Tag: South River

by Mike Pavlichko

South River claims last of GMC Division titles, taking the Blue in a three-way tiebreaker over Carteret, JP Stevens

The way the Greater Middlesex Conference seeds its baseball tournaments, division titles are everything.

Actually, the whole standings are everything. In the seeding meeting – with this year’s coming up a week from tomorrow, on Friday, May 8th – teams can only be seeded in order of division finish. No division has to be seeded higher than any other, but the second place team in any division can’t be seeded ahead of the first place team, regardless of head-to-head results.

That means the only teams that can be the top seeds are division winners. And South River took the last remaining title to be decided, winning the GMC Blue in a three-way tiebreaker over Carteret and JP Stevens.

The Rams solidified that deal by virtue of an 11-6 road win at Piscataway Wednesday afternoon, giving them their fourth straight win and a series sweep against the Chiefs. But with the Rams, Ramblers and Hawks all 11-3 in the division, it came down to how all those teams did against each other.

South River went 3-1 in that group, splitting with Carteret and sweeping JP Stevens. The Ramblers were 1-3 in that group, swept by Stevens and splitting with the Rams. The Hawks went 2-2, sweeping Carteret, but getting swept by South River. The title goes to the Rams.

It’s their first division title since they shared the Blue in 2022 with St. Thomas Aquinas. Both went 9-1 in the division, and the teams split their two games, with the Trojans picking up a 16-3 win, while the Rams won the series finale two days later, 5-3.

Elsewhere in the GMC, Piscataway Magnet improved to 16-0 Wednesday with an 11-0 win at South Amboy, giving them a perfect 12-0 division record. It’s the Raiders’ first outright division title since 1996, and they’re one of just a handful of undefeated teams left in the state. The question is, will they make the Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament as one of the top 20 seeds, or play in the Ray Cipperly Invitational.

READ MORE: True team play has powered Piscataway Magnet to record season, but Raiders – the last unbeaten GMC team standing – may be just getting started

Regardless of how second-ranked Middlesex fares against Colonia at home Thursday afternoon in its GMC White Division finale (4 pm on CJSR – click here to listen live) the Blue Jays have already clinched the pennant, sitting at 12-1, while second-place Colonia is 9-4.

And in the Red Division, Edison leads the pack at 9-3, with Old Bridge in second at 8-5. The Eagles have one more with St. Thomas Aquinas Thursday, and a make-up at home against East Brunswick next Tuesday. But even if they were to drop both – and the Knights beat St. Joseph-Metuchen Thursday in their division finale, leaving both at 8-5, Edison gets the tiebreaker, having swept Old Bridge 5-2 and 2-1 in the first week of the season.

The only question is, who will get the overall No. 1 seed in the GMC championship tournament?

Edison is 9-4 overall, with losses to Monroe, Woodbridge and St. Thomas Aquinas in the conference, while Middlesex has only one loss at 14-1, coming against South Brunswick.

In that case, it could come down to crossovers in the final week of the season. Edison has three road crossovers, against North Brunswick and JP Stevens out of the Blue Division and Metuchen from the Blue. Middlesex will play up, facing St. Joseph-Metuchen and East Brunswick out of the Red, while also playing a non-conference game at Westfield (8-7) of the Union County Conference this Saturday afternoon at 2 pm.

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: North Plainfield 2, South River 0

Senior Bennie Sokowlowski scattered three hits over seven innings, striking out 11, while fellow senior Vic Ceda hit a sol home run in the sixth to give North Plainfield a 2-0 win over South River, earning a split of their two-game, home-and-home, GMC Blue Division series.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play live from Krausche Field in North Plainfield on April 20, 2026.

by Mike Pavlichko

Sokolowski dominates on the mound with 11 Ks as North Plainfield edges South River, 2-0, to split series

The only run Bennie Sokolowski needed in support from his teammates in maroon pinstripes on a sunny-but-chilly, windy Monday afternoon at Krausche Field came in the first inning.

Give him a run – a single, solitary run – and he’ll take it from there.

The North Plainfield senior threw his third complete game of the young season, striking out eleven while allowing just two hits, in a 2-0 win over visiting South River, in a GMC Blue Division game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Sokolowski was dominant and efficient for the Canucks (8-5, 4-5 GMC Blue). Even though he hit four batters in the game – all of whom were as close to the plate as they could legally be – his control was on point, as was his changeup, fooling hitter after hitter. At one point, Sokolowski had recorded eight straight outs via the K, spanning the third, fourth and fifth innings, with just an infield hit, walk and hit batsman scattered in between.

He almost got in trouble in the first, plunking the Rams’ leadoff hitter, Josh Devers, in the back. But Devers was erased on a fielder’s choice, then Jimmy Sanchez got picked off, and Sokolowski induced a ground ball to first by Hunter Krainski to end the inning.

And North Plainfield got all it needed in its half of the first. Mark Fultz led off with a hard single down the right field line, and after Jake Zotollo got hit by South River starter Julien Borusevic, and a ground ball to shortstop moved the runners to second and third, a groundout to third by Ian Lamiera made it 1-0 Canucks.

With Sokolowski dealing and Borusevic fairly cruising as well – scattering just two more hits, a single and a double, over the next four innings – that’s how it stayed until the bottom of the sixth, when Vic Seda led things off with a first-pitch solo home run to left centerfield, just in case.

Not that Sokolowski needed it. The top of the seventh was like just about any other inning he threw Monday evening. Fly out, ground out, hit batter and a strikeout – his eleventh of the game – to end it.

The insurance homer was Seda’s first of the season, and the second in his varsity baseball career.

Both pitchers threw complete games: Sokolowski got the win to improve to 4-0, while Burosevic is now 2-2 with the loss. Sokolowski also lowered his already-minuscule ERA down to 0.42, allowing just two earned runs all season in four appearances and 33 innings pitched.

South River falls to 8-4 with the loss, 7-3 in the GMC Blue.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko with seniors Bennie Sokolowski, Vic Ceda, and head coach Ben Donaghy:

by Mike Pavlichko

South River, North Plainfield wrap up GMC Blue Division set Monday night, under the lights

Back on Friday, South River welcomed North Plainfield in to town for a GMC Blue Division matchup and sent the Canucks home with a 16-0 victory.

But even with that win, the Rams’ fifth straight, head coach Mike Lepore, Jr., hasn’t won over 300 games in his career by having his teams sit back and relax. He knows that when his team visits Krausche Field Monday night for a 6 pm game under the lights to wrap-up the two-game series, they won’t go into it with a 16-0 lead.

No, it’ll be 0-0.

You can hear Monday night’s game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio with Mike Pavlichko calling all the action. Pregame is set for 5:45. Click here to listen.

On the other hand, North Plainfield and new head coach Ben Donaghy knows the same thing. His team is starting on a blank scorecard, not down 16-0.

South River (8-3, 7-2 GMC Blue) is just a half-game behind first-place Carteret – which they split with earlier this month – and North Plainfield (7-5, 3-5) may be three spots back in fifth, but the two have somewhat similar overall record, and both can do some damage at the plate.

The Rams are led by sophomore Julien Borusovic, both in the batter’s box and on the mound, and he’ll be in both places Monday night. He’s 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA, part of a staff that has been throwing efficient complete games early on, and has a team ERA of just 0.39. Meanwhile, Borusovic is hitting .500 on the year through 32 at bats with 15 runs batted in. Hunter Krainski (.379) and Noah Barrero (.333, 11 RBI).

Meanwhile, North Plainfield is hitting .309 as a team, led by sophomore Ryan Soto at .455 and senior Helson Sosa at .417 with eight runs batted in, while senior catcher Jake Zotollo is hitting .385 with 12 RBIs.

On the mound, senior Bennie Sokolowski will get the ball Monday, 3-0 with a scant 0.54 ERA. And the veteran can hit, too: .385 with a team-best 12 RBIs, as well as nine stolen bases, part of a Canuck offense that has stolen 53 on the season so far.

Click below to hear preview interviews with both head coaches and Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

South River head coach Mike Lepore, Jr.
North Plainfield head coach Ben Donaghy
by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio unveils 2026 High School Baseball Broadcast Schedule featuring a dozen regular season games, plus County, State tourneys

With a dozen regular season games, plus coverage of the GMC and Somerset County Tournaments – as well as state tournament coverage to be announced at a later date – Central Jersey Sports Radio has announced its 2026 high school baseball broadcast schedule.

It all gets started next week, with our opener on Tuesday, March 31 at 4 pm between defending 2025 SCT champion Immaculata and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 winner Hillsborough. Then, after the calendar turns to April mid-week, we get state Group 1 champion Middlesex visiting Spotswood, on Thursday, April 2.

Coverage also includes two regular season games at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater – Montgomery vs Pingry on April 11, and Rutgers Prep against South Plainfield two Saturdays later – as well as the semifinals and finals of the Somerset County Tournament on April 18th and 20th, respectively.

The schedule includes three of last year’s SCT semifinalists, and all four of 2025’s GMC Tournament semifinalists, including a rematch of the title game between Edison and St. Joseph-Metuchen, and a rematch on the Invitational final between New Brunswick and East Brunswick Magnet.

Last year’s North 2, Group 3 winner South Plainfield also is on the schedule, as well as finalist Colonia.

Click here to see the full 2026 broadcast schedule.

by Mike Pavlichko

Mid-Week Girls’ Basketball Update: Several small schools off to good starts, while traditional powers keep things moving along

There’s not much you can say for the old standbys, and this is when they get particularly challenged.

Just barely a week into high school basketball season, Rutgers Prep is 2-0, Gill St. Bernard’s is 1-0, and heavy GMC favorite St. Thomas Aquinas is 2-1. They’ll all load up plenty more wins as the season goes on, and maybe even a few losses as they fan out to showcases on weekends, bookending their conference slates.

But what about some of the smaller schools, or those not always in the mix? A few have gotten off on the right foot.

Fewer schools in Somerset County have played multiple games yet; in fact, of the Skyland teams in our coverage area (Somerset County), everyone has played just one game besides Gill, Prep, and Hillsborough (1-1). So, we’ll be looking more at the Greater Middlesex Conference.

Smaller schools tearing it up…

The way the GMC has muddled their divisions – going away from Red, White, Blue, Gold (and sometimes Silver) to The Red, Blue and White American and National Divisions – there are no more “small school” or “big school” divisions. But two smaller schools in the White National are off to good starts, with Metuchen and Carteret both 2-0.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 21-5 season, but have won their first two games of the year for the first time in thee seasons. They topped Highland Park Monday in their opener, 49-30, before coming back Wednesday to beat JFK, 37-21.

Victoria Zaniecki was the top scorer in both games, respectively. She scored 30 and grabbed 11 rebounds against the Owls, then put in another 13 – and recorded four blocks – in the win over the Mustangs. She’s now just 81 points from cracking the thousand-point milestone.

Carteret, meanwhile, outscored its first two opponents 94-21, beating Kennedy 44-13, and Timothy Christian 50-8 with balanced scoring throughout. Five different players have already scored ten ore more points, led by seniors Anilah Diggs (9.5 ppg) and Samatha Woode (8.5 ppg), while the team has 27 steals already, and eight of the ten players on the varsity roster have more than one.

South River on the rebound…

After a 2-23 record last season in Year One under head coach Nicky Curran – a year in which they lost 21 straight until picking up mid-February wins against Keyport and Woodbridge Magnet – don’t look now, but the Rams are 2-0.

And, going back to last year, have won four of their last five games. They beat Mother Seton 22-20 Monday in their opener, then took a 41-24 decision from Wardlaw-Hartridge Wednesday. Sophomore Arianna Perez leads the team in scoring, pacing South River with 16 points in their most recent win.

The Rams host Calvary Christian (1-1) Saturday morning at 11.

First three-win team is over the bridge…

Maybe, they know how to schedule in South Amboy, but with three games under their belt, the girls are doing just as well as the boys: 3-0.

They opened with a 24-9 win over New Brunswick in the Friends of South Amboy Charity Games Saturday, then beat Woodbridge Magnet 45-24 Monday, and Perth Amboy Magnet 36-19 the next day. Junior

Gabby Evanski has been having a field day, hitting six times already from beyond the arc, and scoring 46 points in three games, while grabbing 30 rebounds. She had 8 points and 11 boards against the Zebras, flipped it against Woodbridge Magnet with 21 and 8 – including four treys – then had a double-double against Perth Magnet, going for 17 points and 11 rebounds, including 7-of-11 from the foul line.

Freshman Valerie Figueroa has scored 26 of her first 31 varsity points in the last two games.

The Tech School Parade continues Friday, when East Brunswick Magnet (1-1) comes to town.

Piscataway Magnet also is off to a 2-0 start, picking up wins against their fellow tech schools: 54-12 over Perth Amboy Magnet Monday, and 44-21 over EB Magnet Wednesday. Freshman Alaina and Alivia Tucker and senior Eva Hernandez all have 24 points scored on the season.

by Mike Pavlichko

Wednesday Night Big Central Roundup: Carteret tops JFK in “consolation” game behind 6 TD night from Boseman; New Brunswick snaps state’s longest active skid; South River picks up first win of season in finale

Al-Naiquan Boseman scored five touchdowns for the Carteret Ramblers, who won a track meet against JFK, 49-31, Wednesday night at “The Pit” in a Big Central Conference crossover “consolation” game.

While the NJSIAA no longer assigns consolation games, teams that miss the playoffs are allowed to set up their own matchups. Scroll down for scores and notes on the rest of the games, many of which were moved from Thursday due to the Nor’easter that’s in the forecast.

Meanwhile, for Carteret, Boseman scored four of his six touchdowns in the first half, after which the Ramblers led 26-25.

Carteret went ahead 33-25 less than a minute into the second half, then went up 40-25 on Boseman’s fifth TD run of the game, a three-yard score with 4:16 to go in the third. He’d score again as time ran out to make it 46-25.

After a Gatik Bhardwah 30-yard field goal made it 49-25, JFK got the game’s final score with 3:49 left on a pick-six by Grant Lorentzen.

Carteret improves to 4-5 with the win, while the Mustangs fall to 6-4.

Carteret Ramblers football team celebrating on the field after a victory, posing for a group photo in their blue and white uniforms.
Carteret celebrates on last win on its home field in 2025, after a 49-31 victory over JFK. (Photo: Marcus Borden)

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with Carteret head coach Kevin Freeman and players Ronelle Nimneh-Gilbert and Al-Naiquan Boseman, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Here are other scores from around the Big Central Wednesday night:

  • New Brunswick 36, West Windsor-Plainsboro South 0: The Zebras ended the state’s longest active losing streak Wednesday night, winning for the first time in its last 33 games. The 36 points was the most scored by New Brunswick in a game since a 43-14 win at Monroe on October 29, 2021, and it was their first win since a September 16, 2022 home victory over Franklin. And after being shutout four times this season – never scoring more than eight points – it was their first shutout victory since a 14-0 victory over Carteret in 20009, when John Quinn was head coach. They also played Matawan to a shutout tie in 2012.
  • South River 19, Dunellen 0: The Rams picked up their first win of the season Wednesday, finishing the year 1-9. With New Brunswick’s loss, and Dunellen now 0-9, the Destroyers will take the state’s longest losing streak into 2026, now at 19 games. Their last win came against Brearley, 34-28, on October 29, 2023.

  • Millburn 51, Roselle 14
  • Keansburg 27 Middlesex 6
  • South Plainfield 35, Spotswood 28
  • Union 28, Columbia 7
  • Edison 39, Watchung Hills 14
  • East Brunswick 35, Perth Amboy 12
  • Dayton 34, Keyport 6
  • Manchester Twp. 18, JP Stevens 12
  • North Plainfield 42, Highland Park 13
by Mike Pavlichko

2025 Big Central Preview: Freedom Gold Division

Since we worked our way from the Group 5 schools down to the Group 1 last year, Central Jersey Sports Radio will start our 2025 division previews with the some small school love, beginning with the Freedom Gold and Silver, then the Patriot, and running all the way up to the Group 5 divisions.

In the Freedom Gold, Spotswood is coming off its second straight 8-2 season, and second straight division title under head coach Chris Meagher, whose team should again, at the very least, compete for the title.

Last year at this time, Highland Park was coming off a one-win season, but a big win. It came over Point Pleasant Beach and was the Owls’ first victory since 2016. A year later? They are coming off a 6-3 campaign, and still have talent, despite the loss of quarterback Markos Hantsoulis to graduation.

Dayton won four games last year, but finished red-hot, winning three of their last four. Roselle Park and South River will look to make inroads, after each won three games last season.

And Brearley has some renewed enthusiasm after a winless season last year, but also has a new coach in Elliot Platt.

Click below to hear our preview of the Freedom Gold Division from Big Central Conference Media Day:

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2025: Crowded Freedom Gold returns with GMC stalwarts Spotswood, Highland Park leading the way

Based on recent success, Spotswood’s sweep of the Freedom Gold Division in 2024 didn’t come as a shock to anyone who follows Big Central Football, but boy was Highland Park a pleasant surprise after breaking the state’s longest active losing streak of 51 games in 2023.

The Owls finished second in the six team division, going 6-3 overall, 4-1 in the division – their only loss to the Chargers – en route to their best season since going 6-4 in 2016, the last time they’d won a game until they closed their season two years ago with a 46-29 win at Point Pleasant Beach. Spotswood was very good, as well, and both very well could be at or near the top of the division in 2025. The question is, who will join them? Can South River, Roselle Park or Dayton make inroads? And can Brearley get back in the game after an 0-10 season with a very young club, but just two years removed from an undefeated regular season and a trip to a sectional final?

Here are the preliminary schedules for the Freedom Gold Division teams – in alphabetical order – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge. Please note game dates and times may be changed without notice as the season approaches. Division games marked with an asterisk (*).

Brearley Bears (0-10, 0-5, 6th place in ’24)
Head Coach: Elliot Platt (first season)

  • Week 0: Wallington Twp.
  • Week 1: at A.L. Johnson
  • Week 2: at Spotswood* (6p)
  • Week 3: Highland Park* (6p)
  • Week 4: Roselle Park* (6p)
  • Week 5: at South Hunterdon
  • Week 6: South River* (6p)
  • Week 7: Metuchen (6p)
  • Week 8: at Dayton (Sat, 1p)

Eliott Platt takes over at Brearley, coming over from immaculata, where he was the defensive line coach. A Montclair-Kimberley alum, Platt will be looking to snap a 12-game skid to start the season with a Bergen County foe in Wallington before the BCC schedule kicks in with back-to-back road games. The offense should produce more with the return of QB Joe Squarillo for his senior year. The Bears didn’t throw much, but all 1,449 rushing yards return. In fact, every single skill position player on offense is back for Brearley. The defense had just a single senior as well, and the baptism-by-fire experience should pay dividends this fall.

Dayton Bulldogs (4-6, 2-3, tied for 3rd with Roselle Park, South River in ’24)
Head Coach: Nick Iannacone (11-18, 4th season)

  • Week 0: bye
  • Week 1: at South Hunterdon
  • Week 2: at Highland Park*
  • Week 3: Roselle Park*
  • Week 4: South River* (Sat, 1p)
  • Week 5: at Belvidere
  • Week 6: Spotswood*
  • Week 7: at Dunellen
  • Week 8: Brearley* (Sat, 1p)

The Bulldogs finished strong last season, winning three of their last four games after a 1-5 start. They’ll be hurt by the loss of John John DeSarno, who threw for 1,2888 yards and ten touchdowns as a senior, and the other skill positions will be young, too. Defensively, defensive back Chidiogo Iherobiem could have a big senior year, after recording a sack, six TFLs, a fumble recovery and a pair of pick-sixes last season.

Highland Park Owls (6-4, 4-1, 2nd place in ’24)
Head Coach: Shawn Harrison (7-29, 5th season)

  • Week 0: bye
  • Week 1: Dunellen
  • Week 2: Dayton*
  • Week 3: at Breareley* (6p)
  • Week 4: at Spotswood* (Thurs, 6p)
  • Week 5: Metuchen
  • Week 6: Roselle Park*
  • Week 7: at Manville (Thurs, 7p)
  • Week 8: at South River* (Sat, 1p)

Being 7-29 in four seasons never looked so good. What a joy to see joy in Highland Park again, in its best season in nearly a decade. While the graduation of QB Markos Hantsoulis – with 984 pass yards, nine touchdowns, and a team-leading 583 rushing yards – will leave a mark, there’s still some Hantsoulis blood left; receivers Kosta (350 yards, 5 TDs) and Stamatis (76 yards, 1 TD) will be back for their senior years, and Kaseem Qualls has the skills to make an impact, too. Whether they can finish 6-3 again will be a challenge, but the Owls should be in the thick of things again this year. Losing can be contagious, but so is winning.

Roselle Park Panthers (3-7, 2-3, tied for 3rd with Dayton, South River in ’24)
Head Coach: Greg Dunkerton (17-31, 6th season)

  • Week 0: bye
  • Week 1: Middlesex
  • Week 2: South River*
  • Week 3: at Dayton*
  • Week 4: at Brearley* (6p)
  • Week 5: Dunellen
  • Week 6: at Highland Park*
  • Week 7: JP Stevens
  • Week 8: at Spotswood* (6p)

Starting QB Anthony Damiano (466 yards, 3 TD) and top runningback Anthony Cianfrocca (893 yards, 6 TD) should be back for their senior seasons, and they’ll rely on the run game again, having rushed just one shy of 2,200 yards last season and 16 touchdowns. On the defensive side, Damiano once again will be a defensive stalwart. Hr had two sacks, a TFL and a forced fumble last year, and will be one of few returnees from a senior-laden unit. The Rams should bounce back this year after back-to-back five-plus in seasons.

South River Rams (3-7, 2-3, tied for 3rd with Dayton, Roselle Park in ’24)
Head Coach: Rich Marchesi (228-149, 39th season)

  • Week 0: at Point Pleasant Beach
  • Week 1: Metuchen (Sat, 1p)
  • Week 2: at Roselle Park*
  • Week 3: Spotswood* (Sat, 1p)
  • Week 4: at Dayton* (Sat, 1p)
  • Week 5: Delaware Valle (Sat, 2p)
  • Week 6: at Brearley* (6p)
  • Week 7: at South Plainfield (6p)
  • Week 8: Highland Park* (Sat, 1p)

Last year was a bit of a bounce-back for the Rams, who were winless in 2023 before winning three games last season, including their finale against Dunellen. And while South River will lose senior receiver Aiden Velez (765 yards and 7 TDs), every other major contributor at the skill positions is back, including QB Orion Familia (41-72, 478 yards, 8 TDs) and No. 2 runningback Kah’mori Cotto. The Sophomore went for 525 yards on 135 carries – tops on the team – and scored three touchdowns. They will, however, miss Coach Marchesi’s son, Michael, who led the team with four sacks last year, and was second on the team in tackles. Rising seniors Jake Dehner (DL) and Filipe Granadiero (LB) could help take up the slack.

Spotswood Chargers (8-2, 5-0, Freedom Gold champs in ’24)
Head Coach: Chris Meagher (24-15, 5th season)

  • Week 0: Middlesex (Thurs, 6p)
  • Week 1: Roselle (6p)
  • Week 2: Brearley* (6p)
  • Week 3: at South River* (Sat, 1p)
  • Week 4: Highland Park* (6p)
  • Week 5: Bound Brook (6p)
  • Week 6: at Dayton*
  • Week 7: at South Hunterdon
  • Week 8: Roselle Park* (6p)

With back-to-back eight-win seasons under their belt, and a ton of talent back, expect the Chargers to contend for yet another division title under Chris Meagher, who – after a 1-8 debut season – turned things around, and they haven’t won fewer than seven the last three seasons. They’ll open up with perhaps their biggest adjustment – playing night games under their brand new lights entertaining Middlesex on a Thursday. Dual-threat quarterback Se’mir Tolbert-Brimage (791 yards, 10 TDs passing; 638 yards, 11 TDs rushing) is back, and so is No. 1 rusher Sebastian Saracino (692 yards, 5 TDs). Their top receiver returns, too; Ryan Foster grabbed 28 passes for 418 yards and 4 TDs a year ago, while junior Vinny Young (129 yards, 2 TD) as back as well. Tolbert-Brimage and Saracino also will be key on defense. Other highlights include senior Julian Sanchez (three fumble recoveries last year as a junior) and DL Dan Keelan (1 sack, 7 TFLs, 1 fumble recovery last season).

by Mike Pavlichko

South River alum Brandon Walsh steps down as boys’ hoops coach after six seasons; took Rams to 2023 Central Jersey Group 2 final

He spent four years as a player – graduating in 2010 – and six more years as head coach, but now Brandon Walsh is stepping down as the boys’ basketball coach at South River High School.

Walsh told Central Jersey Sports Radio of his decision Thursday morning, and unlike others who either don’t get brought back or get tired of outside pressures from parents and others, Walsh says it’s completely on his own terms, and decision he’s at peace with.

That’s because, ultimately, he’ll be looking to further his academic career by studying and getting involved in administration, whether it’s someday at South River – where he’ll continue to teach – or outside the district he’s called home for decades.

Walsh tells Central Jersey Sports Radio Chris Deritas will take over as head coach, with middle school mentor Jerome Ogle moving up to coach the jayvee squad.

South River’s Laz Rodriguez looks to make a move against Manasquan in the Central Jersey Group 2 title game in South River on February 28, 2023. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Walsh was hired for the 2019-20 season after his own high school coach with the Rams – Rodney Harris – stepped down after ten seasons. Walsh compiled an 85-57 record, with the high point being a Cinerella 2022-23 season.

That year, South River got things started in fine fashion with an 11-0 start that included a 74-66 win at St. Joseph-Metuchen the day after Christmas. They wound up reaching the GMC Tournament semifinals, losing to South Brunswick, but went all the way to the Central Jersey Group 2 championship game.

They wound up falling to Manasquan in front of a packed house – one of many that year in their bandbox of a gym – but finished the season 26-4, winning the Blue Division with a 14-0 record, giving the Rams their first division title in 31 years.

Click below to hear outgoing South River boys’ basketball coach Brandon Walsh talk with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko about stepping down: