Tag: Sam Dech

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg Stateliners repeat as sectional champs, No. 1 in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten in 2025… and once again are Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Big Central Team of the Year

Everyone knows the Phillipsburg mystique, but Frank Duffy prefers to call it “the standard.” The measuring stick by which all Stateliner teams are judged.

That stick has 758 marks on it, one for every win the program has, the most in New Jersey history, spread across 120 years of football that sometimes has taken them to Pennsylvania, more often here at home in the Garden State, and – like next year – will see a mix of Pennsy and Jersey schools on the schedule.

But in 2025, after losing key contributors like Jett Genovese, Matthew Scerbo Jr., and Felix Matos to graduation, Phillipsburg barely skipped a beat.

They went into the playoffs at 7-1, their lone loss coming to St. Joseph-Metuchen. In the last two years, they’ve lost to just one New Jersey pubic school (Ridge last season).

And with three playoff wins, they took the North 2, Group 4 title with ease, starting with a 55-14 joke of a blowout win against a horribly over-matched eight-seed in Newark Central, then a 35-7 win over Colonia, and a 41-21 victory over Montgomery to claim their second straight state sectional title.

For that, Phillipsburg is crowned – once again, for a second straight year – Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Team of the Year.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Phillipsburg head coach Frank Duffy, and seniors Sam Dech and Aedan Hywel about their 2025 season:

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio announces football “Specialty Awards” for 2025

Our goal at Central Jersey Sports Radio since our founding in 2020 has always been to bring attention to all the great things done by the many outstanding student-athletes in our area, both on and off the field.

Even with Honorable Mentions in each category, just having one each of Offensive, Defensive Special Teams and Two-Way Player of the Year isn’t quite enough to cover the massive 59-team Big Central Conference.

So, in our quest to honor as many great student-athletes as possible, here are our 2024 Central Jersey Sports Radio Specialty Awards:

“Hard Nosed Runner” Award: Sam Dech, Phillipsburg

Last year, it was Jett Genovese and Matthew Scerbo, Jr., receiving the “Dynamic Duo” award. This season, it’s another Phillipsburg football player with a specialty award.

Sam Dech seems to define Phillipsburg football. They all say they live by D.I.G. – Discipline, Ignore the Noise, Grit – but for Dech it’s however much more that can be possible.

Even in a postgame interview, he’ll tell you “that’s what we wanted to do and we just came out and did it.”

A high school football game scene showing a player in a dark uniform attempting to evade two defenders in light uniforms, with spectators in the background.
Phillipsburg’s Sam Dech looks to make a move in the Group 4 title game against Winslow Twp. at Rutgers on December 4, 2024. (Photo: Christian Sanchez)

Well, they don’t get there without Dech, who is a bruising runner who’s nearly impossible to bring down. Okay, not impossible, but be assured that if you hit him at the ten yard line, he’s going to bring you at least another five yards toward the end zone by the time he’s down.

That was invaluable on a 2025 team that lost Genovese and Scerbo – the second of whom was the school’s all-time leading receiver – as well as fellow receiver Felix Matos to graduation.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Phillipsburg’s Sam Dech:

The “Great Hands” Award: R.J. Wortman, Colonia

Good Hands was already taken, but Wortman is more than good hands. He’s great hands.

Colonia always seems to be a place where things happen without a lot of fan fare. But one day, you turn around, and Tom Roarty has his team in a sectional semifinal game in one of the hallowed grounds of high school football in New Jersey, Maloney Stadium.

The same could be said for R.J. Wortman, who heading into that North 2, Group 4 semi against Phillipsburg, was nearing 100 receptions on the year, and finished with a cool 101. The next highest wasn’t even that close.

A student-athlete signs a commitment in front of a table adorned with football gear, including jerseys, a football, and helmets, with a coach standing nearby, all set against a backdrop displaying 'Colonia Patriots'.
Colonia’s R.J. Wortman signed with Rutgers on 2025 December National Letter of Intent Signing Day. (Photo courtesy Tom Roarty)

They weren’t all long passes from senior QB Dylan Chiera, who threw for over 2,000 yards this season, one of three Middlesex County quarterbacks to do so in 2025. There were a few dinks and dunks in there, but it kept defenses on their toes, that’s for sure, with so many different ways to use him.

Couple that with the fact Wortman is a great teammate. No sooner did he commit to Greg Schiano and Rutgers – where he signed last week and will enroll early in January, skipping his senior season on the basketball court – but he was already active on Twitter, propping up all of his teammates, trying to make sure college coaches take a look at them just like they did with him.

Overall, Wortman finished with 101 catches for 1,307 yards (118.8 per game) with 15 touchdowns for the 7-4 Patriots.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Colonia’s R.J. Wortman:

“Is He A Lineman? Is He a Fullback” Award: Mike Bellamy, Montgomery

Senior Mike Bellamy has football in the family. His father, Joe – owner of Bellamy & Son Paving – played it, and has coached it for years at the youth level in their previous hometown of Piscataway. His brothers Joe and Rocco played for the Chiefs, with Joe on that 2018 team that won the North Jersey Group 5 Bowl Championship, beating Ridgewood at MetLife Stadium to become the first Middlesex County school to go 13-0 in a season, setting a county win record that still holds.

So, it was clear Mike would play football.

A football player wearing a yellow and green helmet with the word 'Cougars' on his jersey, stands on the sidelines, looking thoughtful during a game.
Mike Bellamy of Montgomery. (Source: @MikeBellamy50 on Twitter)

He’s an accomplished long-snapper, and has been a solid two-way lineman for a few seasons now. But this year, a new wrinkle was added: he would run the football.

Bellamy’s is not the story of an offensive lineman who fell on a couple of luckily-timed fumbles in the end zone to give his offense a score. No, no. This was all by design.

In fact, Bellamy carried eleven times this season for 38 yards, scoring four touchdowns, one each against Linden and Woodbridge in the regular season, then against Westfield and the Barrons again in the playoffs.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Mike Bellamy of Montgomery:

“I’m Back” Award: Devin Thomas, Plainfield

The last time we saw Devin Thomas the football player, he was quarterbacking the junior varsity at St. Thomas Aquinas, where Donald Jones, now Plainfield’s head coach, was an assistant.

Thomas transferred to Plainfield as a sophomore to represent his hometown, then gave up football to focus on basketball as a junior. It seemed a pretty good decision; Thomas scored in double-figures 12 times, helping lead the Cardinals to a Group 4 championship last March.

A football player wearing a red and white jersey with the number 11, standing on the field and signaling to teammates. The player is wearing a helmet and appears to be in an active game situation.
Devin Thomas of Plainfield. (Source: @DevinThomas8_ on Twitter)

When Jones took over as Plainfield head coach last spring, he gauged Thomas’s interest in coming back to the gridiron.

“Why not?”

Six months later, everyone agrees it paid off.

Thomas threw for 2,214 yards and 29 touchdowns. He ran for another 482 yards and 4 scores. Week-in and week-out, Thomas put up video game numbers under center for Plainfield.

He put an exclamation point on his stellar season with a 296-yard, 4-touchdown masterpiece in Plainfield’s final regular season game – a 28-27 come-from-behind win at Linden that clinched the Cardinals’ spot in the North 2, Group 5 playoffs.

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe talk with Devin Thomas of Plainfield:

“Comeback” Award: Jack Kalikas, A.L. Johnson

A.L. Johnson standout athlete Jack Kalikas broke his leg in October 2024. Faced with the same situation, some might wonder if they’d ever play at a high level again.

Not Jack; he wondered if he’d be able to return to play hockey that season.

While that goal proved to be a bit out of reach, it kept him going. 

A quarterback in a blue football uniform throws a pass while a teammate in a similar uniform looks on during a game at night.
Jack Kalikas of A.L. Johnson throws a pass in this undated photo. (Source: @jackkalikas on Instagram)

Jack then set his sights on returning for lacrosse in the spring. And although he couldn’t fully come back in time, the determination accelerated the recovery process.

By summer, Jack was full go and back on the football field for A.L. Johnson. On top of that, he’d be playing for his dad, Gus Kalikas, A.L. Johnson’s athletic director-turned-head coach. 

Almost one full year after breaking his leg, Jack led A.L. Johnson to a 7-2 record, playing quarterback and linebacker for the Crusaders.

Next up: hockey and lacrosse.

Click below to hear Justin Sontupe talk with Jack Kalikas of A.L. Johnson:

“Body Builder” Award: Brady Gallogly, Piscataway

Originally nominated for the Longevity Award, this one really fit him more.

Brady had always played wide receiver, but an opportunity came up where Piscataway needed a center. Ever the eager freshman, he made the suggestion.

A football player prepares to snap the ball on a field during a night game, with teammates and opponents in the background.
Brady Gallogly, Piscataway. (Source: Hudl)

Now, he wasn’t quite dealing with a coach who barely knew him, because his father, Frank Uhrin, is the team’s offensive coordinator. He played at Piscataway, too, as did Brady’s uncle, Robert, who also was a smaller-sized lineman on the 2002 Central Jersey Group 4 championship team, the last to be coached by legend Joe Kuronyi. His uncle, Tommy “Guns” Uhrin, was a skill player for the Chiefs in the 1990s.

But beyond all that, Gallogly had work to do. He only weight 160 pounds at the time, but with weight lifting, diet, and a training regimen, he got where he needed to be and became adept at making all the movements offensive linemen need to make.

Click below to hear Chris Tsakonas talk with Piscataway’s Brady Gallogly:

The “Tough Break for a Record-Breaker” Award: Thomas Diemar, Bernards

Coming into Game Three of the 2026 season, with at least a half-dozen games to go, you’d figure, senior Thomas Diemarr should have blown away the school’s all-time career sack record.

He already had it, with 22: ten each his sophomore and junior seasons, and two already in the first two games. This was his chance to make it nearly untouchable.

Then, in the first quarter, he plants funny in the end zone on a kickoff, with no one around him.

Young male athlete with curly hair standing outdoors, wearing a black athletic shirt, in front of a sports field and a building.
Bernards’ all-time sack record holder, Thomas Diemar. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

He sorely wanted back in the game, which turned out to be a win over Delaware Valley.

As it turned out, he tore his ACL, and his senior season would be done.

Diemar was a bit surprised when head coach Jon Simoneau picked him for first team All-Patriot Gold Division. But he shouldn’t have been. He deserved it, or he would have had he played.

Coach decided to honor a young man who, himself, has honored and respected the program Simoneau has built. That’s why he got the recognition, and that’s why he gets ours!

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Thomas Diemar of Bernards:

The “Sure, I’ll Play Quarterback” Award: Alex Schwark, Summit
The “Best Player Not To Play A Snap” Award: Cole Sabol, Summit

These two awards go hand-in-hand, if you’ll just follow along.

Cole is a multi-sport athlete, and he tore his Achilles last spring in lacrosse, on the very first day of the season. After getting evaluated, he found out he’d also miss football season. That’s when Alex Schwark took the job, having never played it before.

And he did well. In fact, when he got hurt later in the year, the Hilltoppers dropped those two games, then continued winning when he was back in the lineup, three weeks later in a 10-7 win upset at previously-unbeaten Woodbridge.

A split image featuring two high school football players. On the left, a quarterback in a light blue uniform holds a football and appears ready to pass on a field. On the right, another player in a maroon and gold uniform stands next to a coach on the sidelines, looking down at the ground.
Summit’s Cole Sabol (left) and Alex Schwark and head coach Kevin Kostibos (right) (@colesabol3 on Instagram/File photo by Mike Pavlichko)

But Schwark never would have done so well without Sabol, who was nominated for the Leadership Award by Coach Kevin Kostibos. Why? Because he could have walked away and sulked, but instead led the team in practices, meetings, gatherings, and games. He took his teammates under his wing, including Schwark, helping to make him the quarterback he became, even if he was sharing time with Matt McKeever down the stretch, with both of them on the field at the same time.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Summit’s Cole Sabol and Alex Schwark:


by Mike Pavlichko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Mike Pavlichko

Leading long, first half scoring drives, Phillipsburg’s Sam Dech earns Week 10 Higgins Speed Lab “Speedster of the Week” honors

As we’ve been doing all season long, Central Jersey Sports Radio is highlighting the high school football “Speedster of the Week” presented by Higgins Speed Lab in South Brunswick, recognizing the top runningbacks in the Big Central Conference every week.

And the Week Ten winner is Sam Dech of Phillipsburg!

This is Dech’s fourth time on the list, and first time topping it as the “Speedster of the Week.” Dech was part of a big ground game for top-seed Phillipsburg in a 35-7 win over fifth-seed Colonia in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals, scoring two second half touchdowns on a 217-yard, 23-carry night. He helped lead two long scoring drives in the first half that were capped off by teammate Tyler Wargo, who scored the Stateliners’ first three TDs. Now, Phillipsburg will defend its sectional title from 2024 against third-seed Montgomery, this Friday night at 7 pm at Maloney Stadium, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Scroll down for a list of the top ten rushing performances of Week Ten in the BCC!

Image highlighting Sam Dech of Phillipsburg for being the 'Speedster of the Week' with stats: 23 carries, 217 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a 35-7 win against Colonia.

Higgins Speed Lab in South Brunswick was founded by Kyle Higgins, son of longtime Piscataway head coach and NJFCA Hall of Famer Dan Higgins. Kyle grew up around the program and remains a Chiefs’ assistant coach to this day. At Higgins Speed Lab, Kyle has developed a system to help athletes increase speed while in a competitive small group environment of similar age and skill. Click here to listen to our interview with Kyle Higgins and learn more about Higgins Speed Lab!

Logo of Higgins Speed Lab, featuring bold lettering in black with a clean design.

They offer sport-specific training in football, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, baseball, golf, volleyball, track, gymnastics, and tennis. And “speed” isn’t their only focus. They’ll also work on proper running mechanics, plyometrics, acceleration/deceleration, top speed, linear and multi-directional speed, first-step quickness, endurance, strength, coordination, mobility and injury prevention.

Listen to Mike Pavlichko run down the Top Ten rushing performances in the Big Central for Week Ten!

Here are the top ten rushing performances from Week Ten in the Big Central:

  • Sam Dech, Phillipsburg: 23 carries for 217 yards and 2 TDs in a 35-7 win over Colonia in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals
  • Shaun Jackson, Sayreville: 18 carries for 216 yards and 3 TDs in a 28-27 loss to Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals
  • Jahmier Black, Bridgewater-Raritan: 23 carries for 148 yards and 1 TD in a 22-7 win over Union City in the North 2, Group 5 semifinals
  • Jack Fitzgerald, New Providence: 16 carries for 131 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-21 overtime win at Hasbrouck Heights in the North 2, Group 1 semifinals
  • Brody Nugent, Old Bridge: 22 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown in a 28-27 win at Sayreville in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals
  • Alex Schwark, Summit: 11 carries for 107 yards and 3 TDs in a 31-28 win over West Essex in the North 2, Group 3 semifinals
  • Declan Kurdyla, Bridgewater-Raritan: 16 carries for 102 yards in a 22-7 win over Union City in the North 2, Group 5 semifinals
  • Caiden Miller, Montgomery: 23 carries for 101 yards and 1 TD in a 20-15 win at Woodbridge in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals

Disclaimer: All statistics are gathered from multiple public online sources. If someone is missing from this list, it likely means their coach has not updated statistics. All coaches are urged to do so no later than 11:59 pm on Sundays during the season.

See Higgins Speed Lab in action!

by Mike Pavlichko

Phillipsburg controls play up front as Wargo, Dech lead Stateliners to fourth straight sectional finals with 35-7 win over Colonia

For all the talent Colonia had this season – and an excellent one it was – the Patriots knew a trip to Phillipsburg would be an immense hurdle.

And for a while, they were right in it. Even though the Stateliners had he ball for more than 14 of the game’s first 20 minutes, and even down 21-7 at halftime.

But when the rain came again – after light precipitation a bit in the first half – in the third quarter, it was easy to tell this might not be their night for a comeback win.

Ultimately, top-seed Phillipsburg (9-1) got three touchdowns from Tyler Wargo and two more from Sam Dech en route to a dominating 35-7 win over 5th-seed Colonia (7-4) to advance to the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 final for the second year in a row, and their fourth straight sectional title game overall. (Their first two of the stretch came in Group 5.)

And they will get the chance to win back-to-back titles for the first time since 2013 and 2014 when they host third-seed Montgomery (8-3) next Friday night at 7 pm at Maloney Stadium.

Phillipsburg got the ball first and Tyler Wargo capped a ten-play, 63-yard drive that took six minutes flat with a one-yard touchdown run. And after Colonia held the ball for five minutes but failed to score in the red zone, the Stateliners put together an even longer drive: 14 plays, 68 yards in 8:26, capped by another one-yard run by Wargo to make it 14-0.

Colonia got one back on a short drive just before halftime, on a 15-yard TD catch by R.J. Wortman, the state’s top receiver, who unofficially finished the game with 12 receptions to give him an even 100 on the season, leading the next closest on the list not by a few, but like by at least 20 catches after Friday night action.

But Wargo scored again on a one-yard run on Phillipsburg’s third possession, and they took a 21-17 lead into the temporary locker rooms both teams were using while the stadium gets a new fieldhouse that should be set for next year.

After the break, the rains came down heavier, and it was hard for anyone to get any footing. Ultimately, the ‘Liners got two more touchdowns, one on a 70-yard run by Sam Dech that started the possession where he came out of the pile with nothing but green in front of him, with 3:06 to go in the third, and a 22-yarder with 4:45 left in the game.

Phillipsburg – now 14-0 at Maloney Stadium over the past two seasons – will meet Montgomery next Friday night as the Cougars beat Woodbridge in the other semifinal, 20-15, less than a month after falling to the Barrons at home despite having a lead at halftime. It’ll be the Cougars’ first-ever trip to a final.

Click below for postgame reaction from Phillipsburg runningback Sam Dech and head coach Frank Duffy with Justin Sontupe, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Logo of Sportsplex at Metuchen featuring icons of various sports including volleyball, soccer, basketball, and hockey, along with contact information.
by Mike Pavlichko

No. 1 Phillipsburg cruises past Hunterdon Central, 55-14, on four TD night from Sam Dech; Stateliners pick up program’s 750th win

Sam Dech had a historic night in the season opener for Phillipsburg back on Saturday, scoring on a 95-yard touchdown run in a 28-0 win at Westfield that set two program records: it was the longest touchdown run, and longest run in Stateliner history, a pretty remarkable achievement when you think of how long they’ve been playing football out on the state line.

What he was a part of Friday night in Flemington was even bigger. No. 1 Phillipsburg beat 7th-ranked Hunterdon Central 55-14, behind four touchdowns from Sam Dech, and earned the program its 750th win all-time.

The machine that is Phillipsburg – they don’t rebuild, they reload, and sometimes even stronger – just continues to roll along, as the Stateliners improved to 2-0 on the young season ahead of a matchup with Ridge next week.

Dech was again incredible for P’burg. He scored from 11, 46, 17 and nearly 50 yards out in the game, running with power, nearly impossible to bring down.

Phillipsburg is now 2-0, with Ridge (1-1) coming to Maloney Stadium next week. Ridge was the only team in the Big Central to beat the ‘Liners last year, doing so at home. Hunterdon Central drops to 2-1, and will visit Bridgewater-Raritan next Friday night in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy and Son Paving on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Kickoff is set for 6 pm.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Marcus Borden with head coach Frank Duffy and senior runningback Sam Dech, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 1 Phillipsburg rolls in opener, blanking Westfield on the road, 28-0 behind 3 Dech TDs

Sitting out Week Zero, since they have their annual Thanksgiving Day game with Easton, Phillipsburg – like everyone else who waits to play – got an extra week of practice.

Whether it helped, or this is just what the Stateliners are, could be debated. But the result can’t be: a 28-0 win for No. 1 Phillipsburg in its opener over Westfield at Gary Kehler Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Senior runningback Sam Dech – who was the leading rusher on last year’s North 2, Group 4 title team with 790 yards and nine scores – reached one-third of that total Saturday afternoon, scoring three times.

The first came with 33 seconds to go in the first half capping a long drive to give P’burg a 7-0 lead. He got another from 54 yards out with 2:32 to play in the third, and his last one with 11:05 to play, a 95-yard run up the middle to the opposite end zone.

Tyler Wargo finished off the scoring with a three-yard touchdown run.

Dech finished 219 yards on 18 carries in the victory, which puts Phillipsburg at 1-0 heading into the second of back-to-back road games, next Friday at Hunterdon Central.

Westfield will travel to Williams field in Elizabeth next Friday for a battle of 1-1 teams.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from Phillipsburg senior runningback Sam Dech with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Sam Dech:

by Mike Pavlichko

“Underdog mentality?” It works for Phillipsburg, as Stateliners head into North 2, Group 4 title game against Northern Highlands

The Phillipsburg football team is 10-1, the top seed in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4. Northern Highlands is 6-4, the third seed in the section.

Are the Stateliners underdogs?

Maybe, maybe not. Phillipsburg has played a challenging schedule all year long, but so has Northern Highlands, which knocked off unbeaten Woodbridge last week in the sectional semifinals.

But P’burg junior runningback Sam Dech says his team has an underdog mentality, and has had it since Day One this season.

Hey, whatever works.

Either way, the two teams will lace it up Friday night for a state sectional title, 7 pm at Maloney Stadium in Phillipsburg. (Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates.)

The Stateliners will be seeking their ninth title in the playoff era, and their first since 2018, in their third straight trip to a championship game.

They lost to West Orange in the North 2, Group 5 game in 2022, and Union City in the same game last year, before moving down to Group 4 for 2024. Both years, they were the No. 1 seed. So, is the third time the charm this year?

Phillipsburg has had a business-like air about it all season long, and that clearly hasn’t changed for Friday night.

Meanwhile, Dech has been critical to the team’s success. He’s the team leader in rushing yards with 661 and eight touchdowns, coming off a nine-caarry, 128-yard, one-touchdown performance against Chatham in the sectional semifinals, the fourth 100-plus yard rushing game of his career.

Click below to hear Phillipsburg junior runningback Sam Dech talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko: