Tag: North Brunswick

August 28, 2026August 31, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Roundup: Governor Livingston puts up big numbers in matinee; North Brunswick snaps skid; Summit survives Colonia; plus scores and Saturday slate

The storm threat that wiped out much of Thursday night’s schedule in the Big Central Conference and across New Jersey meant a busy Friday in the league, with plenty of coverage from our Central Jersey Sports Radio team.

No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan dominated No. 8 Woodbridge up front on both sides of the ball in a 28-7 road win heard on CJSR, while Highland Park blanked New Brunswick 29-0 in another live broadcast heard on CJSR; it was the Owls’ first shutout win in 15 years, since a 37-0 victory at now-shuttered Cardinal McCarrick in South Amboy on Halloween 2011.

Meanwhile, Delaware Valley blanked North Hunterdon at home, 17-0, in a game covered by CJSR football analyst Marcus Borden.

Scroll through for other game recaps and interviews, plus all Friday night (and Thursday) scores, as well as the schedule for Saturday afternoon.

Highlanders score big in season opener over Dayton…

Coming off a 5-5 season, expectations are high for Governor Livingston, which returns a tremendous amount of talent. And nearly everyone got into the act Friday afternoon in a BCC crossover matinee against Dayton.

Five different players scored in a 40-27 win over visiting the Bulldogs, including a pair of touchdown runs for 38- and 16-yards from junior Mateo Liloia.

*Governor Livingston hosts Dayton in the first Big Central Conference game of many on Friday, August 27, 2026. (Source: GLTV on YouTube)*

Junior Connor Jakubowski opened the scoring with a ten-yard touchdown catch courtesy of sophomore QB Colin Hughes, who was 7-of-11 for 122 yards and two touchdown passes. Elijah Garcia added 195 yards and a score on 30 carries.

The Highlanders led 13-7 after one quarter, 27-13 at halftime, and never trailed in the game.

Click here to listen to Governor Livingston head coach Pete Ramiccio talk about the Highlanders’ season-opening win over Dayton with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

Raiders pick up win in Game One after winless ’25…

Coming off a winless campaign in 2025, North Brunswick was all business in the preseason, and at least for the Raiders’ opener, everything clicked on all cylinders.

They beat Snyder out of Jersey City Friday night at home, 39-8, the Raiders’ largest margin of victory since a 43-7 win at East Brunswick in mid-October 2023. They finished 8-1 that year.

Senior Sal Fama-Linn scored three times, all in the first half, after Josh Jeanty scored the opening touchdown of the game on a run. Fama-Linn caught a 94-yard pass from QB Jasiah Hogans to make it 13-0, and added another TD run and a catch in the second quarter to give the Raiders a 27-0 lead at the break. They also got a TD run from Hogans, a field goal from Engels Coello, and recorded a safety.

Click here to listen to North Brunswick head coach Mike Cipot talk about the Raiders’ season-opening win over Snyder with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

Other Notes…

Top-ranked Phillipsburg’s win over Parkland, 28-21, was a tight game all the way, but the Stateliners may have to get used to that. It was their first of four matchups this season against Pennsylvania teams, harkening back to when P’burg’ played in the ‘s East Penn League days. They’ll get Emmaus next week and Freedom the week after, both on the road, as well as their usual Thanksgiving affair with Easton.
While No. 10 Bernards took a season-opening loss against Rutherford, it was, of course, a non-conference game, which means their 32-game Big Central Conference win streak is still intact. But they’ll put that on the line next Friday night at Olcott Field when they welcome in Cranford, which will be playing its season opener, sitting idle this week.
No. 9 Summit got its season off on the right foot, with Jackson Marx returning the opening kick against Colonia 96 yards for a score to go up 7-0 with the PAT. And they built up a 23-0 lead late in the second quarter, before Colonia roared back with three unanswered touchdowns. But the Hilltoppers held on for the win, 23-21. Colonia’s final score, a 10-yard run by Kyle Bell late in the fourth quarter, got them to within two, but a two-point conversion attempt for the tie failed, with Marx again playing the hero, picking off the pass. Summit punted on its next possession and Colonia couldn’t get past midfield before time expired.

Colonia’s Kyle Bell scored on a ten-yard touchdown run late to pull to within two at Summit, but Jackson Marx picked off the ensuing two-point conversion to help seal the win for the Hilltoppers. (Source: Hudl)

After the Big Central went 3-0 in all non-conference games Thursday, the league went just 4-12 in non-league games Friday evening. The only winners were No. 1 Phillipsburg, North Brunswick, Hillside and North Plainfield.

FRIDAY SCOREBOARD

#1 Phillipsburg 28, Parkland (PA) 21
Shawnee 43, #3 Old Bridge 35 (Battle at the Beach, Ocean City)
#5 Somerville 40, South Plainfield 21
#6 Bridgewater-Raritan 28, #8 Woodbridge 7 (GAME RECAP)
#7 Sayreville 23, Plainfield 19
#9 Summit 23, Colonia 21
Rutherford 26, #10 Bernards 20
Warren Hills 36, Voorhees 0
Westfield 33, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 28
Ewing 33, Franklin 21
Manalapan 41, Hillsborough 25
Union 35, Edison 0
Hillside 41, Columbia 0
Eastern 17, Hunterdon Central 14
Perth Amboy 33, Monroe 28
North Warren 32, Bound Brook 0
Hopewell Valley 34, Montgomery 0
North Brunswick 39, Snyder 8
Watchung Hills 14, South Brunswick 0
East Brunswick 41, JFK 0
Wood-Ridge 41, Roselle Park 6
Delaware Valley 17, North Hunterdon 0 (Game Coverage from Marcus Borden)
New Hope-Solebury (PA) 23, South Hunterdon 14
North Plainfield 7, Orange 0
Elizabeth 53, Carteret 6
Highland Park 29, New Brunswick 0 (GAME RECAP)
Hackettstown 27, Belvidere 8
Monmouth 21, Spotswood 7

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

Manville at Keansburg (Battle of the Bridge), 11 am
#4 Piscataway at East Orange 1 pm
St. Thomas Aquinas at Frank J. Macchiarola (NY), 1 pm
South River at Point Pleasant Beach, 2 pm

THURSDAY SCOREBOARD

Brearley 33, Wallington 0
JP Stevens 21, West Windsor-Plainsboro 6
Rahway 30, Willingboro 28

August 15, 2026August 8, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Time for a reset: North Brunswick will get back to fundamentals in effort to right Raiders’ ship

It wasn’t that long ago the North Brunswick football team was thriving, winning seven, eight, nine games a year on a regular basis, even going 7-1 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, with no significant dropoff the next year like so many teams faced.

But the last two years have been struggles, going 2-7 in 2024, and 0-9 last season, their first winless campaign since 1998, the last of three that decade.

And while the nature of high school sports is often cyclical – something veteran head coach Mike Cipot had previously managed to avoid – sometimes it takes hold anyway. But Cipot isn’t exactly buying that either.

“We’ve got to focus on the fundamentals,” Cipot told Central Jersey Sports Radio at Big Central Media Day. “We’ve got to get back to what we do best.”

But Cipot also noticed that last year’s team lacked the type of speed they had when in the program’s better years. That speed seems more evident this off season, with many guys having had a successful track season.

While senior QB Zach Cipot – the head coach’s nephew – is gone after a thousand-yard passing season, top receiver Sal Fama-Linn (53 catches, 625 yards, 2 TD) is back, while Kaji Brown and Jasiah Hogans both saw experience behind center last season. But the Raiders will want more from their run game, which only gained 571 yards as a team in 2025.

The defense also will need to be shored up after allowing nearly 40 points a game last season. If the “back to fundamentals” approach works – think proper tackling technique – it could be a better year for the Raiders.

There’s certainly work to do, but for Cipot, it’s not without precedent. Hired in April of 2017, he took a team that was 1-9 the year prior – and hadn’t won more than two games in any of the previous five seasons – and got them to 6-4, then 10-2 in 2018 with a trip to the Central Jersey Group 5 final.

It’s been done before. The Raiders just need to do it again.

Click below to learn more about the North Brunswick Raiders in 2026 from head coach Mike Cipot, senior WR/DB Sal Fama-Linn and senior two-way lineman Tomi Osho with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko at Big Central Conference Media Day:

June 23, 2026June 23, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: Sayreville, St. Thomas Aquinas to duke it out in National Silver, while Edison, Franklin, North Brunswick hope to make strides

The National Silver may no longer feature the team with the longest Big Central win streak – a distinction that now belongs to Bernards – but St. Thomas Aquinas should be right up there with Sayreville in challenging for the division title in 2026.

The Bombers showed big improvement in Year Two under alum Mark Poore, who went from 4-6 to 9-2 in 2025, falling by one to Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals. But the Trojans also should be improved with more continuity under second-year head coach Shamir Bearfield. Franklin has boosted its coaching staff and should present a real challenge in the division, while Edison and North Brunswick are looking for bounceback years.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the National Silver 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.

Sayreville Bombers (9-2, 4-0, National Sliver Division Champions)
Head Coach: Mark Poore, 3rd season (13-8)

Week 0: Plainfield
Week 1: Ridge
Week 2: Edison*
Week 3: Franklin*
Week 4: at St. Thomas Aquinas*
Week 5: Old Bridge
Week 6: at Somerville
Week 7: at North Brunswick*
Week 8: Piscataway

Like Old Bridge – which the Bombers lost to in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals last season – Sayreville had just one regular season loss, and that came 43-15 to Montgomery after a 7-0 start. But they will have much to replace this season, including senior runningback Shaun Jackson, who finished his career just 23 yards shy of a two-thousand yard rushing campaign in 2025. Poore will look to rising junior Sherwin Appiah (401 yards, 8 TDs) and rising sophomore Dion Osae (534 yards, 3 TD) to fill the gap for a squad that carried it to the tune of 3,335 yards and 40 scores on the ground last season. And tough standouts like DL Julian Perez (5 1/3 sacks, 1 FR) and Adrian Ciesla (3 1/2 sacks) there are some young-uns who contributed last year on defense expected to be back, like risking juniors Kellan Bowers, Grady Walsh and Christian Woodard, each of whom recorded two sacks last season, with Woodard also recovering two fumbles.

St. Thomas Aquinas Trojans (5-6, 3-1, 2nd place National Silver)
Head Coach: Shamir Bearfield, 2nd season (5-6)

Week 0: at Sheepshead Bay (Brooklyn)
Week 1: Westfield
Week 2: at Franklin*
Week 3: at Old Bridge
Week 4: Sayreville*
Week 5: at Somerville
Week 6: North Brunswick*
Week 7: at Edison*
Week 8: St. Joseph-Metuchen
Week 9: OPEN

Shamir Bearfield didn’t get hired until May after a period of turmoil for the Trojan program where Tarig Holman was not retained, and STA’s initial hire changed his mind. So last year’s 5-6 record comes with a little bit of an asterisk. But there’s no doubt Aquinas has the talent to compete again the way they did when they won 32 Big Central Conference games in a row, starting with the late Brian Meeney as head coach with the last win of the COVID season in 20210. Just start with quarterback Zymere Weaver, a sophomore who threw for 2,236 yards and 24 TDs – with just three picks – last year. But while he hit five difference receivers for over 300 yards apiece last year, only one – junior Tristan Bester (338 yards, 4 TDs) will be back, the rest having graduated. The defense returns a ton, including five of the eight players who logged sacks and all four players who totalled five interceptions as a group last year, though the loss of top tackler and linebacker Anwar Witherspoon will be tough to replace with just one person.

Franklin Warriors (4-6, 1-3, 3rd place National Silver)
Head Coach: Blair Wilson, 5th season (11-28)

Week 0: Ewing
Week 1: Colonia
Week 2: St. Thomas Aquinas*
Week 3: at Sayreville*
Week 4: North Brunswick*
Week 5: at Piscataway
Week 6: Edison*
Week 7: at South Brunswick
Week 8: at Woodbridge

It’s a challenging schedule for the Warriors, who opened last year 3-0, but only won one of their final seven games. Wilson has beefed up the coaching staff, bringing on two former head coaches: Derrick Eatman from North Plainfield, and Ibrahim Halsey from South Brunswick, who will coach against his former Vikings in Week Seven. The talent is there to make the push, too, with sophomore QB Jah’naad Cady throwing for 1,040 yards and 13 TDs last year. And on the ground, only one runningback last year – who had two carries – graduates from a group that ran for 1,420 yards last season. He’ll have plenty of targets to throw to as well. A host of solid defensive players should be back, too; freshman Jaden Dublin impressed last year with three sacks and four TFLs, along with a fumble and an INT, while top tackler Maurice Langford registered 62 (23 solo) along with a sack and a fumble recovery.

Edison Eagles (2-8, 1-3, 4th place National Silver)
Head Coach: Matt Yascko, 4th season (10-20)

Week 0: Union
Week 1: Woodbridge
Week 2: at Sayreville*
Week 3: North Brunswick
Week 4: at Summit
Week 5: East Brunswick
Week 6: at Franklin*
Week 7: St. Thomas Aquinas*
Week 8: at Rahway

The Eagles were in a lot of games last year, but just couldn’t get over the hump, or close them out, including a dramatic 33-28 home loss to Franklin where the Warriors scored at the final horn, and two late-season losses right before the cutoff, by one at South Brunswick and two at Paterson Eastside. Flip a few of those this year, and it’s a different season for Edison, whose schedule is manageable. Top rusher Shaun Garland, who had 555 yards and seven TDs (and can also catch the ball) is back for a team that rushed for over 1,700 yards as a group, and has four starters back up front. Garland should also be a big factor defensively, after racking up four sacks, eight TFLs and a forced fumble last season. Other, younger players, however, will have to step up into key roles.

North Brunswick (0-9, 0-4, 5th place National Gold)
Head Coach: Mike Cipot, 10th season (58-32)

Week 0: Snyder
Week 1: at South Brunswick
Week 2: Monroe
Week 3: at Edison*
Week 4: at Franklin*
Week 5: Carteret
Week 6: at St. Thomas Aquinas*
Week 7: Sayreville*
Week 8: East Brunswick

After a 4-6 season that was a downturn for North Brunswick after six straight seasons of seven or more wins, The Raiders went winless last season. But that’s where the program came from when head coach Mike Cipot resurrected it nearly a decade ago, so he’ll be looking to do that again; such is they cyclical nature of high school sports. But he’ll have to find a new quarterback after his nephew, Zach, threw for over a thousand yards last year. The top three receivers – junior Sal Fama-Linn (625 yards, 2 TD), sophomore Kaji Brown (286 yards, 1 TD) and junior Jayvon Dozier (176 yards, 2 TD) should all return for whoever is throwing it to them; sophomore Jasiah Hogans had the most QB experience behind Cipot last year, going 19-of-32 for 234 yards. Brown also had two forced fumbles at defensive back, and linebacker Alie Sakoh (1 fumble recovery, 1 INT) should be among key returnees.

May 18, 2026May 18, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Bryce Payne walks it off for Piscataway as Chiefs rally late again, top North Brunswick, 5-4, in Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational semis

Call the Piscataway baseball the Comeback Kids.

Four days after the second-seeded Chiefs rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to erase a 5-4 deficit and beat seven-seed South Amboy 11-5, they were back at it again, scoring two in their final at bat to pull out a 5-4 win over third-seed North Brunswick and advance to their second GMC Invitational title game in five seasons.

This one was back and forth all game long, with each team nickel-and-diming the other.

The Chiefs scored first, getting a run in the bottom of the second on a bunt down the third base line by Kevin Kovach, with Sumedh Shingala scoring on an error by third baseman Willy Pena. He atoned in the top of the third, leading off the inning with a solo home run to tie the game at one. But Piscataway came right back in the home half of the inning with an RBI double by Patrick Novak to make it 2-1 Chiefs.

Again, the Raiders would counter, and this time, they took the lead with two in the top of the fourth, when Marte Reyes came home from third on a passed ball. Starter Jared Butler covered, then overthrew third trying to get a second runner advancing, Aiden Keiser, who came home to score, giving North Brunswick a 3-2 lead.

And they increased it to 4-2 in the fifth, with an RBI single by Reyes. But Piscataway chipped away in the fifth and closed the gap to 4-3 on a Novak single, for his second RBI of the day.

After a scoreless sixth, and with Shingala now on in relief of Butler, Shingala shut down North Brunswick in the top of the seventh, setting the stage for another bout of late-game Chief heroics.

North Brunswick reliever Mateo Gianni came in to close it out, and he got the first two batters on a strikeout and ground out, but then had control problems. He walked Dominick Summonte on six pitches, then plunked Novak on a 3-1 pitch to put runners at first and second. Shingala walked on four pitches to load the bases.

With a 1-1 count on Kovach, Summonte came in to tie the game on a wild pitch. He eventually walked to load the bases again, and Payne ripped a 3-0 pitch into right for a base hit to win the game.

Shingala got the win in relief for Piscataway, tossing three innings of two-hit, one-run ball, striking out six, keeping the Chiefs in it until they could secure the win.

Piscataway moves on to the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Final on Friday afternoon at 2 pm at Edison High School. They’ll face the winner of Tuesday’s 6 pm semifinal, featuring five-seed Dunellen at top-seed Perth Amboy. You can hear the final live on cjsportsradio.com, or watch it on our YouTube channel.

It’ll be the Chiefs’ second trip to the GMC Invitational. They went in 2021 – also as the second seed – but lost 10-4 to top-seed Sayreville.

Click below for postgame reaction from Piscataway head coach Rob Stoddard with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

May 18, 2026May 18, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

GMC’s Ray Cipperly Invitational resumes this week with semifinal games; CJSR will air Friday’s final

The Greater Middlesex Conference’s Ray Cipperly Invitational tournament continues this week, with a pair of semifinal games at higher seeds. Winners will move on to Friday’s championship game, scheduled for 2 pm at Edison High School, with a live broadcast of the game on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

We’ll present our usual “radio” coverage, which you can listen to here, as well as a live video stream on our YouTube channel; there is no paywall to listen or watch. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will be on the call, with coverage starting at 1:45 pm.

Here’s a look at both semifinals, one scheduled for Monday, the other for Tuesday:

(3) North Brunswick (7-16) at (2) Piscataway (9-10), Monday 4 pm:

These two teams split their regular season matchups in the GMC Blue Division, and ended up right next to each other in the standings, the Chiefs finishing fourth, the Raiders fifth in the seven-team division. North Brunswick won the first meeting 7-0 at home on a combined two-hitter from Mateo Gianni (who went 4 2/3 innings) and Isaias Estrrella. Gianni also had quite the day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four runs batted in. Piscataway took the second game, 8-6, with Sumedh Shingala and Brady Gallogly each knocking in two runs, while Jared Butler picked up the win in relief, thanks to a five-spot by the Chiefs in the fifth inning.

Both teams had byes to the quarterfinals. North Brunswick got to the semis with a 7-0 win over sixth-seed Somerset Tech. Willy Pena and Isaias Estrella knocked in two runs apiece, while Jasiah Hogans went the distance, allowing six hits, striking out five in the shutout.

Piscataway was an 11-5 winner over seven-seed South Amboy last Thursday in the quarterfinals. The Chiefs have won three straight coming in, including two games prior to the start of the Tournament, and has outscored those three opponents 42-6, with a 13-0 shutout of Highland Park, and an 18-1 win over Timothy Christian. Dominick Summonte drove in nearly half his team’s runs, going 2-for-3 with a home run and five runs batted in. Butler again got the win in relief, despite allowing five runs – four earned – in three innings of work; he and starter Sumedh Shingala combined for 17 strikeouts.

(5) Dunellen at (1) Perth Amboy, Tuesday 6 pm:

This is a rare White-Gold Division matchup, as these two schools haven’t played in baseball since at least prior to 2011. The Destroyers have won three straight coming in, while the Panthers have won two in a row.

Just like the other semifinal, both teams had byes to the quarterfinals. Amboy blew past nine-seed New Brunswick – which had picked up its first and only win of the season in the opening round, in a 5-1 win over eight-seed Highland Park. The Panthers scored early and often, with 12 men crossing the plate in the first inning; they added another in the third and six in the fourth, and finished with a five-inning run-rule victory, as starter Darwin Medina allowed just one hit, striking out eleven to get the win.

Dunellen knocked off the four-seed East Brunswick Magnet by run-rule, 14-3 in the quarterfinals. Cole Mayer drove in three runs for the Destroyers, while David Torres and Juan Luis Rodriguez each had 2-for-3 afternoons. Starter Cole Mayer struck out eight and allowed just one earned run on four hits in five innings of work.

August 21, 2025August 17, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

2025 Big Central Preview: National Silver Division

There’s no doubt who was the cream of the crop in the Big Central Conference’s National Silver Division last year. In fact, St. Thomas Aquinas has been one of the top teams in the entire league for several years now and two prior coaches, winning 31 straight against BCC competition coming into this season.

With a new coach, they’re looking for much of the same success, and despite a handful of transfers, still have the horses to do it. The question is: who else will challenge them in the division?

Sayreville enters its second year under alum Mark Poore, but their new starting QB Tyler Butka did see significant action last year in a half-dozen contests.

North Brunswick had an uncharacteristically off year under head coach Mike Cipot, so this year will be somewhat of a reset for the Raiders, while one of their big rivals, Edison, had a bounce-back year last season, thanks in part to a ground game that ran for well over 2,000 yards without the benefit of a thousand-yard rusher.

And Franklin might have had too much success too soon in 2024, starting 3-0, but ending 4-5. That has head coach Blair Wilson keeping a closer eye on the Warriors this year.

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

August 18, 2025August 19, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2025 Camp Caravan: Quad scrimmage with Carteret, North Brunswick and Rahway at Colonia High School

Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden kicked off Week Two of his 2025 Big Central Camp Caravan with a visit to a quad scrimmage at Colonia, which also featured Carteret, North Brunswick and Rahway.

Below is a list of teams, players and coaches from the August 18, 2025 quad scrimmage at Colonia:

Carteret: Head Coach Kevin Freeman, senior Ronelle Nimneh-Gilbert (RB/TE/LB) and junior Nick Gomm (TE/MLB)

Colonia: Head Coach Tom Roarty, seniors Rynal “RJ” Wortman (WR/DB), Julien Jones (LB/ATH), and George Simpson (RB/SS), junior Dylan Chiera (QB)

North Brunswick: Head Coach Mike Cipot, seniors Zach Cipot (QB/LB), Reddrick Robinson (OL/DL), and Ruhan Sriram (OL/DL), junior Sal Fama-Linn (WR/DB)

Rahway: Head Coach Brian Russo, seniors Andrew Avent (RB/LB), Ryan Gourdet (OL/DL), Syncier Toussaint (WR/DB) and Ziare Fields (WR/DB), juniors Jalen Eastman (TE/DE), Jaquan Robinson (QB), Jyvon Cooper (RB/LB/ATH) and Triston Driscal (WR/DB)

June 26, 2025July 3, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2025: Longest league win streak lives in National Silver Division, with St. Thomas Aquinas at 31 and counting

Whatever division St. Thomas Aquinas football has played in over the last four seasons, they have essentially dominated. With a 31-game winning streak against Big Central opponents that dates back to their last game of 2021 (their last loss came to Bernards, which has won 23 BCC games in a row, second best) the Trojans enter 2025 with more change than ever before.

Head coach Tarig Holman was not brought back – the school has never publicly said why – and new hire John Germano was in and out, heading back to Bergen Catholic before the team ever got to practice with him. Shamir Bearfield comes in from St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, and inherits the streak, but will have many challenges ahead.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the National Gold Division teams – in alphabetical order – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge. Please note game dates and times may be changed without notice as the season approaches. Division games marked with an asterisk (*).

Edison Eagles (5-5, 1-3, 4th place in ’24)
Head Coach: Matt Yascko (8-12, 3rd season)

Week 0: at Piscataway (6p)
Week 1: Old Bridge
Week 2: Sayreville*
Week 3: at North Brunswick*
Week 4: Franklin*
Week 5: at Colonia
Week 6: St. Thomas Aquinas*
Week 7: at South Brunswick
Week 8: at Paterson Eastside

The Eagles graduated a ton for Yascko’s first season at the helm of his alma mater, and last year they improved from 3-7 to 5-5. But just like his first year, when he head to replace his son at quarterback, he’ll now have to replace Brian Calantoni, who threw for nearly 1,000 yards last season. Robert Roma could step into that role, but he only threw one pass last season as a junior. There will be some good underclassmen runningbacks returning, including Lenier Whetstone, who leads those coming back with 110 carries for 535 yards and three touchdowns, as well as some options to throw to. The defense will look to limit points, as it allowed 35 or more points in four of Edison’s five losses last season.

Franklin Warriors (4-6, 1-3, 5th place in ’24)
Head Coach: Blair Wilson (7-22, 4th season)

Week 0: at Hammonton (Thu, 6p)
Week 1: Passaic (6p)
Week 2: at East Brunswick
Week 3: St. Thomas Aquinas (6p)*
Week 4: at Edison*
Week 5: at Plainfield (6p)
Week 6: Sayreville* (6p)
Week 7: Monroe
Week 8: North Brunswick*

Wilson has seen improvement since his first season, going 0-8 in 2022, then 3-8 in 2023, and 4-6 last season. They started like gangbusters, with wins over Trenton, Passaic and East Brunswick, but then lost six of their next seven to close the season. They’ll look to Jah’naad Cady, who threw for 1,040 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore, to lead the offense, which has its top five runningbacks returning, and plenty of options to replace the senior receivers graduating. Key defensive pieces return, too, like seniors Miles Muldrow (3 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 INT) and Maurice Langford (1 sack, 7 TFLs).

North Brunswick Radiers (4-6, 2-2, 3rd place in ’24)
Head Coach Mike Cipot: (58-23, 9th season)

Week 0: Jackson (Thu, 6p)
Week 1: South Brunswick (6p)
Week 2: at St. Thomas Aquinas* (6p)
Week 3: Edison*
Week 4: at Sayreville*
Week 5: St. Joseph-Metuchen (6p)
Week 6: Westfield (6p)
Week 7: at Ridge
Week 8: Franklin* (7:15p)

After a 6-4 debut season, head coach Mike Cipot had never won fewer than seven games over a span of the six seasons that followed. That ended last year, when they started 0-3 and stumbled to a 2-7 finish. They didn’t exactly light it up on offense, throwing for only 446 yards, while rushing for just 1,217. Gone are both quarterbacks, Al Trevelise and Tommy Koroma, as well as top key skill guys. The defense – typically a strong suit under Cipot – also will lose some key players from a team

Sayreville Bombers (4-6, 2-2, 2nd place in ’24)
Head Coach: Mark Poore (4-6, 2nd season)

Week 0: at Colonia (Thurs, 6p)
Week 1: Linden
Week 2: at Edison*
Week 3: Hillsborough
Week 4: North Brunswick*
Week 5: at Piscataway (6p)
Week 6: at Franklin* (6p)
Week 7: Montgomery
Week 8: St. Thomas Aquinas*

After Don Sofilkanich took the Bombers to an 8-3 mark in 2023, but was let go, Mark Poore’s club struggled to a 4-8 record in the Sayreville alum’s first season, never putting together back-to-back wins, but then again, never losing more than two in a row either. Either they scored a ton of points – topping 40 three times – or rarely scored, like in two shutout losses, and even a 7-0 win at Montgomery late in the season. Junior Tyler Butka, who took over QB duties halfway through the year, is back after throwing for 301 yards, just one touchdown, but no picks in six games. Even more impressive is that junior Shaun Jackson (1,485 yards, 14 TD) returns as well. A number of juniors made their mark on defense as well last season, including linebackers Brian Zangrillo (2 sacks, 8 TFLs, #3 tackles with 65) and Charles Barnes (1 sack, 8 TFLs, 1 INT, 1 FR).

St. Thomas Aquinas Trojans (9-1, 4-0, National Silver champs in ’24)
Head Coach: Shamir Bearfield (1st season)

Week 0: Montclair (1p)
Week 1: at Red Bank Catholic
Week 2: North Brunswick*
Week 3: at Franklin*
Week 4: Elizabeth
Week 5: Paramus Catholic
Week 6: at Edison*
Week 7: St. Joseph-Metuchen
Week 8: Sayreville*
Week 9: Pope John

Forget about the 31-game Big Central winning streak; if Bearfield can coach up his remaining players, it could take care of itself. The non-division schedule is what’s daunting, but that’s been the Trojans’ way of scheduling in the last couple of years, looking for stronger opponents to challenge themselves and boost their seeding come playoff time. Offensively, though, two big stars are gone. Senior Roman Blanks (1,367 yards, 16 TDs) is gone to graduation, as is RB Chase Young (611 yards, 8 TD), but so is sophomore Chukwuma Odoh, who transferred to Paramus Catholic after rushing for 1,418 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. Can they find someone – or multiple backs – to take up that slack? That might be the biggest question mark – than and how a whole new staff comes together – for the Trojans in 2025.

March 5, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

A chance for another title for Montgomery boys, as Cougars top North Brunswick in CJ4 semis

Back to the finals for Montgomery boys, as Cougars top North Brunswick in CJ4 semis

After reaching their first sectional final in a decade last season, the Montgomery boys’ basketball team is going to the Central Jersey Group 4 title game for a second year in a row.

Maybe it’s something in the water along Route 206, as neighboring Hillsborough’s girls’ team also made the CJ4 finals with a win Wednesday night.

For the top-seeded Montgomery boys – who, like the Raiders – won the title last year, the win that got them there was a 67-43 dominating performance over 12th-seed North Brunswick, which had pulled off two upsets to get here.

Bohdan Biekietov – the reigning Central Jersey Sports Radio Boys’ basketball Player of the Year – has struggled a bit this season. But after the quarterfinal win over East Brunswick, head coach Kris Grundy challenged him to return to the dominating force he was last year as a junior, his first year in the program after fleeing the Ukraine with his mother and sister.

That came to fruition Wednesday, as Biekietov pumped in 21 points to lead all scorers in the game. His presence inside helped the Cougars establish themselves early. He scored the first bucket, en route to a 20-9 lead at the end of one, and a 38-18 bulge at the half.

Fellow Ukranain Kyryl Streltsov added 12 in the win, while Ethan Lin and Christian Hill each contributed eleven points.

Montgomery (23-5) will host third-seed West Windsor-Plainsboro South (23-5) in the finals at 3 pm Saturday. North Brunswick ends its season at 11-18.

Click below to hear Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy talk about the win over North Brunswick, and Saturday’s Central Jersey Group 4 title tilt:

March 3, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

North Brunswick boys continue upset-filled state tourney run, while Montgomery, Gill St. Bernard’s and Rutgers Prep advance

Look out for North Brunswick!

The Raiders’ boys’ basketball team – just 9-17 entering the NJSIAA state tournament – won their second game in a row in upset fashion in Central Jersey Group 4 Monday night, and in the process are just the second Greater Middlesex Conference boys’ team left in the postseason.

Top-seed Montgomery also advanced in the section Monday night, while Gill St. Bernard’s and Rutgers Prep moved on to the semifinals in Non-Public North and South B, respectively.

Here’s a look at Monday night’s action. Scroll down further for the upcoming schedule, including Tuesday’s sectional semis in Groups 1 and 3, Wednesday’s semis for Groups 2 and 4, and Thursday’s non-public sectional semifinals.

Central Jersey Group 4: Top-seed Montgomery – the defending CJ4 champs – topped ninth-seed East Brunswick Monday, 66-47, pulling away with a strong third quarter after taking a 34-26 lead into the break. Christian Hill led the Cougars (22-5) with 20 points, while Ethan Lin added 14. East Brunswick (15-13) got 14 from Cam Vick, to lead the way in defeat. Montgomery will host 12-seed North Brunswick in the semifinals, after the Raiders topped 13-seed Manalapan in a surprise home game – as both teams picked up first round upsets – 57-50. The Raiders trailed 28-25 at the half, and by four going into the final eight minutes, but outscored the Braves (11-17) 17-6 in the fourth quarter to win it. Tommy Koroma scored 21 to lead North Brunswick, while Srijay Bandi added 19, and Joshua Anudon added ten.

Listen to North Brunswick head coach Raheem Byron talk about Monday’s win and his team’s early run in the state playoffs.

(1) Montgomery def. (9) East Brunswick, 66-47
(12) North Brunswick def. (13) Manalapan, 57-50
(3) West Windsor-Plainsboro North def. (6) Trenton, 68-58
(10) Freehold Twp. def. (2) Sayreville, 58-32

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: Third-seed Ridge advanced with a 55-51 win over 11-seed Irvington, holding off the Blue Knights in the fourth to win. The Red Devils (22-6) led 29-23 at the half and would need all of that cushion in the second half. Luke Kreitz led the way with 17 – including 5 of 6 from the foul line – while Gabe Kielb added 14 and Sidd Narayanbhatla scored ten. The Red Devils will go to the Dunn Center Wednesday to play second-seed Elizabeth (19-6) in the semifinals. Meanwhile, fourth-seed Piscataway was bested by fifth-seed Westfield at home, 71-53. The Chiefs got 16 points from Nate Davis in defeat, but end the season having tied a school record 24 wins under first-year head coach Bob Turco. The 2007-08 team also won 24 games, including the North 2, Group 4 title.

(1) Plainfield, def. (8) Linden, 74-58
(5) Westfield def. (4) Piscataway, 71-53
(3) Ridge def. (11) Irvington, 55-51
(2) Elizabeth def. (7) Dickinson, 65-62

Central Jersey Group 2: Seventh-seed Metuchen (20-8) saw its season come to an end with a 66-41 loss at second-seed Rumson-Fair Haven. The Bulldogs – who were the last area team in the section, got a team-best 13 from Cam Hayes-Durina, while Jason Woods added 11.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2: Bernards – the only area team in the section fell 82-51 Monday night at third-seed Madison. The Mountaineers – whose season comes to an end at 16-11 – got a team-high 24 points from Monty Douglass, and 11 from Richie Jobise in defeat.

Non-Public South A: Sixth-seed Immaculata – the last area team left in the bracket – fell 71-51 at third-seed Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft. Riley Gorman led the Spartans with 14 points, while Nick Swartwood added 13. Immaculata ends its season at 20-8, their best campaign since a 22-6 season in 2018, when they reached the Somerset County Tournament semifinals.

Non-Public North B: Top-seed and Somerset County Tournament Champion Gill St. Bernard’s rolled past eight-seed Timothy Christian in Peapack-Gladstone Monday night, 87-32, with only one Knight scoring in double figures. Kobe Closeil had 17, while Stanley Njekwe added eight and 12 rebounds. Gill got out of the gate quickly, with a 28-6 lead after one and a 51-14 lead at the half. Jalen Fleming led Timothy with 17 points – and went 9-of-10 at the charity stripe – ending his stellar career with 2,152 points, the school’s all-time leading scorer. They finish their season at 15-11, while Gill is now 21-6 and moves on to play fourth-seed Morristown-Beard in Thursday’s semifinals.

(1) Gill St. Bernard’s def. (8) Timothy Christian, 87-32
(4) Morristown-Beard def. (5) St. Mary-Rutherford, 52-46
(3) Morris Catholic def. (6) Montclair-Immaculate, 76-60
(2) Roselle Catholic def. (7) Saddle River Day, 77-39

Non-Public South B: Third-seed Rutgers Prep moves on to the semifinals with an 88-67 win over sixth-seed Wildwood Catholic. The Argonauts (19-9) were led by Jacob Canton with 24 points – including five treys – and was one of five players in double figure scoring. Andrew Kretkowski added 17, while Nicholas Nsenkyrie had a triple-double of ten points, ten rebounds, and ten assists. The Argonauts will travel to Delran to face two-seed Holy Cross Prep Thursday in the sectional semifinals.

(1) St. Rose def. (8) Ranney, 68-46
(5) St. Joseph-Hammonton def. (4) Bishop Eustace, 53-49
(3) Rutgers Prep def. (6) Wildwood Catholic, 88-67
(2) Holy Cross Prep def. (7) Holy Spirit, 48-40