Tag: Plainfield

by Mike Pavlichko

Battle of neighbors goes to Chiefs as Piscataway tops Plainfield, 29-14 in North 2 Group 5 opener

The way Plainfield’s first drive went it looked like this would be a fast game, and one where points would be at a premium.

They were, but more for the Cardinals than their neighbors from Piscataway.

The second-seeded Chiefs got two touchdown runs from Mickye Simmons, and two touchdown passes from Landon Pernell – one each to Josiah Zayas and Sean Love – en route to a 29-14 win over seventh-seed Plainfield that wasn’t quite as close as the final score indicated.

Seal of the Township of Piscataway, featuring a yellow and black design with a tree and the founding year, 1666.
Thanks to Piscataway Township and Mayor Brian Wahler for sponsoring Saturday’s broadcast!

Plainfield won the toss, took the ball, and held it for more than 12 minutes, into the second quarter, but came up empty. So too, did Piscataway, but after holding the Cards to a three-and-out, got on the board with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Sean Love with just 44 seconds to go in the first half. A two-point conversion after a penalty on the PAT made it 8-0, and that was how the first half would end.

After the break, Pisctaway started to take control. A seven-yard TD pass to Josiah Zayas made it a two-score lead at 15-0, and a three-yard run by Simmons made it 22-0 with 8:06 to go in the fourth.

Plainfield eventually got on the board on a 12-yard catch by Tylor Hunter, but Piscataway answered right back with another Simmons run, and anything else would just change the final score, but not the outcome.

Piscataway had a stronger game up front – one of head coach Dan Higgins’ goals coming in – and that ended up being the difference, as Pernell had time to throw when he wanted to, and the Chiefs only had one or two negative yardage plays.

The Chiefs (8-2) will move on to host 6th-seed Bayonne (7-3) in the sectional semifinals next Saturday at noon at Kenny Armwood Stadium. A win would give Piscataway its first berth in a sectional final since 2018, when they won the North 2, Group 5 title and beat Ridgewood in the North 5 bowl championship, becoming the first – and no one has done it since – Middlesex County school to win 13 games in a season, finishing 13-0.

The other semifinal will feature top-seed Bridgewater-Raritan (7-3) hosting fourth-seed Union City (6-3).

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Marcus Borden, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Neighbors Piscataway, Plainfield to do battle in opening round North 2, Group 5 matchup Saturday afternoon

Sometimes, playoff games can be a contrast in styles, ever the more challenging when you have an unfamiliar opponent. Sometimes one system wins over another.

But when seventh-seed Plainfield (4-5) and second-seed Piscataway (7-2) meet Saturday afternoon in a North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 first-round playoff game, that will hardly be the case.

The two are neighboring towns, even though they have generally played in different leagues over the years, at least until the merger of the Mid-State and GMC Conferences to form the Big Central in 2020. They have only met once – in a 2008 playoff game the Chiefs won – and yet, they are intimately acquainted.

READ MORE: Our Group 4 and 5 playoff preview is here!

Sharing a border – which also divides Middlesex and Union County – the kids on both of these teams know each other well, practicing, working out and even socializing throughout the year, when they’re not on the football field.

And that should make for a great opening round matchup, filled with excitement, energy, and plenty of playoff tension, but with a healthy dose of respect between opponents as well.

“We know Piscataway, and they know us,” Plainfield head coach Donald Jones said this week. “It’s going to be fun.”

You can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio as our “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, with pregame at 12:45, and kickoff at 1 pm. Mike Pavlichko and Max Scheiner will be on the call; click here to listen.

Both teams have a ton of talent all over the field. Plainfield has had a more up-and-down season, but they have skill players that could fit on the Piscataway side of the field, they’re just looking for a little more consistency. When it goes right for the Cardinals, they play a smart, focused game.

We saw Plainfield earlier this season in a loss to Somerville, but that raw talent was on display. And quarterback Devin Thomas is dynamic. He leads the team in rushing with 466 yards, but also has thrown for over 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. More notably, he’s only thrown two interceptions all season, while the Piscataway defense has surged of late in the takeaway department, making that a fun matchup to watch.

On the other side, Piscataway also has playmakers, and got two former Chiefs back in the program when Josiah Zayas and Mickeye Simmons returned from St. Thomas Aquinas to play their senior seasons in their hometown. After they sat the requisite 30 days due to NJSIAA transfer rules, it took a little while to get them acclimated into the game plan, but head coach Dan Higgins believes that’s all worked itself out, and his team is playing its best football at the right time of year.

Click below to hear preview interviews with both head coaches and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Piscataway head coach Dan Higgins
Plainfield head coach Donald Jones

by Mike Pavlichko

The playoffs are here! More than two dozen Big Central public schools open postseason play this weekend, with 20 games on tap. Here’s Part One of our preview on Groups 4 and 5

It’s time for the playoffs!

We got through opening weekend in the sweltering heat of the late dog days of August. We didn’t really have much of a fall, but the weather mostly nice. And Cutoff Weekend last weekend saw some teams sweating it out, some disappointed, and others rewarded for their play during the season.

Now, it’s time to get it all going!

Here’s Central Jersey Sports Radio’s look at all the playoff games involving BCC schools this weekend, section by section in Groups 4 and 5, including game dates and times. Games are Friday, except where noted.

Find our preview of Group 1, 2 and 3 schools will by clicking this link.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

  • #8 Linden (3-6) at #1 Bridgewater-Raritan (6-3), 6pm: The Panthers, after making the playoffs out of a strong division with no more than four wins each of the last three seasons, broke through in Year Three under the young, energetic DJ Catalano as head coach. And they survived two games without QB Declan Kurdyla, a Rutgers lacrosse committ whose season it was thought might be over after a lower body (knee) injury against Hunterdon Central in Game Four. It turned out to be not as serious as originally thought, and he was back three weeks later. A win over Piscataway – a two-seed in the same section – may have been their best of the year. As for Linden, Mark Ciccotelli’s took over for Al Chiola, and the Tigers struggled a bit out of the box, starting 0-3, and going 1-5 through their first six. But they won two of their last three, beating Perth Amboy and Carteret, then lost by one to a super-talented, if inconsistent Plainfield team last weekend. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates and we’ll have video postgame reaction late Friday night.
  • #6 Bayonne (6-3) at #3 Elizabeth (5-4), 6 pm: When you have a three-year starter like the dynamic Arique Fleming in quarterback – a three-year starter who’s still only a junior – you have to like the Minutemen and their chances. After a 2-1 start, they lost three straight, but have won three in a row over Morristown, Watchung Hills and Union, the win over the Warriors – on the road – being the most impressive. But Bayonne comes in hot, too. The Bees won just one of their first four games, but have reeled off five straight coming into the playoffs. But that one win they had early? It came over Elizabeth, 26-21, at Williams Field. Can the Minutemen return the favor?
  • #7 Plainfield (4-5) at #2 Piscataway (7-2), Saturday 1 pm: This is our Saturday “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Click here to listen, with pregame starting at 12:45. The Chiefs are looking like their old selves again, that is, a team that’s capable of winning a championship, even if they have to clean up some penalties and miscues. They and Plainfield both have talent over the field. Landon Pernell can get the ball to receivers like Josiah Zayas, who came back to the program from St. Thomas Aquinas, and Zaire Young can do things on the ground. Devin Thomas – the Plainfield quarterback is dynamic, having thrown for over 2,000 yard – with 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions – and leading the team in rushing at 466 yards. This is going to be a game with a lot of big plays. Read our full preview and hear from both head coaches at the link.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

  • #5 Hillsborough (4-5) at #4 Rancocas Valley (5-4), Saturday 12 pm: This is a tough draw for the Raiders, being on the road, but they’re also familiar with the West Jersey Football League, playing fellow Group 5 squad Washington Twp. in the Battle at the Beach down at Rowan back in August. That 43-12 loss came to a team that was 9-0, but don’t discount the Red Devils, even though they’re “just” 5-4. They have a run-heavy attack led by Jameer Bellamy (864 yards, 11 TDs), and have a sophomore in Michael Beasley and a junior in David Ogunsola who have combined for 22 1/2 of the team’s 29 sacks this year. Hillsborough will have to protect senior QB Devon Khurana – who already played the early part of the season with a broken pinkie – and will be challenged to get thousand-yard rusher Andrew Schwarz the numbers they’d like. Fun fact: This will be the third “Red Devils” opponent for the Raiders this year, who lost 28-7 to Ridge, but beat Hunterdon Central in Flemington last week, 33-8.
  • #6 Freehold Twp. (5-4) at #3 Old Bridge (8-1), Saturday 6 pm: The Knights have one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the area in Brody Nugent, the senior QB who has thorwn for 1,811 yards and 15 touchdowns, while rushing for a team-best 799 yards and 15 more scores. He’s a points machine for a team that has been perfect in the six games since they lost 28-21 at Piscataway on September 12th, a full month-and-a-half ago. Freehold Township had won three straight before falling to Manalapan last week. A pass-heavy offense that has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards between two quarterbacks could make this a very entertaining game, indeed.
  • #7 Trenton (6-3) at #2 Sayrveille (8-1), 7 pm: The Bombers rebounded from a 43-15 loss to Montgomery two weeks ago with a 33-26 win over St. Thomas Aquinas that ended their Big Central-record 35-game winning streak. Shaun Jackson has been the offensive weapon all season long, with 1,650 yards and 20 touchdowns on 162 carries. Almost on the nose, he touches the ball a little more than every other play. The Tornadoes have a more balanced attack, with junior QB Keith Williams throwing for 1,210 yards, and have won three straight coming in. This will be the Bombers’ first opponent from Mercer County since 2008, when they beat West Windsor-Plainsboro South in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, before losing in the title game to Brick Memorial.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:

  • #8 Newark Central (6-3) at #1 Phillipsburg (7-1), 7 pm: The Stateliners get to defend their North 2, Group 4 title, and the beginning of theat defense starts with an explosive Blue Devil club out of Newark. They have a sophomore quarterback who has thrown for almost 1,400 yards in Zahyir Taylor, but while he’s thrown 14 touchdown passes, he’s also been prone to throwing picks, with nine on the season. This is a very balanced attack, but Central doesn’t play nearly the schedule Phillipsburg does. They are still humming along even after a 21-0 loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen a couple of weeks ago, with another sophomore QB in Dominic Bracco playing traffic cop with the ground game, which has reeled off nearly 2,300 yards and 30 touchdowns this season.
  • #5 Colonia (6-3) at #4 Ridge: (5-3), 7 pm: This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools, and both have had fine seasons. The Patriots had won four straight before a Cutoff Weekend loss to Old Bridge, but it’s also been the most comfortable Cutoff Weekend Colonia has had in the last few years, since they had a playoff berth already locked up coming in. It’s a solid senior group that has put up big numbers through the air, with Dylan Chiera tossing for 1,971 yards and 21 TDs with just two picks all season, and favorite target RJ Wortman already over a thousand-yards receiving. Ridge will need to keep an eye on Julien Jones, who has racked up nine of the team’s 19 sacks on the season. Ridge also had won four in a row before falling to Westfield last week This will be Colonia’s passing game against the Red Devils’ ground attack, which has amassed 1,802 yards on the season. They’ve run it 334 times compared to 114 passing plays. Oh, and their defense can get after it, too. They have five picks, one for a touchdown.
  • #6 Westfield at #3 Montgomery, 7 pm: The last meeting between these schools was ten years ago, as the schools finished a home-and-home that saw the Cougars win in 2014, the Blue Devils in 2015. That being distant history, the Cougars are a bit banged up right now after the Rahway game, in which senior QB Jack Kristjanson went down with what appeared to be a lower leg injury late in the game after a sack. They’ve got some big wins, over Somerville and Sayrville, and in overtime in their opener against a solid 7-2 Hopewell Valley squad. The Blue Devils, meanwhile, are looking for their first back-to-back wins of an up-and-down season. But if they can play like they did against Ridge last week, when they netted a 14-7 upset win at home – their first win over the Blue Devils since 2017 – they can pull this one off. Senior Jordan Walsh is the reigning Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week, coming up with big plays late in that win.
  • #7 Rahway (6-3) at #2 Woodbridge (7-2), 6 pm: The side story here is that this is the “Russo Bowl.” Rahway head coach Brian Russo is a Woodbridge grad, won a state title there, coached there, and his son, Sean, is a senior wide receiver for Joe Goerge. The main storyline here is: this should be one damn good football game. The Indians were physical in a 28-7 upset win over No. 3 Montgomery last Friday night, a win that got them in the playoffs, and senior Andrew Avent – who’s now the school’s all-time rushing leader at 4,395 career yards and 79 overall touchdowns – can change the game in a hurry. But they can get to the quarterback, too, with the defense coming up with at least four sacks last week alone. The Barrons have been one of the best teams in the Big Central the last two years, with just one regular season loss, that coming to St. Joe’s a couple of weeks ago. Joshua Allen is also a great back; the senior has gone for 1,355 yards and 18 scores this season. Can they limit Rahway on the scoreboard? Though the Barrons have pitched two shutouts, those came against Union and Perth Amboy. But the rest of the schedule has all scored at least 18 points against them in every game.

by Mike Pavlichko

Cutoff Weekend Friday Playoff Update – Group 5: Bridgewater-Raritan should earn top seed, Plainfield and Hillsborough clinch berths, Hunterdon Central eliminated with loss

With Friday night’s Cutoff Weekend high school football games all in the books, Central Jersey Sports Radio is updating the unofficial NJSIAA playoff standings as we head into Saturday action.

We’ll have further analysis late morning into the afternoon Saturday, with our 2025 “Playoff Projection Show” scheduled for 6 pm where we give our bracket projections. The full tournament for the public schools will be unveiled on Sunday by the NJSIAA via Gridiron New Jersey. We’ll have them shortly after. The brackets become official at noon on Monday.

NORTH GROUP 5

Table displaying the unofficial NJSIAA playoff standings for North Group 5 high school football teams, including team names, wins, losses, ties, and various rankings and statistics.
  • Bridgewater-Raritan holds the two-spot, despite a hard-fought loss Friday night at Phillipsburg. The Panthers should be the No. 1 seed in North 2, Group 4, while West Orange would get the one-seed in North 1, Group 4. Very little changed at the top, and it won’t Saturday since the first nine teams all finished their games this weekend.
  • That includes Piscataway holding in third and Elizabeth in fourth. They should be the second and third seeds in North 2, Group 4. The Chiefs lost to Bridgewater earlier this year, so there’s no head-to-head jump there.
  • Plainfield clinched a playoff berth with a win Friday night at Linden, 28-27. They moved all the way up from 17 to 12 in the supersection. Linden dropped one place after the loss to Plainfield, right behind them at 13. But keep reading to see the effects of the Irvington game Saturday…
  • The Union-City-Livingston tiebreaker will go to Union City. They didn’t meet head to head, and against common opponents, both beat all three of them, Montclair, Irvington and Columbia.
  • Irvington plays Seton Hall Prep Saturday, and the Marauders are a multiplier. That’s the only other significant game we’re waiting on, as Barringer plays Hackensack but was 21st in the standings, so that shouldn’t affect things. Should Irvington win, they move up one to ninth and Bayonne moves down to tenth. Should Irvington lose, they would stay where they are, but Plainfield and Linden would flip-flop, but only momentarily. While the Cardinals would then be behind Linden in 13th, since they just beat them head to head, they go back the way they were.
  • Also important to note, while Montclair made the top 16, they’re 1-8, and two wins is the minimum for playoff eligibility. That means No. 17 Passaic (4-4) gets in as the final team.

SOUTH GROUP 5

Table displaying the standings for South Group 5 high school football teams, including wins, losses, points average, and rankings.
  • As predicted, a Sayreville win over St. Thomas Aquinas Friday night didn’t get the Bombers a top-seed. They should be the two-seed in Central Jersey Group 5 behind overall No. 1 seed Washington Twp., which capped a 9-0 regular season Friday night, while Atlantic City – which was idle this weekend – gets the top-seed in the South Jersey Group 5 section.
  • Old Bridge would be the second seed in Central 5 if it all holds, which it should, as the next team back, Rancocas Valley (4-4) plays Lenape (0-8) Saturday. While Valley should win, it’s a weak opponent, and we don’t believe they can catch the Knights.
  • Hillsborough solidified its playoff spot, and moved up from 13 to 9 overall with a win at Hunterdon Central, which looks like they won’t make it, finishing 20th. We think the Raiders are likely locked in as the five-seed in Central Jersey Group 5.
  • Franklin picked up a Friday night win, but over winless North Brunswick, and that didn’t help them move up into the top 16, despite a 5-4 season.
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”: