Tag: Phillipsburg

November 15, 2025November 15, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg is all business in 41-21 win over Montgomery to claim back-to-back state titles, tenth NJSIAA crown in school history

If you had just walked into Maloney stadium with a couple of minutes left in the fourth quarter, and stuck around for the ending, if it wasn’t for temperatures in the 40s, you might have thought it was a mid-season game between Phillipsburg and Montgomery.

The Stateliners led by 27, looking to run out the clock. The Cougars got a late touchdown to cut it to 20; too little, too late. The clock ran down to zero, and Phillipsburg celebrated like any other win.

Except, it was the program’s tenth NJSIAA state championship, Phillipsburg’s second in a row in North 2, Group 4, as the top-seeded Stateliners took control in the first half after falling behind 7-3 and never looked back, winning the North 2, Group 4 title 41-21 in a the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, and heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Phillipsburg (10-1) will get to play one more time this season at Maloney, hosting Ramapo in the Group 4 state semifinals at 7 pm next Friday. The Raiders (10-1) beat Northern Highlands at home, 28-27, in overtime Friday, holding off the Highlanders as they went for two on their turn in OT.

For the first time since an early October loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen, Phillipsburg found itself trailing in the game, only the second time they’d been behind in the first half all year – the other to West Orange the week before.

They got on the board first, with a 39-yard field goal off the foot of Alexie Moreira, but went down 8-3 after Montgomery QB Jack Kristjanson connected with Obinna Obuba for a 35-yard touchdown, then got a two-point conversion run.

But Phillipsburg would get the next five scores in the game.

First, sophomore QB Dominic Bracco – who was 7-of-10 passing for 109 yards and three touchdowns – hit Shane Moore out of the backfield for a 67-yard TD strike to make it 11-8 after a two-point run with 1:41 to go in the opneing quarter. Sam Dech scored on the next drive just 1:58 into the second on a one-yard run, and then – after Montgomery interception a yard out of their own end zone, Phillipsburg got a safety to make it 20-8 with 1:41 to go before the half, then added one more for good measure with five seconds to go before the break, a 13-yard touchdown run by Bracco to make it 26-8 going into the locker room.

By that point, Montgomery (8-4) – which had made some good defensive stops up front – had been worn down by a punishing Phillipsburg offensive line.

Senior runningback Sam Dech – who carried 17 times for 136 yards and a score, and also went 24 yards for a first down on a fake punt in the first half on fourth-and-four – scored from one-yard out late in the third to make it 34-8 before Monty could get back on the board again, though by that time, the game was pretty much in hand.

Bracco would hit tight end Donovan Samson with a four-yard TD pass at the 5:27 mark of the fourth to end the scoring.

And that business-like attitude? Well, it’s the reason for that muted celebration. And that muted celebration is part of the Phillipsburg mantra, D.I.G.: Discipline, Ignore The Noise, and Grit.

They just go about their business. This is the standard, what’s expected. And they do it.

They can celebrate later, when the season’s over. After all, there’s still more football to be played at Maloney, against Easton on Thanksgiving, and maybe Rutgers the week after.

Click below for Alec Crouthamel with postgame reaction from head coach Frank Duffy, QB Dominic Bracco, and RB/LB Sam Dech, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

November 13, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

North 2, Group 4 Final Preview: Phillipsburg Stateliners vs. Montgomery Cougars

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Final:
When: Friday, 7 pm
Where: Maloney Stadium, Phillipsburg
Matchup: #Montgomery (8-3) at #1 Phillipsburg (9-1)
Coverage: LIVE on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko, Alec Crouthamel (click here to listen)
Weather: 46 degrees, mostly cloudy, wind WNW 3 mph (crosswind from home stands toward visitor stands)

HEAD COACHES:

Phillipsburg: Frank Duffy (10th season, 84-25)
Montgomery: Sean Carty (1st season, 8-3)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Phillipsburg:
First Round: def. #8 Newark Central, 55-14
Semifinals: def. #5 Colonia, 35-7

Montgomery:
First Round: def. #6 Westfield, 32-10
Semifinals: def. #2 Woodbridge, 20-15

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 Ramapo (10-0) hosting second-seed Northern Highlands (7-3) Friday night at 6:30. Phillipsburg is familiar with both teams, as they beat Ramapo in the state semifinals last year, a week after beating Northern Highlands in the sectional final. The Stateliners would host either opponent should they win, since they’re the overall No. 1 seed. However, if Montgomery pulls the upset and wins the North 2 title, the Cougars would play on the road, no matter who that game is against.

SERIES HISTORY:

This will be the sixth meeting between the schools, but their first since 2020. Phillipsburg has won all five matchups, with the closest one coming in 2016, a 14-6 win at Montgomery. The Stateliners also beat the Cougars in 2020, 2017, 2011 and 2010.

PREVIEWS:

FINALS HISTORY:

Phillipsburg:

The winningest program in New Jersey didn’t play in the NJSIAA playoffs for many years, since they played a Pennsylvania schedule. But they couldn’t play in the PIAA playoffs either, being an out-of-state team. They won one title in four finals berths from 1975 through 1979 – only missing the title game in 1976 – then after spending time with a Pennsy schedule, 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 were in Group 5 for the 2022-2023 cycle, and made the finals both years, falling to sixth-seed West Orange, 28-7, the first of those years, and to No. 2 seed Union City, 24-17 in 2023. Last year, they moved down to Group 4, and beat Northern Highlands for the North 2 sectional title on a game-winning field goal by Alexie Moreira.

Playoff Berths: 29
Playoff Record: 48-20
Previous Finals Berths: 18
Sectional Titles: 9

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
2024: #1 Phillipsburg 13, #3 Northern Highlands 11

Montgomery:

Having only begun play in 2002, this is Montgomery’s first-ever trip to a sectional final. With a 3-8 mark all-time in the playoffs, two of those wins came this year. Their only other win came in 2007, as a four-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, against fifth-seed South Brunswick, 34-17. The Cougars would go on to fall to top-seed and eventual champion Howell, 49-20 in the CJ4 semifinals.

Playoff Berths: 9
Playoff Record: 3-8
Previous Finals Berths: 0
Sectional Titles: 0

2024 PHILLIPSBURG COVERAGE:

A football game in progress with one team in white and yellow uniforms and the other in maroon. The players are positioned on the field, and there are spectators in the background. — *Phillipsburg takes on Colonia in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals at Maloney Stadium in Phillipsburg on November 7, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

2025 MONTGOMERY COVERAGE:

NEWS & NOTES:

The Road More Traveled…

While Phillipsburg is back in the state title game, and Montgomery is making its first appearance, the Cougars took the same exact path to get here as Northern Highlands did in getting to the 2024 title game in this section.

Phillipsburg was the No. 1 seed then and now. Northern Highlands was the three-seed last year, and so is Montgomery, which faced the same two teams in the opening two rounds.

Last year, the Highlanders topped sixth-seed Westfield in the first round, 21-0. This year, the Cougars beat the sixth-seeded Blue Devils 32-10.

Then, in the semifinals, Northern Highlands got second-seed Woodbridge, and beat them 26-7, while Monty also got the second-seeded Barrons, and pulled out a 20-15 win on the road to avenge an earlier regular season defeat at home.

Easton vs. State Championship…

Since the 2023 season ended, Phillipsburg has set its sights on a state championship. Losing in the sectional finals the previous 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.

Last year, they got that sectional title, but lost to Easton, making them then 3-6 all-time against the Red Rovers in the nine seasons where they’ve won an NJSIAA championship. In the nine seasons where they lost in the sectional finals, their record is 2-6-1 against Easton, with those two wins coming in 2022 and 2023.

Something Old, Something New…

Phillipsburg is one of the oldest and most storied programs in New Jersey, now in its 120th season of football. This season, in a 55-14 win over Hunterdon Central on September 12th, the Stateliners earned their 750th all-time win, and now have 757.

Montgomery, meanwhile, has played 96 fewer seasons of high school football, more than many schools in New Jersey have actually played. They’re in their 24th season, and have 114 wins.

What’s been remarkable for Montgomery is they were just 1-9 last year, making them a plus-seven in terms of having a bounceback season – pretty remarkable under first-year head coach Kevin Carty, who had previously served as offensive coordinator under Zoran Milich, who

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 12 sectional titles over the years, with nine going to the Stateliners.

Warren Hills is the last Warren County school besides Phillipsburg to win a sectional title; that came 25 years ago, in 2000, in the North 2, Group 3 section. Belvidere won its only title in North 2, Group 1 in 1999. And Hackettstown won the North 2, Group 2 title in 1981. North Warren has never won a title.

Until last year’s win, Phillipsburg had been the last Warren County school to win a championship, coming in 2018.

November 13, 2025November 13, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg adds third Pennsylvania school to schedule for next two seasons, per report, but still in line with eligibility for NJSIAA playoffs

Phillipsburg always plays Easton on Thanksgiving, but next year, the Stateliners will have two additional Pennsylvania schools on its schedule.

Per a report by Brad Wilson of LehighValleyLive.com, in addition to the Thanksgiving Day game with longtime rival Easton, Phillipsburg has just added a home-and-home series with Freedom High School in Bethlehem. The Stateliners will take a trip there on Friday, September 11, 2026, then host the Patriots at Maloney on September 10, 2027, also on a Friday night.

According to Wilson’s report, Phillipsburg also has a non-conference series set with Emmaus – located just south of Allentown, PA – and combined with the Easton game, it’ll be the first time the Stateliners have played three Pennsy schools in one season since 1994.

That was Phillipsburg’s last season in the East Penn Conference, before they joined the Skyland Conference in New Jersey. The program had played PA teams for years, but couldn’t be in the PIAA playoffs because of their location, and the NJSIAA had – and still has – a minimum requirement for games against New Jersey schools to be eligible for the postseason, which forced the school’s hand to come back and play Garden State opponents.

The current minimum required by the NJSIAA says 60 percent of a team’s games before Cutoff Weekend must be against New Jersey teams. Since Easton is a Thanksgiving game and after the cutoff, that would not count against the minimum. With eight games available to be played before the cutoff, the current two Pennsylvania opponents leaves them at 75 percent NJ schools.

The Big Central Conference has yet to release its divisions for the 2026 and 2027 two-year scheduling cycle, but little is likely to change for Phillipsburg, which has been playing in the American Silver Division along with Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough, Ridge and Hunterdon Central. That is widely considered, hands down, to be the most difficult division, top to bottom, in the league.

That would give them four division games, with room for five others. With three Pennsylvania schools on the schedule, and Easton after Turkey Day, that would leave them room for two Big Central crossovers, if they so choose. League president Scott Miller says the Big Central has no mandatory crossover rule – adding that based on “geography and competitive balance” they try to schedule as many as they can.

So, Phillipsburg appears to be able to schedule its own games if they wish.

This season, St. Thomas Aquinas had three non-conference games before the public school cutoff, with a fourth the week after, and extra week for non-publics. They opened up with Montclair, then traveled to Massachusetts to play Catholic Memorial in Week One, and also played Paramus Catholic on October third.

Similarly, St. Joseph-Montvale and Don Bosco Prep – North Jersey Catholic school powerhouses – both opened up their seasons this year with three non-New Jersey opponents.

Meanwhile, the Stateliners would appear to have room for one more Pennsylvania school on the schedule before the cutoff. That would give them five of eight games against New Jersey opponents, or 62.5 percent of their games, still above the threshold required by the NJSIAA.

Phillipsburg will play for its second straight North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title Friday night, when the top-seeded Stateliners entertain third-seed Montgomery at Maloney Stadium. It’s the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, and can be heard by clicking here. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel are on the call, with pregame at 6:45, kickoff at 7.

November 13, 2025November 12, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg’s focus will serve Stateliners well in North 2, Group 4 final against Montgomery

Montgomery is an interesting opponent for Phillipsburg this championship weekend.

They’re a young program, not even in existence for 30 years, while the Stateliners already had nearly 100 years in the books before the Cougars ever stepped foot on a field.

They had a solid 2023, lost a ton to graduation and won just one game last season, but now are 8-3 under first-year head coach Sean Carty, and playing in their first-ever title game.

But as far as Phillipsburg is concerned, they might as well be a nameless, faceless opponent.

It’s trite saying when a coach tells you “we just have to play our game,” and ‘Liners head coach Frank Duffy doesn’t even bother to say it. They just stick to the mantra: D.I.G.

For the uninitiated, that’s Discipline. Ignore the noise. And grit.

It has served the program well, as this Friday night at Maloney Stadium, the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final will be its fourth straight sectional title game appearance, as Phillipsburg seeks back-to-back titles.

And it doesn’t matter whose name is on the other jersey. Sure, they respect opponents. But they know, if they just play their game, and do what they’re coached to do, they can – and will – come out on top.

You can hear that title game Friday night live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – featuring No. 1 seed Phillipsburg (9-1) and third-seed Montgomery (8-3) – with kickoff at 7 pm, and pregame at 6:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

P’burg has been solid nearly all year long. The only blip was a 21-0 loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen back on October 11, a game win which sophomore quarterback Dominic Bracco threw two interceptions. For the record, he had not thrown one before that game – and he hasn’t since.

The focus is the ground game. And more ground game. And then the ground game some more, all to the tune of nearly 3,000 yards rushing, led by senior Sam Dech and his 1,250 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also set a program record for the longest touchdown run, and run of any kind, with a 95-yarder in the season opener at Westfield.

Junior Shane Moore has rushed for 409 yards and a score, while fellow junior Tyler Wargo has 253 rushing yards and seven TDs, three of which came last week in the sectional semis against Colonia.

On defense, Aedan Hywel, a senior, has 12 1/2 sacks and 19 TFLs to lead the team in both categories, while seniors Mike Bracco and Jaysen Blacknall each have four of the team’s eleven interceptions.

Click below to hear Phillipsburg coach Frank Duffy talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the Stateliners and Friday’s title game:

November 12, 2025November 12, 2025 by Alec Crouthamel

Veteran-laden group leads Montgomery into North 2, Group 4 final against Phillipsburg for first-ever sectional championship appearance

Montgomery football – as a whole – may be new to the championship environment, but it is full of players who have plenty of experience in big moments.

The Cougars have balanced experience and young talent, as well as a strong rush and pass attack, to rebound in head coach Sean Carty’s first year at the helm, after working as an assistant for former head coach Zoran Milich.

After a battle-tested regular season and early playoff run, Montgomery heads into its first sectional final appearance in school history, as the Cougars travel to Maloney Stadium to take on Phillipsburg in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final. The Stateliners are looking for their second straight sectional title.

You can hear that championship bout Friday night live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – featuring No. 1 seed Phillipsburg (9-1) and third-seed Montgomery (8-3) – with kickoff at 7 pm, and pregame at 6:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

The Cougars reached this point after a hard-fought 20-15 win over second-seed Woodbridge last weekend, one where they overcame two turnovers on the offensive side, and avenged a regular-season loss from a month ago.

Senior quarterback Jack Kristjanson leads a senior-laden offensive lineup as a dual-threat weapon, with fellow senior running back Caiden Miller alongside him, who ran for 112 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Barrons. In the pass game, Kristjanson has a litany of options, including seniors Obinna Obuba and Trey McFadden, and junior Xavier Harrigan, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown and converted a key third down against Woodbridge.

Kristjanson almost serves as Carty’s second pair of eyes on the field, knowing that whatever he calls, the signal-caller will execute it at a high level, or create something himself if the play breaks down.

On the defensive side, Montgomery had to battle against the Barrons’ strong run game. While star tailback Joshua Allen got his numbers with a near 100-yard rushing performance, the Cougars got a late stop when they absolutely needed it, stuffing Woodbridge on three consecutive plays in the red zone – a second-and-four, third-and-three, and fourth-and-one – after throwing an interception on offense to preserve the lead in the fourth quarter.

Another unit with years upon years of experience, the defense has been led by senior linebacker Dragomir Georgiev, a “true presence” in the middle, as Carty described him.

The biggest challenge for Montgomery will be facing off against Phillipsburg’s physicality and intimidation in the trenches – as is the same challenge for nearly every team on the Stateliners’ schedule – but Carty has prepared his team all year with the same mantra: Be ready for all 48 minutes.

Only time will tell who comes away victorious with the sectional championship trophy.

Click below to hear Montgomery coach Sean Carty talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel about the Cougars and Friday’s title game:

November 12, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Leading long, first half scoring drives, Phillipsburg’s Sam Dech earns Week 10 Higgins Speed Lab “Speedster of the Week” honors

As we’ve been doing all season long, Central Jersey Sports Radio is highlighting the high school football “Speedster of the Week” presented by Higgins Speed Lab in South Brunswick, recognizing the top runningbacks in the Big Central Conference every week.

And the Week Ten winner is Sam Dech of Phillipsburg!

This is Dech’s fourth time on the list, and first time topping it as the “Speedster of the Week.” Dech was part of a big ground game for top-seed Phillipsburg in a 35-7 win over fifth-seed Colonia in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals, scoring two second half touchdowns on a 217-yard, 23-carry night. He helped lead two long scoring drives in the first half that were capped off by teammate Tyler Wargo, who scored the Stateliners’ first three TDs. Now, Phillipsburg will defend its sectional title from 2024 against third-seed Montgomery, this Friday night at 7 pm at Maloney Stadium, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Scroll down for a list of the top ten rushing performances of Week Ten in the BCC!

Image highlighting Sam Dech of Phillipsburg for being the 'Speedster of the Week' with stats: 23 carries, 217 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a 35-7 win against Colonia.

Higgins Speed Lab in South Brunswick was founded by Kyle Higgins, son of longtime Piscataway head coach and NJFCA Hall of Famer Dan Higgins. Kyle grew up around the program and remains a Chiefs’ assistant coach to this day. At Higgins Speed Lab, Kyle has developed a system to help athletes increase speed while in a competitive small group environment of similar age and skill. Click here to listen to our interview with Kyle Higgins and learn more about Higgins Speed Lab!

They offer sport-specific training in football, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, baseball, golf, volleyball, track, gymnastics, and tennis. And “speed” isn’t their only focus. They’ll also work on proper running mechanics, plyometrics, acceleration/deceleration, top speed, linear and multi-directional speed, first-step quickness, endurance, strength, coordination, mobility and injury prevention.

Listen to Mike Pavlichko run down the Top Ten rushing performances in the Big Central for Week Ten!

Here are the top ten rushing performances from Week Ten in the Big Central:

Sam Dech, Phillipsburg: 23 carries for 217 yards and 2 TDs in a 35-7 win over Colonia in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals
Shaun Jackson, Sayreville: 18 carries for 216 yards and 3 TDs in a 28-27 loss to Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals
Jahmier Black, Bridgewater-Raritan: 23 carries for 148 yards and 1 TD in a 22-7 win over Union City in the North 2, Group 5 semifinals
Jack Fitzgerald, New Providence: 16 carries for 131 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-21 overtime win at Hasbrouck Heights in the North 2, Group 1 semifinals
Brody Nugent, Old Bridge: 22 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown in a 28-27 win at Sayreville in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals
Alex Schwark, Summit: 11 carries for 107 yards and 3 TDs in a 31-28 win over West Essex in the North 2, Group 3 semifinals
Declan Kurdyla, Bridgewater-Raritan: 16 carries for 102 yards in a 22-7 win over Union City in the North 2, Group 5 semifinals
Caiden Miller, Montgomery: 23 carries for 101 yards and 1 TD in a 20-15 win at Woodbridge in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals

Disclaimer: All statistics are gathered from multiple public online sources. If someone is missing from this list, it likely means their coach has not updated statistics. All coaches are urged to do so no later than 11:59 pm on Sundays during the season.

See Higgins Speed Lab in action!

November 11, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

CJSR announces Championship Weekend playoff coverage of three area title games

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have in-person coverage of three of the five sectional title games being played this Championship Weekend, involving six teams from the Big Central Conference.

We’ll have live play-by-play of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final, which features two BCC squads, as top-seed Phillipsburg (9-1) will host third-seed Montgomery (8-3) at Maloney Stadium. The Stateliners – the defending champs in this section – haven’t lost to a public school all year, while the Cougars have rebounded off a 1-9 season under first-year head coach and previous Offensive Coordinator Sean Carty.

Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will call the action, with pregame at 6:45. Kickoff is at 7. Bookmark this link to listen live.

Meanwhile, we’ll have reporters at the two other games being hosted by Big Central schools.

Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden will be in New Providence, where the second-seeded Pioneers – the only unbeaten team left in the league, at 10-0 – get a surprise home game in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 final against fourth-seed and defending champion Cedar Grove (8-3) at 6:30 pm. New Providence lost to the Panthers on the road in last year’s title game, but now get to host because Cedar Grove upset top-seed Mountain Lakes Friday night in the semifinals. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for live updates.

And Chris Tsakonas will be at the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 final at Basilone Field in Bridgewater as the top-seeded Panthers (8-3) host sixth-seed Bayonne (8-3) at 6 pm. Bridgewater is in the finals for the first time since 2017, the last of a streak of three straight North 2, Group 5 finals they appeared in, falling all three times to Westfield, which was undefeated all three years, going 36-0 in that stretch. Follow Chris Tsakonas on Twitter for live updates.

Meanwhile, we’ll have postgame recaps of two other finals as well from CJSR headquarters, with third-seed Old Bridge (10-1) visiting top-seed and undefeated Washington Township (11-0) in the Central Jersey Group 5 title game at 6 pm Friday, as well as second-seed Summit (9-2) at top-seed and unbeaten West Morris (11-0) at 7:30 pm in the North 2, Group 3 final.

November 9, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – North 2, Group 4 Semifinals: (1) Phillipsburg 35, (5) Colonia 7

Tyler Wargo scored three rushing touchdowns and Sam Dech added another two as top-seed Phillipsburg advanced to the North 2, Group 4 title game for the second year in a row, beating fifth-seed Colonia 35-7 in the sectional semifinals. It’ll be the Stateliners’ fourth straight trip to a sectional final, a Big Central Conference record.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the play-by-play live from Maloney Stadium in Phillipsburg, NJ, on November 7, 2025:

1st Half

2nd Half

November 8, 2025November 8, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg controls play up front as Wargo, Dech lead Stateliners to fourth straight sectional finals with 35-7 win over Colonia

For all the talent Colonia had this season – and an excellent one it was – the Patriots knew a trip to Phillipsburg would be an immense hurdle.

And for a while, they were right in it. Even though the Stateliners had he ball for more than 14 of the game’s first 20 minutes, and even down 21-7 at halftime.

But when the rain came again – after light precipitation a bit in the first half – in the third quarter, it was easy to tell this might not be their night for a comeback win.

Ultimately, top-seed Phillipsburg (9-1) got three touchdowns from Tyler Wargo and two more from Sam Dech en route to a dominating 35-7 win over 5th-seed Colonia (7-4) to advance to the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final for the second year in a row, and their fourth straight sectional title game overall. (Their first two of the stretch came in Group 5.)

And they will get the chance to win back-to-back titles for the first time since 2013 and 2014 when they host third-seed Montgomery (8-3) next Friday night at 7 pm at Maloney Stadium.

Phillipsburg got the ball first and Tyler Wargo capped a ten-play, 63-yard drive that took six minutes flat with a one-yard touchdown run. And after Colonia held the ball for five minutes but failed to score in the red zone, the Stateliners put together an even longer drive: 14 plays, 68 yards in 8:26, capped by another one-yard run by Wargo to make it 14-0.

Colonia got one back on a short drive just before halftime, on a 15-yard TD catch by R.J. Wortman, the state’s top receiver, who unofficially finished the game with 12 receptions to give him an even 100 on the season, leading the next closest on the list not by a few, but like by at least 20 catches after Friday night action.

But Wargo scored again on a one-yard run on Phillipsburg’s third possession, and they took a 21-17 lead into the temporary locker rooms both teams were using while the stadium gets a new fieldhouse that should be set for next year.

After the break, the rains came down heavier, and it was hard for anyone to get any footing. Ultimately, the ‘Liners got two more touchdowns, one on a 70-yard run by Sam Dech that started the possession where he came out of the pile with nothing but green in front of him, with 3:06 to go in the third, and a 22-yarder with 4:45 left in the game.

Phillipsburg – now 14-0 at Maloney Stadium over the past two seasons – will meet Montgomery next Friday night as the Cougars beat Woodbridge in the other semifinal, 20-15, less than a month after falling to the Barrons at home despite having a lead at halftime. It’ll be the Cougars’ first-ever trip to a final.

Click below for postgame reaction from Phillipsburg runningback Sam Dech and head coach Frank Duffy with Justin Sontupe, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

November 7, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

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

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

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

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

(4) Union City (6-3) at (1) Bridgewater-Raritan (7-3), Friday 6 pm: Call this the “merger” bowl, with the Panthers of the BCC a merger back in the early 1990s between Bridgewater East and West, and the Soaring Eagles a conglomeration of Emerson and Union Hill in 2008. This is their second meeting, with last year being a 61-10 win for Union City. But that Bridgewater team finished 4-7 on the season, and was 3-6 when they started the playoffs. Union City finished 11-2 and went all the way to the state Group 5 final, losing to Toms River North. This is still a tall order for the Panthers, but they are much closer in record now than they were last season, and one of their two losses came with senior QB Declan Kurdyla back in the lineup. He’s thrown for 1,154 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Jahmier Black (676 yards, 5 TDs) and Denzel Amoafo (633 yards, 12 TDs) lead the ground game. Meanwhile, it’s all the ground game for Union City, which has run it 403 times for nearly 4,000 yards, with two thousand-yard rushers: Ja’Zaire Aurelus (1,084 yards, 18 TD) and Mark Boyd (1,516 yards, 25 TDs). On defense, they have 36 sacks as a team – eleven from Omar Tillman, ten from Reynaldo Mercedes – and nine picks, with two returned for touchdowns.

Two groups of high school football players shaking hands at midfield during a coin toss before a game, one team in white uniforms with red accents and the other in black and yellow uniforms. — Piscataway and Plainfield captains shake hands before the coin toss ahead of their North 2, Group 5 opening round playoff game at Kenny Armwood Stadium in Piscataway on November 1, 2025. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

(6) Bayonne (7-3) at (2) Piscataway (8-2), Saturday 1 pm: The Chiefs have beaten Bayonne all three times they’ve played them: in 2014, 2017, and last year in the first round of this section, a 42-13 win for Piscataway, which bowed out in the semis to West Orange. And this may be the best team the Chiefs have had since COVID. They can score, they get good line play, and they bend but don’t break on defense: all characteristics of some of the best P’way teams over the last decade-and-a-half. Read our full preview, with interviews with both head coaches here. This is our “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, so click here to listen as Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas call all the action, with pregame at 12:45 pm.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

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

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:

(5) Colonia (7-3) at (1) Phillipsburg (8-1), Friday 7 pm: There have only been two meetings between these two teams, and both have come in the playoffs – and a long time ago. They last met in 2015, a sectional semifinal win for P’burg, and the year before at Rutgers, the Stateliners held off Colonia in overtime for the North 2, Group 4 title. A win for the Patriots would get them back to a title game for the first time since, but more than that, would be a monumental win over one of the premier programs in the state. One matchup to watch will be Colonia receiver R.J. Wortman against Phillipsburg defensive back Jaysen Blacknall. Wortman is the top receiver in the state with 88 – that’s right, close to 100! – catches on the year for 1,160 receiving yards and 14 scores. Can the line buy enough time, though, for Dylan Chiera to get him the ball? The Stateliners are stout up front on both sides of the ball, and Colonia will have to stop a dominating run game. Only St. Joseph-Metuchen has beaten P’burg this year, and that tape has probably been worn out this week by Colonia coach Tom Roarty and his staff. This is our Friday night “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Click here to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe call all the action live from Maloney Stadium, with pregame at 6:45. Read our Colonia preview here, including and interview with head coach Tom Roarty. Our Phillipsburg preview is here, with a chat with head coach Frank Duffy.

A football player catches the ball while being tackled by two defenders on the field during a night game, with a large crowd visible in the background. — *Woodbridge senior runningback Joshua Allen scores against Montgomery on October 10, 2025. (Photo: Marcus Borden)*

(3) Montgomery (7-3) at (2) Woodbridge (8-2), Friday 6 pm: Follow Alec Crouthamel on Twitter for updates – with postgame later on cjsportsradio.com – from this rematch of their October tenth game in Skillman, where the Cougars led 25-14 at the half, but the Barrons scored three third quarter touchdowns to pull ahead, and won 41-33. The two to watch in this one are Woodbridge runningback Joshua Allen – who had 221 yards and three touchdowns in the game – and Montgomery QB Jack Kristjanson, who threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns in that game, but also two picks. He was roughed up a bit in a Cutoff Weekend game at Rahway, getting sacked numerous times and going just 5-of-12 for 27 yards, but bounced back nicely last week against Westfield, with 13-for-20, 251 yards and three scores in a 32-10 win. Woodbridge bounced back last week, too, after losing two straight to end the regular season after a 7-0 start. They beat Rahway 21-7 in the opening round.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

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

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:

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

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

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

A high school football game in progress, featuring players in blue and yellow uniforms on the field, with a focus on a quarterback preparing to throw the ball under the stadium lights. — *Manville’s Josh D’Ambrosio looks to throw against Asbury Park in a Central Jersey Group 1 opening round game at home on October 31, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

NON-PUBLIC GROUP B:

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