Tag: Ridge

September 21, 2026September 20, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Three top-ten matchups force big shuffle in Bellamy & Son Paving Week 4 Top Ten, but Phillipsburg still leads the pack

It was inevitable that at least three ranked Big Central Conference football teams would go down this weekend, with three all-Top Ten matchups on tap. In the end, no one else lost, but those three games helped reshape the Bellamy & Son Paving Week Four rankings, while Phillipsburg remains at the top of the list.

Phillipsburg (3-1) got back on the winning track against its first New Jersey opponent of the year, beating Hillsborough Friday night at Maloney Stadium, 35-7. The Stateliners are back in action at No. 5 St. Joseph of Metuchen this Saturday for a 1 pm matinee against the Falcons.

Piscataway (4-0) edged up one place to No. 2 after a 41-17 win over South Brunswick on Friday, coupled with previous No. 2 St. Joe’s taking a loss. The Chiefs will look to go 5-0 for the first time since 2018, when they finished undefeated at 13-0 – and won the North Group 5 Regional Championship – when they visit No. 4 Old Bridge Friday night at 6 pm. The Knights built an early lead but hung on to beat then-No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas Friday night, 26-24.

Moving from seven to three is Elizabeth, which is 4-0 for the first time since 2011, a year they also started 5-0, following a 62-35 shootout win at home over then-No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen heard Friday night on Central Jersey Sports Radio. The Minutemen visit No. 10 Ridge Friday night at 6:30. St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-1) falls to fifth with that loss, and hosts No. 1 Phillipsburg this Saturday at 1:00.

To make room for Elizabeth, Bridgewater-Raritan (3-1) and Somerville (3-1) both edge down one spot, to fifth and sixth, respectively. The Panthers were 7-3 winners over then-No. 9 Ridge Friday night, and visit Westfield for a 1:00 kick Saturday afternoon, while the Pioneers were 55-24 winners against Watchung Hills Friday, and visit Montgomery at 6 pm this Friday.

Rahway (4-0) continues to rise, and finds itself at No. 8 this week, up two spots after a 42-14 win at Linden Friday. The Indians host Cranford at 6:00 this Friday night.

St. Thomas Aquinas (3-1) edges down one spot to No. 9 after taking its first loss of the season, falling to No. 4 Old Bridge, 26-24, Friday night when a second-half rally fell just short. The Trojans are back at it this Friday night as they host Sayreville at 6 pm.

And down one spot to ten is Ridge (2-1), after their 7-3 loss at then-No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan. The Red Devils entertain third-ranked Elizabeth Friday night, a 6:30 kickoff.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Four Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

September 14, 2026September 12, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

All but Phillipsburg win, and all ten teams remain the same in Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Top 10

Sure, there was a full slate of games in the Big Central in Week Two, but Top Ten wise, it was very quiet.

And while No. 1 Phillipsburg (2-1) was the only team to lose, falling 32-31 to Freedom (PA) in their final Pennsylvania game before getting into the BCC slate, that loss didn’t cost them, as they retained their top spot in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Week Three Top Ten.

This week, the Stateliners open divisional play in the BCC American Silver Division when they come back home to Maloney Stadium to take on Hillsborough.

In fact, nobody moved this week – all ten teams remained in their same positions as last week.

That includes St. Joseph-Metuchen (2-0), which beat Westfield on the road Friday night, 28-6. They’ll be one of six teams involved in three Top Ten matchups this weekend, as they travel to No. 7 Elizabeth (3-0) Friday night to face the Minutemen in a battle of unbeatens you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with kickoff set for 6 pm. Elizabeth was a 19-7 winner at Union Friday night.

Holding in third is Piscataway (3-0). The Chiefs were 42-7 winners at East Brunswick on Thursday night, and this week are back at Kenny Armwood Stadium to face South Brunswick at 6 pm.

Old Bridge (3-0) remains in fourth after a 21-0 win at South Brunswick Thursday night, in which starting QB Aiden Rios dinged up his non-throwing shoulder. The Knights will hope he can be back Friday for a home date with No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas. The Trojans (3-0) were 40-0 winners Friday night at Franklin.

Holding at No. 5 is Bridgewater-Raritan (2-1), which beat Hillsborough for the first time since 2017 Thursday night, 40-14. The Panthers, whose lone loss came in a barnburner at St. Joseph-Metuchen last Saturday afternoon, are back in action for a Top Ten matchup against No. 9 Ridge (2-0) at Basilone Field Friday night. They won out at Hunterdon Central Thursday night, 23-17.

Somerville (2-1) maintains the sixth spot, thanks to a 54-6 drubbing of North Hunterdon at Brooks Field Thursday night. The Pioneers are back in the Ville again this week, hosting Watchung Hills at 6:30 pm.

And No. 10 Rahway (3-0) held serve with a 42-21 win at Woodbridge, the return of head coach Brian Russo to his alma mater, where he also coached. The Indians visit neighbor Linden Friday night at 7.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Three Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

September 7, 2026September 6, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Top teams win, middle teams drop games, so Bellamy & Son Paving Week 2 Top Ten sees more changes; Phillipsburg still No. 1

Four of the teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Week One Top Ten lost last weekend, which leaves half of them still in the rankings, and the other half out, while the top four all stayed put in Week Two.

That starts with Phillipsburg (2-0) still atop the list, after a 24-10 win at Emmaus (PA) Friday. The Stateliners finish out their three-game Pennsylvania stretch to start the season this Friday when they visit Freedom (PA).

St. Joseph-Metuchen (1-0) won its season-opener in thrilling fashion Saturday afternoon, outlasting then-No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan, 43-36. The Falcons are back at it Friday afternoon at 4 when they travel to Westfield.

Holding in third is Piscataway (2-0). The Chiefs were 28-14 winners over then No. 5 Somerville Friday night in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week, the first time the Pioneer offense has been held without a point since 2023. Thus week, it’s a Thursday trip to East Brunswick for Piscataway.

Rounding out the unchanged top four is Old Bridge (1-1), which got in the win column after a season-opening non-conference loss to Shawnee in the Battle at the Beach in Ocean City with a 49-21 win over Montgomery Friday. Thursday, the Knights visit South Brunswick, in our Friday night Bellamy & Son Paving Game of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Up a notch from six to five this week is Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1). Though the Panthers lost, they hung in nearly to the wire Saturday in a 43-36 loss at No. 2 St. Joseph-Metuchen. This week, it’s the Battle of Route 206 as Bridgewater welcomes in Hillsborough.

Flipping with Bridgewater and dropping one spot to sixth is Somerville (1-1), which took a 28-14 loss at No. 3 Piscataway Friday night in the Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week. The Pioneers host North Hunterdon on Thursday.

The next two teams both move up two spots this week, after losses by then-No. 7 Sayreville and then No. 8 Summit, both of whom dropped out. It starts with Elizabeth (2-0) at No. 7, following a 43-20 home win over Plainfield Friday. The Minutemen visit Union this Friday. And St. Thomas Aquinas (2-0) moves up to No. 8 after a 24-20 win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood, with a Friday date at Franklin awaiting the Trojans.

The final two teams join the rankings for the first time this season. Ridge (1-0) is at No. 9 after opening its season with a 21-7 win over then-No. 7 Sayreville. The Red Devils visit Flemington to play Hunterdon Central this Thursday.

And Rahway (2-0) comes in at No. 10, after a 21-10 home win over previously-No. 8 Summit. The Indians visit Woodbridge Friday as head coach Brian Russo goes up against his alma mater, where he also previously coached.

Below is the complete 2026 Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving High School Football Top Ten:

August 18, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan 2026: Somerville hosts Ridge, Woodbridge and Wall

It’s Week Two of high school football preseason camp in New Jersey, where teams start taking part in scrimmages, and Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden takes a trip to Brooks Field in Somerville to watch the Pioneers in a quad scrimmage with Ridge, Woodbridge and Wall.

Watch Borden’s full coverage below of Tuesday’s scrimmage, featuring interviews with head coaches and key players.

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan coverage of Somerville with head coach Matt Bloom, along with seniors Shyheim Hobbs-Harris (TE/LB) and Elijah Jagroop (OL/DL), junior James Hampton (WR/CB), and sophomore Dylan Boehm (QB):

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan coverage of Ridge with head coach Jeff Sutherland and seniors C.J. Griffith (RB/LB), Greg Brown (TE/DE), Tristan Frank (QB/DB) and Andres Garcia (G/NG):

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan coverage of Woodbridge with third-year head coach Joe Goerge along with seniors Kyle Campos (WR/DB), Lukas Valentin (TE/LB), Nico Quesada (OL/DL) and junior Dylan Stephen (QB/SS):

August 14, 2026August 8, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

In rugged American Silver, Ridge looks to bounce back in Year Two under Sutherland with more experienced group

Jeff Sutherland knew his Ridge football team would be young in 2025, and to some degree, it showed in their 5-4 record.

They began the year 1-2 with losses to St. Joseph-Metuchen and Phillipsburg, but then won four straight – including over eventual North 2, Group 5 champion Bridgewater-Raritan – before dropping their regular season finale to Westfield, and losing to Colonia in the opening round of the state playoffs.

Much of that young group is back, and now, the second-year head coach expects that experience to pay off in 2026.

While Sutherland will have to find a new quarterback to replace Sawyer Paul, who threw for 563 yards and six touchdowns, Tristan Frank attempted 33 passes last year as a junior is the leading candidate to start. Top runningback Nick Pfenning (692 yards, 5 TDs) graduates, but C.J. Griffith – right behind him with 688 yards and four touchdowns on 103 carries – returns for his senior year. And six players who caught passes last year return.

Defensive lineman Greg Brown – who also plays tight end and is committed to Bucknell – is back for his senior year after logging 3 1/2 sacks and six TFLs a year ago; he also had a pick for a touchdown.

The schedule allows little in the way of breathing room. The Red Devils open with Sayreville in Week One, the close the regular season with sectional finalist Old Bridge, and in between have two state sectional champs from 2025: Bridgewater-Raritan on the road, and Phillipsburg at home, just two weeks apart, with a crossover against an electric Elizabeth team in between.

Click below to learn more about the Ridge Red Devils in 2026 from head coach Jeff Sutherland with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko at Big Central Conference Media Day:

July 29, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Ben Donaghy leaves North Plainfield to helm Red Devils baseball

When Tom Blackwell stepped down, retiring as Ridge baseball coach at the end of the Spring – going out as North 2, Group 4 state sectional champions – it was more than just the loss of a coach, but of a Red Devil alum who played for the late, great Pete Hall.

His replacement doesn’t fall far from the Ridge tree.

The Board of Education has approved the hire of Ben Donaghy – who spent the last year as head coach at North Plainfield – to take over the program.

Donaghy has more than two decades in coaching under his belt. Before leading the Canucks, he was the head coach at South Hunterdon for two seasons, going 27-21, and he took a North Plainfield program that hadn’t had a double-digit win season in nearly a decade until the year before he arrived – when they went 14-8 – improving them to 18-9, with a playoff win over Matawan in the first round of the state tournament in North 2, Group 3. It was the program’s first state tourney victory since 2011.

But Prior to becoming a head coach, he was Blackwell’s JV coach for three years with the Red Devils, and also coached football. He was the head freshman football coach for four seasons and a varsity assistant, all making him well-connected to the Ridge community.

But the move back to Ridge is a big step up, where the program missed the Somerset County Tournament final in a very competitive field for the first time since 2018, with that five-season streak the second-most all-time since the SCT began play in 1973. The Red Devils also are second all-time in Somerset County titles with seven – only behind Immaculata and their 15 – with its most recent trophy coming in 2022 over Rutgers Prep.

While coaching elsewhere, Donaghy worked at Ridge High School, and still does. He’s a Transition Coordinator, Work-Based Learning Supervisor and a Special Education teacher, working with students with autism and diverse learning needs, including community-based instruction and competitive work-based learning experiences.

Collegiately, Donaghy was a three-year starter at Felician University up in Rutherford, where he was Team MVP his senior year of 2003 and named Team MVP with a .324 batting average, also earning accolades as a Division II All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference pick.

Click hear to listen to new Ridge baseball coach Ben Donaghy with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

June 21, 2026June 21, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: American Silver is one team smaller, but no easier for those who remain

When the Big Central Conference did its realignment this off-season, part of a two-year cycle, it pulled Hunterdon Central from the American Silver Division and put them with smaller schools in the Liberty Silver, including Somerville and Montgomery, among others.

But that won’t make life any easier for the teams left in the American Silver, as Ridge, Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough and Phillipsburg still get the Red Devils as a crossover – and, of course, still have to play each other. The Stateliners moved up to the North Group 5 supersection due to its new success formula, but that doesn’t affect the BCC. And besides, there were in Group 5 in 2022 and 2023 before moving down to four the last two seasons.

And just as an example of how brutal this division can be, both Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan, 4-0 and 1-3 in the division, respectively, won state sectional titles last season.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the American Silver Division teams – in order of 2025 finish – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge as of the date of publication, along with a few notes on each squad. Division games are starred.

Phillipsburg Stateliners (10-3, 4-0, American Silver Division Champions)
Head Coach: Frank Duffy, 11th season (85-27)

Week 0: Parkland (PA)
Week 1: at Emmaus (PA)
Week 2: at Freedom (PA)
Week 3: Hillsborough*
Week 4: at St. Joseph-Metuchen
Week 5: at Ridge*
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: Bridgewater-Raritan*
Week 8: Hunterdon Central
Thanksgiving: Easton (at Lafayette College)

Due to the NJSIAA’s new success formula, since the Stateliners can pull kids from other districts, and won North 2, Group 4, advancing to the state semifinals last year, they are now up in Group 5 as far as the playoffs concerned. But no matter: Phillipsburg has made the last four sectional finals – twice in Group 5 then twice in Group 4, winning trophies each of the last two seasons. And while they will lose senior runningback Sam Dech – who had a team-leading 1,530 yards on the ground last year and 23 touchdowns – sophomore QB Dominic Bracco is back. All that remains to be seen is which has more juice, the run game or the pass game, and how P’burg will adapt, because one thing is for sure: the Stateliners always have talent. But they will take a big hit defensively from the loss of senior Aeden Hywell, the reigning Central Jersey Sports Radio Defensive Player of the Year, who finished the season with 17 1/2 sacks and 27 TFLs, leading a defense that allowed just 12.4 points per game.

Ridge Red Devils (5-4, 3-1, 2nd place American Silver)
Head Coach: Jeff Sutherland, 2nd season (5-4)

Week 0: OPEN
Week 1: at Sayreville
Week 2: at Hunterdon Central
Week 3: at Bridgewater-Raritan*
Week 4: Elizabeth
Week 5: Phillipsburg*
Week 6: Westfield
Week 7: at Hillsborough*
Week 8: Old Bridge

Second-year head coach Jeff Sutherland has some work to do in finding some key offensive replacements. Senior QB Sawyer Paul graduated, as did top runningback Nick Pfennig (129 carries for 692 yards), along with tight end and top receiver Toby Nicholson, but close No. 2 runningback C.J. Griffith (688 yards, 4 TDs) is back for his junior year, and could be a focal point moving forward, while senior Tristan Frank likely is a top candidate under center. Senior defensive lineman Anthony Valera (4 1/2 sacks) will be missed, as will Nicholson (3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT), among others, but rising senior DE Greg Brown (3 1/2 sacks, 6 TFL) will be back. Ridge will crossover with two Middlesex County schools this year, Sayreville and Old Bridge, both of whom – if the NJSIAA ran football playoffs like every other sport – should have both been Central Jersey Group 5 finalists last season (instead, they met in the semis due to snaking).

Hillsborough Raiders (4-6, 2-2, 3rd place American Silver)
Head Coach: Kevin Carty, Jr., 15th season (92-64)

Week 0: at Manalapan
Week 1: Hunterdon Central
Week 2: at Bridgewater-Raritan*
Week 3: at Phillipsburg*
Week 4: Union
Week 5: Colonia
Week 6: at Elizabeth
Week 7: Ridge*
Week 8: at Montgomery

It’s a unique schedule for the Raiders, who will visit Shore opponent Manalapan opening weekend and close on Cutoff Weekend with the Carty Bowl, coaching against his brother, Sean, now in his second year as head coach at Montgomery. (They coached against each other in the COVID year when then-head coach Zoran Milich had to miss the game for a medical situation – and famously were not permitted to “shake hands” after the game, per NJSIAA COVID policy.) Gone are twins Devon Khurana (QB with 1,125 yards passing) and Shane (WR with 30 catches for 537 yards and 3 TDs), but sophomore Cooper Wright got some experience last year, and should be the leading candidate to take over at quarterback. Carty also will have to replace top RB Andrew Schwarz, who rushed for 1,114 yards and 12 scores last season. Watch Logan Jankowicz, younger brother of Jackson, whose senior season was 2004 and twice rushed for over a thousand yards. The defense will look at guys like Jamie Piccirillo (3 sacks, 3 1/2 TFLs as a freshman) and rising junior LB Tyler Zysk (1 1/2 sacks, TFLs) to hold down the unit.

Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers (9-4, 1-3, 4th place American Silver)
Head Coach: DJ Catalano, 4th season (16-18)

Week 0: at Woodbridge
Week 1: at St. Joseph-Metuchen
Week 2: Hillsborough*
Week 3: Ridge*
Week 4: at Westfield
Week 5: Hunterdon Central
Week 6: at Union
Week 7: at Phillipsburg*
Week 8: Watchung Hills

The defending North 2, Group 5 champions will likely look to Evan Woodring as the leading starting QB candidate, with the graduation of Declan Kurdyla (1,371 yards, 13 TD), just as they did when Kurdyla was missed a couple of games last season. But they’ll have top runningback Jahmier Black for his senior season; Black ran for 978 yards and seven touchdowns last season, which also catching nine passes for 187 yards. Defensive end Jamelle Jones (8 sacks, 12 TFLs) is the most disruptive player returning from what was a very senior-led defense in 2025. The Panthers open with two tough crossover tests against Middlesex County foes Woodbridge and St. Joseph-Metuchen, both of whom won eight games last season.

June 16, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Ridge seniors Callanan, Nicholson and head coach Tom Blackwell talk CJSR Team of the Year honors, as veteran skipper also announces retirement

What a whirlwind year for the Ridge Red Devils baseball team.

They began the year 11-1, with an Opening Day win at West Morris bringing the program its 1,000th victory all-time. Then injuries hit, and they lost five straight in late April. After getting knocked out of the Somerset County Tournament in the semifinals by eventual champion Watchung Hills, they regrouped and rebounded to beat the Warriors in the NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 championship game.

They would fall in the state semifinals, 8-7, on a walk-off home run in extra innings at Ridgewood, but earn the final No. 1 ranking in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten.

After which, head coach Tom Blackwell told his team last week, after 21 years and 20 seasons as the Red Devils’ skipper, he would be retiring. Blackwell went 328-211 from 2006 through 2026 (there was no high school baseball in the COVID year) with his teams winning two Somerset County Titles (2011 and 2022) and two North 2, Group 4 titles in the state tournament (2021 and 2026).

It was the perfect way to end a coaching career, but so much more than that for Blackwell, a Ridge alum who played for the legendary Pete Hall, the namesake of the Red Devils’ baseball field.

In a rollercoaster of a season, Ridge is the 2026 Central Jersey Sports Radio Team of the Year.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Ridge seniors Kieran Callanan and Toby Nicholson, as well as retiring head coach Tom Blackwell:

*The Ridge Red Devils: NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 sectional champions for 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

June 11, 2026June 12, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Skyland Conference 2026 All-Division baseball honorees unveiled

The coaches from the Skyland Conference have unveiled their 2026 All-Division teams, honoring 139 players from across its four divisions, including the 14 Somerset County schools in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.

Here’s the full list of players honored, by division, with teams in alphabetical order:

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – DELAWARE DIVISION

First Team

Bridgewater-Raritan: Kellan Komline (P/OF), Michael Lobosco (C)
Hillsborough: Elijah Dawes (SS)
Hunterdon Central: Dany Contillano (OF), Nick Holot (OF)
Immaculata: Luca Catanzarite (2B), Owen Schilling (C), Ryan Auten (P), Cole Raymond (P)
Ridge: Jake Dolan (CF), Kieran Callanan (SS), Casey Kucerka (C)
Watchung Hills: Robert Centamore (P/DH), Jacob Jaconski (C), Lucas Sheehan (P)

Immaculata senior Ryan Auten threw a complete-game two-hit shutout in a 6-0 win over Ridge at Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ, on April 22, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Second Team:

Bridgewater-Raritan: Kevin Kelly (3B/P), Andrew Schmeider (OF), Nick Spirra (2B/P)
Hillsborough: Tommy Kester (OF), Gavin Glazewski (P/1B), Jon Feltre (P)
Hunterdon Central: Jack Edwards (P), Liam Goyette (P)
Immaculata: Bryson Auten (P/3B), Justin Labrador (SS)
Ridge: Sawyer Paul (1B), Dimitri Romer (P/3B)
Watchung Hills: Brady Simo (3B), Stefano DiGeronimo (SS)

Honorable Mention:

Bridgewater-Raritan: Stephen Pikulin (1B/DH)
Hillsborough: Anthony Guerrero (OF)
Hunterdon Central: Cola Jacobs (P)
Immaculata: Jackson Lewis (OF)
Ridge: Lucas Grob (2B)
Watchung Hills: Landon Pudlak (2B)

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – RARITAN DIVISION

First Team:

Franklin: Stanley Madera, Mason Bonds
Montgomery: Ian Quinn, Henry Maddox
North Hunterdon: Hunter Brown, Alex Famolari, Brooks Lunger, Graham Berry
Phillipsburg: Nick Yaccarino, Chase Passmore, Mike Bracco
Rutgers Prep: Li Perez, Alex Perez, Maddox Chu, Ethan Nepomuceno
Somerville: Justin Snow, Michael Meyers

*Rutgers Prep’s Li Perez pitches in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals against Bridgewater-Raritan in Somerset, NJ, on May 14, 2026. (Photo: Alec Crouthamel)*

Second Team:

Franklin: Dylan Shah, Shayne Rooney
Montgomery: Jake Hayes, Alex Bender, Mason Neufeld
North Hunterdon: Ty Kane, Jason Krisanda, Zach Linzer
Phillipsburg: Wyatt Garrison, Kevin Buonocole
Rutgers Prep: Peter Wheeler, Mason Cimini, Okasha Asrar
Somerville: Matty Brong, Jordan Snow, Michael Murphy

Honorable Mention:

Montgomery: Liam McDonnell
North Hunterdon: Evan Doty
Phillipsburg: Brent Ottw
Rutgers Prep: Micah Krugar-Serrano
Somerville: Dalton Carman

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – VALLEY DIVISION:

First Team:

Bernards: Casey Hoeckele, Sean Arcelay, James Ferrante
Gill St. Bernards: Gavin Bucceri, Niko West, Joey Fava, Jack Markovich, Trip Hogarty
Pingry: Langston McDonald, Aaron Wu
Voorhees: Alexander Dyevich, Matteo Tramutola
Warren Hills: Cohl Stevens, Owen Spender

*Pingry’s Zach Zaslow pitches against Montgomery at TD Bank Park on April 11, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Second Team:

Bernards: Tyce Hanratty, James Gallagher
Gill St. Bernards: Andersen Eide, Noah Schultz, Jude Walters, Steve McRae
Pingry: Andrew Crowley, Zach Zaslow, Connor Lahay
Voorhees: Dylan Vernick, Jack Schlaudecker
Warren Hills: Reece Schott, Ryan Everett

Honorable Mention:

Bernards: Alex Frankfelder
Gill St. Bernards: A.J. Kolenski
Pingry: Michael Cardona
Voorhees: Turner Toombs
Warren Hills: Kyle Kucharski

SKYLAND CONFERENCE – MOUNTAIN DIVISION

First Team:

Belvidere: Jake Ackerman, Chris Knight
Bound Brook: Aiden Boehm, Ryan Cunha
Delaware Valley: Dylan Rasimowicz, Gabriel Miller, Cooper Fransen, David Hudock, Brooks Brunner, Carter Glacken
Manville: Collin Shimp, Brandon Shimp, Evan Canica, Josh D’Ambrosio
South Hunterdon: Trevor Lingerfield, Jack Budrewicz

*Manville (in white) and Montgomery square off at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater on May 7, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)*

Second Team:

Belvidere: Justin Hummel, Troy Boehm, Carter Crow
Bound Brook: Gabriel Valentin, Jayden Cruz
Delaware Valley: Chris Cialone, Matt Feeney, Danny Cialone
Manville: Aidan Johnson, Ben Canuso, Bobby Petrone
South Hunterdon: Trevor Sinkus, Landon Katz, Michael Budrewicz

Note: The Mountain Division coaches did not choose any Honorable Mentions.

June 10, 2026June 9, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

New No. 1 highlights final 2026 Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten as Ridge takes top spot

It’s not where you start, but where you finish.

But, to be honest, the Ridge baseball team didn’t have very far to go.

The Red Devils – the only Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team to win an NJSIAA sectional title this season – finish the year at No. 1 in the final Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball rankings, and are the Central Jersey Sports Radio Team of the Year.

The Skyland Conference Delaware Division was a beast this year. Immaculata won the division, second-place Watchung Hills won the Somerset County Tournament, and Ridge beat the Warriors to win the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title last Friday. The Red Devils’ season came to an end, however, in dramatic fashion Monday afternoon, in an 8-7 loss to Ridgewood on a walk-off, leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. They finish the year at 19-11.

Watchung Hills (18-9) – which lost two of three to Ridge this season – finishes second. In the past week, they beat second-seed Bayonne by run-rule, 10-0 in five innings, in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals before falling to Ridge Friday in the title game.

Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament champion Monroe (15-14) comes in third. The Falcons were the tournament’s nine-seed, but beat five-seed Old Bridge to win the title two Saturdays ago in their season finale, after getting knocked out of the state tournament the day before the GMC final.

In fourth is Immaculata (22-6), which was knocked out of the state tournament in the Non-Public South A semifinals by CBA, 1-0 in eight innings. The Spartans won the Skyland Conference Delaware Division at 9-1, their lone regular season division loss coming to Watchung Hills, and they lost to the Warriors in the SCT title game as well.

At five is GMC Tournament finalist Old Bridge (21-10), which won last Wednesday in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, 10-0 over Hightstown in five innings, but then lost in the title game, 14-1, at home to Hunterdon Central on Friday.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 finalist South Plainfield (17-12) finishes sixth. They got the the title game with a 4-2 semifinal win at top-seed Chatham last Wednesday, but fell Friday to Cranford in the final, 10-5.

GMC White Division champion Middlesex (22-6) comes in at seven. The Blue Jays fell in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals last Wednesday to Shore, 2-0 at home, preventing them from having a chance to repeat as CJ1 and state Group 1 champions.

At eight is Edison (19-8). The Eagles – beset by pitching injuries later in the season – got knocked out of the stats in the first round, and the GMC Tournament in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Monroe, but won the GMC’s top division, the GMC Red, with an 11-3 mark, finishing two full games ahead of second-place Old Bridge

Checking in ninth is St. Thomas Aquinas (14-15) – ranked for the first time this season. STA reached the finals in Non-Public North B for the second time in three years with a 7-3 road win at second-seed Rutgers Prep in the semifinals. But the third-seeded Trojans lost at top-seed St. Mary-Rutherford in the title game last Friday, 11-7.

And in tenth, it’s Rutgers Prep (17-8). The Argonauts were Skyland Conference Raritan Division Co-Champions with North Hunterdon – who they split with in the regular season – finishing 8-2 in divisional play, and were knocked out of the states in the Non-Public North B semis last Wednesday by St. Thomas Aquinas, with a 7-3 loss.

Below is the complete and final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the 2026 season: