Tag: South Hunterdon

by Mike Pavlichko

South Hunterdon gets first playoff win in almost a decade, rallying after halftime to beat Salem

The second-seed in South Jersey Group 1, South Hunterdon found itself down 6-0 at the half to visiting seventh-seed Salem, but wasn’t panicked.

There were some mistakes they felt they could clean up, and some big plays they needed to make.

In the second half, they did both, en route to a 16-6 win over the Rams, who fell to 2-8 on the season.

South Hunterdon, meanwhile, improved to 9-1 – their only loss a Week Zero home defeat to Ewing – and got its first playoff win since 1994. It puts them in next week’s South 1 semifinals – again at home – against third-seed Glassboro, a 28-0 home winner over sixth-seed Keyport Friday night.

Ryan Manfready scored twice in the second half. His first touchdown gave South a 7-6 lead it would only build upon. Momentum swung when Manfready recovered the ensuing kickoff, even though the Eagles wouldn’t cash in.

South Hunterdon held with just over ten minutes left when a Salem field goal attempt missed. They eventually recorded a safety, and Manfready’s second touchdown provided the final score.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk about South Hunterdon’s playoff win with Eagles’ head coach Toby Jefferies:

by Mike Pavlichko

Road Trip! Here are the longest bus rides for Big Central teams in the first round of the playoffs

If the dizzying machinations that go into the NJSIAA’s complicated UPR formular for seeding the playoffs don’t have you throwing up your hands, tossing all your papers into the air, yelling “I GIVE UP!” then we’ve got more for you.

Full disclosure: This is my favorite story to write every year, simply due to the sheer absurdity.

If you’re on the Dunellen, Johnson, or Carteret football teams, better bring a DVD player and a good movie along with your uniform, pads and helmet.

All three have trips of well over an hour, in some cases closer to two, according to Google Maps.

Let’s look at the “shortest” of the three: 6th-seed Carteret’s trip to play 3rd-seed Camden Saturday afternoon in Central Jersey Group 3 first round action. By distance, it’s only 72 miles. On a Saturday morning with no traffic, expect that ride to take an hour and 16 minutes.

Even longer is 8th-seed Dunellen’s trip to face top-seed Woodstown in South Jersey Group One opening round play Friday night. That’s a whopping 92.4 miles, and with no traffic, is an hour and 42 minute ride. Friday, leaving the fieldhouse at Columbia Park at 3 pm, it could take anywhere from an hour and 45 minutes to two-and-a-half hours. You could almost finish The Godfather on that trip.

And then there’s 6th-seed AL Johnson’s trip down to face 3rd-seed Pleasantville Friday night in Central Jersey Group 2 opening round action.

For those not familiar, Pleasantville is down near Atlantic City. The Crusaders can jump on the Parkway pretty easily, but good luck getting over the Driscoll Bridge at rush hour.

It’s a 103 mile drive that would take about 92 minutes with no traffic. Leaving the fieldhouse at The Pit at 3:30 on a Friday? Google Maps says expect a drive of anywhere from an hour and 40 minutes to two hours and 40 minutes. At least they’re not going there on Memorial Day Weekend!

Can we please go back to geographical sections where the top eight teams make it and that’s the end of the story? Is there any juice to Dunellen-Woodstown? What about the trips others have to make here?

Kingsway at Hunterdon Central is over almost 80 miles and could be a two-hour trip in Friday traffic. Cinnaminson to New Providence is over 90 miles and could take two hours and 20 minutes. Salem at South Hunterdon is about the same.

In the new world of the NJSIAA where there are concerns about mental health of student-athletes, letting them have time to decompress between seasons, these drives certainly can’t be in their best interest, can they?

P.S. – The shortest trip for a Big Central team? Glad you asked. It’s easily 8th-seed Governor Livingston at top-seed Summit in North 2, Group 3 first round action. Their fields are less than 3.9 miles away, or nine minutes, with no traffic. Shoot, they could walk that!

by Mike Pavlichko

FRIDAY Cutoff Weekend Playoff Analysis: Group 1

It’s Cutoff Weekend, and we’re the place to get all the updated playoff standings all week long, with our coverage brought to you by My Family Appliances on Route 1 South in the Wick Plaza, Edison.

We’ll have more analysis throughout the day Saturday as scores roll in. And don’t forget to join us for our “Playoff Projection Show” on Saturday at 6:00 pm as Mike Pavlichko brings you all the playoff projections, with analysis and commentary by Marcus Borden, live in studio!

Here’s an updated look at the Group 1 supersections based on Friday night results as reported to Gridiron New Jersey.

NORTH GROUP 1

We project no Big Central Conference teams in this supersection, after Brearley‘s loss at Dunellen Thursday night knocked them to No. 22, while Roselle Park was already out of it.

SOUTH GROUP 1

A big win for Middlesex Friday night – 9-7 over New Providence – bumps the Blue Jays from 7th to third place, but they won’t go any higher. Still, that gets the Blue Jays a guaranteed home game through the sectional semifinals, if they advance to it.

South Hunterdon – which won at New Hope-Solebury (PA) Friday, so it doesn’t count as a game against a non-NJSIAA member school – drops from 4th to 5th, thanks in part to the win by Middlesex.

And we think Dunellen is in, with a 15.8 UPR, 1.8 ahead of Pennsville, which lost Friday night. No one behind the Destroyers – and within reach of the playoffs – has any games to be played this weekend, so no one can catch them, and we give them their first playoff berth since 2014.

As for who everyone will play, it’s still very much up in the air with a lot of Saturday games on the schedule.

Key Saturday Games to Watch:

  • #1 Woodstown at #7 Penns Grove
  • #9 Woodbury vs. #14 Salem
  • #10 Keyport vs. New Egypt
  • #11 Riverside vs. Wildwood
  • #13 Audubon at Paulsboro
  • #15 Burlington City at Maple Shade
by Mike Pavlichko

Week 7 Friday night Playoff Analysis: Group 1

Through the end of the season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will be updating unofficial playoff standings following Friday night’s games. Full analysis after the weekend will come during the week as the official standings are released by Gridiron New Jersey.

Here’s a look at unofficial standings after games of Friday, October 13th in Group 1. Results are calculated using scores on Gridiron New Jersey as of 9:30 am on October 14th:

Brearley’s 36-14 loss to Middlesex last night drops the Bears one spot further to No. 19, and their UPR down to 17.4, one power point rank spot. They go from 1 UPR point ouot of the playoffs to 1.8 points behind 16th place Glen Ridge. Roselle Park is tied with Brearley at 17.8 after a big win over Dunellen, jumping from 23-20, but with a weak Newark Collegiate next week, we think they’re out.

A win for South Hunterdon in its last NJSIAA-member school game of the year – they play rival New Hope-Solebury out of PA next week – keeps them in fourth, with the same UPR as last week, at 5.2 points. Middlesex improved its UPR from 8.4 to 6.8 with a win over Brearley, but the Jays hold in seventh. However, their lead over the ninth place team is bigger. Last week it was 0.6 points over Audubon, and Woodbury was tied for seventh with them. Now, they lead 8th place Penns Frove by 0.6 UPR points, and have a 1.6 point lead over ninth place Woodbury.

Dunellen’s 52-24 loss to Roselle Park last night puts the Destroyers out of the top 16 for now, at No. 17, 1.6 UPR points behind 16th place Salem, but the Rams are just 1-6. Two wins is the minimum for the playoffs. So, as of now, they wouldn’t make it. Salem hosts 2-5 West Deptford today, then is at 3-3 Woodbury next week.

Manville, right behind Dunellen, is in 18th at a 19.4 UPR, but with 1-6 Bound Brook next week, shouldn’t be a factor. That said, there are a number of winless teams behind Dunellen, so it may be the Destroyers dueling it out with Salem for that last spot, and doing some scoreboard watching in the process.

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 7 Playoff Analysis: Group 1

With just two weeks of play left before the state playoffs are seeded, things are heating up in the playoff chase. Here’s our look at the Big Central Conference teams in playoff contention in Group 1 as we head into Week 7 of high school football around the state.

And, of course, don’t miss our “Playoff Projection Show,” scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, October 21st, when we’ll reveal our predicted matchups and seeds for the postseason. It’s all presented by My Family Appliances of Edison, which will be giving away three $100 gift cards during the show to lucky listeners!

All our analysis is based on Gridiron New Jersey’s official playoff calculations performed for the NJSIAA and listed on their website as of 11:30 pm on October 10. For full standings, click on each supersection’s header below:

NORTH GROUP 1:

18. Brearley (3-3, 17.4): The Bears are the definition of a bubble team. They’re .500 on the year, one UPR spot out of a playoff spot. It essentially means they have to move up two notches in either OSI or power point rank, or one of each. Ahead of them are Boonton (17th, 16.6 UPR) and Glen Ridge (16th, 16.4 UPR). They probably can’t catch 15th place Shabazz with a UPR of 14. They have a solid schedule, with 9 residuals currently available between Middlesex at home Friday, then a tough trip to Columbia Park to take on the Blue Jays. A sweep by Brearley would put them as high as 10th without anyone else playing, so we think they would get in. A split would leave it out of their hands, but they still could get in. Two losses may not end their hopes, but it sure would lean that way.

SOUTH GROUP 1:

4. South Hunterdon (6-1, 45.68): A win for the Eagles last weekend over Dunellen helped move them up two places into fourth, and a top four finish is not out of the question. They just might need some help. They visit Dayton (1-5) this week, which already doesn’t help matters. But then, next week, they visit New Hope-Solebury (PA) for their annual rivalry game. But that doesn’t count toward power points or OSI, so it’s up to the Dayton game. A win would let them tread water, but they’ll be at the mercy of the three teams behind them, and maybe even others – like Audubon, who’s way back, but right behind them in OSI. If they jump them, they won’t in the UPR standings, but they will knock the Eagles down one notch in OSI, tying them with Florence. And then what happens with the Flashes (5-0, 0.6 UPR behind) and Shore (4-2, 0.8 UPR behind)? Toby Jefferis and his team may be doing a lot of scoreboard watching the next two weeks.

7. Middlesex (5-1, 8.4): The Blue Jays are on the right side of the top eight bubble. And they have a decent schedule that can help them – at Brearley Friday night and home to New Providence next Friday. Pulling off a sweep should assure them they’ll be at Mountainview Park to open the playoffs. A split or two losses make it hard and harder. Still maybe too early to tell.

16. Dunellen (4-2, 16.6): On paper, it’s a simple proposition for the Destroyers. Win both their remaining games – at Roselle Park Friday and home to Brearley next Thursday – and we think they’re in. A split, and they may need some help, we’ll know more next week. A loss would make it really difficult, but we’re not sure it would be impossible. The thing is, the closest team to them is Salem with a 1-6 record and a 17 UPR. So, even though they’re 0.4 UPR points behind, if Salem doesn’t get a second win (neither of their opponents is over .500) they won’t make it, per NJSIAA rule; two is the minimum. Dunellen may not have to worry about them, or 19th place Maple Shade. But…

18. Manville (2-5, 20.8): The Mustangs’ chances are slim thanks to closing with Highland Park on the road this Friday, and Bound Brook at home next Friday; they’re a combined 1-11 on the season. Ready for a roller coaster ride? Even a sweep won’t move the needle here. But if Salem can’t win one of its last two games, they’re out of the equation, which means Manville only has to get to 17 to make it. Can they? Tough to say. But put this in your back pocket: If by some residual miracle they make it to 17 and Dunellen is 16, or vice versa, the Destroyers get the head-to-head tiebreaker.

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 6 Playoff Analysis: Group 1

The playoffs are right around the corner. With just three weeks to go before Cutoff Weekend – when the NJSIAA seeds the state playoffs – teams across the state are jockeying for position, whether its pushing for a top seed, trying to hang on to a first round home game, or just make the field of 16.

As always, Central Jersey Sports Radio has you covered with our analysis of every team’s playoff scenario as we head down the home stretch, and this year, it’s all sponsored by our friends over at My Family Appliances on Route One South in the Wick Plaza in Edison.

And not only will they be presenting our live “Playoff Projection Show” on Saturday, October 21 at 5 pm, where we’ll give our projections for all the playoff matchups, but they’ll be giving away three $100 gift cards on the show to lucky listeners.

For now, here’s our team-by-team look at where all the Big Central teams in contention for the playoffs stand as we head into Week Six. For the full standings, click on the header for each supersection to go to the corresponding page on Gridiron New Jersey, which handles all the calculations for the NJSIAA.

NORTH GROUP 1:

15. Brearley (2-3): The Bears – finalists last year in North 1, Group 1, are the only Big Central team in the running in the North Group 1 supersection this year. Park Ridge, Cedar Grove, and Butler all hold the top three spots, followed by Waldwick, so if Brearley does make the playoffs, a long trip up North could be in store. They’re definitely a bubble team at this point, with a pure 15 UPR (meaning they are 15th in both power point and OSI average). Right behind them is Shabazz (3-3, 15.4 UPR) and then North Warren (3-3, 16.4). They may just be battling it out with those three teams, as 18th place Glen Ridge’s UPR drops all the way to a 19.2, which is 4.2 behind Brearley. In Group 1, that’s a lot of ground to make up. The Bears should take care of Highland Park, but those last two games could be interesting: home to Middlesex next week, then at Dunellen’s Columbia Park Friday night of Cutoff Weekend. The Destroyers’ resurgence this year – they’re 4-1, with their most wins since 2019 – will help Brearley’s cause schedule-wise, but they probably need to at least win one of those last two games, maybe both, to get stay on the right side of the postseason bubble.

SOUTH GROUP 1:

6. South Hunterdon (5-1): The Eagles are having another nice year, following a seven-win season in 2021 and a six-win campaign a year ago. Sitting in sixth with a 6.6 UPR, there’s a tight group of teams behind them ready to pounce for a top eight finish and first round home game, so Toby Jefferis’ squad may really need to keep winning here down the stretch. They’ve only got two remaining games that count: both are on the road, with Dunellen this week and Dayton next week. Cutoff Weekend is their rivalry game with New Hope-Solebury, which does not count for power points or OSI since it’s an out-of-state game.From seventh to 11th place, Woodbury, Keyport, Shore, Riverside and Middlesex are all within 2.8 UPR points, so a lot can happen here down the stretch.

11. Middlesex (4-1): Speaking of those Blue Jays, they may have a chance at a top seed depending how they finish, and everyone else bunched in the pack does. Middlesex already has a loss to South Hunterdon – so keep that in your back pocket in case they end up next to each other and a head-to-head tiebreaker comes into play – but has a good win over Dunellen. Their schedule is good the rest of the way in terms of presenting an opportunity. That is to say, running the table the last three weeks may give them a shot at a top eight seed. Currently, they’d need to go from a 9.4 UPR to around 8, which is not a tall order in three weeks. The games? Roselle Park this week and Brearley the next – both of whom have two wins – and New Providence at home the following week, which has three.

15. Dunellen (4-1): The Destroyers are having a really nice season. They don’t have the best schedule, but are in the thick of it: on the bubble with three weeks to go, and on the right side of it, too. Friday night will be a huge test against South Hunterdon, but a loss may not hurt them much. With an OSI of 34.48, a loss to the Eagles (69.01 SI at the moment) would be worth about 34.5 points, right at Dunellen’s average. And even their power point average would drop to just an 8.5. Bottom line: a win would be amazing, but a loss might not be the end of the world, depending what the teams behind them, do. There are a couple who are particularly close, including Manville (0.8 UPR points behind) and Pennsville (1 behind). Asbury park and Salem are both a bit more off the pace, but neither has won a game yet. The NJSIAA rule is a team cannot make the playoffs with fewer than two wins, and that might be a stretch for both of those squads. So really, Dunellen likely only has to fend off either Manville or Pennsville, but not both.

16. Manville (2-4): The Mustangs have already reached that two-win qualification marker, but might need more to hold on to the last playoff position. As we described with Dunellen, they may only have to fight off Pennsville behind them. That’s because after Asbury Park and Salem, Maple Shade and Gatewat – tied in 20th place – have 21.6 UPRs, five full points out of 16th place. In Group 1, that’s a lot of ground to make up unless you play – and beat – some very good teams. Manville’s trouble could be that their last three opponents are a combined 2-14, with an SI average of 31.65. Manville’s OSI is 35.78, so even wins could bring their average down. Power points would be helped a little bit; they have a seven average. At Belvidere this week will be worth 10 for a win, at Highland Park next week is 7 at the moment, and Bound Brook at Ned Panfile Stadium on Cutoff Weekend is worth 11 as we speak. Those are three winnable games, and they may need to win all three. You may ask about Pennsville (3-2) behind them, as they will figure into this race with Dunellen. They have Overbrook (3-2) this week, then go to Penns Grove (2-4) and Pitman (1-3) on Cutoff Weekend.

by Mike Pavlichko

Late South Hunterdon score helps Eagles soar past Middlesex with 12-7 road win

A fourth quarter touchdown run by Ryan Rampel helped South Hunterdon get past Middlesex Friday night at Mountainview Park, 12-7, in a Big Central Conference Freedom Silver Division game.

Middlesex (2-1) got on the board in the first quarter with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Dom Parenti to Jax Jarvis in the first quarter, and South Hunterdon (3-1) got the equalizer in the second quarter on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Venettone to Aaron Zalescik.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with victorious South Hunterdon:

by Mike Pavlichko

Toby Jefferis can tell some stories in fifth decade around South Hunterdon football

No, Toby Jefferis hasn’t been the coach of South Hunterdon football for 52 years. But he’s been around it that long: his entire life.

That’s because his father, Sam, had been the head coach for four years already when when he was born. So he spent plenty of time with pop, growing up on the sidelines, then playing for his father, and helping out as a scout and an assistant coach.

Oh, and his dad never really left either. In fact, at Big Central Conference Media Days last week, Toby Jefferis talked about some of his earliest memories of Eagles football, and some of his most recent, all of which seem to involved Sam Jefferis.

Click below to hear South Hunterdon head coach Toby Jefferis talk about his long connection with the Eagles football program:

by Mike Pavlichko

2023 Big Central Preview: Freedom Silver

Questions abound for 2022 Freedom Silver winner Manville, which lost an enormous number of Mustangs to graduation. The question, though, is who might take their place?

Manville may still be in the mix, as the naming of defensive coordinator Dave Markowitch as head coach keeps another homegrown talent at the helm and provides some continuity.

South Hunterdon – 6-3 a year ago – might be the next best challenger to the Mustangs, led by veteran mentor and “program guy” Toby Jefferis.

After that, there are even more questions: Can Middelsex’s youth learn from experience? Can Chiekezie Ogbuewu have an even better year this year for Dunellen’s “offense in a phone booth?” And can Belvidere get in the win column for the first time under second-year head coach Jordon Schreffler?

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko’s preview of the Freedom Silver Division from the Big Central Conference’s inaugural Media Days:

by Mike Pavlichko

South Group 1 Playoff Analysis: Manville may not stay among Top 4

Cutoff Weekend starts with tomorrow night’s games under the lights, and Central Jersey Sports Radio is taking a look at every team in the Big Central to see where we think they’ll land in the playoffs.

We’re not looking at too many tiebreakers just yet, and even adding the few residuals to be had can make for infinitely more possibilities – although there are none up for grabs from any Big Central opponents at this point – so we’re not doing those either. But we are looking at where we think teams will fall in the top 16.

We’ll have two live shows Saturday to give you the very latest. The first is tentatively scheduled for 11 am, as Mike Pavlichko hosts a Playoff Update show, factoring in all the Friday night games. Then, our second annual Playoff Projection airs at 6 pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio for all our unofficial pairings. Click here to listen to both shows.

Below is our analysis, with each team’s current ranking in the UPR standings noted.

(Click here for official standings on Gridiron New Jersey)

Top Seeds: There are no undefeated teams here, but it looks like Woodstown and Woodbury have a lock on the top two spots, no matter what happens in their games this weekend. If both lose or both win, Woodbury appears to get the top seed. Woodstown would have to win and get a loss out of Woodbury to get the top seed.

#4 Manville: The Mustangs should finish 8-1, easily dispatching of Bound Brook, which is winless, has scored 18 points all year in seven games, and no more than six points in any single game this season. So, we’re not even going to go with what happens with a loss so Pat Gorbatuk can keep the Rolaids in his glove compartment for now. This is certainly better than last year, when at 6-2, Manville missed the playoffs with a weak schedule. This year’s was better from the Big Central, and picking up a Week Zero game against Keyport – which they won – turned out to be a boon, too. All that aside, though, having Bound Brook this final week will hurt them, even with a win. And we don’t think Manville can stay in the top four, even with losses by teams like Salem and Maple Shade. The trouble is, they would need losses by both Paulsboro and Audubon. So unless a bus breaks down somewhere in deep South Jersey, we peg the Mustangs for anywhere from a fifth to seventh place finish overall. We believe It would be fifth if both Maple Shade and Salem lose, sixth if Salem wins and Maple Shade loses, and seventh is Maple Shade wins and Salem loses. Either way, hosting a first-round playoff game at 8-1 is a far cry from going 6-2 and missing altogether.

#12 South Hunterdon: The Eagles play at New Hope/Solebury, their Pennsylvania rivals, so this game won’t count in the UPR standings. It’s all up to their opponents. We think their range is as high as nine if Florence, Asbury Park and Keyport all lose, and as low as 12th if they all win. Any other combo should put them right in the middle of that range somewhere, pending residuals, and on the road in any eventuality in the first round.

#16 Middlesex: The Blue Jays visit New Providence Friday night, and just like the other way around, this is an even game, so it doesn’t really move the needle much. But they still need it; a loss eliminates them, according to our calculations. With a win, Middlesex would stay in 16th without any other games added, and they’ll need help: namely, losses by Buena or Penns Grove (Schalick and Clayton behind them can’t jump that high, and appear irrelevant). Buena (2-5) visits 5-2 Glassboro Friday while Penns Grove (2-6) is at 6-1 Woodstown). So both those losses are fairly likely.