Tag: St. Joseph

by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joseph claims first No. 1 ranking in two years, dethroning Immaculata after state head-to-head

St. Joseph-Metuchen’s Non-Public South A playoff win over Immaculata has put the Falcons at No. 1 in the Week 9 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Top Ten, it’s first time back in the top spot since Week 8 of the 2022 season, in the May 23rd rankings.

St. Joseph (16-6) – the fourth seed in North A – won its only game last week, beating fifth-seed Immaculata 5-4 on Friday afternoon in Metuchen. Having a 5-3 lead going into the seventh, it was the firs time in seven games the Falcons didn’t win a game in their final at bat. They won the GMC Tournament on a walk-off grand slam against Edison by JP Zayle, going the entire tourney without ever having a lead, winning all four games in their final time at the plate. They’ll visit top-seed Christian Brothers Academy in the sectional semifinals Wednesday. The time has not yet been announced.

Immaculata (17-8) saw its season end with the loss to the Falcons, after they had won their opening round game against 12-seed Camden Catholic 13-2 on Tuesday.

Ridge (19-5) stays put at No. 3, with a 2-0 week. The tops-seeded Red Devils were 3-0 winners over 16-seed Plainfield in the North 2, Group 4 first round, then beat 9-seed Bridgewater-Raritan 3-0 in the quarterfinals on Thursday out at Diamond Nation in Flemington, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Ridge will host four-seed Elizabeth at 4 pm Wednesday in the semifinals.

Holding in fourth is Edison (17-10). The Eagles are the third-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, and scored a pair of 4-2 wins this week in the state playoffs, over 14-seed Sayreville in the first round, and over 11-seed Franklin in the quarterfinals. Edison is in the semifinals for the first time since 2016, and will seek its first trip to a title game since 2007 when the Eagles play at second-seed Old Bridge Tuesday at 5 pm, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio from Fred Cole Field.

Middlesex (19-5) checks in at No. 5, winning both state games this week in Central Jersey Group 1. The top-seeded Blue Jays were 10-0 winners over 16-seed Keyport in the opening round, then beat nine-seed South Hunterdon 8-1 in the quarterfinals. Next, they get fourth-seed Shore in the semis at home at Mountainview Park, Tuesday at 4 pm.

Old Bridge (17-10) re-enters the poll at No. 6. The Knights are the two-seed in Central Jersey Group 4, and walloped 15-seed North Brunswick 13-0 in the opening round before escaping with a 1-0 win over 10-seed Manalapan in the quarterfinals. They host third-seed Edison at 5 pm Tuesday in the semifinals on CJSR.

Holding at seven is Colonia (22-4), the top-seed in North 2, Group 3. The Patriots beat 16-seed Lincoln 16-0 on Tuesday in the opening round, then blanked 8th-seed Middletown North 5-0 in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The Patriots host 4th-seed North Hunterdon Tuesday at 4 pm in the sectional semis.

South Plainfield (16-10) checks in again this week at No. 8, after two playoff wins in North 2 Group 3, the other side of the bracket from Colonia. The Tigers beat 14-seed Rahway 15-0 in the first round, then picked up a 5-2 win over 6-seed Cranford in the quarters on Thursday, in a “home” game they had to play at the Cougars’ home field due to poor field conditions at their own field. South is in the semis Tuesday at second-seed Millburn.

Woodbridge (18-7) moved up to No. 9 this week, as the Barrons – the two-seed in North 2, Group 4 – picked up a pair of wins in the state tournament this week: 11-1 over 15-seed Piscataway in the first round, then 2-1 over seven-seed Columbia on Thursday in the quarterfinals. Next, Woodbridge gets third-seed Westfield at home, 4 pm Thursday, in the semis.

And finally, Hillsborough (12-10) re-enters at No. 10, with the Raiders winning two road games in the Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs this week. The ninth-seeded Raiders got a 6-2 win at eight-seed Freehold Twp. on Tuesday in the first round, then beat Skyland Delaware Division rival and top-seed Hunterdon Central 3-1 Friday afternoon in Flemington. Now, they get a home game in the semifinals, where they will host 12-seed Montgomery, which knocked off five-seed New Brunswick and four-seed Hightstown to get there.

Dropping out were No. 5 Rutgers Prep (13-10) and No. 9 Spotswood (15-10).

Below is the complete Week 9 Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

St. Joe’s remains No. 1, but Montgomery and Rutgers Prep join the ranks of the ranked in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten

One of four undefeated teams remaining in the GMC, St. Joseph of Metuchen holds the top spot yet again in the Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten Rankings.

The Falcons are 6-0, after sweeping South Brunswick and East Brunswick in a pair of home-and-home sets this week. Ridge (5-1) and Bridgewater-Raritan (3-1) held in second and third, respectively.

Somerville (4-3) and Monroe (6-2) flip-flopped, with the Pioneers now in fourth after beating the Falcons 5-1 in the week gone by.

Woodbridge (6-2) holds in sixth, followed by two new teams in the rankings. Montgomery (4-2) joins at seventh, despite losing to Somerville this week 13-0; they also blanked one of the top teams in the state – Hunterdon Central – 1-0. Meanwhile, Rutgers Prep (5-1) debuts at No. 8 after a 3-0 week, including wins over Montclair-Kimberley, North Plainfield and Bernards.

The last two teams hold steady, Spotswood (7-0) in ninth and Middlesex (6-2) in 10th.

Previously-No. 7 South Brunswick and No. 8 Watchung Hills (both 3-4) dropped out.

Below are the full Week 3 rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

Woodbridge takes sole possession of top spot in CJ Sports Radio Top Ten

Though they’ve only played one game, the Woodbridge Barrons sit alone atop the Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten.

Woodbridge shared the No. 1 position in the preseason and a week ago with Union, but took over on their own after the Farmers were knocked off by unranked Bridgewater-Raritan, which jumped into the poll at No. 5. The Barrons were dominant in a 34-0 win at in-town rival Colonia.

It was a tumultuous week in the Big Central Football Conference, as none of the ten teams in the Week 1 rankings retained the same spot in Week 2.

North Brunswick also entered the rankings after a win over No. 8 New Brunswick, 28-7.

Below are the Week 2 rankings.

This post has been updated to reflect Cranford and South Brunswick also receiving votes.

by Mike Pavlichko

Union, Woodbridge share No. 1 again in Week One Top 10

Just as in the preseason Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten, Union and Woodbridge share the top spot.

Both teams were affected by COVID cancellations in Week One, but only the Farmers were able to play. Westfield’s program shutdown happened far enough in advance that Union was able to find an opponent; they traveled to Eastern down in South Jersey and won 39-15.

Linden, however, cancelled on Union in the middle of the week, too late for the Barrons to find a replacement game. Woodbridge will open at Colonia Friday night.

Below is the Week One Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

WATCH: Falcons feel confident flying with the Big Central’s big boys

As St. Joseph of Metuchen begins its tenth season of varsity football in 2020 – albeit a COVID-shortened one – there’s a good feeling in the air around Brenner Family Field.

The Falcons return a lot of the key pieces from a team that finished second in the Blue Division of the GMC’s swan song to Woodbridge, which finished the regular season undefeated.

And head coach Rich Hilliard’s team is confident, despite the fact they’ve been put in a division that includes all Group 5 schools: Westfield, Elizabeth, Ridge, Bridgewater-Raritan and Union. They’ll wrap up the season with a crossover at home against the aforementioned Barrons.

Senior defensive end and right tackle Gianni Principato says “I feel like we should go undefeated. As long as we come together, execute all our plays on offense and defense, we should be able to win every game.”

Hear more about what Principato, Hilliard, and seniors Donny Stralkus, Tommy Romond and Jordan Kinsler all have to say about the Falcons 2020 season by watching the video below.

by Mike Pavlichko

GALLERY: St. Joe’s-Metuchen set to debut brand-new stadium at Brenner Family Field

The Falcons football program will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, but it will be the first season St Joseph of Metuchen will play in a stadium of its very own.

Brenner Family Field now has full-size bleachers that can fit thousands, as opposed to a few scattered metal stands that only sat a few rows of fans each. There’s also a press box with a main section in the middle for officials, the PA announcer, writers and broadcasters, with separate rooms on the either side for assistant coaches. Videographers can shoot game film from either side of the box, which has two entrances and a dedicated stairwell so that those who need access don’t need to go through the bleachers.

The new seats will give parents, students and other fans a true birds-eye view of Brenner Family Field for the very first time.

“It’s a long time waiting,” says fourth-year head coach Rich Hilliard. “They finally got it done this year, and we can’t wait to use it.”

After a couple of years of JV play, the St. Joe’s varsity took the field for the first time in 2011, but still played four years before it got a nice artificial turf field, christening it on October 10th, 2015 with a shutout win over Perth Amboy.

“Our next phase is the visitors’ stands and the lights. The kids are very excited about the whole opportunity.”

On the field – no matter the surface – St. Joe’s has had tremendous success. The Falcons have won four divisional championships: three in the GMC White Division and one in the GMC Blue. All-time, they have a record of 58-30 (a .659 winning percentage).

But not having a stadium and press box didn’t make it easy.

“We used to bring a lift in for our coaches to go up in,” says Hilliard. “We’d have to get another lift for the traveling team.”

The St. Joseph student Internet radio station couldn’t go up in a lift; they would broadcast from a campus building around the 20-yard line, and more than 150 feet from the nearest sideline.

The first game at the new stadium is scheduled for Saturday, October 3rd at 1 pm when St. Joseph-Metuchen hosts Elizabeth as part of a six-game regular season schedule reduced by the NJSIAA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast that game as part of its inaugural season of high school football play-by-play. Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino will have the call.

  • Brenner Family Field’s new bleachers and press box, as seen from the parking lot.
  • The new bleachers and press box at St. Joe’s of Metuchen as seen from the playing field.
  • Parents sit in the brand-new bleachers to watch practice on Thursday, August 27th, 2020 at Brenner Family Field in Metuchen.
  • Close-up view near the fence around the playing field at St. Joe’s of Metuchen, looking toward the new bleachers and press box.
  • St. Joe’s of Metuchen fans will get a bird’s-eye view of their Falcons for the very first time in 2020, as St. Joe’s opens its new bleachers.
  • Falcons coaches and opposing staffs won’t have to get up in a scissor lift to call plays anymore. They’ll have this view from the new press box at St. Joseph’s Brenner Family Field.