Tag: Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage

by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood controls all three phases in solid Opening Night win over Middlesex

Week Zero games can be a crap shoot. Sometimes it all goes right, sometimes the play is real sloppy.

For the Spotswood football team, it was about 98 percent the first option.

In their first meeting since the COVID season, 2020, the Chargers scored three first half touchdowns and shut out visiting Middlesex, 38-0, powering through a long delay for an injured Blue Jays’ player in the third quarter, then rain for much of the second half to hang on to the shutout in the 2025 season opener for both schools, as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Senior quarterback Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage capped off three first half scoring drives – all of which started on the Middlesex side of the field – with touchdown runs of six, three and 23 yards, to give Spotswood a 21-0 lead at the break. He opened the second-half scoring with a 26-yard TD strike to sophomore Ryan Foster.

Others got into the scoring after that. Senior kicker Gavin Pereira booted a 45-yard field goal with 1:34 to go in the third, hitting from the right hash mark into a left-to-right crosswind, just getting it over the crossbar inside the left post. Then, with 10:26 to go in the game, Foster scored on the defensive side, with a 54-yard scoop and score.

Tolbert-Brimage finished 4-of-7 passing for 48 yards, with one unfortunate interception, a screen pass that went off the receiver’s fingertips, and bounced five yards away to a Blue Jay. He rushed for 119 yards on 12 carries to lead the team, while senior Sebby Saracino carried 12 times for 68 yards. Six different players logged at least two carries in the game.

Spotswood senior QB Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage celebrates his third touchdown of the game in a 38-0 home win over Middlesex on August 28, 2025. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Middlesex quarterback Matthew Petti, Jr. – a sophomore making his first varsity start – was 11-of-14 for 68 yards, with no TDs but also no turnovers. Most of that yardage came in the second half.

Sophomore Jo Jo Pham was the injured player in the second half. A long stoppage resulted, and word from the field was he had an elbow injury. Pham was taken off the field on a stretcher as a precaution.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

Spotswood senior QB/DE Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage and sophomore WR/CB Ryan Foster
Spotswood head coach Chris Meagher
by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood gets everyone into the act in 17-0 home win over South Hunterdon on Senior Night

The goal coming into Friday night’s game against South Hunterdon was simple: slow down Ed Cooper.

The South Hunterdon senior has been responsible for the vast majority of his team’s yards this year, and Friday night was no exception. But two Eagle miscues in the first half proved costly, and the Chargers made them pay.

The first came on a carry by Kellan Healy on the opening possession of the game. He fumbled at the Spotswood 39.

The Chargers marched down field, and junior QB Se’mir Tolbert Brimage capped off a seven-play drive with a two-yard touchdown run.

In the second quarter, Stephen Henits blocked a South Hunterdon punt, and gave his Chargers primo field position. While they didn’t reach the end zone, Gavin Pereira put one through the uprights from 27 yards away to make it 10-0 with 3:51 to go before the half.

On Spotswood’s second possession of the third quarter, they scored again. Sebastian “Seb” Saracino scored on the Chargers’ longest drive of the night – 12 plays – running it in from one-yard out, giving his team a 17-0 lead with the PAT.

South Hunterdon tried mixing in a change of pace to open things up for Cooper, but Healy and McCade Cummings couldn’t get it open enough.

Spotswood improves to 7-1 and has won seven straight since a season-opening non-league loss at Wood-Ridge. It was their fourth shutout of the season, the others coming against Brearly, Bound Brook and arch-rival South River.

The Eagles fall to 3-4.

Click below for postgame reaction from Alec Crouthamel, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Stephen Henits, Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage, Sebastian Saracino
Head Coach Chris Meagher
by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood capitalizes on Dayton miscues as Chargers continue playoff push with 34-7 victory in first game on brand-new turf

The sun was shining on a gorgeous fall day, glistening off the field just in time for the Chargers’ first game on their brand-new turf.

Saturday afternoon didn’t start well for Spotswood, which went all the way down the field on its opening drive of the game, only to fumble on the one-yard line.

But most of the rest of the way? It all went their way in a 34-7 home victory in their first game on their brand-new turf field.

Dayton took the lead briefly in the game. After Gavin Periera booted a 34-yard field goal to put the Chargers up 3-0 with 30 seconds to go in the first quarter, J.J. DeSarno found Adrian Bernknopf for an eight-yard touchdown pass, putting the Bulldogs up 7-3 in the second quarter.

And that’s when the Charger offense came alive. First, quarterback Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage ran in a 12-yard score at 6:14 of the second to give Spotswood the lead back at 10-7 with the PAT.

On the next possession, the Chargers forced Dayton into a punt, then blocked it, with Jayson Tejada returning it for six, making it 17-7.

Another Dayton turnover on their next possession boosted Spotswood yet again, as Julian Sanchez recovered a fumble, and Seb Saracino capitalized with a three-yard TD run to make it 24-7 with 47 seconds to go before the half.

And they still weren’t done. Spostwood recovered a pooch kick on the ensuing kickoff, and with timeouts in hand, got down to the ten before Tolbert-Brimage hit Vinny Young for a touchdown pass 12 seconds before halftime to make it 31-7 going into the break.

Periera added a 35-yard field goal late in the third quarter.

Spotswood improves to 6-1 as it continues to push toward the playoffs. Despite one loss, they entered the week at No. 17 in the South Group 2 supersection, but unofficially pulled into 15th before the Dayton game based on results from Thursday and Friday night.

Gridiron New Jersey typically releases updated official NJSIAA UPR standings as early as Sunday during the season.

The Chargers will face South Hunterdon (3-3) Friday night at home. Dayton will host Dunellen (0-7) Friday night.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with the Spotswood Chargers, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2024 GMC/BCC Camp Caravan: Manville, Metuchen, Spotswood hit the Shore for quad scrimmage at Point Pleasant Beach

Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden took advantage of the beautiful weather Tuesday morning to catch Manville, Metuchen and Spotswood in a quad scrimmage down at Point Pleasant Beach, as he continues his Camp Caravan tour in the 2024 preseason.

You can find videos – including video highlights and interviews – from all three teams below.

Manville: Head Coach Dave Markowitch, senior Armondo Lazzeri (G/DE), and juniors Josh D’Ambrosio (QB/S) and Isaiah Bennett (RB/LB)

Metuchen: Head Coach Jordan Leitner, senior Evan Toth (RB/LB and juniors Kyle McPartlan (QB), Cam Hayes-Durina (WR/S) and Justus Leitner (WR/CB)

Spotswood: Head Coach Chris Meagher, seniors John Wallace (OT/DT), Sebastian “Seb” Saracino (RB/LB), Stephen Henits (WR/OLB) and junior Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage (QB/DE)

You can now watch all the 2024 Camp Caravan videos on YouTube by clicking this link!

by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood keeps growing program, aims for continued success after 8-2 playoff season and Big Central Freedom Gold title

By most measures, the 2023 Spotswood football team had a wonderful season.

With an 8-2 record, the Chargers won the Freedom Gold Division and made the playoffs – albeit narrowly, although that may have been more of a function of their schedule and the NJSIAA playoff formula – but there’s still room for improvement.

They’ve done that over the past two seasons, going from 1-8 in head coach Chris Meagher’s debut season, but then went 7-3 in 2022 – missing the playoffs somehow – and 8-2 a year ago.

They may be untested at quarterback, but for a small school they will have a big kid there in Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage. He”s a transfer from North Brunswick, where he mainly played at defensive end.

He’s a hulk at 6’4″ 220 pounds, and enjoys contact, so you can expect him to embrace running the ball as much as throwing it, or hitting quarterbacks on the opposing team. And it’s probably a good thing he plays both, and doesn’t have to hit his own QB in practice.

Click below to hear from Spotswood fourth-year head coach Chris Meagher and Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage at Big Central Media Day: