Tag: Roundup

November 15, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Championship Roundup: Bridgewater-Rartitan claims first-ever title while Phillipsburg drops Montgomery to win 10th; Old Bridge, Summit, New Providence fall

Two of the six Big Central Conference teams playing in five NJSIAA sectional finals Friday won championship trophies, with Bridgewater-Raritan and Phillipsburg advancing to state semifinal action next week.

The Panthers – the top-seed in North 2, Group 5 – beat sixth-seed Bayonne 21-14 Friday night at Basilone Field to take their first title in just their fourth finals berth ever. The previous three came back-to-back-to back from 2015 to 2017, falling to Westfield all three years. Read a recap from Chris Tsakonas here, complete with postgame reaction from Bridgewater players and head coach D.J. Catalano. Bridgewater-Raritan will face Passaic Tech, the North 1, Group 5 champ, in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, top-seed Phillipsburg won the North 2, Group 4 title with a 41-21 victory over third-seed Montgomery at Maloney Stadium Friday night. It was the tenth title in Stateliner history, and their second straight, in their fourth straight finals appearance. They are the first consecutive titles for the porgram since beating Mendham in 2013 and Colonia in 2014 in North 2, Group 4. Read a recap from Mike Pavlichko here, complete with postgame reaction from Alec Crouthamel with head coach Frank Duffy, QB Dominic Bracco, and RB/LB Sam Dech.

Meanwhile, three other Big Central schools lost in their finals.

In Central Jersey Group 5 – a term we’ll use loosely since it featured a deep South Jersey team from past Philadelphia – third-seed Old Bridge lost 38-7 at top-seed Washington Twp., as the Minutemen won their second straight title. They’ll meet South 5 champ Kingsway in the semifinals. Falling behind 17-0 at the half, Old Bridge got on the board with a Brody Nugent to Michael Chiarella 23-yard touchdown, but the Minutemen got it right back, and held off the Knights. Nugent finished his career with a 12-for-41 night for 158 yards, while rushing 17 times for 23. Old Bridge finishes the season 10-2, with a program record for wins.

In North 2, Group 3, top-seed West Morris beat second-seed Summit, 35-14 in Chester. The Wolfpack will now play North 1, Group 3 champ Old Tappan in the Group 3 semis. West Morris won the battle up front, limiting a solid Hilltopper run game all year long top just 98 yards on one carry, though they got 172 through the air. Alex Schwark rushed for 45 yards on eight carries, while the Wolpack amassed 356 yards on the ground. Summit’s season ends at 9-3

Meanwhile, in North 2, Group 1, third-seed New Providence lost at home to fourth-seed Cedar Grove in a rematch of last year’s title game, 37-13, to give the Panthers their second straight title. They’ll play North 1, Group 1 champ Butler next week in the semifinals. Pioneer runningback Jack Fiotzgerals rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while Mike Petses went for 66 on five rushes. Kevin Reilly had a touchdown catch in the loss, New Providence’s only one of the year; they finish 10-1. Read Marcus Borden’s recap here.

Here’s the Friday evening scoreboard for the Sectional Finals across the state:

GROUP 5:

NORTH 1: #2 Passaic Tech 56, #1 West Orange 42
NORTH 2: #1 Bridgewater-Raritan 21, #6 Bayonne 14 (Recap and postgame reaction)
CENTRAL: #1 Washington Twp., 38, Old Bridge 7
SOUTH: #3 Kingsway 38, #1 Atlantic City 21

GROUP 4:

NORTH 1: #1 Ramapo 28, #2 Northern Highlands 27 (OT)
NORTH 2: #1 Phillipsburg 41, #3 Montgomery 21
CENTRAL: #1 Brick Memorial 28, #3 Middletown North 0
SOUTH: #2 Millville at #1 Winslow Twp., (Saturday, 1 pm)

GROUP 3:

NORTH 1: #1 Old Tappan 42, #2 Wayne Hills 14
NORTH 2: #1 West Morris 35, #2 Summit 14
CENTRAL: #1 Holmdel 41, #3 Seneca 20
SOUTH: #4 Mainland at #2 Cedar Creek (Saturday, noon)

GROUP 2:

NORTH 1: #1 Westwood 32, #3 Ramsey 6
NORTH 2: #1 Shabazz 26, #7 Madison 16
CENTRAL: #1 Camden 43, #2 Wall 7
SOUTH: #1 Haddonfield 28, #3 Delran 7

GROUP 1:

NORTH 1: #1 Butler 28, #2 Kinnelon 14
NORTH 2: #4 Cedar Grove 37, #3 New Providence 13
CENTRAL: #1 Burlington City 28, #2 Shore 20
SOUTH: #1 Glassboro 47, #6 Shalick 14

Here’s a look at all of next week’s public school state semifinal matchups:

GROUP 5:

Passaic Tech (North 1, 9-3) at Bridgewater-Raritan (North 2, 9-3), Friday 6 pm
Kingsway (South, 10-2) at Washington Twp. (Central, 12-0), Friday 6 pm

GROUP 4:

Ramapo (North 1, 10-1) at Phillipsburg (North 2, 10-1), Friday 7 pm
Millville (6-4) /Winslow Twp. (9-2) winner vs. Brick Memorial (Central, 10-2), TBA

GROUP 3:

West Morris (North 2, 12-0) at Old Tappan (North 1, 11-0), Friday 6 pm
Mainland (7-4)/Cedar Creek (9-2) winner at Holmdel (Central, 9-2), Friday 7 pm

GROUP 2:

Shabazz (North 2, 10-1) at Westwood (North 1, 11-1), Friday 7 pm
Camden (Central, 9-2) at Haddonfield (South, 9-2), Friday 7 pm

GROUP 1:

Cedar Grove (North 2, 9-3) at Butler (North 1, 11-0), Friday 7 pm
Burlington City (Central, 11-1) at Glassboro (South, 12-0), Friday 6 pm

November 8, 2025 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

November 8, 2025 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:

#6 Bayonne (7-3) at #2 Piscataway (7-2), 1 pm (LIVE on CJSR – click to listen)

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

#3 West Essex (6-3) at #2 Summit (7-2), 1 pm (Follow Marcus Borden for updates)

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

November 1, 2025November 1, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Saturday Big Central Playoff Roundup: Piscataway, Summit, New Providence win matinees as Old Bridge wins nightcap; Hillsborough, Plainfield, A.L. Johnson bow out

It was a 4-3 day for the Big Central Conference, as Piscataway, Summit, New Providence, and Old Bridge were winners in high school football first-round state playoff action Saturday, while Hillsborough, A.L. Johnson and Plainfield were eliminated.

The second-seeded Chiefs were 29-14 winners over seven-seed Plainfield at Kenny Armwood Stadium Saturday, in a “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Mickye Simmons scored twice on touchdown runs, while QB Landon Pernell threw two scoring strikes, one each to Sean Love and Josiah Zayas. Read more about the game and see postgame reaction via Marcus Borden here.

Later, in the evening, in Central Jersey Group 5, third-seed Old Bridge got four touchdowns from senior QB Brody Nugent and 302 rushing yards to beat sixth-seed Freehold Township, 38-31. Read more and get postgame reaction via Marcus Borden here. The Knights (9-1) will visit second-seed Sayreville (9-1) Friday night in the semifinals.

#2 Summit 24, #7 Warren Hills 7

The Hilltoppers beat the Blue Streaks in their first meeting since they were Warren Hills was still in the Big Central together with them, in 2021. The win is the third straight for Summit, which opened the season 5-0 before dropping back-to-back home games to Somerville and Bernards.

Summit (8-2) now will face third-seed West Essex (6-3) in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 semifinals next Saturday at 1 pm back at Tatlock Field, with a trip to the finals on the line. The other semifinal in that section features fourth-seed Roxbury at top-seed West Morris.

(3) New Providence 38, (6) Secaucus 0

This one was all Pioneers, as they got touchdowns from five different players – and a 22-yard Jack Fitzgerald field goal – to set up a date with Hasbrouck Heights in the semifinals that will be a rematch of last year’s game in that round.

Kevin Reilly scored on a 36-yard TD run in the first quarter, then came Fitzgerald’s three-pointer, and an 18-yard touchdown pass from Reilly to Daniel Poretti to make it 17-0 at the break.

In the second half, James Keneally caught a 12-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, while Mike Petses and Caleb Gordon added one- and six-yard touchdown runs respectively. New Providence ran for 220 yards on the day, and Reilly went 6-of-7 passing for 76 yards and two touchdowns.

Click here to listen to New Providence head coach Chet Parlevecchio, Jr., talk about the win over Secaucus with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko.

New Providence (9-0) – one of just two Big Central schools still undefated, the other being Manville at 10-0 – is off to the North 2, Group 1 semifinals, where they will play at second-seed Hasbrouck Heights Friday night at seven. That’s a rematch of last year’s semifinal in this section, which the Pioneers won 21-14 before falling to Cedar Grove in the final.

Cedar Grove is back in the semis as well. The fourth-seeded Panthers will be at top-seed Mountain Lakes in the other semifinal here, scheduled for 6 pm Friday.

Here’s the Saturday afternoon scoreboard for the first round of the playoffs, for games involving Big Central teams, and others in sections where BCC squads remain:

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

#2 Piscataway 29, #7 Plainfield 14 (GAME RECAP and VIDEO)

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

#4 Rancocas Valley 33, #5 Hillsborough 0
#3 Old Bridge 38, #6 Freehold Twp. 31 (GAME RECAP and VIDEO)

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

#2 Summit 24, #7 Warren Hills 7

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

#4 Manasquan 35, #5 A.L. Johnson 0

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:

#3 New Providence 38, #6 Secaucus 0

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

#6 Point Pleasant Beach 42, #3 Riverside 14

Here are the updated brackets with matchups, dates and times in all public school sections where Big Central teams remain. All games are Friday, unless otherwise noted.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

#4 Union City (6-3) at #1 Bridgewater Raritan (7-3), 6 pm
#6 Bayonne (7-3) at #2 Piscataway (8-2), Saturday TBA

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

#4 Rancocas Valley (6-4) at #1 Washington Twp. (10-0), 6 pm
#3 Old Bridge (9-1) at #2 Sayreville (9-1), 7 pm

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:

#5 Colonia (7-3) at #1 Phillipsburg (8-1), 7 pm
#3 Montgomery (7-3) at #2 Woodbridge (8-2), 6 pm

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

#4 Roxbury (7-3) at #1 West Morris (10-0), 7:30 pm
#3 West Essex (6-3) at #2 Summit (8-2), Saturday 1 pm

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:

#4 Cedar Grove (7-3) at #1 Mountain Lakes (7-2), 6 pm
#3 New Providence (9-0) at #2 Hasbrouck Heights (8-2), 7 pm

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

#4 Manville (10-0) at #1 Burlington City (9-1), 6 pm
#6 Point Pleasant Beach (7-2) at #2 Shore (7-2), 7 pm

November 1, 2025November 1, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Playoff Roundup: Phillipsburg, Bridgewater-Raritan win big; Somerville, Bernards upset; seven BCC teams move on to sectional semifinals next week

The Big Central went 7-9 in opening round NJSIAA playoff action Friday night, with the two top-seeds – Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan – winning big, while high seeds Bernards and Somerville both were upset, each by just one point.

The Stateliners rolled past eight-seed Newark Central, 55-14, at Maloney Stadium in North 2, Group 4 action, while the Panthers were 35-6 winners over eighth-seeded Linden in North 2, Group 5. Read more about those two games, and the rest of North 2, Group 4 at the link.

There will be more North 2, Group 5 action on Saturday, when seventh-seed Plainfield visits neighbor and second-seed Piscataway at 1 pm in our Saturday “Big Central Game of the Week,” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Click the link to listen.

Central Jersey Group 5…

The only one of the three Big Central teams in this section to play Friday night was Sayreville, and the second-seeded Bombers left no doubt in a 35-0 win over seventh-seed Trenton to improve to 8-1 on the season.

Shaun Jackson rushed for 111 yards on 18 carries and scored two touchdowns, while also adding three catches and a touchdown reception on the evening.

Sayreville (9-1) will be back at home next Friday night in the semifinals. They’ll play the winner of Saturday night’s first round game in Old Bridge between the third-seeded Knights (8-1) and sixth-seed Freehold Twp. (5-4). Marcus Borden will have coverage of the game on Twitter, and you can follow him here for updates, with postgame reaction to follow here.

Group 3…

Two of the three Big Central teams here were eliminated, with one more to play Saturday.

Fifth-seed Cranford lost up at No. 4 seed Roxbury, 21-12, in North 2, Group 3. The Cougars got on the board first with a Gabe Worrell touchdown, but a failed PAT left it 6-0. Roxbury got the next two scores, and Like Owens got what could have been the equalizer in the fourth with a 67-yard touchdown catch on a pass from Aidan Capizzi, but a two-point run failed, leaving it 14-12, and Frankie Falco of Roxbury put the game away after that with his third TD of the game.

Saturday, second-seed Summit (7-2) will host seventh-seed Warren Hills (5-4) at Tatlock Field, with the winner getting third-seed West Essex (6-3), a 24-6 home winner over sixth-seed Mendham.

Meanwhile, second-seed Somerville was upset in its quest to defend its Central Jersey Group 3 title from a year ago, falling to the seventh-seed Matawan, 14-13. After falling behind 6-0 in the first, the Pioneers took a 7-6 lead on a 15-yard TD pass from Dylan Boehm to Dario Lozano. But the Huskies got it right back and completed a two-point play to make it 14-7 at the break.

Somerville would score in the third, on an Aidan Vesuvio-Bush 41-yard touchdown run to make it 14-13, but the two-point try failed, and that would hold as the final score through a scoreless fourth quarter.

Group 2…

Bernards was another upset victim, as the Mountaineers’ streak of back-to-back sectional finals appearances ended with a first-round defeat at home to seventh-seed Madison, 22-21. Logan Stevens scored all three touchdowns – two on the ground, one via catch – in a tight game that saw no one lead by more than a score.

In fact, Bernards never trailed in the game until a fourth-quarter one-yard run by Liam Melvin, and a two-point conversion that game them the win.

Meanwhile, in Central 2, eighth-seed Voorhees saw its season come to an end at 8-2 after a 53-0 loss at top-seed Camden. The Panthers will get the winner of Saturday’s opening round game involving fifth-seed A.L. Johnson (7-1) out of the Big Central at fourth-seed Manasquan (7-1).

Group 1…

In North 2, Group 1 action, eight-seed Brearley fell 42-0 at second-seed Mountain Lakes, ironically, the last team they played in the playoffs, which came three years ago in the North 1, Group 1 final. Third-seed New Providence (8-0) of the Big Central will play Saturday at home against sixth-seed Secaucus (5-3). The winner gets second-seed Hasbrouck Heights, a 45-14 winner over seven-seed Wood-Ridge Friday.

And in Central Group 1, Manville notched its first-ever playoff win in six tries, shutting out Shore Conference foe and five-seed Asbury Park, 35-0, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They’ll visit top-seed Burlington City (9-1) next Friday at 6 pm, after the Blue Devils blanked eight-seed Bound Brook, 49-0.

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

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

#1 Washington Twp. 41, #8 Howell 0
#2 Sayreville 36, #7 Trenton 0

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

#1 Phillipsburg 55, #8 Newark Central 14
#5 Colonia 20, #4 Ridge 19
#3 Montgomery 32, #6 Westfield 10
#2 Woodbridge 21, #7 Rahway 7

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

#1 West Morris 42, #8 Snyder 6
#4 Roxbury 21, #5 Cranford 12
#3 West Essex 24, #6 Mendham 6

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 3:

#7 Matawan 14, #2 Somerville 13

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 2:

#7 Madison 22, #2 Bernards 21

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 2:

#1 Camden 53, #8 Voorhees 0
#3 Rumson-Fair Haven 14, #6 Point Pleasant Boro 10
#2 Wall 41, #7 Bordentown 0

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:

#1 Mountain Lakes 42, #8 Brearley 0
#4 Cedar Grove 35, #5 Glen Ridge 20
#2 Hasbrouck Heights 45, #7 Wood-Ridge 14

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

#1 Burlington City 49, #8 Bound Brook 0
#4 Manville 35, #5 Asbury Park 0
#2 Shore 34, #7 New Egypt 0

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:

#7 Plainfield (4-5) at #2 Piscataway (7-2), noon (LIVE on CJSR – click to listen) (Follow Marcus Borden for updates)

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

#5 Hillsborough (4-5) at #4 Rancocas Valley (5-4), noon
#6 Freehold Twp. (5-4) at #3 Old Bridge (8-1), 6 pm (Follow Marcus Borden for updates)

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3:

#7 Warren Hills (5-4) at #2 Summit (7-2), 1 pm

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 2:

#5 A.L. Johnson (7-1) at #4 Manasquan (7-1), 1 pm

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 1:

#6 Secaucus (5-3) at #3 New Providence (8-0), 1 pm

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1:

#6 Point Pleasant Beach (6-2) at #3 Riverside (7-2), 11 am

October 24, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Roundup: Sayreville bounces back, hands Aquinas second straight defeat; Rahway, Hillsborough, Plainfield, appear to lock up playoff berths, did Voorhees and Spotswood, too?

Nothing will be known officially, for real, until Sunday, when the NJSIAA announces the seeding for the high school football playoffs some time late Sunday morning or early in the afternoon.

But as of Friday night, it appears three Big Central teams that were on the bubble – or at least just not sure if they had clinched a playoff spot, like in the case of Hillsborough – clinched or solidified their postseason futures.

Sure, that sounds like a hedge. That’s because it is. But the Raiders left no doubt after a road win at Hunterdon Central, and Plainfield and Rahway look solidly in as well. The question left is: did Spotswood make it, after beating Roselle Park and finishing the regular season with an 8-1 record.

If they did, they shouldn’t have to sweat it out with that record, in our opinion. And if they did, it’s even more of a travesty. All our opinion, and there will be more talk about it either way Saturday evening at 6:00 on the 2025 Playoff Projection Show hosted by Mike Pavlichko with analyst Marcus Borden. Bookmark this link to listen!

We also think Voorhees made it with a win in the Milk Can Game at North Hunterdon.

And on a non-playoff note, congratulations to South Hunterdon, which got its first win of the season, picking up a road win at Dunellen.

Also of note, No. 8 Sayreville bounced back nicely from its first loss of the season, beating No. 7 St. Thomas Aquinas at home, 33-26, to hand the Trojans their second straight loss. It was their first set of back-to-back defeats in the same season since the COVID-shortened 2020 year under the late Brian Meeney.

That year, STA fell to St. John Vianney on the road, 31-0 on November 6th, then came back six days later and lost to Bernards 41-6 before closing out the season with a two-point win over Colonia, the first of 35 straight Big Central wins, a streak that was ended last week by St. Joseph-Metuchen. Incidentally, Bernards now has the longest active Big Central winning streak, now at 32 games, three away from tying the Trojans’ conference record, which they likely won’t get a chance to snap until next season.

Playoff Implications…

In an effort to crunch the numbers, we’re going to keep this roundup short, with links to CJSR’s in-person coverage Friday night from Mike Pavlichko (at Montgomery-Rahway) and Marcus Borden (at Manville-Bound Brook). Look for a playoff update later in the evening on the Central Jersey Sports Radio site, and follow us on Twitter for the very latest.

Here’s the Friday evening scoreboard from the Big Central for Week Three, with links to individual game stories:

No. 2 Phillipsburg 36, Bridgewater-Raritan 13
Rahway 28, No. 3 Montgomery 7 (game recap and audio)
No. 4 Somerville 35, Watchung Hills 15
No. 6 Bernards 22, Carteret 0
No. 8 Sayreville 33, No. 7 St. Thomas Aquinas 26
No. 9 Piscataway 36, Monroe 0
No. 10 Old Bridge 42, Colonia 22
Manville 49, Bound Brook 7 (coverage from Marcus Borden)
Elizabeth 28, Union 23
Spotswood 26, Roselle Park 16
South Plainfield 42, JFK 14
Roselle 40, JP Stevens 6
South Brunswick 43, East Brunswick 18
Paterson Eastside 20, Edison 18
Johnson 34, Perth Amboy 8
Hillsborough 33, Hunterdon Central 8
South Hunterdon 26, Dunellen 0
Plainfield 28, Linden 27
New Providence 32, Delaware Valley 7
Voorhees 27, North Hunterdon 7
Belvidere 42, Middlesex 6
Franklin 64, North Brunswick 15

Here’s a look at Saturday’s brief Big Central Conference slate:

No. 5 Woodbridge at No. 1 St. Joseph-Metuchen, 1 pm
Ridge at Westfield, 1 pm
Scotch Plains-Fanwood at Summit, 1 pm
Cranford at Hillside, 1 pm
North Plainfield at Metuchen, 1 pm
New Brunswick at Governor Livingston, 1 pm
Highland Park at South River, 1 pm
Brearley at Dayton, 1 pm

October 18, 2025October 18, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Saturday Big Central Roundup: Rahway’s Andrew Avent shatters school, personal rushing marks in 41-6 win at New Brunswick; Belvidere also comes up a winner on light afternoon

After a busy night with a number of critical results on Friday night in the Big Central, things cooled down a little bit – the calm before the storm of Cutoff Weekend – with just two games on the docket.

One of them was a historic occasion, indeed.

Rahway 41, New Brunswick 6…

Senior Andrew Avent set three Rahway football program records in a 41-6 win at New Brunswick that was over pretty early at Memorial Stadium.

On just nine carries, Avent ran for 240 yards and four touchdowns against the Zebras. Personally, he topped 4,000 yards for his career, now with 1,520 yards over 37 games across four varsity seasons. That’s also a single-season best for Avent.

And then there are the school marks:

Avent’s 1,520 yards this season is five over the school’s single-season record of 1,515 set by Harold “Butchie” Young in 1981. That team finished 8-1-2.
With four TDs Saturday, Avent now has 54 total career touchdowns, and he’s now one better than the mark of 51 overall set by Joe Williams. Avent also has once receiving touchdown, and another on defense.,
With the 24 points scored by Avent Saturday, he’s now got 330 in his career a dozen more than the 318 scored by Williams.

Williams played for Rahway from 1956 through 1957, with the team going 21-4 in that span, including 8-0 in 1958, when they were declared North 2, Group 3 champions by the NJSIAA – in the days before the playoffs – with 630 points in the Colliton system.

As for the 2025 team, Rahway sat in 16th place in North Group 4 after Friday’s results, and it’s unclear yet – at least until all scores are reported – if they’ll dip further (since New Brunswick remains winless with an SI under 25) or move up.

Either way, it likely sets up a “play in” type of situation for Rahway next Friday, when they host ranked Montgomery at Madden Field for a 7 pm kickoff. Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast the game live, with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino on the call. Bookmark this link to listen live!

Click hear to listen to Rahway senior Andrew Avent talk about his record-setting day with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

In the only game of the day involving a Big Central Conference school, Belvidere beat North Warren at home, 22-12, to improve to 4-4 on the season.

FRIDAY’S GAMES:

No. 1 St. Joseph-Metuchen 41, No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas 19 (coverage from Marcus Borden)
Summit 10, No. 2 Woodbridge 7 (recap with audio)
No. 4 Phillipsburg 42, Union 0
No. 10 Montgomery 41, No. 5 Sayreville 15 (recap with audio)
No. 6 Bernards 35, Governor Livingston 7
No. 7 Somerville 40, Plainfield 28 (recap with audio)
No. 8 Piscataway 21, Hillsborough 7
No. 9 Old Bridge 45, Hunterdon Central 29
Franklin 40, Monroe 22
Bridgewater-Raritan 28, Westfield 7
Colonia 40, Cranford 15
JFK 42, Middlesex 0
Roselle Park 49, JP Stevens 6
New Providence 49, Bound Brook 3
Perth Amboy 34, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 14
East Brunswick 13, North Hunterdon 10
Ridge 57, North Brunswick 20
Elizabeth 28, Watchung Hills 14
Delaware Valley 21, Roselle 18
Spotswood 41, South Hunterdon 8
Dayton 48, Dunellen 0
Voorhees 6, Hillside 0
Manville 48, Highland Park 14
AL Johnson 36, North Plainfield 0
Linden 27, Carteret 10

October 18, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Roundup: Streaks, perfect seasons go by the boards as No. 2 Woodbridge, No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas, No. 7 Sayreville all fall; Bernards takes mantle of league’s longest win streak with win over GL

If much of the regular season to this point, or at least until last week, was about consistency, the last two weeks have been anything but.

Last week’s big news was No. 1 Phillipsburg dropping its first game of the season, falling 21-0 to St. Joseph-Metuchen in a Saturday matinee on the road.

And what did the Falcons do with that ranking? They went up Plainfield Avenue and blitzed No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas after halftime en route to a 41-19 win, ending the Trojans’ Big Central-record 35-game league win streak.

That hands the honor off to Bernards, which now is just four-games away from matching that run. The Mountaineers won their 31st straight BCC game Friday night, topping Governor Livingston 35-7 at Olcott Field.

Elsewhere, No. 2 Woodbridge took its first loss of the season, getting knocked off at home by Summit, 10-7. The Hilltoppers had been in the Also Considered category of the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten much of the year, until a second straight loss last week, but they rebounded with a huge road win that will boost their chances at a top-seed in the Group 3 playoffs.

And then, to add to the chaos, No. 10 Montgomery pulled away with four unanswered second-half touchdowns, to knock off No. 5 Sayreville, 43-15, on the road. That ended the Bombers undefeated season; they were 7-0 coming in.

Playoff Implications…

Central Jersey Sports Radio will have a fill look at all the public school playoff standings early Saturday morning, once all results have been reported. But here’s a quick look at some wins and losses and their significance to the playoff chase:

Bridgewater-Raritan beat Westfield at home, 28-7, to bounce back from a tough, 30-18 loss at Hillsborough last week. With a trip to Phillipsburg coming next Friday, the win might help the Panthers hang on to a top-seed in Group 5, regardless what happens next week.
Linden may have boosted its chances with a 27-10 win at Carteret.
Piscataway picked up a huge road win at Hillsborough, snapping a two-game Raider win streak while giving them one of their own. The Chiefs also are in a battle for a top seed in North 5, coming into the night third behind the Panthers (first place) and West Orange (in second), which beat East Orange 14-13 Friday. The Chiefs are at Monroe (1-7) next week.
Manville put the brakes on Highland Park with a 48-14 win that shouldn’t hurt them much despite the Owls being just 2-5. But it did keep the Mustangs’ perfect season alive at 8-0.
We’ll see if Phillipsburg‘s win over one-win Union lets them keep the top spot in North Group 4, while Union will now have to beat Elizabeth next week if they want a shot at making the playoffs, as they need to reach two wins to become playoff eligible, by NJSIAA rule.
Somerville‘s win over Plainfield may have kept their hopes alive for a top-seed in Central JErsey Group 3, where they’re the defending champions.
Spotswood rebounded from its first loss of the season – which dropped them from the high teens into a 16th place tie with Point Pleasant Boro in South Group 2 – with a 41-8 win over winless South Hunterdon. We’ll see if it hurt them or not.
New Providence beat Bound Brook to stay perfect (7-0) and should have helped their push for a No. 1 seed in North 2, Group 1.

Congrats are in order…

Plaudits to Perth Amboy, which won its first game of the season, 34-14 at Waters Stadium Friday night over Scotch Plains-Fanwood. The Panthers (1-7) had lost 16 straight dating back to Week 1 of last season, after they beat JFK on the road, 27-9, in their Week Zero opener.

And East Brunswick got its second win of the season in a 13-10 victory over North Hunterdon out in Annandale, holding off the Lions, who cut it to a field goal – but no closer – with a fourth quarter touchdown.

Here’s the Friday evening scoreboard from the Big Central for Week Three, with links to individual game stories:

No. 1 St. Joseph-Metuchen 41, No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas 19 (coverage from Marcus Borden)
Summit 10, No. 2 Woodbridge 7 (recap with audio)
No. 4 Phillipsburg 42, Union 0
No. 10 Montgomery 41, No. 5 Sayreville 15 (recap with audio)
No. 6 Bernards 35, Governor Livingston 7
No. 7 Somerville 40, Plainfield 28 (recap with audio)
No. 8 Piscataway 21, Hillsborough 7
No. 9 Old Bridge 45, Hunterdon Central 29
Franklin 40, Monroe 22
Bridgewater-Raritan 28, Westfield 7
Colonia 40, Cranford 15
JFK 42, Middlesex 0
Roselle Park 49, JP Stevens 6
New Providence 49, Bound Brook 3
Perth Amboy 34, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 14
East Brunswick 13, North Hunterdon 10
Ridge 57, North Brunswick 20
Elizabeth 28, Watchung Hills 14
Delaware Valley 21, Roselle 18
Spotswood 41, South Hunterdon 8
Dayton 48, Dunellen 0
Voorhees 6, Hillside 0
Manville 48, Highland Park 14
AL Johnson 36, North Plainfield 0
Linden 27, Carteret 10

Here’s a look at Saturday’s brief Big Central Conference slate:

Rahway at New Brunswick, 12 pm
North Warren at Belvidere, 1:30 pm

October 11, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Saturday Big Central Roundup: St. Joseph’s shutout of Phillipsburg sure to roil rankings, Bernards gets 4th quarter TD to win at Summit

There were just five games on the Big Central Conference schedules on a drizzly, gray, damp Saturday afternoon, but there were some big wins as the heat gets turned up in the final few weeks before the NJSIAA cutoff for the playoffs.

There was No. 6 St. Joseph-Metuchen staying unbeaten by knocking off undefeated and No. 1 Phillipsburg, via a 21-0 shutout at home that gave head coach Bill Tracy his 150th career coaching win.

There was Bernards – still with their freshman quarterback starting – gutting out a 17-14 win at Summit, which had been unbeaten until last week and now has lost two straight.

There was Voorhees, solidifying its playoff standing with a 21-14 win in a key game at Governor Livingston.

And Carteret came up with a solid win on the road, topping Hillside, 21-13.

Here’s a look at the Saturday scoreboard in the Big Central Conference, with links to individual game stories on Somerville-Summit and Hillsborough-Westfield:

No. 6 St. Joseph-Metuchen 21, No. 1 Phillipsburg 0 (recap with audio)
No. 4 Bernards 17, Summit 14 (recap with audio)
Voorhees 21, Governor Livingston 14
Carteret 21, Hillside 13
Newark Collegiate 32, Roselle 8

Here’s the Friday evening scoreboard from the Big Central for Week Three, with links to individual game stories:

No. 2 Woodbridge 41, No. 8 Montgomery 31 (coverage from Marcus Borden)
No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas 41, Edison 6
No. 5 Somerville 43, North Hunterdon 14
No. 7 Sayreville 37, Franklin 28
Hillsborough 30, No. 9 Bridgewater-Raritan 18 (recap with audio in our Friday Night Roundup)
No. 10(t) Piscataway 35, East Brunswick 0
No. 10(t) Old Bridge 35, Monroe 0
Roselle Park 35, Highland Park 12 (recap with audio)
Dayton 20, Spotswood 19 (recap with audio in our Friday Night Roundup)
Rahway 49, Watchung Hills 20 (recap with audio in our Friday Night Roundup)
Elizabeth 24, Morristown 21
South Plainfield 41, East Brunswick 8
Westfield 35, North Brunswick 6
JFK 33, North Plainfield 13
Brearley 49, South River 12
Metuchen 53, JP Stevens 0
Colonia 27, Plainfield 13
New Providence 21, Verona 10
Linden 34, Perth Amboy 0
Belvidere 16, South Hunterdon 0
Ridge 28, Hunterdon Central 7
Cranford 35, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 6
Union 22, South Brunswick 13
Bound Brook 38, Middlesex 28
Johnson 21, Delaware Valley 19

October 11, 2025October 11, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

Friday Night Big Central Roundup: No. 4 Woodbridge rallies to keep perfect season alive, Hillsborough wins second straight, Rahway puts Watchung Hills down early, No. 5 Sayreville wins tight one at Franklin, Dayton hands Spotswood its first loss

It was a busy night in the Big Central Conference Friday, and there were some thrilling games along with some important wins by teams fighting to improve their playoff standing just three weeks before the NJSIAA’s cutoff weekend.

The highest-ranked team in action, No. 2 Woodbridge, fell behind in the first half and trailed by eleven at the break. But the Barrons pulled out a 41-31 road win to stay unbeaten at 7-0.

No. 7 Sayreville also came up with a big win, 37-28 at Franklin, to also stay perfect at 7-0. Shaun Jackson made the most of 20 carries, rushing for 338 yards and four touchdowns.

Hillsborough and Rahway notched big wins, while Spotswood took its first loss of the year, falling 20-19 at Dayton. Tyler Fuscaldo had two touchdown runs for the Bulldogs in a game Dayton led late, 20-13.

Spotswood still had life, though. With just 78 seconds to play, Semir Tolbert-Brimage scored his second touchdown of the game, a 14-yard run. After the defense went off-sides on the PAT, they elected to go for two, and Tolbert-Brimage got stopped shy of the goal line.

The 20 points was the most the Chargers have given up all year. They had one shutout and hadn’t surrendered more than eight points in a game all season through six games and a start.

The win puts Dayton at 5-1 with a road game at Dunellen next week, followed by a home game against Brearley on Saturday of Cutoff Weekend. The Chargers drop to 6-1, with a visit to South Hunterdon next week, and a home game with Roselle Park Friday of Cutoff Weekend.

Click below for postgame reaction from Dayton head coach Nick Iannacone with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Hillsborough wins second straight, makes playoff push…

Things were looking a bit grim for Hillsborough at 1-4 heading into a Saturday matinee at Westfield last week. Then they gave up a touchdown 20 seconds in to fall behind 7-0, and were down two scores midway through the first quarter. But they scored the next five touchdowns and pulled away for a convincing win.

That momentum carried into Friday night’s game home game Bridgewater-Raritan, even if the first quarter was scoreless. Call that a win with Panthers’ QB Declan Kurdyla coming back from a leg injury he suffered a few weeks ago against Hunterdon Central.

Hillsborough head coach Kevin Carty, Jr., said he doubted he would play, but his Raiders came prepared for either him or fill-in Evan Woodring. It was Kurdyla, but his team was prepared.

Andrew Schwarz scored four times in the game, on a two-yard run, two eleven-yard runs, and a 13-yard scamper in the fourth quarter of a game the Raiders never trailed, and won 30-18.

Click below for postgame reaction from Hillsborough head coach Kevin Carty, Jrl, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Rahway rolls past Watchung Hills, injured player OK…

Two-time defending Higgins Speed Lab “Speedster of the Week” Andrew Avent scored three times in the first quarter – his longest a 42-yarder – as the Indians topped Watchung Hills on the road, 46-18.

The early boost by Avent had the game in a second-half running clock, with Rahway ahead 40-6 at thebreak, getting three touchdown passes in the second quarter from Jaquan Robinson, who hit Ziare Fields once, and Triston Driscal twice.

It was a solid bounceback win after a tough loss at Cranford a week ago.

There was a scary moment though for the Indians, when senior runningback/linebacker Daniel Gonzalez was injured on a play and taken to the hospital as a precaution. Head coach Brian Russo was there after the game and told Central Jersey Sports Radio there’s no official diagnosis, but it looks like a stinger-type injury and that he’ll be okay.

Click below for postgame reaction from Rahway head coach Brian Russo with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: