Tag: playoffs

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg adds third Pennsylvania school to schedule for next two seasons, per report, but still in line with eligibility for NJSIAA playoffs

Phillipsburg always plays Easton on Thanksgiving, but next year, the Stateliners will have two additional Pennsylvania schools on its schedule.

Per a report by Brad Wilson of LehighValleyLive.com, in addition to the Thanksgiving Day game with longtime rival Easton, Phillipsburg has just added a home-and-home series with Freedom High School in Bethlehem. The Stateliners will take a trip there on Friday, September 11, 2026, then host the Patriots at Maloney on September 10, 2027, also on a Friday night.

According to Wilson’s report, Phillipsburg also has a non-conference series set with Emmaus – located just south of Allentown, PA – and combined with the Easton game, it’ll be the first time the Stateliners have played three Pennsy schools in one season since 1994.

That was Phillipsburg’s last season in the East Penn Conference, before they joined the Skyland Conference in New Jersey. The program had played PA teams for years, but couldn’t be in the PIAA playoffs because of their location, and the NJSIAA had – and still has – a minimum requirement for games against New Jersey schools to be eligible for the postseason, which forced the school’s hand to come back and play Garden State opponents.

The current minimum required by the NJSIAA says 60 percent of a team’s games before Cutoff Weekend must be against New Jersey teams. Since Easton is a Thanksgiving game and after the cutoff, that would not count against the minimum. With eight games available to be played before the cutoff, the current two Pennsylvania opponents leaves them at 75 percent NJ schools.

The Big Central Conference has yet to release its divisions for the 2026 and 2027 two-year scheduling cycle, but little is likely to change for Phillipsburg, which has been playing in the American Silver Division along with Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough, Ridge and Hunterdon Central. That is widely considered, hands down, to be the most difficult division, top to bottom, in the league.

That would give them four division games, with room for five others. With three Pennsylvania schools on the schedule, and Easton after Turkey Day, that would leave them room for two Big Central crossovers, if they so choose. League president Scott Miller says the Big Central has no mandatory crossover rule – adding that based on “geography and competitive balance” they try to schedule as many as they can.

So, Phillipsburg appears to be able to schedule its own games if they wish.

This season, St. Thomas Aquinas had three non-conference games before the public school cutoff, with a fourth the week after, and extra week for non-publics. They opened up with Montclair, then traveled to Massachusetts to play Catholic Memorial in Week One, and also played Paramus Catholic on October third.

Similarly, St. Joseph-Montvale and Don Bosco Prep – North Jersey Catholic school powerhouses – both opened up their seasons this year with three non-New Jersey opponents.

Meanwhile, the Stateliners would appear to have room for one more Pennsylvania school on the schedule before the cutoff. That would give them five of eight games against New Jersey opponents, or 62.5 percent of their games, still above the threshold required by the NJSIAA.

Phillipsburg will play for its second straight North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title Friday night, when the top-seeded Stateliners entertain third-seed Montgomery at Maloney Stadium. It’s the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, and can be heard by clicking here. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel are on the call, with pregame at 6:45, kickoff at 7.

by Mike Pavlichko

New Providence, Cedar Grove to rematch in North 2, Group 1 title game, but this time on Pioneers’ home turf

This one is the same, but different.

It’ll be quasi deja vu in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 title game Friday night in New Providence, when the third-seeded Pioneers (10-0) host fourth-seed Cedar Grove (8-3).

This was the matchup last year, after New Providence went on a solid late-season and playoff run, making it to the finals for the first time since they won it all in 2010.

But this season, the Pioneers look a little different. Gone is quarterback T.J. Munn, who graduated after rushing for 1,000-plus yards last year. They returned another thousand-yard rushed in A.J. Whitehead, but he suffered a season-ending broken leg against Verona on October 10th. And don’t forget about center Joe Ping, a starter last year, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury the first week of camp.

Yet, with senior Jack Fitzgerald moving over from wide receiver to runningback, New Providence hasn’t missed a beat. The only undefeated team remaining in the Big Central – and one of just seven playoff-eligible (Non-Ivy) perfect teams left in the state – the Pioneers have outscored their opponents 147-31 since that Verona game, with Fitzgerald rushing for 476 yards and four touchdowns.

Last week, he had the game winner in the semifinals against Hasbrouck Heights, also a rematch of last year’s semis. He scored from the 25 on the first play from scrimmage in overtime, and after the defense held, they came back home to Union County with a 28-21 victory.

And they figured they might be on the road again this year in the finals, until they saw Cedar Grove knock off top-seed Mountain Lakes. So the Panthers, while they may be the four-seed, aren’t to be taken lightly.

Meanwhile, junior QB Kevin Reilly has run the show well on offense, passing for exactly 1,000 yards on the season, with 14 TDs to just two picks.

Defensively, the Pioneers have logged 23 sacks – 5 1/2 from Jack Keneally and 4 1/2 from Drew Gullo, both senior linemen who can be disruptive.

Cedar Grove, on the other hand, while 8-3, has a couple of good losses in Wayne Valley and Caldwell, as well as a defeat at the hands of Group 4 Newark Central. And while they may be a bigger school, that’s the same team that was blown out 55-14 by Phillipsburg in the opening round of the North 2, Group 4 playoffs, in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicated.

The Panthers not only are the defending champions, but went all the way to the Group 1 final, eventually losing to Glassboro, finishing the season 13-1.

Click below to hear New Providence head coach Chet Parlavecchio, Jr., talk about this year’s trails and tribulations – all through a 10-0 season – and their finals matchup against Cedar Grove:

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg’s focus will serve Stateliners well in North 2, Group 4 final against Montgomery

Montgomery is an interesting opponent for Phillipsburg this championship weekend.

They’re a young program, not even in existence for 30 years, while the Stateliners already had nearly 100 years in the books before the Cougars ever stepped foot on a field.

They had a solid 2023, lost a ton to graduation and won just one game last season, but now are 8-3 under first-year head coach Sean Carty, and playing in their first-ever title game.

But as far as Phillipsburg is concerned, they might as well be a nameless, faceless opponent.

It’s trite saying when a coach tells you “we just have to play our game,” and ‘Liners head coach Frank Duffy doesn’t even bother to say it. They just stick to the mantra: D.I.G.

For the uninitiated, that’s Discipline. Ignore the noise. And grit.

It has served the program well, as this Friday night at Maloney Stadium, the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final will be its fourth straight sectional title game appearance, as Phillipsburg seeks back-to-back titles.

And it doesn’t matter whose name is on the other jersey. Sure, they respect opponents. But they know, if they just play their game, and do what they’re coached to do, they can – and will – come out on top.

You can hear that title game Friday night live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – featuring No. 1 seed Phillipsburg (9-1) and third-seed Montgomery (8-3) – with kickoff at 7 pm, and pregame at 6:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

P’burg has been solid nearly all year long. The only blip was a 21-0 loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen back on October 11, a game win which sophomore quarterback Dominic Bracco threw two interceptions. For the record, he had not thrown one before that game – and he hasn’t since.

The focus is the ground game. And more ground game. And then the ground game some more, all to the tune of nearly 3,000 yards rushing, led by senior Sam Dech and his 1,250 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also set a program record for the longest touchdown run, and run of any kind, with a 95-yarder in the season opener at Westfield.

Junior Shane Moore has rushed for 409 yards and a score, while fellow junior Tyler Wargo has 253 rushing yards and seven TDs, three of which came last week in the sectional semis against Colonia.

On defense, Aedan Hywel, a senior, has 12 1/2 sacks and 19 TFLs to lead the team in both categories, while seniors Mike Bracco and Jaysen Blacknall each have four of the team’s eleven interceptions.

Click below to hear Phillipsburg coach Frank Duffy talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about the Stateliners and Friday’s title game:

Knights win at Rowan in The Battle at the Beach
by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge seeks first sectional title as Knights head down to deep South Jersey to face Washington Twp. in Central Jersey Group 5 final

The 2025 season has been an outstanding one for the Old Bridge football team, but the Knights still have one more big accomplishment on their list to achieve: their first-ever state titles.

Two prior Championship Weekend appearances – in 2001 and 2015 – bore no fruit, and this year’s berth will no doubt be quite the challenging one, but if any Old Bridge team could do it, it might be this one.

Defensively, they may give up some points, but boy can they score. Quarterback Brody Nugent has is a two-thousand yard passer and a thousand-yard rusher. Defensively, they have 23 takeaways – 12 picks and 11 recovered fumbles. And they’ve won a program record ten games.

All that has brought them to this weekend, the goal of every team when they first put the pads on in Week Zero: to play for a championship.

The Knights will get that opportunity Friday night way down in the far reaches of South Jersey – South of Philly even – when third-seeded Old Bridge (10-1) takes on top-seed Washington Twp. (11-0) down in Sewell, NJ, for the Central Jersey Group 5 championship.

The Minutemen are the No. 1 seed in Central 5 due to the NJSIAA’s seeding procedure, which no longer includes pre-set geographical sections.

And they are no joke. Senior QB Cole Aquino has thrown for just shy of 1,300 yards this season, with 19 touchdowns and just three picks. The defense has pitched five shutouts this season and held eight teams in the teens or better. And they are strong up front on both sides of the ball.

They Minutemen also are the defending champions, but it hasn’t been a particularly long run. They made it to Championship Weekend in 2023 as well, losing to juggernaut Toms River North, but before that had not been to the finals in 19 years.

Click below to listen to Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue talk about the Knights’ season and Friday’s Central Jersey Group 5 final at Washington Twp. with CJSR’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Alec Crouthamel

Veteran-laden group leads Montgomery into North 2, Group 4 final against Phillipsburg for first-ever sectional championship appearance

Montgomery football – as a whole – may be new to the championship environment, but it is full of players who have plenty of experience in big moments.

The Cougars have balanced experience and young talent, as well as a strong rush and pass attack, to rebound in head coach Sean Carty’s first year at the helm, after working as an assistant for former head coach Zoran Milich.

After a battle-tested regular season and early playoff run, Montgomery heads into its first sectional final appearance in school history, as the Cougars travel to Maloney Stadium to take on Phillipsburg in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final. The Stateliners are looking for their second straight sectional title.

You can hear that championship bout Friday night live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – featuring No. 1 seed Phillipsburg (9-1) and third-seed Montgomery (8-3) – with kickoff at 7 pm, and pregame at 6:45 with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

The Cougars reached this point after a hard-fought 20-15 win over second-seed Woodbridge last weekend, one where they overcame two turnovers on the offensive side, and avenged a regular-season loss from a month ago.

Senior quarterback Jack Kristjanson leads a senior-laden offensive lineup as a dual-threat weapon, with fellow senior running back Caiden Miller alongside him, who ran for 112 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Barrons. In the pass game, Kristjanson has a litany of options, including seniors Obinna Obuba and Trey McFadden, and junior Xavier Harrigan, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown and converted a key third down against Woodbridge.

Kristjanson almost serves as Carty’s second pair of eyes on the field, knowing that whatever he calls, the signal-caller will execute it at a high level, or create something himself if the play breaks down.

On the defensive side, Montgomery had to battle against the Barrons’ strong run game. While star tailback Joshua Allen got his numbers with a near 100-yard rushing performance, the Cougars got a late stop when they absolutely needed it, stuffing Woodbridge on three consecutive plays in the red zone – a second-and-four, third-and-three, and fourth-and-one – after throwing an interception on offense to preserve the lead in the fourth quarter.

Another unit with years upon years of experience, the defense has been led by senior linebacker Dragomir Georgiev, a “true presence” in the middle, as Carty described him.

The biggest challenge for Montgomery will be facing off against Phillipsburg’s physicality and intimidation in the trenches – as is the same challenge for nearly every team on the Stateliners’ schedule – but Carty has prepared his team all year with the same mantra: Be ready for all 48 minutes.

Only time will tell who comes away victorious with the sectional championship trophy.

Click below to hear Montgomery coach Sean Carty talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel about the Cougars and Friday’s title game:

by Mike Pavlichko

CJSR announces Championship Weekend playoff coverage of three area title games

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have in-person coverage of three of the five sectional title games being played this Championship Weekend, involving six teams from the Big Central Conference.

We’ll have live play-by-play of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final, which features two BCC squads, as top-seed Phillipsburg (9-1) will host third-seed Montgomery (8-3) at Maloney Stadium. The Stateliners – the defending champs in this section – haven’t lost to a public school all year, while the Cougars have rebounded off a 1-9 season under first-year head coach and previous Offensive Coordinator Sean Carty.

Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel will call the action, with pregame at 6:45. Kickoff is at 7. Bookmark this link to listen live.

Meanwhile, we’ll have reporters at the two other games being hosted by Big Central schools.

Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden will be in New Providence, where the second-seeded Pioneers – the only unbeaten team left in the league, at 10-0 – get a surprise home game in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 final against fourth-seed and defending champion Cedar Grove (8-3) at 6:30 pm. New Providence lost to the Panthers on the road in last year’s title game, but now get to host because Cedar Grove upset top-seed Mountain Lakes Friday night in the semifinals. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for live updates.

And Chris Tsakonas will be at the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 final at Basilone Field in Bridgewater as the top-seeded Panthers (8-3) host sixth-seed Bayonne (8-3) at 6 pm. Bridgewater is in the finals for the first time since 2017, the last of a streak of three straight North 2, Group 5 finals they appeared in, falling all three times to Westfield, which was undefeated all three years, going 36-0 in that stretch. Follow Chris Tsakonas on Twitter for live updates.

Meanwhile, we’ll have postgame recaps of two other finals as well from CJSR headquarters, with third-seed Old Bridge (10-1) visiting top-seed and undefeated Washington Township (11-0) in the Central Jersey Group 5 title game at 6 pm Friday, as well as second-seed Summit (9-2) at top-seed and unbeaten West Morris (11-0) at 7:30 pm in the North 2, Group 3 final.

by Mike Pavlichko

Saturday Big Central Playoff Roundup: Summit gets another game-winning FG to advance, while Piscataway falls at home to Bayonne

Six Big Central Conference public schools remain alive in the state high school football playoffs, and will vie for five sectional championships next week, after Summit won Saturday to advance to its first sectional title game since 2018.

Meanwhile, Piscataway missed its opportunity to end a similar drought, falling to Bayonne at home Saturday afternoon.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s action with links to full game stories, and the schedule for next week’s finals. The winners will move on to the group semifinals, with the state finals Thanksgiving Weekend at Met Life Stadium in the Meadowlands and Rutgers University in Piscataway.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5: Second-seed Piscataway fell 27-13 to sixth-seed Bayonne at home, leaving points on the board early, and making late game miscues, like a fumble the Bees took to the house for a score and a bad snap on the ensuing drive with about three minutes to go. The Bees will face top-seed Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night in the finals.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: For the second straight week, Summit got a game-winning field goal from Cooper Smoragiewicz – this one as time expired – and beat West Essex at home, 31-28. The finals will be Friday night at 7:30, at top-seed West Essex.

Here’s the full playoff scoreboard from this weekend, in sections where Big Central teams remain

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

  • #1 Bridgewater-Raritan 22, #4 Union City 7
  • #6 Bayonne 27, #2 Piscataway 13

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

  • #3 Old Bridge 28, #2 Sayreville 27
  • #1 Washington Twp. 44, #4 Rancocas Valley 26

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:

  • #1 Phillipsburg 35, #5 Colonia 7
  • #3 Montgomery 20, #2 Woodbridge 15

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

  • #1 West Morris 42, #4 Roxbury 7
  • #2 Summit 31, #3 West Essex 28

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:

  • #3 New Providence 28, #2 Hasbrouck Heights 21 (OT)
  • #4 Cedar Grove 22, #1 Mountain Lakes 15

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

  • #1 Burlington City 52, #4 Manville 21
  • #2 Shore 30, #6 Point Pleasant Beach 6

Here’s the schedule for Big Central teams in sectional finals next week:

  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5: #6 Bayonne at #1 Bridgewater-Raritan, Friday 6 pm
  • Central Jersey Group 5: #3 Old Bridge at #1 Washington Twp., Friday 6 pm
  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: #3 Montgomery at #1 Phillipsburg, Friday 7 pm
  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: #2 Summit at #1 West Morris, Friday 7:30 pm
  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1: #4 Cedar Grove at #3 New Providence, Friday 6:30 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

Smoragiewicz plays hero for Summit – again – with game-winning field goal as time expires to send Hilltoppers to first final since 2018

How important are special teams?

Ask Summit.

A week after kicking a go-ahead field goal from 19 yards out with seven seconds remaining for a quarterfinal win over Warren Hills, the second-seeded Hilltoppers got a 34-yarder from cool-as-a-cucumber sophomore Cooper Smoragiewicz as time expired to win a back-and-forth, see-saw affair at Tatlock Field Saturday in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 semifinals, 31-28 over visiting third-seed West Essex.

The victory sends Summit to the finals next Friday night at 7:30 at top-seed and undefeated West Morris (11-0). It’ll be their first finals appearance since beating Rahway, 36-14, in the North 2, Group 3 final in 2018, and will give them a chance at their tenth sectional title all-time, second best among Union County schools, behind Union’s eleven.

Summit scored first on a 57-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Alex Schwark with less than two minutes into the game, but the Knights got the next two – on a Jake Long five-yard run after West Essex recovered a Summit fumble, and a 42-yard touchdown catch by Luke Kesack – to take a 14-7 lead after one.

Schwark scored again from a yard out with 2:59 to go before the break, leaving the score tied 14-all at halftime.

After the Knights opened the second half with the ball but turned it over on downs, Smoragiewicz scored on a three-yard run with 4:21 to go in the third, making it 21-14.

In the fourth, Michael Lozito scored on a 13-yard touchdown catch after the Hilltoppers turned it over on downs, tying it at 21 with 9:50 to play, but on the next possession, it was Schwark again from 37-yards out capping a fast drive.

West Essex went on a long drive, and it was Long who capped it off this time, with a nine-yard run with 5:04 to go. But all it would do was set up Smoragiewicz’ heroics.

A long drive got the Hilltoppers within range. Head coach Kevin Kostibos worked and milked the clock, calling a time out with 1.3 to go so the Knights couldn’t get a chance to win in regulation. A chance to win was coming up with the ball on the 17, right in the middle of the field.

Turned out to be a piece of cake.

Smoragiwiecz split the uprights. Again.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with Smoragiewicz, Schwark, and head coach Kevin Kostibos, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Late mistakes cost Piscataway shot at North 2, Group 5 finals appearance; Chiefs fall 27-13 to Bayonne in sectional semis

Points left on the board, late game mistakes.

Those spelled doom for the Piscataway football team Saturday afternoon, which was eliminated from the North Jersey, Section 2 Group 5 playoffs with a 27-13 loss to sixth-seed Bayonne, in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The second-seeded Chiefs had the ball down by a touchdown, 20-13, but with 4:08 to go, and all their skill players involved in the offense. But deep in their own end, a toss from Landon Pernell to Zaire Young ended up on the ground, and Jerome Hayes, Jr. – the son of the Bayonne head coach – scooped it up and took it into the end zone to put the Bees up two touchdowns.

Piscataway still wasn’t finished though. They got the ball back with just over two minutes left. Maybe a quick score and an onside kick recovery could do the trick?

The Chiefs moved the ball, got to the Bayonne 30, then on a bad snap took another big loss, but eventually got back to the original line of scrimmage on third down. But on fourth-and-ten, Pernell throw to Sean Love streaking toward the left corner of the end zone, and the pass fell short.

Bayonne then was able to run out the clock for the win.

The Bees (8-3) will move on to Friday night’s North 2, Group 5 title game at Basilone Field in Bridgewater where they will meet top-seed Bridgewater-Raritan (8-3) at 6 pm. Piscataway’s season ends at 8-3.

The Chiefs had two field goals in the game, one by Victor Nogueira of 31 yards in the first half – after having a 38-yarded blocked earlier – and another of 31 by Patrick Novak in the fourth quarter. Sean Love had a 28-yard touchdown catch for the Chiefs, their only other score.

Click below for postgame reaction from Piscataway head coach Dan Higgins with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Playoff Roundup: Montgomery avenges loss to make first finals, Phillipsburg rolls, New Providence gets title game at home, Bridgewater-Raritan to host first-ever championship tilt

We’ll have an all-Big Central final in North 2, Group 4. Bridgewater-Raritan avenged a big loss to make the finals. Montgomery will play in its first title game ever. Old Bridge wins a thriller.

And there’s still more football Saturday!

All in all, five Big Central Conference schools advanced to sectional finals next week with wins Friday night – as the league went 5-4, with three guaranteed to fall as a result of all-BCC matchups – with Piscataway and Summit looking to punch their tickets Saturday.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5: Top-seed Bridgewater-Raritan will play in its first sectional final since making three straight from 2015-2017 with a 22-7 win over fourth-seed Union City. The win avenged a 62-10 loss to the Soaring Eagles in last year’s sectional semifinals. The Panthers will host the winner of Saturday’s other semifinal, with sixth-seed Bayonne at second-seed Piscataway, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Central Jersey Group 5: Third-seed Old Bridge scored with 1:33 to go, and the PAT was the difference, as the Knights won at second-seed Old Bridge 28-27. They’re in the finals for the first time since 2015, and just the third time since the Madison Central/Cedar Ridge merger in 1994. They’ll visit top-seed Washington Twp. – undefeated at 11-0 – next Friday night at 6 pm for the title.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: It’ll be an all-Big Central final between one team with a ton of history, and another trying to make some of its own. Top-seed Phillipsburg controlled the football and beat fifth-seed Colonia 35-7 at home Friday night, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They’ll be back at Maloney Stadium next Friday at 7 pm to host third-seed Montgomery, a 20-15 winner over Woodbridge, avenging an earlier loss to the Barrons at home on October 10th.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1: Third-seed New Providence earned its second straight trip to the sectional final with a 28-21 overtime win at second-seed Hasbrouck Heights. They’ll face fourth-seed Cedar Grove at 6:30 pm next Friday in a rematch of last year’s final, but this time they get it at home after the Panthers upset top-seed Mountain Lakes, 22-15. The Pioneers are seeking their seventh sectional title all-time.

Central Jersey Group 1: Fourth-seed Manville – coming off its first playoff win ever in just its sixth appearance in the postseason – saw its season come to an end with a 42-21 loss at Burlington City. Senior QB Josh D’Ambrosio rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns, throwing for 98 yards and a third score, but the Blue Devils piled up 364 yards of offense – 264 of them on the ground – in a game they led 30-7 at the half. Manville finishes the season 10-1, with the win total a new program record.

Non-Public Group B: Tenth-seed St. Thomas Aquinas (5-6) saw its season end with a 30-6 defeat at seventh-seed Immaculata. The Trojans were down 13-0 at the half and 16-0 headed into the fourth quarter, as the Spartans rushed for 315 yards against STA. Immaculata will visit second-seed Paramus Catholic (4-6), after the Paladins had a bye this week.

Here’s the Friday evening scoreboard for the first round of the playoffs:

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

  • #1 Bridgewater-Raritan 22, #4 Union City 7

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

  • #3 Old Bridge 28, #2 Old Bridge 27
  • #1 Washington Twp. 44, #4 Rancocas Valley 26

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:

  • #1 Phillipsburg 35, #5 Colonia 7
  • #3 Montgomery 20, #2 Woodbridge 15

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

  • #1 West Morris 42, #4 Roxbury 7

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:

  • #3 New Providence 28, #2 Hasbrouck Heights 21 (OT)
  • #4 Cedar Grove 22, #1 Mountain Lakes 15

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

  • #1 Burlington City 52, #4 Manville 21
  • #2 Shore 30, #6 Point Pleasant Beach 6

Here’s a look at all Saturday’s games in playoff sections sections where Big Central Conference teams are still alive:

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

Here’s the schedule for Big Central teams in sectional finals next week

  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5: #2 Piscataway/#6 Bayonne at #1 Bridgewater-Raritan, Friday 6 pm
  • Central Jersey Group 5: #3 Old Bridge at #1 Washington Twp., Friday 6 pm
  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: #3 Montgomery at #1 Phillipsburg, Friday 7 pm
  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3: #2 Summit/#3 West Essex at #1 West Morris, Friday 7:30 pm
  • North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1: #4 Cedar Grove at #3 New Providence, Friday 6:30 pm