Tag: Metuchen

by Mike Pavlichko

Metuchen defense pitches shutout as Bulldogs get past Highland Park in 88th meeting, 29-0

After a tight first half, Metuchen got the only touchdown it needed Saturday afternoon against Highland Park late in the second quarter, enough for a 29-0 shutout of the Owls in the 88th meeting between the two arch-rivals.

Jason Woods scored from two yards out with 4:38 to go in the second, then Justus Leitner caught a screen pass from Ryan Toth and ran it in 42-yards for a score with 33 seconds to go in the half.

But it was the Bulldogs’ defense that was impressive. They not only shut out the Owls, but held them to 98 total yards of offense in the game.

And then there was Metuchen’s front line. They protected Ryan Toth all day long, leaving him plenty of time to throw, or to hand off to whoever he wanted to get it to.

Evan Toth – Ryan’s brother – ran for 129 yards in the game, his third 100-yard rushing game this season. He came out of the game with a lower leg injury in the third quarter, but by that time, the game was generally in hand.

Highland Park still leads the all-time series 61-26-1. The Owls drop to 3-2, and have lost three straight. They visit Roselle Park next week.

Metuchen snapped a two-game skid and improves to 4-2 with a visit to JP Stevens next Thursday night.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen with head coach Jordan Leitner, and brothers Evan and Ryan Toth:

by Chris Tsakonas

Improved Highland Park gears up for rivalry matchup against Metuchen Saturday afternoon

After snapping a 51-game losing streak in the final game of the 2023 season, Highland Park has taken a big step forward through the first half of the year.

They won their first three games of the season, giving them a four-game winning streak going back to last year, their longest stretch of success since starting 4-0 in the 2008 season.

After taking their first defeat of the year last week at the hands of Spotswood, the Owls are currently 3-1 with a 2-1 record in the Big Central Conference Freedom Gold Division, with a chance to get the fourth win of the year in a cross-divisional rivalry game against Metuchen (3-2) on Saturday afternoon.

Offensively, Highland Park is led by senior dual-threat quarterback Markos Hantsoulis, who has already recorded 12 total touchdowns – six each passing and rushing – through the first four games of the year. The Owls’ run game also features running back Zyaire Holland, who has 40 rushes for 232 yards and a touchdown. Wide receivers include Kosta Hantsoulis (seven catches for 187 yards and four touchdowns), Jaylin Adams (three catches for 72 yards) and Stamatis Hantsoulis (five catches for 39 yards).

It’s also been a strong start for the Highland Park defense, which has allowed an average of 10.5 points per game through the first half of the season. In each of the Owls’ three wins this year, the defense has allowed no more than seven points.

You can catch Saturday’s “Big Central Game of the Week” – presented by Bellamy & Son Paving – between Metuchen and Highland Park with pregame at 12:45 on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Kickoff is at 1 with Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas on the call. Click here to listen.

Click below to hear Highland Park head coach Shawn Harrison talk about the Owls with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Chris Tsakonas:

by Mike Pavlichko

Metuchen looking to get back in win column when arch-rival Highland Park visits Brainy Boro

The last time the Metuchen and Highland Park football teams both had three wins before the calendar flipped to October was 2008.

And that’s really all you need to know about Saturday’s game, which will be played in Metuchen, and will be one of the most highly anticipated matchups between the two teams in quite some time.

Granted, last year’s game was as close as they’ve been in years. But Highland Park had a 51-game losing streak from the start of the 2017 season through the last game of last year, when they ended the skid with a win at Point Pleasant Beach. Metuchen has had its own dry spell over the years, as well.

So this one is going to have some extra juice.

And you can hear it Saturday afternoon in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, with pregame set for 12:45 and kickoff at 1:00, with Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas calling all the action. Click here to listen.

Both teams have some players.

On the Metuchen side, there’s a young quarterback who can put it in the air in Ryan Toth. The sophomore’s older brother – Evan, a senior, who missed last season due to injury – is running it well too: for 318 yards on 51 carries. That’s an average of about six yards per carry, along with five touchdowns.

Click below to hear Metuchen head coach Jordan Leitner talk about the Bulldogs and Saturday’s home matchup with Highland Park:

by Mike Pavlichko

Metuchen’s late drive, McPartlan’s TD cap the Week 2 Chris’ Auto Body “Drive of the Week”

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

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

This week, it’s Metuchen. The Bulldogs’ lone fourth quarter scoring drive at Roselle Friday night – after the Rams got within in a score – put them back up by 15, enough insurance to hang on for a 35-28 win. Quarterback Kyle McPartlan capped it off with a touchdown run off left tackle.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Streaking through the Big Central: Aquinas, Bernards, Metuchen, Phillipsburg continue to roll

There are still a few Saturday afternoon games to be played in Week 2, but the teams with the four longest Big Central Conference winning streaks continue to pile up the wins.

The longest league winning streak belongs to No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, which tacked one more on the board to make it 27 with a 42-6 win at North Brunswick Friday night. The Trojans (2-1) are on a two-game streak overall, having won last week over Lincoln (NY) after dropping their opener to Mount St. Joseph (MD). Aquinas entertains Franklin next week; the Warriors are 2-0 and play East Brunswick at home this afternoon.

After that, it’s Bernards, checking in with 17 straight wins against league competition. The No. 6 Mountaineers (3-0) took the Mountain Valley Trophy Friday night with a 7-0 win at Delaware Valley. Bernards welcomes Voorhees (2-1) to Olcott Field Friday night.

Next up are Metuchen and Phillipsburg, both at seven games.

The top-ranked Stateliners Phillipsburg (2-0) shut out Hunterdon Central Friday night, 25-0, and will be at Ridge (2-1) next Friday in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio with a 7 pm kickoff.

The Bulldogs are 3-0 on the season, and have the longest active win streak in the Big Central overall, now at seven games after a 35-28 win at Roselle Friday night. They visit New Providence (2-1) next Friday night.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (1-0) has won five straight BCC contests. The Falcons host Union (0-2) Saturday afternoon.

As for overall winning streaks, everyone is at least a few wins away from their current mark of seven. The next closest is Elizabeth, which is 2-0, and won its last two games of last season. The Minutemen are at Westfield (0-1) today in the first game with Austin Holman as interim head coach, following this week’s sacking of John Fiore.

Several other BCC teams have won three straight overall, including Bernards, Highland Park, Phillipsburg, Rahway, Somerville, South Brunswick, and Woodbridge. All those except the Owls and Stateliners are 3-0 this season, while HP and P’burg’s streaks date back to last season.

by Mike Pavlichko

Metuchen holds off Roselle for 35-28 road win

Metuchen took a 21-6 lead over Roselle at halftime, but needed to score more in the second half of a 35-28 win over the Rams up in Union County Friday night.

Jason Woods opened the scoring with an 11-yard touchdown run four minutes into the game, then Evan Toth punched one in a few minutes later to make it 14-0. Roselle got on the board with a Damari Julius return of the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, but Toth plunged in from four yards out with 9:05 to go before the half to make it 21-6.

After the break, Rams junior Brandon Puryear scored on a 40-yard touchdown run seven minutes into the third quarter to make it 21-12 – as Roselle’s second two-point try of the night failed, but then Justus Leitner caught a 25-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-12 with a half-minute left before the final quarter.

Puryear then threw a touchdown pass on fourth down to Damari Julius get the Rams back within eight on the QB’s two-point conversion run, but the Bulldogs’ Kyle McPartlan answered with a seven-yard scamper to make it 35-20.

And Roselle wasn’t done yet. Puryear scored on his second TD run of the night with 2:37 left to get Roselle within nine. They got the two to get it to 35-28, stopped Metuchen’s next drive, and got the ball back with 1:24 left, with both sides out of timeouts.

Evan Toth then sealed the deal for Metuchen (3-0) with an interception with 26 seconds left. Roselle falls to 0-3.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Metuchen squeaks by Middlesex 14-6 in opener with two second-half touchdowns

A win is a win is a win, especially in the early part of the high school season, when most games tend to look like a late preseason camp scrimmage. You take the W and move on.

Metuchen needed two second-half touchdowns – one to take a 7-0 lead in the third quarter, and the other to give them some insurance after Middlesex got within a point at 7-6 – to come out with a 14-6 win over Middlesex in the opening game of the season for both schools.

After a scoreless first half, the Bulldogs scored on their first possession of the half. Switching to sophomore Ryan Toth at quarterback, he led a scoring drive that ended in a one-yard run by his brother, senior Evan Toth.

A couple possessions later, Jax Jarvis broke off a 43-yard touchdown run for the Blue Jays, but they went for two to take the lead and failed, leaving it 7-6 Metuchen.

In the fourth quarter, with Toth and the offense clicking a bit more, he put together another drive, and capped this one off himself with a two-yard run.

The win makes head coach Jordan Leitner 3-0 in season openers since he took over the Bulldog program in 2022.

Click below to hear Metuchen head coach Jordan Leitner talk about the season-opening win over Middlesex:

by Mike Pavlichko

2024 Big Central Preview: Patriot Silver Division

Like the Patriot Gold Division, the Big Central Conference’s Patriot Silver is another four-team division of mid-sized schools. AL Johnson, New Providence, Roselle and Metuchen all come back, while defending champion Hillside moved out and up.

The Crusaders out of Clark were 6-3 last year, and should compete again for the division title with a veteran quarterback in Robert Gallagher who started as a junior in 2023. New Providence should also challenge, hoping to flip some close losses last year into victories in 2024.

Roselle will have a new coach in Tyrone Turner, former co-defensive coordinator at Plainfield, replacing Ibrahim Halsey, who left to take over for Joe Goerge at South Brunswick.

Metuchen is the only Middlesex County school in the bunch. The Bulldogs were beset by injuries last year, but still finished 5-5, following a 1-5 start.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2024 GMC/BCC Camp Caravan: Manville, Metuchen, Spotswood hit the Shore for quad scrimmage at Point Pleasant Beach

Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden took advantage of the beautiful weather Tuesday morning to catch Manville, Metuchen and Spotswood in a quad scrimmage down at Point Pleasant Beach, as he continues his Camp Caravan tour in the 2024 preseason.

You can find videos – including video highlights and interviews – from all three teams below.

Manville: Head Coach Dave Markowitch, senior Armondo Lazzeri (G/DE), and juniors Josh D’Ambrosio (QB/S) and Isaiah Bennett (RB/LB)

Metuchen: Head Coach Jordan Leitner, senior Evan Toth (RB/LB and juniors Kyle McPartlan (QB), Cam Hayes-Durina (WR/S) and Justus Leitner (WR/CB)

Spotswood: Head Coach Chris Meagher, seniors John Wallace (OT/DT), Sebastian “Seb” Saracino (RB/LB), Stephen Henits (WR/OLB) and junior Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage (QB/DE)

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex blanks Metuchen, 7-0, to advance to GMCT Round of 16 at Blue champ Spotswood

Freshman Dylan Ianiero tossed a four-hit shutout, and the bats took care of the rest in a 7-0 win for 13-seed Middlesex over 20th-seed Metuchen Saturday afternoon in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament play-in round.

Ianiero went the distance throwing just 96 pitches, scattering four hits. He walked two and struck out five.

Middlesex got two runs in the bottom of the first, then added three in the third to take a 5-0 lead, before plating the final two runs in the sixth. Another freshman, Luke Jones, went 1-for-3 with a two-run double and 3 RBIs, and had a stolen base for the Blue Jays.

Middlesex will go on to visit fourth-seed Spotswood Monday in the GMCT’s first-round, with first pitch set for 4 pm at “The Swamp.”

The Blue Jays (6-12) have won four straight against Spotswood, but those games came in 2021 and 2022; the teams have not faced each other the last two years. Spotswood last beat Middlesex pre-COVID, a 2-1 win for the Chargers in April 2019.

Click below to hear Middlesex head coach Justin Nastasi talk about the win: