Tag: Plainfield

July 1, 2026July 1, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: Anything could happen in expanded Patriot Silver, with new head coaches for all six squads

Many of the changes in the Big Central Conference divisional alignment for the next two years centers around the smaller school divisions, and trying to give better schedules to some of the better schools – a problem not generally seen among larger schools. After all, there is no one-size-fits-all.

Enter the Patriot Silver Division, which still has New Providence – which has made sectional finals each of the last two seasons – as well as A.L. Johnson, which finished last year 7-2. But the powers that be also added a Spotswood team that finished 8-2 last year. Perth Amboy – still waiting on a new head coach after William Clark wasn’t retained – also is new to the group this year, while Roselle and Metuchen remain. But the Panthers aren’t the only one with a new head coach. In fact, all six teams have new skippers this year.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the Patriot Silver 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.

New Providence Pioneers (10-1, 3-0, Patriot Silver Division Champions)
Head Coach: Anthony Cozentino, 1st season

Week 0: Middlesex
Week 1: Voorhees
Week 2: Johnson*
Week 3: Metuchen*
Week 4: at Roselle*
Week 5: at Dayton
Week 6: Perth Amboy*
Week 7: at Spotswood*
Week 8: Governor Livingston

Chet Parlavecchio, Jr., brought the Pioneers to the sectional finals in each of his last two seasons at the helm, now it’s Cozentino’s task to keep it going. He’s been on the staff for five seasons, so continuity shouldn’t be an issue there, nor will it be at quarterback, where junior Kevin Reilly threw for 1,119 yards and 15 touchdowns last year. They will surely miss runningback A.J. Whitehead, who rushed for 700 yards on the nose and 13 touchdowns before a season-ending injury in mid-October. The defense will need to fill some holes. Whitehead and linebacker Daniel Poretti combined for seven INTs last season, while Drew Gullo had 4 1/2 sacks and James Keneally had 5 1/2, while defensive back Jack Fitzgerald had nine – and 11 TFLs – leading the team in both categories. But all of them were seniors.

A.L. Johnson Crusaders (7-2, 2-1, 2nd place Patriot Silver)
Head Coach: Mike Ryan, 1st season

Week 0: OPEN
Week 1: at Delaware Valley
Week 2: New Providence*
Week 3: at Roselle*
Week 4: Spotswood*
Week 5: at Governor Livingston
Week 6: Metuchen*
Week 7: at Perth Amboy*
Week 8: JFK

After a year of Athletic Director Gus Kalikas as head coach, with his son the starting quarterback, veteran Middlesex County coach Mike Ryan steps in; he’s been at Sayreville and Edison, while also serving as head coach for a run at JP Stevens. The Crusaders were a playoff entrant last season, and while senior QB Jack Kalikas is gone, he mostly ran the show, throwing for just under 200 yards and rushing for 215 and two scores. The backs – many of them – did the dirty work, with six going for 200 or more on the season, and none more than Zaire Majerska, who rushed for 600 and 11 TDs as a junior last season. He’s a two-way player, and is perhaps the most disruptive player returning, with four sacks and six TFLs from his linebacker spot, while junior Vincent Cilento had two sacks, eight TFLs and a pair of interceptions on the year. Governor Livingston and JFK round out a solid crossover schedule.

Roselle Rams (2-9, 1-2, 3rd place Patriot Silver)
Head Coach: James Roach, 1st season

Week 0: Ferris
Week 1: at Hillside
Week 2: at Perth Amboy*
Week 3: Johnson*
Week 4: New Providence*
Week 5: at Brearley
Week 6: Spotswood*
Week 7: at Metuchen*
Week 8: Roselle Park

The Rams were 6-16 in two seasons under Tyrone Turner, who’s now with Steven Brown as offensive coordinator at North Plainfield, and it’ll be up to James Roach – a local youth coach – to turn things around at Abraham Clark H.S. That’ll be tough with a senior-laded team in 2025. The only non-12th grader to take a snap last year was sophomore Vaylen Webb, who was 1-for-2 passing in limited time against JP Stevens in late October last year. Top rusher Davon Rhodes (547 yards, 5 TDs) graduated, as did No. 1 receiver Shymir Burgess (680 yards, 4 TDs). Defense is much of the same, as Burgess had two interceptions, including a pick-six, while Daniel Diaz (5 sacks), Mike Henderson, Jr. (4 sacks) and Kevin Sanchez (3 sacks) are among the top defensive players who will be missed.

Metuchen Bulldogs (5-5, 0-3, 4th place Patriot Silver)
Head Coach: Joe Riggi, 1st season

Week 0: Dunellen
Week 1: New Brunswick
Week 2: at Spotswood*
Week 3: at New Providence*
Week 4: Perth Amboy*
Week 5: JFK
Week 6: at Johnson*
Week 7: Roselle*
Week 8: at Highland Park

Joe Riggi comes to the Bulldogs from the other side of town, where he had been the defensive coordinator at St. Joseph-Metuchen under Bill Tracy. Metuchen started the season 1-4 last year, but then won four straight before dropping their finale to Governor Livingston. They lose a lot, including senior QB Cam Hayes-Durina, who threw for 1,471 yards and 15 TDs last year, while also being the team’s leading rusher at 431 yards and six TDs. Seniors were the big contributors this year, so it might be a challenge to see improvement right off the bat. It’s a little less of a problem on defense, where juniors like Chris Esso (1 sack, 1 TFL), Eli Major (1 1/2 sacks, 3 TFLs) and others had an impact, including junior Gio Tan, who snared five picks last season on defense, bringing one in for a score.

Spotswood Chargers (8-2, 4-1, Freedom Gold Division Champions)
Head Coach: Brian Russo, 12th season (63-46)

Week 0: Monmouth Regional
Week 1: at JFK
Week 2: Metuchen*
Week 3: Perth Amboy*
Week 4: at Johnson*
Week 5: at North Plainfield
Week 6: at Roselle*
Week 7: New Providence*
Week 8: South River

Coming off three consecutive 8-2 seasons in the last years under Chris Meagher, former East Brunswick mentor Andy Steinfeld takes over the Chargers, with his son Matt having already been on the staff as an assistant. The offense will take a big hit with the graduation of Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage, who threw for 735 yards and 11 scores, while rushing for 834 and 11 more scores, leading the ground game. He also had two sacks, three TFLs and a pick six on defense, and it’s not easy to replace a player like that. But top receiver Ryan Foster, who caught 25 balls last year for 336 yards and three scores, will be back. Senior Sebby Saracino also was a punishing rusher, carrying 105 times for 67 yards and six touchdowns, but he’s gone to graduation. On the defensive side of the ball, senior Dan Keelan – a lineman with three sacks, five TFLs, a safety and a blocked kick – also will be missed, along with big-time kicker Gavin Pereira, who was 6-of-9 with a long of 48 on field goals, and 31 of 33 on PATs.

Perth Amboy Panthers (1-9, 0-4 in Liberty Gold Division)
Head Coach: TBA

Week 0: Monroe
Week 1: at Carteret
Week 2: Roselle*
Week 3: at Spotswood*
Week 4: at Metuchen*
Week 5: New Brunswick
Week 6: at New Providence*
Week 7: Johnson*
Week 8: at South Plainfield

The schedule doesn’t do the Panthers a lot of favors, and they’re yet to officially hire a new head coach, though word is one should be in place shortly, so stay tuned. William Clark was not brought back after winning just nine games total over the past five seasons. Amboy had two underclassman QBs on the roster last year, though only junior Amauris Peguero played, passing for 847 yards and 9 TDs a year ago, but the rest of the skill spots were very senior-laden. Top defensive players like Sebastian Medina Moreno (4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery) and Jordany Rodriguez (2 sacks, 2 TFLs) also graduate.

June 27, 2026June 27, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Plainfield takes championship at Jets Nike “11-On” 7-on-7 Tournament in Florham Park; Bridgewater-Raritan, Union also shine at two-day competition

All three Big Central Conference participants made it to Day Two of the New York Jets’ “11-On” 7-on-7 High School Football Tournament up at the team’s Atlantic Health Training Center in Florham Park, with Plainfield winning the championship out of the entire 16-team field defeating Curtis (NY) of Staten Island Saturday afternoon, 32-8, in the finale.

The Cardinals got a good look at some of their skill players, and played especially good defense at the event. In three games of Saturday’s round-robin playoffs to determine the teams that would play for the title, Plainfield allowed just 19 points, the fewest of all eight teams who made it to the championship bracket. And they got a good look at the future under center, as rising sophomore Tyree Huff threw some tight touchdown passes, with his brother, rising seniors Tymir Huff, Makai Talley, and rising sophomore Kiion Jones getting on the board.

Plainfield also had an interception to stall Curtis’ opening drive of the game, courtesy of rising junior Jaylen Fosten.

Watch highlights of Plainfield’s 32-8 win over Curtis (NY) in the Nike 11-On High School Football Tournament at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, NJ:

Here’s audio from champion Plainfield, as well as Bridgewater-Raritan and Union, with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the field with the head coaches:

Plainfield head coach Donald Jones and rising senior Makai Talley with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko

Union head coach Barris Grant with Alec Crouthamel

Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano

Big Central results…

Here’s how each of the three Big Central teams fared in the tournament.

FRIDAY – POOL PLAY

Plainfield, 3-0 (Pool C Champions):

Beat Curtis (Staten Island), 29-20
Beat Montclair, 33-7
Beat Paramus Catholic, 17-8

*Plainfield gets set to run a play in Saturday’s opener of the Jets Nike 11-On 7-on-7 Tournament in Florham Park on June 27, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Union, 2-1 (Pool D, 2nd place)

Beat Caldwell, 19-17
Lost to Monsignor Farrell, 29-21
Beat DeWitt Clinton (Bronx), 20-12

Bridgewater-Raritan, 2-1 (Pool B, 2nd place)

Beat Midwood (Brooklyn), 25-0
Beat Passaic, 20-17
Lost to Fairfield Ludlowe (CT), 24-8

*Bridgewater-Ratitan head coach D.J. Catalanto talks to his team after their opening game Saturday in the Jets Nike 11-On 7-on-7 Tournament on June 27, 2026 in Florham Park NJ. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

SATURDAY – PLAYOFFS AND CHAMPIONSHIP

Plainfield, 2-0-1 in Green Bracket (Champions)

Tied Union, 6-6
Beat Bridgewater-Raritan, 28-5
Beat Ramapo 17-8
Beat Curtis (NY), 32-8

Union, 2-0-1 in Green Bracket

Tied Plainfield, 6-6
Beat Ramapo, 24-18
Beat Bridgewater-Raritan, 26-14

*Union takes on Plainfield in Saturday’s opener of the Jets’ Nike 11-On 7-on-7 Tournament on June 27, 2026 in Florham Park, NJ. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Bridgewater-Raritan, 0-2-1 in Green Bracket

Tied Ramapo, 24-24
Lost to Plainfield, 28-5
Lost to Union, 26-14

How it all worked…

High school 7-on-7 tournament rules can vary from event to event. In the Jets’ tourney, touchdowns are worth six points, but with no linemen or kickers, PATs are like a two-point conversion, except that teams could go for one with the ball spotted on the five-yard line, or go for two from the ten. A three-and-out on defense was worth three points, while a defensive stop otherwise is worth two. An interception was worth three. All games were 21 minutes with a running clock, with tagging in place of tackles, played solely on one end of the field.

The 16 teams were divided into four pools, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to Saturday’s round of eight. Those were divided into two additional pools, the Green Bracket and White Bracket. Each had four teams, and after another three round-robin games, the winner of each bracket qualified for the championship.

June 24, 2026June 23, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: Woodbridge, Colonia will need to fill some holes to compete for Liberty Gold supremacy, but don’t count out Linden, Plainfield or newcomer Rahway

Two of the three high school in Woodbridge – Woodbridge and Colonia – help make up the Big Central Conference’s Liberty Gold Division, and both were the cream of the crop last year. But they’ll both have to figure out how to replace some big graduation losses to have the same kind of success in 2026.

Then, of course, they’ll also have to hold the rest of the division at bay, which may not be easy, especially with Plainfield going into its second season under Donald Jones, and Linden doing the same under veteran Mark Ciccotelli. And, of course, there’s Rahway – which moves into the Liberty Gold to take the place of Perth Amboy – who will have to handle the loss of all-world senior Andrew Avent, the Central Jersey Sports Radio Three-Way Player of the Year in 2025, but has plenty of talent returning.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the Liberty 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.

Woodbridge Barrons (8-3, 4-0, Liberty Gold Division Champions)
Head Coach: Joe Goerge, 3rd season (18-4 at Woodbridge)

Week 0: Bridgewater-Raritan
Week 1: at Edison
Week 2: Rahway*
Week 3: at Plainfield*
Week 4: at Colonia*
Week 5: Westfield
Week 6: at Summit
Week 7: Linden*
Week 8: Franklin

Things start hot right off the bat for Woodbridge, with their home opener against defending North 2, Group 5 champion Bridgewater-Raritan. Veteran mentor Joe Goerge will need to work quickly to find a replacement for Joshua Allen, who rushed for 1,579 yards and 20 scores last year on 203 carries. The next two – rising senior Kyle Campis (376 yards, 2 TDs) and rising junior Dylan Stephen (335 yards, 7 TDs) – are good options. Many of the top defenders, like A’arrow Andrewz (4 sacks, 9 TFLs, 2 INTs), Jhonny Collado (3 sacks, 14 TFLs) and Dylan Saab (4 sacks, 4 TFLs), among others, have graduated, but junior Kyle Campus grabbed three picks last year in the secondary.

Colonia Patriots (7-4, 3-1, 2nd place Liberty Gold)
Head Coach: Tom Roarty, 14th season (82-51)

Week 0: at Summit
Week 1: at Franklin
Week 2: Plainfield*
Week 3: at Montgomery
Week 4: Woodbridge*
Week 5: at Hillsborough
Week 6: at Linden*
Week 7: Rahway*
Week 8: South Brunswick

We won’t beat around the bush: Colonia – for the first time in a while – has a lot to replace from a squad that went to the North 2, Group 4 semifinals. That’s not to say they can’t be successful, but gone to graduation are senior QB Dylan Chiera (2,436 yards, 23 TD, just 3 INT) and top receiver R.J. Wortman, who finished with 101 catches, 1,307 yards and 15 TDs. The biggest returning stat line on offense belongs to that of junior runningback Kyle Bell, who rushed for 434 yards last season. On defense, senior Julien Jones (8 sacks, 14 TFLs, 1 INT for a TD, 1 forced fumble, one safety) was a one-man wrecking crew, but also had a solid cast around him. Non-seniors last year who made an impact included junior defensive lineman Jason Eyetan (2 sacks, 12 TFLs) and junior linebacker A.J. Reinoso (2 sacks, 8 TFLs, second on the team in total tackles with 117, 1 fumble recovery).

Plainfield Cardinals (4-6, 2-2, 3rd place Liberty Gold)
Head Coach: Donald Jones, 2nd season (4-6)

Week 0: at Sayreville
Week 1: Elizabeth
Week 2: at Colonia*
Week 3: Woodbridge*
Week 4: Linden*
Week 5: at Union
Week 6: Rahway*
Week 7: Watchung Hills
Week 8: at Westfield

Now in his second season, Donald Jones will have to find a replacement for senior QB Devin Thomas, a mobile QB who ran for nearly 500 yards while also throwing for 2,214 and a mind-boggling 29 touchdowns, with just four picks. And he’s the only one who threw a varsity pass last year. Top receiver Tymir Huff caught 60 passes for 919 yards and 11 TDs as a junior, a good target to have back for whoever is under center. And the defense will miss a guy like senior Tylor Hunter- who got to the QB 13 times last season, while also grabbing an interception – and was very senior-laden in 2025.

Linden Tigers (3-7, 1-3, 4th place Liberty Gold)
Head Coach: Mark Ciccotelli, 2nd season (3-7 at Linden)

Week 0: OPEN
Week 1: at Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Week 2: New Brunswick
Week 3: Rahway*
Week 4: at Plainfield*
Week 5: at Elizabeth
Week 6: Colonia*
Week 7: at Woodbridge*
Week 8: Union

Coming off a 3-7 first season, mobile quarterback Joe Boyd returns after a 1,090-yard rushing year as a junior, with 11 TDs, and 523 passing yards for another five touchdowns. The next two best runningbacks also return, including rising senior. Four junior receivers – led by Zion Francis with seven catches for 158 yards and a touchdown – also should be back. The defense is more senior, but junior Alan Szurgot was a bright spot last year with five sacks, seven TFLs and a fumble recovery. And returner Elijah Pierre brought back one for a touchdown as well. If the Tigers can improve, with teams above them replacing key pieces, they can make a move up in the division.

Rahway Indians (6-4, 3-1, three-way Liberty Silver Co-Champions)
Head Coach: Brian Russo, 12th season (63-46)

Week 0: at Willingboro
Week 1: Summit
Week 2: at Woodbridge*
Week 3: at Linden*
Week 4: Cranford
Week 5: South Brunswick
Week 6: at Plainfield*
Week 7: at Colonia*
Week 8: Edison

The loss of Andrew Avent – one of the most decorated players in Rahway history – will be a big blow for head coach Brian Russo and company. His 1,961 rushing yards set the single-season school record, and helped him take the all-time record, finishing with 4,524 yards and 77 career rushing touchdowns. And last year, not only did he move from linebacker to defensive end, picking up 10 1/2 sacks and 21 1/2 TFLs, but he was also a solid punter as well. So, who’s back? How about rising senior WB Jaquan Robinson, who – despite all Avent did on the ground – managed to throw for 1,045 yards and 15 touchdowns while turning it over through the air just once. He could end up running it more, and even looking to fellow senior Jyvon Cooper (24 carries, 158 yards, 2 TD last season). Wideout Tristan Driscoll is back for another year as well, after catching ten passes for 240 yards and four scores. Jaylen Eastman should be disruptive again on the D-line as a senior; last season, he had 8 1/2 sacks, 14 1/2 TFLs and a fumble recovery for a defense that should be aggressive again this year. Couple that with a solid, entrenched coaching staff, Rahway still could make noise this season.

May 27, 2026 by Alec Crouthamel

Fifth-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan stays hot, rolls over 12-seed Plainfield 11-0 in North 2, Group 4 first round

There’s an all-too-familiar adage in postseason sports: When the brackets come out, throw the win-loss records out the window.

Bridgewater-Raritan is the latest example.

The Panthers (12-16) earned the fifth seed in the North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 bracket after a tough start to the year, dealing with a rugged Skyland Delaware division, giving their young group a bit of trial by fire against some of the top teams in the area.

Now? Bridgewater-Raritan is playing its best baseball at the right time, as the Panthers – winners of six of their last eight – knocked off 12th-seeded Plainfield 11-0 in five innings to advance to the North 2 Group 4 quarterfinals for the fifth straight year.

With another run in the sectional tournament a week after making it to the Somerset County Tournament semifinals – where they almost knocked off top-seeded Immaculata – the group is finding its stride and could be a dangerous dark-horse as the tournament moves along.

Junior pitcher Jack Braswell got the ball on Wednesday and set the tone immediately. He struck out the first two Plainfield batters on the way to a 1-2-3 inning to open the game, then Bridgewater-Raritan’s red-hot bats got their chance in the bottom half.

The Panthers plated three runs in the first, with the first four batters reaching base before an out was recorded. Junior second baseman Nick Spirra put a line drive into right field with the bases loaded to score two. Then, with two outs and the bases re-loaded, right fielder Josh Moore got plunked to bring in another.

The two teams traded scoreless frames — as Braswell retired all nine Cardinals the first time through the order — until the bottom of the third inning, where Bridgewater-Raritan got its big inning.

It looked like another quiet inning through two batters, with a strikeout and lineout, but the Panthers put together some two-out magic to break the game wide open. They loaded the bases in three batters — including another hit-by-pitch for Moore — before leadoff left fielder Andrew Schmieder put another line drive into right field to score two runs.

Senior Kellan Komline brought in another with an infield RBI single. Schmieder stole home to score on the ensuing at-bat, before senior catcher Michael Lobosco powered a double into centerfield to score Komline. Spirra brought in another with an RBI single back into centerfield.

All of a sudden, Bridgewater-Raritan built a commanding 9-0 lead after three.

Braswell worked another shutout inning — though he did lose his perfect game bid thanks to a two-out single by Plainfield left fielder Franyer Genao — to send the lineup back to the plate.

The Panthers got the job done again with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game in run-rule territory. Junior Stephen Pikulin reached on a one-out infield single, and Moore got hit by a pitch for the third time to put runners on first and second.

Sophomore shortstop Cody Rible singled to left field to score Pikulin and give Bridgewater-Raritan double digits on the day. Skipper Max Newill started to empty his bench from there, and sophomore Matt DeLucia registered his second RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to make it 11-0.

Braswell retired the side in order for the fourth time to secure the dominant victory. He earned the win on the mound with five shutout innings, striking out eight while only allowing one hit.

Now, after a full regular season, the Panthers have taken their lumps and found their footing to become a threat in the section. They’ll have another challenge at hand on Friday, heading on the road to Edison to face fourth-seeded JP Stevens in the quarterfinals. The Hawks (18-8) finished in a three-way tie atop the GMC Blue division at 11-3, and defeated 13th-seeded Ferris 11-2 for their first playoff win since 2019.

A challenge, to be sure, but Bridgewater-Raritan has shown in the last month it’s ready for anything the bracket can throw at it.

Click below to hear Bridgewater-Raritan head coach Max Newill talk about the Panthers’ 11-0 win over Plainfield in the North 2 Group 4 first round with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

March 15, 2026March 22, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Group 4 Finals (Boys): Plainfield 49, Montgomery 40

Despite a 20-point game from Penn-bound senior Ethan Lin, Central 4 champion Montgomery lost 49-40 to North 2, Group 4 Champion Plainfield in the NJSIAA state Group 4 title game. It was Plainfield’s second straight state championship.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play from Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway on March 14, 2026.

March 14, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery falls to Plainfield for 2nd year in a row in Group 4 final, as Gordon helps Cardinals pull away in 4th for 49-40 win

The Montgomery boys’ basketball team felt good about its chances coming into Saturday afternoon’s NJSIAA Group 4 state final at Rutgers, and they had plenty of reason to.

All season long, they have gotten outstanding performances from different players every night, with Ethan Lin running the show, Shriyans Mallavarapu blocking shots, Xavier Harrigan coming off the bench to play lock down defense, and Connor Benedict and Mike Simborski connecting from beyond the arc.

And they got that again, with the teams playing a tight first three quarters. Plainfield led 13-9 after one, with the second quarter seeing the lead change four times. It was 22-20 Cardinals at the half.

Whenever it looked like Plainfield was going to pull away, Monty would hit a big shot, whether it was a buzzer-beating three at the end of the first to trim a five-point deficit to two, or Simborksi from the college range on the left wing at the third-quarter horn to slash a seven-point deficit to four.

But the matchup zone defense of Plainfield caused Monty headaches all night, and by late in the game, their long possessions were stretching longer, and with a few misses, The Cards won the rebounding battle in the second half. It was tied 11-11 at the break, but the Cougars were left with a lot of one and dones, and they had a 12-5 advantage on the glass over the last 16 minutes.

And the exclamation mark was a thunderous one-handed jam by Gordon, streaking to the basked from the left wing on a break off a pretty feed from Kamai Lowery with 4:26 left. If it didn’t mathematically put the game out of reach, everyone in the building could sense that it was a harbinger of the celebration that would come when the clock finally winked down to :00.

Lin finished with 20 in the game – including four treys, and two in the fourth quarter – tied for game-high honors with Gordon, a junior who is uncommitted, but has offers from Tennessee, Mississippi State and North Carolina state, among others. Lin, meanwhile, in his last game as a Cougar, will be headed down to The Palestra to play for Penn.

Senior Kamai Lowery finished with 12 for Plainfield (26-5), while fellow senior Rashawn Williams added ten, including a pair of triples.

Sophomore Connor Benedict finished with nine for Montgomery (26-5), while Mallavarapu had six, but all were in the first half.

Click below for postgame reaction from Alec Crouthamel with head coach Kris Grundy, presented by Sportsplext at Metuchen:

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Experienced and ready, Montgomery boys seek first-ever state title in Group 4 finals rematch with Plainfield

At the end of the day, throw the seeds out, and just look at where the two teams playing in Saturday’s Group 4 state boys’ basketball title game rank statewide.

Montgomery was a three-seed in its Central Jersey Group 4 playoff section, and had to go on the road to beat top-seed Hillsborough in overtime to win it. Plainfield was a four-seed in North 2, Group 4 and had to travel to beat a higher seed as well – Linden, the two – to win the title.

But these are not your typical three- and four-seeds. Montgomery is the tenth-ranked team in the state, per NJ.com, with Plainfield five spots ahead. They are No. 1 and No. 2 when you take out the non-publics.

And quite truthfully, that’s more like it.

But no matter how you slice it, whoever is inside Jersey Mike’s Arena at Rutgers Saturday when Montgomery (26-4) and Plainfield (25-5) play for the Group 4 title in a rematch of last year’s title game should get every single penny of their dollar’s worth.

You can hear that game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – for free, with no paywall – beginning with the pregame show, set for 1:40 pm with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel. Click here to listen.

The Cougars have it going on all cylinders right now, and have been well-tested in the state tournament. After a blowout win over Manalapan in the opening round of the sectionals, they earned a ten-point win over Trenton, then went on the road and won back-to-back games: by 12 at Marlboro and 55-47 in OT at neighboring Hillsborough to take home their third straight sectional title, and fourth overall, all of which have come under current head coach Kris Grundy.

And he has a more than capable team.

It starts with Ethan Lin, the Penn-bound senior point guard who runs the show, in every sense of the word. Through the sectional finals, he had poured in 25, 31, 30 and 22 points, but one might be prompted to wonder how he was held to just nine in the Group 4 semis against Cherry Hill.

Watch the game, and you’ll know. Lin has an uncanny ability to know when he has to score, and when he doesn’t. He’ll gladly concede 20 points off his game to let someone else have them if that means Montgomery wins.

And that’s what he did against Cherry Hill East Tuesday night. He kept feeding the ball to two sophomores, Mike Simborski and Shriyans Mallavarapu. Simborski finished with 28, three shy of a career high, while Mallavarapu topped his previous best of 16 points with 23, while he also grabbed 12 rebounds and said “no” to a number of layup attempts by the other team named the Cougars.

But those three are just the start. Connor Benedict – always busy making deflections and stealing the ball – also can light it up from three. And then there’s the literal “X” factor off the bench, junior Xavier Harrigan, a multi-sport athlete who recorded 49 tackles last year – 41 solo – from his spot in the secondary.

Monty has four losses all year: twice to Rutgers Prep – once in the regular season and once in the Somerset County Tournament – once to North 2, Group 4 finalist Linden, and once to newly-minted Non-Public Group B state champion Gill St. Bernard’s.

Not bad at all.

On the Plainfield side, the Cardinals won’t win 30 games again this year – they finished 29-3 last season – but are still among the top public schools in the state

Micah Gordon – an uncommitted junior with his biggest offers from Tennessee and Mississippi State, among others – is the top dog (bird?) for the Cards. The point guard is averaging a shade under 25 points a game on the season, and he’ll eclipse the 2,000-point mark in his career very early next season/later in 2026, already sitting at 1,821 points.

He’s scoring at a 24.4 point per game clip in the state playoffs, where – even more impressive, in a dominating win over Linden – he had perhaps his finest moment in the tournament: 33 points, seven assists, three treys, and something you rarely see at any level of basketball: 14-of-16 from the foul line.

Then three of the next four top scorers – seniors Rashawn Williams, Devin Thomas, and Kamai Lowery – are, like Montgomery’s Harrigan – football players, and bring a unique dynamic to a team that plays in the rugged Union County Conference.

Williams and another senior, Tylor Hunter, are the team’s top rebounders, while Gordon and Thomas have each hit 48 triples on the year.

With two point guards who can take over the game at any time, this one might be as entertaining for the offensive exploits of those on the floor as it is watching each side’s defense try to contain the other side.

Click below for preview interviews with both head coaches:

Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko

Plainfield head coach Mike Gordon with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel

Quirky/Useless Stat of the Day: Montgomery is 2-0 against teams whose schools start with the letter C. Ironically, both are named “Cougars.” They had a 72-32 win over the Central Jersey College Charter Cougars on January 30th, and beat the Cherry Hill East Cougars Tuesday in the Group 4 semifinals, 67-57.

LINKS TO PREVIOUS MONTGOMERY STATE TOURNAMENT COVERAGE:

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

March 3, 2026March 3, 2026 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:

December 11, 2025December 11, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio announces football “Specialty Awards” for 2025

Our goal at Central Jersey Sports Radio since our founding in 2020 has always been to bring attention to all the great things done by the many outstanding student-athletes in our area, both on and off the field.

Even with Honorable Mentions in each category, just having one each of Offensive, Defensive Special Teams and Two-Way Player of the Year isn’t quite enough to cover the massive 59-team Big Central Conference.

So, in our quest to honor as many great student-athletes as possible, here are our 2024 Central Jersey Sports Radio Specialty Awards:

“Hard Nosed Runner” Award: Sam Dech, Phillipsburg

Last year, it was Jett Genovese and Matthew Scerbo, Jr., receiving the “Dynamic Duo” award. This season, it’s another Phillipsburg football player with a specialty award.

Sam Dech seems to define Phillipsburg football. They all say they live by D.I.G. – Discipline, Ignore the Noise, Grit – but for Dech it’s however much more that can be possible.

Even in a postgame interview, he’ll tell you “that’s what we wanted to do and we just came out and did it.”

A high school football game scene showing a player in a dark uniform attempting to evade two defenders in light uniforms, with spectators in the background. — *Phillipsburg’s Sam Dech looks to make a move in the Group 4 title game against Winslow Twp. at Rutgers on December 4, 2024. (Photo: Christian Sanchez)*

Well, they don’t get there without Dech, who is a bruising runner who’s nearly impossible to bring down. Okay, not impossible, but be assured that if you hit him at the ten yard line, he’s going to bring you at least another five yards toward the end zone by the time he’s down.

That was invaluable on a 2025 team that lost Genovese and Scerbo – the second of whom was the school’s all-time leading receiver – as well as fellow receiver Felix Matos to graduation.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Phillipsburg’s Sam Dech:

The “Great Hands” Award: R.J. Wortman, Colonia

Good Hands was already taken, but Wortman is more than good hands. He’s great hands.

Colonia always seems to be a place where things happen without a lot of fan fare. But one day, you turn around, and Tom Roarty has his team in a sectional semifinal game in one of the hallowed grounds of high school football in New Jersey, Maloney Stadium.

The same could be said for R.J. Wortman, who heading into that North 2, Group 4 semi against Phillipsburg, was nearing 100 receptions on the year, and finished with a cool 101. The next highest wasn’t even that close.

A student-athlete signs a commitment in front of a table adorned with football gear, including jerseys, a football, and helmets, with a coach standing nearby, all set against a backdrop displaying 'Colonia Patriots'. — *Colonia’s R.J. Wortman signed with Rutgers on 2025 December National Letter of Intent Signing Day. (Photo courtesy Tom Roarty)*

They weren’t all long passes from senior QB Dylan Chiera, who threw for over 2,000 yards this season, one of three Middlesex County quarterbacks to do so in 2025. There were a few dinks and dunks in there, but it kept defenses on their toes, that’s for sure, with so many different ways to use him.

Couple that with the fact Wortman is a great teammate. No sooner did he commit to Greg Schiano and Rutgers – where he signed last week and will enroll early in January, skipping his senior season on the basketball court – but he was already active on Twitter, propping up all of his teammates, trying to make sure college coaches take a look at them just like they did with him.

Overall, Wortman finished with 101 catches for 1,307 yards (118.8 per game) with 15 touchdowns for the 7-4 Patriots.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Colonia’s R.J. Wortman:

“Is He A Lineman? Is He a Fullback” Award: Mike Bellamy, Montgomery

Senior Mike Bellamy has football in the family. His father, Joe – owner of Bellamy & Son Paving – played it, and has coached it for years at the youth level in their previous hometown of Piscataway. His brothers Joe and Rocco played for the Chiefs, with Joe on that 2018 team that won the North Jersey Group 5 Bowl Championship, beating Ridgewood at MetLife Stadium to become the first Middlesex County school to go 13-0 in a season, setting a county win record that still holds.

So, it was clear Mike would play football.

A football player wearing a yellow and green helmet with the word 'Cougars' on his jersey, stands on the sidelines, looking thoughtful during a game. — *Mike Bellamy of Montgomery. (Source: @MikeBellamy50 on Twitter)*

He’s an accomplished long-snapper, and has been a solid two-way lineman for a few seasons now. But this year, a new wrinkle was added: he would run the football.

Bellamy’s is not the story of an offensive lineman who fell on a couple of luckily-timed fumbles in the end zone to give his offense a score. No, no. This was all by design.

In fact, Bellamy carried eleven times this season for 38 yards, scoring four touchdowns, one each against Linden and Woodbridge in the regular season, then against Westfield and the Barrons again in the playoffs.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Mike Bellamy of Montgomery:

“I’m Back” Award: Devin Thomas, Plainfield

The last time we saw Devin Thomas the football player, he was quarterbacking the junior varsity at St. Thomas Aquinas, where Donald Jones, now Plainfield’s head coach, was an assistant.

Thomas transferred to Plainfield as a sophomore to represent his hometown, then gave up football to focus on basketball as a junior. It seemed a pretty good decision; Thomas scored in double-figures 12 times, helping lead the Cardinals to a Group 4 championship last March.

A football player wearing a red and white jersey with the number 11, standing on the field and signaling to teammates. The player is wearing a helmet and appears to be in an active game situation. — *Devin Thomas of Plainfield. (Source: @DevinThomas8_ on Twitter)*

When Jones took over as Plainfield head coach last spring, he gauged Thomas’s interest in coming back to the gridiron.

“Why not?”

Six months later, everyone agrees it paid off.

Thomas threw for 2,214 yards and 29 touchdowns. He ran for another 482 yards and 4 scores. Week-in and week-out, Thomas put up video game numbers under center for Plainfield.

He put an exclamation point on his stellar season with a 296-yard, 4-touchdown masterpiece in Plainfield’s final regular season game – a 28-27 come-from-behind win at Linden that clinched the Cardinals’ spot in the North 2, Group 5 playoffs.

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe talk with Devin Thomas of Plainfield:

“Comeback” Award: Jack Kalikas, A.L. Johnson

A.L. Johnson standout athlete Jack Kalikas broke his leg in October 2024. Faced with the same situation, some might wonder if they’d ever play at a high level again.

Not Jack; he wondered if he’d be able to return to play hockey that season.

While that goal proved to be a bit out of reach, it kept him going.

A quarterback in a blue football uniform throws a pass while a teammate in a similar uniform looks on during a game at night. — *Jack Kalikas of A.L. Johnson throws a pass in this undated photo. (Source: @jackkalikas on Instagram)*

Jack then set his sights on returning for lacrosse in the spring. And although he couldn’t fully come back in time, the determination accelerated the recovery process.

By summer, Jack was full go and back on the football field for A.L. Johnson. On top of that, he’d be playing for his dad, Gus Kalikas, A.L. Johnson’s athletic director-turned-head coach.

Almost one full year after breaking his leg, Jack led A.L. Johnson to a 7-2 record, playing quarterback and linebacker for the Crusaders.

Next up: hockey and lacrosse.

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe talk with Jack Kalikas of A.L. Johnson:

“Body Builder” Award: Brady Gallogly, Piscataway

Originally nominated for the Longevity Award, this one really fit him more.

Brady had always played wide receiver, but an opportunity came up where Piscataway needed a center. Ever the eager freshman, he made the suggestion.

A football player prepares to snap the ball on a field during a night game, with teammates and opponents in the background. — *Brady Gallogly, Piscataway. (Source: Hudl)*

Now, he wasn’t quite dealing with a coach who barely knew him, because his father, Frank Uhrin, is the team’s offensive coordinator. He played at Piscataway, too, as did Brady’s uncle, Robert, who also was a smaller-sized lineman on the 2002 Central Jersey Group 4 championship team, the last to be coached by legend Joe Kuronyi. His uncle, Tommy “Guns” Uhrin, was a skill player for the Chiefs in the 1990s.

But beyond all that, Gallogly had work to do. He only weight 160 pounds at the time, but with weight lifting, diet, and a training regimen, he got where he needed to be and became adept at making all the movements offensive linemen need to make.

Click below to hear Chris Tsakonas talk with Piscataway’s Brady Gallogly:

The “Tough Break for a Record-Breaker” Award: Thomas Diemar, Bernards

Coming into Game Three of the 2026 season, with at least a half-dozen games to go, you’d figure, senior Thomas Diemarr should have blown away the school’s all-time career sack record.

He already had it, with 22: ten each his sophomore and junior seasons, and two already in the first two games. This was his chance to make it nearly untouchable.

Then, in the first quarter, he plants funny in the end zone on a kickoff, with no one around him.

Young male athlete with curly hair standing outdoors, wearing a black athletic shirt, in front of a sports field and a building. — *Bernards’ all-time sack record holder, Thomas Diemar. (Photo: Marcus Borden)*

He sorely wanted back in the game, which turned out to be a win over Delaware Valley.

As it turned out, he tore his ACL, and his senior season would be done.

Diemar was a bit surprised when head coach Jon Simoneau picked him for first team All-Patriot Gold Division. But he shouldn’t have been. He deserved it, or he would have had he played.

Coach decided to honor a young man who, himself, has honored and respected the program Simoneau has built. That’s why he got the recognition, and that’s why he gets ours!

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Thomas Diemar of Bernards:

The “Sure, I’ll Play Quarterback” Award: Alex Schwark, Summit
The “Best Player Not To Play A Snap” Award: Cole Sabol, Summit

These two awards go hand-in-hand, if you’ll just follow along.

Cole is a multi-sport athlete, and he tore his Achilles last spring in lacrosse, on the very first day of the season. After getting evaluated, he found out he’d also miss football season. That’s when Alex Schwark took the job, having never played it before.

And he did well. In fact, when he got hurt later in the year, the Hilltoppers dropped those two games, then continued winning when he was back in the lineup, three weeks later in a 10-7 win upset at previously-unbeaten Woodbridge.

A split image featuring two high school football players. On the left, a quarterback in a light blue uniform holds a football and appears ready to pass on a field. On the right, another player in a maroon and gold uniform stands next to a coach on the sidelines, looking down at the ground. — *Summit’s Cole Sabol (left) and Alex Schwark and head coach Kevin Kostibos (right) (@colesabol3 on Instagram/File photo by Mike Pavlichko)*

But Schwark never would have done so well without Sabol, who was nominated for the Leadership Award by Coach Kevin Kostibos. Why? Because he could have walked away and sulked, but instead led the team in practices, meetings, gatherings, and games. He took his teammates under his wing, including Schwark, helping to make him the quarterback he became, even if he was sharing time with Matt McKeever down the stretch, with both of them on the field at the same time.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Summit’s Cole Sabol and Alex Schwark:

November 2, 2025November 1, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – North 2, Group 5 First Round: (2) Piscataway 29, (7) Plainfield 14

Mickye Simmons rushed for two touchdowns while QB Landon Pernell threw for two more, and second-seeded Piscataway picked up a 29-14 win over visiting seventh-seeded Plainfield in the opening round of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 playoffs.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Max Scheiner call all the play-by-play live from Kenny Armwood Stadium in Piscataway, NJ, on November 1, 2025:

1st Half

2nd Half