Tag: Sean Carty

Montgomery quarterback Jack Kristjanson (14) fires a pass with pressure coming.
by Mike Pavlichko

From 1-9 in 2024 to sectional finals – for the first time ever – in 2025, Montgomery is the CJSR Turnaround Team of the Year

A number of Big Central Conference football programs made big strides in 2025. Bound Brook increased its win total from 1-8 to 5-5. Brearley also got to .500 after going winless last season. Sayreville went from 4-6 to 9-2.

But none increased their win total by as much as Montgomery did, with the Cougars going from 1-9 to 8-4, a plus-seven in the win column under first-year head coach Sean Carty, who took over the program – promoted from Offensive Coordinator – after Zoran Milich, the school’s first and only coach, stepped down after the 2024 season.

Add to that the fact that the Cougars qualified for their first sectional title game ever, making the North 2, Group 4 title game, where they would fall to Phillipsburg, and that makes them the Central Jersey Sports Radio Turnaround Team of the Year for 2025.

There were many great moments during the year:

  • A 35-28 overtime win at Hopewell Valley in the season opener
  • A 22-15 win at Somerville in Week Two
  • A 22-16 overtime win against Linden on October 3
  • A massive 43-15 road win at Sayreville just before Cutoff Weekend

And there were many key players, like quarterback Jack Kristjanson; receiver Trey McFadden; two-way lineman, fullback and highly-regarded long-snapper Mike Bellamy, linebacker Drago Georgiev, and many more.

All lead to a remarkable season for the Cougars.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Montgomery head coach Sean Carty, QB Jack Kristjanson, WR Trey McFadden and DL/OL/FB/S Mike Bellamy:

by Alec Crouthamel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Montgomery quarterback Jack Kristjanson (14) fires a pass with pressure coming.
by Alec Crouthamel

Montgomery overcomes mistakes, holds on 20-15 over Woodbridge in North 2 Group 4 semifinals to earn first-ever title game trip

Next-play mentality. It is one that’s hard to perfect in high school football, no less when the going gets tough in the playoffs.

But Montgomery did just that, shaking off a couple of mistakes and instantly snatching the momentum back to defeat Woodbridge 20-15 in the North 2 Group 4 semifinals, advancing to the first sectional final in program history.

The Cougars (8-3) also rebounded from a 41-31 loss to the same team back on October 17th, and prevented the Barrons (8-3) from reaching the end zone in the second half, after they scored a trio of third-quarter touchdowns in the first matchup.

Montgomery was led on the ground by senior running back Caiden Miller and his 112 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. He crossed the century mark with a 14-yard run to ice the game with under two minutes to play – just a minute after needing to be helped off the field after suffering an apparent leg injury.

Senior quarterback Jack Kristjanson got it done with his arms and legs, completing 10 of 23 passes for 97 yards, and running for 44 yards on seven carries.

Woodbridge took the early momentum, as senior defensive back Emilio Ruiz stepped in front of a Kristjanson pass at midfield, intercepted it, and took it all the way to the house for a pick-six to open the scoring four minutes into the game.

As they have all year, the Cougars responded immediately. Junior wideout Xavier Harrigan took a bouncing kickoff 89 yards the opposite direction for a score just seconds later, and while the two-point attempt was no good, Montgomery was right back in it.

The two teams traded defensive stops before Woodbridge extended its lead. The Barrons used a long drive to take the momentum back, as senior running back Joshua Allen scored on a 15-yard toss play. A successful two-point conversion put the home team up by two possessions at 15-6 midway through the second quarter.

Montgomery then went two-for-one, efficiently marching down the field to close the first half, as Miller punched in a six-yard score with just over 90 seconds left in the half. After regrouping in the locker room, the Cougars got another short-yardage stop in their own territory, and once again used the ground game to take the lead. After a 12-play drive, senior Michael Bellamy rumbled in a two-yard rushing touchdown to give Montgomery a lead it would not relinquish.

The Barrons did not go down without a fight, however.

Even after punting on the ensuing drive to end the fourth quarter, they gave themselves another chance. Facing a third-and-long near the red zone, Kristjanson threw his second interception of the night, this time to Allen, as he ran the return all the way to the doorstep of the red zone.

But the Cougars’ defense held strong once again. Facing a second-and-four in the red zone, the defensive front stuffed Woodbridge on three consecutive run plays, including a fourth-and-one handoff where Allen was stuffed at the line of scrimmage.

And it still wasn’t over by that point.

The Cougars picked up two key third downs, as Kristjanson shook off his two picks and confidently found Harrigan for a first down through the air. Miller iced the game with his aforementioned heroic run after coming back from injury.

Finally, Montgomery was able to hold on, and clinched a sectional final berth for the first time in school history.

They will travel to Maloney Stadium next weekend and face off against top-seeded Phillipsburg in the North 2 Group 4 championship. The Stateliners (9-1) defeated fifth-seeded Colonia 35-7 in the opposite semifinal matchup on Friday night.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel with Montgomery head coach Sean Carty, along with running back Caiden Miller and wide receiver Xavier Harrigan, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 3 Montgomery, looking to finish strong in bounceback season, visits Rahway as Indians need “play in” win

For the fans, and yes, some of the coaches, Cutoff Weekend is about more than the football game itself.

You still may have to go out and win a game. Few teams are locked in like they used to be when we used just regular old power points. But everyone wants to know where they can finish, who they might play, and if they’re going to get a home game or not.

So, Friday night’s league matchup – where No. 3 Montgomery (6-2) visits Rahway (5-3) in the Bellamy & Son Paving “Big Central Game of the Week” on Central Jersey Sports Radio – has a lot more meaning to it than just what goes on out there on the field.

The Cougars are having a big bounce-back year, after an 8-1-1 senior-heavy team in 2023 gave way to a 1-9 season last year.

With many of the same players – like QB/WR tandem Jack Kristjanson and favorite target Trey McFadden – and the elevation of Offensive Coordinator Sean Carty to head coach – the Cougars are having another fine year, and have beaten two top-ten teams. Earlier in the season it was Somerville, last week it was undefeated Sayreville. (Uh-oh! What if they played Millville in a Group 4 final??)

As for their playoff standing, a win locks up a home game, a loss could leave it in doubt.

As for Rahway, it’s fairly simple. Win and get in. Lose, and it’s time to get the rosary beads, rabbit’s foot, and lucky dice while watching the scoreboard, because they would likely need an immense amount of help to get in, if it’s even possible.

But when you have a guy like Andrew Avent at runningback, who’s gone for over 4,000 yards in his career and now owns the single-season rushing and career total touchdowns and total points records, you have a shot in just about any game on the schedule.

Ah yes, this is life on Cutoff Weekend, however, and any team would love to be playing meaningful football in late October.

Both teams are in the North Group 4 supersection, and will land in the North 2, Group 4 section, when seeding is sorted by geography.

You can hear Friday night’s game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino calling all the action. Kickoff is at 7:00 from the Madden Sports Complex in Rahway, with pregame at 6:45. Bookmark this link to listen.

Click below for preview interviews with both head coaches:

Montgomery head coach Sean Carty with Dom Savino
Rahway head coach Brian Russo with Mike Pavlichko
by Mike Pavlichko

No. 10 Montgomery shuts down Jackson, pulls away for 43-15 road win at No. 5 Sayreville

The Montgomery football team – now 6-2 – has lost two games this year, both to solid opponents: Summit and Woodbridge.

But the mark of a good team is the ability to bounce back. They did it after the Summit loss, with a 22-15 upset win at Somerville, and they did it again Friday night, pulling away on the road for a 43-15 win to stun No. 5 Sayreville, which came in unbeaten at 7-0.

In a back-and-forth first half, Montgomery came out of the first 24 minutes with a 16-15 lead. Shaun Jackson opened the scoring with a 94-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to make it 7-0, but Caiden Miller answered in the second quarter with a one-yard touchdown run – the first of four on the night – that put them ahead 8-7 with a two-point run by QB Jack Kristjanson.

After Ryan SanFiorenzo answered with a 28-yard TD pass from Tyler Butka, that and a two-point run made it 15-8. Miller scored again from two yards out to give the Cougars the one-point halftime lead.

But the second half belonged to Montgomery, on both sides of the ball.

They got two scores in the third, on a Trey McFadden 18-yard touchdown catch, and a five-yard run by Miller. Krsitjanson ran in a fourth quarter touchdown, followed by a six-yard scamper by Miller.

And all the while, winning the time of possession battle – and playing excellent defense, Monty held Jackson to just 150 yards on the ground, a week after going for a career high 338 against Franklin. But perhaps even more impressive, he was limited to just ten carries, as Sayreville looked for big plays through the air in an attempt to come back.

Click below for postgame reaction from Montgomery head coach Sean Carty with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

It remains to be seen how the loss will affect the Bombers (7-1), who began the night in third in the South Group 5 supersection just 0.2 UPR points behind second-place Atlantic City. A top two finish would get them a No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group 5. Atlantic CIty (6-1) visits Hammonton (1-6) Saturday. The Bombers close at home next week with current No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas (5-3).

Montgomery had been seventh in North Group 4, but could make a big jump with beaucoup power points headed their way, 24 to be exact, including the maximum 18 residuals. The Cougars play on Friday of Cutoff Weekend at Rahway (4-3) in a game that will decide the Big Central Liberty Silver Division title. Rahway is 2-1 in the Division, Montgomery 3-1, so a Cougar win would give it to them outright, while an Indians’ win force a three-way tie with Somerville, also 2-1. The Cougars beat Somerville, while the Pioneers beat Rahway. Each would have a win in that scenario.

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery stuns No. 2 Somerville as Cougars rally to erase late deficit on the road with Kristjanson-McFadden connection, win 22-15

Close games are getting to be a bit of a habit for Montgomery, but when your record after three of those games is 2-1, you take it.

Such is the case for the Cougars, who got all three touchdowns from Trey McFadden on passes from QB Jack Kristjanson to upset No. 2 Somerville on the road Friday night, 22-15, at Brooks Field.

Montgomery (2-1) has clawed its way through the first third of its season. They beat Hopewell Valley in their opener, 35-28 in overtime, then lost to Summit last week at home, 31-28. Then, they beat Somerville by a touchdown Friday night.

Somerville led, 15-14, with under nine minutes to go in the game, but Montgomery won it with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Kristjanson to McFadden, with the QB running it in for a two-point conversion to make it an even seven-point advantage.

In the first season under head coach Sean Carty, who had been the team’s offensive coordinator under Zoran Milich, the team not only has fought through the first three games, but also to come back off a rough 1-9 season.

Now, they’ve doubled that win total in their first three contests.

Next week, they’ll face North Hunterdon, which is 0-3, but has been within a touchdown in all three defeats.

The Pioneers fall to 2-1 and will play at Rahway next Saturday.

Click below for postgame reaction from Montgomery head coach Sean Carty with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery avenges loss in ’24 opener, rallies to beat Hopewell Valley in overtime, 35-28

After falling to Hopewell Valley 42-0 at home last season, watching a 14-0 lead evaporate and giving up 20 straight points – six on a 45-yard pick-six – it could have been very easy for the Montgomery football team to watch its 2025 season opener slip through the players’ collective fingertips.

But that didn’t happen.

Montgomery got an 11-yard touchdown run by Caiden Miller and an extra point from Trey McFadden to take a one-point lead, 21-20, gave it back on a seven-yard touchdown catch by Jude Berman – who then threw a two-point conversion – and tied it up with a 78-yard kick return by Gesira Walcott to send it to overtime, tied 28-all.

In the overtime, the Cougars struck first. A 25-yard touchdown pass from QB Jack Kristjanson to Obinna Obuba – who’s also a champion hurdler on the track team – plus a McFadden PAT made it 35-28. The defense held on the Bulldogs’ turn, and head coach Sean Carty got his first win as Montgomery head coach in his debut game.

Kristjanson had a big night, too: 13-of-21 passing for 175 yards. McFadden also grabbed a game-high seven passes for 110 yards.

It was a huge win for the program, which went winless last year after taking heavy graduation losses. But to not only come back with a win, to top a team that blanked you and put up 40-plus just a year ago, spoke to the great strides the Cougars have made since. And it was on the road, to boot.

The Cougars (1-0) will play their home opener next Friday night at 7:00 when they entertain Summit (1-0), a 14-11 winner at Morristown Friday night.

Click below for postgame reaction from Montgomery Head Coach Sean Carty:

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2025 Camp Caravan:  Montgomery on the clock, looking for bounceback season

Central Jersey Sports Radio analyst Marcus Borden continued his 2025 Camp Caravan – visiting more than a dozen Big Central Conference schools – with a trip to Montgomery on Tuesday morning. The Cougars have a new head coach in Sean Carty, who has been with the program as Offensive Coordinator since 2018, and he’s just the second football coach in the program’s history.

Watch Borden’s full coverage below, including clips from camp, and interviews with Carty, along with seniors Aidan Mireider (OL/DL), Brian Gimabra (WR/SS), Dragomir Georgiev (OL/LB), Jack Kristjianson (QB), Mike Bellamy (OG/DE) and Trey McFadden (WR/S).

Click below to watch Marcus Borden’s Camp Caravan visit to Montgomery!

by Mike Pavlichko

It’s a family affair in southern Somerset County as Carty family leads Hillsborough, Montgomery

They coached against each other once before. Zoran Milich had to miss the game between Montgomery and Hillsborough in 2020, the COVID season, and Offensive Coordinator Sean Carty took his place.

On the other side of the field was his brother, Kevin, with their father also on the Raiders’ sideline, helping out.

And after a 26-6 win for Hillsborough, one would imagine a nice family reunion at midfield between the three members of the Carty clan who coached in the game. But, no. NJSIAA rules that year – because of the pandemic – put the deep-six on the handshake line to prevent the spread.

Sean, Kevin, and their father Kevin just stood and waved at each other.

That wasn’t the case last Thursday up at Kean University’s Harwood Arena, where the two were all smiles up at the third annual Big Central Conference Media Day.

While we don’t know the ins and outs of every coaching situation in the entire state over more than 100 years of high school football, it very well could be the first time – if not, certainly one of very few instances – where two brothers are head coaches at schools in neighboring towns.

Nonetheless, we caught up with both of them to talk about coaching virtually next-door to each other, and about the respective teams this upcoming season.

Montgomery head coach Sean Carty and Hillsborough head coach Kevin Carty, Jr., talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko at Big Central Media Day
by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery introduces Sean Carty as new football coach, just second in program history

It’s not usually a great idea to follow a legend, the one every successor will be measured up against.

There’s always an exception to the rule, and this might be a textbook exception.

After nearly three decades of Zoran Milich creating, building, and coaching the Montgomery football program the reins have officially been handed over to Sean Carty – part of the Cougar football family for almost a decade – to take over as just the second head coach of the program in Monty history.

READ MORE: Zoran Milich, who built Montgomery football from the beginning, talks about stepping down

Carty has been the Offensive Coordinator for years, but has been teaching in Montgomery since 2011, joining Milich’s staff in 2018. But he was no stranger to Milich, who played his high school football at Somerville, and was on Kevin Carty, Sr.’s staff when his son Sean was playing.

Already a mentor, Sean went to Rutgers, and was coaching with his brother, Kevin Jr., at Bound Brook until 2010, then later at Hillsborough until a position opened up on the staff at Montgomery.

A circuitous route, no doubt, but Carty has more than paid his dues. And now, he’s the third of the Carty family sons to be a head coach. Kevin Jr. is still at Hillsborough – Montgomery’s neighbor along Route 206 – and Ryan just finished his first season as the head coach at the University of Delaware.

Carty was introduced at the school Wednesday afternoon, but we caught up with him by phone Tuesday night before his big day.

And if the results of the rest of his coaching family are any indication, and if he’s learned anything from Milich, his longtime mentor, there will be many big days ahead for Sean Carty and Montgomery football.

Click here to listen to new Montgomery football coach Sean Carty talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about taking over the Cougar program

And what does Milich think about all this?

“This is a home run hire!” he told Central Jersey Sports Radio Tuesday afternoon, calling him “the perfect choice.”

“He is totally prepared for this opportunity after putting in many years mastering all three phases of the game — as an offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and special teams coach. On top of that, he’s deeply committed to building the future of the program,” Milich said, noting Carty just kicked off a tackle youth football program this past season, and that he’s always busy running a variety of youth football initiatives.

“His passion, leadership, and dedication to developing young athletes is unmatched. I have no doubt he will elevate the program to new heights while continuing to build a culture of excellence, integrity, and heart. Montgomery football is in great hands.”Â