Tag: Phillipsburg

by Mike Pavlichko

As six ranked teams fall, one new team joins, another re-enters, but Phillipsburg still atop Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week Five

Week Four was nothing but more chaos in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, but in the end, Phillipsburg remains at the top of the heap in the Week Five rankings. Previous No. 2 Piscataway lost to No. 4 Old Bridge, the No. 1 Stateliners held off No. 5 St. Joseph of Metuchen, and teams seven through ten – Somerville, Rahway, St. Thomas Aquinas and Ridge – all lost as well. Still, there was only room enough for two new teams to join the rankings.

This week’s rankings are a day late because of the Falcons game against Phillipsburg, which was moved to Monday due to rough weather Saturday from the Nor’easter that gripped New Jersey all weekend. But the Stateliners improved to 4-1 with a 42-31 win over the Falcons. It’ll be a quick turnaround for P’burg, which will visit No. 10 Ridge Friday night.

Elizabeth (5-0) moves up to No. 2, after a 28-23 win at Ridge last Friday. The Minutemen – looking for their first 6-0 start since 2012, a year they went undefeated and won the first-ever North 2, Group 5 state title – host neighbor Linden this Friday night.

Old Bridge (4-1) edges up one spot from four to three, after coming back from a 26-0 halftime deficit with 27 unanswered points to beat then-No. 2 Piscataway, 27-26. The Chiefs dropped from second to fourth with the loss. Old Bridge will host Sayreville (4-1) Friday night at 6 in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, while Piscataway renews its rivalry with longtime Thanksgiving foe Franklin (1-4) after a two year hiatus. The Warriors got their first win of the season Monday, in another rescheduled game from the weekend, beating North Brunswick at home, 55-21.

In fifth is St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-2), which stays put after going toe-to-toe with – but losing to – No. 1 Phillipsburg Monday, 42-31. The Falcons have less of a quick turnaround – but a turnaround nonetheless – as they visit Delbarton Saturday afternoon for a non-league game.

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Also holding at six is Bridgewater-Raritan (4-1). The Panthers blanked Westfield Saturday afternoon – the only Big Central teams the play – 20-0, and this week host Hunterdon Central on Friday night at Basilone Field.

Undefeated Cranford (4-0) makes its season debut in the rankings at No. 7, after a 14-7 win over then-No. 8 Rahway Friday night. The Cougars are back in action Friday night against Montgomery, which knocked off previous No. 8 Somerville last week for the second year in a row.

Sayreville (4-1) rejoins the rankings after being knocked out in Week Two. The Bombers had an impressive win over No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas last Friday, 37-21, and will travel to No. 3 Old Bridge Friday night at 6:00 for a game you can listen to on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The last two spots remain the same as last week, as St. Thomas Aquinas (3-2) holds the ninth position, despite the loss to Sayreville; they play Friday night at Somerville. Ridge (2-2) remains at No. 10, and this Friday will host top-ranked Phillipsburg.

After no one dropped out either of the last two weeks, Somerville (3-2) falls out of the rankings, as does No. 8 Rahway (4-1).

Below is the complete 2026 Week Five Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 1 Phillipsburg slugs one out, outlasts No. 5 St. Joseph, 42-31 in Monday Metuchen matinee

Everyone had to wait a couple of extra days for one of the marquee Big Central Conference matchups of the year, as the big Nor’easter that parked itself over the Garden State for the entire weekend forced No. 1 Phillipsburg and No. 5 St. Joseph-Metuchen to reschedule their game for Monday afternoon.

And no matter what rush-hour traffic they may have faced heading back out on Route 78 to Warren County, it’s guaranteed the Stateliners didn’t care, as they came away with a 42-31 win over the Falcons at Brenner Family Field, a win that will surely help them keep their top ranking in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for at least one more week..

The Stateliners (4-1) got the opening score on a 47-yard pick-six from David Pacewicz, but then trailed three times – rallying on each occasion, with the difference being back-to-back touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters.

Julian Colon tied the game for St. Joe’s (2-2) in the first quarter with a four-yard touchdown run, and in the second, Dillon Diaz caught a 47-yard pass from junior quarterback Cole Seyler to give the Falcons their first lead of the game.

That set a back-and-forth in motion for the rest of the contest. Phillipsburg senior runningback Shane Moore scored from 44 yards out to the the game at 14, while St. Joseph answered back with another eight-yard touchdown catch by Diaz, giving his team a 21-14 lead at the break.

In the third, Phillipsburg tied it at 21-all with a 29-yard touchdown run by Xavier Campbell-Graham, but St. Joe’s again took the lead on a 22-yard field goal by Austin Loreti.

Then, Phillipsburg put together back-to-back scores for the first time in the game, giving them their first lead since the opening interception return by Pacewicz. Marcus Jordan brought the fireworks with a 94-yard kick return for a score – breaking multiple tackles on the left sideline all the way – to make it 28-24 ‘Liners. Then, in the fourth, Vincent Berger put his team up by eleven with a one-yard touchdown run.

That insurance was much-needed, as Seyler engineered a fourth-quarter scoring drive that culminated in his own one-yard touchdown run with 5:55 left, getting Joe’s to within four. But again, P’burg answered, as Campbell-Graham punched one in from 14 yards out with 1:37 to go. S

St. Joseph – with time outs – got as far as the P’burg 25 before turning it over on downs, and the Stateliners kneeled to take the W.

Next up, both teams have a quick turnaround: Phillipsburg will travel to Ridge (2-2) Friday night, while the Falcons travel to Delbarton (2-3) for a non-league contest.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Marcus Borden with Phillipsburg senior runningback Shane Moore and head coach Frank Duffy, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Three top-ten matchups force big shuffle in Bellamy & Son Paving Week 4 Top Ten, but Phillipsburg still leads the pack

It was inevitable that at least three ranked Big Central Conference football teams would go down this weekend, with three all-Top Ten matchups on tap. In the end, no one else lost, but those three games helped reshape the Bellamy & Son Paving Week Four rankings, while Phillipsburg remains at the top of the list.

Phillipsburg (3-1) got back on the winning track against its first New Jersey opponent of the year, beating Hillsborough Friday night at Maloney Stadium, 35-7. The Stateliners are back in action at No. 5 St. Joseph of Metuchen this Saturday for a 1 pm matinee against the Falcons.

Piscataway (4-0) edged up one place to No. 2 after a 41-17 win over South Brunswick on Friday, coupled with previous No. 2 St. Joe’s taking a loss. The Chiefs will look to go 5-0 for the first time since 2018, when they finished undefeated at 13-0 – and won the North Group 5 Regional Championship – when they visit No. 4 Old Bridge Friday night at 6 pm. The Knights built an early lead but hung on to beat then-No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas Friday night, 26-24.

Moving from seven to three is Elizabeth, which is 4-0 for the first time since 2011, a year they also started 5-0, following a 62-35 shootout win at home over then-No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen heard Friday night on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Minutemen visit No. 10 Ridge Friday night at 6:30. St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-1) falls to fifth with that loss, and hosts No. 1 Phillipsburg this Saturday at 1:00.

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To make room for Elizabeth, Bridgewater-Raritan (3-1) and Somerville (3-1) both edge down one spot, to fifth and sixth, respectively. The Panthers were 7-3 winners over then-No. 9 Ridge Friday night, and visit Westfield for a 1:00 kick Saturday afternoon, while the Pioneers were 55-24 winners against Watchung Hills Friday, and visit Montgomery at 6 pm this Friday.

Rahway (4-0) continues to rise, and finds itself at No. 8 this week, up two spots after a 42-14 win at Linden Friday. The Indians host Cranford at 6:00 this Friday night.

St. Thomas Aquinas (3-1) edges down one spot to No. 9 after taking its first loss of the season, falling to No. 4 Old Bridge, 26-24, Friday night when a second-half rally fell just short. The Trojans are back at it this Friday night as they host Sayreville at 6 pm.

And down one spot to ten is Ridge (2-1), after their 7-3 loss at then-No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan. The Red Devils entertain third-ranked Elizabeth Friday night, a 6:30 kickoff.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Four Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

All but Phillipsburg win, and all ten teams remain the same in Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Top 10

Sure, there was a full slate of games in the Big Central in Week Two, but Top Ten wise, it was very quiet.

And while No. 1 Phillipsburg (2-1) was the only team to lose, falling 32-31 to Freedom (PA) in their final Pennsylvania game before getting into the BCC slate, that loss didn’t cost them, as they retained their top spot in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Week Three Top Ten.

This week, the Stateliners open divisional play in the BCC American Silver Division when they come back home to Maloney Stadium to take on Hillsborough.

In fact, nobody moved this week – all ten teams remained in their same positions as last week.

That includes St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-0), which beat Westfield on the road Friday night, 28-6. They’ll be one of six teams involved in three Top Ten matchups this weekend, as they travel to No. 7 Elizabeth (3-0) Friday night to face the Minutemen in a battle of unbeatens you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with kickoff set for 6 pm. Elizabeth was a 19-7 winner at Union Friday night.

Holding in third is Piscataway (3-0). The Chiefs were 42-7 winners at East Brunswick on Thursday night, and this week are back at Kenny Armwood Stadium to face South Brunswick at 6 pm.

Old Bridge (3-0) remains in fourth after a 21-0 win at South Brunswick Thursday night, in which starting QB Aiden Rios dinged up his non-throwing shoulder. The Knights will hope he can be back Friday for a home date with No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas. The Trojans (3-0) were 40-0 winners Friday night at Franklin.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

Holding at No. 5 is Bridgewater-Raritan (2-1), which beat Hillsborough for the first time since 2017 Thursday night, 40-14. The Panthers, whose lone loss came in a barnburner at St. Joseph-Metuchen last Saturday afternoon, are back in action for a Top Ten matchup against No. 9 Ridge (2-0) at Basilone Field Friday night. They won out at Hunterdon Central Thursday night, 23-17.

Somerville (2-1) maintains the sixth spot, thanks to a 54-6 drubbing of North Hunterdon at Brooks Field Thursday night. The Pioneers are back in the Ville again this week, hosting Watchung Hills at 6:30 pm.

And No. 10 Rahway (3-0) held serve with a 42-21 win at Woodbridge, the return of head coach Brian Russo to his alma mater, where he also coached. The Indians visit neighbor Linden Friday night at 7.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Three Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Unofficial SI values for out-of-state NJ football opponents in Week Two

Typically, out-of-state opponents make up many early-season games in New Jersey high school football, and then the number of games starts to dwindle as league and division seasons take a stranglehold on the schedule.

And that’s the case this week as we enter Week Two of the season in the Garden State.

There were 13 New Jersey teams playing out-of-state opponents last week, but only seven this week, including one in the Big Central. That’s Phillipsburg, which in addition to playing traditional rival Easton on Thanksgiving, added Pennsylvania schools Parkland, Emmaus, and Freedom this week to their schedule, playing them in the first three games of the year.

Next week, there will be just two: Pingry hosting John Carroll (MD) and Montclair-Kimberley at King School (CT).

The out-of-state SI is calculates by finding the opponent’s rating on MaxPreps. In the case of Freedom, their rating is a 40. We then go to the New Jersey rankings and find the two NJSIAA member schools closest to them, above and below: Nutley (40.24) and Oakcrest (39.98). Then we take the two Strength Index values of the schools (63.33 for Nutley, 61.87 for Oakcrest) and average them to get 62.60 as the SI value for Freedom.

That number won’t be used in the standings for OSI, nor will their new SI value after the game. Rather, Freedom’s SI using the same lookup procedure will be determined officially after MaxPreps updates its ratings this week, and that will be used in the UPR standings without change through Week 6. By NJSIAA rule, another update will be made for Week 7, then the SI locked in for Week 8 (Cutoff Weekend), when all NJ schools are locked in for qualification only. (All games through the end of the playoffs are calculated in the background in order to get an accurate starting number for 2027).

But for now, here are the SI numbers for this week’s out-of-state opponents, which will be used to determine the new SI numbers for next week. Phillipsburg, for example, is rated a 79.8 in the Strength Index, so they would be considered about 17 points better than Freedom.

  • Bergen Catholic: St. Joseph’s Prep (PA), 87.04
  • DePaul: Msgr. Farrell (NY), 79.77
  • Immaculata: Archbishop Stepinac (NY), 73.57
  • Paramus Catholic: Iona Prep (NY), 80.22
  • Phillipsburg: Freedom (PA), 62.60
  • Seton Hall Prep: Chaminade (NY), 75.51
  • St. Peter’s Prep: St. Anthony-Melville (NY), 70.71
by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams win, middle teams drop games, so Bellamy & Son Paving Week 2 Top Ten sees more changes; Phillipsburg still No. 1

Four of the teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Week One Top Ten lost last weekend, which leaves half of them still in the rankings, and the other half out, while the top four all stayed put in Week Two.

That starts with Phillipsburg (2-0) still atop the list, after a 24-10 win at Emmaus (PA) Friday. The Stateliners finish out their three-game Pennsylvania stretch to start the season this Friday when they visit Freedom (PA).

St. Joseph-Metuchen (1-0) won its season-opener in thrilling fashion Saturday afternoon, outlasting then-No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan, 43-36. The Falcons are back at it Friday afternoon at 4 when they travel to Westfield.

Holding in third is Piscataway (2-0). The Chiefs were 28-14 winners over then No. 5 Somerville Friday night in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week, the first time the Pioneer offense has been held without a point since 2023. Thus week, it’s a Thursday trip to East Brunswick for Piscataway.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

Rounding out the unchanged top four is Old Bridge (1-1), which got in the win column after a season-opening non-conference loss to Shawnee in the Battle at the Beach in Ocean City with a 49-21 win over Montgomery Friday. Thursday, the Knights visit South Brunswick, in our Friday night Bellamy & Son Paving Game of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Up a notch from six to five this week is Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1). Though the Panthers lost, they hung in nearly to the wire Saturday in a 43-36 loss at No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen. This week, it’s the Battle of Route 206 as Bridgewater welcomes in Hillsborough.

Flipping with Bridgewater and dropping one spot to sixth is Somerville (1-1), which took a 28-14 loss at No. 3 Piscataway Friday night in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week. The Pioneers host North Hunterdon on Thursday.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

The next two teams both move up two spots this week, after losses by then-No. 7 Sayreville and then No. 8 Summit, both of whom dropped out. It starts with Elizabeth (2-0) at No. 7, following a 43-20 home win over Plainfield Friday. The Minutemen visit Union this Friday. And St. Thomas Aquinas (2-0) moves up to No. 8 after a 24-20 win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood, with a Friday date at Franklin awaiting the Trojans.

The final two teams join the rankings for the first time this season. Ridge (1-0) is at No. 9 after opening its season with a 21-7 win over then-No. 7 Sayreville. The Red Devils visit Flemington to play Hunterdon Central this Thursday.

And Rahway (2-0) comes in at No. 10, after a 21-10 home win over previously-No. 8 Summit. The Indians visit Woodbridge Friday as head coach Brian Russo goes up against his alma mater, where he also previously coached.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

No change atop the Week 1 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten, but two new teams join the list

There was little change from the preseason in the latest Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, with Phillipsburg remaining atop the rankings, while two other teams flip-flopped and two others near the bottom dropped out with losses in their opening games.

Phillipsburg remained at No. 1 after a season-opening 28-21 win over Parkland (PA) at Maloney Stadium. The Stateliners open the season with three straight Pennsylvania opponents, and this week, they cross the “state line” to go play Emmaus (PA) Friday night at 7.

St. Joseph-Metuchen was idle, and remains in the No. 2 spot. The Falcons will welcome in No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan (1-0) Saturday for a 1 pm matinee to kick off their 2026 campaign.

Piscataway won its opener, hanging on with a goal line stand to win 26-20 at East Orange, moving them up one spot to No. 3 in the rankings. They’ll play host to No. 5 Somerville – their first meeting since 1987 – Friday night at 6 in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Old Bridge dropped a tough 43-35 decision to Shawnee out of the West Jersey Football League Friday down at the Battle at the Beach in Ocean City. The drops them one spot to fourth this week. Friday night at 6, they visit Montgomery.

Rounding out the top five is Somerville. The Pioneers beat South Plainfield in their opener at Brooks Field, 40-21, on Friday night, and this week, travel to No. 3 Piscataway. You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio at 6 pm.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

Bridgewater-Raritan holds in the No. 6 position after opening the season with a dominating 28-7 win at then-No. 8 Woodbridge Friday night, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. This week, it’s a tough test at No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen, Saturday at 1 pm at Brenner Family Field.

Sayreville also won its opener, beating Plainfield 23-19 Friday night. That lets them keep the seventh position. The Bombers will host Ridge this Friday at 6:30 pm.

Summit moves up a spot to No. 8 after beating Colonia at home Friday afternoon, 23-21, with Jackson Marx intercepting a two-point conversion just outside the goal line late in the fourth-quarter to help preserve a lead that ended up being the final margin. This week, they visit Rahway for a 6:00 start Friday night.

Jumping in at nine is Elizabeth, one of two new teams in this week’s rankings. The Minutemen were 53-6 winners at Carteret on Friday night, and will visit Plainfield this Friday for a 6 pm kickoff.

The other new team is St. Thomas Aquinas, which won its opener out in Sheepshead Bay over Frank J. Macchiarola (NY), 36-12. The Trojans are back in action Friday, when Westfield visits North Edison for a 6 pm kickoff.

Below is the complete 2026 Week One Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

Dropping out this week are previous No. 8 Woodbridge and previous No. 10 Bernards. The Barrons lost to Bridgewater-Raritan, 28-7, Friday night, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, while the Mountaineers fell 26-20 at Rutherford Friday night.

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
by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg starts 2026 where it ended 2025: Atop the Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten

Most seasons, in most sports – at least as far as we’re concerned – are a crap shoot when it comes to preseason rankings.

It is, of course, impossible to get to see all 59 teams we cover in the Big Central Conference. There are scrimmages, but no true preseason games like in the pros. Coaches are going to talk up their teams, whether they were 1-8, 5-5, or 14-0 and state champs. Sometimes that 1-8 team will have a big turnaround, sometimes a sectional champ will lose a lot of players.

We do our best to weigh who’s coming back, and who graduated, but more often than not, we’ll give the top teams from the year before the benefit of the doubt: a place in the Top Ten is theirs to lose.

And of course, it’s never where you start, but where you finish. And rankings based on opinion are just that: opinion – no matter how objective we try to be.

Nevertheless, there’s a little bit of both in the 2026 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio High School Football Preseason Top Ten, starting at the top.

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Phillipsburg opens the season at No. 1, coming off a 10-3 season a year ago in which they reached their fourth straight sectional final, and won their second straight North 2, Group 4 title. Though they’re expected (official classifications are not out yet) to bump up to Group 5 this year due to the “success formula” for open-enrollment and similar type schools, that doesn’t affect who they play in the regular season. They’ve got a bunch back, and should be solid again.

St. Joseph-Metuchen begins the year at No. 2, up one spot, coming off a very good 8-2 season in which they beat all eight of their Big Central Conference opponents before falling in their regular season finale to Donovan Catholic, and in the opening round of the playoffs to Bergen Catholic.

Old Bridge has lost some key talent, but the Knights are coming off a 10-2 season in which they were one of only two BCC schools in Group 3 or higher to win ten games. The Knights – who went to the Central Jersey Group 5 title game last year, will start the season at No. 3.

Right behind them at No. 4 is Piscataway, which was 8-3, and beat to Old Bridge in the regular season by a touchdown, but was knocked out of the playoffs in the sectional semis. The Chiefs, however, bring back an experienced group led by Landon Pernell at quarterback.

Checking in at No. 5 is Somerville. The Pioneers had a surprising early exit from the playoffs in the first round last year, but finished 8-2 and are expected to be right back in the mix for the division and a sectional title this year. At 20-3 over the past two seasons under Matt Bloom, with a Central Jersey Group 3 title in 2024, that’s the expectation every year, and they have the horses.

A sign featuring the text 'BELLAMY & SON PAVING' in bold red and yellow letters, highlighting residential and commercial paving services.

Checking in at No. 6 is last year’s North Jersey, Section 2 Group 4 champion, Bridgewater-Raritan. The Panthers were 6-3 heading into the playoffs last year, but won all three games in their section – including a thriller in the final against Bayonne – to claim their first-ever sectional title. Still, they face some significant losses, and they’ll work to earn their way back up in ’26.

Sayreville will begin the year at No. 7, taking a huge blow in the loss of Shaun Jackson, who led the Big Central in rushing each of the last two seasons. Still, that’s a program, and alum Mark Poore has done a great job his first two years, and they will remain in the mix this season.

Woodbridge – which will start at No. 8 – finished out of the Top Ten at the end of 2025, but coming off an 8-3 season in Year two under veteran mentor Joe Goerge – after going 10-1 his first year – we know the Barrons are well-coached, and that Goerge can adapt his offensive system to the talent he has, and there certainly is talent in the cupboard.

Summit checks in at No. 9, coming off a 9-3 season and a trip to the North 2, Group 3 final last year, where they lost to West Morris. They dealt with all kinds of injury adversity last year, and this well-coached program will again be highly-competitive.

Bernards comes in at No. 10, and another tremendous regular season, despite a firs-round playoff loss. The numbers speak for itself: The Mountaineers haven’t lost to a Big Central opponent since September of 2022, a defeat at the hands of Hillside. Since then, they have won 32 straight BCC contests, three shy of the record 35 set by St. Thomas Aquinas, which came to an end last year. Since the start of 2022, Bernards has an overall record of 40-5, by far the best in the league over that stretch.

Below is the complete 2026 preseason Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Back up to Group 5 for 2026, Phillipsburg hardly bats an eye, returning major talent as Stateliners seek third straight state title, and a win over Easton

Every football program in New Jersey has their goals. For many, it’s: win the division, win a sectional title, win a state title.

At Phillipsburg, of course, there’s one more to throw in: Beat Easton.

The last four years have been highly successful for the Stateliners in different ways. In 2022, they beat Easton for the first time in eight seasons, and lost in a Group 5 state sectional final. The next year was the same. In 2024, they moved down to Group 4, and again went to two sectional finals, this time winning both, even going to the Group 4 state final in ’24 – but they also lost to Easton that year, and last season.

So, what will the move to Group 5 bring?

That’s an interesting question, as the Phillipsburg program has decided to opt-out of taking most Big Central Conference crossovers this year.

They have three divisional opponents – Ridge, Bridgewater-Raritan and Hillsborough – while playing crossovers against Hunterdon Central and St. Joseph-Metuchen. But they will open with three straight Pennsylvania opponents, harkening back to their days in the East Penn Conference from 1976 to 1994, before they “came back” to Jersey and joined the Skyland Conference, which allowed them to take part in the state playoffs.

But that’s all side stuff and noise. Something Phillipsburg players ignore when they talk about D.I.G: Discipline, Ignore the Noise and Grit. That’s what allows their team talent – and team unity – to take over.

On the offensive side, Dominic Bracco ran the offense superbly last year as a sophomore. While he threw for just 714 yards, the team ran for over 3,400, led by now-graduated senior Sam Deck (1,530 yards, 23 TDs). But the cupboard is hardly bare. Bracco ran for 255 himself, and there are many others, like senior Shane Moore (75 carries, 451 yards, 1 TD last year), who expects to see an increased load on what should again be a run-heavy team.

Duffy calls him a “typical Phillipsburg runningback” who has “great vision and runs very hard.”

Defensively, the loss of Aedan Hywell – who led the team and was near the top of the Big Central in sacks with 14 1/2 in 2025 – will be a big one, but watch out for guys like rising senior Elijah Montgomery (2 1/2 sacks, 6 TFLs.

Click below to learn more about the Phillipsburg Stateliners in 2026 from head coach Frank Duffy, along with senior runningback Shane Moore, senior TE/DE Donovan Samson and senior two-way lineman Alex Randazzo with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko at Big Central Conference Media Day: