Tag: New Providence

INSTANT REPLAY – Central Jersey Group 1 Final (Girls): (1) New Providence 57, (2) Bound Brook 42

Senior Annie Conover scored 22 points – including six threes – part of a barrage of 12 triples on the day, to power top-seed New Providence past second-seed Bound Brook, 57-42, to win its second straight Central Jersey Group 1 title, and third sectional championship in four years.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play from New Providence High School on March 7 2026.

New Providence three-point barrage dooms Bound Brook; Pioneers take second straight CJ1 title in 57-42 win

It’s not every day New Providence hits 12 three-pointers in a game – even if they have hit at least ten on four separate occasions this year, including 13 in an early January game against Fair Lawn – but they have that potential.

Saturday at home in the Central Jersey Group 1 final, they needed to hit against second-seed Bound Brook, and that’s exactly what the top-seeded Pioneers did, en route to a 57-42 victory that claimed their second straight sectional title, and third in the last four seasons.

Bound Brook never led, but it wasn’t like they never had a chance. They never trailed by double-digits in the first half, and were only down eight at halftime. This is the same team that fell behind 17-2 in the semifinals against Roselle Park – and the state’s top scorer in Sidney Smith – but rallied to take a double-digit halftime lead and win.

But New Providence (28-1) is the defending Group 1 champion for a reason. Senior Annie Conover led the way with 26 points, including six threes. Four of those came in the first half, and she had 14 at the break.

But it was sophomore Addy Fitzgerald – the only non-senior in the starting five – who may have buried Bound Brook. Even though the Crusaders had their opportunities as late as midway through the fourth quarter – and they had many throughout the game as well – Fitzgerald had three big third quarter treys, and finished with 14 points on the day.

Bound Brook (25-4) was led by Peytan Pugh, who had 22 points, two from beyond the arc, while senior Ty’asjah Ferguson added eight. Lauren Polakiewicz added six, on a pair of third-quarter triples.

Bound Brook senior Ty’asjah Ferguson drives to the basket in the Central Jersey Group 1 title game at New Providence on March 7, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

New Providence moves on to the state Group 1 semifinals Wednesday at 5 pm at Monroe Twp. H.S. against the winner of the South Jersey Group 1 final, featuring second-seed Wildwood at top-seed Haddon Twp.

Click below for postgame reaction on New Providence’s Central Jersey Group 1 title from head coach Cap Pazdera and senior Annie Conover, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

New Providence senior Annie Conover. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

It’s been a while since these teams have lost a Big Central football game, and they’ll go into 2026 with long winning streaks

The Bernards football team began the 2025 season with a 23-game winning streak against the Big Central Conference. After winning the North 2, Group 2 title in 2023, then reaching the finals in 2024, this year’s team suffered a first-round exit, falling to Madison at home, 22-21.

These things happen, but Bernards will ride a 32-game win streak against league competition into the 2026 season, with a chance to set the Big Central record.

The current mark is 35, held by St. Thomas Aquinas, but that ended back on October 17th, when they lost to then-top-ranked St. Joseph-Metuchen, 41-19, in North Edison. Bernards’ last loss against the BCC came on September 2, 2022 to Hillside, 35-20.

The Mountaineers had been making up ground on St. Thomas this year, with all BCC teams on their regular season schedule, and St. Thomas playing out-of-conference teams besides their division schedule. But next year, they’ll need just three league wins to tie the mark, and four to break it.

The Big Central has not yet released its divisional alignments, nor the schedule for the next two seasons.

Next on the list are New Providence and Manville, also smaller schools. (Bernards is a Group 2, while the others are Group 1s.) The Pioneers have won 13 straight in conference play, going 8-0 vs. the BCC this year after winning their last five against the league in 2024. The Mustangs’ streak is at 12, 7-0 this season after also finishing with five straight against the Big Central a year ago.

Those are the only league teams in double-digits, with St. Joseph-Metuchen on an eight-game BCC winning streak, all those wins coming this season.

Group 1 Glassboro rules New Jersey…

Statewide, the longest winning streak belongs to Glassboro, which has won 27 in a row, their last loss coming in the 2023 Group 1 final at Rutgers to Mountain Lakes. They won the state Group 1 title last season with a 13-0 record, and this year finished 14-0, beating Cedar Grove this past Sunday at Rutgers to win a second straight state championship.

Washington Twp. is next at 14 straight, all this year, in a 14-0 season in which they won the state’s Group 5 title. The Minutemen took out Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 5 title game.

Old Tappan – and West Morris were also in the mix, at 17 and 12 games, respectively, but Old Tappan lost to Cedar Creek, 34-7, in the Group 3 final at MetLife Stadium last Friday, and West Morris lost to Old Tappan in the Group 3 semifinals the Friday prior. Butler also saw its 11-game win streak snapped – with all coming this year – in the Group 1 semifinals, a 24-21 loss to Cedar Grove, but they’ve also won 27 of their last 30 games.

That leaves just Fort Lee – a Super Football Conference Ivy team, which is not eligible for the playoffs – next up with an eleven-game win streak.

The longest state streak coming into the season was held by Group 5 Toms River North, which lost its Week Zero opener this season, 21-0 to Red Bank Catholic on August 28th.

For the record – literally, and figuratively – Glassboro would have a long way to go to reach the overall state mark. Nearby Paulsboro won 63 games from 1992 through 1998. The Bulldogs would need 36 more wins to tie that mark, which – assuming they’d have to play 14 games a year – would mean they’d have to win two more Group 1 titles in 2026 and 2027, then win their first eight games of 2028.

Randolph also won 54 straight – and went 59 without a loss – from 1986 to 1991.

But there’s also an asterisk here. New Jersey didn’t play beyond sectional finals until 2018, and added the state group championships in 2022. So, until 2012, when the playoffs expanded to five groups, 16 public schools could have ended the season undefeated, then 20 after that. But in 2018 ,that number shrunk to ten, and now only five public schools (minus the Ivies) can end their season without a loss.

Nowadays, it’s much harder to win as many games as Paulsboro and Randolph did.

Back to Bernards…

But lets get back to the Mountaineers. Take out the playoffs, and Bernards holds the state’s longest active regular season winning streak, now at 34 games, with their 2022 Hillside loss also serving as their last regular season defeat overall.

You read that right, by the time Bernards steps on a football field again for an actual game, it will have been almost four years since their last regular season defeat. They are 40-5 overall – regular season and playoffs – in the last four seasons.

The extra two wins (compared to their Big Central streak) have been against their only non-conference regular season opponents since: Week Zero in 2024 at Monmouth, a 35-6 victory, and at Jefferson in Week Zero of 2023, a 47-6 win. They also opened with a Week Zero win in 2022 against Overbrook, 21-6, but the Hillside loss came the week after.

This season, Bernards played a Big Central crossover against Cranford in Week Zero, coming up with a 27-15 win.

Glassboro has the next longest regular season win streak, now at 19 games, going 8-0 this year and last, after winning their final three regular season games of 2023.

On the losing end…

It’s been a tough few years for Middlesex County football, with the state’s longest losing streaks belonging to Highland Park until the last game of 2023, JP Stevens, then Ferris up in North Jersey, and back down here to New Brunswick, and now Dunellen.

The Zebras snapped a 32-game losing streak in their season finale against West Windsor-Plainsboro, a co-op between the North and South high schools, on October 29th. (We’ll have more on that win in the next week or so, so stay tuned!)

The Destroyers went 0-9 in Year One under Phlip McGuane, who replaced longtime mentor Dave DeNapoli following his retirement. But adjustment was to be expected after decades under the same coach in the same system, and so the Destroyers will look to use their experience to get back in the win column next season.

Their last win came on October 19 of 2023, a 34-28 win over Brearley.

Next on the list are Orange and West Windsor-Plainsboro at 14, and Long Branch and Paterson Eastside at 13 straight losses heading into 2026.

North 2, Group 1 Final Preview: New Providence Pioneers vs. Cedar Grove Panthers

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 Final:
When: Friday, 6:30 pm
Where: Leider Field, New Providence, NJ
Matchup: #4 Cedar Grove (8-3) at #3 New Providence (10-0)
Coverage: Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter.
Weather: 44 degrees, cloudy, wind WNW 3 mph (crosswind from press box side of the field)

HEAD COACHES:

New Providence: Chet Parlavecchio, Jr. (9th season, 61-31)
Cedar Grove: Rob Gogerty (10th season, 81-29)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

New Providence:
First Round: def. #6 Secaucus, 38-0
Semifinals: def. #2 Hasbrouck Heights, 28-21 (OT)

Northern Highlands:
First Round: def. #6 5 Glen Ridge, 35-20
Semifinals: def. #1 Mountain Lakes, 22-15

Who’s next? The winner of this game will play the North 1, Group 1 winner in the Group 1 semifinals. That title game features top-seed Butler (10-0) hosting second-seed Kinnelon (7-3) Friday night at 7:00, kicking off a half-hour after New Providence and Cedar Grove. This year’s Northing seeding scheme worked perfectly, as the two schools are just a few miles apart. New Providence, if it advances, would play at Butler or host Kinnelon, as the Bulldogs are the overall top-seed in the North 1 supersection. New Providence was fourth, and Kinnelon is sixth.

SERIES HISTORY:

A rematch of last year’s final – played at Cedar Grove, and won by the Panthers, 35-14 – these two teams have played often, but hadn’t played in a while until the 2024 title game. Their previous meeting had come in 2011, also in the playoffs, in the North 2, Group 1 semifinals, with New Providence the 2-seed and Cedar Grove the No. 3 seed; the Pioneers lost that one, too, 20-14. That was also New Prov’s last trip to the sectional semifinals, until last season.

Overall, Cedar Grove leads the series 8-7 with two ties, and there’s some odd symmetry in their meetings. The two ties came in the first two years’ of New Providence’s program, in 1965 and 1966. The Pioneers then won three straight over the next three years (1967-1969), then lost two straight (1970-71).

They wouldn’t meet up again until 1983, the first of nine straight playoff meetings. The first was a 3-0 New Providence loss in the North 2, Group 1 title. The Pioneers also lost to the Panthers in the 2000 sectional final, 12-0.

The Pioneers lead the regular season series 3-2-2, while Cedar Grove owns a 6-4 advantage in the playoffs.

NEW PROVIDENCE PREVIEW:

FINALS HISTORY:

New Providence:

New Providence is in the finals for the second season in a row, but last year was the Pioneers’ first trip since 2010, when they were the top seed in North 2, Group 1 and beat sixth-seed Lincoln 21-8 at Met Life Stadium. Before that, they had lost in their last eight finals appearances since winning three in a row from 1987 to 1989. They then lost six more in the ’90s, and again in 2000 and 2004.

New Providence also won a title in 1976, and in the first year of the playoffs, 1974, they were declared champions.

Overall, they have been to 20 prior finals, going 6-14 in those title games.

Playoff Berths: 41
Playoff Record: 36-34

North 2, Group 2
1974: declared champions
1975: #2 Madison def. #4 New Providence, 35-6
1976: #1 New Providence def. #2 Butler, 20-17
1979: #1 Madison def. #3 New Providence, 13-6
North 2, Group 1
1982: #1 Glen Ridge def. #1 New Providence, 28-14
1983: #3 Cedar Grove def. #1 New Providence 3-0
1984: #2 Chatham def. #1 New Providence, 20-14
1987: #2 New Providence def. #1 Mountain Lakes, 29-0
1988: #2 New Providence def. #1 Brearley, 30-14
1989: #1 New Providence def. #2 Governor Livingston, 24-0
1990: #2 Butler def. #1 New Providence, 19-13
1993: #1 Roselle Park def. #2 New Providence, 10-7
1994: #2 Butler def. #1 New Providence, 35-21
1996: #3 Butler def. #4 New Providence, 16-8
1998: #6 Madison def. #1 New Providence, 19-13
1999: #2 Belvidere def. #4 New Providence, 6-0
2000: #2 Cedar Grove def. #4 New Providence, 12-0
Central Group 1
2004: #2 Florence def. #4 New Providence, 35-7
North 2, Group 1
2010: #1 New Providence def. #6 Lincoln, 21-8
2024: #1 Cedar Grove def. #2 New Providence, 35-14

Cedar Grove:

The Panthers won their first title five years into the playoff era, but without virtue of a playoff game; they were declared champions in 1978. They won their first title game in 1983, and it took another 17 years for them to get to another, which they also won in 2000, the first of five titles in six trips to a championship that decade. This will be Cedar Grove’s fourth trip to the finals in the five years since COVID, including 2021, when they also won the North Group 1 Regional Championship.

Playoff Berths: 34
Playoff Record: 39-25
Previous Finals Berths: 14
Sectional Titles: 9

North 2, Group 1
1978: declared
1983: #3 Cedar Grove def. #1 New Providence, 3-0
2000: #2 Cedar Grove def. #4 New Providence, 12-0
2001: #6 Verona def. #1 Cedar Grove, 15-14
2004: #3 Cedar Grove def. #3 Hoboken, 6-0
2007: #3 Cedar Grove def. #1 Belvidere, 17-0
2009: #2 Cedar Grove def. #1 Secaucus 30-14
2011: #3 Cedar Grove def. #4 Weequahic, 34-21
North 1, Group 1
2012: #3 Pompton Lakes def. #1 Cedar Grove, 28-13
2015: #4 Verona def. #3 Cedar Grove, 21-14
2019: #4 Boonton def. #2 Cedar Grove, 34-21
North 2, Group 1
2021: #2 Cedar Grove def. #1 Mountain Lakes, 15-7 (Cedar Grove def. Park Ridge in North 1 Regional Championship, 13-12)
2022: #2 Weequahic def. #4 Cedar Grove, 21-10
2024: #1 Cedar Grove def. #2 New Providence, 35-14

2025 NEW PROVIDENCE COVERAGE:

Football teams gather on the field during a game, with players in green and white uniforms and orange and black uniforms in the background.
New Providence players celebrate before heading to the handshake line after topping Hasbrouck Heights 21-14 in the North 2, Group 1 semifinals on Friday, November 8, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

NEWS & NOTES:

Milestones continue…

Now in his ninth season, head coach Chet Parlavecchio, Jr., picked up his 50th with with the Pioneers in their playoff-opening home win over Boonton last season, but with a 10-win season already, this year he moved past the next milestone, the big 6-0!

With a win in the sectional Friday night, he’ll be 62-31, and ever closer to hitting the 70-win mark next year.

This will be his second appearance in a title game as head coach.

Repping Union County…

While Union has won the most titles in the playoff era, taking home eleven trophies since 1974, it’s New Providence that actually leads the county with 41 playoff berths in 51 postseasons (none in 2020 due to COVID) and 21 finals berths overall, including this year.

And while last year was their first trip to a sectional title game in 14 years, they are in the finals for back-to-back years, the first Union County team to do so since Hillside did it in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Westfield also made the finals three straight years – and won all three, going 36-0 – in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Pioneers’ turn to run…

Last year, Cedar Grove was one of eleven New Jersey football teams to enter Championship Weekend undefeated, at 11-0. This year, it’s New Providence who is undefeated, at 10-0, and one of just seven non-Ivy (playoff eligible) teams that remain unblemished.

And like Cedar Grove, the Pioneers have had some great success since COVID. They are 37-16 since then, and were even 8-1 in that pandemic-shortened season. They had a brief downturn in 2022 and 2023, going 5-5 and 4-6, respectively, but are 19-3 in the last two seasons combined.

New Providence, Cedar Grove to rematch in North 2, Group 1 title game, but this time on Pioneers’ home turf

This one is the same, but different.

It’ll be quasi deja vu in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 title game Friday night in New Providence, when the third-seeded Pioneers (10-0) host fourth-seed Cedar Grove (8-3).

This was the matchup last year, after New Providence went on a solid late-season and playoff run, making it to the finals for the first time since they won it all in 2010.

But this season, the Pioneers look a little different. Gone is quarterback T.J. Munn, who graduated after rushing for 1,000-plus yards last year. They returned another thousand-yard rushed in A.J. Whitehead, but he suffered a season-ending broken leg against Verona on October 10th. And don’t forget about center Joe Ping, a starter last year, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury the first week of camp.

Yet, with senior Jack Fitzgerald moving over from wide receiver to runningback, New Providence hasn’t missed a beat. The only undefeated team remaining in the Big Central – and one of just seven playoff-eligible (Non-Ivy) perfect teams left in the state – the Pioneers have outscored their opponents 147-31 since that Verona game, with Fitzgerald rushing for 476 yards and four touchdowns.

Last week, he had the game winner in the semifinals against Hasbrouck Heights, also a rematch of last year’s semis. He scored from the 25 on the first play from scrimmage in overtime, and after the defense held, they came back home to Union County with a 28-21 victory.

And they figured they might be on the road again this year in the finals, until they saw Cedar Grove knock off top-seed Mountain Lakes. So the Panthers, while they may be the four-seed, aren’t to be taken lightly.

Meanwhile, junior QB Kevin Reilly has run the show well on offense, passing for exactly 1,000 yards on the season, with 14 TDs to just two picks.

Defensively, the Pioneers have logged 23 sacks – 5 1/2 from Jack Keneally and 4 1/2 from Drew Gullo, both senior linemen who can be disruptive.

Cedar Grove, on the other hand, while 8-3, has a couple of good losses in Wayne Valley and Caldwell, as well as a defeat at the hands of Group 4 Newark Central. And while they may be a bigger school, that’s the same team that was blown out 55-14 by Phillipsburg in the opening round of the North 2, Group 4 playoffs, in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicated.

The Panthers not only are the defending champions, but went all the way to the Group 1 final, eventually losing to Glassboro, finishing the season 13-1.

Click below to hear New Providence head coach Chet Parlavecchio, Jr., talk about this year’s trails and tribulations – all through a 10-0 season – and their finals matchup against Cedar Grove:

New Providence earns second straight finals trip with 28-21 OT win at Hasbrouck Heights

No one led by more than a touchdown, and they needed more than 48 minutes to decide the game.

That’s playoff football, folks.

In Hasbrouck Heights Friday night, third-seed New Providence got three touchdowns from Jack Fitzgerald – including what turned out to be the game winner in overtime – to come out with a 28-21 win over the second-seeded Aviators, clinching a berth in next week’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 final.

Add in the fact that top-seed Mountain Lakes was upset at home by fourth-seed Cedar Grove, 22-15, in the other semifinal, and it all adds up to the Pioneers hosting that title game, next Friday night at 6:30.

After a scoreless first quarter, New Providence took a 14-0 lead on consecutive touchdowns, a 45-yard run by Kevin Reilly, and a 13-yard run by Fitzgerald, a wide receiver converted to running back when A.J. Whitehead suffered a season-ending leg injury a few weeks ago.

But Heights got the next three scores. Brady Shine caught a 16-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-7 at the break, then Michael Napolitano scored on a ten-yard run in the third to tie it at 14-all, and Shine caught another touchdown pass in the fourth – from Nico Nipitella for 63-yards, to take a 21-14 lead.

And that’s where Fitzgerald took over. He scored from 33-yards out to tie the game at 21 in the fourth.

Then, getting the ball first in overtime, Fitzgerald scored from 25 yards out on the very first play to give the Pioneers a 28-21 lead. On the Aviators’ turn, they got a first down, then took a loss of a yard before throwing three straight incomplete passes to end the game.

So now, it’s New Providence – the last unbeaten team in the Big Central at 10-0 after Manville’s loss at Burlington City Friday night – going up against Cedar Grove (8-3) for the North 1, Group 1 title, a rematch of last year’s final, which the Panthers won 35-14 en route to the state Group 1 final, which they lost to Glassboro.

But that one was on the road. This time, the Pioneers will be at home, looking for a better outcome – and their seventh overall sectional title.

Click below to hear head coach Chet Parlavecchio, Jr., talk about the win with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Big Central guaranteed finalists – and title in North 2, Group 4 – but who else will play for trophies next weekend? A look at the semis

There are eleven Big Central Conference public schools left in the state playoffs, less than half of the 25 teams that initially qualified.

But of those that remain, there are some good opportunities for the league to win championships, and there’s even a guarantee it will in North 2, Group 4, where all four teams playing in semifinals Friday are from the BCC.

That was pretty well expected, as seven of the eight teams in that section were from the Big Central, and the one that wasn’t – eight-seed Newark Central – was likely to get clobbered by top-seed Phillipsburg, which they did, 55-14.

Here’s a look at who’s in action Friday night, public and private – as well as Saturday, where Piscataway and Summit will play home matinees – with links to our pre-game, in-game and post-game coverage.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

  • (4) Union City (6-3) at (1) Bridgewater-Raritan (7-3), Friday 6 pm: Call this the “merger” bowl, with the Panthers of the BCC a merger back in the early 1990s between Bridgewater East and West, and the Soaring Eagles a conglomeration of Emerson and Union Hill in 2008. This is their second meeting, with last year being a 61-10 win for Union City. But that Bridgewater team finished 4-7 on the season, and was 3-6 when they started the playoffs. Union City finished 11-2 and went all the way to the state Group 5 final, losing to Toms River North. This is still a tall order for the Panthers, but they are much closer in record now than they were last season, and one of their two losses came with senior QB Declan Kurdyla back in the lineup. He’s thrown for 1,154 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Jahmier Black (676 yards, 5 TDs) and Denzel Amoafo (633 yards, 12 TDs) lead the ground game. Meanwhile, it’s all the ground game for Union City, which has run it 403 times for nearly 4,000 yards, with two thousand-yard rushers: Ja’Zaire Aurelus (1,084 yards, 18 TD) and Mark Boyd (1,516 yards, 25 TDs). On defense, they have 36 sacks as a team – eleven from Omar Tillman, ten from Reynaldo Mercedes – and nine picks, with two returned for touchdowns.
Two groups of high school football players shaking hands at midfield during a coin toss before a game, one team in white uniforms with red accents and the other in black and yellow uniforms.
Piscataway and Plainfield captains shake hands before the coin toss ahead of their North 2, Group 5 opening round playoff game at Kenny Armwood Stadium in Piscataway on November 1, 2025. (Photo: Marcus Borden)
  • (6) Bayonne (7-3) at (2) Piscataway (8-2), Saturday 1 pm: The Chiefs have beaten Bayonne all three times they’ve played them: in 2014, 2017, and last year in the first round of this section, a 42-13 win for Piscataway, which bowed out in the semis to West Orange. And this may be the best team the Chiefs have had since COVID. They can score, they get good line play, and they bend but don’t break on defense: all characteristics of some of the best P’way teams over the last decade-and-a-half. Read our full preview, with interviews with both head coaches here. This is our “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, so click here to listen as Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas call all the action, with pregame at 12:45 pm.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

  • (3) Old Bridge (9-1) at (2) Sayreville (9-1), Friday 7 pm: Why don’t these two teams play in the regular season? That’s a story for another day. In fact, believe it or not, the Knights and Bombers haven’t played each other since 2021! Besides that blasphemy, these teams have gone back and forth over the years in the series, and this one could see video game-like numbers, between Old Bridge QB Brody Nugent and Sayreville runnigback Shaun Jackson. Nugent has thrown for 1,926 yards and 15 TDs this season, while rushing for 1,108 and 19 scores. Jackson, meanwhile, has rushed for 1,761 yards – that’s 9.8 yards per carry, almost a first down every trip! Follow Marcus Borden for live coverage tonight, with a recap after the game at cjsportsradio.com. The other semifinal at 6 pm Friday features fourth-seed Rancocas Valley (6-4) at top-seed Washington Twp. (10-0). If Rancocas wins, the winner of the Old Bridge-Sayreville game would host the CJ5 final next Friday night. If Washington Twp. wins, the game would be down there, just north of Glassboro and Rowan University. You know, right smack dab in the heart of Central Jersey! (Eye roll)

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:

  • (5) Colonia (7-3) at (1) Phillipsburg (8-1), Friday 7 pm: There have only been two meetings between these two teams, and both have come in the playoffs – and a long time ago. They last met in 2015, a sectional semifinal win for P’burg, and the year before at Rutgers, the Stateliners held off Colonia in overtime for the North 2, Group 4 title. A win for the Patriots would get them back to a title game for the first time since, but more than that, would be a monumental win over one of the premier programs in the state. One matchup to watch will be Colonia receiver R.J. Wortman against Phillipsburg defensive back Jaysen Blacknall. Wortman is the top receiver in the state with 88 – that’s right, close to 100! – catches on the year for 1,160 receiving yards and 14 scores. Can the line buy enough time, though, for Dylan Chiera to get him the ball? The Stateliners are stout up front on both sides of the ball, and Colonia will have to stop a dominating run game. Only St. Joseph-Metuchen has beaten P’burg this year, and that tape has probably been worn out this week by Colonia coach Tom Roarty and his staff. This is our Friday night “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Click here to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the action live from Maloney Stadium, with pregame at 6:45. Read our Colonia preview here, including and interview with head coach Tom Roarty. Our Phillipsburg preview is here, with a chat with head coach Frank Duffy.
A football player catches the ball while being tackled by two defenders on the field during a night game, with a large crowd visible in the background.
Woodbridge senior runningback Joshua Allen scores against Montgomery on October 10, 2025. (Photo: Marcus Borden)
  • (3) Montgomery (7-3) at (2) Woodbridge (8-2), Friday 6 pm: Follow Alec Crouthamel on Twitter for updates – with postgame later on cjsportsradio.com – from this rematch of their October tenth game in Skillman, where the Cougars led 25-14 at the half, but the Barrons scored three third quarter touchdowns to pull ahead, and won 41-33. The two to watch in this one are Woodbridge runningback Joshua Allen – who had 221 yards and three touchdowns in the game – and Montgomery QB Jack Kristjanson, who threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns in that game, but also two picks. He was roughed up a bit in a Cutoff Weekend game at Rahway, getting sacked numerous times and going just 5-of-12 for 27 yards, but bounced back nicely last week against Westfield, with 13-for-20, 251 yards and three scores in a 32-10 win. Woodbridge bounced back last week, too, after losing two straight to end the regular season after a 7-0 start. They beat Rahway 21-7 in the opening round.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

  • (3) West Essex (6-3) at (2) Summit (8-2), Saturday 1 pm: This is their first meeting since 2023, a 27-17 first round playoff defeat for the Hilltoppers, who are 4-13-1 all-time against the Knights. Summit has won three straight – including a victory over Woodbridge – since dropping back-to-back games to start October, both without runningback-turned-QB Alex Schwark in the lineup. When he’s on the field instead of the bench, they’re 8-0. This could be a high scoring game, as both teams can put up points, and both can be scored upon; Summit is allowing 17 points per game to the opposition, West Essex nearly 22, but they are also 4-0 on the road this season, with wins at Caldwell, Lakeland, Nutley and Morris Knolls. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for live coverage of this one, with postgame later at cjsportsradio.com. The winner gets the victor from the other semifinal, which has fourth-seed Roxbury (7-3) at top-seed West Morris (10-0) at 7:30 Friday. Summit, should they win, would be at home if they get Roxbury, and on the road if it’s West Morris.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:

  • (3) New Providence (9-0) at (2) Hasbrouck Heights (8-2), Friday 7 pm: In a rematch of a first-round game last year, New Providence at least is very different. Not only did they graduate star QB T.J. Munn, but standout runningback A.J. Whitehead broke his leg a few weeks ago and won’t be back in the postseason. That’s forced Chet Parlevecchio, Jr.’s staff to shuffle some guys around, leaning more on fullback Mike Petses and converting Jack Fitzgerland from wide receiver to runningback. It’s kept the Pioneers on the right path so far, with Fitzgerald going for 345 yards on 40 carries the last three weeks, after carrying just five times in the four games he even carried the ball prior. Heights is led by senior QB Nico Nipitella (1,018 yards, 16 TDs) and senior RB Michael Naplitano (1,320 yards, 18 scores). After falling in the finals last year at Cedar Grove, New Providence could face them again in the finals. The other semi has the fourth-seeded Panthers (7-3) visiting top-seed Mountain Lakes (7-2) Friday night at 7.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

  • (4) Manville (10-0) at (1) Burlington City (9-1), Friday 6 pm: Last week, Manville made history with its first playoff win, coming in just its sixth playoff appearance all-time. The Mustangs also set a program record with their tenth win. Now, if they get an eleventh, they’ll be in the finals for the first time ever. To do that, they will have to get past a very good Burlington City team that has run the rock about three times more than they’ve thrown it all year, to the tune of 2,278 yards on the ground, with 1,625 of them coming from senior runningback Donte Davis, who also has 22 touchdowns on the year. But hey, Manville has some gamers, too, and dominated Asbury Park on the line of scrimmage last week – though the Blue Devils are not to be confused with the Blue Bishops. Still, the two-headed quarterback monster Manville has with Sam Echeverri and Josh D’Ambrosio is confusing, and watching them on film can only do so much. Can Manville keep making history? The other semifinal is at 6 pm Friday, featuring sixth-seed Point Pleasant Beach (7-2) at second-seed Shore (7-2).
A high school football game in progress, featuring players in blue and yellow uniforms on the field, with a focus on a quarterback preparing to throw the ball under the stadium lights.
Manville’s Josh D’Ambrosio looks to throw against Asbury Park in a Central Jersey Group 1 opening round game at home on October 31, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

NON-PUBLIC GROUP B:

  • (10) St. Thomas Aquinas (5-5) at (7) Immaculata (8-2), Friday 7 pm: The Trojans are in a transition season with new head coach Shamir Bearfield and a host of transfers in and out of the program. But they’re here in the playoffs, and have a solid opponent in the Spartans, who play in the Super Football Conference despite being in Somerset County. Quarterback Zymere Weaver is having a fine sophomore season, throwing for 2,061 yards and 23 touchdowns against just two interceptions, and Ian Roberts paces the ground game with 815 yards and seven scores. Immaculata has won five straight coming in, and is led on the ground by Daysir Spille, with 1,276 yards on 157 carries and 26 touchdowns this season. Should be a good one, with the winner going on to play second-seed Paramus Catholic (4-6), which has a bye along with top-seed DePaul in a 14-team field. The Palladins beat St. Thomas on October third, 42-14.

The playoffs are here! Part Two of our first round, Big Central postseason preview, with a look at Groups 1 through 3

It’s time for the playoffs!

We got through opening weekend in the sweltering heat of the late dog days of August. We didn’t really have much of a fall, but the weather mostly nice. And Cutoff Weekend last weekend saw some teams sweating it out, some disappointed, and others rewarded for their play during the season.

Now, it’s time to get it all going!

Here’s Central Jersey Sports Radio’s look at all the playoff games in Groups 1, 2 and 3 involving BCC schools this weekend, section by section, including game dates and times. Games are Friday, except where noted.

Click here to read our preview of playoff games in Groups 4 and 5.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

  • #5 Cranford (4-5) at #4 Roxbury (6-3), 7 pm: The Cougars could be tough to figure out, or maybe not. Their season has been perfectly symmetrical, a football anagram. They lost their first two, then won two, lost one, then won two again, and lost two coming into the playoffs, falling 40-15 at Colonia, and 23-22 in overtime at Hillside last Saturday. And to move on in the playoffs, they’ll need to win on the road, a place they’re 0-4 this season. Talk about a balanced attack: though they run it more than they pass, Cranford has just 31 more yards passing than they do on the ground, 1,337 to 1,306. But they don’t rely on any one person. For example, five different receivers – led by senior Quinn Smith with 32 and junior John Fiore with 23 – have at least 15 receptions this season. Roxbury, meanwhile, likes to keep it on the ground, and in the hands of duel threat quarterback Frankie Falco. He’s just a sophomore, but he’s completing 62% of his passes for 608 yards and three touchdowns – but seven picks – while rushing for a team-best 1,048 and eleven scores. This will be the first-ever meeting between the schools.
  • #7 Warren Hills (5-4) at #2 Summit (7-2), Saturday 1 pm: These schools were more familiar when they were in the Mid-State Conference together, but haven’t played since 2021. The Blue Streaks have been back and forth all season, never winning or losing more than two straight all year long. Coming off a 48-20 win at Hackettstown that locked down a playoff berth, they’re a balanced attack with a good aerial game, but turnover-prone, while Summit has seven picks on the year and two fumble recoveries, with senior Andrew Trujillo disruptive up front. Say this, the Hilltoppers are battle-tested. Their two losses came to two very tough opponents – Somerville and Bernards, who combined for just one loss between them this season, by the Pioneers – and they’ve beaten some outstanding squads as well, including Montgomery and Woodbridge. Back-tunred-QB Alex Schwark continues to shine running the offense, also running himself, to the tune of 918 yards – and that’s after missing those two games due to injury. There’s a reason Summit is perfect this season with him in the lineup, but he’ll have to have another Alex Schwark type of game for his team to move on to the next round.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 3:

  • #7 Matawan (5-4) at #2 Somerville (8-1), 7 pm: Here’s another first-ever matchup, as the Huskies come in to Brooks Field sporting a 1-4 road record this season, with losses at Hightstown, Red Bank, Middletown North and Shore. Then again, they’re the only team to beat Manasquan this season, so who knows what they’ll come up with. They should be a huge underdog on the road in this first round game to a team that likes to play no-huddle, switching back-and-forth, and also run Aidan Vesuvio-Bush out of the wildcat. The Pioneers are a tough team to keep up with, that’s for sure. But they will have a good shot at defending their 2024 Central Jersey Group 3 title as one of the favorites in this section.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 2:

  • #7 Madison at #2 Bernards, 7 pm: It’s been a long time since these two teams played, their last meeting in September of 2018, predating the Big Central. But Bernards has been the winningest program in the Big Central Conference for three straight seasons. They have not lost a single regular season game, and have a sectional title to their credit, going 32-2 since the start of the 2023 season. The Mountaineers have a program folks, and they play smash-mouth football. As CJSR analyst Marcus Borden once said, “After you play Bernards, you know you played Bernards.” Junior QB Nolan Walsh has been back for a couple of games after missing two due to injury, but it’s good to know that freshman A.J. MacCracken – the first ninth-grader to start at the position for Bernards in at least 50 years, according to head coach Jon Simoneau – wouldn’t miss a beat if he was needed, as he didn’t in two starts. Bernards has put up some big offensive numbers this year, with senior Logan Stevnes nearing 1,000 yards rushing, and Walsh just 77 shy of the same milestone on the passing side. Madison will run it a lot, but yardage-wise they’re very balanced, and rarely turn it over, while their defense stays at home. The Dodgers come in on a three-game winning streak.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 2:

  • #8 Voorhees (8-1) at #1 Camden (6-2), 6 pm: This is a loaded section, and even the top teams will be challenged here. And this will be good measuring stick – win or lose – for the Vikings, who have an incredibly stout run-game and a potent offense, as they face a challenging, explosive South Jersey foe. That includes senior runningback Matteo Tramutola (1,338 yards, 17 TDs) and QB Sam Meekings (99-165, 1,560 pass yards, 19 TDs). With 20 sacks – and a team-best five from senior Madden Kramer. Voorhees’ only loss this season came to Bernards, 31-21, in Week Three (Game Four – don’t get us started on this again!). The Panthers have some strong wins over teams like Kingway and Rancocas Valley. They have been back and forth between QBs this season, as senior Ahman JOnes and freshman Gregory Wyche, Jr., have combined for 1,231 yards passing. And boy can their defensive line play. They have 29 sacks and 47 TFLs on the season, with senior Jerome Foster logging 9 1/2 of each, while fellow senior DB Ibn Muhammad also has 4 1/2 sacks. It’s the first meeting between the schools.
  • #5 Johnson (7-1) at #4 Mansquan (7-1), Saturday 1 pm: No recent history here either, as these two last played in 2016, with ‘Squan coming up with a 33-29 win that year. The Warriors have had a challenging schedule, their lone loss coming to Group 3 Matawan, with wins over Shore (6-2) and Red Bank (5-3). But Johnson has beaten its share of good teams, including Brearley, Metuchen and Delaware Valley, all 5-4. Their lone loss came to undefeated New Providence. While the Big Blue are led by senior runningback Ace Etienne – perhaps the coolest football name ever – ALJ will keep it on the ground even more, almost exclusively. They have run 268 running plays, and made just 27 pass attempts this season, rushing for 2,079 yards and 26 touchdowns behind a balanced attack that includes juniors Zaire Majerska and Manny Rendiero, and sophomore Julian Colon, all with at least 300 yards rushing, with several more close behind.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:

  • #8 Brearley (5-4) at #1 Mountain Lakes (6-2): And so they meet again. The Bears last made the trip up north in 2022 for the North 1, Group 1 title game, and fell 16-6. This year, they open up the playoffs with the Herd, a team they’ve met four times prior, splitting the wins two games apiece. After starting the season 1-2, Mountain lakes has won five straight since, and scored no less than 28 points in any of those games, three times scoring over 40. Included in that are two solid wins over Madison and Newton. It’s almost exclusively a ground attack, having attempted just 39 passes on the year, with 30 runs for a total of 2,592 yards on the ground. Might be best if Brearley can get up early and get the Herd playing from behind. Brearley started the year 0-3, but has won five of six since, the lone loss coming two weeks ago, 27-9, to Metuchen. They beat Dayton 10-7 last weekend to clinch their playoff berth. Senior QB Matthew Resende has put up Matt Sims type numbers on the ground (he was the QB on the ’22 team) but doesn’t do the same through the air; he’s more a runner than a passer. In fact, he hasn’t thrown a TD pass all year in 55 attempts. Sophomore defensive lineman Rocco Federico, however, can get after the QB; he has 13 1/2 sacks on a team that has 19 overall.
  • #6 Secaucus (5-3) at #3 New Providence (8-0), 7 pm: Some way, some how, Chet Parlevecchio, Jr., has been able to keep this team perfect, despite graduation losses and injuries. T.J. Munn, a huge part of last year’s North 2, Group 1 finalist team, graduated, but star runningback A.J. Whitehead returned, only to break his leg late in the season, ending his 2025 campaign. That’s shifted the load to seniors like Jack Fitzgerald, Daniel Porretti, and Mike Petses, who, for example, combined for over 150 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries last week in a win over Delaware Valley. Maybe the secret is how well-coached this team is, and well-prepared. Secaucus has won two straight coming in, and has an interesting setup, with co-head coaches – Charlie Voorhees and Tom Curry, Jr. Their best wins have come over Hawthorne and Bogota. Brandon Vega is the team’s leading rusher at 867 yards and nine scores, but QB Chase Berckes has been turnover-prone, throwing for nearly 700 yards and five TDs, but with six picks. The New Providence defense – with four touchdowns on the year – must be salivating; as a group, they’ve got ten picks this year, returning three for scores. They also have seven fumble recoveries.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

  • #8 Bound Brook (5-4) at #1 Burlington City (8-1), 5 pm: This will be the first-ever meeting between the schools, and not an easy task. The Crusaders are a hard team to figure, as they haven’t beaten the best teams, but three of their losses came to undefeated squads. Four of their wins came over teams that have combined for just three victories themselves, and they lost to 1-8 North Warren in their opener by a score, but they also beat 5-4 Belvidere. But they were likely still working things out, as line coach Rich Hilliard has really transformed the play up front in his first season on head coach Dave LePoidevin’s staff. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils’ only loss came in a rivalry game with Group 3 Burlington Twp., and they’re a veteran group with quality wins on the schedule. This is the epitome of how a tough schedule rewards a team – if they win.
  • #5 Asbury Park (5-3) at #4 Manville (9-0): Throw out the Mustangs’ first undefeated mark since 1968, but note two things here. First, this may be the best Manville team every, at least in the playoff era (since 1974) and b) this is a different level of competition than what they’ve seen most of the year. Take nothing away from their accomplishments: they were hands-down the most dominant Group 1 squad in the Big Central this year, with three shutouts, and averaging 48.5 points per game over their last six, while allowing just under nine per contest. Their best wins were over a pair of 5-4 teams in Bound Brook and Belvidere. And they have a two-headed quarterback situation with Josh D’Ambrosio (1,038 rushing yards, 15 TDs) and Sammy Echeverri, and then there’s Isaiah Bennett (762 rush yards, 15 scores). The defense has 14 sacks on the year. They’ll have to slow one of the top runningbacks in the state in A’Meire Massie, who has breakaway speed, and finds holes opened by the offensive line – which, by the way, includes twin sisters! And boy (girl?) are they legit: Elani and Eniya Johnson. They have made a difference on a team that’s back in the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, under second-year head coach and former Blue Bishop standout QB Will Johnson, who won two titles playing in that majestic stadium along Deal Lake.

Cutoff Weekend Friday Playoff Update – Group 1: New Providence misses top-seed, Brearley faces Saturday play-in, Manville should get a home game, Highland Park looks out even with Saturday win at South River

With Friday night’s Cutoff Weekend high school football games all in the books, Central Jersey Sports Radio is updating the unofficial NJSIAA playoff standings as we head into Saturday action.

We’ll have further analysis late morning into the afternoon Saturday, with our 2025 “Playoff Projection Show” scheduled for 6 pm where we give our bracket projections. The full tournament for the public schools will be unveiled on Sunday by the NJSIAA via Gridiron New Jersey. We’ll have them shortly after. The brackets become official at noon on Monday.

NORTH GROUP 1

Table showing the unofficial NJSIAA playoff standings for North Group 1 high school football, including team names, win-loss records, points per average, and rankings.
  • There was a lot of movement in this supersection Friday night, and it saw New Providence drop from second overall to fourth. And since the highest-ranked team yet to play this weekend is Wallkill Valley at eight, we think the Pioneers stay there, and will be the third-seed in North 2, Group 1.
  • Brearley will have the same scenario as their opponent Saturday when they visit Dayton. Win and they’re in, lose and they’re out. A win could get them to 15 if Hawthorne loses, but if they win, the Bears would likely get in at 16.

SOUTH GROUP 1

Table displaying high school football standings for South Group 1, including team names, wins, losses, ties, points per game, and rankings.
  • A lot changed Friday, and more could happen Saturday with eight teams in contention yet to play. One of those is Highland Park, which edged down to 16 Friday night, but they have winless South River, and even a win there likely drops them out, regardless what anyone else foes.
  • Manville pulled up to seventh from 12th with a win over Bound Brook Friday night to take the Freedom Silver Division title in the BCC. Right now, they would be a four-seed hosting Asbury Park in the first round, but that could change, as Asbury hosts Freehold Boro Saturday, one of seven games that very well could reshape both brackets significantly.

Cutoff Weekend Group 1 Playoff Update: New Providence still has good shot at No. 1 seed, but may need help; can Brearley make it with a win?

It’s Cutoff Weekend in New Jersey high school football, and we’re taking a look at the playoff scenarios for every Big Central team in contention.

This week, Strength Index values are locked in, and out-of-state opponent SI values also have been updated by Gridiron New Jersey, which does all the official calculations of the NJ UPR formula for the NJSIAA. And we’ve double- and triple-checked our own standings to make sure they match with Gridiron’s.

We’ll have another update to the standings after Friday night’s games – yes, there are Thursday games, but none in the BCC, and we’ll only update if there are significant changes.

And, of course, Central Jersey Sports Radio will have its annual “Playoff Projection Show,” airing LIVE on Saturday at 6 pm. Mike Pavlichko hosts with analyst Marcus Borden, and they’ll run through all the projected brackets. Plus, you’ll hear from some of the league’s coaches as well.

Here’s our breakdown of the Group 1 supersections. We won’t be getting into how the brackets look just yet, but we’ll do that with our update after Friday night’s Week 8 action. Click the supersection header to see the official standings on Gridiron New Jersey.

NORTH GROUP 1

  • New Providence: The Pioneers sit in a good position, but aren’t guaranteed a top seed, even with a win Saturday against at Delaware Valley (5-3) Friday night. They don’t appear to have a path to the overall No. 1 seed, but we think they also need losses by both Hasbrouck Heights and Mountain Lakes to stay second overall, and get the top seed in North 2, Group 1. They should be in that section regardless, but we think if either Hasbrouck Heights or Mountain Lakes win, they’ll finish third overall, and be the No. 2 seed in their section. If both win, they’ll end up fourth. With a loss by New Providence, we still think the lowest they could end up is fourth.
  • Brearley: The Bears sit in 18th, and a loss at Dayton (6-1) Saturday would actually push them up to 16th, but a Boonton (4-3) win at Cedar Grove (5-3) the night before would eliminate them. It doesn’t appear anyone else would be able to bump them, so Brearley will be watching the scoreboard Friday night. In that scenario, they’d be two full UPR points out of 16th, and it’s unlikely some random quirk somewhere else would allow them in. A loss appears to eliminate them, with no way to get closer to 16, even with help.
  • Belvidere: Starting the week at 20, it looks like even a win over Middlesex (2-6) would leave them shy of 16th place. We believe they County Seaters are out.

SOUTH GROUP 1

  • Manville: The Mustangs – even with an 8-0 record – are a “true” No. 12; we call as team “true” when their power point rank, OSI rank and UPR are all the same. (Some teams can be 8th in one metric, 12th in another, and be 10th in UPR.) In any event, Manville has a big window, and there could be lost of different scenarios here. Friday night, they play a resurgent Bound Brook team that’s 5-3. It’s on the road, and for the Freedom Silver Division title, as if they needed more motivation! We think their range is eight to 12, maybe 14, if they were to lose to the Crusaders and have a lot of results break the wrong way. But it’s too early now to tell how all the different scenarios could shake out.
  • Highland Park: The Owls are in 15th, and oh-so-close to making the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Unfortunately, we think that streak is going to continue, since Highland Park (2-5) has a road game at South River Saturday, and the winless Rams are 0-8. Even a win would drop them to 18, and it’s unlikely there’s enough help to get them in. We believe the Owls are out.
  • Bound Brook: While the Crusaders are three spots behind Highland Park, they have a much stronger opponent in Manville (8-0) Friday night. They should be in with a win, as there are big-time power points at stake, but the Mustangs are such a strong opponent, it’s possible Bound Brook has a path to the field of 16 even with a loss.