Tag: Piscataway

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: Old Bridge, Piscataway will try to hold off South Brunswick, East Brunswick, Monroe in National Gold

The Big Central Conference realignment in the off season didn’t touch the two big school “GMC” (sort of) Divisions, with no changes made to the National Gold and Silver Divisions for the next two season. (We say “sort of,” of course, because all but one of the ten teams in those divisions are from Middlesex County, the only outlier being Franklin, which at one point years ago attempted to defect from the Skyland Conference to the GMC.)

That said, in the National Gold, 2025 champion Piscataway and runner-up Old Bridge both should be in the running for another division title. The Chiefs bring a lot back, while the Knights will have to figure some things out after the graduation of Central Jersey Sports Radio Offensive Player of the Year Brody Nugent. South Brunswick has a new coach, while East Brunswick’s newest mentor is in his second season, and it’ll be Year Three for Nick Isola in Monroe; all will look to make inroads this season, and all have the potential to do it.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the National Gold Division teams – in order of 2025 finish – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge as of the date of publication, along with a few notes on each squad. Division games are starred.

Piscataway Chiefs (8-3, 4-0, National Gold Division Champions)
Head Coach: Dan Higgins, 23rd season (181-61)

  • Week 0: East Orange (Jim Grasso Classic at Northern Highlands)
  • Week 1: Somerville
  • Week 2: at East Brunswick*
  • Week 3: South Brunswick*
  • Week 4: at Old Bridge*
  • Week 5: Franklin
  • Week 6: St. Joseph-Metuchen
  • Week 7: at Monroe*
  • Week 8: at Sayreville

The Chiefs will open against the Jaguars up at Northern Highlands, a team that went 9-2 last season, but was knocked out of the playoffs in the sectional semifinals by eventual Group 5 finalist Passaic Tech, and they’ll close the regular season at rival Sayreville, with a lot of tough games in between. Fortunately, Piscataway has two senior linemen back, plus QB Landon Pernell for his final year, after an excellent 2026 in which he threw for 1,382 yards and 14 TDs, and just three picks. Top rusher Zaire Young went for 758 yards and seven scores in his junior campaign last year. The defense should have some key returnees back as well, and this veteran coaching staff led by Higgins knows what they’re doing.

Old Bridge (10-2, 3-1, 2nd place National Gold)
Head Coach: Matt Donaghue, 5th season (25-17)

  • Week 0: Shawnee (Battle At The Beach at Ocean City)
  • Week 1: at Montgomery
  • Week 2: at South Brunswick*
  • Week 3: St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Week 4: Piscataway*
  • Week 5: at Sayreville
  • Week 6: at Monroe*
  • Week 7: East Brunswick*
  • Week 8: at Ridge

This won’t be an easy schedule for Old Bridge, then again they did go down and beat Cedar Creek last year in the Battle of the Beach; this year, they open with Shanwee in the same event, but back in Ocean City this year after being at Rowan in 2025 due to a once-every-few-years scheduling conflict. The Knights’ only regular season loss last year came at Piscataway, before they fell to Washington Township in the “Central Jersey” Group 5 final. But the big task will be replacing Brody Nugent, who threw for 2,276 yards and rushed for 1,262 on the season, accounting for more than 3,500 yards of offense in 2025. His backup, Aiden Rios, a sophomore last season, only three three passes last year, completing two for 33 yards, while mostly playing receiver and grabbing 13 catches for 268 yards and three TDs. Much of the receiving corps is back, but the defense will have some spots to fill, though rising senior Justin Barkaszi (7.5 sacks, 3 blocked kicks, 1 fumble recovery) and Latrell Alexander (2 1/2 sacks) should return on the defensive line.

South Brunswick Vikings (4-6, 2-2, 3rd place National Gold)
Head Coach: Mike Gerst, 1st season

  • Week 0:  Watchung Hills
  • Week 1: North Brunswick
  • Week 2: Old Bridge*
  • Week 3: at Piscataway*
  • Week 4: Monroe*
  • Week 5: at Rahway
  • Week 6: at East Brunswick
  • Week 7: Franklin
  • Week 8: at Colonia

The Vikings got off to a 2-1 start last season, but faltered as the schedule got tougher and lost four straight in the second half of September and first half of October to miss the playoffs. Now, Ibrahim Halsey is out after two seasons (and has joined Derrick Eatman as an assistant at Franklin under Blair Wilson) and Mike Gerst steps in from Fort Lee, whose team went 9-0 last year playing in the Super Football Conference Ivy Red Division, meant for rebuilding programs, and who are not eligible for the postseason. It was the Bridgemen’s first 9-0 season in over 100 years of football. But against this competition, it’ll be much more of a challenge. He’ll likely have a returning starting quarterback in Brenden Shearstone, who threw for 675 yards and seven touchdowns last season, while top runningback Oscar Duran rushed for 642 yards and three scores, while fellow junior Kamari Toney went for 606 and five touchdowns. A very senior-laded defense, though, will need to be retooled.

East Brunswick Bears (3-7, 1-3, 4th place National Gold)
Head Coach: Zach Gega, 2nd season (3-7)

  • Week 0: JFK
  • Week 1: North Hunterdon
  • Week 2: Piscataway*
  • Week 3: at Monroe*
  • Week 4: Voorhees
  • Week 5: at Edison
  • Week 6: South Brunswick*
  • Week 7: at Old Bridge*
  • Week 8: at North Brunswick

One thing Zach Gega won’t need to worry about in his second season as the head coach is qho will be the quarterback, as junior Sean Christie returns off a season where he threw for 1,257 yards and six TDs, but he’ll need to cut back on the interceptions. He also ran it for nearly 500 yards, but the only other back to crack 100 was senior Nathan Charleston, who’s now graduated. Tight end Noah DeJesus, Christie’s favorite target, also is gone. And he led the defense with 8 1/2 sacks, too, so the defense will need some figuring out as well. The schedule isn’t easy, but manageable for the Bears.

Monroe Falcons (1-8, 0-4, 5th place National Gold)
Head Coach: Nick Isola, 4th season (10-20)

  • Week 0: at Perth Amboy
  • Week 1: Governor Livingston
  • Week 2: at North Brunswick
  • Week 3: East Brunswick*
  • Week 4: at South Brunswick*
  • Week 5: at North Hunterdon
  • Week 6: Old Bridge*
  • Week 7: Piscataway*
  • Week 8: at Carteret

The Falcons won just their opener last season, a 41-0 victory at West Windsor-Plainsboro, then lost their last eight to end the season, and didn’t play a “crossover” – what the NJSIAA now calls consolation games, which are up to leagues and teams to schedule. But they were only shutout twice and could put up some points. Junior QB Ghayoor Abbas was a thousand-yard passer last year and is expected to be back for his senior year, while top rusher Julian Hughes (492 yards, 4 TD) was just a sophomore. Jayden Badillo – a junior with two sacks and eight TFLs – will be counted on over on the defensive side of the ball.

by Mike Pavlichko

Early two-runs, solid pitching boost Piscataway to 3-0 win over Dunellen in Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Final

Even when you have two of your best pitchers toss a combined two-hit shutout, it’s mathematically impossible to win a baseball game without scoring.

But on Friday afternoon in the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Final on Edison High School’s red turf, second-seed Piscataway took care of that part as early as they could, staking starter Sumedh Shingala to a 2-0 lead.

Shingala started, Jared Butler finished it in relief with the help of an insurance run, and the Chiefs (11-10) took their first-ever invitational title, beating fifth-seed Dunellen (18-7) to bring home Piscataway’s first county tournament hardware since winning the full tournament in 2003.

After Shingala started the game giving up a leadoff single to Dunellen, he struck out the next three batters to end the inning.

In the home half, Jason Mann walked to lead it off, then Dom Summonte slugged a triple on a 2-2 pitch to drive in Mann – who’d stole second – to make it 1-0 Piscatway. Then Patrick Novak knocked him in with a sac fly to center to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead.

Piscatway got an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when Novak reached on an error by the Dunellen shortstop, allowing Summonte – who’d reached on one-out single and stole second – to score.

Shingala went 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit, striking out 12, and got the win, improving to 5-2 on the year. Then came Butler, who only struck out two the rest of the way, but also only allowed just one more hit.

Dunellen starter Joseph Reyes took the hard-luck loss, his first of the season, going the full six innings, allowing four hits and three runs – two earned – to fall to 6-1 on the year.

Click below for postgame reaction from Piscataway starting pitcher Sumedh Shingala and head coach Rob Stoddard:

Both teams now move on to the state tournament.

Piscataway is the 15-seed in North 2, Group 4, and will visit second-seed Bayonne at 4:30 pm Wednesday, while Dunellen is the sixth-seed in Central Jersey Group 1, and will host 11-seed Florence at Columbia Park at 4 pm Wednesday.

by Alec Crouthamel

Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational Finals Preview: Dunellen, Piscataway looking to scrap their way to a title

A Championship Friday is descending upon New Jersey baseball this weekend.

One of them, the Ray Cipperly GMC Invitational, will have its final on Friday at 4pm at Edison High School, between second-seeded Piscataway and fifth-seeded Dunellen.

Both teams have taken different paths to reach the meeting point. After respective first-round byes, the Chiefs defeated the seven-seed South Amboy, aided by a seven-run sixth inning, including a grand slam from Dominick Summonte. The Destroyers put up big-time runs across the board in a 14-3 win over four-seed East Brunswick Magnet.

In the semifinals, Dunellen kept its offensive attack at a ten in a wild 22-17 win over top-seeded Perth Amboy that took four hours, while Piscataway once again got some clutch hitting in a 5-4 walk-off victory over third-seeded North Brunswick.

But both have the same goal in mind, winning a title on Friday.

Each team brings its best to the bump. For the Chiefs, they have two, top junior Sumedh Shingala — the team’s leader in wins and strikeouts — will start, with No. 2 arm Jared Butler ready and waiting, who head coach Rob Stoddard described as “a bulldog” in both starting and high-leverage relief spots. For the Destroyers, Joe Reyes will get the ball as the leader in wins and ERA among the main rotation arms.

They both have battled through respective stretches of up-and-down play — as nearly every team does — but they’re playing their best ball as of late, and will do battle for the GMC Invitational title in Edison.

RAY CIPPERLY GMC INVITATIONAL FINAL AT-A-GLANCE

Teams:
(2) Piscataway Chiefs (10-10, 6-8, GMC Blue)
(5) Dunellen Destroyers (18-6, 9-2, GMC Gold)

Head Coaches:
Piscataway: Rob Stoddard (6th season, 46-81)
Dunellen: Connor Lindsay (3rd season, 45-31)

Probable Starters
Piscataway: Sumedh Shingala (4-2, 3.73 ERA)
Dunellen: Joseph Reyes (6-0, 2.65 ERA)

Date and Time: Friday, May 22, at 4 pm
Location: Edison High School

PREVIEW INTERVIEWS:

Dunellen head coach Connor Lindsay
Piscataway head coach Rob Stoddard

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Piscataway:
First round bye
Quarterfinals: def. (7) South Amboy, 11-5
Semifinals: def. (3) North Brunswick, 5-4

Dunellen:
First round bye
Quarterfinals: def. (4) East Brunswick Magnet, 14-3
Semifinals: def. (1) Perth Amboy, 22-17

TEAM LEADERS:

Dunellen:

  • Batting Average: Juan Luis Rodriguez (.425), Michael Dow (.417), Joseph Reyes (.397)
  • RBI: Kristian Roman Lopez (34), Colin Reynolds (26), Joseph Reyes (25)
  • HR: Cesar Andres Fermin Alarcon (1), Kristian Roman Lopez (1)
  • Walks: Kristian Roman Lopez (24), Jackson Portik (18), Joseph Reyes (14), Juan Luis Rodriguez (14)
  • Stolen Bases: Juan Luis Rodriguez (38), Michael Dow (22), David Torres (17)
  • Wins: Joseph Reyes (6), Cole Mayer (5), David Torres (4)
  • ERA (min 12 innings): David Torres (2.12), Joseph Reyes (2.65), Colin Reynolds (4.77)
  • Strikeouts (Pitcher): David Torres (53), Cole Mayer (49), Joseph Reyes (28)

Piscataway:

  • Batting Average: Jason Mann (.444), Dominick Summonte (.423), Patrick Novak (.370)
  • RBI: Patrick Novak (15), Dominick Summonte (14), Kevin Kovach (13)
  • HR: Dominick Summonte (3), Jason Mann (1)
  • Walks: Kevin Kovach (20), Sumedh Shingala (12), Jason Mann (8)
  • Stolen Bases: Jason Mann (17), Bryce Payne (14), Dominick Summonte (7)
  • Wins: Sumedh Shingala (4), Jared Butler (3), Brady Gallogly (2)
  • ERA (min 12 innings): Brady Gallogly (2.51), Jared Butler (3.35), Sumedh Shingala (3.73)
  • Strikeouts (Pitcher): Sumedh Shingala (72), Jared Butler (46), Brady Gallogly (29)

TEAM NUMBERS:

Dunellen:

  • Runs Scored: 264
  • Runs Allowed: 138
  • Batting Average: .350
  • Home Runs: 2
  • Stolen bases: 124
  • ERA: 4.19

Piscataway:

  • Runs Scored: 133
  • Runs Allowed: 132
  • Batting Average: .291
  • Home Runs: 4
  • Stolen bases: 56
  • ERA: 4.59

PREVIOUS COVERAGE of the RAY CIPPERLY GMC INVITATIONAL

by Mike Pavlichko

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

Call the Piscataway baseball the Comeback Kids.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Four titles earns Gill St. Bernard’s No. 1 ranking in final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten

When high school basketball teams open their preseason, hitting the gym in earnest for the first time, they can set all kinds of different goals. For most with high-end aspirations, there are four main ones: win the division, win the county, win a sectional, win a state championship.

In 2025-26, it was check, check, check, and check one more time for Gill St. Bernard’s. And that’s why they finish as the No. 1 team in the final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball rankings of the year.

With a mark of 28-2, the Knights won the Skyland Conference Delaware Division, and while they played though the division only once due to the new alignment, they decided to play Rutgers Prep twice anyway, the last meeting coming after the SCT seeding meeting, and took both matchups. They then beat the Argonauts in the Somerset County Tournament final, went on to avenge a defeat at the hands of Roselle Catholic in the Non-Public Group B title game, then put on a defensive masterclass in the Non-Public B state final at Rutgers, beating Holy Cross Prep of Delran to win the program’s first state title in school history

The Knights are followed by a very close second in St. Joseph-Metuchen. In their first season under alum Mark Taylor – in his second go-round coaching the Falcons – they went 29-2, their lone loss coming to South Plainfield by one on the road before falling in the Non-Public South A final to St. Peter’s Prep – which, by the way, beat every Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team it played this year: Colonia, Gill St. Bernard’s, Rutgers Prep, St. Thomas Aquinas (twice) and St. Joe’s.

Montgomery finishes in third. At 26-5, the two-time defending champion Cougars won a third straight Central Jersey Group 4 title, but this time had to go on the road to do it after being the top seed each of the last two seasons. Not only did they win at top-seed Hillsborough in the final, but the Cougars dominated Cherry Hill East in the Group 4 semifinals, and made it all the way to Rutgers for the state Group 4 final, where they lost back on Saturday to Plainfield for a second straight season, in a tight game most of the way.

Close behind in fourth is Colonia, which finished 21-11 after a 2-6 start, and having lost several key starters, including Aiden Derkack (transfer to Spire Academy in Ohio) and R.J. Wortman (early football enrolee at Rutgers) among others. The Patriots bowed out to Piscataway in a tight GMC Tournament semifinal game, but wound up getting the top-seed in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3, and won the sectional title for a fifth straight year, and sixth time in the last seven playoff seasons, all under head coach Jose Rodriguez. They made their first state final ever, too, but fell to Ocean City Sunday in the Group 3 finals at Rutgers, giving the Red Raiders their first state title in over 60 years.

Checking in at five is Piscataway (23-8). The Chiefs – despite a lack of height – were tough again in the GMC Red American Division this year, and took St. Joe’s to overtime in early January. They made it all the way to the county final, where they fell to the Falcons in the title game, and bowed out of a brutal North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 playoff section in the semifinals to eventual state Group 4 champion Plainfield.

At six, it’s Rutgers Prep (18-10). The Argonauts still had Will Brunson, but had to deal with the loss of Andrew Kretkowski, who transferred to St. Joseph-Metuchen. But they still showed out this season, reaching the Somerset County Tournament final, where it was another battle with Gill St. Bernard’s, who won the championship.

Hillsborough (22-8) checks in at No. 7, after putting together their first 20-win season under head coach Tim Palek, who just wrapped up his fifth season on the bench. The Raiders had fans enthralled through their playoff run, with an exciting win over Jackson Twp. in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, and they took Montgomery to overtime in the championship before taking the loss.

At No. 8, it’s Immaculata (21-7), the Skyland Conference Raritan Division champs. Season highlights included a home win over in-town rival Somerville, and handing Bridgewater-Raritan its first loss on the road after an 8-0 start by the Panthers.

The last three teams were unranked in the final poll before the postseason.

East Brunswick comes in at nine – going 21-7 this season, and winning the GMC Red National Division with an 8-0 mark – while two others share the tenth and final spot.

We put Perth Amboy (22-6) in at the ten spot along with Manville (19-9), honoring two teams for their full body of work, teams that might not otherwise get recognized in a crowded field of 48 teams between Middlesex and Somerset Counties. The Panthers won their first division title since 1993, claiming the GMC’s White American with an unblemished 12-0 record. The Mustangs, meanwhile, were Skyland Conference Mountain Division champions at 8-0, and beat rival Bound Brook twice this season, with the first of their two victories being their first against the Crusaders in 20 years.

Dropping out were Pingry (13-10) and South Plainfield (18-11).

Below is the complete final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for 2025-26:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep girls, back on top in Somerset County, are No. 1 team in Final Bellamy & Son Paving rankings

Sure, the Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball team won 20 games last year, but it still wasn’t up to Mary Klinger’s standards. The coach calls the regular season the “preseason.” A division title is nice, but the county and state tournaments are the goals. Win those, and it’s a good year for the Argonauts. In 2025, they won neither.

But this year, with much of the same crew back, the Argonauts returned to their familiar spot as Somerset County Tournament champions, and finish the year No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten.

Led by four-year varsity standout Ava LaMonica – the team’s top scorer, who will be playing collegiately next year at Buffalo – as well as fellow seniors Ava Frith and Sophia Georgiades, as well as super sophomore Hailey Benbow – the Argos’ second-best scorer and top rebounder – Rutgers Prep (25-4) didn’t lose a single conference game this season, its three regular season losses coming to Red Bank Catholic, Cardinal O’Hara (PA), and Blair right before the state tournament. Their fourth came to Gloucester Catholic in the Non-Public South B Final.

Prep beat Franklin – the eventual Central Jersey Group 4 champ – in the Somerset County Final, and won the Skyland Division title with a 6-0 record.

Gill St. Bernard’s checks in at No. 2. With a 22-6 mark, the Knights won the Non-Public North B title with a victory over Saddle River Day, then lout to Gloucester Catholic in the state Non-Public Group B final at Rutgers, the same Rams’ team that beat Rutgers Prep in the semifinals. Gill lost its only meeting with Rutgers Prep this season, 51-44 in late January, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Finishing third is St. Thomas Aquinas (24-7). The Trojans – with the senior trio of Jordan Barnes, Trista Whitney and Kayla Navarro – blew through the GMC this season, going 11-0 to win the Red American Division, and stormed to their seventh straight GMC Tournament championship, beating resurgent East Brunswick in the final. They would bow out to eventual state champion Red Bank Catholic in the Non-Public South A semifinals.

Checking in at four is Franklin (22-9). A Somerset County Tournament finalist under first-year head coach Jimmy Kreie, the Warriors returned to their former – and fairly recent – glory with a win in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game over neighboring Hillsborough. They were knocked out of the state tournament by Lenape in the state Group 4 finals.

Fifth is Hillsborough (21-7). The Raiders had won two sectional titles in a row – in North 2, Group 4 in 2024 and Central 4 last season – but fell at Franklin in the Central Jersey Group 4 title game.

East Brunswick checks in at No. 6 with a 23-6 record. Ava Catanho and Julianna DelosSantos-Branson led the Bears back to prominence this season, as they got to the GMC Tournament title game, where they lost to now seven-time reigning GMCT champion St. Thomas Aquinas.

Bound Brook (25-4) – re-ignited by freshman sensation Peytan Pugh – finishes at No. 7, thanks to a Mountain Division championship, going 8-0 in divisional play. They nearly knocked off Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, and reached the Central Jersey Group 1 title game, falling on the road to top-seed New Providence.

Finishing eighth is Bernards (24-5), which started the year 10-0, and was the Skyland Conference Valley Division champion at 11-1. They lost to defending champion Madison in the North 2, Group 2 semifinals.

At No. 9, it’s Colonia. After a down season, head coach Jill Bachonski has the Patriots looking solid, finishing 20-4, and going 8-0 to win the GMC Red National Division. They reached the GMC Tournament semifinals, falling to eventual champion St. Thomas Aquinas.

And No. 10 is Piscataway, making its season debut in the final rankings of the year. The Lady Chiefs finished 17-9, and went 6-0 to win the White American Division title, reaching the GMC Tournament semifinals, where they lost to East Brunswick.

Below are the complete final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten rankings for 2025-26:

Plainfield guard Micah Gordon (5) skies for a dunk.
by Alec Crouthamel

Top-seeded Piscataway falls to Plainfield in North 2 Group 4 semifinals

You could feel it walking into the building. Playoff basketball intensity.

Or, to be more specific, before walking into the building, in a line that stretched nearly the entire length of Piscataway High School ahead of the North 2 Group 4 semifinal between the top-seeded Chiefs (23-8) and fourth-seeded Plainfield.

In the end, though, the Cardinals’ (22-5) top-end talent and pressure on both sides of the floor propelled Plainfield to a 73-56 road victory, continuing its quest to defend its Group 4 state title from last year.

The Cardinals took the “basketball is a game of runs” adage to the extreme, working three different “Killshots” — a run of 10-0 or more, coined by college basketball data scientist Evan Miyakawa — to pull ahead for good and keep the game out of reach.

Plainfield star guard Micah Gordon led all scorers with 23 points, as part of a quartet of Cardinals in double-figures. Forward Rashawn Williams added 18 points as a force at the basket, while Devin Thomas added 11 and Tylor Hunter scored ten points.

Senior forward Isaiah Fowler led Piscataway’s offense in one of his top scoring performances of the year, scoring a team-high 22 points with four three-pointers. Guards Josh Lima and Landon Pernell also added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Both teams came out of the gate throwing haymakers, with a combined five three-pointers in the first quarter. The Chiefs caught fire near the midway point of the frame, building up a 17-10 lead with an 11-3 run.

That was when Plainfield woke back up.

The Cardinals worked an extended 18-0 run to take a double-digit lead for the first time, as their backcourt pressure and uptempo offense took Piscataway completely out of its rhythm. It felt like an avalanche falling on the Chiefs with multiple backcourt steals in a row, as Gordon electrified the always-raucous Plainfield faithful with a dazzling array of finishes at the basket.

Piscataway managed to slow it down on offense and worked its way back into the game towards the end of the first half, knocking down two straight treys to cut the deficit to five points. But just when it seemed like the Chiefs were landing their counterpunch — with an equally frenzied home crowd of their own — the Cardinals landed another blow with an 11-0 run to end the first half, going into the locker room with a commanding 41-25 lead.

Plainfield kept the foot on the gas to open the third quarter, as well. Piscataway senior forward Donald Nwaigwe drew an and-one in the post, but Thomas and Gordon each knocked down deep three-pointers to stretch the Cardinals’ lead to 20 points in the half’s opening minutes.

Even with the big-time deficit, the Chiefs had one final burst left in them, working a 13-2 run to cut the deficit to nine points. Plainfield kept up the trend and responded accordingly, ripping off another 10-0 run, ending the third quarter with an 18-point lead and all of the momentum.

The Cardinals slowed the pace down with the big lead in the fourth quarter and worked some timely buckets, including six points from Williams.

In a battle of teams of similar size and uptempo style, Plainfield came away victorious thanks to its devastating spurt-ability and took control for good.

The Cardinals will face off against second-seeded Linden — who defeated the three-seed Union in the opposite semifinal — for a chance at a second straight sectional title in their third straight appearance. Piscataway’s season comes to a close in Bob Turco’s second year at the helm, moving a round further than a season ago.

Click below to hear postgame reactions from Piscataway head coach Bob Turco with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Sunday NJSIAA State Tourney Notebook: Big challenges ahead for Piscataway boys, Metuchen girls, while Ridge nearly pulls second huge upset

The tip-off of the NJSIAA state basketball tournament had to wait two days, but we’ve seen a lot of basketball since things actually got underway on Thursday, and it was everything it always was: blowouts, expected wins, upsets and thrilling action.

With an off-day on Saturday before a full week ahead – starting with Group 1 and 3 sectional quarterfinal action Monday, and wrapping with public sectional title games Friday and Saturday – we thought we’d look back at a few storylines from the first three days of play.

Piscataway is ready for the challenge…

Everyone knows North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 on the bots’ side is an absolute best. Piscataway is far from chopped liver at 23-7, to be sure; they reached the GMC finals a little over a week ago for the second year in a row, and both years under head coach Bob Turco, who instilled a defensive philosophy that instantly turned the Chiefs into contenders in Middlesex County. But a couple of big state-ranked teams finished behind them in power points. Statewide No. 8 Linden – runner-up in the Union County Tournament to Roselle Catholic – got the two seed right behind Piscataway, while 16th-ranked Elizabeth got the seven seed.

Piscataway senior Donald Nwaigwe heads to the basket in the GMC Tournament semifinals against Colonia at Monroe Twp. High School on February 18, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

And what happened in the first round? Ridge knocked them the Minutemen, 54-53 Thursday night, on a buzzer-beater by Sidd Narayanabhatla. Keep in mind, that game was on the road as well. It just proves anything can happen year.

Then there’s Plainfield, the No. 6-ranked team in New Jersey, which got the fourth-seed, behind Linden. The Cardinals got through the first two rounds easily, beating 13-seed Bridgewater-Raritan 66-39, then fifth-seed Bayonne, 85-58. Meanwhile, Piscataway has rebounded nicely with three straight wins heading into Tuesday night’s semifinal matchup with fourth-seed Plainfield. Can they take them? It’s a huge challenge, no doubt, but that’s why they play and that’s why we watch.

Click below to hear Piscataway head coach Bob Turco talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Back to the Red Devils…

Speaking of upsets, that Ridge win over Elizabeth was a big one, and the Red Devils’ nearly pulled off a second one at Linden Saturday evening. The Tigers led 26-25 at the half, but trailed for the first 15 minutes and 59 seconds. They went ahead on a bucket with one second left before halftime. Ridge wouldn’t lead again, but kept it tight before falling by ten, 55-45. It was Linden’s lowest scoring output this post-season – including the Union County Tournament – and since a 50-41 loss to Union Catholic on February fifth.

What’s more remarkable is where Ridge came from. They started the season 0-4, and we first saw them this year in a December 21st loss to Delbarton up at FDU, 50-47. That left them at 0-4, but with a slew of injuries. From that point forward, though, Ridge won six of its next eight games, and finished the season a highly respectable 15-13. Among them were two losses to Gill St. Bernard’s, and one each to Rutgers Prep, Montgomery and Hillsborough, all four of which are state-ranked, with the Raiders jumping in at No. 20 last week.

Senior Sidd Narayanabhatla handles the ball for Ridge against Delbarton in a December 21, 2025 game at FDU_Madison. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

It was certainly a season of perseverance for Ridge, and they will have a large part of the core back next year, so there are some bright times ahead for the Red Devils, and a lot of good in 2025-26 off which to build for the future.

Click below to hear Ridge head coach Bill Lester talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

One half gone, what about the other?

Perhaps even more remarkable than Colonia’s four straight sectional titles in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 – all since the COVID year, when there were no state playoffs – is the fact that beyond that, Ramapo has been a thorn in their side. The Raiders have won North 1, Group 3 each of the last four seasons, and met Colonia in the state semis. And all four seasons, Ramapo has gotten the upper hand, all on neutral floors, whether it was at Phillipsburg in 2022 and 2023, Bloomfield in 2024, or at Elizabeth last season.

Even before COVID, they’d been a royal pain. While Colonia lost in the sectional final in 2020, they won it in 2019 – head coach Jose Rodriguez’ first season on the bench – and lost to Ramapo in the semis.

Well, no matter what the Patriots do – and they’re a remarkable story on their own, starting the year 2-6, but 15-4 since – that won’t happen this year. That’s because the Raiders, who were the six seed in North 1, Group 3, got knocked out in the first round on a late bucket by Morris Knolls, 68-67. That means someone else will win that section for the first time since 2018, when Demarest edged Ramapo 37-36 in the title tilt.

Metuchen is ready for anyone, and here comes Manasquan…

Shore Conference basketball is quite the beast indeed. On the girls’ side, you’ve got Red Bank Catholic, St. John Vianney, Manasquan, and just a notch down this year, Rumson-Fair Haven and usually St. Rose, though they’re having a down year, finishing 7-16 with a first round loss in the states.

The Warriors, meanwhile, are No. 7 in the state, and the top-seed in Central Jersey Group 2, where they’ve won the state Group 2 title each of the last two seasons. So, Metuchen knows what it’s up against.

Victoria Zaniecki – in the middle, with balloons – is Metuchen’s top scorer and rebounder. (Source: @metuchenbball on Instagram)

And even though they’re 15-13 and the 12-seed, they’re in the semifinals against Manasquan, coming off a 37-34 win in a rare 12/13 matchup over Robbinsville down at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor. Victoria Zaniecki has been a double-double machine; she went for 16 points and 12 rebounds against the Ravens Saturday evening, her 16th double-double of the season and fourth straight, including both games of the state tournament.

Click below to hear Metuchen head coach Kathy Glutz talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Bernards continues terrific season, seeking first finals trip in nearly two decades…

The Mountaineers continue to roll on this season, with a 24-4 record, and are looking to make some history. Well, more than they’ve already made. Last year’s squad set a new program record for wins with 23, and they followed that up with 24 this season, a new mark.

After a 45-25 win over seventh-seed Hanover Park Saturday afternoon, seventh-seeded Bernards is a win away from its first sectional finals berth since 1998, when they lost to – get ready for it – Montgomery in Central Jersey Group 1. The year before, Bernards won their one and only title, beating Highland Park in the finals at Sayreville, bowing out in the state semis to Burlington Township, finishing 22-3.

That’s the kind of job Brett Bisconti has done in seven years at the helm, instilling a winning culture in his team. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a group that has won 47 games in the last two years, including top scorer and rebounder Aletha Reynolds, then adding in a young freshman like Jane Freisen, who’s second on the team from downtown with 40 treys, second only to Reynolds’ 56.

A look ahead…

While the Group 1 and 3 publics and non-publics have only gotten in one round, Groups 2 and 4 are on to the semifinals, and we can get a picture of some possible championship game matchups.

The Montgomery boys have won the last two Central Jersey Group 4 titles, both on their home floor, both times as the top seed. In 2024, they were 63-37 winners over second-seed Monroe, and last year beat third-seed West Windsor-Plainsboro North 80-41. This year, they’re the third-seed, with Hillsborough the No. 1, despite the fact the Cougars beat them twice in the regular season: 53-37 at home on January 13th, and 53-38 on February 7th in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals.

Should the Cougars win at second-seed Marlboro (21-5) Tuesday in the semis, and the Raiders beat five-seed Jackson Twp. (18-6) at home, we’ll get a rubber match at Hillsborough. Can the Cougars claim a third win over the Raiders this season, for all the marbles in CJ4?

Meanwhile, just about any way you slice it in North 2, Group 4, it should be a great final. While Piscataway is the top-seed, fourth-seed Plainfield is pretty much the favorite against the Chiefs in Tuesday’s semifinals. If Donald Nwaigwe, Isaiah Fowler and Co. can pull this one off, they’d most likely get two-seed Linden, which is also having a great year. And if it’s Plainfield? Boy, that would be a great one, too.

On the girls’ side, we’d be surprised if top-seed Franklin didn’t take care of business with fifth-seed Jackson Twp. The Lions are 16-10, Franklin 20-8, and we’re not saying it will be easy, but they’re a battle-tested team, with New Jersey losses to Rutgers Prep (twice), Gill St. Bernard’s, Demarest, Immaculate Heart and Morris Catholic. Those are some solid teams, which means they’ve beaten everyone they should.

As far as the other teams in the semis, third-seed Hillsborough and second-seed East Brunswick, the Warriors haven’t played the Lady Bears, but did beat Boro – the defending state Group 4 champions – 72-44 back on January 6th. But the rematch between ‘Boro and EB should be interesting; as Hillsborough won their GMC-Skyland crossover back on January 22 at home, 70-52.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – GMC Tournament Boys’ Semifinals: (2) Piscataway 64, (3) Colonia 61

Donald Nwaigwe scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Izayah Brown added 16 and went 10-of-11 from the charity stripe in a 64-61 win for second-seed Piscataway over third-seed Colonia, sending the Chiefs back to the GMC Tournament title game for the second straight year.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Vin Ebenau call all the play-by-play from Monroe Township High School on February 18, 2026.