Tag: Monroe

by Mike Pavlichko

We’re down to three! Vote for one of the “Borden’s Ballers” 2026 Finalists!

Thanks to your more than 20,000 votes, our 59 Borden’s Ballers for 2026 have been whittled down to three finalists – one each from Middlesex County, Union County, and the Big Central “West,” featuring schools from Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties.

Now, it’s your turn to pick the ultimate Borden’s Baller for 2026!

Here are the three finalists:

MIDDLESEX COUNTY

Logan Richter, Monroe: Logan has been the consummate leader for the Falcons, who finished the season 6-4, the best mark in four years under head coach Nick Isola, and their highest win total since going 6-4 in 2014, Chris Beagan’s final season. Unfortunately, Monroe lost out on a playoff opportunity due to a tie-breaker rule in the seeding process. Richter can make the big play running, catching or defending. He is one of two seniors that have been with the program for all four years. He finishes his career with 102 career catches for 1,182 yards and eight touchdowns . He has also scored twice this year rushing the ball, and on the defensive side has 37 career tackles and one interception.

UNION COUNTY

A’rique Fleming, Elizabeth: The 6’3″ 230-pound quarterback and linebacker has had the Minutemen focused all season, leading them to a 9-0 undefeated regular season, their first since 2011. A starter since his freshman year, Fleming finished his career with 7,387 yards and 76 touchdowns. He also has 2,154 career rushing yards and 29 scores! Did we say he plays defense? He sure does, having a major impact in his team’s success. At linebacker this season, he 42 tackles, 22 solo, with two sacks, 6 1/2 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and recoveries, and four interceptions, one of which went for a touchdown in a 19-6 Week 2 win at Union. Oh, by the way, he’s the punter too, averaging nearly 39 yards per kick, with nine landing inside the 20!

BIG CENTRAL WEST (SOMERSET, HUNTERDON, WARREN)

Justin Bowen, Somerville: Bowen has been a two-way performer for the Pioneers for three years as a running back and linebacker. His career rushing totals include 1,488 yards on the ground and 21 touchdowns, while also snaring 48 passes for 641 yards and five scores. Defensively, he has 112 career tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 5 1/2 sacks. He has scored twice on fumble recoveries and has one interception, which came at Cranford in Week One of their 2024 sectional title season. As a team leader, Justin always has his Pioneers ready to bring their “A” game!

VOTE BELOW!!

You can vote as many times as you like!

Borden's Ballers 2026 Finalists

You will be redirected after 2 seconds

by Mike Pavlichko

Sophomore Xavier Wilson comes up big in big spot for Monroe, earns Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors

“A sophomore is nothing but a jayvee player, and don’t you ever forget it.”

It was a Monroe coach who said that. Specifically, Milt Theodosatos, who was speaking to a reporter from WCTC radio after a mammoth upset of Spotswood in the fall of 2000, and talking about the mistakes his team would often make because they were so young.

Were he the coach today, instead of Nick Isola, he probably would not have said that about Xavier Wilson.

Wilson is a sophomore, let there be no doubt about that. But he may also be one of the brightest spots this year – and beyond – for a Monroe program that could use some wins, after going just 1-8 last year but seeking their first better-than-.500 season since 2020, when they went 5-1 under Dan Lee.

On Thursday night, in a 28-7 win over Governor Livingston, Wilson carried 16 times for 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The first was 85, and opened the scoring. The second came with his team hanging on to a 21-7 lead late after a Highlander touchdown with about four minutes to go.

He dodged two defenders wide to the left on the line of scrimmage, “made a cut to stay in bounds and keep the lock running, and then he was off to the races,” said Isola.

That 80-yard sprint made it 28-7, a score that held to give the Falcons their first win of the season.

For his efforts, Xavier Wilson is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Two.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Zero Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Xavier Wilson of Monroe:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Elijah White, Belvidere: The senior wide receiver had four catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns, including one for 49 yards in a 28-27 win at Roselle Park that might not have happened otherwise. He’s a kicker, too, and was perfect in booting four PATs, while also logging eleven tackles on defense in the secondary, where he made a game-ending interception as Roselle Park was threatening to take the lead on the final play of the game.
  • Al-Naiquan Boseman, Carteret: The senior runningback went for 211 yards on Friday in a 26-20 wi Thursday over arch-rival Perth Amboy. He scored on touchdown runs of 31 and seven yards, including the eventual winning score. The win also got the Ramblers to within three of the Panthers, who lead the all-time series 50-47-2 since it began in 1927. But Carteret now has won five straight, matching their longest win streak in the series, five games from 2003 through 2007.
  • Zaire Young, Piscataway: The senior runningback notched the fifth-best rushing performance in Cheifs’ history Friday in a convincing 28-14 win over visiting Somerville. He carried 37 times for 268 yards and scored three touchdowns – all while wearing two different pairs of sneakers! Seems the sole on his left cleat separated in the second half, and he had to borrow a teammate’s shoes to finish the game.
  • Vinny Young, Spotswood: The senior did it in all three phases for the Chargers, who evened up their record at 1-1 with a 51-13 win at JFK on Friday. In his first game at runningback, he had eight carries for 135 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 76-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on special teams, and on defense – at outside linebacker, had three solo tackles, a TFL and a pass breakup.
  • Dante Jennings, St. Thomas Aquinas: The senior was instrumental in a 24-20 home win over Westfield Friday night. The linebacker had four tackles, a TFL, and an interception. On offense, the tight end – battling cramps the entire second half – caught a touchdown pass to get them back in the lead with about a minute to go. Cramping up, he came out of the game, and on his first play back in, with about 50 seconds to go, picked off a Westfield pass to seal the deal.
  • Elijah Greene, Union: While Jamir Hall scored two touchdowns in a 15-12 win at Watchung Hills, Greene had three interceptions and blocked two extra points, helping give the Farmers their first 2-0 start since 2019, the final year of the Mid-State Conference, a year they finished 12-1 under Lou Grasso, and won the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 title over Clifton.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Chase Kraucheunas, Delaware Valley: In a 34-33 win over Johnson Thursday, the senior QB threw for 194 yards and two scores, while also running for 157 yards on ten carries with another two touchdowns. At linebacker, he was also active, registering 13 tackles.
  • Erick Cespedes, Elizabeth: The senior wide-receiver was key in a 43-20 win at Plainfield Friday. He had six catches for 144 yards and three touchdowns of five, 24 and 53 yards. At cornerback, he had five tackles (two solo) and a pass breakup.
  • Braylon Diaz, JFK: In a 51-13 loss to Spotswood, the senior was responsible for both Mustang touchdowns. The wide receiver had five catches for 51 yards as well as four rushes for 72 yards, including a 28-yard TD. On special teams, he finished the night with 105 kick return yards, including a 77-yard return for a score.
  • Kevin Reilly, New Providence: The senior quarterback threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 40 and another score, as the Pioneers opened their season with a 27-7 win over Voorhees on Thursday night. That’s now 15 straight Big Central wins for New Providence, the longest active streak in the league after Bernards had its 32-game streak snapped by Cranford Friday night.
  • Cayle Prince, North Plainfield: In a 20-10 loss to South Plainfield, the junior runningback carried seven times for 25 yards, with a catch for a seven-yard touchdown. Just back from an ankle injury, and nowhere near 100 percent, he had four solo tackles, a TFL and an interception, he aggravated the injury again in the third quarter and sat out the rest of the game.
  • Chase Rizzo, Old Bridge: In a 49-21 win over Montgomery, the senior runningback went for 101 yards and two touchdowns, while also logging 70 yards receiving and another score. He also blocked a punt return for a touchdown.
  • Amauris Peguero, Perth Amboy: In a tough loss to arch-rival Carteret, the senior quarterback helped keep his team in the game with a 10-for-19 effort for 226 yards and three touchdowns, while also running the ball 23 times for another 97 yards.
  • Jyvon Cooper, Rahway: In a huge 21-10 win against Summit on Friday that vaulted the Indians into the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the first time this season, the senior running back carried 17 times for 92 yards and a touchdown. Twelve of those – and his score – came on two second-half possessions that helped ice the game. At outside linebacker, he had four solo tackles, four asissts, a TFL, one half sack, and a QB hurry.
  • Tristan Frank, Ridge: The senior was involved in all three Red Devil scores in a 21-7 win over Sayreville. That included two rushing and one passing touchdown for the quarterback, while at free safety he also had one interception.
  • Jaylen Brundidge, South Brunswick: A wildcat QB for the Vikings, he carried 14 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns while also catching six passes for 62 yards in a 27-19 win at rival North Brunswick. As a defensive back, he also had three tackles and an interception.
  • Kellen Healy, South Hunterdon: The junior runningback had three rushing touchdowns – of 57, 45, and 14 yards – carrying 23 times for 186 yards in a 35-8 win over South River, including two late scores that helped bury the Rams. On defense, he had six tackles and two TFLs.

by Mike Pavlichko

Monroe uses critical plays in key moments, two big TD runs from Xavier Wilson, to get past Governor Livingston, 28-7

The Monroe football team won its opening game in 2025, a 41-0 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro in Week Zero. It never won a game again, finishing 1-8.

West Windsor is one of the lowest-rated teams in the NJSIAA Strength Index.

On the other hand, Governor Livingston looked very good in its 48-27 win over Dayton in Week Zero this year, and it always a competitive group. So it had to feel good for the Falcons – after a heartbreaking 33-28 loss at Perth Amboy to open the season – to get in the win column with a victory over the visiting Highlanders Friday night, 28-7.

A big reason why was senior wide receiver/H-back Logan Richter. Even as Xavier Wilson started the scoring with fireworks – on an 85-yard touchdown run with 4:18 remaining in the first quarter, and closing he scoring with an 80-yard run in the fourth – senior quarterback/H-back Logan Richter scored twice – one on a catch, another on a run – and converted numerous fourth downs throughout the contest.

Monroe (1-1) will visit North Brunswick (1-1) next Friday night; the Raiders lost 27-19 to neighboring rival South Brunswick at home Friday. Governor Livingston (1-1) will go to Bernards (1-1) next Thursday night; the Mountaineers had a 32-game Big Central winning streak snapped Friday night when they lost at home, 31-24, to Cranford.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with Monroe head coach Nick Isola and senior Logan Richter, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: Old Bridge, Piscataway will try to hold off South Brunswick, East Brunswick, Monroe in National Gold

The Big Central Conference realignment in the off season didn’t touch the two big school “GMC” (sort of) Divisions, with no changes made to the National Gold and Silver Divisions for the next two season. (We say “sort of,” of course, because all but one of the ten teams in those divisions are from Middlesex County, the only outlier being Franklin, which at one point years ago attempted to defect from the Skyland Conference to the GMC.)

That said, in the National Gold, 2025 champion Piscataway and runner-up Old Bridge both should be in the running for another division title. The Chiefs bring a lot back, while the Knights will have to figure some things out after the graduation of Central Jersey Sports Radio Offensive Player of the Year Brody Nugent. South Brunswick has a new coach, while East Brunswick’s newest mentor is in his second season, and it’ll be Year Three for Nick Isola in Monroe; all will look to make inroads this season, and all have the potential to do it.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the National Gold Division teams – in order of 2025 finish – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge as of the date of publication, along with a few notes on each squad. Division games are starred.

Piscataway Chiefs (8-3, 4-0, National Gold Division Champions)
Head Coach: Dan Higgins, 23rd season (181-61)

  • Week 0: East Orange (Jim Grasso Classic at Northern Highlands)
  • Week 1: Somerville
  • Week 2: at East Brunswick*
  • Week 3: South Brunswick*
  • Week 4: at Old Bridge*
  • Week 5: Franklin
  • Week 6: St. Joseph-Metuchen
  • Week 7: at Monroe*
  • Week 8: at Sayreville

The Chiefs will open against the Jaguars up at Northern Highlands, a team that went 9-2 last season, but was knocked out of the playoffs in the sectional semifinals by eventual Group 5 finalist Passaic Tech, and they’ll close the regular season at rival Sayreville, with a lot of tough games in between. Fortunately, Piscataway has two senior linemen back, plus QB Landon Pernell for his final year, after an excellent 2026 in which he threw for 1,382 yards and 14 TDs, and just three picks. Top rusher Zaire Young went for 758 yards and seven scores in his junior campaign last year. The defense should have some key returnees back as well, and this veteran coaching staff led by Higgins knows what they’re doing.

Old Bridge (10-2, 3-1, 2nd place National Gold)
Head Coach: Matt Donaghue, 5th season (25-17)

  • Week 0: Shawnee (Battle At The Beach at Ocean City)
  • Week 1: at Montgomery
  • Week 2: at South Brunswick*
  • Week 3: St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Week 4: Piscataway*
  • Week 5: at Sayreville
  • Week 6: at Monroe*
  • Week 7: East Brunswick*
  • Week 8: at Ridge

This won’t be an easy schedule for Old Bridge, then again they did go down and beat Cedar Creek last year in the Battle of the Beach; this year, they open with Shanwee in the same event, but back in Ocean City this year after being at Rowan in 2025 due to a once-every-few-years scheduling conflict. The Knights’ only regular season loss last year came at Piscataway, before they fell to Washington Township in the “Central Jersey” Group 5 final. But the big task will be replacing Brody Nugent, who threw for 2,276 yards and rushed for 1,262 on the season, accounting for more than 3,500 yards of offense in 2025. His backup, Aiden Rios, a sophomore last season, only three three passes last year, completing two for 33 yards, while mostly playing receiver and grabbing 13 catches for 268 yards and three TDs. Much of the receiving corps is back, but the defense will have some spots to fill, though rising senior Justin Barkaszi (7.5 sacks, 3 blocked kicks, 1 fumble recovery) and Latrell Alexander (2 1/2 sacks) should return on the defensive line.

South Brunswick Vikings (4-6, 2-2, 3rd place National Gold)
Head Coach: Mike Gerst, 1st season

  • Week 0:  Watchung Hills
  • Week 1: North Brunswick
  • Week 2: Old Bridge*
  • Week 3: at Piscataway*
  • Week 4: Monroe*
  • Week 5: at Rahway
  • Week 6: at East Brunswick
  • Week 7: Franklin
  • Week 8: at Colonia

The Vikings got off to a 2-1 start last season, but faltered as the schedule got tougher and lost four straight in the second half of September and first half of October to miss the playoffs. Now, Ibrahim Halsey is out after two seasons (and has joined Derrick Eatman as an assistant at Franklin under Blair Wilson) and Mike Gerst steps in from Fort Lee, whose team went 9-0 last year playing in the Super Football Conference Ivy Red Division, meant for rebuilding programs, and who are not eligible for the postseason. It was the Bridgemen’s first 9-0 season in over 100 years of football. But against this competition, it’ll be much more of a challenge. He’ll likely have a returning starting quarterback in Brenden Shearstone, who threw for 675 yards and seven touchdowns last season, while top runningback Oscar Duran rushed for 642 yards and three scores, while fellow junior Kamari Toney went for 606 and five touchdowns. A very senior-laded defense, though, will need to be retooled.

East Brunswick Bears (3-7, 1-3, 4th place National Gold)
Head Coach: Zach Gega, 2nd season (3-7)

  • Week 0: JFK
  • Week 1: North Hunterdon
  • Week 2: Piscataway*
  • Week 3: at Monroe*
  • Week 4: Voorhees
  • Week 5: at Edison
  • Week 6: South Brunswick*
  • Week 7: at Old Bridge*
  • Week 8: at North Brunswick

One thing Zach Gega won’t need to worry about in his second season as the head coach is qho will be the quarterback, as junior Sean Christie returns off a season where he threw for 1,257 yards and six TDs, but he’ll need to cut back on the interceptions. He also ran it for nearly 500 yards, but the only other back to crack 100 was senior Nathan Charleston, who’s now graduated. Tight end Noah DeJesus, Christie’s favorite target, also is gone. And he led the defense with 8 1/2 sacks, too, so the defense will need some figuring out as well. The schedule isn’t easy, but manageable for the Bears.

Monroe Falcons (1-8, 0-4, 5th place National Gold)
Head Coach: Nick Isola, 4th season (10-20)

  • Week 0: at Perth Amboy
  • Week 1: Governor Livingston
  • Week 2: at North Brunswick
  • Week 3: East Brunswick*
  • Week 4: at South Brunswick*
  • Week 5: at North Hunterdon
  • Week 6: Old Bridge*
  • Week 7: Piscataway*
  • Week 8: at Carteret

The Falcons won just their opener last season, a 41-0 victory at West Windsor-Plainsboro, then lost their last eight to end the season, and didn’t play a “crossover” – what the NJSIAA now calls consolation games, which are up to leagues and teams to schedule. But they were only shutout twice and could put up some points. Junior QB Ghayoor Abbas was a thousand-yard passer last year and is expected to be back for his senior year, while top rusher Julian Hughes (492 yards, 4 TD) was just a sophomore. Jayden Badillo – a junior with two sacks and eight TFLs – will be counted on over on the defensive side of the ball.

by Mike Pavlichko

New No. 1 highlights final 2026 Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten as Ridge takes top spot

It’s not where you start, but where you finish.

But, to be honest, the Ridge baseball team didn’t have very far to go.

The Red Devils – the only Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team to win an NJSIAA sectional title this season – finish the year at No. 1 in the final Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball rankings, and are the Central Jersey Sports Radio Team of the Year.

The Skyland Conference Delaware Division was a beast this year. Immaculata won the division, second-place Watchung Hills won the Somerset County Tournament, and Ridge beat the Warriors to win the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title last Friday. The Red Devils’ season came to an end, however, in dramatic fashion Monday afternoon, in an 8-7 loss to Ridgewood on a walk-off, leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. They finish the year at 19-11.

Watchung Hills (18-9) – which lost two of three to Ridge this season – finishes second. In the past week, they beat second-seed Bayonne by run-rule, 10-0 in five innings, in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals before falling to Ridge Friday in the title game.

Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament champion Monroe (15-14) comes in third. The Falcons were the tournament’s nine-seed, but beat five-seed Old Bridge to win the title two Saturdays ago in their season finale, after getting knocked out of the state tournament the day before the GMC final.

In fourth is Immaculata (22-6), which was knocked out of the state tournament in the Non-Public South A semifinals by CBA, 1-0 in eight innings. The Spartans won the Skyland Conference Delaware Division at 9-1, their lone regular season division loss coming to Watchung Hills, and they lost to the Warriors in the SCT title game as well.

At five is GMC Tournament finalist Old Bridge (21-10), which won last Wednesday in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, 10-0 over Hightstown in five innings, but then lost in the title game, 14-1, at home to Hunterdon Central on Friday.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 finalist South Plainfield (17-12) finishes sixth. They got the the title game with a 4-2 semifinal win at top-seed Chatham last Wednesday, but fell Friday to Cranford in the final, 10-5.

GMC White Division champion Middlesex (22-6) comes in at seven. The Blue Jays fell in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals last Wednesday to Shore, 2-0 at home, preventing them from having a chance to repeat as CJ1 and state Group 1 champions.

At eight is Edison (19-8). The Eagles – beset by pitching injuries later in the season – got knocked out of the stats in the first round, and the GMC Tournament in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Monroe, but won the GMC’s top division, the GMC Red, with an 11-3 mark, finishing two full games ahead of second-place Old Bridge

Checking in ninth is St. Thomas Aquinas (14-15) – ranked for the first time this season. STA reached the finals in Non-Public North B for the second time in three years with a 7-3 road win at second-seed Rutgers Prep in the semifinals. But the third-seeded Trojans lost at top-seed St. Mary-Rutherford in the title game last Friday, 11-7.

And in tenth, it’s Rutgers Prep (17-8). The Argonauts were Skyland Conference Raritan Division Co-Champions with North Hunterdon – who they split with in the regular season – finishing 8-2 in divisional play, and were knocked out of the states in the Non-Public North B semis last Wednesday by St. Thomas Aquinas, with a 7-3 loss.

Below is the complete and final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the 2026 season:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – GMC Tournament Final: (9) Monroe 7, (3) Old Bridge 0

Behind a complete-game one-hitter from junior Ben Faigin – with 13 strikeouts – Monroe became the first nine-seed to win the GMC Tournament, topping third-seed Old Bridge 7-0 in the Jim Muldowney Championship Final.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE!

Click below to listen to the 2026 Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament Championship game as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio:

Click below to watch the full game as Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the play-by-play live from Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick on May 30, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

State tourney, GMC final results yield yet another shuffling of Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten

It was a second week in a row of a fairly good amount of upheaval in the Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten.

Why?

Monroe’s upset of Old Bridge in the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament championship game – coupled with the first two rounds of the NJSIAA state tournament – resulted in some changes, including one team making its first appearance in the rankings this season.

Despite all the movement, Watchung Hills (17-8) remained No. 1 this week, one of just two teams in the same position they were last week. The Hustlin’ Warriors dropped their last regular season game on Tuesday, a 12-5 decision at Millburn, but won two games in the state tournament. In the North 2, Group 4 first round, they beat 14-seed Elizabeth 10-0 in a five-inning mercy-rule walkoff, then got by six-seed Westfield in the quarterfinals, 8-6. They’ll be in the sectional semis at second-seed Bayonne this Wednesday.

Continuing its meteoric rise is Monroe (15-14), now the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament champion after knocking off third-seed Old Bridge, 7-0 in the final, as the nine-seed. However, their season is over, as they got knocked out of the state tournament in Central Jersey Group 4 on Friday, 10-2 down at fourth-seed Hightstown. That came after beating 12-seed Montgomery, 1-0, on a walkoff single by Alex Marcus.

Holding at No. 3 is Immaculata (22-5). The Spartans beat Rutgers Prep at home, 7-0 on Tuesday, in preparation for the state tournament. After a first-round by in Non-Public South A, the top-seeded Spartans beat eighth-seed Paul VI, 7-0, in the quarterfinals on Thursday. They’ll get back to it on Tuesday, when they host 5th-seed CBA. Central Jersey Sports Radio will have Sean Newcomb covering that game, and you can follow him in Twitter by clicking here.

Dropping two spots to fourth is Old Bridge (20-9), after falling to Monroe in the GMC title game on Saturday, 7-0. But the Knights’ season is not done. After opening up the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs with a 1-0 win over 16-seed East Brunswick on Wednesday, and following it up with an 8-0 win over eight-seed Freehold Township in Friday’s quarterfinals, the Knights – who had an 11-game win streak snapped Saturday – will look to rebound and move on in the state tournament when they host four-seed Hightstown in the semifinals.

A number of teams edged down a spot or two, mainly due to Monroe’s rise. That includes Ridge (17-10), which dropped one spot to five. On Tuesday, they won a regular season game at Hillsborough, 8-1, then got into the state tournament. They beat 16-seed Barringer (Newark) 13-3 in a mercy-rule five-inning walk-off on Wednesday in the North 2, Group 4 opening round, then walked off eight-seed Phillipsburg in six, by a 10-0 score on Friday. Wednesday, they will face five-seed Bridgewater-Raritan in the semifinals, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio starting at 4 pm, with Mike Pavlichko on the call. Click here to listen.

South Plainfield (16-11) climbs to six this week, one of only two teams (the other, Immaculata) to have a perfect week. The Tigers went 3-0, starting with a 7-1 regular season playoff tune-up victory over Middlesex on Tuesday. The next day, they opened the state playoffs with a 5-0 win over 13-seed JFK in the North 2, Group 3 first round. Friday, they were 7-0 winners over fifth-seed North Plainfield, and now move on to Wednesday’s semifinals, where they’ll go on the road for the first time this year in the states, facing top-seed Chatham.

Middlesex (22-5) drops a notch to seven this week. After the 7-1 loss to South Plainfield on Tuesday, they opened Central Jersey Group 1 play in the state tournament with a 21-1 win in five innings over 16-seed Highland Park, then an 11-1 win on a walk-off in six against eight-seed South Hunterdon. Next up, the Blue Jays play host to five-seed Shore in the CJ1 semifinals on Wednesday.

In the eighth spot is Rutgers Prep (17-7), same as last week. The Argonauts dropped a 70- regular season state tourney tune-up to Immaculata in Flemington on Tuesday, but came back nicely with a 16-0, five-inning win over ten-seed Pope John of Sparta in the Non-Public North B quarterfinals, after getting an opening round bye. Tuesday, they will host third-seed St. Thomas Aquinas at 4 pm in a Skyland-GMC crossover you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Alec Crouthamel calling the action. Click here to listen.

Down two spots to nine is Edison (19-8), which literally limped to the finish line with its top three starters – D1 commits Connor Murphy, Dom Innocenti and Rob Roma – all injured or nagged by arm issues in some way shape or form by the end of the year. None of the three were available for Wednesday’s opening round playoff loss to 15-seed Franklin, 5-4, in the Central Jersey Group 4 section.

And new to the rankings this week is Bridgewater-Raritan. The Panthers – despite a last place finish in the grueling Skyland Conference Delaware Division – proved their metttle not just by reaching the Somerset County Tournament semifinals as a five-seed a couple of weeks ago, but also by reaching the North 2, Group 4 semifinals as a five-seed this week. Bridgewater beat 12-seed Plainfield 11-0 in five innings in the opening round Wednesday, then went on the road in the quarters on Friday and knocked off four-seed JP Stevens, 10-0 in six. Next, they travel to top-seed Ridge for what should be a good rubber match in the sectional semifinals: each team beat the other 4-3 this year in their regular season matchups.

Dropping out was previous No. 10 Colonia. The ninth-seeded Patriots (14-10) lost their opening round North 2, Group 3 playoff game to nine-seed Middletown North, 5-1, on Wednesday, just two weeks after being eliminated from the GMC Tournament in their opening game.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten for Week Nine. NOTE: This will be the final ranking until the season is complete for all CJSR-area clubs.

by Mike Pavlichko

A look back at the 40th edition of the GMC Finals, as Monroe rewrites some of the history books with 7-0 win over Old Bridge

Throw out the seeds when the Red Division is in the GMC Tournament finals.

The way the GMC has aligned its division the last few years, relying – in part – on a relegation/promotion model where division winners generally move up and last place teams move down for the next year, the Red now gets stacked with the best teams from the year before, and then they beat up on each other.

Even if it’s the eight best teams in the entire conference, someone has to finish last, right?

So after five straight tournaments with at least a No. 1 or No. 2 seed making the title game – dating back to 2019 – neither made it this year. We got the third-seed Old Bridge, and the nine-seed in Monroe, with the Falcons beating the Knights 7-0 Saturday to win their second county championship. And both were very worthy opponents.

There was at least one pure “first” in Monroe’s win. While they aren’t the lowest seeded team to win it – that distinction belongs to Woodbridge, which was seeded 17th in 2000 and knocked off second-seed and in-town rival JFK – but they are the first nine seed to win. The nine-seed is now 1-2 in GMC Finals dating back to the first title game in 1986.

For the record, the three-seed (Old Bridge this year) is 5-4 all-time. The top two seeds have won 22 of the 40 finals, and the top four have won 28.

Here are some other notes and nuggets on the 40th GMC Championship Game:

One-hitter is a rare feat…

We haven’t been able to go back and look at every game, but Ben Faigin’s one-hitter for Monroe was the first since 2014. Brandon Bielak of fourth-seed St. Joseph did it in 2014, a game that was more notable for the fact that they won it – 1-0 over six-seed South Plainfield – on a walk-off bases loaded walk.

Ben Faigin of Monroe talks to Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe after throwing a one-hitter in the GMC Final, the first since 2014. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

…but a shutout is not…

In 40 GMC finals, this was the eleventh shutout. They have been more frequent recently.

In the six finals since COVID, half have been shutouts, all by “Falcons.” St. Joseph has the other two: a 2-0 win over South Brunswick in 2021, and a 2-0 win over North Brunswick in 2023.

Multiple wins…

Monroe becomes the sixth GMC team to win multiple championships, joining South Brunswick with two. Here are the rest:

  • 9 – St. Joseph
  • 8 – Edison
  • 5 – East Brunswick
  • 3 – Old Bridge

And for just making the finals, Old Bridge and Monroe – which had both been to four finals prior to this year – move up to fifth place on the all-time list with five. Here are the rest:

  • 11 – St. Joseph
  • 10 – Edison
  • 7 – East Brunswick
  • 6 – South Plainfeld

Monroe is now 2-3 all-time in GMC title games, while Old Bridge drops to 3-2.

Kyle Rutan of Monroe hits against Old Bridge in the GMC Tournament final in East Brunswick on May 30, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Not as close anymore?

Every GMC final from 2013 through 2024 had been decided by one or two runs, with seven decided by one run, and four of those being 1-0 victories. But the last two finals have bucked the trend.

Last year, St. Joe’s beat Edison 7-4 – on a walk-off grand-slam by JP Zayle – and this year Monroe won 7-0. That was thee largest margin of victory since 2010, when six-seed North Brunswick beat 16-seed North Brunswick, 9-2.

It’s also the second largest margin of victory in a final by a lower seeded team, tying the 2005 final, which saw second-seed East Brunswick upset top-seed St. Joseph, 8-1. Only one had a larger margin, in the very first GMC Tournament final in 1986. That year, 12-seed East Brunswick beat 7-seed Madison Central by eleven runs, 14-3. (There was no ten-run rule in that game; it went seven full innings.)

Overall, it was the third-largest margin of victory in the GMC Tournament final. In addition to East Brunswick’s win in the inaugural GMC final in 1986, St. Joseph beat South Amboy 11-0 twenty years later, in 2006. And Edison had a nine-run win, 12-3 over JFK, in 1993.

There have been four other games decided by seven runs in the finals:

  • 2010 – South Brunswick 9, North Brunswick 2
  • 2008 – East Brunswick 8, St. Joseph 1
  • 1994 – Edison 10, Monroe 3

Who’s won both tournaments?

In 2019, the Greater Middlesex Conference introduced the Invitational Tournament. Prior to that, the GMC was an “open” format, with all teams – except those that opted out, and it happens occasionally – getting into the bracket. But seven years ago, the league changed the format, and only a certain number of teams (this year 20) make what’s now called the Jim Muldowney GMC Championship Tournament, while the remainder are seeded in the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational.

Although there’s only a six year history of the Invitational, Piscataway’s win this year – 3-0 over Dunellen – makes the Chiefs just the second program to win both the championship (in the open format) and the Invitational.

Carteret won the Invitational in 2019 and 2024, and also won the “open” tournament in 1988, their only title.

Other teams to win the Invitational, followed by records in the “championship” final:

  • Sayreville in 2021 (0-2)
  • JP Stevens in 2022 (0-3)
  • Perth Amboy Magnet in 2023 (NA)
  • New Brunswick in 2025 (NA)

GMC TOURNAMENT FINALS HISTORY

  • 1986:  (12) East Brunswick 14, (7) Madison Central 3 (7 innings)
  • 1987:  (10) Cedar Ridge 2,  (16) Colonia 1
  • 1988:  (2) Carteret 4, (13) JP Stevens 2 (11 innings)
  • 1989:  (1) Madison Central 8, (6) Cedar Ridge 7 (8 innings)
  • 1990:  (1) Edison 9, (10) South Plainfield 3
  • 1991:  (7) East Brunswick 6, (1) South Plainfield 5
  • 1992:  (1) Edison 1, (7) Bishop Ahr 0
  • 1993:  (1) Edison 12, (2) JFK 3
  • 1994:  (1) Edison 10, (3) Monroe 3
  • 1995:  (1) Edison 5, (6) Piscataway 3
  • 1996:  (2) Bishop Ahr 4, (1) Edison 3 (13 innings)
  • 1997:  (3) East Brunswick 3, (5) JFK 2
  • 1998:  (1) Edison 2, (11) East Brunswick 1
  • 1999:  (1) Edison 7, (3) Bishop Ahr 2
  • 2000:  (17) Woodbridge 7, (2) JFK 1
  • 2001:  (2) Edison 4, (13) Spotswood 1
  • 2002:  (3) South Brunswick 4, (1) Piscataway 2 (9 innings)
  • 2003:  (1) Piscataway 9, (10) East Brunswick 5
  • 2004:  (1) St. Joseph 6, (6) Carteret 0
  • 2005:  (2) East Brunswick 8, (1) St. Joseph 1
  • 2006:  (5) St. Joseph 11, (6) South Amboy 0 (5 innings)
  • 2007:  (1) Spotswood 7, (11) JP Stevens 6
  • 2008:  (10) St. Joseph 3, (4) Old Bridge 2
  • 2009:  (1) St. Joseph 6, (7) North Brunswick 0
  • 2010:  (6) South Brunswick 9, (16) North Brunswick 2
  • 2011:  (2) Old Bridge 3, (4) South Plainfield 2
  • 2012:  (3) Middlesex 10, (1) Sayreville 4
  • 2013:  (7) JFK 4, (9) Monroe 2
  • 2014:  (4) St. Joseph 1, (6) South Plainfield 0
  • 2015:  (2) Monroe 1, (8) Sayreville 0 (8 innings) 
  • 2016:  (2) East Brunswick 1, (9) JP Stevens 0
  • 2017:  (1) St. Joseph 1, (6) Monroe 0
  • 2018:  (14)South Plainfield 2, (12) Perth Amboy 1 (12 innings)
  • 2019:  (1) Old Bridge 2, (3) South Brunswick 1
  • 2020:  NO SEASON – COVID
  • 2021:  (2) St. Joseph 2, (5) South Brunswick 0
  • 2022:  (6) North Brunswick 4, (1) St. Joseph 2
  • 2023:  (3) St. Joseph 2, (1) North Brunswick 0
  • 2024:  (3) Old Bridge 6, (1) South Plainfield 5
  • 2025:  (5) St. Joseph 7, (11) Edison 4
  • 2026:  (9) Monroe 7, (3) Old Bridge 0 
by Mike Pavlichko

Another gem from Faigin, backed up by Monroe offense, gives Falcons 7-0 win over Old Bridge, first GMC Tourney title since 2015

Chances are, with Ben Faigin on the mound, Monroe is going to win the ballgame.

Then again, his lone loss coming into the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Final was against Old Bridge, a 9-5 road loss on April 23rd.

But that was not what happened Saturday at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick. In fact, quite the opposite.

Faigin – a Rutgers commit who’s just a junior – took a no-hitter into the seventh before giving up a leadoff double to the Knights’ Eric Schickschneit. But he induced a groundout and got two strikeouts to end it, going a complete game and just allowing five baserunners; the other four came on walks.

Meanwhile, ninth-seed Monroe scored early and often, all but one of their runs coming in the first three innings.

Justin Mangano led off the game and got hit by the very first pitch from Old Bridge’s Brady Meyer, an early sign of control issues. Faigin grounded into a fielder’s choice, and after he stole second, came home to score on Alex Marcus’ single. Nico Antoniades followed with a walk, and Matt Linke drove him in with a single to make it 2-0. Two strikeouts by Meyer ended the inning and kept the damage to a minimum.

The Falcons would make it 3-0 in the second on a sac fly to right by Mangano, scoring Tyler Bacon, who walked to leadoff the inning.

They would add three more in the third. Linke led off with a double to left, and after a strikeout, Austin Loudin hit a ball to left and reached on an error when Nick Natale misplayed it for Old Bridge. After Bacon popped up a bunt for the second out, a Kyle Rutan double scored both and made it 5-0. That was it for Meyer, who was replaced by Chris Crosta coming in from third, and he gave up a single to Mangano for his second RBI of the game to make it 6-0.

Monroe added one more in the sixth on an RBI single by Linke,

Meanwhile, Faigin was cruising, allowing just four walks through the first six innings. He got in a little trouble in the sixth, walking back-to-back hitters with one out, and they advanced to second and third on stolen bases, but Faigin K’d Matt Chin for the second out and got Jared Volpe to ground out to short.

In the end, Faigin gave up one hit in seven innings, walked four and struck out 12 to improve to 7-1 on the season. Monroe wins its second GMC Tournament title, and first since 2015, in five appearances. They finish their season 15-14, having been eliminated from the Central Jersey Group 4 section of the state tournament on the eve of the GMC final, with a 10-2 loss at Hightstown Friday night.

Monroe junior Ben Faigin pitches in the 2026 GMC Tournament final against Old Bridge on May 30, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Meyer took the loss for the Knights, going 2 1/3 innings, allowing six runs, five earned, on four hits. He walked four – one intentional, hit one batter and struck out three.

Old Bridge, however, still has the states to look forward to. They are now 20-8 – with an 11-game win streak snapped – but will play in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals Wednesday at home at Fred Cole Field against 4th-seed Hightstown.

Click below for postgame reaction on the field with Justin Sontupe, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Monroe junior pitcher Ben Faigin
Senior catcher Justin Mangano and head coach Sean Field
by Mike Pavlichko

Jim Muldowney GMC Finals Preview: Old Bridge, Monroe set to face off for title, with Knights still alive in states

It’s not much of a surprise that either third-seed Old Bridge or nine-seed Monroe will play Saturday for the Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament Championship.

Just about anyone from the Red Division in the Greater Middlesex Conference (and others, too) would have been a worthy participant in one game to determine conference supremacy.

But when they do play Saturday for the title at Ray Cipperly Field in East Brunswick, it will be a unique situation, and different for both teams.

Years ago, the GMC decided to move its tournament up earlier in the calendar, so the finals would not me in the middle of the NJSIAA state tournament. Bun rain all last weekend prevented that from happening, and the game got rescheduled to Saturday, May 30th.

Old Bridge, meanwhile, earned a top-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, and Monroe got the five-seed. Had it worked out, both could have been facing each other again next week in the semifinals. But while the Knights won their semi Friday against Freehold Twp., 8-0, Monroe fell 10-2 at Hightstown.

Now, the two teams enter in much different situations.

Old Bridge is coming off a playoff win, and will “break” for the GMC final, then have to shift back into “one-and-done” mode next Wednesday, and hope they don’t have to go too deep into their bullpen Saturday. Monroe has it’s top two pitchers both available in Ben Faigin – who will get the start – and Andre Love, with nothing to save them for. This is the end of the line.

With that, here’s a look at the 2026 GMC championship.

2026 JIM MULDOWNEY GMC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FINALS AT-A-GLANCE

Teams:
(3) Old Bridge Knights (20-8, 9-5, 2nd place in the GMC Red)
(9) Monroe Falcons (14-14, 6-8, 5th place in the GMC Red)

Date and Time: Saturday, May 30 at noon (pregame 11:40)
Location: Ray Cipperly Field, East Brunswick Magnet HS
Weather: 66, mix of sun and clouds, NW wind (across the diamond from right to left) at 20 mph, gusts 33 mph
Listen On: Central Jersey Sports Radio
Watch On: Our YouTube Channel
Announcers: Mike Pavlichko & Justin Sontupe

Head Coaches:
Old Bridge: Matt Donaghue (9th year, 8th season, 138-91, GMCT champs in 2019 and 2024)
Monroe: Sean Field (8th year, 7th season, 93-73)

Probable Starters:
Old Bridge: Brady Myer (3-1, 2.93 ERA)
Monroe: Ben Faigin (6-1, 1.18 ERA)

ORIGINAL PREVIEW STORIES:

UPDATED INTERVIEWS WITH BOTH HEAD COACHES:

Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue
Monroe head coach Sean Field

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Old Bridge:
First Round: def. (14) Sayreville, 1-0
Quarterfinals: def. (6) Woodbridge, 1-0
Semifinals: def. (2) Middlesex, 9-3

Monroe:
First Round: def. (6) Colonia, 9-2
Quarterfinals: def. (1) Edison, 9-1
Semifinals: def. (5) South Plainfield, 1-0

TEAM LEADERS:

Old Bridge:

  • Batting Average: Matt Chin (.427), Michael Chiarella, Jared Volpe (.318)
  • RBI: Matt Chin (21), Jared Volpe, Adrian Lutomski (14)
  • HR: Matt Chin, Michael Chiarella (2), four others with 1
  • Walks: Matt Chin (15), Chris Crosta (11)
  • Stolen Bases: Chris Crosta (7), Brady Meyer (5)
  • Wins: Blake Dunleavy (5), four others with 3
  • ERA (min 12 innings): Brady Meyer (1.34), Matt Levitt (2.15)
  • Strikeouts (Pitcher): Brady Meyer (42), Blake Dunleavy (40)

Monroe:

  • Batting Average:Ben Faigin (.481), Justin Mangano (.427), Alex Marcus (.289)
  • RBI: Alex Marcus (23), Ben Faigin (17), Niko Antoniades (15)
  • HR: Ben Faigin (2), Robert Profaci (1)
  • Walks: Ben Fiagin (21), Michael Cinque (14)
  • Stolen Bases: Ben Faigin (21), Justin Mangano (10)
  • Wins: Ben Faigin (6), Siddarth Desai, Aadi Shah (3)
  • ERA (min 12 innings): Ben Faigin (1.18), Camerron Kappus (2.74)
  • Strikeouts (Pitcher): Ben Faigin (74), Andre Love (70)

Team Stats:

  • Batting Average: Old Bridge .281, Monroe .270
  • Home Runs: Old Bridge 8, Monroe 3
  • Stolen Bases: Monroe 58, Old Bridge 18
  • Runs Scored: Old Bridge 119, Monroe 119
  • Runs Allowed: Monroe 137, Old Bridge 105
  • Strikeouts (Pitchers): Monroe 230, Old Bridge 163

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

Old Bridge

Monroe

NOTES AND NUGGETS:

New blood, again….

Even though both schools have won a GMC Tournament title in the last decade or so – Monroe in 2015, Old Bridge in 2029 and 2023 – this will be the third straight year the defending champion failed to make the finals.

St. Joseph-Metuchen made it back in 2022 after beating South Brunswick the year before, and North Brunswick beat the Falscons in 2022, then got back in 2023 – and lost again to St. Joe’s.

But the finals saw two different teams in 2024 – Old Bridge and South Plainfield – while last year’s title game featured St. Joe’s (in its third trip in four years) against Edison.

This year, same deal: St. Joe’s came in as the 12-seed and lost their opening round game to fifth-seed South Plainfield, 2-1. Edison was the top-seed, but after a 10-0 victory over 17-seed and Gold Division champ Piscataway Magnet in the first round, lost 9-1 to ninth-seed Monroe in the quarterfinals.

How will the seeds fare?

While the nine-seed in the tournament last reached the title game in 2016, when JP Stevens lost to second-seed East Brunswick, 1-0, you don’t have to go as far back as that to find an even lower-seeded team that made the finals. Edison made it as an 11-seed last year, and lost to fifth-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen, 7-4, on a walk-off grand slam by JP Zayle.

The lowest seed ever to win the GMC Tournament was Woodbridge, 26 years ago. The Barrons were the 17-seed and knocked off second-seed JFK, 7-1.

The nine-seed is 0-2 in the finals all-time. Besides the Hawks, mentioned above, Monroe also was a nine-seed when they made the finals in 2013, but lost to seven-seed JFK, 4-2, for Kennedy’s only title ever, in four trips to the finals.

  • 2013:  (7) JFK 4, (9) Monroe 2 (top-seed Middlesex, Blue Div.)
  • 2016:  (2) East Brunswick 1, (9) JP Stevens 0 (top-seed Monroe, White)

The third-seed has fared better, going 5-3, with wins coming in 1997, 2002, 2012, and twice since COVID, in 2023 and 2024. Old Bridge won it as a three-seed in 2024, and also beat a three-seed. That came in 2019, when the Knights were the No. 1 seed and beat third-seed South Brunswick, 2-1, Donaghue’s first title in just his second season at Old Bridge

  • 1994:  (1) Edison 10, (3) Monroe 3
  • 1997:  (3) East Brunswick 3, (5) JFK 2
  • 1999:  (1) Edison 7, (3) Bishop Ahr 2
  • 2002:  (3) South Brunswick 4, (1) Piscataway 2 (9 innings)
  • 2012:  (3) Middlesex 10, (1) Sayreville 4
  • 2019:  (1) Old Bridge 2, (3) South Brunswick 1
  • 2023:  (3) St. Joseph 2, (1) North Brunswick 0
  • 2024:  (3) Old Bridge 6, (1) South Plainfield 5

Big Schools….

While the NJSIAA only classifies teams by size into four groups in baseball, football is divided into five, with Group 5 being the largest schools. And this will be the first time since 2019 two “Group 5” football schools have made the finals. That year, the Knights were the top-seed and beat third-seed South Brunswick, 2-1, for Matt Donaghue’s first of two championships as Old Bridge head coach.

St. Joseph spoiled that party by making four of five GMC finals since COVID, but the one year it was two public schools, in 2024, it was third-seed Old Bridge (Group 5) over top-seed South Plainfield (Group 3 in baseball and football) by a 6-5 score.

Parallels…

Last year, St. Joseph-Metuchen won the GMC Tournament without ever having led for a single pitch of any of its four games, from the first round through the finals. They won their first two games 1-0, both in extra innings, then walked off Spotswood in the semifinals and beat Edison for the title on a first-pitch grand slam by JP Zayle.

While Old Bridge hasn’t been that dramatic, their games have kept their fans ont he edge of their seats. They even won their first two games by 1-0 scores in this year’s tournament, and the second was in extra innings. In the first round against Sayreville, they won 1-0 with their run coming in the fourth. In the quarters, Eric Schnickschneit drove in Jared Volpe with a single in the bottom of the eighth to win it.

And while they didn’t walk-off Middlesex in the semifinals two Saturdays ago, Middlesex trailed 3-0 going into their final at bat, and tied it with three in the seventh, but Old Bridge came back and scored six in the top of the seventh to take a 9-3 lead, holding Middlesex scoreless in the bottom of the inning to take the win.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY (wins in bold)

Old Bridge (3-1):

  • 2008:  (10) St. Joseph 3, (4) Old Bridge 2
  • 2011:  (2) Old Bridge 3, (4) South Plainfield 2
  • 2019:  (1) Old Bridge 2, (3) South Brunswick 1
  • 2024:  (3) Old Bridge 6, (1) South Plainfield 5

Monroe (1-3):

  • 1994:  (1) Edison 10, (3) Monroe 3
  • 2013:  (7) JFK 4, (9) Monroe 2
  • 2015:  (2) Monroe 1, (8) Sayreville 0 (8 innings) 
  • 2017:  (1) St. Joseph 1, (6) Monroe 0

Note: Old Bridge was comprised of Madison Central and Cedar Ridge prior to the 1994 merger. Their combined histories are below. Each team made two appearances in the finals, with one win each.

  • 1986:  (12) East Brunswick 14, (7) Madison Central 3
  • 1987:  (10) Cedar Ridge 2,  (16) Colonia 1
  • 1989:  (1) Madison Central 8, (6) Cedar Ridge 7 (8 innings)