Old Bridge got it right back on a 21-yard run by Nugent with just under a minute to go in the period, then added a 30-yard field goal by Lucas Michael to make it 24-7 just before the half.

By this point, the Old Bridge lines on both sides of the ball were dominating play over a young EB line on both sides. They wore the Bears down, though they added just one second-half touchdown, a five-yard toss by Nugent to Jeremiah Dixon.

Nugent was the Old Bridge Offensive MVP, rushing for 117 yards unofficially on 10 carries, running for three touchdowns and passing for one more.

Senior defensive end Zahmir Evans was defensive MVP for the Knights. For the Bears, defensive end Noah DeJesus was defensive MVP; receiver Felix Munoz was the offensive MVP.

Old Bridge improves to 2-2 ahead of a trip to Morristown for a non-conference game next week, while East Brunswick drops to 1-4 and will visit Hunterdon Central next week.

The game was the 31st in the all-time series, which dates back to 1994, following the merger of Madison Central and Cedar Ridge. The Knights now lead 28-3, and have won the last 14.

Click below for postgame reaction with Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue and quarterback Brody Nugent, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge looks to continue domination in Battle of Route 18 vs. East Brunswick Friday

It may not be “the granddaddy of ’em all” like Carteret and Perth Amboy, whose Thanksgiving Day rivalry game – now played in the regular season – has been a fixture in those communities since 1927, but East Brunswick and Old Bridge are rivals in many sports, including football.

For the Knights, it has been almost entirely one-sided on the gridiron, and Old Bridge wants to keep it that way when the teams face off at Vince Lombardi Field on Friday at 6 pm, our “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving.

You can hear that game on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with pregame starting at 5:45 pm. Mike Pavlichko and Vin Ebenau will be on the call; click here to listen.

The two have played every year since 1994, when Madison Central and Cedar Ridge merged to form Old Bridge High School. And the Knights lead the series 27-3. East Brunswick has never won back to back games, and OB has won the last nine, with the Bears’ last victory coming in 2010.

But hold the phone: the closest East Brunswick came during that stretch was last year, a 30-28 loss, and four of the last five meetings have been decided by five points or less.

The Old Bridge offense is led by Brody Nugent, a junior in his second year as starting quarterback for third-year head coach Matt Donaghue. Nugent has rushed for 416 yards and seven touchdowns while throwing for 540 yards and another eight scores.

Defensively, senior lineman Zahmir Evans leads the team with 2 1/2 sacks and 15 tackles for loss, while junior defensive back Xavier Diaz has two interceptions.

The Knights come into the game at 2-2, their two losses coming by a total of three points, while East Brunswick is 1-3, and has failed to score in either of its first two road games.

Click below to hear Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the Knights and Friday’s “Battle of Route 18” matchup with East Brunswick:

by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge was young in ’23, now Knights hope the experience pays off heading into 2024

Many underclassman played key roles last year for the Old Bridge football team in all three phases of the game.

And it showed, as the team got off to an 0-4 start before going 4-2 the rest of the way. There was improvement, but it came a little too late for the Knights in 2023.

This year, they hope to build off that momentum – and all the knowledge gained – with a more senior-laden class.

Back is quarterback Brody Nugent, a sophomore who got thrown into the fire last year, and still threw for over 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns, though he’ll look to cut back on the picks, of which he threw nine last year. But it’s also worth nothing he only threw three in the last four games of the year.

Top runingback Stephen Davies (626 yards, 9 TD) is back for his senior year, and three of Nugent’s top four receiving targets also return.

On defense, senior Zahmir Evans (3 1/2 sacks,. 4 forced dumbles) returns, along with Xavier Diaz and Noah Rios, each of whom logged a pick last year.

Click below to hear from Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue and senior linebacker Tasye Walker at Big Central Conference Media Day:

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2024 GMC/BCC Camp Caravan: Old Bridge had youth in ’23, now it’s experience

It’s Day Two of high school football practice in New Jersey ahead of the 2024 season, and Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden continues to criss-cross the Central Jersey Sports Radio Coverage area on his 2024 GMC/Big Central Conference Camp Caravan with a visit to Old Bridge.

Watch Borden’s full coverage below, including clips from camp, and interviews with head coach Matt Donaghue, along with seniors Zahmir Evans (FB/DE), Noah Balbuena (G/DE), Munvy Francois (DB/Specialist) and junior Brody Nugent (QB/FS).

You can now watch all the 2024 Camp Caravan videos on YouTube by clicking this link!

by Mike Pavlichko

Monroe, GMCT champ Old Bridge will play for a third time, with winner going to CJ4 title game

The Old Bridge and Monroe baseball teams already have played twice this season. And while the Knights won both, both were close.

The first meeting was an epic, ten-inning affair, won by Old Bridge when Michael Altman drove in Frank Papeo – long out of the game as the starting pitcher – drive in the game winning run in the bottom of the tenth at Fred Cole Field.

The second was a 4-1 Knights’ win back in Monroe.

They’ll meet for a third time Friday in Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Knights are the top-seed and defending champion, while Monroe is the fifth-seed.

First pitch is set for 5 pm, with pregame at 4:45 from Fred Cole Field. Mike Pavlichko will call all the action; click here to listen.

That April/May regular season series was one everyone had circled on their calendars to potentially decide the GMC’s Red Division. As it turned out, a sweep of Old Bridge the week before by South Plainfield took care of that, and the Tigers wound up winning the Red.

But in the state playoffs? Both Old Bridge and South Plainfield – who met in the GMC Finals, with the Knights taking the title – both got top seeds in different sections. And now, Old Bridge (20-8) is a win away from going to its second straight sectional title game, and having a chance to win back to back titles.

But hold the phone for a second. Monroe (15-9) is no slouch. The Falcons have won six straight games since a narrow, 2-1 first-round loss to North Brunswick in the GMC Tournament. They came back with a vengeance, beating Edison 12-1 in a regular season game, then topping Toms River South, Manasquan and Metuchen before earning wins over two GMC Red Division teams in the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs – East Brunswick and South Brunswick – to get to the semis.

Justin Hascup (6-1, 1.99 ERA) is expected to get the start for Old Bridge, while Harrison Lollin (1-1, 1.67 ERA) will go for Monroe.

Hascup didn’t pitch in either game between the two this season; in fact, the senior has never faced Monroe in a three-year varsity career.

Lollin took the loss in the 4-1 defeat on May 2nd, allowing three earned runs on six hits in five innings, striking out seven and walking three. He did get the win last year in a 2-0 regular season victory over Old Bridge, and got the win in a 7-1 victory over the Knights on the road in 2022. In those two career appearances, he’s thrown 11 2/3 innings, allowing just five hits and one earned run, striking out 22 and walking just five.

Click below to hear previews with both head coaches:

Matt Donaghue, Old Bridge
Sean Field, Monroe

by Mike Pavlichko

Donaghue wins 100th game as coach, but it’s the Knights’ GMC title that’s the sweetest

Stick around long enough, and a coach will have several milestone victories.

Win number 100 is the first real big milestone along any skipper’s path. 

But that one got overshadowed Saturday at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick, where the Old Bridge baseball team held off a scrappy South Plainfield nine to win the program’s third Greater Milddlesex Conference title, and second in the last five tournaments.

It was coach Matt Donaghue’s 100th career win, but it wasn’t something he was thinking about before the game, or even after the game, to be honest, until we mentioned it to him.

He sure wasn’t thinking about it in the top of the first, when Old Bridge scored four times off South Plainfield starter Kevin Penny. 

Nor was he thinking about it as the Tigers roared back to life and scored three runs in the second, and answered the Knghts after they’d put up a two-spot in the fifth.

Oh, he knew it. He knew it for sure. It just wasn’t a priority for him.

The priority was winning this game. Especially after South Plainfield had swept Old Bridge two games in the next -to-last week before the seeding meeting to claim first place in the GMC Red as well.

Donaghue said during the week his team had a chip on his shoulder all tournament long. They were determined to say their peace.

And say it they did.

Old Bridge was one of the favorites to win the division before the season, and even Monroe. Both had a bevy of arms returning. 

Few gave South Plainfield a shot. Yet here they were, fighting even with two outs in the seventh inning, getting two on with two out before Justin Hascup could close it out to get the save-in relief to win it for the Knights.

Win Number 100 was not something Donaghue was thinking about, but it won’t be one he’ll forget about anytime soon either.

Click below to hear Old Bridge head coach Matt Donahue talk about his old bridge night’s winning the 2024 GMC Tournament Championship:

by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge chomping at the bit to get to Saturday, take aim at South Plainfield in GMC final

For a team that was pegged to compete for the GMC Red Division title this year – coming off a Central Jersey Group 4 championship, and a trip to the state final – to fall short stung.

“There’s a chip on our shoulder,” says head coach Matt Donaghue.

You might not be able to see it physically on their shoulder Saturday when the third-seeded Knights take on top-seed South Plainfield for the GMC Tournament championship game at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick, but it’ll be there.

It’s the product, at least in part, of a two-game, home-and-home sweep they suffered at the hands of the Tigers in the next to last week before the GMC seeding meeting, a sweep which cost them the division title, and the top seed in the county tournament.

It’s only been three weeks since, and they sure haven’t forgotten.

You can hear Saturday’s GMC title game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe on the call for pregame at 1:30, first pitch at 2 pm. Click here to listen.

South Plainfield is 19-3-1 on the season, and the Tigers have one more game today before Saturday, a non–conference game with Notre Dame. Third-seed Old Bridge is 17-7.

And both teams are in the statewide rankings. Old Bridge debuted this week at No. 18, while South Plainfield is ranked 11th.

The Knights don’t hit like South Plainfield does – the Tigers are hitting .326 while Old Bridge is at .294 – but they seem to get key hits in all the right spots, like they did last year. And their pitching has been superb. Of their three stars – Frank Papeo, Justin Hascup and JT Meyer, pick your poison – head coach Matt Donaghue will go with Papeo, who’s 3-1 with an ERA you can barely make out: 0.23.

Papeo has been on the shelf for a little bit, with some arm soreness, but you can bet Hascup and Meyer will be available if they need to come in the game, with a short hook in a winner-take-all game if Papeo gets into trouble. And every option will be on the table, with the state tournament not starting for public schools until next Thursday.

Click below to hear Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the Knights as they head into Saturday’s GMC Tournament championship: