Tag: Shaun Jackson

by Mike Pavlichko

Workman’s effort, nearly 300 rushing yards from Somerville’s Aidan Vesuvio-Bush earn him Higgins Speed Lab “Speedster of the Week” honors for Week 7

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 Seven winner is Somerville’s Aidan Vesuvio-Bush!

Back on Friday night, in a 40-28 win over Plainfield heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, the senior runningback went for 288 yards on an eye-popping 40 carries, along with three touchdowns, while he also caught a four passes for another 76 yards.

He’s now amassed 1,042 yards and 14 touchdowns this season and has helped put the Pioneers (7-1) in a position to possibly grab a top-seed in the playoffs, a year after winning the Central Jersey Group 3 championship.

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

Image highlighting Aidan Vesuvio-Bush, a football player from Somerville, showcasing his stats: 40 carries, 288 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a 40-28 victory over Plainfield.

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 7!

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

  • Aidan Vesuvio-Bush, Somerville: 40 carries for 288 yards and 3 TDs in a 40-28 win over Plainfield
  • Andrew Avent, Rahway: 9 carries for 240 yards and 4 TDs in a 41-6 win at New Brunswick
  • Brody Nugent, Old Bridge: 11 carries for 186 yards and 3 TDs in a 45-29 win at Hunterdon Central
  • Matthew Resende, Brearley: 22 carries for 171 yards and 1 TD in a 27-9 loss to Metuchen
  • Sam Dech, Phillipsburg: 18 carries for 156 yards and 4 TDs in a 42-0 win over Union
  • Devin Thomas, Plainfield: 8 carries for 152 yards and 1 TD in a 40-28 loss at Plainfield
  • Shaun Jackson, Sayreville: 10 carries for 150 yards and a 94-yard TD in a 43-15 loss to Montgomery
  • Al-Naiquan Boseman, Carteret: 23 carries for 147 yards in a 10-0 win over Linden
  • Jeremiah Dixon, Old Bridge: 9 carries for 132 yards and 1 TD in a 45-29 win at Hunterdon Central
  • C.J. Griffith, Ridge: 11 carries for 130 yards and 2 TDs in a 57-20 win over North Brunswick

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

With personal best, Shaun Jackson of Sayreville and his 338 rush yards make him the Week 6 Higgins Speed Lab “Speedster of the Week”

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 Six winner is Sayreville’s Shaun Jackson!

Last week, Jackson carried 20 times for 338 yards and four touchdowns in a big 37-28 win over Franklin, that keeps Sayreville in the hunt for the top seed in Central Jersey Group 5, with Cutoff Weekend just two weeks away. It was his third time rushing for over 200 yards this season, and he’s hit the century mark in all seven games this season.

On the season, he now has 1,404 yards and 18 touchdowns. While the 18 TDs also are a career high, he’s 81 yards away from tying last year’s total with two more regular season games and at least one more playoff game this season.

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

Image highlighting Shaun Jackson, the Speedster of the Week from Sayreville, with stats: 20 carries, 338 yards, 4 touchdowns, and a 37-28 win over Franklin.

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.

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

  • Shaun Jackson, Sayreville: 20 carries for 338 yards and 4 TDs (the latter two being career highs) in a 37-28 win at Franklin
  • Matthew Resende, Brearley: 23 carries for 223 yards and 2 TDs in a 49-14 win over South River
  • Joshua Allen, Woodbridge: 24 carries for 221 yards and 3 TD in a 41-33 win at Montgomery
  • Andrew Avent, Rahway: 10 carries, 201 yards and 3 TDs in a 49-20 win over Watchung Hills
  • Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage, Spotswood: 28 carries for 188 yards and 2 TDs in a 20-19 loss at Dayton
  • Aidan Vesuvio-Bush, Somerville: 22 carries for 178 yards and 3 TDs in a 43-14 win at North Hunterdon
  • Zaire Majerska, A.L. Johnson: 14 carries for 167 yards and 2 TDs in a 21-19 loss at Delaware Valley
  • Jamir Hall, Union: 12 carries for 165 yards and 2 TDs in a 13-0 win over South Brunswick
  • Andrew Schwarz, Hillsborough: 36 carries for 158 yards and 4 TDs in a 30-18 win over Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Jake Markey, Bound Brook: 19 carries for 151 yards in a 38-28 win at Middlesex

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

Jackson’s four touchdown send No. 8 Sayreville past No. 7 Piscataway, 42-24, to remain unbeaten

When two excellent teams meet, no matter their skill players, often it’s line play that determines who will come out on top.

And while Friday night’s “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving was by no means a blowout, No. 8 Sayreville controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and came out of Kenny Armwood Stadium with a 42-24 win over the No. 7 Chiefs.

The win Keeps Sayreville undefeated (6-0), while Piscataway drops to 4-2.

Shaun Jackson, the star runningback for the Bombers, was the biggest beneficiary of the superb line play by his teammates. He scored four times, the first coming after Landon Pernell scored from 20 yards out on the game’s opening drive for the Chiefs, on a 74-yard touchdown catch that tied the game at seven.

Then, he gave Sayreville its first lead, with a 15-yard run on the next possession. He also scored from a yard out just 2:12 before the half to give his team a 21-14 lead that would shrink to 21-17 after the Chiefs booted a 28-yard field goal with 25 seconds left before the break.

Jackson added a 24-yard run with 5:14 to go that sealed the deal, while Sherwin Appiah scored two touchdowns, on runs of six yards and one.

Jackson unofficially finished the night with 192 yards on 24 carries – putting him over 1,000 on the season – as the Bombers scored on all six full possessions. The only times they didn’t score was when they got the ball at the end of the first half with 20 seconds to play, and took a knee to head into the locker room, and in victory formation at the end of the game.

Sayreville also used multiple looks on offense that kept the Chiefs’ defense on their toes. They would direct snap to Jackson and Appiah, and it was a challenge just to keep up

The Bombers visit Franklin next week, while Piscataway hosts East Brunswick.

The win evened the all-time series at 20 wins each. No one has won back-to-back games in the series since the Chiefs won four straight from 2016 to 2019.

Click below for postgame reaction from head coach Mark Poore and runningbacks Sherwin Appiah and Shaun Jackson, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Sayreville improves to 4-0 for first time since 2018 state title season as Bombers hang on for 28-14 home win over Hillsborough

If anyone doubted Sayreville’s 3-0 start, they probably shouldn’t now.

Against a good, but struggling, Hillsborough team Friday night, the Bombers earned a hard fought 28-14 win, hanging on after taking a 21-0 lead into the second half.

Runningback Shaun Jackson started things off with 7:44 to go in the first quarter with a seven-yard touchdown run to make it 8-0, then came back 49 seconds into the second quarter with a long, 76-yard scamper down the left sideline. He added another from three yards out just before the half to make it 21-0 Bombers.

But Hillsborough got its offense together in the second half. On the opening possession, following a big catch by Hameed Kamara, Andrew Schwarz punched in the Raiders’ first score from three yards out at 9:52 of the third quarter.

After forcing a punt, the Raiders would reach the end zone again at the end of the third quarter on a Devon Khurana TD pass to Jayden Carter to get within a score.

Then, the Sayreville defense tightened. After a late stop, “Action Jackson” did it again, putting an exclamation point on the win with a 20-yard touchdown run with 1:55 to go to make it 28-14.

The Bombers are now 4-0, and its their best start since 2018, when they went 11-1 – their lone loss coming in the regular season to Piscataway – when they won the Central Jersey Group 5 title over North Brunswick, and then got a “Miracle at Met Life,” beating Williamstown 14-7 to win the South Jersey Group 5 regional bowl game, when Connor Holmes fell on a Braves’ fumble in the end zone with 41-seconds to put them ahead.

Next week, they host 0-4 North Brunswick.

Hillsborough, meanwhile, drops to 1-3 for the first time since 2016, with No. 1 Phillipsburg (3-0) coming to town next week, followed by a visit to Westfield.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with Sayreville Head Coach Mark Poore and senior RB Shaun Jackson, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

School record 6 TDs at North Brunswick earns Sayreville’s Shaun Jackson the Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving Player of Week Award

Following in the footsteps of Zaimer Wright is not an easy task, but for at least one game, Sayreville junior running back Shaun Jackson surpassed him.

He didn’t think he had the record when he came off the field. Maybe he tied it?

Nope. He broke it.

Shaun Jackson scored six touchdowns – yes, six – accounting for every one of the Bombers’ scores in a 40-29 win at North Brunswick Friday night.

Doing it in one game is special enough, but doing it against a longtime GMC rival made it even more special.

In five games Jackson now has eight rushing touchdowns. That means he only had two in the first four games, and both of those came against Edison. But Johnson is starting to get on a roll and feel comfortable in the offense.

So comfortable he set a school record with six rushing touchdowns against North Brunswick – beating Wright’s record by one – and earning him Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors for Week 4.

Sayreville (2-3) entertains big rival Piscataway (3-2) Friday night in Week Five action.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko’s interview with Week Four Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Shaun Jackson of Sayreville:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Ja’kir Thomas, Carteret: The senior runningback had a big night after a 230-yard performance against undefeated Summit in a losing cause the week before. Last Friday in a 37-7 win at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Thomas carried 18 times for 255 yards and three touchdowns, inlcuing long runs of 66 and 60 yards. On defense, he accounted for eight tackles and an interception, while also returning a kickoff 90 yards for a score, giving him four total touchdowns.
  • Jackson Jankowicz, Hillsborough: The senior runningback continues to be the go-to for the Raiders. He rushed for three touchdowns and 307 all-purpose yards – something few backs do against Phillipsburg – and had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a 42-35 road loss to the Stateliners Friday.
  • Ryan Turner, Ridge: In a 47-10 win at Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night, the senior H-backrushed just eight times but piled up 115 yards with touchdowns of 64 and 16 yards. He also grabbed four passes for 160 yards and four TDs, three of them going for over 45 yards.
  • Justin Scaramuzzo, St. Joseph-Metuchen: In a 35-16 win at Westfield last Saturday, the junior signal-caller was 13-of-18 passing for 280 yards and five touchdowns. And keep in mind, that game was in the rain! Not exactly friendly to a passing offense!
  • Bryan Anderson, Woodbridge: A big reason, but not the only reason, why the Barrons are 5-0, the senior had returned two interceptions for touchdowns (they had three as a team!) in a 42-14 home win over Linden Friday night. The pick sixes were for 40 and 97 yards, while he also recorded six tackles from his free safety spot. On offense, he had a 16-yard catch, and on special teams he had two fair catches on punt returns and one return on three attempts.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Kyle Bell, Colonia: In a 27-20 win over Perth Amboy, the sophomore came up big with two catches out of the backfield for 95 yards, including a 65 yard TD reception. He also had 13 carries for another 143 yards and a score.
  • Kelton Ibach, Delaware Valley: In a 57-6 win at Voorhees on Friday, the junior quarterback – and coach Ben Ibach’s son – was 8-of-14 passing for 198 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for two of his own.
  • Offensive Line, Edison: We love when linemen get nominated; they never get enough love! The Eagles’ front five paved the way for the Eagles to fly for nearly 400 yards on the ground (395 to be exact) on 55 carries, netting four touchdowns in a 27-13 win over Franklin Friday night.
  • Dylan Driz, JFK: The senior linebacker recorded nine solo tackles, three TFLs, a half a sack and three quarterback hurries that kept the Mustangs in a 20-13 loss to Monroe Friday.
  • Josh D’Ambrosio, Manville: In a 21-14 win over South Hunterdon Friday, the junior captain was all over the field. The quarterback carried 13 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns, for 50 and 26 yards, respectively. On defense, at free safety, he recorded five solo tackles, eight overall, and had the game-clinching interception, stopping the Eagles’ final drive at the Manville three-yard line with just under two minutes to go.
  • T.J. Munn, New Providence: In a 39-6 win over Roselle Friday, the senior quarterback was 4-of-5 passing for 46 yards and a touchdown, then carried seven times for 102 yards and touchdown runs of 43 and 32 yards. In the defensive secondary, he also picked off a pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown.
  • Daniel Figurski, North Hunterdon: In a 28-6 loss to Rahway, Figurski recorded ten tackles, a forced fumble, and a recovery.
  • Aaron Potts, North Plainfield: The senior runningback carried 17 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-6 win over New Brunswick Friday. He also had two catches for 20 yards.
  • Riley Wingate, Piscataway: In a 25-0 whitewash of South Brunswick Thursday night, the senior DE had seven tackles, two TFLs, and a pair of sacks, along with a QB hurry and one tipped pass. He helped lead a Chiefs’ defense that held the Vikings to just four yards on 26 carries.
  • Brandon Bradsher, Perth Amboy: The senior receiver had eight catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns, while at cornerback he recorded 10 solo tackles, 16 total, and broke up eight passes in a 27-20 loss at Colonia Friday.
  • Jaylen Eastman, Rahway: The sophomore defensive end was disruptive in a big way Friday in a 28-6 win over North Hunterdon, recording three solo tackles, a TFL, four QB hurries and a pass block, but the big one was a 48-yard pick six as he was rushing the quarterback.
  • Alfirs Garcia, Roselle Park: The senior runningback carried 15 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns, while also hauling in a 17-yard touchdown pass, to help the Panthers beat Brearley 24-6, for their first win against the Bears since 2013.
  • Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage, Spotswood: The junior quarterback did it with his feet and arm Friday in a 23-12 win at Highland Park. He carried 22 times for 89 yards while completing three of just five pass attempts for 113 yards and a touchdown in the victory.