Tag: Player of the Week

by Mike Pavlichko

Peguero’s 6 TDs helped Perth Amboy knock off New Providence, earns him Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week

Where do we begin with Amauris Peguero?

A year ago, Perth Amboy football finished 1-9. Peguero, a junior quarterback at the time, threw for 847 yards, nine touchdowns, and had six interceptions.

But this past Friday evening in New Providence, he threw for 205 yards on a 13-of-17 night, and ran the ball 38 times for 196 yards – a career high – and all six touchdowns in a 39-34 win over the previously-undefeated Pioneers, putting his Panthers a win away from a seven-win season, something they haven’t seen in the Bay City since 1967.

Yes, you read that right: he accounted for 401 yards in one game, almost half his passing total from a year ago.

Not only was the win itself a huge one, but now, the Panthers also are a win away from claiming the Big Central Conference Patriot Silver Division title. They can do so with a home win over A.L. Johnson Friday night at Waters Stadium. (CJSR analyst Marcus Borden will be there to cover it, providing live updates on Twitter.)

For his efforts, senior quarterback Amauris Peguero of Perth Amboy is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Six.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Six Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Amauris Peguero of Perth Amboy:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Xavier Harrigan, Montgomery: The senior wide receiver helped the Cougars secure the Liberty Silver Division title in a 26-21 win at Hunterdon Central Friday. Harrigan had four catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns of 43 and 36 yards, while scoring on an 87-yard punt return.
  • Ja’Quan Robinson, Rahway: The senior quarterback was 2-of-4 passing for 23 yards and rushed nine times for 65 yards and a touchdown, but it was what he did to the opposing team’s quarterback in a 35-6 win at Plainfield on Friday that clinched the Liberty Gold Division title. At linebacker, Robinson had six solo tackles, one for a loss, a forced fumble, a QB hurry, and a key interception as the Cardinals were driving just before halftime, where a touchdown would have made it a one-score game.
  • C.J. Griffith, Ridge: Head coach Jeff Sutherland says the senior runningback had “one of the best running nights by an individual player in recent years,” breaking tackles all night for the Red Devils in a 34-0 shutout of Westfield last Friday night. He ran the ball 30 times and amassed 256 yards and four touchdowns, one from 48 yards out.
  • Matt McKeever, Summit: The senior quarterback carried 20 times for 308 yards – setting a Hilltopper single-game record – scoring four touchdowns in what head coach Kevin Kostibos called “one of the greatest single performances” he’s seen in his career, saying he was “a man among boys that night.” On the defensive side, at linebacker, he logged eleven tackles and one TFL.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Sean Arcelay, Bernards: The senior wide receiver was a busy man on Homecoming Night. Before the Mountaineers’ home game against Voorhees, he emcee’d the pep rally. Then, in just three quarters of work in a 34-20 win over the Vikings, he caught seven passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing four times for 72 yards and another score. Oh, and he was crowned the Homecoming King at halftime, too!
  • Al-Naiquan Boseman, Carteret: The senior runningback carried just seven times, but made the most of each one, going for 214 yards – that’s over 30 per carry! – and five touchdowns, the longest two of which were 65 and 67 yards, in a 44-13 home win over JFK. HE also had a 75-yarder called back on a penalty, and was only tackled twice in the game. Now with 3,247 career rushing yards in a program that has always valued the run game, Boseman sits third all-time in the Rambler annals.
  • Vincent Cilento, A.L. Johnson: The senior was busy in every which way for the Crusaders in a 47-12 victory over Metuchen that has them playing for the Patriot Silver Division title this Friday night in Perth Amboy. Cilento – a quarterback running the flex bone option – carried eight times for 131 yards and touchdowns of 52 and 14 yards, while also recording five tackles at outside linebacker.
  • Tyler Johnson, Manville: The junior defensive end was quite active Friday night in a 28-20 win at Middlesex Thursday for the Freedom Silver Division champions. Johnson led the defensive line from his end position with ten tackles – five solo – two sacks and two tackles for loss. On the offensive side, he helped pave the way for a 313-yard offensive performance, including 221 yards on the ground.
  • Zaire Young, Piscataway: The senior runningback carried 28 times for 236 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-14 win over then-No. 8 St. Joseph-Metuchen Friday night. It was the second-best rushing performance performance of his career (he had 262 yards on September 4 against Somerville) and put him over the thousand-yard mark at 1,150 on the season, with at least three more games to be played.
  • Nick Salas, Roselle Park: The senior runningback went for 122 yards against JP Stevens in a 43-18 win Friday night, but more importantly eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark for his career. He’s now at 3,114 yards and 36 touchdowns over four varsity seasons, and well on pace for a career-best rushing year, just 69 yards away from last year’s total of 946.
  • Sherwin Appiah, Sayreville: The senior carried 17 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns – including two in the fourth quarter – to help the Bombers rally from a 16-7 deficit to win 23-16 at Somerville Friday night; he was the top rusher in the game for either team.
  • Tristan Bester, St. Thomas Aquinas: The senior wide receiver pulled in seven catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns Friday night in a dominant 35-0 victory over North Brunswick.

by Mike Pavlichko

Bernards’ Favreau looks the part, steals the scene at Hillside, earns Week 5 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors

Let’s get the obvious question out of the way: Yes, he is related to that Favreau.

Now, we can move on to more serious business, like what Zach Favreau – technically, a cousin once removed of the Jon Favreau in Hollywood – did in Saturday’s Big Central Conference high school football game at Conant Street Park last Saturday afternoon.

Where do we begin?

How about in the third quarter, with Bernards down 19-7 to Hillside, but about to break through, with Favreau starring in an Oscar-worthy role as a one-man wrecking crew.

First, it was Nolan Walsh hitting Zach for a 14-yard touchdown late in the period to make it 19-14. Then, in the fourth, Favreau recovered a Hillside fumble, and the ensuing possession culminated in a 30-yard dash by Walsh into the end zone to take a 20-19 lead, failing on a two-point try. But when the Comets got the ball back, Favreau grabbed his second interception of the game, giving Bernards the ball back. And with a couple long runs and first downs gained by Walsh, the Mountaineers were able to get into victory formation for the win.

To recap: a Favreau touchdown catch, Favreau fumble recovery, a Walsh touchdown and a Favreau interception, for the win.

Not bad for one Saturday afternoon’s work.

For his efforts, Zach Favreau of Bernards is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Five.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Five Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Zach Favreau of Bernards:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Al-Naiquan Boseman, Carteret: In a 33-14 win Friday night over North Brunswick, the senior runningback compiled 204 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries – many in the Wildcat – and went over the 3,000-yard mark for his career. He now has 3,033 yards and 29 touchdowns on 442 carries, for a whopping 6.9 yards per carry average!
  • Zyaquann Fairley, North Plainfield: The senior wide receiver and strong safety did it on both sides of the ball on Friday in a 28-27 overtime home win against Spotswood. On offense, he had four catches for 139 yards, including a 70-yard TD haul, and scored the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime. On defense, Fairley registered six solo tackles, two TFLs, and a sack, with nine tackles overall.
  • Landon Pernell, Piscataway: The senior was “perfect” playing quarterback Saturday in a 46-6 home win over Franklin: 12-for-12 passing for 247 yards, four touchdowns, and no picks. Doesn’t get much better than that, does it? He also rushed twice for 23 yards, leading an offense that outgained the Warriors 446-164.
  • Tucker Hicks, South Hunterdon: In a brilliant turnaround season where the Eagles are 4-2 after a 1-7 campaign in 2025, senior quarterback Tucker Hicks has been a big bright spot. And coach Kyle Hart says he “controlled the game” Friday night in a 30-14 win at JP Stevens, throwing 11-of-15 for 184 yards and three touchdowns of 19, 10 and 20-yards. It was also South Hunterdon’s first win ever over a Group 5 school. (Group 5 was created for the 2012 season.) The Eagles play in Group 1.
  • Aiden Noblecilla, South Plainfield: In a 28-24 home win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood Friday night, the senior defensive end did what he’s been doing all year: putting the other team behind the eight ball. He recorded two sacks, six tackles for loss, eight solo tackles and had a forced fumble in the win. He’s now got 10 sacks on the season – third best in New Jersey – and 28 TFLs.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Ryan Nelson, Brearley: The junior quarterback had a monster game in a 48-13 win over Roselle on Friday. He was 13-of-15 passing for 265 yards and four touchdowns, with a long of 81. He also rushed eleven times for 53 yards and two more scores. On defense, he had two tackles – one, a tackle for loss – as the defense piled up seven TFLs on the night.
  • Brady Hammond, Colonia: The Patriots’ senior QB threw 17-of-24 for 184 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-13 win at Hillsborough Friday night. He also rushed 13 times for 82 yards.
  • Charlie Maneely, New Providence: In a 42-21 win at Dayton, the senior runningback carried 26 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
  • Matt Esposito, North Hunterdon: In a 28-20 loss to Monroe on Friday, the senior runningback carried 15 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns, runs of 51 and 24 yards. He also had a 25-yard touchdown catch, accounting for all three of the Lions’ scores.
  • Ariel Rosario Sime, Perth Amboy: In a 42-14 win against New Brunswick Friday night, the senior wide receiver hauled in six catches for 129 yards, half of those grabs (3) going for touchdowns.
  • Ja’Quan Robinson, Rahway: The senior was solid in all three phases of a 38-20 win against South Brunswick on Thursday. The team’s mobile quarterback was 3-of-6 passing for 85 yards and a 48-yard touchdown pass, while also running it 17 times for 122 yards and four more scores, the longest of which came from 23 yards out. At linebacker, he recorded eight tackles, two solo, and had one QB hurry, while he also had two punts in the game, with a long of 50.
  • Matt McKeever, Summit: “Completely dominated the game on both sides of the ball,” is how Summit coach Kevin Kostibos put it, and the stats bear that out: the senior quarterback rushed 12 times for 129 yards and a touchdown run of 60 yards. But he also excelled at middle linebacker, with 12 tackles, a TFL, and a 65-yard pick six.

by Mike Pavlichko

Defense with a “Furey”: Montgomery linebacker was all over the field in upset of Somerville, earns Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors

When Montgomery knocked off a ranked Somerville football team early in the 2025 season, after an OT win at Hopewell Valley and a home loss to Summit, it indicated that the Cougars could be in for a special year.

They wound up going 8-4 and playing in the North 2, Group 5 title game, which they lost at Phillipsburg. But it was indeed special, albeit bittersweet: it was Montgomery’s first-ever appearance in a sectional final.

One year later, maybe they’re at it again. After significant graduation losses and an 0-2 start – blanked by Hopewell Valley, and with a loss to now-third-ranked Old Bridge – the Cougars have won two in a row, the latest a 38-35 win over Somerville at Milich Field that puts them at 3-2 on the year.

Oh, and it was their second win in a row over the Pioneers.

But none of it happens without Zach Furey.

The senior linebacker was “all over the field,” according to second-year head coach Sean Carty. On Homecoming, he recorded 18 tackles – 14 solo – along with a sack, but also got it done on offense. he rushed eleven times for 49 yards and a touchdown, while also adding two catches for 55 yards to the mix.

And while they may have been outgained in yardage by Somerville overall – 273 to 221 – holding the high-powered Pioneer offense to under 300 yards when they’re averaging 335 is a big success.

And it was good enough to give Montgomery the win.

For his efforts, Zach Furey of Montgomery is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Four.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Four Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Zach Furey of Montgomery:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Gabe Worrell, Cranford: In a thrilling 14-7 win at Rahway, Worrell rushed 23 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns – a 27-yard run in the opening quarter and a seven-yard run in the third, which capped a 12-play, 71-yard drive that took 9:42 off the clock, and in which he carried ten times for 66 yards. On defense, at linebacker, he was busy, too, recording 13 tackles.
  • Gabriel Marquez, East Brunswick: In a 34-7 win against Voorhees, the senior runingback broke the school record for most touchdowns in a single game, with five total. How did he do it? He carried 22 times for 177 yards and four scores, which also catching two passes for 34 yards, one for a touchdown. He also plays safety, and had three tackles and an interception against the Vikings.
  • Zion Farley, North Plainfield: The senior quarterback – a transfer by way of Hudson Catholic – had to sit out the first four games of the year. But in his season debut, he made up for it, completing 20 of 32 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns, while running it 14 times for 160 yards and two more scores – with a long of 47 – in a 41-7 road victory against JFK that puts the Canucks above .500 (3-2) for the first time since a 7-0 season-opening win over Orange.
  • Chase Rizzo, Old Bridge: The senior was a big reason for the Knights’ second-half rally – down 26-0 at the half – to beat Piscataway at Lombardi Field, 27-26. He carried 12 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching two passes – both for touchdowns – for a total of 92 yards.
  • Sherwin Appiah, Sayreville: The senior runningback was a monster on offense in a 37-21 win at St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday. He had 23 carries for 228 yards and four touchdowns, with a long run of 60, helping pace an offense that only had to throw two passes in the game. The linebacker also had three tackles on defense.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Chase Hawthorne, Bernards: In a 28-0 win at Delaware Valley Friday, the senior cornerback had two interceptions, two tackles for loss, and eight total tackles, along with two pass breakups. His two picks were part of a three-interception night by the defense, which dominated in the whitewash.
  • Dom Pintado, Dayton: The junior linebacker recorded 21 tackle – 10 solo – two TFLs and two forced fumbles in a 40-25 win at Roselle Park Friday night.
  • Aaron Erb, Hunterdon Central: Just a freshman, the talented wide receiver had a half-dozen catches for 119 yards and a touchdown, along with four rushes for 79 yards and a second score in a 21-19 loss to Watchung Hills.
  • Cassius Carter, Manville: The Mustangs’ junior H-back carried eleven times for 186 yards and three touchdowns, scoring from 15, 14 and 29 yards out in a 42-8 win at South Hunterdon.
  • Stephen Prohidney, North Hunterdon: The senior wide receiver had seven catches for 106 yards and a 24-yard touchdown catch in a 33-22 loss Friday at Scotch Plains-Fanwood.
  • Jamir Hall, Union: The senior runningback carried 15 times for 169 yards and three touchdowns – one of which was on the very first play from scrimmage – as the Farmers improved to 4-1 with a 42-13 win at Hillsborough Friday night.
  • Evan Williams, Watchung Hills: In a 21-19 win over Hunterdon Central in Flemington, Williams carried 22 times for 168 yards and touchdowns of four and 82 yards. He also had two catches for 26 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown catch. That despite missing most of the second quarter due to injury, but he was able to come back, and “was the difference in the game,” according to first-year head coach Joe Ascolese.
  • Justin Blake, Woodbridge: The junior runningback carried for 180 yards on 16 carries – including TD runs of 34 and 75 yards – while also going 4-for-4 on PATs – in a 28-21 win at Colonia Friday to take home the bragging rights trophy in a big rivalry game.

by Mike Pavlichko

Elizabeth nets back-to-back Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors, as Qua’Yon Williams scores every which way vs. St. Joe’s

It’s rare that even two different players from the same team will earn a Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honor. After all, with nine weeks of the regular season and 59 teams in the Big Central Conference, we try to spread it around a little bit.

But sometimes, it’s a no-brainer.

And there are many worthy candidates each week, but big numbers aren’t the only factor. The level of the opponent also has to factor in, and that was the case this week as an Elizabeth player takes the honors for the second straight week – and, to be fair, probably for the last time this season!

In Week Two, it was A’rique Fleming of the Minutemen, not only having a big game at quarterback, but helping seal the victory with a late interception in a tight win against Union.

In Week Three, it’s Qua’Yon Williams, Elizabeth’s uber-talented senior wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner, who just so happened to not only score in three different ways, but did it in a mammoth upset win in one of those crazy, anything-can-happen shootout type games against St. Joseph-Metuchen, it what turned out to be a 62-25 home win over the then-No. 2 Falcons.

Williams scored four touchdowns in the game: two receptions of 38 and eleven yards, a 15-yard run, and a 48-yard punt return. He ended up with 212 all-purpose yards, plus had seven tackles and a pass breakup on defense. All the while, helping Elizabeth to 529 yards of total offense, which head coach Eugene Kline says is the highest single-game total since at least the year 2000.

For his efforts, Qua’Yon Williams of Elizabeth is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Three.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Three Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Qua’Yon Williams of Elizabeth:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Shaun Garland, Edison: It’s one thing to do what the senior did Friday night in a 34-24 home win over North Brunswick. It’s another to do it after being sick the entire previous weekend. But the H-back/tight end hybrid finished the game with four touchdowns – on runs of 18, one and seven yards, along with a 33-yard pick six from his defensive end position – giving him 146 yards on 22 carries, including on 13 consecutive plays at one point in the fourth quarter. On defense, he also had a TFL, 2 QB hurries, and two pass breakups.
  • Zach Mutton, Montgomery: In a 28-12 win over Colonia in Skillman on Friday, the senior QB and runningback carried the ball 21 times for 122 yards and four touchdowns. He also made a huge throw to receiver Xavier Harrigan for a fourth-down conversion late, then followed it up with a touchdown run to put his team ahead for good,
  • Dylan Boehm, Somerville: The sophomore quarterback had a big night in a 55-24 win over Watchung Hills on Friday. He threw 18-of-25 for 362 yards and five touchdowns, hitting four different wideouts, three of which went long: for 75, 69 and 46 yards.
  • Charlie Dickerson, South Hunterdon: The Eagles may not have much in terms of numbers, but they’re making it count en route to a 3-1 start, their first since they went 9-2 in 2023. The senior linebacker recorded 14 tackles and anchored the defense in a double overtime win, 20-14, over Bound Brook.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Logan Stack, Governor Livingston: The senior inside linebacker “keyed the defense,” according to head coach Pete Ramiccio, with 13 total tackles and 3 1/2 for loss against JFK in a 49-12 home win Saturday, which got the Highlanders back to the .500 mark.
  • Travis Miles, Hillside: In a 29-7 win at Voorhees on Friday, the senior wide receiver had a 62-yard touchdown catch, and from his defensive back spot, added a 50-yard pick-six, one of two defensive scores in the game for the Comets, who now are 4-0, their best start in three years under head coach Isa Abdul-Quddus, after going 8-11 combined over the past two seasons.
  • Thomas DeMetrio, Monroe: The senior does it all, playing wide receiver, working out of the wildcat, linebacker, and handling kicking duties for the Falcons, and he was a major contributor to the Falcons’ 28-0 home win over East Brunswick on Friday. At linebacker, he had five tackles, two TFLs and a sack. And while he only had seven touches on offense, he scored three touchdowns – on a 23-yard catch and rushes of three and 13 – plus two booming, 50-yard punts, and went four-for-four on extra points.
  • Alex Kruszcynski, North Plainfield: The senior was instrumental on both sides of the ball in a 25-0 shutout of New Brunswick on Thursday. He had 19 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown at runningback, then at linebacker had two solo tackles and a TFL for a unit that produced its second whitewash this season, and has allowed just under 4.3 points per game through its first four games.
  • Chase Rizzo, Old Bridge: The senior runningback went off for 252 yards on 25 carries, for just over ten yards per, including two touchdowns in a 26-24 win over St. Thomas Aquinas. He also added a sack on defense.
  • Shane Moore, Phillipsburg: The senior runningback carried 13 times for 120 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-7 home win over division foe Hillsborough Friday night.
  • Walter Price, Rahway: The senior linebacker had eleven solo tackles, one assist two TFLs, a forced fumble, and a recovery for 17 yards in a 42-14 win over neighboring Linden Friday night. He made the first five tackles of the game for a defense that surrendered just 122 total yards to the Tigers.
  • Sherwin Appiah, Sayreville: The senior halfback rushed 15 times for 144 yards and the Bombers’ first four touchdowns in a 41-6 home win over Franklin Friday night.
  • Vinny Young, Spotswood: The senior runningback eclipsed 100 yards in his third straight game, albeit a 35-7 loss to Perth Amboy at home on Friday. He carried 19 times for 149, and also had five tackles on defense.

by Mike Pavlichko

A four-year starting QB, A’rique Fleming gets it done on defense, too, and earns Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors

It was August 25, 2023 at Kean University in Union when a fresh-faced ninth-grader named A’rique Fleming took to the field to play quarterback for the Elizabeth football team.

He might be a little raw, then-head coach John Fiore told us, but “You’ve gotta see this kid,” he added.

Sometimes coaches are given to hyperbole, and Fiore is no exception. But he was dead on the money on this one.

Elizabeth didn’t win the game, falling 27-22 to the rival Tigers, but Fleming showed great poise for a freshman in a back-and-forth game where the lead was always changing: 7-of-12 passing, 140 yards, one touchdown, one interception. Fiore was on the Fleming bandwagon, and now we were, too.

Fast forward three years to 2026, and he’s been one of the premier quarterbacks in the Big Central for a while now, and he’s already thrown for 622 yards and seven touchdowns in three games.

His latest performance was 17-of-21 throwing the ball for 220 yards and a touchdown, with a team-high 45 rushing yards (and a touchdown). But more impressive? He also plays defense, and is very good at it.

He was especially good last Friday night in a 19-7 win at Union. Playing linebacker, he had a forced fumble and recovery, a team-high tackles, and two interceptions.

One of them was quite critical in the win, too: a 72-yard pick-six with Union driving deep into Elizabeth territory with under two minutes left in a 13-7 game the Minutemen led.

“He made a great read on the play,” says his head coach, Eugene Kline, breaking “multiple tackles on the play” as Elizabeth hung on and made it a 3-0 start to a season for the first time since 2015.

For his efforts, Xavier Wilson is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Two.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week A’rique Fleming of Elizabeth:

We’ll get to see Fleming at least one more time on Central Jersey Sports Radio when No. 7 Elizabeth hosts No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-0) in the Friday night Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week. Kickoff is 6 pm at Williams Field, with pregame at 5:40. Alec Crouthamel and Dylan Allen will have the call; click here to listen.

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Nolan Walsh, Bernards: In a 49-29 win over Governor Livingston – the Mountaineers’ first of the season after starting 0-2 – the senior QB rushed for four touchdowns (of 3, 34, 30 and 11 yards) while throwing for 54- and 19-yard scores. He completed 13-of-18 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. logging 348 yards of total offense and accounting for all five of Bernards’ first-half scores.
  • Zach Mutton, Montgomery: The senior plays five positions for Sean Carty’s Cougars, who got their first win of the season Thursday, 32-14 up at Watchung Hills. At running back, he took the rock 23 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also a kicker, and made two field goals of 32 and 41 yards, the latter a new school record. He had a punt, too, that pinned the Warriors back on their own two-yard line early to help establish momentum. At defensive back, he also added two tackles, both of the solo variety.
  • Ja’Quan Robinson, Rahway: The senior quarterback often does a lot of great things on the field, but it was more than that Friday night in a 42-21 win at Woodbridge. He tossed 2-for-6 for 50 yards and two touchdowns, and carried ten times for 129 yards and two more scores of nine and 55 yards. On defense, at linebacker, he also had three solo tackles and a TFL. And he even had three punts for 109 total yards. But his coaches say the captain did his biggest work in the locker room, bringing the group together and spurring them on to outscore Woodbridge 21-7 in the second half. And then, he put his money where his mouth is, scoring a 55-yard touchdown to finish the game.
  • James Hampton, Somerville: In a 54-6 shellacking of North Hunterdon Thursday night, the junior wide receiver had seven catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns of 32 and 15 yards. At cornerback, he also had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.
  • Tyler Hicks, South Hunterdon: The senior quarterback for the Eagles – 2-1 in Kyle Hart’s first season as head coach – went 16-of-29 for 210 passing yards and a touchdown in a 21-15 win over Middlesex Thursday night. Facing a 15-13 deficit with under a minute to go, he scrambled on fourth down to evade two tacklers. His pass went incomplete, but drew a pass interference call. Eventually, on third down on the Blue Jay six, he hit Charlie Dickerson for a touchdown to take a 19-15 lead, then hit him again for a two-point conversion for the final score.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Elijah White, Belvidere: IN a 42-2 win at Dunellen Friday, the senior wide receiver had four catches for 2333 yards, with three of those hauls going for touchdowns, including a 96- and a 55-yarder. He Laos had an 80-yarder called back on a penalty.
  • Marcus Smith, Highland Park: In the third straight win for the Owls – a 43-0 win at JP Stevens that gives them their second 3-0 start in three seasons – Smith threw for 74 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 48 and a second score. Highland Park has outscored its first three opponents 99-0, and has three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1964. (They had six in a row that year.)
  • Jonathon Gosk, Manville: The senior quarterback – in his first year starting – was 9-of-13 passing to 148 yards and touchdown passes of 46 and five yards in a 35-7 home win over arch-rival Manville Friday night, heard here on Central Jersey Sports Radio. He also rushed five times for 18 yards and scoring runs of 21 and two yards.
  • Tommasso Demetrio, Monroe: In a 42-7 win at North Brunswick, the senior wide receiver caught five balls for 60 yards and a touchdown, as well as five rushes for 25 yards and another score. Four of his first five touches were either a touchdown or gave his team a first down. At outside linebacker, Demetrio had three tackles, two TFLs, and a sack. Oh, and he also was 6-for-6 on PATs and booted two 50-yard punts.
  • Charlie Maneely, New Providence: The senior runningback carried 12 times for 87 yards and a score, while also catching four passes for 36 yards and another score in a 27-20 win at Johnson on Thursday. At linebacker, he also had three tackles and two fumble recoveries.
  • Ariel Rosario Sime, Perth Amboy: In a 42-6 win over Roselle
  • Gabriel Manson, Sayreville: The senior H-back carried six times for 104 yards and two scores for the Bombers, while adding a 60-yard catch in a 41-6 home win over Edison. More impressively, he allowed zero catches from his position at cornerback.
  • Vinny Young, Spotswood: Very similar to his last outing, the senior runningback carried eight times for 121 yards and two touchdowns, while also grabbing two passes for 22 yards in a 47-14 home win over Metuchen Thursday night. At outside linebacker, he added four solo tackles, two assists and a TFL.
  • Aiden Morse, St. Thomas Aquinas: The junior running back carried ten times for 73 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-0 win at Franklin on Friday night.

by Mike Pavlichko

Sophomore Xavier Wilson comes up big in big spot for Monroe, earns Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors

“A sophomore is nothing but a jayvee player, and don’t you ever forget it.”

It was a Monroe coach who said that. Specifically, Milt Theodosatos, who was speaking to a reporter from WCTC radio after a mammoth upset of Spotswood in the fall of 2000, and talking about the mistakes his team would often make because they were so young.

Were he the coach today, instead of Nick Isola, he probably would not have said that about Xavier Wilson.

Wilson is a sophomore, let there be no doubt about that. But he may also be one of the brightest spots this year – and beyond – for a Monroe program that could use some wins, after going just 1-8 last year but seeking their first better-than-.500 season since 2020, when they went 5-1 under Dan Lee.

On Thursday night, in a 28-7 win over Governor Livingston, Wilson carried 16 times for 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The first was 85, and opened the scoring. The second came with his team hanging on to a 21-7 lead late after a Highlander touchdown with about four minutes to go.

He dodged two defenders wide to the left on the line of scrimmage, “made a cut to stay in bounds and keep the lock running, and then he was off to the races,” said Isola.

That 80-yard sprint made it 28-7, a score that held to give the Falcons their first win of the season.

For his efforts, Xavier Wilson is the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week for Week Two.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Zero Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Xavier Wilson of Monroe:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Elijah White, Belvidere: The senior wide receiver had four catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns, including one for 49 yards in a 28-27 win at Roselle Park that might not have happened otherwise. He’s a kicker, too, and was perfect in booting four PATs, while also logging eleven tackles on defense in the secondary, where he made a game-ending interception as Roselle Park was threatening to take the lead on the final play of the game.
  • Al-Naiquan Boseman, Carteret: The senior runningback went for 211 yards on Friday in a 26-20 wi Thursday over arch-rival Perth Amboy. He scored on touchdown runs of 31 and seven yards, including the eventual winning score. The win also got the Ramblers to within three of the Panthers, who lead the all-time series 50-47-2 since it began in 1927. But Carteret now has won five straight, matching their longest win streak in the series, five games from 2003 through 2007.
  • Zaire Young, Piscataway: The senior runningback notched the fifth-best rushing performance in Cheifs’ history Friday in a convincing 28-14 win over visiting Somerville. He carried 37 times for 268 yards and scored three touchdowns – all while wearing two different pairs of sneakers! Seems the sole on his left cleat separated in the second half, and he had to borrow a teammate’s shoes to finish the game.
  • Vinny Young, Spotswood: The senior did it in all three phases for the Chargers, who evened up their record at 1-1 with a 51-13 win at JFK on Friday. In his first game at runningback, he had eight carries for 135 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 76-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on special teams, and on defense – at outside linebacker, had three solo tackles, a TFL and a pass breakup.
  • Dante Jennings, St. Thomas Aquinas: The senior was instrumental in a 24-20 home win over Westfield Friday night. The linebacker had four tackles, a TFL, and an interception. On offense, the tight end – battling cramps the entire second half – caught a touchdown pass to get them back in the lead with about a minute to go. Cramping up, he came out of the game, and on his first play back in, with about 50 seconds to go, picked off a Westfield pass to seal the deal.
  • Elijah Greene, Union: While Jamir Hall scored two touchdowns in a 15-12 win at Watchung Hills, Greene had three interceptions and blocked two extra points, helping give the Farmers their first 2-0 start since 2019, the final year of the Mid-State Conference, a year they finished 12-1 under Lou Grasso, and won the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 title over Clifton.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Chase Kraucheunas, Delaware Valley: In a 34-33 win over Johnson Thursday, the senior QB threw for 194 yards and two scores, while also running for 157 yards on ten carries with another two touchdowns. At linebacker, he was also active, registering 13 tackles.
  • Erick Cespedes, Elizabeth: The senior wide-receiver was key in a 43-20 win at Plainfield Friday. He had six catches for 144 yards and three touchdowns of five, 24 and 53 yards. At cornerback, he had five tackles (two solo) and a pass breakup.
  • Braylon Diaz, JFK: In a 51-13 loss to Spotswood, the senior was responsible for both Mustang touchdowns. The wide receiver had five catches for 51 yards as well as four rushes for 72 yards, including a 28-yard TD. On special teams, he finished the night with 105 kick return yards, including a 77-yard return for a score.
  • Kevin Reilly, New Providence: The senior quarterback threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 40 and another score, as the Pioneers opened their season with a 27-7 win over Voorhees on Thursday night. That’s now 15 straight Big Central wins for New Providence, the longest active streak in the league after Bernards had its 32-game streak snapped by Cranford Friday night.
  • Cayle Prince, North Plainfield: In a 20-10 loss to South Plainfield, the junior runningback carried seven times for 25 yards, with a catch for a seven-yard touchdown. Just back from an ankle injury, and nowhere near 100 percent, he had four solo tackles, a TFL and an interception, he aggravated the injury again in the third quarter and sat out the rest of the game.
  • Chase Rizzo, Old Bridge: In a 49-21 win over Montgomery, the senior runningback went for 101 yards and two touchdowns, while also logging 70 yards receiving and another score. He also blocked a punt return for a touchdown.
  • Amauris Peguero, Perth Amboy: In a tough loss to arch-rival Carteret, the senior quarterback helped keep his team in the game with a 10-for-19 effort for 226 yards and three touchdowns, while also running the ball 23 times for another 97 yards.
  • Jyvon Cooper, Rahway: In a huge 21-10 win against Summit on Friday that vaulted the Indians into the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the first time this season, the senior running back carried 17 times for 92 yards and a touchdown. Twelve of those – and his score – came on two second-half possessions that helped ice the game. At outside linebacker, he had four solo tackles, four asissts, a TFL, one half sack, and a QB hurry.
  • Tristan Frank, Ridge: The senior was involved in all three Red Devil scores in a 21-7 win over Sayreville. That included two rushing and one passing touchdown for the quarterback, while at free safety he also had one interception.
  • Jaylen Brundidge, South Brunswick: A wildcat QB for the Vikings, he carried 14 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns while also catching six passes for 62 yards in a 27-19 win at rival North Brunswick. As a defensive back, he also had three tackles and an interception.
  • Kellen Healy, South Hunterdon: The junior runningback had three rushing touchdowns – of 57, 45, and 14 yards – carrying 23 times for 186 yards in a 35-8 win over South River, including two late scores that helped bury the Rams. On defense, he had six tackles and two TFLs.

by Mike Pavlichko

Summit’s Jackson Marx bookends season-opening win with two amazing plays to nab first Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honor in 2026

There’s a proud tradition around the Summit football program, whether it’s one of their championship seasons or not.

Coming off a North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 finals appearance in 2025, this year’s Hilltoppers – who will now be playing in Group 4 thanks to the recent NJSIAA reclassification – are looking to finish the job.

And right off the bat in 2026, things looked good. Friday afternoon, senior Jackson Marx returned the opening kickoff from Colonia 96 yards for a score to put his team up 6-0 before the Patriots even got the ball in their hands.

Things snowballed from there, with Summit taking a 23-0 lead in the second quarter on a 32-yard field goal from Marx, and touchdown runs from Matt McKeever and Gavin Schnall.

And then the pendulum swung. Colonia cut it to 23-7 by halftime. They got a third quarter touchdown to pull within eight. Then, with a few minutes to go in regulation, Colonia looked poised to send the game to OT after a 10-yard touchdown run by Kyle Bell. Going for two to tie, Jackson Marx got in front of a receiver along the right sideline, inside the five, and picked off the pass to preserve the two-point lead.

The only way it could have been dramatic was if it were the last play of the game. It wasn’t, as Summit got the ball back and was forced to punt, but Colonia couldn’t make any headway on the ensuing possession, and the Hilltoppers escaped with a two-point W, 23-21.

For his efforts, Jackson Marx is the first Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week, for Week Zero, in 2026.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Zero Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Jackson Marx of Summit:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Elijah Garcia, Governor Livingston: Though they never trailed in their season opener at home against Dayton, the Highlanders needed all of the junior’s 195 yards (on 30 carries with one touchdown) to keep the Bulldogs at bay in a 40-27 win. Garcia – who ran for 806 yards last year, is almost a quarter of the way there, looking to make a bid to become just the eighth Governor Livingston back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. (Jack Dally was the most recent, going for 1,195 in 2024
  • Anthony Costello, North Plainfield: Talk about timing, the junior scored the game-winning touchdown – the only score of the game – with 12 seconds left, powering North Plainfield to a 7-0 victory, and back-to-back season-opening wins the last two seasons. Costello, a receiver, had eight catches for 77 yards. He also had an interception on defense, where he plays defensive back, and returned three punts for 46 yards on special teams.
  • Amauris Peguero, Perth Amboy: The senior quarterback was instrumental in a 33-28 win against Monroe Friday night. He carried 22 times for 122 yards, rushing for three touchdowns in the game as well as a two-point conversion, while also passing for 81 yards and another score. It was also the first-ever win as a head coach for new Panthers’ mentor Evan Baubles.
  • Donald Young, Piscataway: The senior two-way lineman played a huge role in the final minute of the game, turning what could have been a disastrous loss – the Chiefs led 26-14 with under four minutes left – into one of the program’s most thrilling wins, a 26-20 win at East Orange. On a Jaguars’ first and goal at the two with 22 seconds left, Young turned aside a block to help stop the ball at the one. After an East Orange time out, their last of the game, he shot through the “A” gap and stopped the runner behind the line of scrimmage, leaving the Jaguars no time to stop the clock with a spike. And the Chiefs survived!
  • Jaylen Eastman, Rahway: The senior came up big in a wild 30-28 win at Willingboro Thursday night. From defensive end, he recovered a fumble in the end zone for the first Indians’ score, then had 49- and 15-yard catch-and-run touchdowns on offense. On D, he finished with five solo tackles, four assists, three TFLs and two QB hurries.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Zach Favreau, Bernards: In a 26-20 loss to Rutherford on Friday, the senior defensive back played nearly every snap of the game. And he was busy, recording 13 tackles, six solo, and two pass breakups. On offense, he caught two passes for 54 yards and had a 37-yard touchdown catch, while also returning three kicks for 102 yards.
  • Nehmiah DeLeon, Brearley: The senior running back set the tone early in a 33-0 win at Wallington on a rainy Thursday evening – one of the few games to be played that day – with a 51-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. He finished with 22 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns. A third score from 55-yards out was negated by a penalty. He also had two tackles at DB on defense.
  • Sean Christie, East Brunswick: In a 41-0 win over JFK on Friday – the Bears’ largest margin of victory since Andy Steinfeld’s squad went 8-2 in 2021 – the senior signal threw one touchdown pass and ran for three, of 60, 12 and eight yards. At defensive back, he also recorded five tackles in the Bears’ first meeting with the Mustangs since 1981.
  • Jeff Progin, Hillsborough: The senior had six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in a 41-25 loss at Manalapan on Friday – after the Raiders took the trip down Thursday, when the game was initially scheduled, only to turn back due to the weather. His TD came early, cutting a 12-0 deficit in half, though Hillsborough would lose the game in the end.
  • Travis Miles, Hillside: The senior scored half of his team’s six touchdowns in a 41-0 victory at Columbia in Maplewood Friday night. He had two on the receiving end on offense – of 29 and 11 yards – while also scoring on a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown.
  • Lamar Grant, JP Stevens: Just a sophomore, the defensive end had nine total tackles, including three for a loss and a sack as the defense pitched a shutout in a 21-6 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro, whose own score came on a pick-six on defense.
  • Aidan Johnson, Manville: The junior carried 11 times for 67 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-18 win at host Keansburg in the “Battle of the Bridge” Saturday morning. BUt he also plays free safety, and his interception in the first quarter killed the Titans’ second drive of the game as they were nearing Manville territory.
  • Sal Fama-Linn, North Brunswick: In a 39-8 home win against Snyder out of Jersey City, the senior helped the Raiders snap a nine-game losing streak (all of last season) with a big night in all three phases. At free safety, he had four tackles and a TFL. As a receiver, he had four catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns, while he also had two rushed for 3 years and a touchdown. And he even had a kick return for 24 yards and a punt for 32 yards.
  • Shane Moore, Phillipsburg: The senior ran for 135 yards and a touchdown in a season-opening 28-21 win over Parkland (PA) at Maloney Stadium. That was the first of three straight Pennsylvania foes on the schedule for the two-time defending NJSIAA sectional champions before they hit the Big Central slate.
  • Dylan Boehm, Somerville: The sophomore – who we’ll see this Friday night when the Pioneers visit Piscataway in a top ten matchup on Central Jersey Sports Radio – was 19-of-33 for 323 yards and touchdown passes for 36 and 87 yards in a 40-21 win over South Plainfield at Brooks Field. He also ran for a five-yard touchdown as their fourth straight season opener, all under head coach Matt Bloom.
  • Robert Lobozzo, Watchung Hills: The junior was critical in handing new Watchung Hills head coach Joe Ascolese his first victory since taking over from Rich Seubert in the off-season. He scored on a five-yard TD catch right after a 32-yard interception return by Bennett Dealaman. He also had 22 yards rushing, and a pick of his own on defense from the secondary.

by Mike Pavlichko

Westfield’s Jordan Walsh comes up big down the stretch, grabs final Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honor in 2025

Jordan Walsh is no stranger to being a go-to guy on his team. After all, he was the Borden’s Baller of the Year last season, representing the Westfield Blue Devils, a proud Union County program with a lot of history.

Well, Saturday at Kehler Stadium, he helped make some of his own, helping his team to a 14-7 win over Ridge, their first since 2017 against the Red Devils.

He didn’t know that before the game, but he knows it now.

Walsh had 153 all-purpose yards fo Westfield Saturday, rushing eight times for 72 yards with a five-yard touchdown, while also grabbing six passes for 81 yards. At safety, he had nine tackles and a pass breakup, but it was what he did on both sides of the ball in closing minutes – in just two plays – that was the difference.

First, with Ridge driving inside the Westfield 30-yard line, he made a big open field tackle to stymie the drive. Then, with the ball on their own five and trying to run out the clock on offense, he musted a 40-yard run to ice the game.

And his last run of the contest put him over 1,000 all-purpose yards for the season.

For his efforts, senior Jordan Walsh of Westfield is the Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week for Week Eight, Cutoff Weekend, the last of the season.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Westfield (4-5) earned a six-seed in the North 2, Group 4 playoffs, and will play an opening round game at third-seed Montgomery (6-3) this Friday night at 7:00.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Eight Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Jordan Walsh of Westfield:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Logan Stevens, Bernards: The senior carried eight times for 196 yards and three touchdowns – all long, of 81, 53, and 72 yards – in a 22-0 home win over Carteret Friday night. He also had a 35-yard catch, and at cornerback had an interception. In Stevens’ three varsity seasons, the Mountaineers never lost a regular season game, going 27-0 in that span.
  • Arique Fleming, Elizabeth: The junior quarterback was 20-for-24 for 248 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-23 win over Union. He also had all 13 rushing attempts by the Minutement, picking up another 90 yards and a score.
  • Dom Massaro, South Plainfield: A workhorse back, the senior scored four touchdowns and had 243 yards rushing on offense in a 42-14 win over JFK Friday. Then, on defense, he grabbed three interceptions, one for a touchdown, and also had 110 punt return yards, plus a touchdown on one that was called back.
  • Matteo Tramutolo, Voorhees: The top rusher in the Big Central this week, the senior carried 31 times for 208 yards and three touchdowns, helping rally his team from a 7-0 deficit before the half to win the 50th Milk Can Game between the rivals. The win helped clinch the Vikings’ first playoff berth since 2018. He also broke his own single-season school rushing mark, setting a new standard with 1,338 and counting, while also cracking the 3,000 mark for his career.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Rocco Federico, Brearley: The junior defensive end had four sacks, two TFLs and four total tackles in a 10-7 win at Dayton Saturday that got the Bears into the playoffs. Federico was part of a defense that made a goal line stand at the one as time expired to hang on for the W.
  • Evan Canica, Manville: The center and mike linebacker for the Mustangs had a “phenomenal” effort in a 49-7 win over rival Bound Brook for the Freedom Silver Division title. The had a fourth-down TFL that set the tone, ending the Crusaders’ first drive of the night, then had four solo tackles, two more TFLs and two sacks, as well as a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles. Offensively, he and the line paved the way for a 351-yard night, 210 of which came on the ground.
  • Andrew Avent, Rahway: The senior had 23 carries for 312 yards and a touchdown – with a long run of 67 – in a 28-7 home win over No. 3 Montgomery Friday night. At defensive end, he had three solo tackles, two assists, three TFLs, a half sack and three QB hurries against a high-powered offense.
  • Kellen Healy, South Hunterdon: The sophomore – one of the future keys to the program for the Eagles – had 15 carries for 103 yards, with two rushing touchdowns in a 26-0 win at Dunellen last Friday, to pick up South’s first win of the season. He also had a 35-yard interception return for a score in the game.

by Mike Pavlichko

Clean Sweep! Somerville’s Vesuvio-Bush takes Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week award on dominating performance

When debating who to choose for the Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the week, I asked by broadcast partner for that game, Justin Sontupe, for his take.

“No doubt in my mind Somerville loses without him. He did everything.”

Surely, it takes a whole team to win. He doesn’t do what he did without the offensive line. Or the defense – which he had to be a part of when a cornerback went down – holding a talented Plainfield team in check. Then again, would anyone else on the roster have had 288 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries, plus another 76 yards on four catches?

Probably not.

That, and the win over a solid team kept the defending Central Jersey Group 3 Pioneers’ chances alive – although they may need some help – to get a top-seed in the same section again this year.

And add in the fact “AVB” has had a dominant season, becoming just the 12th player in the history of Somerville football – which dates back to 1903 – to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.

So, for his efforts, senior Adian Vesuvio-Bush of Voorhees – who also was this week’s Higgins Speed Lab “Speedster of the Week” with the top rushing performance in the Big Central – is the Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Somerville (7-1) is back in action this Friday night at Watchung Hills (3-5).

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe’s postgame interview with Week Seven Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Aidan Vesuvio-Bush of Somerville:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Collin Shimp, Manville: The senior tight end led the aerial attack with just five catches by 127 yards and two toucdowns, including a 70-yard score just before the half to put the Mustangs up 28-7, then another from 45 yards away coming out of halftime to keep the Owls at bay.
  • Caiden Miller, Montgomery: In a 43-15 win at previously-undefeated Sayreville on Friday, the senior runningback scored four touchdowns and ran for 128 yards on 23 carries. Two came in the second quarter, to give his team a 16-15 lead at the break. He then added one each in the final two quarters as the defense shut down the Bombers the rest of the way.
  • Brody Nugent, Old Bridge: In a 45-29 win over Hunterdon Central, the dual-threat quarterback accounted for over 400 yards of offense. That’s 276 yards and two scores passing, while running for 185 and scoring three more times.
  • Amauris Peguero, Perth Amboy: The Panthers picked up their first win of the season, 34-14 over Scotch Plains-Fanwood Friday night, in large part due to the senior quarterback’s play. He completed nine of 15 passes for 224 yards and four touchdowns in the win. In his first year on varsity, the yards and TD passes were career highs, and it was the first 100-plus yard passing game of his career.
  • Andrew Avent, Rahway: OK, so he can’t rush for 300 yards every game! But the senior carried just nine times for 240 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-6 win over New Brunswick that was more impressive for the three school records he set – single season rushing, career total touchdowns, and career total points – along with a person milestone – cracking 4,000 for his career. His rushing total of 1,520 yards this season also is a career high.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Tyce Hanratty, Bernards: The junior middle linebacker had 12 tackles, a sack, a TFL, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in a 35-7 win over Governor Livingston.
  • Ben Culberson, Delaware Valley: The junior linebacker had a solid night on the defensive side of the ball, with 13 tackles, two TFLs and a sack. On the offensive side, the runningback had nine carries for 60 yards and two scores, which came in the fourth quarter to rally the Terriers from an 18-7 deficit to a 21-18 win over Roselle Friday night.
  • Dan Poretti, New Providence: In a 49-3 win over Bound Brook Friday, the senior scored in all three phases of the game. He had two carries for 44 yards and a touchdown, a 30-yard pick-six from the secondary for another, and a 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown as well.
  • Sam Dech, Phillipsburg: The Stateliners bounced back from a loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen with a 42-0 home win over Union, and got 18 carries, 156 yards and four touchdowns from the senior runningback in the win.
  • Mickeye Simmons, Piscataway: The senior ran nine times for 107 yards (with a long of 60) and two touchdowns Friday in a 21-7 road win at a very good Hillsborough team. A free safety, he also recorded seven tackles.
  • Greg Brown, Ridge: The junior outside linebacker had nine tackles to lead the team, plus two TFLs, a sack, a forced fumble, and a 69-yard interception he brought to the house in a 57-20 home win over North Brunswick Friday night.
  • Justin Scaramuzzo, St. Joseph-Metuchen: In a 41-19 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in North Edison Friday, the senior QB was 12-of-15 for 231 yards and five touchdowns, while also carrying the ball 11 times for 73 yards and another score. Coach Bill Tracy says, “He makes plays when there are no plays there.” Well said.

by Mike Pavlichko

Senior Matteo Tramutola scores game-winning TD for Voorhees, becomes Vikings’ all-time leading rusher, wins Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Award

We like it when a Player of the Week nominee does more than one thing.

Last Saturday, Matteo Tramutola of Voorhees did four.

He may get most of his attention for what he does when he runs the football, but he also plays defense, and punts. Oh, and he plays baseball, too.

Last Saturday, he carried 26 times for 154 yards and two touchdowns, with the second giving his team a 21-14 lead in the rain at Governor Livingston, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. He also had seven solo and 3 assisted tackles on defense, and helped the Vikings win the field position battle with his punting, in difficult conditions.

In the process, he became the school’s all-time rushing leader with 2,726 career yards to go along with 36 career TDs. The yardage eclipses the school’s previous benchmark of 2,652, held by Charlie Rodenberger (2013-2016) according to second-year head coach John Hack, who Tramutola also credits with changing the culture in Glen Gardner and turning the program around.

From 2018 through 2022, Voorhees had just one above .500 season, in 2022. After going 3-6 last year, the Vikings are 6-1 and in 12th in the South 2 playoff standings, looking very much the part of a playoff club.

For all his efforts, but especially this week, Matteo Tramutola of Voorhees is the Week 7 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

The Vikings (6-1) are back in action this Friday night at home against Hillside (1-5).

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko’s interview with Week Six Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Matteo Tramutola of Voorhees:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Geoffrey Young, Belvidere: In a 16-0 win over South Hunterdon last Friday, the senior carried 17 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns, accounting for 14 of the team’s 16 points. His second TD sealed the game with a one-yard run, then ended it for good with a sack in the end zone for a safety. He also had 12 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble at middle linebacker.
  • Zahmir Moore, Bound Brook: In a 38-28 road win at Middlesex that puts the Crusaders at 5-2 – their best record since finishing the COVID-shortened 2020 season with the same record – the junior wideout caught four passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns of five and 85 yards. He also had ten tackles out of the secondary on defense, with seven solos.
  • Andrew Schwarz, Hillsborough: In a 30-18 win over rival Bridgewater-Raritan at home last Friday, the senior runningback did yoeman’s work. The yards(154) weren’t as important as the carries, of which he had 36, part of the Raiders’ “offense is the best defense” strategy to keep the Panthers offense off the field. He finished the night with four touchdowns, and also a TFL on defense at the linebacker spot.
  • Isaiah Bennett, Manville: The senior only carried three times in a 62-7 win over Dunellen Friday night, but he scored all three times! He went for 93 yards on the night, but then from his outside linebacker position had a 40-yard pick six, along with four tackles – two solo – and a tackle for loss in just one half of game action.
  • Shaun Jackson, Sayreville: The Bomber senior went over 200 yards rushing for the third time this season, setting a new personal best with 338 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a 37-28 win at Franklin on Friday night.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Logan Stevens, Bernards: In a huge, 17-14, come-from-behind win over Summit Saturday, the senior runningback carried 17 times for 176 yards and a touchdown, with four catches for 20 more yards. At corner, he also notched six tackles and a TFL.
  • Ben Ibach, Delaware Valley: The Terrier sophomore wide receiver had six catches for 70 yards and a rush for 13 in a 21-19 loss to A.L. Johnson Friday. In the secondary, he came up with 14 tackles.
  • Grant Lorentzen, JFK: The senior wide receiver had seven catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-13 win over North Plainfield. At defensive back, he logged four tackles, 3 assists, and also had 43 return yards on three attempts on special teams.
  • Justus Leitner, Metuchen: In a 53-0 blanking of JP Stevens, the Bulldog senior wide receiver had eight catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns, but what came first was a 43-yard pick six from his cornerback position on defense. His first offensive TD was a 56-yarder, and his second came on a diving catch in the end zone.
  • Julius King, North Plainfield: The senior rushed 13 times for 130 yards and a score, also adding three catches for 70 yards, in a 33-13 home loss to JFK.
  • CJ Griffith, Ridge: In a 28-7 home win over Hunterdon Central, he finished with 121 yards and a touchdown, the final one of the night in a battle of the Red Devils.
  • Andrew Avent, Rahway: In a 49-20 win over Watchung Hills Friday that put the Indians in the thick of the playoff chase, Avent carried 10 times for 201 rushing yards – just over 20 yards per carry – with three touchdowns from 77, eight and 42 yards out. His first TD came on the first play of the game from scrimmage, and he scored on three of his first four carries in the game. Avent also had a sack on defense for -7 yards. He’s also close to several school records and personal bests that he could set in the next week or so.
  • Jamir Hall, Union: The junior runningback carried 12 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns for the Farmers, in a 21-13 win over South Brunswick Friday night, their first victory of the season.