Tag: Michael Schmelzer Jr.

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio announces football “Specialty Awards” for 2023

Our goal at Central Jersey Sports Radio since our founding in 2020 has always been to bring attention to all the great things done by the many outstanding student-athletes in our area, both on and off the field.

Even with Honorable Mentions in each category, just having one each of Offensive, Defensive Special Teams and Two-Way Player of the Year isn’t quite enough to cover the massive 59-team Big Central Conference.

So, in our quest to honor as many great student-athletes as possible, here are our 2023 Central Jersey Sports Radio Specialty Awards:

“Three-Way Player of the Year: Sal Marchione, Monroe

Nominated by first-year head coach and Falcon alum Nick Isola for Two-Way Player of the Year, we decided he was overqualified for that award, and decided to honor his as the Three-Way Player of the Year for 2023.

Isola – who was elevated to head coach after serving as an assistant for Monroe – says he had “the most impressive senior year of any player I’ve coached the last seven years.”

Monroe’s Sal Marchone. (Source: Hudl)

On offense, Marchione had 62 catches this season – a Monroe record – for 769 yards and six touchdowns, while also carrying 34 times for 215 yards and two more scores. He even threw three passes, completing all of them, for 106 yards and a touchdown.

TOn defense, he logged 50 tackles – despite starting the year at free safety – as well as 15 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions, one for a touchdown.

But wait, there’s more! He also punts… and booted 34 kicks for a 34.5 yard average, with 18 going more than 35 yards, and a long of 52!

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Sal Marchione of Monroe:

“Shutdown Defender”: Renick Dorilas, Union

He may very well be a “lethal defender” as his head coach Lou Grasso calls him, but Renick Dorilas also is a very feared defender.

Dorilas registered 32 tackles on defense, with three interceptions and ten pass breakups. Those may not sound like huge numbers, but they make sense. Why? Because no one wants to throw where he is.

Union’s Renick Dorilas. (Source: @dorilas_renick on Twitter)

Those that did paid the price. He gave up very few completions this year, according to Grasso, even though it’s not a stat regularly kept at the high school level, at least not revealed externally.

But Dorilas also is one of the top college recruits in the Big Central, with more than 15 FBS offers, including Rutgers, Penn State and Tennessee.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Union’s Renick Dorilas:

“Record Setter” Award: A.J. Bosch, Woodbridge

Bosch could be legitimately considered for any award this year, whether it be offense, defense or special teams. But we thought he’d be most deserving of our record-setter award, considering the marks he’ll leave on the Barrons record books.

In addition to being a three-year starter, Bosch will graduate tops in Woodbridge history in career receptions with 134 and career TD catches, with 27. He’s also No. 2 in career receiving yards with 2,842, and tenth in career rushing touchdowns with 12.

Woodbridge junior A.J. Bosch (Source: @boschboy8 on Twitter)

Of all those touchdowns, which one does he remember most? We’ll let him tell you…

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe talk with A.J. Bosch:

“Trailblazer Award“: Michael Schmelzer, Jr., Montgomery

An honorable mention for our Longevity Award, we decided to call Schmelzer a trailblazer instead.

He started as just such a player when he took the helm of an 0-4 Montgomery team at quarterback two seasons ago, then won three straight to help get the Cougars into the playoffs.

Overall, he finished his career 18-6-1 as a starter in two-and-a-half seasons, and he led the Cougars to three straight playoff berths, the first time that’s ever happened in Montgomery football history.

Montgomery junior quarterback Mike Schmelzer in the postgame huddle after a 27-21 home win over Somerville on September 16, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Schmelzer had a fantastic capper to his career in 2023: 132 for 222 passing for 1,897 yards, 22 touchdowns, 447 rushing yards, and 11 rushing touchdowns.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Michael Schmelzer, Jr. and Matt D’Avino of Montgomery:

“Heart And Soul” Award: John Wargo, Phillipsburg

Sometimes there is a player who so simply represents what his team is all about, they become the face of the team.

One one full of standouts, we felt runningback and defensive end John Wargo epitomized the tougheness and grit that defined Phillipsburg football all year long.

Twice this year, the Stateliners suffered tough losses, and twice came back with wins.

The first was against Hillsborough in the rain at Rutgers in the Rumble on the Raritan, followed up with a win over then-ranked Hunterdon Central.

The next time it was a loss to Union City in the North 2, Group 5 final, but they came back to beat Easton on Thanksgiving. That made it back-to-back wins over their arch rivals for the first time in 20 years, since 2002 and 20023.

Phillipsburg’s John Wargo scores a touchdown against Hillsborough in the Rumble on the Raritan at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium in Piscataway on September 24, 2023. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Wargo was instrumental in that win, with a 13-carry, 160-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Red Rovers. He missed a couple weeks due to injury, but came back strong, finishing the season with 1,014 rushing yards and 18 of his team’s 39 rushing touchdowns.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Phillipsburg’s John Wargo:

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Longevity Award goes to Bernards’ Connor Laverty

Longevity in football isn’t easy. Injuries are such a huge part of the game.

And lest we forget, we’re all watching 14- to 18-year-old athletes out there. Not everyone is on the same talent or maturity level to handle the big stage.

Connor Laverty was never one you’d have to worry about, though.

A four-year letter-winner for Bernards, and a three-year starter at quarterback, Laverty went 28-5 in the role, leading the team to a school record 12 wins in 2023, and the North 2, Group 2 title, the first sectional playoff crown in Mountaineer history. (Bernards was declared champions in the pre-playoff era in 1969 and 1970.)

In that championship game, Laverty threw a go-ahead touchdown pass late that helped withstand Lakeland’s field goal as time expired, sending it to overtime, where he ran in the game-winning score.

Simoneau says he didn’t miss a single snap due to injury in all that time, as he piled up over 1,000 career rushing yards. This season alone, he threw for 1,727 yards and 17 touchdowns, with just one pick.

Scroll down below the interview for Honorable Mentions.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Bernards senior Connor Laverty:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

  • Will Deady, Ridge, FB/S: Deady closed his Red Devil career with 2,616 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns, while grabbing 44 passes for another 745 yards and three scores. On defense, he had 105 tackles, five interceptions, a forced fumble and a touchdown. After breaking in his sophomore season, he recorded back-to-back thousand-yard rushing seasons his junior and senior years.
  • A.J. Bosch, Woodbridge, WR/RB/FS/KR/PR: Yes, Bosch does a little of everything. A three-year starter for head coach Joe LaSala, Bosch tallied 877 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in his career, made made most of his impact as a receiver: 134 catches and 27 touchdowns for his time as a Barron, both school career records. He was 45 yards shy of 2,000 receiving yards in his career. On defense, he logged 70 tackles and five interceptions, plus a touchdown.
  • Patrick Smith, South Plainfield, LB/RB: The only four-year starter honored, Smith finished his career with 2,523 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. He also had 299 yards on kick returns this year, a season after leading the state in kick return average.
  • Michael Schmelzer, Jr., Montgomery, QB: With his team 0-4 in his sophomore season, Schmelzer led his team to wins in their next three games, and made the playoffs. He finished 18-6-1 as a starting quarterback, and is the only QB in program history to lead the Cougars to back-to-back-to-back playoff berths. He also owns the school record for career touchdown passes with 51.
by Mike Pavlichko

No. 6 Montgomery pulls away in second half to top No. 5 Watchung Hills in battle of unbeatens

In a game where Montgomery never trailed, but never led by more than a touchdown until the fourth quarter, the No. 6 Cougars topped No. 5 Watchung Hills Saturday night, 28-21, in a battle of undefeated teams.

The win clinches the Liberty Silver Division title for Montgomery.

Senior quarterback Michael Schmelzer, Jr., figured in all four touchdowns, throwing three TD passes to his favorite target, fellow senior Matt D’Avino, and running for another.

It was a tight game throughout, with the teams trading touchdowns.

D’Avino caught a 31-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to put Monty up 7-0. In the second quarter, Jake Arakelian scored on a nine-yard run to tie it for Hills, but Schmelzer, Jr., ran one in from 19-yards out before the half to wrest the lead back.

Watchung Hills again tied it on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Aleks Sitkowski to Braden Fenton, but Montgomery got it right back on a 24-yard Schlmelzer to D’Avino hookup.

The pattern would be broken in the fourth, when the Monty duo teamed up again for a 20-yard TD reception to make it 28-14. Hills got one back – a 12-yard pass from Sitkowski to David Dubas – but the Cougars would hold on.

Montgomery improved to 6-0 with the win, while Watchung Hills took its first loss and falls to 5-1.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 6 Montgomery stands tall with backs to the goal line for wild 27-21 win at No. 10 Somerville

In a battle of undefeated, 3-0 teams, where both teams made big play after big play on offense, defense and special teams, it was Montgomery that made one more big play than Somerville.

After taking a 27-14 lead with two fourth quarter touchdowns – including a 66-yard pass play from Michael Schmelzer, Jr., to Matthew D’Avino – the No. 10 Pioneers got back to within a touchdown, held the Cougars to a three-and-out, and got the ball back with 1:36 left and a chance to win.

But for the second straight year, 6th-ranked Montgomery would not be denied. Almost, but not quite.

On fourth-down they got a huge pass play from Brenden Pacheco to Quinn Carran for 63 yards to the Monty 30, then worked their way to a first-and-ten at the 16 with 30 seconds left.

Pacheco’s first pass to Mitchell fell incomplete. Montgomery got called for pass interference on second down, leaving 9.4 seconds on the clock. Pacheco connected with Quinn Carran on second down again, but he came down out of bounds five yards past the goal line.

And on the final play of the game, Matt D’Avino broke up one last pass from Pacheco that would have tied the game, and given ‘Ville a chance to win it on the PAT.

The aerial attack was the story overall, with Pacheco and Schmelzer combining for 550 passing yards. Pacheco finished with 329 and two TDs, while Schmelzer had 221 yards and two TD passes, while running for a third.

Montgomery is off to a 4-0 start, while Somerville took its first loss and falls to 3-1.

Click below for postgame reaction with Mike Pavlichko presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Montgomery senior QB Michael Schmelzer, Jr.
Montgomery head coach Zoran Milich
by Mike Pavlichko

Dynamic duo of Schmelzer, D’Avino aim to take Montgomery to the next level

So many successful high school football teams get that extra boost when a group of players have known each other their whole lives, and develop a bond.

Michael Schmelzer, Jr. and Matt D’Avino weren’t always the best of friends, but that competitiveness – going back to fourth grade for the duo – has made their bond tighter now that they’re on the same team, and have been for several years.

The two seniors figure most prominently when Schmelzer is throwing the ball on offense, and D’Avino is catching it. And, of course, there is the steadying hand of Zoran Milich, who’s now in his 22nd season as Montgomery’s varsity head coach, the only one the program has ever had.

But Schmelzer and D’Avino put up big numbers last year, and more of the same – and more of it – are expected this season. Schmelzer threw for 1,658 yards and 25 touchdowns a year ago, while D’Avino’s 1,053 yards receiving and 14 TDs represent about a third of his quarterback’s output.

That’s a combo you just can’t make up.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko at Big Central Media Day’s with Montgomery Head coach Zoran Milich and seniors Michael Schmelzer, Jr., and Matt D’Avino: