Tag: playoffs

by Marcus Borden

Perfect season ends for New Providence as Pioneers take first loss in North 2, Group 1 final in rematch with Cedar Grove

A fired up Cedar Grove team got off the team buses hooting and hollering as they felt disrespected as the defending 2024 North 2 Group 1 Champions, whose only loss last year was to the overall Group 1 title-winner, Glassboro, at MetLife Stadium.

The Panthers beat New Providence last year in the first round of the playoffs, and would do it again Friday night. Fourth-seed Cedar Grove (9-3) topped the third-seeded Pioneers, 37-13, winning the 2025 title in a rematch of last year’s final.

It was the first loss of the season for New Providence, which ends a magical year at 10-1. Cedar Grove will face Butler in next week’s semifinals, as the top-seeded Bulldogs won the North 1, Group 1 title Friday night at home over second-seed Kinnelon, 28-14.

Cedar Grove – which got to the final by upsetting top-seed Mountain Lakes in the sectional semis – would win the coin toss and elect to play defense. Placekicker Sebastian Kovacs would put the ball deep in the end zone forcing the Pioneers to start at their 20 yard line.

New Providence would punt on their first possession setting up the Panthers on their 38-yard line. Mixing the run and pass the visitors marched down the field in nine plays with Senior quarterback Pierce Asfalg hitting Thomas Cannataro on a 16-yard swing pass for a touchdown and the early 6-0 lead after a two-point pass failed at the 6:31 mark in the first quarter.

The Pioneers would run two consecutive running plays with the second one looking like it would go the distance when the runner was hit by two defenders and fumbled the ball deep in Panther territory.

Cedar Grove would once again use the quick passing game, power runs with Cannataro while Asfalg enjoyed some success running to the outside. They would march to the New Providence six-yard line as the first quarter came to a close. Cedar Grove would have to settle for a 26-yard FG and a 9-0 lead at 11:54 in the second quarter.

The Pioneers would go three and out on their next series and a set the Panthers up with good field position around midfield. Cedar Grove would need less than two minutes as Cannataro would score on a six-yard run at 8:37 in the second quarter and a 16-0 lead.

Both teams would trade punts, with New Providence getting the ball with back with Kevin Reilly hitting a deep bomb, setting the stage for a 12-yard touchdown pass from the junior signal caller to Daniel Poretti with 27 seconds before halftime making the score 16-6 after a failed two-point conversion.

Following the intermission both teams would be forced to punt on their initial offensive drives of the second half. It was, however, the home town Pioneers who would close the gap to 16-13, as James Keneally would intercept an Asfalg pass setting up New Providence’s Jack Fitzgerald for a two-yard touchdown run with 2:27 remaining in the third stanza.

Cedar Grove would waste little time as Asfalg would hit Xavier Andujar on a 70-yard crossing pattern with 58 seconds left in the 3rd quarter and a 23-13 lead.

That would be as close as the Pioneers would get as Cannataro would rumble for a 46-yard TD run and Asfalg would score on a double pass making the final score 37-13 for Cedar Grove, giving back-to-back North 2 Group 1 Sectional Championships.

Mike Pavlichko contributed to this report.

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg is all business in 41-21 win over Montgomery to claim back-to-back state titles, tenth NJSIAA crown in school history

If you had just walked into Maloney stadium with a couple of minutes left in the fourth quarter, and stuck around for the ending, if it wasn’t for temperatures in the 40s, you might have thought it was a mid-season game between Phillipsburg and Montgomery.

The Stateliners led by 27, looking to run out the clock. The Cougars got a late touchdown to cut it to 20; too little, too late. The clock ran down to zero, and Phillipsburg celebrated like any other win.

Except, it was the program’s tenth NJSIAA state championship, Phillipsburg’s second in a row in North 2, Group 4, as the top-seeded Stateliners took control in the first half after falling behind 7-3 and never looked back, winning the North 2, Group 4 title 41-21 in a the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, and heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Phillipsburg (10-1) will get to play one more time this season at Maloney, hosting Ramapo in the Group 4 state semifinals at 7 pm next Friday. The Raiders (10-1) beat Northern Highlands at home, 28-27, in overtime Friday, holding off the Highlanders as they went for two on their turn in OT.

For the first time since an early October loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen, Phillipsburg found itself trailing in the game, only the second time they’d been behind in the first half all year – the other to West Orange the week before.

They got on the board first, with a 39-yard field goal off the foot of Alexie Moreira, but went down 8-3 after Montgomery QB Jack Kristjanson connected with Obinna Obuba for a 35-yard touchdown, then got a two-point conversion run.

But Phillipsburg would get the next five scores in the game.

First, sophomore QB Dominic Bracco – who was 7-of-10 passing for 109 yards and three touchdowns – hit Shane Moore out of the backfield for a 67-yard TD strike to make it 11-8 after a two-point run with 1:41 to go in the opneing quarter. Sam Dech scored on the next drive just 1:58 into the second on a one-yard run, and then – after Montgomery interception a yard out of their own end zone, Phillipsburg got a safety to make it 20-8 with 1:41 to go before the half, then added one more for good measure with five seconds to go before the break, a 13-yard touchdown run by Bracco to make it 26-8 going into the locker room.

By that point, Montgomery (8-4) – which had made some good defensive stops up front – had been worn down by a punishing Phillipsburg offensive line.

Senior runningback Sam Dech – who carried 17 times for 136 yards and a score, and also went 24 yards for a first down on a fake punt in the first half on fourth-and-four – scored from one-yard out late in the third to make it 34-8 before Monty could get back on the board again, though by that time, the game was pretty much in hand.

Bracco would hit tight end Donovan Samson with a four-yard TD pass at the 5:27 mark of the fourth to end the scoring.

And that business-like attitude? Well, it’s the reason for that muted celebration. And that muted celebration is part of the Phillipsburg mantra, D.I.G.: Discipline, Ignore The Noise, and Grit.

They just go about their business. This is the standard, what’s expected. And they do it.

They can celebrate later, when the season’s over. After all, there’s still more football to be played at Maloney, against Easton on Thanksgiving, and maybe Rutgers the week after.

Click below for Alec Crouthamel with postgame reaction from head coach Frank Duffy, QB Dominic Bracco, and RB/LB Sam Dech, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Chris Tsakonas

Fourth time’s the charm! Bridgewater-Raritan wins first sectional title, topping Bayonne 21-14 in North 2, Group 5 final

In 2015, the Bridgewater-Raritan football team made its first-ever sectional final – 23 years after the merger of the East and West high schools – with an undefeated record.

They would fall that year to unbeaten Westfield. The same happened the next year. And they would fall to Westfield one more time in 2017.

It took eight more years for the Panthers to get back to that stage, and this time they made it count.

Friday night at Basilone Field, the Panthers clinched the first sectional title in program history with a 21-14 win over Bayonne.

Bridgewater-Raritan started the game on the back foot, as Bayonne went ahead 7-0 off a 20-yard touchdown run from Chance Fisher with 2:56 left in the first quarter. The Panthers marched 77 yards down the field late in the second quarter, but the drive stalled at the nine-yard line with an interception thrown by Declan Kurdyla.

The first turning point came with 1:14 remaining in the first half. On fourth and goal from the 1-yard line, Bridgewater-Raritan’s front seven held up to deny a touchdown for Nico Sampson to keep it at 7-0 entering the second half.

The Bees received the second half kickoff – but the first play of the half went awry as a botched snap led to a fumble that was returned 33 yards for a touchdown by Jamelle Jones to tie the game. 

The Panthers took the lead for the first time with an 11-yard touchdown run for Jahmier Black with 2:56 to play in the 3rd quarter. Bayonne responded quickly, as Fisher punched in a 66-yard touchdown to tie it up at 14 with 28 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Bridgewater-Raritan went ahead for good late in the fourth, as a fourth-and-one turned into a 58-yard touchdown pass from Kurdyla to Jack Cifuentes to take the lead for good with 2:33 to play. A muffed kickoff was recovered by the Panthers to seal the win.

Black led Bridgewater-Raritan with 15 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown in the win, while Kurdyla completed six of 10 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown through the air. Cifuentes led all Panther receivers with four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Next up, Bridgewater will play in the Group 4 semifinals at home next Friday – likely at 6 pm – against North 1, Group 5 champion Passaic Tech. The second-seeded Bulldogs knocked off top-seed West Orange Friday night, 56-42 on the road.

Logo for Sportsplex at Metuchen featuring various sports icons and contact information.

Click below for postgame reaction from Chris Tsakonas with Bridegwater-Rartitan’s Declan Kurdyla, Jahmier Black, Jack Cifuentes, Jamelle Jones and head coach Declan Kurdyla, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Bridgewater-Raritan players
Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano

-Mike Pavlichko contributed to this report

by Mike Pavlichko

North 2, Group 3 Final Preview: Summit Hilltoppers vs. West Morris Wolfpack

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 Final:
When: Friday, 7:30 pm
Where: West Morris High School, Chester, NJ
Matchup: #2 Summit (9-2) at #1 West Morris (11-0)
Weather: 41 degrees, mostly clear, wind NNW 2 mph (crosswind from home stands toward visitor stands)

HEAD COACHES:

Summit: Kevin Kostibos (13th season, 91-40)
West Morris: Kevin Hennelly (28th season, 179-92)

Logo of Higgins Speed Lab, featuring bold lettering that reads 'HIGGINS SPEED LAB LLC.'

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Summit:
First Round: def. #7 Warren Hills, 24-21
Semifinals: def. #3 West Essex, 31-28

West Morris:
First Round: def. #8 Snyder, 42-6
Semifinals: def. #4 Roxbury, 28-7

Who’s next? The winner of this game will play the North 1, Group 3 winner in the Group 3 semifinals. That title game features top-seed Old Tappan (10-0) hosting second-seed Wayne Hills (9-2) Friday at 6 pm. If Summit advances, they would be either at Old Tappan – the overall No. 1 seed in South Group 3 – or at home against Wayne Hills, which finished sixth in the supersection on Cutoff Weekend.

SERIES HISTORY:

This is just the second meeting between the schools, with the Wolfpack winning both prior matchups, both in the playoffs. The most recent get-together was in 2021, when West Morris won 56-31 at home in the first round of the North 2, Group 3 playoffs. They also met in the semis (first round) of that section in 1982, a 14-9 win for the Wolfpack.

SUMMIT PREVIEW:

FINALS HISTORY:

Summit:

Summit is one of the oldest programs in New Jersey, and has had a good deal of playoff success over the years, winning nine of 13 trips to the sectional finals over the years, with five titles in North 2, Group 3, and four in North 2, Group 2.

They have never reached a sectional final as anything lower than a four-seed, and are 4-1 in the finals as a two-seed, with three of those wins coming over the top seed – in 1976, 1988 and 1994 – with their 2013 win coming over four-seed Parsippany Hills. Their lone loss as a two-seed came in 1992 to Dover,

Ironically, the team the Hilltoppers beat for their first playoff title in 1976 was the same team they beat last week on a field goal as time expired, West Essex. That game was not quite as close, however: a 40-0 Summit triumph.

Playoff Berths: 32
Playoff Record: 35-22
Previous Finals Berths: 13
Sectional Titles: 9

North 2, Group 3:
1976: #2 Summit def. #1 West Essex, 40-0
1980: #3 Summit def. #1 Rahway, 10-7
1986: #2 Randolph def. #4 Summit, 12-7
North 2, Group 2:
1988: #2 Summit def. #1 Dover, 12-6
1992: #1 Dover def. #2 Summit, 22-0
1993: #1 Summit def. #2 Mendham, 26-21
1994: #2 Summit def. #1 Mendham, 26-8
1995: #3 Johnson def. #1 Summit, 21-6
2009: #1 Summit def. #6 Orange, 28-19
2011: #2 Madison def. #1 Summit, 47-7
North 2, Group 3:
2012: #1 Summit def. #3 Palisades Park, 30-0
2013: #2 Summit def. #4 Parsippany Hills, 16-13
2018: #1 Summit def. #3 Rahway, 36-14
lost to Ramapo in North 3 “bowl game,” 42-22 (at MetLife Stadium)

West Morris:

Playoff Berths: 37
Playoff Record: 41-26
Previous Finals Berths: 15
Sectional Titles: 10

West Morris: (CHECK THIS) The Wolfpack have made 15 title game appearances, winning ten of them, with six coming under current head coach Kevin Hennelly. As the No. 1 seed, which they are this year, West Morris is 6-2 in sectional finals.

North 2, Group 2:
1982: #3 West Morris def. #1 Randolph, 10-6
1985: #1 West Morris def. #2 Linden, 19-7
1987: #1 Randolph def. #2 West Morris, 14-13
1990: #1 Scotch Plains-Fanwood def. #2 West Morris, 25-12
1991: #2 West Morris def. #1 Nutley 14-0
1995: #1 West Morris def. #2 Nutley, 21-0
1997: #3 Morristown def. #1 West Morris, 6-0
2000: #2 Warren Hills def. #1 West Morris, 21-13
2001: #1 West Morris def. #3 Mendham, 15-14
2004: #6 West Morris def. #1 Mendham, 10-7
2009: #3 West Morris def. #4 Passaic Valley, 28-19
North 2, Group 4:
2012: #1 West Morris def. #6 Warren Hills, 35-7
North 1, Group 3:
2021: #1 West Morris def. #2 West Essex, 21-0
beat Cranford in North 3 “bowl game,” 53-14 (at MetLife Stadium)
North 2, Group 3:
2022: #1 West Morris def. #3 West Essex, 21-7
lost to Old Tappan in Group 3 semifinals, 21-6
2023: #1 Old Tappan def. #6 West Morris, 21-17

2025 SUMMIT COVERAGE:

Summit High School football players lined up on the field for a pre-game ceremony, wearing their team uniforms and helmets, with fans in the background.
Summit captains get ready for the coin toss before a Big Central United Gold Division home game against Hillside on September 13, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

NEWS & NOTES:

One of the veteran skippers in the finals…

Kevin Kostibos is one of a number of long-tenured Union County coaches who stay where they are. He’s been the head coach at Summit since 2013, and only Eric Rosenmeier of Cranford has been at a Union County school longer, 20 seasons, having debuted in 2005 with the Cougars. Others at their schools a decade or more include Rahway’s Brian Russo, who just wrapped his tenth season with Indians, and Chet Parlavecchio, Jr., who is in his ninth season, and also in the finals Friday night against Cedar Grove in the North 2, Group 1 title tilt.

by Mike Pavlichko

Summit getting contributions in all three phases as Hilltoppers visit West Morris in first sectional title game appearance since 2018

Look how far we’ve come.

2018 was the first yer of the New Jersey UPR playoff system. We were using the Born Power Index as a complement to traditional power points, and we weren’t quite ready yet to crown state champions.

That year, Summit beat Rahway in the North 2, Group 3 final, 36-14, and played in the first-ever North Group 3 “bowl game” – a quasi state semifinal with no title game to follow – falling to Ramapo 42-22 at Met Life Stadium.

This year, the Hilltoppers are back in a sectional final for the first time since, as third-seeded Summit (9-2) travels up to top-seed West Morris (11-0) for the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 trophy.

The Wolfpack are a tough foe. Not only have they not lost this season, they’ve only allowed 13 points in the first two playoff games, beating Snyder 42-6 and Roxbury 28-7. They’ve held seven teams to single-digit scoring on the year, and shutout one (Randolph).

But Summit has an undefeated mark of its own: the team is 9-0 with Alex Schwark in the lineup. He missed the Somerville and Bernards games – both losses – but they’re 4-0 since his return for an impressive 10-7 road win at previously-unbeaten Woodbridge.

It hasn’t exactly been a season defined by injuries, but it has certainly been shaped by them. Cole Sabol was expected to be a rare three-year starter at quarterback. But he got injured playing lacrosse in the Spring. Enter Alex Schwark, moving over from runningback, and he certainly did well the first five games of the year, until he went down to injury.

He’d only miss two games – though Summit would drop both, to two of the better teams on their schedule, Somerville and Bernards – but head coach Kevin Kostibos got a look at Matt McKeever running the show. Previously, he’d been their “under center” QB in short yardage situations. Now, Kostibos keeps both in the game, right next to each other, and you never know who’s getting the ball. The first time out was a triumph, 10-7 at Woodbridge, handing the Barrons their first loss of the year, and it’s been full steam ahead ever since.

That’ll be key against a very physical, strong defensive team in West Morris team Friday night.

And while they probably would prefer to have a game more in hand, if it’s close, the Hilltoppers could turn again to kicker Cooper Smoragieiwcz. He’s kicked go-ahead and game-winning field goals in the closing seconds in each of the last two weeks for Summit, and ready to go again if he’s needed.

But it could be the defense that faces the stiffest challenge. The Wolfpack run the ball. A lot. To the tune of 3,104 yards this season, and with 17 different players touching the ball. The offensive line is big and knows how to play the game.

Click below to hear Summit head coach Kevin Kostibos talk about the Hilltoppers and their sectional final Friday night at West Morris:

by Mike Pavlichko

North 2, Group 5 Final Preview: Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers vs. Bayonne Bees

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 Final:
When: Friday, 6 pm
Where: Basilone Field, Bridgewater, NJ
Matchup: #6 Bayonne (8-3) at #1 Bridgewater-Raritan (8-3)
Coverage: Follow Chris Tsakonas on Twitter
Weather: 44 degrees, partly cloudy, wind W 2 mph (crosswind from home stands toward visitor stands)

HEAD COACHES:

Bridgewater-Raritan: D.J. Catalano (3rd season, 15-17)
Bayonne: Jerome Hayes (4th season, 22-18)

Logo of Higgins Speed Lab, featuring bold black lettering on a white background.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Bridgewater-Raritan:
First Round: def. #8 Linden, 35-6
Semifinals: def. #4 Union City, 22-7

Bayonne:
First Round: def. #3 Elizabeth, 44-14
Semifinals: def. #2 Piscataway, 27-13

Who’s next? The winner of this game will play the North 1, Group 5 winner in the Group 5 semifinals. That title game features top-seed West Orange (9-2) hosting second-seed Passaic Tech (8-3) Friday at 7 pm. Should Bridgewater advance and face West Orange – the overall No. 1 seed in North Group 5 – they’d be on the road, but it PCTI wins, the Panthers would host them next Friday night at 6.

SERIES HISTORY:

This is just the second meeting between the Panthers and Bees, with their only other matchup coming in 2005, a consolation game win for Bridgewater-Raritan, 30-28, to cap a 4-6 season under Tony Maglione. Bayonne would finish that season 6-4.

Ironically, Bayonne had beaten Union Hill on Cutoff Weekend and Emerson in late September. Those two schools later merged to form Union City, the team Bridgewater just beat last week to get to the finals.

BRIDGEWATER-RATIAN PREVIEW:

FINALS HISTORY:

Bridgewater-Raritan:

The Panthers have only been to three sectional finals in their history, which only dates back to 1992 and the merger of Bridgewater East and West into the one high school that exists today.

Those came in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and all three were losses at Met Life Stadium to a juggernaut Westfield team that won all three and finished that stretch a combined 36-0. The Panthers were undefeated themselves heading into the first two finals, finishing 2015 and 2016 at 11-1. They finished 9-3 in 2017.

Playoff Berths: 19
Playoff Record: 10-17
Previous Finals Berths: 4
Sectional Titles: 1

North 2, Group 5
2015: #2 Westfield def. #1 Bridgewater-Raritan, 10-7
2016: #2 Westfield def. #1 Bridgewater-Raritan, 15-13
2017: #1 Westfield def. #3 Bridgewater-Raritan, 20-7

Bayonne:

This is just Bayonne’s fourth appearance in a title game, and their first trip since 2002, when they won as a five-seed and beat 7th-seed Hackensack, 25-23. Their first finals appearance came in 1976, then they made it again in 1981, and 1987, all in North 1, Group 4. This will be their first time in North 2, Group 5.

Playoff Berths: 19
Playoff Record: 20-15
Previous Finals Berths: 8
Sectional Titles: 4

North 1, Group 4
1976: #4 Bergenfield def. #2 Bayonne, 19-8
1981: #1 Passaic def. #2 Bayonne, 29-0
1987: #1 Paterson Kennedy def. #2 Bayonne, 13-7
2002: #5 Bayonne def. #7 Hackensack, 25-23

2025 BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN COVERAGE:

Football players in action on the field during a game, with a group of players in white uniforms and helmets on one side and players in black uniforms on the other.
No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan hosts No. 7 Hunterdon Central at Basilone Field in Bridgewater on September 19, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

NEWS & NOTES:

Math teacher or intrepid sports reporter?

We’re going to shout out Bridgewater-Raritan math teacher James Olivola first in this space. You can easily find him at any Bridgewater-Raritan sporting event on campus, and even some on the road.

Why? He posts frequent updates – often peppered with memes and GIFs related to Panthers – while giving detailed updates on Bridegwater-Raritan athletic events.

This week, he noted that in 2023, Bayonne beat Bridgewater in baseball for their first sectional title since 2002, and did it with a father/son and coach/player duo in head coach Dave Hoffman and his son Justin, a third baseman and pitcher who was a senior that year.

The Bayonne football team this year has the same kind of duo: Jerome Hayes is in his fourth season as head coach, and his son – Jerome, Jr. – is a wide receiver and linebacker. In fact, he had a critical scoop and score to put his team up two touchdowns with just over four minutes to go in the semifinals at Piscataway last week.

Lacrosse influence…

People talk about teams that play smash mouth football, but there are few sports as physical as lacrosse. And when you get those guys in your football program, it’s something special.

The Panthers have had a very successful program over the years, and have a set of brothers on the Rutgers squad: Brady Kurdyla will be a senior this year, and Colin Kurdyla a junior. Both are midfielders.

Next year, Bridgewater quarterback Declan Kurdyla will join Colin for his senior season on the Banks.

But he’s not the only lacrosse athlete on the football team. There are four others on the offensive side of the ball, including receivers Jack Winne, Mikey Bratus and James Locrotondo, along with tight end Jack Cifuentes. Defensively, LoCcrotondo is at cornerback, Winne is at safety, and Cifuentes sees time at outside linebacker along with Nick Crovello.

And there’s another connection. Catalano also played lacrosse, as did his father at the Naval Academy, while his uncles played at Penn State. He says he eventually “got too big” for the sport.

“When you think Bridgewater-Raritan, you think Bridgewater-Raritan lacrosse,” Catalano says. “To get those kids to bring that culture to us is awesome.”

The Panther lacrosse team reached the North Group 4 finals last year and in 2023, after winning it in 2022. They also reached the SCT finals and the now-defunct Tournament of Champions that year, and won the Somerset County Tournament back in 2018.

by Mike Pavlichko

North 2, Group 1 Final Preview: New Providence Pioneers vs. Cedar Grove Panthers

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 Final:
When: Friday, 6:30 pm
Where: Leider Field, New Providence, NJ
Matchup: #4 Cedar Grove (8-3) at #3 New Providence (10-0)
Coverage: Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter.
Weather: 44 degrees, cloudy, wind WNW 3 mph (crosswind from press box side of the field)

HEAD COACHES:

New Providence: Chet Parlavecchio, Jr. (9th season, 61-31)
Cedar Grove: Rob Gogerty (10th season, 81-29)

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

New Providence:
First Round: def. #6 Secaucus, 38-0
Semifinals: def. #2 Hasbrouck Heights, 28-21 (OT)

Northern Highlands:
First Round: def. #6 5 Glen Ridge, 35-20
Semifinals: def. #1 Mountain Lakes, 22-15

Who’s next? The winner of this game will play the North 1, Group 1 winner in the Group 1 semifinals. That title game features top-seed Butler (10-0) hosting second-seed Kinnelon (7-3) Friday night at 7:00, kicking off a half-hour after New Providence and Cedar Grove. This year’s Northing seeding scheme worked perfectly, as the two schools are just a few miles apart. New Providence, if it advances, would play at Butler or host Kinnelon, as the Bulldogs are the overall top-seed in the North 1 supersection. New Providence was fourth, and Kinnelon is sixth.

SERIES HISTORY:

A rematch of last year’s final – played at Cedar Grove, and won by the Panthers, 35-14 – these two teams have played often, but hadn’t played in a while until the 2024 title game. Their previous meeting had come in 2011, also in the playoffs, in the North 2, Group 1 semifinals, with New Providence the 2-seed and Cedar Grove the No. 3 seed; the Pioneers lost that one, too, 20-14. That was also New Prov’s last trip to the sectional semifinals, until last season.

Overall, Cedar Grove leads the series 8-7 with two ties, and there’s some odd symmetry in their meetings. The two ties came in the first two years’ of New Providence’s program, in 1965 and 1966. The Pioneers then won three straight over the next three years (1967-1969), then lost two straight (1970-71).

They wouldn’t meet up again until 1983, the first of nine straight playoff meetings. The first was a 3-0 New Providence loss in the North 2, Group 1 title. The Pioneers also lost to the Panthers in the 2000 sectional final, 12-0.

The Pioneers lead the regular season series 3-2-2, while Cedar Grove owns a 6-4 advantage in the playoffs.

NEW PROVIDENCE PREVIEW:

FINALS HISTORY:

New Providence:

New Providence is in the finals for the second season in a row, but last year was the Pioneers’ first trip since 2010, when they were the top seed in North 2, Group 1 and beat sixth-seed Lincoln 21-8 at Met Life Stadium. Before that, they had lost in their last eight finals appearances since winning three in a row from 1987 to 1989. They then lost six more in the ’90s, and again in 2000 and 2004.

New Providence also won a title in 1976, and in the first year of the playoffs, 1974, they were declared champions.

Overall, they have been to 20 prior finals, going 6-14 in those title games.

Playoff Berths: 41
Playoff Record: 36-34

North 2, Group 2
1974: declared champions
1975: #2 Madison def. #4 New Providence, 35-6
1976: #1 New Providence def. #2 Butler, 20-17
1979: #1 Madison def. #3 New Providence, 13-6
North 2, Group 1
1982: #1 Glen Ridge def. #1 New Providence, 28-14
1983: #3 Cedar Grove def. #1 New Providence 3-0
1984: #2 Chatham def. #1 New Providence, 20-14
1987: #2 New Providence def. #1 Mountain Lakes, 29-0
1988: #2 New Providence def. #1 Brearley, 30-14
1989: #1 New Providence def. #2 Governor Livingston, 24-0
1990: #2 Butler def. #1 New Providence, 19-13
1993: #1 Roselle Park def. #2 New Providence, 10-7
1994: #2 Butler def. #1 New Providence, 35-21
1996: #3 Butler def. #4 New Providence, 16-8
1998: #6 Madison def. #1 New Providence, 19-13
1999: #2 Belvidere def. #4 New Providence, 6-0
2000: #2 Cedar Grove def. #4 New Providence, 12-0
Central Group 1
2004: #2 Florence def. #4 New Providence, 35-7
North 2, Group 1
2010: #1 New Providence def. #6 Lincoln, 21-8
2024: #1 Cedar Grove def. #2 New Providence, 35-14

Cedar Grove:

The Panthers won their first title five years into the playoff era, but without virtue of a playoff game; they were declared champions in 1978. They won their first title game in 1983, and it took another 17 years for them to get to another, which they also won in 2000, the first of five titles in six trips to a championship that decade. This will be Cedar Grove’s fourth trip to the finals in the five years since COVID, including 2021, when they also won the North Group 1 Regional Championship.

Playoff Berths: 34
Playoff Record: 39-25
Previous Finals Berths: 14
Sectional Titles: 9

North 2, Group 1
1978: declared
1983: #3 Cedar Grove def. #1 New Providence, 3-0
2000: #2 Cedar Grove def. #4 New Providence, 12-0
2001: #6 Verona def. #1 Cedar Grove, 15-14
2004: #3 Cedar Grove def. #3 Hoboken, 6-0
2007: #3 Cedar Grove def. #1 Belvidere, 17-0
2009: #2 Cedar Grove def. #1 Secaucus 30-14
2011: #3 Cedar Grove def. #4 Weequahic, 34-21
North 1, Group 1
2012: #3 Pompton Lakes def. #1 Cedar Grove, 28-13
2015: #4 Verona def. #3 Cedar Grove, 21-14
2019: #4 Boonton def. #2 Cedar Grove, 34-21
North 2, Group 1
2021: #2 Cedar Grove def. #1 Mountain Lakes, 15-7 (Cedar Grove def. Park Ridge in North 1 Regional Championship, 13-12)
2022: #2 Weequahic def. #4 Cedar Grove, 21-10
2024: #1 Cedar Grove def. #2 New Providence, 35-14

2025 NEW PROVIDENCE COVERAGE:

Football teams gather on the field during a game, with players in green and white uniforms and orange and black uniforms in the background.
New Providence players celebrate before heading to the handshake line after topping Hasbrouck Heights 21-14 in the North 2, Group 1 semifinals on Friday, November 8, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

NEWS & NOTES:

Milestones continue…

Now in his ninth season, head coach Chet Parlavecchio, Jr., picked up his 50th with with the Pioneers in their playoff-opening home win over Boonton last season, but with a 10-win season already, this year he moved past the next milestone, the big 6-0!

With a win in the sectional Friday night, he’ll be 62-31, and ever closer to hitting the 70-win mark next year.

This will be his second appearance in a title game as head coach.

Repping Union County…

While Union has won the most titles in the playoff era, taking home eleven trophies since 1974, it’s New Providence that actually leads the county with 41 playoff berths in 51 postseasons (none in 2020 due to COVID) and 21 finals berths overall, including this year.

And while last year was their first trip to a sectional title game in 14 years, they are in the finals for back-to-back years, the first Union County team to do so since Hillside did it in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Westfield also made the finals three straight years – and won all three, going 36-0 – in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Pioneers’ turn to run…

Last year, Cedar Grove was one of eleven New Jersey football teams to enter Championship Weekend undefeated, at 11-0. This year, it’s New Providence who is undefeated, at 10-0, and one of just seven non-Ivy (playoff eligible) teams that remain unblemished.

And like Cedar Grove, the Pioneers have had some great success since COVID. They are 37-16 since then, and were even 8-1 in that pandemic-shortened season. They had a brief downturn in 2022 and 2023, going 5-5 and 4-6, respectively, but are 19-3 in the last two seasons combined.

by Mike Pavlichko

North 2, Group 4 Final Preview: Phillipsburg Stateliners vs. Montgomery Cougars

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Final:
When: Friday, 7 pm
Where: Maloney Stadium, Phillipsburg
Matchup: #Montgomery (8-3) at #1 Phillipsburg (9-1)
Coverage: LIVE on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko, Alec Crouthamel (click here to listen)
Weather: 46 degrees, mostly cloudy, wind WNW 3 mph (crosswind from home stands toward visitor stands)

HEAD COACHES:

Phillipsburg: Frank Duffy (10th season, 84-25)
Montgomery: Sean Carty (1st season, 8-3)

Logo for Higgins Speed Lab, featuring bold black text on a white background.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Phillipsburg:
First Round: def. #8 Newark Central, 55-14
Semifinals: def. #5 Colonia, 35-7

Montgomery:
First Round: def. #6 Westfield, 32-10
Semifinals: def. #2 Woodbridge, 20-15

Who’s next? The winner of this game will play the North 1, Group 4 winner in the Group 4 semifinals. That title game features top-seed Ramapo (10-0) hosting second-seed Northern Highlands (7-3) Friday night at 6:30. Phillipsburg is familiar with both teams, as they beat Ramapo in the state semifinals last year, a week after beating Northern Highlands in the sectional final. The Stateliners would host either opponent should they win, since they’re the overall No. 1 seed. However, if Montgomery pulls the upset and wins the North 2 title, the Cougars would play on the road, no matter who that game is against.

SERIES HISTORY:

This will be the sixth meeting between the schools, but their first since 2020. Phillipsburg has won all five matchups, with the closest one coming in 2016, a 14-6 win at Montgomery. The Stateliners also beat the Cougars in 2020, 2017, 2011 and 2010.

PREVIEWS:

FINALS HISTORY:

Phillipsburg:

The winningest program in New Jersey didn’t play in the NJSIAA playoffs for many years, since they played a Pennsylvania schedule. But they couldn’t play in the PIAA playoffs either, being an out-of-state team. They won one title in four finals berths from 1975 through 1979 – only missing the title game in 1976 – then after spending time with a Pennsy schedule, joined the NJSIAA in the mid-90s. It took them until 2001 to reach a final, their second overall, and first in a span of seven titles in 11 appearances over nearly two decades from 2001 to 2018.

The Stateliners were in Group 5 for the 2022-2023 cycle, and made the finals both years, falling to sixth-seed West Orange, 28-7, the first of those years, and to No. 2 seed Union City, 24-17 in 2023. Last year, they moved down to Group 4, and beat Northern Highlands for the North 2 sectional title on a game-winning field goal by Alexie Moreira.

Playoff Berths: 29
Playoff Record: 48-20
Previous Finals Berths: 18
Sectional Titles: 9

North 2, Group 3
1975: #1 Morris Hills def. #2 Phillipsburg, 7-0
1977: #2 Phillipsburg def. #1 Parsippany, 26-0
1978: #4 Rahway def. #3 Phillipsburg, 23-10
1979: #2 Rahway def. #1 Phillipsburg, 14-6
North 2, Group 4
2001: #5 Phillipsburg def. #2 Montclair, 10-7
2004: #1 Piscataway def. #2 Phillipsburg, 27-26 (OT) at Rutgers
2005: #1 Phillipsburg def. #2 Piscataway, 15-6 at Rutgers
2006: #3 Elizabeth def. #1 Phillipsburg, 14-9
North 2, Group 3
2008: #4 Phillipsburg def. #6 Rahway, 20-6
2009: #2 Phillipsburg def. #5 Ridge, 34-7 at Kean
North 2, Group 4
2013: #1 Phillipsburg def. #6 Mendham, 39-0
2014: #2 Phillipsburg def. #1 Colonia, 28-21 (OT) at Rutgers
2015: #1 Middletown South def. #2 Phillipsburg, 35-7
2017: #2 North Hunterdon def. #1 Phillipsburg, 21-20
2018: #1 Phillipsburg def. #3 Irvington, 42-7
North 2, Group 5
2022: #6 West Orange def. #1 Phillipsburg, 28-7
2023: #2 Union City def. #1 Phillipsburg, 24-17
2024: #1 Phillipsburg 13, #3 Northern Highlands 11

Montgomery:

Having only begun play in 2002, this is Montgomery’s first-ever trip to a sectional final. With a 3-8 mark all-time in the playoffs, two of those wins came this year. Their only other win came in 2007, as a four-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, against fifth-seed South Brunswick, 34-17. The Cougars would go on to fall to top-seed and eventual champion Howell, 49-20 in the CJ4 semifinals.

Playoff Berths: 9
Playoff Record: 3-8
Previous Finals Berths: 0
Sectional Titles: 0

2024 PHILLIPSBURG COVERAGE:

A football game in progress with one team in white and yellow uniforms and the other in maroon. The players are positioned on the field, and there are spectators in the background.
Phillipsburg takes on Colonia in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals at Maloney Stadium in Phillipsburg on November 7, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

2025 MONTGOMERY COVERAGE:

NEWS & NOTES:

The Road More Traveled…

While Phillipsburg is back in the state title game, and Montgomery is making its first appearance, the Cougars took the same exact path to get here as Northern Highlands did in getting to the 2024 title game in this section.

Phillipsburg was the No. 1 seed then and now. Northern Highlands was the three-seed last year, and so is Montgomery, which faced the same two teams in the opening two rounds.

Last year, the Highlanders topped sixth-seed Westfield in the first round, 21-0. This year, the Cougars beat the sixth-seeded Blue Devils 32-10.

Then, in the semifinals, Northern Highlands got second-seed Woodbridge, and beat them 26-7, while Monty also got the second-seeded Barrons, and pulled out a 20-15 win on the road to avenge an earlier regular season defeat at home.

Easton vs. State Championship…

Since the 2023 season ended, Phillipsburg has set its sights on a state championship. Losing in the sectional finals the previous two seasons with loaded teams that earned the No. 1 seed both years didn’t sit well with the Stateliners, even though they beat Easton on Thanksgiving back-to-back years for the first time since 2002 and 2003.

Last year, they got that sectional title, but lost to Easton, making them then 3-6 all-time against the Red Rovers in the nine seasons where they’ve won an NJSIAA championship. In the nine seasons where they lost in the sectional finals, their record is 2-6-1 against Easton, with those two wins coming in 2022 and 2023.

Something Old, Something New…

Phillipsburg is one of the oldest and most storied programs in New Jersey, now in its 120th season of football. This season, in a 55-14 win over Hunterdon Central on September 12th, the Stateliners earned their 750th all-time win, and now have 757.

Montgomery, meanwhile, has played 96 fewer seasons of high school football, more than many schools in New Jersey have actually played. They’re in their 24th season, and have 114 wins.

What’s been remarkable for Montgomery is they were just 1-9 last year, making them a plus-seven in terms of having a bounceback season – pretty remarkable under first-year head coach Kevin Carty, who had previously served as offensive coordinator under Zoran Milich, who

Repping Warren County…

There are only five football-playing public high schools in Warren County, a fairly sparse part of New Jersey, population-wise. Besides Phillipsburg, there’s North Warren, Warren Hills, Hackettstown and Belvidere. Combined, the county has claimed just 12 sectional titles over the years, with nine going to the Stateliners.

Warren Hills is the last Warren County school besides Phillipsburg to win a sectional title; that came 25 years ago, in 2000, in the North 2, Group 3 section. Belvidere won its only title in North 2, Group 1 in 1999. And Hackettstown won the North 2, Group 2 title in 1981. North Warren has never won a title.

Until last year’s win, Phillipsburg had been the last Warren County school to win a championship, coming in 2018.

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Group 5 Final Preview: Old Bridge Knights vs. Washington Twp. Minutemen

Central Jersey Group 5 Final
When: Friday, 6 pm
Where: Tom Brown Field, Sewell, NJ
Matchup: #3 Old Bridge (10-1) at #1 Washington Twp. (11-0)
Weather: 46 degrees at kickoff, clear skies, winds WNW 6MPH (cross-wind)

HEAD COACHES:

Old Bridge: Matt Donaghue (4th season, 25-16)
Washington Twp: Mike Schatzman (3rd season, 49-30)

Higgins Speed Lab logo in bold black font.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Old Bridge:
First Round: def. #6 Freehold Twp., 38-31
Semifinals: def. #2 Sayreville, 28-27

Washington Twp:
First Round: def. #8 Howell, 41-0
Semifinals: def. #4 Rancocas Valley, 44-26

Who’s next? The winner of this game will play the South Jersey Group 5 winner in the Group 5 semifinals. That title game features top-seed Atlantic City (9-1) hosting third-seed Kingsway (9-2) Friday night at 6:00. Should Old Bridge win, the Knights – fourth overall in the South Group 5 supersection – would either play at Atlantic City (the overall two-seed) or host Kingsway next Friday at Lombardi Field. The Dragons were seventh overall in South 5.

SERIES HISTORY:

This will be the first meeting between Old Bridge and Washington Township. They have no common opponents, but each has played a team from the other league. The Minutemen beat Hillsborough 43-12 in the Battle at the Beach down at Rowan University in Week Zero, while Old Bridge beat Cedar Creek out of the West Jersey Football League in the same showcase the next day, 21-7. Cedar Creek and Washington Twp. did not play each other.

OLD BRIDGE PREVIEW:

FINALS HISTORY:

Old Bridge:

The Knights already have set a program record for wins, but remember, that’s only since the 1994 merger of Madison Central and Cedar Ridge, so we’re “only” talking about 30 years of history here. Be that as it may, this could very well be the best team Old Bridge has had in that time frame, just on record alone.

This will be just their third time in a sectional final, and the Knights are seeking their first trophy since the merger. For the record, of the two township high schools that formed Old Bridge, Madison Central won two titles – in 1987 and 1988 – after falling in their first appearance in 1980. Cedar Ridge never appeared in a sectional final.

Playoff Berths: 17
Playoff Record: 11-16
Previous Finals Berths: 2
Sectional Titles: none

Central Jersey Group 4
2001: #1 JP Stevens def. #6 Old Bridge 14-7 at Rutgers
2015: #1 South Brunswick def. #3 Old Bridge, 42-0 at Rutgers

Washington Twp:

The defending sectional champion Minutemen were 10-3 last season, falling in the CJ5 final to Toms River North. But this year, they’ve taken it to new heights. Their first playoff appearance came in 1982, 12 years after the playoffs era began in 1974.

When Washington Twp. is the No. 1 seed in their section, they are 3-0 in the finals. They’re 1-6 otherwise.

Playoff Berths: 30
Playoff Record: 25-26
Previous Finals Berths: 10
Sectional Titles: 4

South Jersey Group 4
1987: #4 Washington Twp. def. #2 Toms River South, 34-19
1989: #4 Brick Twp. def. #3 Washington Twp., 13-12
1992: #1 Washington Twp. def. #3 Brick Twp., 20-6
1993: #1 Cherokee def. #2 Washington Twp., 16-6
1995: #1 Washington Twp. def. #2 Shawnee, 19-6
2002: #5 Shawnee def. #2 Washington Twp., 14-10
2003: #8 Eastern def. #6 Washington Twp., 14-7
2004: #1 Shawnee def. #6 Washington Twp., 26-13
South Jersey Group 5
2023: #1 Toms River North def. #2 Washington Twp., 49-14
2024: #1 Washington Twp. def. #2 Atlantic City, 27-6

2025 OLD BRIDGE COVERAGE:

Two individuals celebrating on a football field, one holding a trophy and the other a championship belt, both wearing Old Bridge uniforms.
Old Bridge senior QB Brody Nugent holds the MVP belt, and gets the “Hat’s Off” honor from South Jersey sportswriter Mark Trible after a three-touchdown performance in a 21-7 win over Cedar Creek in the Battle at the Beach at Rowan University in Glassboro on August 30, 20205. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

NEWS & NOTES:

Nugent is a true dual threat…

Old Bridge quarterback Brody Nugent has put up big numbers this year. And while it’s been a big year for passing quarterbacks in the Big Central – with Nugent, Dylan Chiera of Colonia, Devin Thomas of Plainfield and Zymere Weaver all tossing for over 2,000 yards this season – Nugent is the only one who has also run it for over 1,000 yards, and none of the others even come close.

Chiera leads the BCC in passing and is fifth in the state at 2,436 yards, along with 24 touchdowns. Weaver is next with 2,236, while Thomas checks in at 2,214 and Nugent at 2,118. And he’s still got at least one more game to go.

But the kicker is he’s rushed for 1,239 yards, making him responsible for 3,457 yards of total offense.

Chiera has rushed for 112 yards, Weaver for 290 and Thomas for 482, a little more than a third of Nugent’s total.

And historically, few Middlesex County quarterbacks have thrown for 2,000 yards in a season. In fact, the four BCC signal callers who’ve done it this year is a record. Only two have done it in the prior five seasons of Big Central play, both in 2021: Jay Mazuera of Hillsborough (2,040, 23 TD) and Patrick LePoidevin of Bound Brook (2,116, 24 TD).

As far as we could tell, with records going back to around 2011 publicly available online, no other Middlesex County QB has eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark. Even Art Sitkowski of OId Bridge, who went on to play Division 1 college football at Rutgers and Illinois, never even topped 1,500 yards passing in either of his two varsity seasons.

As for Washington Twp. QB Cole Aquino – he’s thrown for 1,281 yards and 19 touchdowns, but has only carried for 88 yards and three scores.

First to Get Two?

Should Old Bridge win the sectional title, head coach Matt Donaghue would be the first coach in the Big Central’s admittedly short six-year history to win a title as the head coach of two different sports at the same school.

The Knights were Central Jersey Group 4 champions in baseball in 2023, beating North Brunswick 2-1 for the title. They then beat Eastern in the Group 4 semifinals, then fell 4-0 to Ridgewood in the state Group 4 championship.

Hillsborough’s Kevin Carty Jr. and Cranford’s Erik Rosenmeier won sectional titles at their schools in 2021, the first Big Central teams to do so. Neither coaches another sport. Same for Edison’s Matt Yascko in 2022, and North Hunterdon’s Kevin Kley, who’s no longer there.

Bernards was the only BCC team to claim a title in 2023, and Jon Simoneau is only the head coach for football. Last year it was Somerville and Phillipsburg claiming titles, but neither Matt Bloom nor Frank Duffy coach another sport.

Although…

Completely unrelated to Old Bridge, but a fun fact nonetheless, the two coaches named “Matt Bloom” in Somerset County have both won NJSIAA sectional titles in different sports.

We just mentioned Somerville in 2024, but the other – and there’s no relation – is Matt Bloom, the boys’ basketball coach at Rutgers Prep. He and the Argonauts won the Non-Public South A title against Red Bank Catholic in 2022.

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s been a while for the Panthers, as Bridgewater-Raritan hosts North 2 Group 5 finals against Bayonne, seeking first-ever state title

The Bridgewater-Raritan football team made three straight finals appearances in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Those are their only trips to the finals, and all three years they ran into a Westfield juggernaut, a Blue Devils’ program that won all three titles up at the Meadowlands, and finished a remarkable 36-0 in that stretch.

But now, they are poised to make some history.

The North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 finals Friday night – in which the top-seeded Panthers (8-3) will face sixth-seed Bayonne (8-3) – will be their first time ever hosting a sectional final, as they seek the first NJSIAA trophy in program history.

And while those three Bridgewater teams were solid – they also were unbeaten heading into the 2015 title tilt – this one is serious business.

They continue to play in the toughest division, top-to-bottom, in the Big Central Conference, with the likes of Phillipsburg, Hillsborough, Hunterdon Central and Ridge. Their eight wins is the most since their last trip to the finals, in 2019, when they finished 9-3.

Well, 9-3 would make them very happy this year. It would mean they’re sectional champs, and live to play another week in the state semifinals.

And it all could have gone off the rails if things broke another way early on in the season.

It was Week Four, at home against Hunterdon Central. Senior QB Declan Kurdyla – a Rutgers lacrosse commit – went down with a lower leg injury, and initially it looked like it could have ended his season. That also could have derailed the entire team’s season. But further evaluation showed it was not as bad as previously thought, and he was back three weeks later, in a 30-18 loss at Hillsborough.

They split the two games after his injury – with junior Evan Woodring, who coach calls “a stud” – filling in more than ably. And Since Kurdyla’s return, the Panthers are 3-1 – their lone loss in that stretch to North 2, Group 4 finalist Phillipsburg – and playing very well. They’ve outscored their first two playoff opponents 57-13, including a 22-7 semifinal win over a Union City squad that beat them 61-10 in the same round last season.

Even missing all that time, Kurdyla is just eleven yards shy of having thrown for 1,200 this season, while Jahmier Black and Denzel Amoafo have combined out of the backfield for 1,520 yards and 19 touchdowns, along with 547 more and 5 scores on the ground from Kurdyla.

Defensively, seniors Christian Antunes, Jamelle Jones (4 1/2 sacks each) and Miles Tofte (3 1/2 sacks) lead a senior-heavy group that knows what it’s doing.

They’ll do it against a Bayonne team with the same record, which beat Piscataway in the semifinals, 27-13. Against Bayonne, P’way shot itself in the foot with a fumble returned for a touchdown deep in their own end, and another bad snap that killed a comeback drive with just over two minuutes to go.

The Panthers beat the Chiefs 34-27 back in September.

Click below to hear from Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano: