Tag: Rahway

Summit blanks Rahway behind Bauman, Schnall for first win of season

Summit junior runningback Ryan Schnall scored two touchdowns as senior quarterback Brian Bauman expertly directed the offense, and Summit capitalized on a key Rahway turnover, en route to a 20-0 home win at Tatlock Field Saturday afternoon, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The Hilltoppers looked nothing like the team that came into the game with an 0-3 record.

336 Morris Ave, Summit, NJ
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Summit scored its first touchdown with 10:08 to go in the first half after a Rahway miscue. The Hilltoppers had punted, but Rahway’s Damari Williams-Julius got hit immediately after catching the ball, fumbled, and about 20 yards up the field, Summit recovered. A few plays later, Ryan Schnall scored from four yards out.

Schnall would punch it in again about seven game minutes later, from 15 yards out, and Summit went into halftime with a 14-0 lead.

Will Johnson added two filed goals in the fourth quarter – from 29 and 38 yards away – to give Summit the final margin.

Defensively, it was an all around effort for the Hilltoppers, who stopped Rahway on a number of fourth-down conversion tries, including a 4th-and-1 late where Rahway fumbled the snap, appeared to recover, but short of the first down marker for a turnover on downs.

Summit is now 3-1, while Rahway drops to 1-3.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Summit senior quarterback Brian Bauman

Summit head coach Kevin Kostibos

Summit seeks first win of season, as it looks to continue growth in ’22

by Chris Tsakonas

For the Summit Hilltoppers, the 2022 season has been defined by one word: growth.

“We’re a young team, and we keep finding new things to learn,” Summit head coach Kevin Kostibos said. “So what we’re looking for this week is to continue that process.”

336 Morris Ave, Summit, NJ
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It’s a new look lineup on both sides of the ball – particularly on the defensive side, which returns only two starters in senior defensive lineman George Morgan and senior inside linebacker Joe Fagan.

Joining Fagan in the inside linebacker spot is junior Tyler Kessel, who has broken out in the first three games, pacing the defense with 4 tackles for loss and 36 tackles overall. The defense is coming off a season-low 19 points allowed in last week’s game against a 3-1 St. Thomas Aquinas team that had scored 49 and 43 in its previous two games.

“I thought we took some real strides with St. Thomas,” Kostibos said. “I thought we defensively gave them a great game, and we’re just looking to build off that and continue to get better.”

Offensively, the Hilltoppers have relied heavily on the run game, with senior running back Jake Lowry becoming the leading rusher with 181 yards and a touchdown on 51 carries. Lowry is joined in the backfield by junior Ryan Schnall, who has an efficient 141 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.

“When we need a play, [Lowry is] the kid who we’re looking to,” Kostibos said. “So far, he’s exceeded my expectations, and I think he’s got a great career ahead at the college level.”

Click below to hear Chris Tsakonas talk with Summit head coach Kevin Kostibos about Summit’s 2022 season and Saturday’s matchup with Rahway:

Rahway has overcome adversity, tragedy en route to 3-0 start

With the wake Thursday and the funeral Friday for beloved teammate Ali Muhammad, one could say you might not know what to expect the Rahway football team when the Indians (3-0) visit Summit (0-3) this Saturday afternoon.

But that’s not the case. Because we already know how they’ve responded: quite well.

Muhammad passed away in his sleep in the early morning hours of September 8th. The team learned about it later that day in school, and practice was called off for that afternoon.

39 River Road, Summit, NJ (parking on Plain St.)
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But when presented with the opportunity to cancel their Friday night game against Lincoln High School of Jersey City – a non-league game, mind you, with no bearing on division standings – they stood tall, and not only showed up at Caven Point, but came back down the Turnpike with a 45-16, while senior runningback Kyle Hall took home Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Honors.

READ MORE: Hall stands tall after teammate’s tragic passing to win Week 2 Bellamy & Son Player of the Week Honors

The team dedicated the game, and then the season, in Muhammad’s memory. Mainly a practice player on the scout team, he was an integral part of the program, and much loved on the tight-knit squad.

So, they’ll continue the season in his honor this Saturday when they visit Summit, continuing a series that dates back to 1919, and which the Hilltoppers lead 31-23, with one tie.

You can hear Saturday afternoon’s game on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Chris Tsakonas calling all the action from Tatlock Field in Summit. Kickiff is at 1, pregame starts at 12:45 pm. Click here to listen.

Rahway has a balanced rushing attack of senior Kyle Hall (206 yds, 2 TD), Andrew Avent (111 yds, 3 TD) and Jeremiah Derilus (103 yds), while quarterback Amir Robinson can sling it (352 yds on 21-36 passing, 6 TD, 0 INT).

On the other side of the ball, senior defensive end Jalen Barnesalready has registered three sacks and seven tackles for loss.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Rahway head coach Brian Russo about his team:

Hall stands tall after teammate’s tragic passing to win Week 2 Bellamy & Son Player of the Week Honors

There are moments in life that put things in perspective, that make us all remember that, sometimes, it’s “just a game.”

The sudden passing of Rahway backup center Ali Muhammad, who died in his sleep sometime Thursday morning, could no doubt be one of those moments.

Then again, sometimes those moments make us value “the game” more, which is what Muhammad’s teammates did.

Skipping Thursday practice, they decided to play their game against Lincoln High of Jersey City at Caven Point Friday night, dedicating not only the game, but the entire rest of the season, to their fallen teammate.

And the entire squad played inspired football, led by senior Kyle Hall, venting their way to a 45-16 road win.

Hall had nine carries for 162 yards – a whopping 18 yards per carry – and two touchdowns, with a longest run of 60. He had a two-point conversion run, as well as two catches for 70 yards another of which went for 60 and a touchdown.

And Hall was busy on defense, too: six tackles, four solo, and 3 TFLs, plus, a forced fumble, and a 67-yard scoop-and-score.

It may not have set any records, but in the face of such heartbreak, Hall stood tall, and earned Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors for Week Two of the season.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Rahway senior Kyle Hall

Honorable Mentions

  • Dylan Wragg, Westfield – In the Blue Devils’ first win over Union since 2017, the senior runningback was a workhorse: 30 carries for 162 yards and a touchdown in a 20-14 victory. He actually left the game before halftime with an ankle injury, but got fixed up and came back after the break to lead the team to a pair of scoring drives.
  • Dan Hennessey, Old Bridge – The dramatic finish against South Brunswick for a 27-22 win that’s still got the land of the Knights buzzing was amazing enough, but San Hennessey had 21 rushes for 152 yards and three touchdowns, adding in three catches for 25 yards.
  • Caidan Holmes, Sayreville – As the Bombers rebounded from a season-opening loss to Phillipsburg with a 22-7 win over New Brunswick at Memorial Stadium Friday night, senior quarterback “athlete” Caidan Holmes was busy all over the field, defining the word. He was 2-of-5 passing for 25 yards, rushed 23 times for 141 yards and a touchdown, plus two conversions. He had a 36-yard punt return on special teams, while also breaking up a pass and registering two assisted tackles on defense.
  • Jeremy DeCaro, St. Joseph-Metuchen – Just a junior, from his halfback position, he carried five times for 110 yards and three touchdowns, also grabbing three passes for 110 yards and a fourth score. He also had six tackles from his outside linebacker position, four of them solo, also breaking up a pass, in a strong 31-15 win over Somerville at Brooks Field Friday night.
  • Derek Vaddis, North Hunterdon – The wide receiver had some big-yardage catches. He had seven receptions for 207 yards and two touchdowns, for 76 and 68 yards with most of those yards after the catch. Then, on defense, he had six tackles and an interception, returning it 38 yards.
  • Jaeden Jones, Colonia – Last week a nomination, this week an honorable mention, the junior dual-threat quarterback may be the top non-senior signal caller in the BCC. He threw 8-of-13 for 78 yards and a touchdown, while rushing 29 times for 144 yards and a score. Then, on defense, he racked up nine total tackles, and a pick.

Other Nominations

  • Joey Witkoski, Hillsborough – The senior outside linebacker was part of a defense that harassed junior quarterback Jack Bray – and his runningbacks – all night long, registering eight sacks. Witkoski had 3 1/2 of them, as well as five TFLs, and 8 tackles.
  • Zahmir Dawud, North Brunswick – The senior d-back, registered nine tackles, 1.4 TFLs and two pass deflections in a narrow, 13-10 win at Edison. On offense, where he can line up as a receiver or a runningback, he grabbed four passes for 65 yards, and had nine carries for another 35 yards.
  • Michael Schmelzer, Montgomery – The junior QB – a big reason the Cougars are off to a hot 3-0 start out of the gate – had a monster passing game: 12-of-20 for 229 yards and three TDs, plus a two-point conversion pass. One of the TDs went for 70 yards. We’ll get to see him Friday night on the Big Central Game of the Week when the Cougars entertain Somerville.
  • Enzo Britez, Bernards – The senior wide receiver made the most of his two catches in a 35-0 win at South River; both went for touchdowns.
  • Joshua Penic, Elizabeth – The senior wide receiver/defensive back did a bunch for the Minutemen in a touchdown loss to a rising Hunterdon Central team. He had 60 yards rushing and also threw a touchdown pass for 19 yards to Leonicio Remigio, while adding six tackles and three pass breakups on defense. He also had a 40-yard punt return.
  • Caleb Salters, Hillside – In a 45-0 shutout win at Metuchen Saturday, the senior QB was an effiecient 11-of-14 for 198 yards, with three touchdown passes.
  • Aidan Lane, Monroe – In a big win for the Falcons over East Brunswick, Aidan Lane registered four tackles on defense, had two catches for 25 yards – both for TDs – on offense, and a 70-yard kick return for a touchdown. He accounted for all three touchdowns in a 28-14 victory.
  • Evan Richardson, JFK – The senior linebacker was active, amassing 19 tackles and two TFLs in a 21-13 loss to Colonia Friday night.
  • Michael Green, South Plainfield – The senior runningback had 151 yards on the ground and a touchdown, but also 65 yards receiving, including a second touchdown, in a 13-12 win over Carteret, to get the Tigers off to a 2-0 start.
  • Te’Quan Thomas, Linden – In a 31-0 shutout of Woodbridge at home, the QB threw 5-of-8 passing for 89 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing 17 times for 140 yards and another score.
  • R.J. Hart, Hunterdon Central – The Red Devils’ QB threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns, adding 91 yards rushing with a score, in a 28-21 home win over Elizabeth, helping his team get off to a 2-1 start.

Rahway’s Laney awarded Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Scholarship

Each week during the 2021 regular season, Bellamy & Son Paving sponsored Big Central Player of the Week Honors.

Nine weeks, nine winners.

One of them was to get a $500 scholarship at the end of the year. In its inaugural year, the winner is Rahway’s Zaon Laney.

Rahway’s Zaon Laney got it done in all three phases in a Week 6 win over Warren Hills (Source: Twitter)

Laney was the Week Six winner, for his efforts in a 27-7 Senior Night victory over Warren Hills. He rushed for 225 yards, and 2 catches, and 3 touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 10 tackles, 6 solo, and had an interception. He also had a 24-yard punt return.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko surprise Zaon Laney of Rahway with the Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Scholarship award:

Here’s the full list of Bellamy & Son Paving Players of the Week for 2021:

  • Week 1: Davison Igbinosun, Union
  • Week 2: Tommy Amankwaa, Hillsborough
  • Week 3: Zaimer Wright, Sayreville
  • Week 4: Mike Olivo, Ridge
  • Week 5: Khiri Summers, South Brunswick
  • Week 6: Zaon Laney, Rahway
  • Week 7: Alex Benitez, Montgomery
  • Week 8: Anthony Robinson, Scotch Plains-Fanwood
  • Week 9: Liam Quigley, Governor Livingston

Just for kicks: Big-time boot earns Governor Livingston’s Quigley Week 9 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Award

Sometimes it’s a big interception, or five or six touchdowns, or an outstanding performance in all three phases.

Sometimes, it’s just a kick.

And sometimes, it’s a really big kick, as was the case for Governor Livingston junior Liam Quigley on Saturday afternoon.

See, the Highlanders hadn’t won a game all season. So it wasn’t as if the playoffs were on the line, but it was still a really big kick.

Knotted up at 21-all with A.L. Johnson, with 2.8 seconds left and the ball on the 23 yard line, out came Liam Quigley to try a 40-yard field goal attempt.

By the time the clock read :00, the Highlanders had their first win of the season, and Quigley and his teammates ran all over the field celebrating.

Click below to see Quigley’s game-winning 40-yard field goal against A.L. Johnson, as well as some of his other long kicks in the game:

Click below to hear Liam Quickly talk about his game-winning 50-yard field goal against A.L. Johnson:


At the end of the season, all the Bellamy & Son Players of the Week will receive a custom football, and one of the winners will receive a $500 scholarship from Bellamy & Son Paving.

Honor Roll:

All season long, Zaon Laney has been a workhorse for Rahway, and in a big 40-21 win Saturday at Hillside it was no different. Laney – a Week 6 winner – rushed 35 times for 293 yards and three touchdowns – with a long of 65 – and had two catches for 11 yards as well. He had a 31-yard kick return, too, and was involved in four tackles on defense, adding a pass breakup and a 21-yard interception return.

You certainly couldn’t ignore Hashym Hobbs-Harris’ performance for No. 1 Somerville in the swirling rain Friday night, in a 45-22 win over Summit. He ran for 200 yards on just 13 carries, but more impressively, took over the game after Ethan MacNair left with an ankle injury. On Somerville’s next offensive play from scrimmage, he ran 63 yards for a score. And on the Pioneer’s next touch he went 72 yards to paydirt.

There were a lot of big nights on the ground Friday, with the weather hampering passing games all over the state. Lucas Hudkins rolled off 226 yards on just 20 carries in a 35-13 win over Elizabeth, scoring three touchdowns. Ridge could be a dark horse in the upcoming state playoffs, and Hudkins is a big reason why.

South Group 3 Week 9 Breakdown: What can Somerville do with a Cutoff Weekend win? Where’s Rahway?

Only two Big Central teams are playoff contenders in the South Group 3 supersection, and both have easily clinched playoff berths. Here are the unofficial scenarios heading into Cutoff Weekend for both teams:

Somerville: Number One in the Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten, the Pioneers (6-2) are only in seventh place in this section. The loss to Phillipsburg by forfeit didn’t help, and the loss to Northern Highlands came in the beginning of the year, in Week One. (Somerville started in Week Zero with a win at Olney Charter-PA.) Summit (5-3) is their opponent Friday night (7 pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio in the Big Central Game of the Week driven by Autoland), and a win – factoring no one else – only moves them up to sixth, but they’re just 0.8 UPR behind Woodrow Wilson and Delsea, who are tied for fourth. If Delsea (8-0) gets stunned by Steinert (2-5) Friday night, the Pioneers move up to fifth, but that’s unlikely. They could also then move to fourth if Wall loses to St. John Vianney; they don’t get a multiplier because it would be their third such opponent this season, and they would get natural power points for losing to the Lancers since a Week 2 loss to Group B multiplier Red Bank Catholic is worth 32. A loss to SJV (and an mid-season loss to Donovan Catholic) are both worth 28. With a ‘Ville loss, they only drop to 8th, having not factored anyone else in. But it appears no one behind can knock them any further down, even if Holmdel and Delran win. Triton and Ewing behind them don’t play this weekend. So, we think Somerville can finish no lower than eighth – guaranteed at least a first-round playoff game at Brooks Field.

MORE CUTOFF WEEKEND COVERAGE: A team-by-team breakdown of every Big Central team’s postseason standing and chances heading into Week 9

Rahway: The Indians (3-4) sit in 13th. They’re too far out to finish in the top eight, so we have them playing on the road in the opening round of the playoffs. If things fall right when the brackets are snaked, they could even wind up playing at Somerville in round one. Rahway has a tough game at Hillside (7-1) Saturday afternoon. With a win, we think the highest they could reach is ninth. Even a loss bumps them up a spot to 13th, notwithstanding any other results. And there’s a chance they could even end up in 12th.

Somerville win edges Pioneers into top 4 in South 3; Rahway drops one spot despite win

The state’s UPR playoff formula has not been kind to Somerville, a consistently dominating and talented team, but one which has struggled to get higher seeds or top seeds in the South 3 supersection, now in its third season.

But with the Pioneers’ win at Warren Hills Friday night, they’ve edged into the top four, tied with Delsea with a 4.8 UPR. The move is significant because a top four seed guarantees home field advantage through at least the sectional semifinals.

Now 6-1, Somerville is knotted up with 8-0 Delsea, which thumped Mainland last night down the Shore, 42-14.

Not far behind is Wall (4-3, UPR 5), which got above .500 Friday night with a 42-14 home win over Middletown North.

That will be a fun battle to watch next week, to see if the Pioneers can keep the fourth spot, or perhaps edge higher to catch Woodrow Wilson (4-2) in thee third spot. That would be significant since being No. 3, when the brackets are snaked, would leave them in the bracket with the overall 2nd seed as opposed to the overall No. 1 seed, which is Rumson-Fair Haven. The Pioneers are 1-2 against Rumson in the Vanderbeek/Whitaker era, splitting two sectional finals – winning in 2017, losing in 2018 – and losing once in the 2016 sectional semis.

Somerville has Summit (5-2) next week at home (live at 7pm on CJSR). Delsea (8-0) hosts Steinert (1-5), a likely win, but it may not move the needle forward. And Wall (4-3) – which consistently plays one of the most challenging schedules in the state – has its third multiplier of the season in St. John Vianney (3-5), though only one can count per season. They’ve already lost to Red Bank Catholic and Donovan Catholic, and will get the best combination of power points.

Stay tuned!

As for Rahway, the Indians slippped from 12th to 13th despite a 35-28 win over South Plainfield. They don’t really have a chance at the top eight, 4.4 UPR points away, so at this point they’re just jockeying for position.

Week 8 Analysis: Somerville holds steady despite multiplier win over St. Joe’s, Rahway looks solidly in South 3

The South Group 3 playoff race only has two Big Central teams in it, and both are easily in the playoffs.

We’ll start with Somerville, which looks pretty well assured of a top eight finish, and at least a first-round home game.

The Pioneers are in 6th in the standings, with a 5-1 mark, after a 47-26 win over St. Joseph of Metuchen Saturday in the Big Central Game of the Week driven by Autoland. Though the multiplier points they picked up – 42! – moved them from 8th to 4th in power point rank, they dropped a little more than two OSI points to 6th from 5th.

The only team above them to lose was No. 1 Rumson-Fair Haven, to powerhouse and undefeated Red Bank Catholic, which is 7-0. The Bulldogs were so far ahead, they still held on to the top spot, despite losing about three OSI points.

Running the numbers for a forfeit loss to Phillipsburg – which will come into play next week when all the season’s COVID forfeits are added back into team numbers – even that only drops them to seventh. Could they finish out of the top eight? Well, it ‘s a big drop.

Right now, the Pioneers have a 6.2 UPR, followed by Manasquan at 6.4 in seventh and Wall in 8th at a 6.4 UPR. But the drop to Triton in ninth is to a UPR of 10, and Delran is a 10.2 UPR. We don’t think they have enough of a quality schedule to catch Somerville, even if the Pioneers were to split their last two games against a pair of 5-2 teams, at Warren Hills this week, and next week at home against Summit (7 pm on CJSR).

Rahway, meanwhile, is also a good bet for the playoffs. The Indians are 2-3, and their most likely course is to split the next two games, at least on paper. They visit South Plainfield this weekend and Hillside next. Even should they lose to Hillside – which has not lost since the Rumble on the Raritan when they faced Bernards at Rutgers – the Comets are a strong enough opponent it won’t hurt too much.

Week 6 Group 3 playoff analysis: Cranford in the drivers’ seat for a top seed in the North; Somerville may end up on the road in the South

There they are, right at the top: Cranford – undefeated at 5-0 with a huge game at Woodbridge Friday night (7 pm, CJSR) – leads the entire North Group 3 supersection, the only team from the Big Central Conference to hold such a lofty position in the Week 6 playoff standings.

The Cougars are 1.7 UPR points ahead of West Morris (2.8), while West Essex (3.2) and River Dell (3.8) are not far behind. But there’s no real advantage to being first or second overall, other than the first-place team gets the 16th overall team in the opening round, while the second-place team gets the 15th overall team. And in the playoffs, it’s always more about matchups anyway.

For just this one more season, home field will end at the sectional finals, and the “regional championships” will be held at Met Life Stadium. But next year, when football plays down to overall group champions – finally! – those games will be at neutral sites, and it remains to be seen if the “regional championships” – soon to be “group semifinals” – will be held at neutral sites as well, or at the higher seeded team’s home field.

Nonetheless, it’s stating the obvious that a win against Woodbridge would be huge. But, practically-speaking, it’s an opportunity to shore up a top-two spot for Cranford. A loss, and they still might get it. That may depend, in part, what happens the rest of the way with West Morris (4-2) and West Essex (5-1), and to some extent, possibly River Dell (4-2).

The next team down in North 3 is Summit, where the Hilltoppers are in the 9th spot with a UPR of 8.4. They’re more likely to move up than down, in our estimation. There are two teams ahead of them within two UPR points, Lincoln (8.2) and Montville (7.6). But the teams behind them are at least 2.4 UPR points away. Pascack Valley is a 10.8 and Vernon has an 11.6 UPR.

The only other team from the BCC with a remote possibility here here is North Plainfield. The Canucks are 3-3 but have won two straight. And they may win out, with three road games coming up to finish the regular year at Governor Livingston and South River; those opponents have a combined four wins, and the best of them is South River. The Rams are 3-2 with a 48.25 SI. That Strength Index will help North Plainfield, as will the 15 power points they’ll get. But whether it’s enough to offset the drop they’ll possibly see even if they beat their previous two opponents may not be enough to overcome.

The next two weeks will bring that into clearer focus for cutoff weekend.

South Group 3:

Rumson-Fair Haven, which has one of the toughest schedules in the state among public schools – and also has benefitted from a mutliplier win over Donovan Catholic – leads the pack here, followed by undefeated Cedar Creek, the only seven-win team in the state at the moment.

This is one of the sections where we will differ from Gridiron New Jersey, which did not use the Week 5 Strength Index update for Out of State teams as it outlined in a post last Friday. Those SI numbers are to be updated at mid-season, then again after Week 8 when all the other SI values are fixed heading into the final weekend.

This affects Somerville, which is also one of the teams whose OSI is off because of the discrepancy. The Pioneers played Olney Prep of Philly in Week Zero. Holmdel is off, too, as they played St. Joe’s by the Sea (NY) on Week One.

By CJSR’s calculations, Somerville is in 6th at the moment (Gridiron has them 8th) but there’s also the matter of the Pioneers’ forfeit against Phillipsburg, which will go down as a loss after week eight if it’s not made up, but has not been added to the mix yet. If it were factored in now, the Pioneers move to tenth, and would be two places out of at least a first round home game.

That’s rare territory for Somerville, which is used to battling for a top seed. But that’s what two losses will do, no matter how they come.

In any event, it’s critical for the Pioneers to win out, and a victory at St. Joseph of Metuchen Saturday (2 pm, CJSR) would be a big help, since they’re a multiplier that would get them 42 points for a win. Warren Hills (4-2) is next, and then Summit on Cutuoff Weekend (5-1).

They can win out, and need to if they want a shot at a home game at least in the first round of the playoffs, although they still might get it with a loss to the Falcons and wins over the Blue Streaks and Hilltoppers, as St. Joe’s is worth 28 points for a loss.

The only other Big Central team in this race is Rahway, which has won two straight after dropping their first three, and stands in 15th place. A tall task for the Indians comes this weekend in a road game at Donovan Catholic, but they’re a multiplier, so even a loss will give them a boost. That’s a 42/28 multiplier, so even the 28 for a loss would jump their power point average from 8.8 to 12. That would jump them from 16th to 11th in power point rank (assuming no one else moves), which is good for 2 full UPR points, and would likely move them to a more comfortable 12th or 13th place. They close at South Plainfield and Hillside, which both could be must-wins. We’ll have to see how this week shakes out.