Tag: Northern Highlands

by Mike Pavlichko

Finished Business! Phillipsburg wins North 2, Group 4 title in dramatic fashion on Moreira’s career-long, school record FG as time expires

Two years in a row, Phillipsburg was the top seed heading into a sectional title game and came up empty.

That wasn’t going to happen again.

The Stateliners vowed it wouldn’t as soon as the 2023 football season wrapped up with last year’s Thanksgiving Day win over Easton. They lived that vow in the off-season, during camp, and the entire 2024 season to this point.

Friday night, they made it pay off, thanks to the foot of Alexie Moreira.

He hit a career-best and school record 46-yard field goal as time expired – not long after third-seed Northern Highlands took an 11-10 lead – to give top-seed Phillipsburg a 13-11 win in the North 2, Group 4 title game over the third-seeded Highlanders.

The kick was just his third in his high school career, and a career long at that.

It was a wild finish, as Highlands took a one-point lead with 24 seconds left. They did it on an eight yard touchdown pass from Jack O’Callaghan to senior wide receiver Shane Hanlon, then a two point conversion between the two.

That gave the Stateliners the ball back at their own 36. Senior QB Jett Genovese ran it twice, and hooked up with senior wideout Matthew Scerbo, Jr., twice, to set up Moreira’s heroics.

His first career field goal came in last week’s semifinal win, and his second came earlier in the game to give the Stateliners the lead.

Now 10-1, with their ninth NJSIAA sectional title in hand, the Stateliners wait to see who they will play next week. They’ll face the winner of North 1 Group 4, and that title game is Saturday afternoon at 1:00, when third-seed Ramapo (7-3) visits top-seed Morris Knolls (10-0).

Genovese finished 7-of-9 for 92 yards, rushing for 65 yards on ten carries and the only Phillipsburg TD of the night. Scerbo finished with four catches for 56 yards.

Click below for postgame reaction from Phillipsburg’s North 2, Group 4 title game win over Northern Highlands, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

North 2, Group 4 Final Preview: Phillipsburg Stateliners vs. Northern Highlands Highlanders

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Final:
When: Friday, 7 pm
Where: Maloney Stadium, Phillipsburg
Matchup: #3 Northern Highlands (6-4) at #1 Phillipsburg (9-1)
Coverage: Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter.
Weather: 47 degrees, clear, wind NNW 6 mph (crosswind from home stands toward visitor stands)

HEAD COACHES:

Phillipsburg: Frank Duffy (9th season, 76-23)
Northern Highlands: Dave Cord (3rd season, 24-11)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Phillipsburg:
First Round: def. #8 Nutley, 42-0
Semifinals: def. #5 Chatham, 31-14

Northern Highlands:
First Round: def. #6 Westfield, 21-0
Semifinals: def. #2 Woodbridge, 26-7 (Woodbridge was 10-0)

Who’s next? The winner of this game will play the North 1, Group 4 winner in the Group 4 semifinals. That title game features top-seed Morris Knolls (10-0) hosting third-seed Ramapo (7-3) Saturday afternoon at 1:00. Ramapo beat Ridge in the semifinals, 28-27, the same Red Devils’ team that beat Phillipsburg 28-21 at home back on September 20th. Morris Knolls was the overall No. 1 seed in the section, so if the Stateliners take the title, they would play at Morris Knolls next Saturday (they don’t have lights) if the Golden Eagles beat Ramapo. Should the Raiders beat Knolls, Phillipsburg would host the Group 4 semifinal next Friday night at Maloney.

SERIES HISTORY:

This will be the first meeting between Phillipsburg and Northern Highlands. Both have beaten Westfield this year: the Stateliners in Week One, 44-17, the Highlanders in the opening round of the playoffs, 21-0.

PREVIEWS:

FINALS HISTORY:

Phillipsburg:

The winningest program in New Jersey didn’t play in the NJSIAA playoffs for many years. They won one title in four finals berths from 1975 through 1979 – only missing the title game in 1976 – then joined the NJSIAA in the mid-90s. It took them until 2001 to reach a final, their second overall, and first in a span of seven titles in 11 appearances over nearly two decades from 2001 to 2018.

The Stateliners have been the No. 1 seed in North 2, Group 5 the last two seasons, but fell to 6-seed West Orange, 28-7, in 2022, and to No. 2 seed Union City, 24-17 last season. Now, they’re back down to Group 4.

Playoff Berths: 40
Playoff Record: 34-33
Previous Finals Berths: 17
Sectional Titles: 8

North 2, Group 3
1975: #1 Morris Hills def. #2 Phillipsburg, 7-0
1977: #2 Phillipsburg def. #1 Parsippany, 26-0
1978: #4 Rahway def. #3 Phillipsburg, 23-10
1979: #2 Rahway def. #1 Phillipsburg, 14-6
North 2, Group 4
2001: #5 Phillipsburg def. #2 Montclair, 10-7
2004: #1 Piscataway def. #2 Phillipsburg, 27-26 (OT) at Rutgers
2005: #1 Phillipsburg def. #2 Piscataway, 15-6 at Rutgers
2006: #3 Elizabeth def. #1 Phillipsburg, 14-9
North 2, Group 3
2008: #4 Phillipsburg def. #6 Rahway, 20-6
2009: #2 Phillipsburg def. #5 Ridge, 34-7 at Kean
North 2, Group 4
2013: #1 Phillipsburg def. #6 Mendham, 39-0
2014: #2 Phillipsburg def. #1 Colonia, 28-21 (OT) at Rutgers
2015: #1 Middletown South def. #2 Phillipsburg, 35-7
2017: #2 North Hunterdon def. #1 Phillipsburg, 21-20
2018: #1 Phillipsburg def. #3 Irvington, 42-7
North 2, Group 5
2022: #6 West Orange def. #1 Phillipsburg, 28-7
2023: #2 Union City def. #1 Phillipsburg, 24-17

Northern Highlands:

Of the eight teams playing in the four sectional title games that include Big Central Conference teams, the Highlanders have more experience past the sectional finals than all the others. The reached the bowl/regional championship games in 2019 and 2021 – two of the three years – and made the first-ever Group 4 finals, falling Millville, in 2022.

They also had some success on the front end, making the finals in 1976, 1976 and 1978, winning their first title in their third trip, knocking off top-seed Pascack Hills, 6-0.

They also beat Woodbridge, which featured star runningback Ali Lee Jr., in 2019’s North 1, Group 4 final up in Allendale.

Playoff Berths: 19
Playoff Record: 20-15
Previous Finals Berths: 8
Sectional Titles: 4

North 1, Group 3
1975: #2 Ridgefield Park def. #1 Northern Highlands, 10-8
1976: #2 Ridgefield Park def. #1 Northern Highlands, 7-6
1978: #4 Northern Highlands def. #1 Pascack Hills, 6-0
1984: #1 Wayne Valley def. #2 Northern Highlands, 28-6
North 2, Group 4
2019: #1 Northern Highlands def. #2 Woodbridge, 37-7 (Wayne Valley def. Northern Highlands in North 4 Bowl Championship, 21-17, at Met Life Stadium)
2021: #1 Northern Highlands def. #2 Ramapo, 35-30 (Irvington def. Northern Highlands, 19-14, in North 4 Regional Championship at Rutgers)
2022: #4 Northern Highlands def. #2 Ramapo, 49-42 (Northern Highlands def. North Hunterdon, 21-20, in Group 1 semis) (Millville def. Northern Highlands 18-14 in Group 4 final)
2023: #1 Ramapo def. #3 Northern Highlands, 14-10

2024 PHILLIPSBURG COVERAGE:

New Providence junior A.J. Whitehead and his teammates celebrate his 11-yard touchdown run to open the scoring against Boonton in a North 1, Group 2 opening round game over Boonton on November 2, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

NEWS & NOTES:

Number Ones Involved…

In the last seven title games Phillipsburg has played in, a No. 1 seed has been involved. They won in 2013 as the top seed, then beat No. 1 seed Colonia in overtime to win the 2014 North 2, Group 4 title, 28-21, at Rutgers.

Their next two trips were defeats: in 2015 they lost to top-seed Middletown South, and the next year, they were the No. 1 seed but lost to North Hunterdon.

In 2018, they were the top seed and beat Irvington, but they were also the No. 1 seed the last two seasons, losing to six-seed West Orange in the North 2, Group 5 final in 2022, and two-seed Union City last year.

Phillipsburg is 3-5 all-time in sectional finals when they are the No. 1 seed, 5-4 when they are the second-seed or lower.

Easton vs. State Championship…

Since the 2023 season ended, Phillipsburg has set its sights on a state championship. Losing in the sectional finals the last two seasons with loaded teams that earned the No. 1 seed both years didn’t sit well with the Stateliners, even though they beat Easton on Thanksgiving back-to-back years for the first time since 2002 and 2003.

In the years where Phillipsburg won their eight state sectional titles, Phillipsburg is 3-5 against Easton. In the nine seasons where they lost in the sectional finals, their record is 2-6-1, with those two wins coming in the last two years.

Turn it Up to Seven…

Last year, Phillipsburg scored 431 points, or 35.9 per game, and they topped 40 seven times, with a season-high 54 scored against North Hunterdon (which went winless in 2023).

This year, they have scored 40 or more six times, with two more chances to match last year’s total. This year, they have scored 378 points in ten games, for a 37.8 average.

Defensively, they’ve held six of their 12 opponents to single-digit scoring. And while they have three shutouts to their credit, the lowest point total Phillipsburg has allowed otherwise is 14, three times. Last year’s team had no shutouts, but held half of their 12 opponents to single digits.

Repping Warren County…

There are only five football-playing public high schools in Warren County, a fairly sparse part of New Jersey, population-wise. Besides Phillipsburg, there’s North Warren, Warren Hills, Hackettstown and Belvidere. Combined, the county has claimed just eleven sectional titles over the years, with eight going to the Stateliners.

Warren Hills is the last Warren County school besides Phillipsburg to win a sectional title; that came in 2000, in the North 2, Group 3 section. Belvidere won its only title in North 2, Group 1 in 1999. And Hackettstownwon the North 2, Group 2 title in 1981. North Warren has never won a title.

Phillipsburg is the last Warren County school to win a championship, coming in 2018.

by Mike Pavlichko

Third time’s the charm? Phillipsburg seeks elusive sectional title to cap big three year run as Northern Highlands visits Maloney

Phillipsburg hasn’t been on a three-year run like this in quite some time.

With a 30-4 mark since the opening kickoff of the 2022 season, the Stateliners are having their best stretch since they went 32-4 from 2004-2006, winning a state title in 2005, under coaches Phil Rohm the first year, and Bob Stem the next two.

One big difference so far is that group had a championship. This one has been to the finals the last two years, falling to West Orange in 2022, and Union City last year.

Then again, on this recent three-year run, the ‘Liners have beaten Easton back-to-back, hoping for a third this year. That team only beat the Red Rovers once.

Regardless, Friday night at seven in Phillipsburg, the top-seeded Stateliners (9-1) will entertain third-seed Northern Highlands (6-4) for the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title. And as much as the team’s slogan – among other things – may be “Beat Easton,” “win a championship” might be 1b on the list.

They’ve called it unfinished business. Junior runningback Sam Dech says they have an “underdog mentality.” Call it what you will, the Stateliners have been laser focused all year, with one setback: against Ridge on September 20th. Other than that, it’s been all wins for P’burg, and they plan to continue it Friday night.

Click below to hear Phillipsburg head coach Frank Duffy talk about Friday night’s matchup with Northern Highlands in the North 2, Group 4 title game:

by Mike Pavlichko

“Underdog mentality?” It works for Phillipsburg, as Stateliners head into North 2, Group 4 title game against Northern Highlands

The Phillipsburg football team is 10-1, the top seed in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4. Northern Highlands is 6-4, the third seed in the section.

Are the Stateliners underdogs?

Maybe, maybe not. Phillipsburg has played a challenging schedule all year long, but so has Northern Highlands, which knocked off unbeaten Woodbridge last week in the sectional semifinals.

But P’burg junior runningback Sam Dech says his team has an underdog mentality, and has had it since Day One this season.

Hey, whatever works.

Either way, the two teams will lace it up Friday night for a state sectional title, 7 pm at Maloney Stadium in Phillipsburg. (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates.)

The Stateliners will be seeking their ninth title in the playoff era, and their first since 2018, in their third straight trip to a championship game.

They lost to West Orange in the North 2, Group 5 game in 2022, and Union City in the same game last year, before moving down to Group 4 for 2024. Both years, they were the No. 1 seed. So, is the third time the charm this year?

Phillipsburg has had a business-like air about it all season long, and that clearly hasn’t changed for Friday night.

Meanwhile, Dech has been critical to the team’s success. He’s the team leader in rushing yards with 661 and eight touchdowns, coming off a nine-caarry, 128-yard, one-touchdown performance against Chatham in the sectional semifinals, the fourth 100-plus yard rushing game of his career.

Click below to hear Phillipsburg junior runningback Sam Dech talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Northern Highlands grounds Woodbridge, handing Barrons first defeat, 26-7, in North 2, Group 4 semifinals

When they look back on it, the Woodbridge football team had a wild ride in 2024.

With a perfect regular season for the third time in six seasons, with a new coach at the helm in Joe Goerge, and with the Anderson twins mixing it up night after night, the Barrons looked strong heading into the playoffs, and dismantled Watchung Hills 35-15 in the opening round.

But a week later, it all came screeching to a halt, as the second-seeded Barrons were knocked off at home by third-seed Northern Highlands – which beat them in the North 1, Group 4 final in 2019, one of their other perfect regular seasons – 26-7 Friday night at Priscoe Field.

The Highlanders (6-4) built a 26-0 lead before Woodbridge would get on the board. Junior Chase Calarco opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 33-yard touchdown catch, then ran for a 20-yarder before Peter Vafiadis booted a 22-yard field goal to make it 17-0 at the half.

He kicked another from 24 yards out in the third, then ran in another touchdown from ten yards away in the fourth before the Barrons got on the board. The twin connection hooked up one last time – Derek Anderson to Bryan Anderson – for a three-yard touchdown pass that would finish off the scoring on the night.

Woodbridge finishes its season 10-1, while Northern Highlands will play at top-seed Phillipsburg Friday night in the North 2, Group 4 title game.

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

by Mike Pavlichko

North Hunterdon’s run falls one PAT short in overtime

It was a great run for the North Hunterdon football team in 2022.

But the Lions fell one point shy of making the state’s first-ever Group Finals at Rutgers University.

Plagued by miscues – high snaps, INTs, a missed field goal, and in the end, a tipped PAT – North Hunterdon fell to Northern Highlands Saturday night in the North Group 4 semifinals, 21-20 in overtime, in the nightcap at Franklin High School, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The Lions never led in the game, coming back twice from deficits of 7-0 and 14-7, and missed a chance on a late fourth quarter drive to take their first lead and end the game in regulation, when a 30-yard field goal attempt by Ben Cleary missed.

North Hunterdon still had a chance, even after at least a half-dozen high snaps on plays from scrimmage – most early in the game – and three interceptions thrown by quarterback Luke Martini – one at the goal line – after he had gone the last eight games without throwing a single pick.

Kente Edwards had 12- and two-yard TD runs in regulation.

In overtime, Northern Highlands scored first, and got the PAT to go up 21-14, but Edwards answered to get within 21-20. Kley sent out Cleary for the game-tying PAT to send it to a second overtime, but the Highlanders tipped it, and the kick fell short, ending the game.

North Hunterdon finishes the season 11-2, but still with a trophy to its credit, the North 2 Group 4 championship it won last weekend with a wild 39-35 victory over Randolph.

Northern Highlands goes on to play the winner of the South 4 semifinal being played Sunday at Franklin at 2:30, between Mainland and Millville.

Click below to for postgame reaction with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Senior QB Luke Martini

Head coach Kevin Kley
by Mike Pavlichko

North Group 4 Semifinal Preview: North Hunterdon vs. Northern Highlands

A trip to the NJSIAA’s first ever true state final is on the line Saturday, when North Hunterdon takes on Northern Highlands in a statewide Group 4 semifinal game at Franklin High School in Somerset.

Here’s a complete preview of the game, with stats, key players, championship histories, notes and more:

Group 4 Semifinals
North Hunterdon (North 2 Champion, 11-1) vs. Northern Highlands (North 1 Champion, 8-3)
When: Saturday, 5:30 pm
Where: Franklin High School, Somerset

Coverage: Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast the game live with Mike Pavlichko calling all the action. Click here to listen. Postgame recap and reaction on cjsportsradio.com.

How they got here:

North Hunterdon – the top seed in the section – beat #8 Middletown North 34-7 in the first round, then rallied from 14-0 down in the first quarter to beat #5 Morris Knolls 25-14 in the semifinals. They then won a fourth-quarter shootout against #2 Randolph in the North 2, Group 4 title game, 49-35, with the two teams combining for 49 points in the final 12 minutes, though the Lions never trailed in the game.

Northern Highlands – the No. 4 seed in the section – beat #5 Montgomery at home 27-12 in the opening round, then upset top-seed Irvington on the road in the semifinals, 17-13. In the North 1, Group 4 title game, they beat 2nd-seed Ramapo 29-42 in overtime, in a four-hour epic that saw the stadium lights go out not once, but twice. It was the second straight year the Highlanders beat the Raiders in the sectional final. Last year, it was within days of longtime Ramapo head coach Drew Gibbs dying of heart attack he suffered at practice with the team in preparation for the title tilt.

Who would be next?

The winner of this game would go on to New Jersey’s first-ever public school Group Finals against the winner of the other semifinal, being played Saturday at Cherokee High School in Medford. That features Central Jersey Group 4 champion Mainland (10-1) and South Jersey Group 4 champ Millville (9-2) playing at 2:30 Sunday afternoon at Cherokee. Like North Hunterdon or Northern Highlands, Mainland would have two weeks between games, but Millville plays at Vineland in between on Thanksgiving Day.

Series, League History

This will be the first meeting between North Hunterdon and Northern Highlands in football.

Since the formation of the Big Central Conference, the Highlanders are 3-0 against the league. They beat Somerville in the Rumble on the Raritan last season, 32-20. They’ve also beaten Montgomery twice in the opening round of the playoffs; they won last year 61-14, and this year, 27-12.

North Hunterdon is 2-0 against the Super football Conference this season, with playoff wins over Morris Knolls (25-14) in the sectional semifinals and Randolph (49-35) in the title game.

Finals Histories

North Hunterdon (3-1 in finals)  (12th appearance, 10-9 overall)

  • 2022:  North 2, Group 4:  #1 seed, beat #2 Randolph 49-35 (11-1 through finals)
  • 2017:  North 2, Group 4:  #2 seed, beat #1 Phillipsburg 21-20 at Rutgers (11-1)
    • Lost to Phillipsburg on October 27 that year 20-7 at Maloney Stadium
  • 1978:  Central 3:  #4 seed, lost to #2 JFK 26-6 (8-3)
  • 1975:  Central 3:  #1 seed, beat #3 Franklin 27-18 (10-0)

Northern Highlands (4-2 in finals) (17th appearance, 17-13 overall)

  • 2022: North 1, Group 4: #1 seed, beat #2 Ramapo 49-42 in OT (8-3 through finals)
  • 2021: North 1, Group 4: #1 seed, beat #2 Ramapo 35-30 (12-1)
    • Lost Group 4 semifinals to Irvington 19-14 at Rutgers
  • 2019:  North 1, Group 4: #1 seed, beat #2 Woodbridge 37-7 (9-3)
    • Lost Group 4 semifinals to Wayne Walley 21-17 at MetLife Stadium
  • 1975:  North 1, Group 3:  #1, lost to #2 Ridgefield Park 10-8
  • 1978:  North 1, Group 3:  #4, beat #1 Pascack Hills 6-0
  • 1984:  North 1, Group 3:  #3, lost to #1 Wayne Valley 28-6

Beyond the “Finals”

Since the NJSIAA expanded beyond the sectional semifinals in 2018 with “Bowl Championships” that eventually became renamed “Regional Championships,” Northern Highlands has qualified for the next round after the sectional finals each of the last three years. They didn’t make it out of the first round in 2018, but in 2019, beat Woodbridge 37-7 to advance to the Regional Championship, where they lost to Wayne Valley, 21-7 at MetLife Stadium. With no playoffs in 2020, they again qualified in 2021, beating Ramapo 35-0 to win the North 1, Group 4 title, but falling in the Regional Championship to Irvington.

North Hunterdon’s last sectional title win came in 2017, the year before the NJSIAA added a round to the playoffs. So, neither team has picked up a win in this round, but obviously one of them will on Saturday.

Key Players and Stats

Where do we begin with North Hunterdon? Kente Edwards was the star runningback when the season started, but Kevin Kley has told anyone who will listen that Alex Uryniak could start for any team in the Big Central. That proved to be the case when Edwards got nicked up in the Colonia game, and missed two games, plus parts of two others, coming back in earnest for the sectional semifinals against Morris Knolls. Uryniak didn’t miss a beat. And in the sectional finals, when quarterback Luke Martini didn’t like what the defense was giving the Lions on the ground, he took to the skies to the tune of a career-high 411 passing yards and a career-best five touchdowns – not including two that got called back on the same series – among which were several long bombs.

Martini now has thrown for 2,147 yards on the season with 22 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Edwards leads the ground game with 1,259 yards and 12 scores, while Uryniak has 992 yards on the ground and 13 TDs. In the passing game, Derek Vaddis is Martini’s favorite target, racking up 949 passing yards and 11 scores, and has a streak of three straight hundred-yard receiving and multiple touchdown games. Danny DeLusant is a tasty second option, with 517 yards and seven touchdowns.

Northern Highlands will spread the ball out more, and relies more heavily on the pass game than the run, mixing it up between quarterbacks Nate Johnson and JR Walley, who’ve thrown for 1,335 and 911 yards respectively this season, combining for 20 touchdowns, but also ten picks. Walley started the sectional final game with Nate Johnson out due to injury. Zach Madison is the leading receiver with 801 yards and 5 scores, but Danny Dmiechowski has 9 touchdowns with just 541 yards receiving. Four different players have caught at least 22 passes this season. On the ground, it’s Charlie Sparago who leads the way with 167 carries for 836 yards and eight touchdowns. Defensively, they average just over three sacks a game, 35.5 on the season, so they can get after opposing quarterbacks. Senior Jack Inserra has 15 1/2 of those sacks, and 12 TFLs on the year.

Hot at the right time

On the strength of his career high performance last Saturday in the North 2 Group 4 title tilt, Martini has now thrown for 1,061 yards and 14 touchdowns in the last four games – the annual Milk Can game against Voorhees, and the three sectional playoff games. That’s just under half his season total in passing yards and way more than half of his season touchdown passes. And his favorite target, Derek Vaddis, has been the beneficiary: 20 catches for 333 yards and six touchdowns in the last three games, with two scores in each. If this is the time of year you want to play your best football, these two are leading the way.

Lions’ Milestones

A number of North Hunterdon players are closing in on significant milestones, whether for the season or in their careers.

  • Should the Lions make the Group 4 final in a couple of weeks at Rutgers, and have a modicum of success, Luke Martini could end up eclipsing the 4,000-yard mark for his career, currently sitting at 3,544. With a game like last week, he’s almost there. He’s also a touchdown pass away from 40 in his career.
  • Kenet Edwards is 241 yards shy of 1,500 on the season, and needs a paltry 14 yards to become a career 2,000-yard rusher.
  • Derek Vaddis is already over the 1,000 yard mark for his career, with 1,042, and having tallied just 83 yards on nine catches last season, is 51 away from the 1,000 yard mark this season.

Previews

Past Coverage

by Mike Pavlichko

Coming off third straight sectional title, Northern Highlands looks to make history

Interrupted by the COVID season of high school football – with no playoffs – Northern Highlands is a three-time defending champion in the sectional finals, winning the North 1, Group 4 trophy the last three postseasons straight: 2019, 2021 and 2022.

That’s something it’s never done before, and the Highlanders want to make one more piece of history: win New Jersey’s first ever true state title.

In their way en route to the Group Finals at Rutgers in a couple of weeks are the North Hunterdon Lions (11-1) – the North 2, Group 4 champions – and a team that has proved to be very special all year long.

But Northern Highlands (8-3) has had its share of overcome adversity, particularly at the quarterback position. Sophomore Nate Johnson won the starting job this summer over junior J.R. Walley, but two injuries forced Walley into action, including in the last week-and-a-half in the playoffs.

He had to spell Johnson – who suffered a concussion – for the second half of the Irvington win in the North 1, Group 4 semifinals, then led his team to a win in a dramatic come-from-behind victory, 49-42 in overtime, over Ramapo in the title tilt.

Though Walley is expected to start Saturday, Johnson has been cleared to play, so at this point of the season, it could be anyone’s guess as to who comes out to lead the Highlanders’ spread offense in Saturday’s game.

You can hear the North Group 4 semifinal live from Franklin High School Saturday on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with pregame at 5:00, and kickoff at 5:30. Mike Pavlichko will call all the action, joined by Shane Dunn. Click here to listen to the broadcast.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko speak with Northern Highlands first-year head coach Dave Cord about the season, and his thoughts on Saturday’s matchup with North Hunterdon:

by Mike Pavlichko

Kley knows the challenges in front of North Hunterdon in school’s first trip beyond the sectional finals

This is uncharted territory for North Hunterdon.

In fact, it’s uncharted territory for everyone in high school football in New Jersey.

In 2018, the NJSIAA expanded the playoffs as part of its major overhaul of the postseason, adding an extra round that would pit North 1 against North 2 and South against Central sectional final winners in each group, but go no further. They were called “bowl championships,” and changed the next year to “regional championships.

They were essentially group semifinals, without the finals, and while there were some great games, it was kind of like what they say about ties: it’s like kissing your sister.

This year, however, after a historic vote last December, New Jersey will be playing down to group champions among public schools for the first time ever, so even this is not the last game of the year. There’s one more to play for, one more to get to, one more to win after this weekend.

Be that as it may, that’s not what’s on anyone’s mind in Annandale. They are focused on winning one game, the one against Northern Highlands in the Group 4 semifinals Saturday at 5:30 at Franklin High School in Somerset. The one against a team that has won three straight sectional titles, the last two coming in dramatic fashion over Ramapo.

You can hear Saturday’s game on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko on the call, starting with pregame at 5 pm. Click here to listen.

Head coach Kevin Kley is more worried about how his team will stop North Hunterdon, and put up some points. Never one to tip his hand, those are the vague generalities of what they need to do against the Highlanders Saturday. While both his team and Saturday’s opponent scored a lot of points and gave up a lot of points last weekend, those were somewhat anomalies.

Especially for Northern Highlands. Coming in with an 8-3 mark they had only cracked the 40-point plateau once this season, in a non-competitive 42-6 win over Hackensack back on October 7th. Other than that, their season high output was 29 points heading into the final, which they won 49-42 in overtime.

Coming into the final, Highlands had only been allowing just over 14 points a game, allowing a season high to Old Tappan – this year’s eventual North 1, Group 3 champion – in a shutout loss back on September 9th.

For the Lions, they’ve put up some big numbers this year, and the only other time they allowed more than 24 points in a game was in their lone loss, a 48-21 defeat to Phillipsburg at Maloney Stadium back on September 16th.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk about North Hunterdon and Saturday’s Group 4 semifinals with Lions’ head coach Kevin Kley:

by Mike Pavlichko

Instant Replay: Northern Highlands 32, No. 1 Somerville 20

Click below to listen on-demand to the “Big Central Game of the Week” driven by Mark Montenero and his team at the world-famous Autoland from Sunday, September 5, 2021, the second game of a doubleheader broadcast by Central Jersey Sports Radio from Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium in Piscataway.

Justin Sontupe and Tim Catalfamo call the action.

1st Half

2nd Half