Tag: Skyland

by Dylan Allen

Hillsborough looks to beat Rutgers Prep for the first time since 2013, and maybe earn a top seed in the SCT in the process

Defense, defense, defense: a main reason behind Hillsborough’s success this season.

The Raiders have won nine of their last ten games, beat Gill St. Bernard’s not once, but twice, and sit at 10-2 overall, 4-0 in Skyland Conference Delaware Division play. But on Tuesday night, Rutgers Prep won’t be a walk in the park.

The Argonauts sit at 10-4 overall and are also undefeated in conference play at 5-0. Averaging 69.1 points per game, it will be Hillsborough’s toughest test defensively thus far this season.

And there are major implications for seeding in the Somerset County Tournament, which is just a couple of weeks away. With Gill essentially out of the picture, how the two games between the Raiders and Argonauts play out will be huge, not to mention Montgomery being in the mix as well.

All that defense aside, if Hillsborough wants to come out on top and beat Prep for the first time in over a decade, then they’ll need their main offensive contributors to do their part. And it will need to be a full team effort on both ends of the floor.

Senior forwards Jayden Green and Philip Unangst have been the one-two punch on offense for the Raiders this season. With Green and Unangst averaging 15 and 14.5 points per contest. But watch out for Nick Losch on the perimeter. Losch may not average the numbers of Green and Unangst, but he sure is a threat from downtown. In his 11 games played this season, Losch has hit 17 three pointers which ranks second on the team behind Unangst, who has 19.

Zion Harrison is another guy who can take his game to the next level any given night. Harrison has scored in double figures in three games this year. His numbers may be down compared to prior years, but his experience at the varsity level cannot be overlooked. Harrison, a senior, is in his third year on the varsity squad and provides a ton of upperclassman experience.

The game comes down to this. Hillsborough’s defense versus Rutgers Prep’s offense.

It’s a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Mike Pavlichko and Dylan Allen calling all the action. Pregame starts at 6:45 pm, with tip-off at 7:00. Click here to listen.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Dylan Allen talk with Hillsborough head coach Tim Palek

by Mike Pavlichko

Little change in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, but JP Stevens makes its debut

None of the top nine teams in the Week 5 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten saw any change in their ranking, but a new team joined the group in Week 6.

JP Stevens is 11-2 on the year, and has won four straight games, with its only divisional loss coming to White Division leader North Plainfield, with a rematch on tap next week.

In the meantime, Rutgers Prep remains in the No. 1 spot with a 13-3 record following a 3-0 week that saw wins during the week over Hillsborough and Ridge – the second of which earned head coach Mary Klinger her 300th coaching win – as well as over Montclair-Immaculate in the More than a Highlight showcase Saturday.

That’s 34 straight weeks at No. 1 for Prep, which is the only team to hold the spot in the three-plus year history of the CJSR/Bellamy & Son rankings.

Gill St. Bernard’s (13-2) played in the same event Saturday, beating St. Mary’s-Manhasset (NY) following an earlier win during the week over Watchung Hills, keeping them at No. 2 in the rankings.

Third is St. Thomas Aquians (11-4), which also had an unbeaten week, including a home victory over South Brunswick and a road win at Old Bridge.

Checking in at No. 4 is North Plainfield (13-2). The Canucks went 3-0 this week, beating Perth Amboy, Edison and Sayreville, and have won eight straight games, the longest current streak among CJSR-area teams.

Colonia (11-5) holds in fifth despite a 1-2 week, which began with an MLK Day loss at the Jarel Lowery Showcase to Newark Central, and a mid-week non-conference loss to Chatham. The Patriots regrouped with a three-point road win over South Brunswick.

In sixth is Hillsborough (8-5), which fell to Rutgers Prep Wednesday, but bounced back with wins over Immaculata and Pingry.

Holding at seven is Monroe (11-4). The Falcons split a pair this week, beating East Brunswick, but losing an out-of-conference game to Plainfield.

Somerville (11-2) holds in 8th, bookending a mid-week loss to Voorhees with wins over Belvidere and Linden.

In ninth, it’s East Brunswick (9-5), which lost to Monroe Wednesday, but beat Piscataway Saturday afternoon.

Dropping out was Bound Brook (8-4), which went 1-2 this past week with losses to Piscataway and Westwood sandwiched around a victory over Manville.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 6:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep remains No. 1 in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, as Montgomery, South Plainfield, Watchung Hills edge upward

There was very little movement, and none at the top, in the Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten.

Rutgers Prep (10-4) went 3-0 this past week, part of a stretch that saw Somerset County teams go 11-1, picking up wins over Immaculata and at Ridge, whose only two prior losses were to St. Joseph-Metuchen – the highest ranked team in the GMC – and Phillipsburg.

The Argonauts are followed by St. Joe’s in second at 11-4. The Falcons went 2-1 this week, starting with an 80-61 win over St. Thomas Aquinas on Wednesday to clinch the GMC Red Division, and ostensibly the top seed in the GMC Tournament. They followed it up with a 72-63 win at Colonia in their rematch with the Patriots, but fell Saturday afternoon to Elizabeth in a non-conference game.

Colonia (9-5) holds in third, after a 2-1 week that saw their loss to Joe’s bookended by a Monday win over Monroe, and a Saturday thrashing of South Brunswick.

St. Thomas Aquinas (12-4) maintains the No. 4 spot despite a 1-2 week. They beat Saddle River Day Monday, lost to St. Joseph on Wednesday, then fell to Newark Central in a Brick City showcase over the weekend.

Montgomery (11-1) moved up to fifth, flip-flopping with Hillsborough. The Cougars took a road win at Carteret, then beat state top-ten College Achieve Asbury Park 78-62 at home Sunday afternoon, in a game rescheduled from Friday due to snow.

Hilllsborough (10-2) also had a 2-0 week, winning at Hunterdon Central during the week and beating Governor Livingston at home on Saturday. The Raiders are 4-0 in the Skyland Delaware Division and have a huge clash at home Tuesday at 7 pm against No. 1 Rutgers Prep, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

In seventh is Ridge (9-3), which split a pair this week. They lost to Rutgers Prep Wednesday, but came back Saturday for a home win against Hamilton West.

South Plainfield (11-4) climbed from ninth to No. 8 with a 2-0 week that saw a pair of road wins over Perth Amboy and Edison.

Watchung Hills (11-2) also went 2-0 last week, and moved from tenth to ninth; the Warriors beat Bound Brook Monday and Franklin Wednesday.

Monroe (11-4) dropped to tenth after a 2-2 week; they were the only area team to fit four games in their schedule over the last seven days. They dropped their first two at Colonia Monday and at home to Old Bridge Wednesday, before bouncing back with a win at East Brunswick Thursday and getting a win at JP Stevens on Saturday.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 6:

by Mike Pavlichko

GMC will figure large atop CJ4 playoff section: a look at where area teams stand for states

The high school basketball regular season is more than past the halfway point, which means it’s crunch time for teams making a push toward the state tournament – even though the counties come first.

We’re taking a look at where the Greater Middlesex Conference and Somerset County teams stand in terms of power points, ahead of the NJSIAA playoff cutoff date on Saturday, February 10th.

The big thing to remember is there are still about three weeks left in the regular season, a lot of games to be played, and that the top 16 power point values count toward a team’s standing. Since lower scores are dropped as higher scores come in, and wins are worth a lot more than losses, a team with 14 wins has more room to gain ground than a team with 16 wins.

Here is a section-by-section look at every section with teams from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area, based on the official NJSIAA standings as calculated by NJ.com, with data retrieved as of 10 am on Sunday, January 21st.

Central Jersey Group 4: It’s a pretty good likelihood that a GMC team will get the top seed in this section, and it will be interesting to see if this is a good indicator how strong – and balanced – the GMC is. Of the top seven teams occupying the top six spots (there’s a tie for sixth) there are five teams from Middlesex County and one from Somerset. Monroe (11-4) leads the pack at 340 points, but there’s not a lot of separation with the teams behind them. Montgomery (10-1) is just seven points behind, with 333, followed by Old Bridge (8-8, 303), Sayreville (11-4, 289) and North Brunswick (8-6, 264). Then, there’s a sixth place tie between East Brunswick (7-10, 258) and Manalapan (9-4). However, that’s the end of the local teams, for now. New Brunswick (18th, 5-9, 141) and South Brunswick (19th, 1-13, 127) sit outside the bubble and will have some work to do in the coming weeks if they’re to make the field.

Central Jersey Group 3: There aren’t a lot of area teams here to begin with, with only two being a real factor. The top spot is held by Red Bank Regional (11-3, 344 points). They have a sizeable lead (74 points) over Burlington Township (10-4). The highest standing area team is Carteret (8-6, 227), with the Ramblers having a good shot at – the very least – a first round home game with a top eight finish. Then, there’s a three-way tie for seventh heading into Sunday, with Somerville (6-8), Freehold Borough (9-3) and Middletown North (7-9) all tied with 221 points, just six behind Carteret. It’s a very tight middle of the pack here.

Central Jersey Group 2: Defending statewide Group 2 champion Manasquan (13-1, 383 points) leads the pack here by a decent, but not insurmountable margin over Rumson-Fair Haven (11-3, 342). Spotswood is the top GMC team here at 9-5, with 239 points, but just six points ahead of Bound Brook (7th, 10-5, 233 points). After Bordentown (7-8, 228) in eighth, there’s Metuchen (8-7, 194) and Middlesex (8-7, 187). South River – lost to ‘Squan in last year’s sectional final here, is 6-7 at the moment, with 173 points, but in 13th place. But there’s room to gain for the Rams if they can get hot late.

Central Jersey Group 1: Henry Hudson leads the pack here (13-1, 269) followed by Shore (11-3) not far behind at 250 points. But it’s a little further back to get to third-place Manville at 8-4 with 202 points, just one ahead of Brearley (7-3, 201). South Amboy sits in sixth but is not eligible due to disqualifications, so that would move Perth Amboy Magnet (7-4, 165) up to seventh, and could help them get a first round home game. Dunellen sits in 10th (6-7, 140) with the South Amboy adjustment, leaving Highland Park (5-8) and Somerset Tech (3-10) tied for 13th at 119 points each. And for those following, College Achieve Asbury Park, the Dave Boff version of Roselle Catholic South, stands in fifth at 8-3, with 175 points, and a big Sunday game against Montgomery on tap.

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 4: It’s possible three Somerset County schools have a crack at the top seed here, and right now it’s Watchung Hills with the leg up. The Warriors are 11-2 with 376 points, 59 ahead of second place Elizabeth, which also is 11-2. Ridge (9-3, 310) is in third, tied with Scotch Plains-Fanwood (10-6). Then, it’s Hillsborough in fifth at 10-2, with 303 points, and a big home game Tuesday against Rutgers Prep, which can be heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio (7 pm tip). Woodbridge (8-5, 259) is the highest GMC team here, in eighth, and Piscataway is two spots behind them at 8-8, with 243 points. There are a bunch of four teams on the outside looking in, but not that far off the mark. From 17-to-20 is Perth Amboy (6-10, 219), Franklin (5-7, 217), Bridgewater-Raritan (5-9, 203) and JP Stevens (6-7, 174). The Hawks are only 49 points out of a playoff spot, the furthest away; the Panthers are just four points out. They all have a mathematical shot.

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 3: The title here has gone to Colonia the last two seasons, and the Patriots are right in the thick of it again. Cranford leads the pack at 10-4, with 369 points, and South Plainfield (11-4, 342) is close behind. (We’ll have the Tigers on CJSR Thursday night at 7 pm when they host Woodbridge.) After Millburn (11-3, 328) and Payne Tech (9-4, 319), there’s Colonia in fifth at 9-5, with 311 points. Then, you have to go all the way down the list to North Plainfield in 18th, with a 4-9 record and 174 points. But they can get if they can string some late wins together, which would make up a lot of ground. The current 16th place team is Governor Livingston, at 7-5, but 197 points, just 23 points away from the Canucks. 

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 2: The only area team here is Bernards, and the Mountaineers are 9-5 with 256 points, sitting in seventh place. They’re a good bet for a first round home game at least. Madison leads the pack at 11-3, with 324 points.

Non-Public South A: With just 13 teams here, everyone makes the field. Red Bank Catholic leads at 10-5 with 375 points, with Christian Brothers Academy just six points behind at 11-3. And then, in third, just one point behind is St. Joseph-Metuchen. The Falcons are 11-4 with 368 points. Rutgers Prep (10-4) is in fifth, 46 behind Paul VI, and their Tuesday game (7 pm on CJSR) at Hillsborough is a big one for them, too. Pingry is in sixth at 9-2, with 299 points, then Immaculata in tenth (6-6, 233).

Non-Public North B: Morris Catholic leads the pack of 15 teams who will all get in, at 13-1, with 420 points, a sizeable lead over St. Mary-Rutherford with a 12-2 mark and 342 points. Then, it’s St. Thomas Aquinas in third (11-4, 290). After Montclair-Immaculate (8-5, 254), there’s Timothy Christian (9-4, 242) just 12 points away from a top four finish, and Gill St. Bernard’s – with an uncharacteristic 7-7 record, and at 211 points – in sixth. Wardlaw-Hartridge (0-13, 77) is 14th among the 15 teams.

Non-Public South B: The only area team in this section is Calvary Christian, which is 9-1 with 158 points and sitting in eighth out of the 14 teams, who can all get in. The leader is St. Rose of Belmar (15-1, 498), well ahead of second-place Trenton Catholic, which is 11-3 but with only 260 points. We feel good giving St. Rose the top-seed at this point, with a whopping 238 point lead!

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep’s Mary Klinger picks up milestone 700th win as Argonauts roll past Ridge

With all due respect to the opponent, the pizza got there early.

More than a dozen boxes, all for friends, family, alumni, fellow coaches, former coaches to honor Mary Klinger after the game on her 700th win.

Of course, the game was played, and Ridge hung in tough early. But keep in mind, Rutgers Prep girls basketball hasn’t lost a game to a Skyland Conference opponent since a defeat at the hands of Franklin and her good friend Audrey Taylor in the 2019 Somerset County Tournament Final. And, of course, the Warriors went undefeated that year, winning the Tournament of Champions.

Rutgers Prep head coach Mary Klinger (left) and her college coach, former Rutgers mentor Theresa Grentz, with whom they won the 1982 AIAW National Championship, after Klinger’s 700th win as a head coach on January 18, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

And for all the threes Mikayla Blakes sunk, or the and-ones Ava LaMonica got, or the hard trips to the foul line GiGi Battle earned, this night was about their coach, their mentor, Mary Klinger.

Whatever happened in the 85-42 win was secondary to what would happen when the final horn sounded.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE FINAL HORN, WITH POSTGAME INTERVIEWS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL!

In the fourth quarter, Prep staff handed out “700” signs for the crowd to hold up. Audrey Taylor was in the house. So was former Rutgers basketball coach and color commentator Dick Lloyd. So was Mary’s college coach, Theresa Grentz, with whom they brought Rutgers the 1982 AIAW National Championship.

If you really want to know what happened in the game: Battle led Prep (12-3, 6-0 Skyland Delaware) with 16, LaMonica chipped in 16, and five-star recruit Mikayla Blakes scored 14, including four treys. The starting five came out midway through the third quarter. Sophia Georgiades led all scorers with 17 for Ridge (5-9, 3-3 Skyland Raritan).

Rutgers Prep’s GiGi Battle drives to the basket against Ridge in the game that would give her head coach, Mary Klinger, her 700th win. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Klinger has been at Prep since the 1984-85 season, almost right off The Banks. She was already an impressive 469-217, with a winning percentage of .683, over her first 30 seasons. 

Over the next ten? Well, she’s 232-37 since the start of the 2014-15 season.

The win was the Argos’ 46th straight against Somerset County opponents, and 59th in a row against the Skyland Conference. 

That’s almost as impressive.

Click below for postgame reaction after Rutgers Prep coach Mary Klinger’s 700th win, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Rutgers Prep coach Mary Klinger
Chloe Escanillas and Mikayla Blakes
by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep leads Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten; Colonia jumps Aquinas after win

For the second week in a row, Rutgers Prep took the top spot in the Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten, while Colonia flip-flopped with St. Thomas Aquinas after a Thursday win over the Trojans.

On the other end, Gill St. Bernard’s dropped out for the first time in the poll’s three-year-and-change history. They had been in the rankings for 32 straight weeks. The Knights were 0-3 this week and have lost five straight for the first time under head coach Mergin Sina, and overall since the 2007-08 season, in which Gill went 8-14, their last losing season.

Rutgers Prep (7-4) went 1-1 this past week, claiming a division win over Franklin Thursday, then falling to St. Benedict’s by ten Saturday in the Dennis Gregory Memorial Showcase at Caldwell University.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (9-3) stayed in the second slot after a 2-1 week themselves. They beat East Brunswick and Monroe on Wednesday and Thursday, then lost Sunday to St. Benedict’s at the same showcase as Prep.

Colonia (7-4) bumped up to third after a win over previous No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas – which falls to fourth this week. That was the Trojans; lone game of the week, while Colonia fell to Elizabeth Sunday in the Investors Savings Bank Scholarship Games.

There are two big games this week in the GMC involving those three teams. St. Joseph visits St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday night, while the Falcons host Colonia on Thursday.

Holding at No. 5 is Hillsborough (8-2). The Raiders beat Gill St. Bernards for the second time this season on Thursday, then lost to Caldwell Sunday, 52-51.

In sixth is Montgomery (9-1), which was the only Top Ten team this past week to go without a loss. The Cougars beat Pingry on Thursday, then edged Scotch Plains-Fanwood by five at the Investors’ Games.

Up two spots to seventh is Ridge (8-2), which went 1-1 with a victory over Hunterdon Central Thursday, but a loss to Phillipsburg on Saturday.

Monroe (9-2) falls from seventh to eighth after a 1-1 week. They lost to No. 2 St. Joe’s 53-46 on Thursday, but rebounded with a Saturday rout of South Brunswick.

At No. 9 is South Plainfield. The Tigers are 9-4 after a 2-1 week, with wins at New Brunswick and home over North Brunswick, before a defeat at Westfield Sunday.

And back in the rankings after a week out is Watchung Hills (9-2) at No. 10. The Warriors won their only game last week, beating Immaculata out of the Skyland Delaware Division.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Week 5 Boys’ Basketball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Big wins keep division, tournament top-seed races interesting in GMC, Somerset County

We’re just three weeks away from the seeding meetings in both the Greater Middlesex Conference and Somerset County, and things sure are getting intriguing on the boys’ side.

Hillsborough’s second win this season over Gill St. Bernard’s essentially killed the Knights’ shot at the Number One seed in Somerset County, now with three division losses, and the Raiders having beaten them twice. And in the GMC, Colonia’s win over St. Thomas Aquinas might have cost the Trojans – three-time defending champs – their shot at the top spot.

Somerset County

In the Delaware Division of the Skyland Conference, both Hillsborough and Rutgers Prep are 4-0, while Gill and Immaculata are behind them, each with three division losses already. The division will come down to Hillsborough and Rutgers Prep.

They will meet twice more this season, but Gill and Prep won’t meet again until after the Somerset County Tournament is seeded. 

The first meeting between the Raiders and Argonauts is slated for later this month in Hillsborough, on Tuesday the 23rd, and we’ve now added that to our Central Jersey Sports Radio broadcast schedule. Tip-off is at 7:00; pregame at 6:40. The second meeting is on Thursday, February 1, at Prep.

A sweep would give that team the division, a split makes it interesting.

But we can’t talk about this race without talking about Montgomery. The Couagrs are 8-1 heading into a 6:30 game Sunday night against Scotch Plains-Fanwood at the Investors Bank Scholarship Games, then plays Carteret on Martin Luther King Day. They are 3-0 against Somerset County teams this far, but will play many more down the stretch. That includes a January 30th matchup against Rutgers Prep. They host Hillsborough on Saturday, January 3rd, right before the Monday SCT seeding. 

Our thinking is: A sweep by Hillsborough or Rutgers Prep of the other would give that team a leg up at the very least for the top seed in the SCT. A split would tend to favor Montgomery, which could beat both of them and claim the top seed. Other scenarios could make it a real tough call for the coaches in that seeding room.

Greater Middlesex Conference

Heading into the weekend, it’s St. Joseph-Metuchen with a sizable lead in the GMC Red. They are 7-0 in divisional play, with Colonia behind them at 5-1. Monroe and St. Thomas Aquinas are both a half game back, both 5-2.

But the Falcons haven’t played much against the top of the schedule yet. They beat Colonia 43-42 back on December 19th, and have yet to play St. Thomas Aquinas. They meet the Trojans this coming Tuesday, and again two weeks later on the 30th. And they host the Patriots January 18th.

Here’s also an example of where the GMC’s pilot program – now in its second season – could come back to bite the schools that aren’t playing all divisional opponents (see: Aquinas and Joe’s) twice: Monroe has two losses, and would be a longshot to get back in the race. 

They did beat Aquinas by 15, so playing them once might help them, but they lost to St. Joe’s by seven, and won’t get another crack at them. Colonia, on the other hand – the only public in the division playing Joe’s and Aquinas twice each – has a win over the Trojans and a loss to the Falcons, but has another chance at both, so they could sweep Aquinas and earn a split with Joe’s. They might still need some help, but it’s a hope to cling to that Monroe can’t.

One important thing to note: only the first matchup between teams counts toward the standings. So if Colonia beats Joe’s, for example, and they both end up with one loss, Joe’s would officially have zero losses, since the second matchup with the Patriots “doesn’t count.” I

It could, however, be considered in any other tiebreaker, but would be considered as a win over a quality opponent, as any out-of-divisoln game would be.

by Mike Pavlichko

Bound Brook cleans the boards, plays solid D, in 27th straight win over Bernards

Bound Brook had a distinct size advantage over Bernards heading into their Skyland Conference crossover game Saturday afternoon, and the Crusaders used every inch to their advantage.

Whether it was rebounding, getting shots over defenders, driving the hoop, or getting in passing lanes, it worked to perfection, leading the home Crusaders (8-4) to a 73-53 win over visiting Bernards (7-4).

Jackson Morrison led the Brook with 23 points, including three treys, while Jeremiah Williams chipped in 22. Monte Douglass led Bernards in defeat with 16.

The teams exchanged the lead a few times early, but Bound Brook went on a run in the middle of the first to take a 21-11 lead after the first eight minutes, and they would never trail again, leading by as many as 23 at one point in the final quarter.

Click below for postgame reaction with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

Bound Brook junior Jackson Morrison and head coach Anthony Melesurgo
by Mike Pavlichko

Lauber, Taylor, Somerville defense get the better of Bound Brook; Pioneers remain atop Mountain

In a battle of thew top two teams in the Skyland Conference Mountain Division, the ninth-ranked Somerville girls’ basketball team topped tenth-ranked Bound Brook on the road Saturday, beating the Crusaders 36-28 in a low-scoring affair heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Sophomore Kaylee Lauber finished well over her season average of 13.5 points per game, tallying 19 by the time all was said and done. And junior Charlotte Taylor had 11, including 5-of-8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, as Bound Brook sent her there to try and get back in the game.

After The Brook took a 2-0 lead, The ‘Ville went on a 9-0 run to go up by seven, but the Crusaders got back into it, and it stayed tight throughout: Bound Brook led by just one point at the half, and heading into the final quarter.

But the Somerville defense was just a little better, tipping passes and picking the ball away from Bound Brook. Lauber had a key stretch in the fourth with a three and a two-point basket that put her team up, with Taylor eventually salting it away from the line.

Somerville improves to 9-1 with the win, 4-0 in the Skyland Mountain Division. Bound Brook drops to 7-2 overall, 4-2 in the division. The two will rematch February 1st at Somerville.

The win was also the 150th for Pioneers’ head coach Matt Melesurgo, who is now 150-58 in his ninth season at the helm.

Click below for postgame reaction with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

Somerville sophomore Kaylee Lauber
Somerville head coach Matt Melesurgo