Tag: Plainfield

by Mike Pavlichko

Thursday night Cutoff Weekend playoff update: Minimal games, but slight changes in standings

There were 13 high school football games Thursday night, but only seven playoff-eligible games (Ivy Divisions in the Super Football Conference aren’t playoff-eligible).

Those games didn’t have a big impact on the standings, but when combined with the rest of the results to come in Friday and Saturday, they could have some real sway in who makes the postseason and who doesn’t.

Remember, SI values are locked in, so the values you see are the ones you get this weekend. All that matters is who won and who lost.

Here’s a look at all the public school sections impacted by Thursday night’s play, large or small.

  • North Group 5: Though there were seven football games in the Super Football Conference Thursday night, all but one were Ivies, who are ineligible for the playoffs. That was Passaic Tech beating Passaic at home, 35-7. Tech stayed at No. 5, but four other teams moved around as a result. Union City dropped from six to eight, while Livingston climbed two spots to take the Soaring Eagles’ place. Further down, Passaic having lost helped Plainfield (3-5), which moved up from 15 to 14, flip-flopping with Morristown. That’s because Passaic (4-4, 18th) dropped below the Cardinals in power points, cutting Plainfield’s UPR by 0.4 to a 15.2 UPR.
  • South Group 4: There was a five-game slate in the West Jersey Football League Thursday. Shawnee blanked Hammonton at home, as expected, 21-0, while Willingboro lost at Seneca, 28-21, and Pennsauken was a 40-6 winner over Clearview, also as expected. With a weak opponent, Shawnee dropped two places from third to fifth, moving Manalapan and Millville up one spot each to third and fourth, respectively. Pennsauken at ten dropped, flip-flopping with Middletown South at 11. Hammonton held at 15. Clearview – well out of the race – held at 27.
  • South Group 3: Overall No. 1 Burlington Twp. topped Cinnaminson Thursday on the road, 21-0. Burlington should at least have wrapped up a No. 1 seed, if not the overall top-seed. That shouldn’t affect Somerville, however, which still has a chance at a top-seed and win with some help.
  • South Group 2: A Willingboro loss at Seneca, 28-21, on Thursday helped a couple of teams, though only one is evident in the standings. Voorhees (8-1) climbed one spot from 16 to 15, while Overbrook rose from 15 to 14, and Willingboro fell from 14 to 16. The loss also likely helps Spotswood, which still needs to beat Roselle Park Friday – and get some help – to qualify. But hey, one down, more to go.
  • North Group 1: Only one game here saw Weehawken beat Elmwood Park at home, 20-50. And while Weehawken stayed at 25, it did bump Whippany Park and Roselle Park (5-2) each up one spot to 23 and 22, respectively, while Saddle Brook dropped to 24. It’s still unlikely the Panthers can reach the top 16 – even with a win over 7-1 Spotswood Friday night, but we’ll know much more after the rest of Friday’s scores come in.

by Mike Pavlichko

Cutoff Weekend Group 5 Playoff Update: Bridgewater-Raritan could earn BCC’s only overall No. 1 seed; Plainfield, Rahway face “play-in” scenarios Friday night

It’s Cutoff Weekend in New Jersey high school football, and we’re taking a look at the playoff scenarios for every Big Central team in contention.

This week, Strength Index values are locked in, and out-of-state opponent SI values also have been updated by Gridiron New Jersey, which does all the official calculations of the NJ UPR formula for the NJSIAA. And we’ve double- and triple-checked our own standings to make sure they match with Gridiron’s.

We’ll have another update to the standings after Friday night’s games – yes, there are Thursday games, but none in the BCC, and we’ll only update if there are significant changes.

And, of course, Central Jersey Sports Radio will have its annual “Playoff Projection Show,” airing LIVE on Saturday at 6 pm. Mike Pavlichko hosts with analyst Marcus Borden, and they’ll run through all the projected brackets. Plus, you’ll hear from some of the league’s coaches as well.

Here’s our breakdown of the Group 5 supersections. We won’t be getting into how the brackets look just yet, but we’ll do that with our update after Friday night’s Week 8 action. Click the supersection header to see the official standings on Gridiron New Jersey.

NORTH GROUP 5

  • Bridgewater-Raritan: The Panthers (6-2) have a shot at the overall No. 1 seed here, but it won’t be easy. They would have to beat Phillipsburg (6-1) on the road Friday night and have West Orange (currently No. 1, 6-2) lose at 5-3 Bloomfield the same night. But even a Bridgewater loss might keep them there. Piscataway (7-2) visits Monroe (1-7) and the Chiefs just can’t gain enough from that game to put them in the fold for a top seed. Even Elizabeth at four overall can’t get much higher. So we think the Panthers are locked in as the top-seed in North 2, Group 5, it’s just a matter of whether they’ll edge out West Orange for the top-seed overall, which would mean they could host a group semifinal, if they got that far. Incidentally, their six wins are the most the Panthers have had since 2021 under Scott Bray, and a seventh win would be their best total since finishing 2017 9-3, with a trip to the North 2, Group 5 finals, the last of three straight they made, falling to undefeated Westfield all three times.
  • Piscataway: Even with losses by Bridgewater-Raritan and West Orange, we think the Chiefs (6-2) are maxed out at No. 3, so they should be the two-seed in North 2, Group 5. A loss could drop them to fourth, maybe lower depending how Passaic Tech and Union City do. Either way, they should start out at home, playing on Saturdays as they always do.

  • Elizabeth: If things break right for the Minutemen (4-4), a win over Union (1-7) coupled with losses by West Orange, Bridgewater-Raritan and Piscataway could get Elizabeth as high as three overall, which would earn them a two-seed in the North 2, Group 4 section, with the Panthers first and Piscataway third, then Linden fourth, making it an all-Big Central top four there. A loss would be tragic, potential dropping them to around eight overall, and on the road for a first-round playoff game. That’s quite the swing. But if the Minutemen fancy themselves a playoff team, they should handle the Farmers.
  • Linden: Sitting at 12, the Tigers (3-5) have Plainfield (also 3-5) at home Friday. Just on its own, that keeps them at 12. A win could move them to around ninth overall, while a loss could drop them to 14, but they should be solidly win. Behind them are three teams that have no business making the playoffs, including 5-2 Morristown, 1-7 Montclair and 1-7 Union. And those last two won’t even qualify if they don’t get to two wins (and it’s unlikely they will).
  • Plainfield: The Cardinals get in with a win over Linden, which would bump them all the way up to 12, not counting any other scores. But still, with Bloomfield at 13 and Linden at 14 – and we already counted a loss for them, there’s really no one who could catch them. With a loss? Well, they could back into the playoffs, thanks to those one-win teams. In that scenario, they would need Columbia (3-5) to lose to Union City (4-3), and for Union and Montclair to lose – leaving them each with one-win and ineligible – and they would get in. We can’t remember another scenario since the advent of the NJ UPR system in 2018 where a team got in from 18 because of two teams that didn’t meet the win requirement, but that’s what would happen here.
  • Union: A win over Elizabeth (5-4) should get them in, moving them to around the 12th position in the field of 16. But at 1-7, they must win that game. Two wins is the NJSIAA minimum to qualify.

SOUTH GROUP 5

  • Sayreville: We don’t think the Bombers have a path to a No. 1 seed, thanks in part to last week’s loss to Montgomery. They come in at 7-1, with a 3.6 UPR. Ahead of them is Atlantic City (7-1, 2nd) and Washington Twp. (8-0, 1st). Assuming Sayreville beats St. Thomas Aquinas (5-3), they can’t catch Washington Twp., even if they were to lose. And they’d be 0.2 UPR points behind Atlantic City. They’d need a loss by the Vikings, but since they play on Thanksgiving and have already played eight games, they’re idle this week. Now, the Trojans are a multiplier, but as of last year, teams only get bonus points if they lose; if they beat a multiplier, they get the normal points on the OSI side. That said, with a loss, they fall to four without any other games being considered, but it’s not the worst thing in the world. With Southern also above them, all three teams are from the south, Washington Twp. would get the top seed in Central 5, and Sayreville would be the two there regardless. But giving wins to Old Bridge and Rancocas Valley actually bumps them back up to third, mainly because Rancocas has Lenape (0-8) this weekend, and even a win would drop them and prop up the Bombers.
  • Old Bridge: The Knights are going to benefit from that Rancocas Valley drop, too, should they beat a solid (6-2) Colonia team at home Friday night. A loss and they drop to seven, and probably lock them in there. Why? Even if teams behind them win, there’s a gap from Old Bridge in fourth in the Central 5 section to Hillsborough fifth with five teams from the South in between the overall UPR standings. And the Raiders can’t catch them.
  • Hillsborough: Coming in at No. 13, the Raiders (3-5) have been hot and cold this season. At 1-4, they reeled off a couple of back-to-back wins, but fell off the wagon last week when Piscataway beat them at Noonan Field. A win Friday at Hunterdon Central (4-4) could get them around 11, while a loss could drop them as low as 15.
  • Hunterdon Central: The Red Devils look like they need to beat the Raiders to get in. That would put them at 15, with Trenton, Howell and Bridgeton behind them. They still might need some help from them. If all three win, Central is out. But Central can get in as long as two of the three teams lose. We think Franklin is out regardless. The fly in the ointment could be if Jackson (2-6) wins at Brick Memorial (6-2), but we think that’s unlikely. So here are the scenarios for the Red Devils, needing two of three losses by those three behind them. If Howell and Bridgeton lose, Central gets in at 15 and Hillsborough holds at 12. If Bridgeton and Trenton lose, Hillsborough is at 15, Central at 16, but they would jump the Raiders since they just beat them. If Howell and Trenton lose, Central gets in at 16, Hillsborough is at 12 again. Play-in games and scoreboard watching are what makes Cutoff Weekend exciting!

by Mike Pavlichko

Gridiron New Jersey updates out-of-state SI; changes help Plainfield, Dayton edge up.

Gridiron New Jersey – the official calculator of the NJSIAA’s NJ UPR playoff formula – has updated the out-of-state Strength Index values for dozens of teams, with only 13 public schools affected as we head into Cutoff Weekend. But the changes helped give a boost to two Big Central Conference teams.

The changes affected North and South Group 5 and Group 2, as well as South 4 and North 3 supersections.

In four of those six sections, the teams that played out-of-state opponents only saw a minor increase or decrease, typically less than one full point. South 5, South 4, North 3 and South 2 saw no change in the standings or UPR numbers as a result.

But in the Big Central Conference, Plainfield and Dayton got boosts.

In the North 5 supersection, Plainfield – which lost at Haverford (PA) back on September 27th, 41-25 – bumped up from 18 to 15, putting themselves squarely on the right side of the playoff bubble. And the Cardinals could move up this week, as they close out Friday night at Linden (3-5), which sits in 12th place, and didn’t move with the new adjustments.

Here are the new standings in North 5:

A table displaying the standings for North Group 5 high school football teams, including columns for wins, losses, ties, points average, out-of-state index average, UPR, northing, UPR rank, and N rank.

Meanwhile, in South Group 2, Dayton (6-1) – one of the small schools struggling to get in the playoffs – edged up from 17 to 16. The Bulldogs have been hurt by wins over three unbeaten teams this year – South Hunterdon, South River and Dunellen – but also have wins over Roselle Park (5-2), Spotswood (7-1) and Belvidere (4-4). Their final game, this Saturday at home against Brearley (4-4), might be a play-in game, and we’ll have to do further analysis to see if there’s a chance they can get in with a loss, or not make it even with a win. It’ll be close!

Here are the new standings in North 2:

Table displaying the updated standings for North Group 2 teams in New Jersey high school football, including team names, wins, losses, ties, and other statistics.
by Mike Pavlichko

No. 7 Somerville wins home finale, 40-28 over Plainfield on near 300-yard rushing night from Aidan Vesuvio-Bush

A strong regular season finish into the playoffs continued Friday night at Brooks Field in Somerville, where the seventh-ranked Pioneers won a bit of a see-saw battle – at least in terms of momentum – with visiting Plainfield, 40-28, in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The ‘Ville got a 288-yard rushing game from senior Aidan Vesuvio-Bush, who finished with three rushing touchdowns, and also added four catches for 76 yards.

The rest of the night went much better than his first touch, when Vesuvio-Bush fumbled on the first play from scrimmage trying to extend a long run. But Plainfield went three-and-out, and the Pioneers got the ball after a punt further up field than they had it on the prior possession.

Then the scoring began, as the teams totaled fifty first-half points.

The Pioneers got a 17-yard touchdown catch from Justin Bowen, but had the extra point blocked. Then Tylor Hunter caught a 17-yarder of his own, with a two-point conversion making it 8-6 Cardinals with 3:39 to go in the quarter. And Vesuvio-Bush answered on the next possession to make it 14-8, including a two-point conversion, with 40 seconds to go in the first.

On the ensuing kickoff, freshman Connor Kossowitz blooped one that was recovered about 20 yards downfield – in between two Plainfield players – by Shyheim Hobbs-Harris, setting up a drive that would end in a two-yard touchdown run by Bowen, making it 22-8 with another successful two-point try.

But Plainfield would get two of the next three scores, answering with a Kion Jones nine-yard TD catch, with Somerville busting off a 77-yard TD run out of a nothing play to keep it a two-score game 28-15. But the Cardinals got it right back with 61 seconds left in the half, on another nothing play run that turned out to be a 35-yard score on the ground by QB Devin Thomas. That left it 28-22 at the half.

After the break, Somerville slowed down its up-tempo, no-huddle offense, and that limited the possessions. They got a 34-yard touchdown catch by Justin Bowen – and a failed two-point run – to make it 34-22 with 9:22 to go in the quarter. Plainfield got it back – on a 16-yard strike from QB Devin Thomas to Tylor Hunter with 29 seconds left in the third, but they missed the extra point try with a bad snap, leaving it 34-28.

That’s when Somerville really ate the clock. They put together a 13-play, 5:16 long drive that only had to go 60-yards, with a steady diet of Vesuvio-Bush, who capped things with a one-yard touchdown run.

Somerville is now 7-1, winners of 5 straight heading into their regular season finale at Watchung Hills (3-5) next Friday night. Plainfield (3-5) will be at Linden, which was 2-5 heading into this weekend.

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe with postgame reaction from Somerville RB Aidan-Vesuvio Bush and head coach Matt Bloom, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Defending CJ3 champs, No. 7 Somerville, looking to close strong as Plainfield visits

Graduating a ton of talent as Somerville did last season, following a 12-1 campaign and a Central Jersey Group 3 championship, it would be easy to dismiss the Pioneers in 2025.

Their biggest offensive stars all finished high school. QB Brenden Pacheco threw for 1,742 yards and 27 touchdowns. Senior Terrell Mitchell tank for 1,306 and 18 scores. Senior receiver Josh Rodriguez and Brady Scheier combined for 73 catches, 1,165 yards and 15 touchdowns.

And on defense, they lost Spencer Carran and Mitchell, each with two interceptions, along with linebacker Max Nuzzi with his 3 1/2 sacks and 8 TFLs, and lineman Matthew Chubenko with four sacks and six tackles for loss.

But if you counted the Pioneers out, well, maybe you’ll want to stay away from the blackjack tables down in Atlantic City.

Because here they are, 6-1 in 2025 – their only loss coming to Montgomery – and in fourth place in the South Group 3 supersection, with a shot at a top-seed potentially still within their reach.

The names may change, but the results have been mostly the same. Their quarterback is a freshman, Dylan Boehm, and he’s already thrown for 874 yards this season along with seven touchdowns. The big damage on the ground has been done by Aidan Vesuvio-Bush, with 754 yards and eleven touchdowns. Five different receivers, led by junior Justin Bowen and sophomore James Hampton have at least 100 yards through the air.

And on the defensive side… senior linebacker Kieran McKenna already has three sacks, while senior Elijah Boyce has two, and Hampton in the secondary has five interceptions. Even more impressive, he’s brought two of those picks back for six.

With just two weeks left in the season, the Pioneers host Plainfield (3-4) Friday night in their final regular season home game of the season. Catch all the action of the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving at 6:30 pm, with pregame at 6:15. Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe have the call. Click here to listen.

Click below to hear Somerville head coach Matt Bloom talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Gameday with Marcus Borden: Week 6

We continue to barrel toward Cutoff Weekend in New Jersey high school football, with just three games to go in the regular season for the public schools, including this week. And it’s time to talk about it all with Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden!

Mike and Marcus look back at the week gone by, including undefeated Sayreville’s big win over Piscataway, Hillsborough’s comeback win Saturday at Westfield, and Somerville’s win at Summit, handing the Hilltoppers their first loss of the season.

Also on the show, Mike and Marcus talk about look at the playoffs, where six Big Central teams currently sit with top seeds, but only two of those are undefeated. The other six unbeatens are either in the running – like Sayreville and Bernards – or well out of the chase, but still in the field of 16, like unbeaten Spotswood and Manville.

We also look at this weekend’s games, including Coach’s Friday trip to Montgomery to see the one-loss Cougars take on unbeaten Woodbridge, and Saturday’s Bellamy & Son Paving “Big Central Game of the Week,” featuring a battle of unbeatens, as Phillipsburg travels to St. Joseph-Metuchen.

Click below to listen to the Week Six edition of “Gameday with Marcus Borden”:

by Mike Pavlichko

Gameday with Marcus Borden: Week 0

The 2025 high school football season begins today, and it’s time to talk about it with Marcus Borden!

The majority of Big Central Conference teams open up this weekend, and we talk about our Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week, featuring Spotswood at Middlesex in the Chargers’ first game with their brand-new lights.

Also on the show, Coach Borden talks about the games he’ll be covering this weekend down at the Battles at the Beach, with Hillsborough taking on Washington Township on Friday, then Old Bridge battling Cedar Creek on Saturday, both at Rowan University in Glassboro. We also take a quick look back at the 2025 Big Central Camp Caravan, talk about the big numbers out for Dunellen football, and some other key Week Zero games around the league!

Click below to listen to the Week Zero edition of “Gameday with Marcus Borden”:

by Mike Pavlichko

2025 Big Central Preview: Liberty Gold Division

Even with two new head coaches, the Liberty Gold Division in the Big Central Conference could see another really competitive year in 2025.

Last year’s division champ Woodbridge loses some key parts, including the Derek-Bryan Anderson twin tandem, but second-year veteran mentor Joe Goerge has shown he can adapt over the years, and we may even see more of the option from the Barrons this year as well.

There are new coaches at Plainfield and Linden, with the Cardinals opting for alum and NFL veteran Donald Jones. Coming off a 6-4 year in which they also beat arch-rival Westfield in their Thanksgiving Day game, Plainfield hopes to be even better this year, while Linden went with veteran coach Mark Ciccotelli to replace Al Chiola, who stepped down and will spend some time watching his son play at Colonia this year.

Speaking of the Patriots, they have key parts like Dylan Chiera and Julien Jones back, both of whom have been on the basketball team, which won the GMC Tournament and the North 2, Group 3 championship last year, the second of which was their fourth straight title, so they know more than a little about winning.

And then there’s Perth Amboy, which has a brand-new high school and new administration to support their push to make a move up in the Liberty Gold Division.

Click below to hear our preview of the Liberty Gold Division from Big Central Conference Media Day:

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2025: Defending Liberty Gold champion Woodbridge may face biggest test while Colonia returns a ton to challenge Barrons

The Woodbridge football team was the class of the Big Central’s Liberty Gold Division in 2024, running the table with a perfect 9-0 record in the regular season. But with some key losses, could the door be open for the rest of the division to make a move?

Plainfield (Donald) and Linden (Mark Ciccotelli) will have new head coaches, while Colonia has always been a consistent performer and will have a veteran team, so there’s no shortage of squads looking to make a move, and they’re more than capable. Then there’s Perth Amboy, whose new Athletic Director, John Fiore, starts July first and has promised to “put a fence around Perth Amboy” and keep talented kids home.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the Liberty Gold Division teams – in alphabetical order – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge. Please note game dates and times may be changed without notice as the season approaches. Division games marked with an asterisk (*).

Colonia Patriots (4-6, 2-2, 3rd place in ’24)
Head Coach:  Tom Roarty (75-47, 13th season)

  • Week 0: Sayreville
    Week 1: North Hunterdon
  • Week 2: Linden* (6p)
  • Week 3: at Woodbridge* (6p)
  • Week 4: Perth Amboy* (6p)
  • Week 5: Edison
  • Week 6: at Plainfield (6p)
  • Week 7: Cranford
  • Week 8: at Old Bridge (6p)

The Patriots could be poised for a big year. Quarterback Dylan Chiera returns for his senior year, after throwing for 1,835 yards and 19 TD a year ago. Their only two rushers to graduate accounted for just 24 of 1,254 rushing yards, and while they lose top receiver Nygel Hill (708 yards, 5 TD) they bring back over 1,000 yards there as well. Defensively, it’s much of the same story, with guys like Jones (3 sacks, 13 TFL, 1 INT for TD), Harsimran Mann (3 sacks, 7 TFLS, and Jaylen McCrae (team-leading 4 INTs) back. Even on special teams, top return man Kyle Bell, who had 15 kick returns for 359 yards and a 91-yarder for a TD last year as a sophomore, is back. Yes, this could be a big year for Colonia.

Linden Tigers (4-6, 1-3, 4th place in ’24)
Head Coach (Mark Ciccotelli, 1st season)

  • Week 0: Elizabeth
  • Week 1: at Sayreville
  • Week 2: at Colonia* (6p)
  • Week 3: Watchung Hills
  • Week 4: Woodbridge*
  • Week 5: at Montgomery
  • Week 6: Perth Amboy*
  • Week 7: at Carteret
  • Week 8: Plainfield*

It’s a changing of the guard at Linden, where Al Chiola retired, and will spend some time watching his son Tyler, a senior WR/DB, in what we mentioned could be a huge year for Colonia. Getting out of the blocks hot is the goal for the Tigers under first-year head coach Mark Ciccotelli, after a 1-4 start last season, and having a new coach can sometimes make that work, as there’s little game film to work off of in the very beginning. But Ciccotelli will have some work to do, replacing a senior dual-threat quarterback in Tyrone Hinton, as well as three of their top receivers. There are some key defensive standouts expected back, like senior Daryl Agyei (4 sacks, 8 TFLs) and junior Joe Boyd (1 sack, TFL and INT).

Perth Amboy Panthers (1-9, 0-4, 5th place in ’24)
Head Coach: William Clark (11-43, 7th season)

  • Week 0: JFK (6p)
  • Week 1: Carteret (6p)
  • Week 2: at Rahway (Thurs, 6p)
  • Week 3: Plainfield* (6p)
  • Week 4: Colonia (6p)
  • Week 5: at Woodbridge* (6p)
  • Week 6: at Linden*
  • Week 7: Scotch Plains-Fanwood (6p)
  • Week 8: at Johnson

The season opened on a high note for the Panthers last year, beating JFK 27-9. But that wound up being their highest offensive output of a season in which they never won again, finishing 1-9 in 2024. And they graduate dual-threat senior QB Laivon Balthazar (1,447 pass yards, 12 TD, 415 rush yards, 4 TD) as well as Brandon Bradsher, with his 1,055 receiving yards. It’s a similar story on defense for William Clark’s squad. And though the impact may not be immediate, if new AD John Fiore can help keep kids home, Clark’s program could get a boost in the next year or two.

Plainfield Cardinals (6-4, 3-1, 2nd place in ’24)
Head Coach: Donald Jones (1st season)

  • Week 0: Westfield (Thurs)
  • Week 1: New Brunswick (6p)
  • Week 2: at Wodobridge (6p)
  • Week 3: at Perth Amboy (6p)
  • Week 4: at Haverford School (PA) (Sat, 2p)
  • Week 5: Franklin (6p)
  • Week 6: Colonia* (6p)
  • Week 7: at Somerville (6:30p)
  • Week 8: at Linden

With James Williams out, and former NFL player and Cardinal alum Donald Jones taking the reins of a resurgent program. Williams took a program that hadn’t won five games since it won six in a 6-4 campaign in 2005 and went 5-5 in 2021, his first season, and even better, won five of its last seven games after an 0-3 start. They never won fewer than five games under his tutelage, and last year, beat Westfield on Thanksgiving, in the rain, 14-9, their first win in the longstanding rivalry in 13 years. Quarterback Kamai Lowery threw for 1,026 yards and nine TDs last season as a junior, but top runningback E.J. Brown – and his 1,008 yards and 12 touchdowns – are lost to graduation. The receiving core will get hit hard with the loss of Brown, Joel Cordoba and Ala-Meen Watkins. Defensively, they’ll miss Watkins (4.5 sacks, 5 TFLs, 2 blocked kicks, 1 FR) and Cordoba (2 sacks, 4 TFLs, 4 forced fumbles, 3 recoveries, 2 INT, 1 for a TD).

One side note: Another Thanksgiving game bites the dust, though the rivalry will remain alive, as Plainfield and Westfield will square off on Week Zero, which has become the default old Turkey Day rivalry meeting for many schools since the expansion of the state football playoffs.

Woodbridge Barrons (10-1, 4-0, Liberty Gold champs in ’24)
Head Coach: Joe Goerge (10-1, 2nd season)

  • Week 0: Union (Thurs, 6 p)
  • Week 1: Watchung Hills
  • Week 2: Plainfield* (6p)
  • Week 3: Colonia* (6p)
  • Week 4: at Linden*
  • Week 5: Perth Amboy (6p)
  • Week 6: at Montgomery
  • Week 7: Summit (6p)
  • Week 8: at St. Joseph-Metuchen (Sat, 1p)

Joe Goerge walked into a great situation last year, with a senior laden team led by the Anderson twins, with Derek the QB (1,470 pass yards, 19 TD) and Bryan the receiver (50 catches, 857 yards, 11 TDs, plus 203 rush yards, 1 TD) both gone to graduation. So it top rusher Jahmir Beal (596 yards, 11 TD). The defense was very senior-heavy, too. But all-in-all, after a year in the Goerge system, which blended his option with the passing game Woodbridge had before his arrival, there’s plenty of talent in the program, it’s just a matter of identifying it and putting the pieces in the right spot. A successful year for the Barrons will be one of the more challenging, and potentially rewarding seasons, for Goerge if they can make it happen.

by Mike Pavlichko

Plainfield too much for Montgomery, as Cougar boys fall 65-48 in Group 4 State Final

The Montgomery boys’ basketball team knew what it was getting into when they learned they would play the state’s No. 1 team in Plainfield in Sunday’s Group 4 state final.

The Cardinals are adept at defense, and it fuels their offense.

And their game was just too much for the Cougars, who fell 65-48 to Plainfield Sunday night at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Early on, Monty hung in there, trailing by just six after one quarter, at 16-10. And despite the best three-point shooting efforts of Ethan Lin and Christian Hill, they trailed by nine at the break, still a manageable game.

But even with a couple of mini runs in the third, they couldn’t get over the hump. The lead jumped to 14 for Plainfield. Then back down to single digits, then back to doubles again. Every move the Cougars made, Plainfield had an answer int he second half.

And that included NaJai Hines – “Baby Shaq” as he’s called – who looked the part as he took feeds down low and jammed them home with two hands, with at least five dunks in the third and fourth quarters.

Montgomery finishes its season 25-6, but not empty-handed. They’ve won two straight sectional titles in Central Jersey Group 4, and though they lose several key parts like Bohdan Biekietov, Christian Hill and Kyryl Streltsob, they should contend again next year.

For Plainfield, it was their fifth state championship, and first since 2012.

Click below for postgame reaction from Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen: