Tag: North Plainfield

by Mike Pavlichko

GMCT Girls’ Quarterfinal Roundup: Top three seeds and North Plainfield advance to semis

Some wins were easier than others, but the top three seeds on the girls’ side of the GMC Tournament advanced with quarterfinal wins Saturday at Spotswood High School, while 13-seed North Plainfield also made it to the semis in a rare 12/13 game.

The semifinals will be at Monroe High School on Tuesday at 5 and 7 pm, and Central Jersey Sports Radio will have full coverage with previews next week, and a live broadcast of the doubleheader with Mike Pavlichko and Vin Ebeneau calling the action. Bookmark this link to listen live. Coverage presented by “King James” at the George Street Playhouse in Downtown New Brunswick.

Here are roundups of Saturday’s games in the GMC Tournament Quarterfinals:

(1) St. Thomas Aquinas 88, (9) Carteret 23: The Trojans (20-6) will be playing for a sixth straight trip to the finals, and a chance to win their sixth straight full conference tourney, after dispatching of the Ramblers (16-7) in Saturday’s finale. Trista Whitney led St. Thomas with a double-double of 15 points and ten rebounds, while Leah Crosby also had a double-double of 14 points and ten boards. The Trojans – who allowed 12 points in the first quarter and just ten the entire remaining 24 minutes of the game – will face 13-seed North Plainfield (8-16), which will be playing for a chance to get to its first-ever GMC Tournament final, in just its third year in the league. They beat the Canucks just eleven days ago in a GMC crossover, 82-23.

(13) North Plainfield 69, (12) Old Bridge 35: The Canucks (8-16) got 22 points from star Layla Gutierrez in a game they controlled nearly wire-to-wire, up 19-9 after one quarter, and 34-11 at the half after a second quarter in which they allowed the Knights (11-3) just three points. Jordyn Patrick added 15 for North Plainfield, while Adriana Misciagna led Old Bridge with 12 in defeat. North now takes on top-seed St. Thomas Aquinas (20-6) in Tuesday’s semifinals.

(3) Middlesex 60, (11) Piscataway 50: Jess Devine went off for 31 points for the Blue Jays (19-6), who led 12-5 after one by only 20-19 at the half. The Chiefs (11-10) kept it close, down just four heading into the fourth quarter, but outscored Piscataway 29-17 over the final eight minutes, led by Jess Devine’s 31 points, which tied a season high and was just three points shy of matching her career high. Included was Devine going 13-of-14 from the foul line, while Mallory Gianchiglia went 10-of-13 from the stripe, finishing with 15 points as well as six rebounds. Taylor Lawrence had seven point and ten boards. Sarae Croley-Battle led Piscataway with 15 in defeat. The Blue Jays will play second-seed Monroe (16-7) in the opening semifinal game Tuesday.

(2) Monroe 32, (10) Edison 31 (OT): We’ll have more details on this game as it becomes available.

GMC TOURNAMENT GIRLS’ SEMIFINAL SCHEDULE for TUESDAY:

  • 5 pm: (2) Monroe (16-7) vs. (2) Middlesex (19-6)
  • 7 pm: (1) St. Thomas Aquinas (20-6) vs. North Plainfield (8-16)

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex’s Devine cracks 2,000 point mark, Francisco sets Monroe scoring record, and five of eight lower seeds win in GMCT First Round

The Greater Middlesex Conference basketball tournament has its girls’ quarterfinals set, as the three top seeds – St. Thomas Aquinas, Monroe and Middlesex, in order – were the only higher seeds to win in round of 16 action on Wednesday night.

We’ve got recaps on all eight games, followed by the schedule for this Saturday’s GMCT girls’ quarterfinals, which will be held at Spotswood High School.

WEDNESDAY GMC TOURNAMENT GIRLS’ RESULTS – 1ST ROUND:

  • (1) St. Thomas Aquinas def. (16) North Brunswick, 94-42: Trista Whitney scored 17 points to lead the Trojans (19-6) into the GMC Tournament quarterfinals for the eleventh straight time, the longest such active streak in the county. Kayla Navarro added 14, Lauryn Downing chipped in 13, and Jordan Barnes scored 11 in the win. St. Thomas came out of the game hot, taking a 28-2 lead after one quarter of play. The Raiders fell to 8-14 with the loss. Aquinas will play 9th-seed Carteret (16-6) in Saturday’s quarterfinals at Spotswood.
  • (9) Carteret def. (8) Calvary Christian, 54-29: Anilah Diggs and Jahaysia Ledesman each scored 15 points, while Ivanni Villegas added 13 for the the Ramblers (16-6). It was a tight one at the half, with Calvary up 18-15, but Carteret exploded in the second half, outscoring their opponent 23-11 in the third, and holding them scoreless in the fourth. Next up, the Ramblers play top-seed St. Thomas Aquinas (19-6) in Saturday’s quarterfinals at Spotswood.
  • (12) Old Bridge def. (5) East Brunswick, 47-45: The Knights – who’d lost twice this season to the Bears by 23 the first time, and 21 in the rematch – found the third time was the charm. Old Bridge (11-12) led 25-18 at the half, but gave up the lead in the third quarter, trailing 36-32 heading into the final eight minutes, but they stormed back and hung on for the win over the Bears (12-11). Scroll down to the end of this section to hear Knights’ head coach Alec Alspach talk about the win. Old Bridge will face 13-seed North Plainfield (7-16) Saturday – which they split with this season – in the quarterfinals at Spotswood.
  • (13) North Plainfield def. (4) Spotswood, 46-44: The Canucks (7-16) pulled off the late upset in Spotswood (17-7) for their second straight win after losing eight-in-a-row heading into the GMC Tournament. Jordyn Patrick led with 15 points for North Plainfield, while the Chargers’ Gabrielle Hill tied her for game-high honors with 15 in defeat. North trailed 33-27 heading into the fourth, and still by six with 40-seconds to go, but hit shots down the stretch to come up with a win earns the Canucks a trip right back to Spotswood Saturday for the quarterfinals, where they’ll face 12-seed Old Bridge (11-12).
  • (3) Middlesex def. (14) Colonia, 46-42: Jess Devine scored 22 points and passed the 2,000 point mark for her career early in the win for the Blue Jays (18-6). She now has 2,021 points for all-time. Hailey Conklin had 12 in defeat for Colonia (6-18), which hung in there, down by only eight heading into the fourth quarter. The win puts Middlesex up against 11-seed Piscataway (11-9) in Saturday’s quarterfinals at Spotswood.
  • (11) Piscataway def. (6) South Brunswick, 49-45: The Chiefs (11-9) avenged two earlier defeats this season at the hands of South Brunswick (11-11) thanks to 14 points from Caelyn Cook, and a mammoth game on the boards for Alyssa Iduh, who had 22 rebounds. Avery Jenne had 16 for the Vikings in defeat. Piscataway had to rally from a 22-13 halftime deficit, and did so with a big third quarter, nearly doubling up South Brunswick, 25-13 to take a 38-35 lead into the fourth quarter. The Chiefs will play third-seed Middlesex (18-6) at Spotswood in Saturday’s quarterfinals.
  • (10) Edison def. (7) Metuchen, 47-36: Three players for the Eagles (15-9) scored in double figures, led by Susan Oshinski with 11, while Carmela Arana and Olivia Smart added ten apiece. Edison led the Bulldogs (18-4) most of the way, including 22-16 at the half. The Eagles move on to play second-seed Monroe (15-7) Saturday in the quarterfinals at Spotswood.
  • (2) Monroe def. (15) South Plainfield, 46-36: Senior Evangelina Francisco’s 18 points helped make her the all-time leading scorer in girls’ history at the school, giving her 1,203 in her career, passing Madison Carey, who played from 2017 through 2020 and finished with 1,195. The Falcons (15-7) had a slim two-point halftime lead, and led by three after three, but pulled away in the fourth, holding the Tigers (14-9) to just five points. Monroe will take on Edison in Saturday’s semifinals at Spotswood.

Click below to hear Old Bridge head coach Alex Alspach talk about the Knights’ win over East Brunswick in the GMC Tournament first round:

SATURDAY GMC TOURNAMENT GIRLS’ QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE

Note that while the girls’ times are set, boys’ game times may not follow the same pattern in the bracket as the girls. GMC Tournament Co-Director Mike DelAversano says boys’ times will be adjusted so that any boys’ and girls’ teams from the same school wouldn’t play at the same time at different sites. The girls’ quarterfinals will be at Spotswood, with the boys at Piscataway. We’ll have Saturday’s boys’ schedule as soon as we get it from tournament officials.

  • (3) Middlesex (18-6) vs. (11) Piscataway (11-9), 10 am
  • (2) Monroe (15-7) vs. (10) Edison (15-9), noon
  • (12) Old Bridge (11-12) vs. (13) North Plainfield (7-16), 2 pm
  • (1) St. Thomas Aquinas (19-6) vs. (9) Carteret (16-6), 4 pm
by Mike Pavlichko

North Plainfield pulls lone upset in boys’ GMC Tournament preliminary round; Timothy Christian’s Fleming tops 2,000-point milestone

All but one of the higher seeds won their GMC Tournament preliminary round games on the boys’ side Tuesday, making it a perfect 16 of 16 in that round, coupled with Monday’s girls’ results.

There were some tight ones, including North Brunswick’s win over Edison and Monroe’s victory over South Brunswick. Timothy Christian’s Jalen Fleming scored his 2,000th point in a win over Perth Amboy Magnet. And 21-seed North Plainfield knocked off Silver Division champion and 12-seed Dunellen.

Here’s a recap of Tuesday evening’s action, followed by Thursday’s “first round” matchups in the round of 16. Scroll down after the recaps for postgame reaction from Middlesex head coach Jared Goldstein after the Blue Jays’ come-from-behind win over South River.

TUESDAY’S GMC TOURNAMENT RESULTS – BOYS’ PRELIMINARY ROUND

  • (16) Monroe def. (17) South Brunswick, 48-43: A late rally by the Vikings (6-17) fell just short as the Falcons built a 23-18 halftime lead and were ahead 36-25 heading into the final eight minutes. Joe Porpora led Monroe with 13 points, while Braden Hoiberg and Anthony Barsa added 10, including a 6-of-10 night from the foul line. (Porpora also went 6-for-8 from the charity stripe.) The Falcons (7-16) will face GMC Red Division champion and top-seed Colonia for a third time this year on Thursday in the first round. Colonia won this season’s first matchup on January second, 57-27, but the second one was much closer: 50-40 on January 28th. Monroe only trailed by three at the half.
  • (9) East Brunswick def. (25) JFK, 78-56: The Bears (13-10) got a huge game out of Matt Mikulka, who scored 30 points – while Cam Vick added 14 and Andrew Carusa 12 – in the win. Kennedy (7-12) was led by Grant Lorentzen with 23 points. It was only an eight point game at the half, but the Bears pulled away with a strong 16-6 fourth quarter. East Brunswick will travel to ninth-seed Woodbridge in a “true” 8/9 game that could be a toss-up. The teams split this year, with East Brunswick winning 65-61 before Christmas, while Woodbridge returned the favor with a 47-44 win on January 16th.
  • (21) North Plainfield def. (12) Dunellen, 66-53: Aaron Potts and Quadir Williams each scored 19 points for the Canucks (12-11) in the upset win over the Destroyers (15-6) at the Faber School. Ryan Hutchins scored 15 in defeat for Dunellen, which got behind big early, 22-8 after one, and trailed 40-21 at the half. Next up, the Canucks travel to five-seed Old Bridge, a team they have very little history with, since they only came over from the Skyland Conference to the GMC two seasons ago. They haven’t met since at least 2010. North Plainfield, which started 0-4 and lost eight of its first nine games, has flipped the script late in the season: they’ve now won four straight and eight of their last nine.
  • (13) Perth Amboy def. (20) Spotswood, 74-63: The Panthers had two players go off for 20-plus points, as Lavion Balthazar and Jadiel Manzueta each scored 23 to lead Perth Amboy (12-10) in the win. Balthazar logged a double-double, also grabbing 15 rebounds. Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage led Spotswood with 20 in defeat. Next up, the Panthers (12-10) travel to North Edison to take on four-seed St. Thomas Aquinas (13-8). Their last meeting was in 2022, a 94-47 Trojans win, the only time they’ve played in the last 15 years.
  • (14) Metuchen def. (19) Piscataway Magnet, 55-42: The Bulldogs (17-6) had a big second quarter, outscoring the Raiders 20-5 to take a 35-18 lead at the break, but almost gave it back when they got outscored themselves 20-8 in the third quarter. In a game dominated by defense, Metuchen then held Piscataway Magnet (17-6) to just four fourth quarter points to come out with the win. Jason Woods had 17 to lead the Bulldogs, who will next travel to play third-seed and GMC White Division champion Sayreville Thursday. It’s been almost three years since their last meeting, a 68-51 Bomber win in the 2022 GMCT preliminary round.
  • (11) Middlesex def. (22) South River, 63-58: Despite getting a 31 point game – including nine free throws – from Alex Grospe, South River (11-10) couldn’t keep the Blue Jays from coming back from an eight point halftime deficit, and a rough second quarter in which Middlesex (16-6) was outscored 20-7, coughing up a 15-10 lead at the end of one. Down 45-39 after three, the Jays stormed ahead in the fourth. Four players scored in double figures, including Owen Reynolds with 17, Chris Kozak with 13, Domenic Parenti with a dozen and Mark Melchiore with ten. Next up, Middlesex will visit sixth-seed South Plainfield, the second-place team in the GMC White Division. It’ll be their first meeting since 2022, and the Tigers have won all four matchups since COVID.
  • (10) Timothy Christian def. (26) Perth Amboy Magnet, 65-31: Just a few second in, senior Jalen Fleming nailed a triple from the right of the key to crack the 2,000 point mark in his stellar career. Fleming finished with 26 points to give him 2,023 total. Elijah Pierre added 20 for the Tigers (13-7), while Chukwudi Raphael Mamah had a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. The Patriots fell to 11-9 with the loss. Timothy Christian now moves on to play seventh-seed St. Joseph-Metuchen out of the GMC Red. There’s little history between the teams; the Tigers hung in last February in a GMC Tournament quarterfinal matchup before the Falcons – who were the top seed, but got knocked out in the semifinals – won it 83-68.
  • (15) North Brunswick def. (18) Edison, 68-61: A monster night of 30 points and 10-of-11 from the stripe for Tommy Koroma powered the Raiders (9-14) to the win over the Eagles (12-10). Deshawn Burgess added 11 for North Brunswick, which now moves on to play second-seed Piscataway in their first meeting since 2016.

Click below to hear Middlesex head coach Jared Goldstein talk about the Blue Jays’ rally to beat South River with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

WEDNESDAY’S GMC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE – GIRLS’ FIRST ROUND

  • (16) North Brunswick (8-13) at (1) St. Thomas Aquinas (18-6), 5:30 pm: The Trojans have won their GMC Red Division games by an average of 40-plus points per game, and their last loss to a GMC team came on January 20th, 2022, a 55-41 road loss at Monroe. Their last home loss came March 5, 2021, in the COVID-shortened season, when the Falcons topped them to win the GMC’s top postseason pod, the Somogyi Family Pod. Don’t expect much to change.
  • (9) Carteret (15-6) at (8) Calvary Christian (18-1), 4:15 pm: Calvary beat the Ramblers on January 31st in one of the lowest-scoring games of the year, 24-20, but their only loss this year came to Timothy Christian, which is 8-14 in the same division as Carteret. Call it a toss-up.
  • (12) Old Bridge (10-12) at (5) East Brunswick (12-10), 5:30 pm: The Bears have swept Old Bridge each of the last two years and won five straight in the series. East Brunswick won this year’s matchups by 21 and 23 points, but many games in the GMC Red have been competitive, and this one should be, too.
  • (13) North Plainfield (6-16) at (4) Spotswood (17-6), 6:30 pm: Not a lot of history between these teams, with the Canucks winning their only meeting in the last 15 years back in February of last year, 62-27. But North Plainfield was also 18-7 last season, a 12-win swing so far. This should be a good one as well.
  • (14) Colonia (6-17) at (3) Middlesex (17-6), 5:30 pm: Since 2012, these teams have only met three times. Middlesex won a tight one in 2021, while Colonia won the next two. But this is a different Patriots team without stars Mattie Chiera and Taylor Derkcack. Despite the record, it could be a competitive game.
  • (11) Piscataway (10-9) at (6) South Brunswick (11-10), 5:30 pm: South Brunswick swept both games this season, winning 51-43 on January 4th, and 71-61 just three weeks later. Expect another tight one between these two, with the Vikings having a bit more of a veteran edge.
  • (10) Edison (14-9) at (7) Metuchen (18-3), 6 pm: This will be their second meeting this year, as Edison pulled out a 54-42 win before the holidays. Both are solid clubs and this one also should by highly competitive.
  • (15) South Plainfield (14-8) at (2) Monroe (14-7), 4 pm: Throw out the seeds here. Monroe hasn’t lost in five meetings dating back to 2016, but the last couple have been close. They two played in the Monroe Holiday Tournament, and it was a 49-39 win for the Falcons, but only a five-point game at the half.

THURSDAY’S GMC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE – BOYS’ FIRST ROUND

  • (16) Monroe (7-16) at (1) Colonia (19-4), 7 pm
  • (9) East Brunswick (13-10) at (8) Woodbridge (11-9), 5:30 pm
  • (21) North Plainfield (12-11) at (5) Old Bridge (13-9), 5 pm
  • (13) Perth Amboy (12-10) at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas (13-9), 6:15 pm
  • (14) Metuchen (17-6) at (3) Sayreville (18-3), 7 pm
  • (11) Middlesex (16-6) at (6) South Plainfield (15-7), 4:15
  • (10) Timothy Christian (13-7) at (7) St. Joseph-Metuchen (6-12), 7 pm
  • (15) North Brunswick (9-14) at (2) Piscataway (19-4), 5:30 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Playoff Roundup: Nine area teams advance on opening night of postseason; Bernards only “small school” to win

The opening round of the playoffs saw just nine of the 24 Big Central Conference teams in action Friday night move on to the next round, with four more in action Saturday.

Bridgewater-Raritan won in dramatic fashion, as Irvington doinked a field goal off the left upright to send the Panthers to their first sectional final since 2017. Elizabeth continued its late-season surge with a win over Morristown in the same North 2, Group 5 section, and Somerville and Woodbridge cruised to victories, while Cranford edged Summit in a rematch of a regular season matchup won by the Hilltoppers.

Four of the five Group 2 schools lost – Bernards being the only exception – while all both Group 1 schools fell short as well. Manville is in action Saturday morning at Paulsboro.

Below, we recap each Group’s Friday night action with scores and notes. Projected sectional semifinal matchups are at the bottom of this story.

North 2, Group 5
(1) Union City 49, (8) East Side 0
(2) Elizabeth 34, (7) Morristown 33
(3) Passaic Tech 18, (6) Plainfield 12
(4) Bridgewater-Raritan 34, (5) Irvington 33 (OT) (Full story at the link)

The Panthers are in the semifinals for the first time since 2017, the last of their three straight trips to the North 2, Group 5 finals, all of which were won by Westfield.

Elizabeth has now won four straight after a four-game losing streak that started after the September third firing of John Fiore, and they’ll even get to play another home game.

North 1, Group 5
(1) Ridgewood 33, (8) Passaic 14
(2) West Orange 28, (7) Linden 21

Central Group 5
(1) Washington Twp. 38, (8) Hunterdon Central 0
(2) Atlantic City 47, (7) Eastern 15
(6) Cherokee 16, (3) Old Bridge 14
(5) Cherry Hill 28, (4) Southern 21

South Group 5
(1) Toms River North 55, (8) Bridgeton 6
(2) Rancocas Valley 42, (7) Edison 7
(3) Hillsborough 49, (6) Freehold Twp. 20
(5) Kingsway 13, (4) Howell 0

Jackson Jankowicz scored six of the Raiders’ seven touchdowns in their win over Freehold Township, five on the ground and one through the air in what was likely their last home game of the season. They’ll go on the road next week to take on Rancocas Valley.

North 1, Group 4
(2) Ridge 22, (7) Rahway 14 (Full story at the link)
(3) Ramapo 47, (6) Randolph 27
(4) Mount Olive 40, (5) Newark Central 6

North 2, Group 4
(1) Phillipsburg 42, (8) Nutley 0
(2) Woodbridge 35, (7) Watchung Hills 15 (Full story at the link)
(3) Northern Highlands 21, (6) Westfield 7
(5) Chatham 24, (4) Wayne Valley 7

Phillipsburg led 7-0 after one, but quickly warmed up, scoring five times in the second. Felix Matos had a rushing and receiving touchdown in the win, while Matthew Scerbo, Jr., had two touchdown receptions in the win.

The Stateliners are a win away from their third straight sectional finals berth. The last two were in Group 5, and both losses: to West Orange in 2022, and Union City last year.

North 1, Group 3
(1) Pascack Valley 49, (8) West Milford 14
(7) River Dell 36, (2) Mendham 35 (OT)
(3) Passaic Valley 27, (6) Snyder 0

North 2, Group 3
(1) Old Tappan 19, (8) Weequahic 11
(2) West Essex 43, (7) Dwight Morrow 20
(3) West Morris 28, (6) Wayne Hills 0
(4) Cranford 27, (4) Summit 22

Cranford got payback for a regular season defeat at Summit 21-7 by winning at home Friday night, as the Cougars won their fifth straight.

Central Group 3
(1) Somerville 40, (8) Absegami 0
(7) Delsea 29, (2) Burlington Twp. 12
(3) Cedar Creek 39, (6) Triton 14
(4) Ocean City 42, (5) Allentown 34

The Pioneers continued their undefeated season, improving to 10-0. All but six of their points came in the first half, with Max Nuzzi’s 36-yard pick-six before the break kicking off the running clock, up 34-0 at that point. Five different players scored touchdowns for Somerville, which got two touchdown runs from Josh Rodriguez.

South Group 3
(1) Hopewell Valley 45, (8) Nottingham 15
(2) Mainland 49, (7) Barnegat 14
(4) Seneca 13, (5) Timber Creek 10

North 1, Group 2
(1) Westwood 36, (8) Lakeland 14
(2) Bernards 35, (7) Rutherford 33
(3) Pequannock 28, (6) Madison 27
(5) Shabazz 36, (4) Caldwell 33

Bernards – the defending North 2, Group 2 sectional champion – continues its undefeated season, improving to 10-0 with the win.

North 2, Group 2
(2) Hanover Park 27, (7) Newton 14
(3) Ramsey 27, (6) Lyndhurst 24
(4) High Point 46, (5) Becton 0

Central Group 2
(1) Rumson-Fair Haven 48, (8) Spotswood 0
(3) Wall 34, (7) Haddon Heights 0
(3) Haddonfield 14, (6) Hillside 7
(4) Delran 42, (5) Delaware Valley 7

South Group 2
(1) Camden 46, (8) Middle Twp. 13
(2) Pt. Pleasant Boro 41, (7) Gloucester City 13
(3) Manchester Twp. 30, (6) West Deptford 29
(5) Willingboro 62, (4) Johnson 7

North 1, Group 1
(1) Butler 47, (8) Weehawken 8
(2) New Milford 14, (7) Park Ridge 0
(3) Mountain Lakes 17, (6) Lenape Valley 14

North 2, Group 1
(1) Cedar Grove 38, (8) Wallkill Valley 6
(3) Hasbrouck Heights 41, (6) Wood-Ridge 7
(4) Verona 20, (5) Belvidere 0

Central Group 1
(1) Woodstown 31, (8) KIPP Cooper Norcross 8
(2) Shore 21, (7) New Egypt 0
(6) Woodbury 35, (3) Middlesex 28
(5) Pennsville 41, (4) Burlington City 20

South Group 1
(1) Glassboro 64, (8) Pt. Pleasant Beach 7
(2) Schalick 24, (7) Audubon 0

SEMIFINAL ROUNDS

Here are projected semifinal matchups statewide. Dates and times are based on first round times, when available, and may be subject to change.

North 2, Group 5
(4) Bridgewater-Raritan at (1) Union City, 7 pm Friday
(3) Passaic Tech at (2) Elizabeth, 7 pm Friday

North 1, Group 5
(2) West Orange at (1) Ridgewood, 7 pm Friday
(3) Piscataway/(6) Bayonne vs. (4) East Orange/(5) Montclair

Central Group 5
(4) Southern at (1) Washington Twp., 6 pm Friday
(6) Cherokee at (3) Atlantic City, 6 pm Friday

South Group 5
(4) Howell at (1) Toms River North, 6 pm Friday
(3) Hillsborough at (2) Rancocas Valley, 6 pm Friday

North 1, Group 4
(2) Ridge vs. (1) Morris Knolls/(8) Colonia
(3) Ramapo at (2) Ridge, 7 pm Friday

North 2, Group 4
(5) Chatham at (1) Phillipsburg, 7 pm Friday
(3) Northern Highlands at (2) Woodbridge, 6 pm Friday

Central Group 4
(5) Toms River South/(4) Marlboro at (1) Millville, 6 pm Friday
(6) Jackson Memorial at (2) Brick Memorial), 6 pm Friday

South Group 4
(4) Manalapan vs. (1) Winslow/(8) Princeton
(3 Shawnee at (2) Middletown North, 7 pm Friday

North 1, Group 3
(4) Montville/(5) Sparta at (1) Pascack Valley, 7 pm Friday
(7) River Dell at (3) Passaic Valley, 6:30 pm Friday

North 2, Group 3
(4) Cranford at (1) Old Tappan, 6 pm Friday
(3) West Morris at (2) West Essex, 6:30 pm Friday

Central Group 3
(4) Ocean City at (1) Somerville, 7 pm Friday
(7) Delsea at (3) Cedar Creek, 6 pm Friday

South Group 3
(4) Seneca at (1) Hopewell Valley, 6 pm Friday
(3) Holmdel/(6) Oakcrest at (2) Mainland, 6 pm Friday

North 1, Group 2
(5) Shabazz at (1) Westwood, 7 pm Friday
(3) Pequannock at (2) Bernards, 7 pm Friday

North 2, Group 2
(4) High Point vs. (1) Glen Rock/(8) Waldwick
(3) Ramsey at (2) Hanover Park, 7 pm Friday

Central Group 2
(4) Delran at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven, 7 pm Friday
(3) Haddonfield at (2) Wall, 7 pm Friday

South Group 2
(5) Willingboro at (1) Camden, 6 pm Friday
(3) Manchester Twp. at (2) Pt. Pleasant Boro, 7 pm Friday

North 1, Group 1
(4) Glen Ridge/(5) Pompton Lakes at (1) Butler, 7 pm Friday
(3) Mountain Lakes at (2) New Milford, 7 pm Friday

North 2, Group 1
(4) Verona at (1) Cedar Grove, 7 pm Friday
(3) Hasbrouck Heights vs. (2) New Providence/(7) Boonton

Central Group 1
(5) Pennsville at (1) Woodstown, 7 pm Friday
(6) Woodbury at (2) Shore, 7 pm Friday

South Group 1
(4) Haddon Twp./(5) Riverside at (1) Glassboro, 6 pm Friday
(3) Paulsboro/(6) Manville at (2) Schalick, 6 pm Friday


by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Roundup: Phillipsburg appears to clinch a top-seed, Metuchen upset hurts their chances, East Brunswick shocks South

It’s Cutoff Weekend in New Jersey High School Football, and only 25 games remain to determine the seeding for the playoffs. But so far, 28 teams from the Big Central appear to have made it, with Colonia and Spotswood sneaking in, but Metuchen set to do some scoreboard watching tomorrow.

We’ll get to that in a moment, but first, Phillipsburg looks to have wrapped up a top seed in North Group 5 along with Morris Knolls after a win at Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night. It was a packed top four, and all those teams – Knolls, Ridge, Woodbridge and P’burg emerged from Friday night’s action victorious, with Woodbridge (9-0) capping off an undefeated regular season for the third time in the last six years.

Somerville – the only other Big Central Conference team to cop a top seed – also finished an undefeated regular season at 9-0, and appeared to have the overall No. 1 seed locked up before the weekend even got underway.

East Brunswick 24, South Brunswick 14: The Bears picked up just their second win of the season Friday night, topping the Vikings on the road. The Bears’ last win came in Week One, when they beat Hamilton West out of the West Jersey Football League, 34-14. Since they, they had lost six straight – shut out three times – before snapping the skid to finish their regular season 2-7.

As for the Vikings, they started out 3-0, then went into a tailspin, dropping their last six games to finish the regular season 3-6.

North Plainfield 12, Metuchen 0: The Bulldogs’ playoff chances took a hit – though they still could make it – with a loss to the Canucks at Krausche Field Friday night. Not only does it snap a three-game win streak, but Metuchen fell into 16th place in the South 2 standings.

There’s only one team behind them with a shot that could knock them out. Haddon Heights (1-6) plays at home against Northern Burlington (4-4) at 11 am Saturday. That’s a must win for the Haddon Garnets because there’s a two-win minimum to make the postseason. If they do pull the upset, they’ll jump Spotswood, and Metuchen, bumping the Chargers to 16, while the Bulldogs would drop to 17 and be left out. Despite being former GMC Blue Division rivals, they did not play this year, so they couldn’t get in on the top-down head-to-head rule.

Winning Streaks…

With Central Regional and Glen Rock losing Friday night, Woodbridge, Somerville and Bernards are tied with Cherry Hill East for the third longest winning streak in the state. The Barrons, Pioneers and Mountaineers are all 9-0, as is Cherry Hill East, which is 8-0 but won their final game last season.

The longest win streak in the state belongs to Toms River North, the two-time defending Group 5 state champion, which is one of the favorites, at least, to win a third. Hopewell Valley is next, at 11, with a 9-0 record and two wins to finish last season.

In Big Central play, St. Thomas Aquinas has extended its league record streak to 31, while Bernards is next with 24 league wins in a row. Somerville is third at ten, while Woodbridge has won nine straight BCC games.

Other Friday night scores…

  • No. 1 Somerville 45, Watchung Hills 7
  • No. 2 Woodbridge 35, No. 8 St. Joseph-Metuchen 35
  • No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas 43, Sayreville 20
  • No. 4 Bernards 35, Carteret 7
  • No. 5 Ridge 28, Westfield 10
  • No. 6 Phillipsburg 49, Bridgewater-Raritan 10
  • No. 7 Hillsborough 28, Hunterdon Central 21
  • No. 9 Rahway 28, Montgomery 3
  • No. 10 Piscataway 52, Monroe 0
  • Old Bridge 36, Colonia 29 (2 OT)
  • Cranford 16, Hillside 6
  • North Brunswick 22, Franklin 20
  • Highland Park 37, South River 24
  • Manville 42, Bound Brook 3
  • Governor Livingston 38, New Brunswick 0
  • New Providence 28, Delaware Valley 21
  • North Hunterdon 56, Voorhees 21
  • Johnson 56, Perth Amboy 24
  • Plainfield 22, Linden 9
  • Roselle 28, JP Stevens 8
  • Spotswood 28, Roselle Park 6
  • Summit 44, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 7
  • South Hunterdon 38, Dunellen 7
  • Elizabeth 26, Union 15

Saturday’s Games:

by Mike Pavlichko

2024 Big Central Preview: United Silver Division

Carteret and JP Stevens are out in the United Silver Division of the Big Central Conference, while JFK and New Brunswick move in.

The Mustangs and Zebras will be in with South Plainfield, North Plainfield and Governor Livingston.

The Highlanders finished second to the Ramblers last year, as head coach Pete Ramiccio really got things going after starting late in his debut season in 2022, making the playoffs for the first time since 2009. South Plainfield is likely their biggest challenger, while JFK is counting on some good experience in ’23 to pay off this season.

North Plainfield struggled a year ago, and New Brunswick was winless, but they’ve been working on improving numbers – a rare challenge for a large school – and are hoping for increased depth this season.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ rankings before counties and states have Rutgers Prep atop for a 36th straight week

The run continues for the Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball team, and – if anything – the Lady Argonauts further bolstered their resume with a big win over a state-ranked team this weekend.

Rutgers Prep (17-4) holds the top spot for a 36th straight week – the only team to be No. 1 on the girls’ side in the four years we’ve run it. They beat Franklin and Blair this week, then topped state No. 3 (Prep is No. 2) Red Bank Catholic in the Coaches’ Choice USA Shore Classic on Sunday.

Gill St. Bernard’s (19-2) also had a solid week, going 3-0, with wins over Trenton Catholic, Ridge and St. Rose of Belmar in the Coaches’ Choice showcase.

Staying put in third is St. Thomas Aquinas (17-6), which beat North Brunswick, then lost to national power Long Island Lutheran, but came back for a win at Colonia before falling Saturday to Ocean Township in the Coaches’ Choice event.

Colonia (16-7) moves up a spot to fourth this week. The Patriots went 2-1 with wins over Piscataway and Paterson Eastside surrounding a home loss to Red Division rival St. Thomas Aquinas.

Hillsborough (13-6) also is up a spot, now at No. 5, with a 3-0 week, taking wins from Morristown, South Plainfield and Watchung Hills.

JP Stevens (17-2) made a big jump after a 3-0 week, which included wins over South Plainfield, Woodbridge, and finally, North Plainfield.

As a result, North Plainfield (16-4) dropped to seventh. They had a 1-1 week, with their win coming over Middlesex.

In eighth is Somerville (18-2). The Pioneers held steady with a 3-0 week that saw wins over Belvidere, American History, and Bound Brook.

Monroe (13-8) drops to ninth, going 2-1 this week with wins over North Brunswick and Woodbridge, but they closed out with a loss to South Brunswick.

And East Brunswick (13-8) falls one spot to tenth after a 2-1 week with wins over Edison and South River bookending a loss at South Brunswick.

Below are the full Week 8 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s now 35 straight weeks for Rutgers Prep atop Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten

The powerhouse that is Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball shows no sign of slowing anytime soon, as the Lady Argonauts maintain their position at No. 1 in the Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, the 35th strtaight week they’ve been atop the rankings. They’re the only team to hold that position in the nearly four-year history of the CJSR/Bellamy Top Ten.

In fact, none of the teams in the rankings moved at all this week.

Rutgers Prep (14-4) split its week, with a win over Roselle Catholic Monday, but a loss at the Mecca Showcase Sunday to Bishop McNamara of New York.

Holding in second is Gill St. Bernard’s (15-4), which went 3-0 in the week gone by, notching victories over Pingry, at Hillsborough, and at Mendham.

In third is St. Thomas Aquinas (15-4). They also were unbeaten in the past week, with wins at Notre Dame (NY), over East Brunswick, at Monroe, and over Piscataway.

Holding in fourth at 15-3 is North Plainfield, which had wins at Middlesex and South Plainfield sandwiched around a home loss by four to Woodbridge on Tuesday.

Colonia (14-6) holds at No. 5, going 3-1 this past week. While they opened with a home loss to Piscataway, they came back for three Red Division wins, topping Old Bridge, East Brunswick and Monroe.

Hillsborough (10-6) remains in sixth after a 2-1 week with wins over Watchung Hills and Randolph, followed by a two-point loss to Gill St. Bernard’s.

Monroe (11-7) held in seventh, despite an 0-3 week. They opened with a loss to Piscataway, then took losses to a pair of Top Five teams in St. Thomas Aquinas and Colonia.

Somerville (15-2) stays at No. 8 on a 4-0 week. They beat Union, Manville, Delaware Valley and Bridgewater-Raritan.

East Brunswick (11-7) holds in ninth. They split a four-game week, starting with a road win against West Winsdor-Plainsboro South. They then dropped two back-to-back, at Aquinas and home to Colonia, before closing the week out Saturday with a home win over North Brunswick.

And JP Stevens (14-2) holds on to the No. 10 spot. The Hawks went 3-0 this past week, with wins over Perth Amboy, at Edison, and back home over Sayreville on Saturday.

Below is the full Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 7:

by Mike Pavlichko

Little change in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, but JP Stevens makes its debut

None of the top nine teams in the Week 5 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten saw any change in their ranking, but a new team joined the group in Week 6.

JP Stevens is 11-2 on the year, and has won four straight games, with its only divisional loss coming to White Division leader North Plainfield, with a rematch on tap next week.

In the meantime, Rutgers Prep remains in the No. 1 spot with a 13-3 record following a 3-0 week that saw wins during the week over Hillsborough and Ridge – the second of which earned head coach Mary Klinger her 300th coaching win – as well as over Montclair-Immaculate in the More than a Highlight showcase Saturday.

That’s 34 straight weeks at No. 1 for Prep, which is the only team to hold the spot in the three-plus year history of the CJSR/Bellamy & Son rankings.

Gill St. Bernard’s (13-2) played in the same event Saturday, beating St. Mary’s-Manhasset (NY) following an earlier win during the week over Watchung Hills, keeping them at No. 2 in the rankings.

Third is St. Thomas Aquians (11-4), which also had an unbeaten week, including a home victory over South Brunswick and a road win at Old Bridge.

Checking in at No. 4 is North Plainfield (13-2). The Canucks went 3-0 this week, beating Perth Amboy, Edison and Sayreville, and have won eight straight games, the longest current streak among CJSR-area teams.

Colonia (11-5) holds in fifth despite a 1-2 week, which began with an MLK Day loss at the Jarel Lowery Showcase to Newark Central, and a mid-week non-conference loss to Chatham. The Patriots regrouped with a three-point road win over South Brunswick.

In sixth is Hillsborough (8-5), which fell to Rutgers Prep Wednesday, but bounced back with wins over Immaculata and Pingry.

Holding at seven is Monroe (11-4). The Falcons split a pair this week, beating East Brunswick, but losing an out-of-conference game to Plainfield.

Somerville (11-2) holds in 8th, bookending a mid-week loss to Voorhees with wins over Belvidere and Linden.

In ninth, it’s East Brunswick (9-5), which lost to Monroe Wednesday, but beat Piscataway Saturday afternoon.

Dropping out was Bound Brook (8-4), which went 1-2 this past week with losses to Piscataway and Westwood sandwiched around a victory over Manville.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 6:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep girls stay No. 1, Gill edges up, East Brunswick joins Bellamy & Son Week 5 Top 10

There weren’t too many changes in the Week 5 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten.

Gill St. Bernard’s moved up to second, and East Brunswick’s win over ranked South Brunswick knocked the Vikings (6-5) out of the top ten, with the Bears joining the rankings this week.

Rutgers Prep (10-3) is now at 34 weeks and counting at No. 1, after a 2-1 week that saw wins over Franklin and at Watchung Hills, but a loss Saturday to nationally-ranked Long Island Lutheran (No. 2 in MaxPreps’ rankings). Head coach Mary Klinger is two wins away from 700, sitting at 698 with the next two games set for Tuesday at Hillsborough, then Thursday night at home against Ridge.

Gill St. Bernard’s (11-2) moved up to second this week after going 3-0, with a pair of wins during the week against Union City and Franklin, then picking up a 93-69 win over St. Joseph by the Sea in the College Choice USA Showcase on Saturday.

That puts St. Thomas Aquinas (9-4) at third. The Trojans beat Colonia 72-59 on Thursday, but then fell to Neumann Goretti 69-52 at the College Choice USA Showcase Saturday.

Teams four through six stay the same. North Plainfield (10-2) swept two games this week from JP Stevens and JFK; Colonia (10-3) split with a win over Passaic Charter, but a loss at Aquinas Thursday; and Hillsborough (6-4) lost at North Plainfield Thursday, then beat Scotch Plains-Fanwood Saturday.

Monroe (8-3) and Somerville (9-1) moved up one spot each to seventh and eighth, respectively. The Falcons went 2-0 this past week, with a couple of non-conference wins over Central Regional and Allentown. The Pioneers beat South Hunterdon Thursday, then won at Bound Brook Saturday in a make-up of Tuesday’s game, postponed due to stormy weather and heavy rains.

East Brunswick (8-4) makes its debut at No. 9, after knocking off No. 7 and Red Division foe South Brunswick, 59-53 on Thursday. The Bears also beat Old Bridge Saturday, 62-49, and have won three straight.

And holding in tenth is Bound Brook (7-2), which split a pair this week, winning at Belvidere Thursday 51-43, then falling at home to Somerville Saturday.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Week 5 Girls’ Basketball Top Ten: