Tag: St. Thomas Aquinas

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: Sayreville, St. Thomas Aquinas to duke it out in National Silver, while Edison, Franklin, North Brunswick hope to make strides

The National Silver may no longer feature the team with the longest Big Central win streak – a distinction that now belongs to Bernards – but St. Thomas Aquinas should be right up there with Sayreville in challenging for the division title in 2026.

The Bombers showed big improvement in Year Two under alum Mark Poore, who went from 4-6 to 9-2 in 2025, falling by one to Old Bridge in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals. But the Trojans also should be improved with more continuity under second-year head coach Shamir Bearfield. Franklin has boosted its coaching staff and should present a real challenge in the division, while Edison and North Brunswick are looking for bounceback years.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the National Silver Division teams – in order of 2025 finish – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge as of the date of publication, along with a few notes on each squad. Division games are starred.

Sayreville Bombers (9-2, 4-0, National Sliver Division Champions)
Head Coach: Mark Poore, 3rd season (13-8)

  • Week 0: Plainfield
  • Week 1: Ridge
  • Week 2: Edison*
  • Week 3: Franklin*
  • Week 4: at St. Thomas Aquinas*
  • Week 5: Old Bridge
  • Week 6: at Somerville
  • Week 7: at North Brunswick*
  • Week 8: Piscataway

Like Old Bridge – which the Bombers lost to in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals last season – Sayreville had just one regular season loss, and that came 43-15 to Montgomery after a 7-0 start. But they will have much to replace this season, including senior runningback Shaun Jackson, who finished his career just 23 yards shy of a two-thousand yard rushing campaign in 2025. Poore will look to rising junior Sherwin Appiah (401 yards, 8 TDs) and rising sophomore Dion Osae (534 yards, 3 TD) to fill the gap for a squad that carried it to the tune of 3,335 yards and 40 scores on the ground last season. And tough standouts like DL Julian Perez (5 1/3 sacks, 1 FR) and Adrian Ciesla (3 1/2 sacks) there are some young-uns who contributed last year on defense expected to be back, like risking juniors Kellan Bowers, Grady Walsh and Christian Woodard, each of whom recorded two sacks last season, with Woodard also recovering two fumbles.

St. Thomas Aquinas Trojans (5-6, 3-1, 2nd place National Silver)
Head Coach: Shamir Bearfield, 2nd season (5-6)

  • Week 0:  at Sheepshead Bay (Brooklyn)
  • Week 1: Westfield
  • Week 2: at Franklin*
  • Week 3: at Old Bridge
  • Week 4: Sayreville*
  • Week 5: at Somerville
  • Week 6: North Brunswick*
  • Week 7: at Edison*
  • Week 8: St. Joseph-Metuchen
  • Week 9: OPEN

Shamir Bearfield didn’t get hired until May after a period of turmoil for the Trojan program where Tarig Holman was not retained, and STA’s initial hire changed his mind. So last year’s 5-6 record comes with a little bit of an asterisk. But there’s no doubt Aquinas has the talent to compete again the way they did when they won 32 Big Central Conference games in a row, starting with the late Brian Meeney as head coach with the last win of the COVID season in 20210. Just start with quarterback Zymere Weaver, a sophomore who threw for 2,236 yards and 24 TDs – with just three picks – last year. But while he hit five difference receivers for over 300 yards apiece last year, only one – junior Tristan Bester (338 yards, 4 TDs) will be back, the rest having graduated. The defense returns a ton, including five of the eight players who logged sacks and all four players who totalled five interceptions as a group last year, though the loss of top tackler and linebacker Anwar Witherspoon will be tough to replace with just one person.

Franklin Warriors (4-6, 1-3, 3rd place National Silver)
Head Coach: Blair Wilson, 5th season (11-28)

  • Week 0: Ewing
  • Week 1: Colonia
  • Week 2: St. Thomas Aquinas*
  • Week 3: at Sayreville*
  • Week 4: North Brunswick*
  • Week 5: at Piscataway
  • Week 6: Edison*
  • Week 7: at South Brunswick
  • Week 8: at Woodbridge

It’s a challenging schedule for the Warriors, who opened last year 3-0, but only won one of their final seven games. Wilson has beefed up the coaching staff, bringing on two former head coaches: Derrick Eatman from North Plainfield, and Ibrahim Halsey from South Brunswick, who will coach against his former Vikings in Week Seven. The talent is there to make the push, too, with sophomore QB Jah’naad Cady throwing for 1,040 yards and 13 TDs last year. And on the ground, only one runningback last year – who had two carries – graduates from a group that ran for 1,420 yards last season. He’ll have plenty of targets to throw to as well. A host of solid defensive players should be back, too; freshman Jaden Dublin impressed last year with three sacks and four TFLs, along with a fumble and an INT, while top tackler Maurice Langford registered 62 (23 solo) along with a sack and a fumble recovery.

Edison Eagles (2-8, 1-3, 4th place National Silver)
Head Coach: Matt Yascko, 4th season (10-20)

  • Week 0: Union
  • Week 1: Woodbridge
  • Week 2: at Sayreville*
  • Week 3: North Brunswick
  • Week 4: at Summit
  • Week 5: East Brunswick
  • Week 6: at Franklin*
  • Week 7: St. Thomas Aquinas*
  • Week 8: at Rahway

The Eagles were in a lot of games last year, but just couldn’t get over the hump, or close them out, including a dramatic 33-28 home loss to Franklin where the Warriors scored at the final horn, and two late-season losses right before the cutoff, by one at South Brunswick and two at Paterson Eastside. Flip a few of those this year, and it’s a different season for Edison, whose schedule is manageable. Top rusher Shaun Garland, who had 555 yards and seven TDs (and can also catch the ball) is back for a team that rushed for over 1,700 yards as a group, and has four starters back up front. Garland should also be a big factor defensively, after racking up four sacks, eight TFLs and a forced fumble last season. Other, younger players, however, will have to step up into key roles.

North Brunswick (0-9, 0-4, 5th place National Gold)
Head Coach: Mike Cipot, 10th season (58-32)

  • Week 0: Snyder
  • Week 1: at South Brunswick
  • Week 2: Monroe
  • Week 3: at Edison*
  • Week 4: at Franklin*
  • Week 5: Carteret
  • Week 6: at St. Thomas Aquinas*
  • Week 7: Sayreville*
  • Week 8: East Brunswick

After a 4-6 season that was a downturn for North Brunswick after six straight seasons of seven or more wins, The Raiders went winless last season. But that’s where the program came from when head coach Mike Cipot resurrected it nearly a decade ago, so he’ll be looking to do that again; such is they cyclical nature of high school sports. But he’ll have to find a new quarterback after his nephew, Zach, threw for over a thousand yards last year. The top three receivers – junior Sal Fama-Linn (625 yards, 2 TD), sophomore Kaji Brown (286 yards, 1 TD) and junior Jayvon Dozier (176 yards, 2 TD) should all return for whoever is throwing it to them; sophomore Jasiah Hogans had the most QB experience behind Cipot last year, going 19-of-32 for 234 yards. Brown also had two forced fumbles at defensive back, and linebacker Alie Sakoh (1 fumble recovery, 1 INT) should be among key returnees.

by Mike Pavlichko

New No. 1 highlights final 2026 Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten as Ridge takes top spot

It’s not where you start, but where you finish.

But, to be honest, the Ridge baseball team didn’t have very far to go.

The Red Devils – the only Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team to win an NJSIAA sectional title this season – finish the year at No. 1 in the final Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball rankings, and are the Central Jersey Sports Radio Team of the Year.

The Skyland Conference Delaware Division was a beast this year. Immaculata won the division, second-place Watchung Hills won the Somerset County Tournament, and Ridge beat the Warriors to win the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 title last Friday. The Red Devils’ season came to an end, however, in dramatic fashion Monday afternoon, in an 8-7 loss to Ridgewood on a walk-off, leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. They finish the year at 19-11.

Watchung Hills (18-9) – which lost two of three to Ridge this season – finishes second. In the past week, they beat second-seed Bayonne by run-rule, 10-0 in five innings, in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals before falling to Ridge Friday in the title game.

Jim Muldowney GMC Tournament champion Monroe (15-14) comes in third. The Falcons were the tournament’s nine-seed, but beat five-seed Old Bridge to win the title two Saturdays ago in their season finale, after getting knocked out of the state tournament the day before the GMC final.

In fourth is Immaculata (22-6), which was knocked out of the state tournament in the Non-Public South A semifinals by CBA, 1-0 in eight innings. The Spartans won the Skyland Conference Delaware Division at 9-1, their lone regular season division loss coming to Watchung Hills, and they lost to the Warriors in the SCT title game as well.

At five is GMC Tournament finalist Old Bridge (21-10), which won last Wednesday in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, 10-0 over Hightstown in five innings, but then lost in the title game, 14-1, at home to Hunterdon Central on Friday.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 finalist South Plainfield (17-12) finishes sixth. They got the the title game with a 4-2 semifinal win at top-seed Chatham last Wednesday, but fell Friday to Cranford in the final, 10-5.

GMC White Division champion Middlesex (22-6) comes in at seven. The Blue Jays fell in the Central Jersey Group 1 semifinals last Wednesday to Shore, 2-0 at home, preventing them from having a chance to repeat as CJ1 and state Group 1 champions.

At eight is Edison (19-8). The Eagles – beset by pitching injuries later in the season – got knocked out of the stats in the first round, and the GMC Tournament in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Monroe, but won the GMC’s top division, the GMC Red, with an 11-3 mark, finishing two full games ahead of second-place Old Bridge

Checking in ninth is St. Thomas Aquinas (14-15) – ranked for the first time this season. STA reached the finals in Non-Public North B for the second time in three years with a 7-3 road win at second-seed Rutgers Prep in the semifinals. But the third-seeded Trojans lost at top-seed St. Mary-Rutherford in the title game last Friday, 11-7.

And in tenth, it’s Rutgers Prep (17-8). The Argonauts were Skyland Conference Raritan Division Co-Champions with North Hunterdon – who they split with in the regular season – finishing 8-2 in divisional play, and were knocked out of the states in the Non-Public North B semis last Wednesday by St. Thomas Aquinas, with a 7-3 loss.

Below is the complete and final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the 2026 season:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – NJSIAA Tournament – Non-Public North B Final: (1) St. Mary-Rutherford 11, (3) St. Thomas Aquinas 7

An early 7-2 deficit was too much for St. Thomas Aquinas to recover from, as the third-seeded Trojans lost 11-7 at top-seed St. Mary of Rutherford in the Non-Public North B championship game, ending STA’s season at 14-15.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE!

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from Tamblyn Field in Rutherford, NJ, on June 5, 2026:

by Alec Crouthamel

St. Thomas Aquinas falls to top-seeded St. Mary in Non-Public North B final for Gaels’ first title since 2023

Each coach had a similar message heading into Friday’s Non-Public B final.

If we take care of our own business, we’ll be in a good spot.

Top-seeded St. Mary of Rutherford did so at a higher level than third-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas, winning its first sectional title since 2023, 11-7, at Tamblyn Field in Rutherford.

The Gaels (17-11-1) built up a 7-2 lead after just three innings of play, and even after a late rally from the Trojans (14-15), sealed the win in seven full innings.

Two freshmen faced off on the mound, a tough task for both sides. But St. Mary southpaw Ayden Vargas was ready for the challenge and then some, earning the win with 6 1/3 strong innings.

St. Thomas Aquinas freshman Justin Monterosso got the start for the visitors, but only recorded four outs before the Trojans went with junior Nikash Patel out of the bullpen.

Aquinas never backed down, scoring six runs in the final two innings and raising some blood pressures on the home side, but in the end ran out of innings and time to fully make a comeback.

The Trojans left the bases loaded in the top half of the first, and the Gaels responded with a run in the bottom half, as right fielder Andres Bracho singled home centerfielder Jakhi Gale to open the scoring. Gale reached base in all five plate appearances, and scored three runs on the afternoon.

St. Thomas Aquinas tied the game up in the top of the second, as they loaded the bases for the second straight inning. Catcher Adrian Sanchez got the Trojans on the board with a bases-loaded walk, but Vargas worked two consecutive strikeouts in the heart of the order to leave the bases loaded for the second straight inning.

St. Mary started to take full control in the bottom of the second with four runs to take a 5-1 lead. Five straight batters reached after the first was retired, with Patel replacing Monterosso on the mound in the middle of that stretch. Patel walked in two runs with the bases loaded for his first two batters faced, and even after a strikeout of first baseman Jeffrey Paulino, the Gaels added more.

Bracho stepped up once again, and singled into right field to bring home two more runs to make it a four-spot in the inning.

The Trojans added another run of their own in the top of the third, a sacrifice fly from right fielder Aiden Alberto, but St. Mary got right back to its mojo in the bottom half. The Gaels worked two more runs off a two-RBI double from shortstop Roysell Rivera, taking a commanding 7-2 lead early on.

Each team threw a shutout fourth, but in the bottom of the fifth, St. Mary fully broke the game wide open.

The Gaels worked four straight hits with one out, including RBI base hits by Gale and Rivera, before Paulino mashed a long home run up the left-field hill. By that point, St. Mary worked an 11-2 run, and with a runner on second, came close to ending the game in five innings.

Courtesy runner, Logan Bartley rounded third with a full head of steam after a single by catcher Joshua Figueroa, but Trojans right fielder Justin Brown launched a long throw from the outfield to throw Bartley out at the plate, and keep the game alive.

From there, St. Thomas Aquinas fought to the very last pitch.

The Trojans added a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single from Brown to score senior Louis Rizzolo, cutting the deficit to eight runs. Reliever Chris Gutaukas threw a shutout bottom half of the inning, setting up the Gaels to win the game in the top half of the seventh.

But as a wise man once said on ESPN, “Not so fast, my friends.”

St. Thomas Aquinas refused to go down without a fight, putting up four runs in the final frame to make things interesting. Designated hitter Harrison Eng reached on a full-count walk with one out, prompting St. Mary to go to the bullpen, as Vargas earned a round of applause for his efforts.

Designated hitter Demir Giddens replaced Vargas on the mound, but the Trojans kept fighting. Giddens struck out pinch-hitter Vic Burgos, setting the Gaels up one out away from a title, but it took a bit longer than anticipated. Monterosso worked a walk of his own, flipping the lineup back to the top one last time. Rizzolo worked another walk on four pitches, then catcher Adrian Sanchez brought home pinch-runner Andrew Scaff with a scorching RBI single. Patel came up and brought two more home with another single up the middle, and Brown made it three straight, going station-to-station with an RBI single of his own, as St. Mary made another pitching change during that stretch, putting Xavier Vargas on the bump.

All of a sudden, it was 11-7 with two runners on.

Vargas didn’t waver, though, facing third baseman Tyler Coello, the ninth batter of the inning. Even in a full count, Vargas trusted his stuff and froze Coello looking to seal the title.

Monterosso took the loss in 1 1/3 innings pitched, allowing four runs on five hits and a walk. Patel pitched four innings, allowing six earned runs, while Gutaukas allowed none in an inning and two thirds of his own.

Ayden Vargas earned the win with 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball.

In the end, the Gaels took advantage of their chances. Their top five hitters reached base 18 times, accounting for nine of the 11 runs on the scoreboard.

St. Mary won its 16th sectional championship – 13th in Non-Public North B – and will move on to the Non-Public B final against South champion Gloucester Catholic on Wednesday at Rutgers. St. Thomas Aquinas’ season comes to a close.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from both head coaches with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tom D’Agostino
St. Mary head coach Nigel Archibald
by Alec Crouthamel

Third seed St. Thomas Aquinas, top seed St. Mary, battle for Non-Public North B crown, in matchup between two of the last three sectional champs

It would be an understatement to say St. Thomas Aquinas – particularly its seniors – have had an eventful week or so.

Tuesday, the third-seeded Trojans (14-14) defeated second-seeded Rutgers Prep in the Non-Public North B semifinals, advancing to the sectional final for the second time in three years.

Thursday, the school held its graduation, meaning the aforementioned title game was moved to Friday.

On Friday, St. Thomas Aquinas will head up to Tamblyn Field to battle top-seeded St. Mary (Ruth.) for its third sectional title in program history.

The Gaels (16-11-1) and Trojans represent two of the last three sectional champions, with St. Mary hoisting the championship trophy in 2023, the first year under head coach Nigel Archibald.

First pitch is set for 4 pm in Rutherford, and you can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Alec Crouthamel on the call. Pregame begins at 3:45 pm.

Click the above link to listen LIVE to
the Non-Public North B final between
St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Mary!!

The two teams each bring some similarities and differences to the field.

The Gaels are coming off back-to-back 12-1 victories over eighth-seeded Montclair Kimberley and fifth-seeded Morristown-Beard, and the Trojans won each of their two playoff games 7-0 over sixth-seeded Morris Catholic, and 7-3 over the Argonauts.

They each bring a core top of the lineup to the table, led by veterans such as Louis Rizzolo for St. Thomas Aquinas, and Sebastian Santana and Jeffrey Paulino for the Gaels, with the bottom of the order featuring developing talent, getting invaluable experience along the way.

One of the main differences comes in the history. St. Mary has long been a non-public power on the diamond, looking for its 16th sectional championship dating back to 1958.

But none of that history will matter once the two teams take the field. They’re both battled-tested, the Gaels playing a tough NJIC and out-of-conference schedule, and the Trojans in a rugged GMC Red Division.

With the season on the line, all hands are on deck, as each team looks to make it two sectional titles in the decade.

Click below to hear both head coaches preview Friday’s Non-Public North B sectional final, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

St. Mary head coach Nigel Archibald
St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tom D’Agostino

Championship History

St. Thomas Aquinas: The Trojans won their second sectional title in 2024, and their first in 18 years at the time. They defeated Rutgers Prep in the final, the first of three straight years with victories over the Argonauts in postseason play.

  • Non-Public South A
    • 2006 (Then Bishop Ahr), lost to Seton Hall Prep in Non-Public A Final
  • Non-Public North B
    • 2024, lost to Gloucester Catholic in Non-Public B Final

St. Mary: The Gaels have a long history of dominance in their program’s history, racking up 15 sectional titles, including eight since the turn of the century. Their best stretch was a run of six titles in 11 years from 1998 to 2008. St. Mary’s most recent championship came in 2023 over Rutgers Prep, in Archibald’s first year at the helm.

  • Non-Public North B
    • 1956
    • 1962
    • 1968
    • 1998
    • 2000
    • 2001
    • 2003
    • 2006
    • 2008
    • 2016
    • 2019
    • 2023
  • Non-Public North C (Discontinued in 1979)
    • 1974
    • 1976
    • 1977

List of previous Non-Public North B Sectional Champions

  • 1948: Holy Family/Union City/Our Lady of the Valley/St. Patrick’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1949: St. Mary’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1951: Our Lady of the Valley
  • 1953: St. Luke’s (Ho-Ho-Kus)/St. Michael’s (Jersey City)
  • 1954: St. Luke’s (Ho-Ho-Kus)/Don Bosco Prep
  • 1955: Pope Pius XII
  • 1956: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 1957: Pope Pius XII
  • 1958: Immaculate Conception (Montclair)
  • 1959: Bayley-Ellard
  • 1960: Don Bosco Tech (Paterson)
  • 1961: St. Luke’s (Ho-Ho-Kus)
  • 1962: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 1963: St. Mary’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1964: St. Mary’s (Jersey City)
  • 1965: St. Mary’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1966: St. Michael’s (Jersey City)
  • 1967: Don Bosco Tech (Paterson)
  • 1968: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 1969: Bayley-Ellard
  • 1970: Bayley-Ellard
  • 1971: Morris Catholic
  • 1972: Pope Pius XII
  • 1973: Paterson Catholic
  • 1974: Paul VI (Clifton)
  • 1975: St. Cecilia’s (Englewood)
  • 1976: Don Bosco Tech (Paterson)
  • 1977: Our Lady of the Valley
  • 1978: Paul VI (Clifton)
  • 1979: Don Bosco Prep
  • 1980: St. Mary’s (Jersey City)
  • 1981: St. Mary’s (Jersey City)
  • 1982: St. Mary’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1983: St. Mary’s (Elizabeth)
  • 1984: Bayley-Ellard
  • 1985: Immaculata
  • 1986: Phillipsburg Catholic
  • 1987: St. Anthony’s (Jersey City)
  • 1988: Pope John XXIII
  • 1989: Marist
  • 1990: St. Anthony’s (Jersey City)
  • 1991: Marist
  • 1992: Essex Catholic
  • 1993: Marist
  • 1994: Pingry
  • 1995: Immaculata
  • 1996: Pope John XXIII
  • 1997: Montclair Kimberley
  • 1998: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 1999: Paterson Catholic
  • 2000: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2001: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2002: Montclair Kimberley
  • 2003: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2004: Newark Academy
  • 2005: Morristown-Beard
  • 2006: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2007: Newark Academy
  • 2008: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2009: Montclair Kimberley
  • 2010: Morristown-Beard
  • 2011: Newark Academy
  • 2012: Newark Academy
  • 2013: Morris Catholic
  • 2014: Hudson Catholic
  • 2015: Newark Academy
  • 2016: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2017: Newark Academy
  • 2018: DePaul Catholic
  • 2019: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2021: Morristown-Beard
  • 2022: Immaculata
  • 2023: St. Mary’s (Rutherford)
  • 2024: St. Thomas Aquinas
  • 2025: Pope John XXIII

Bold and italics represent CJSR-area teams

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – NJSIAA Tournament – Non-Public North B Semifinal: (3) St. Thomas Aquinas 7, (2) Rutgers Prep 3

Nikash Patel hit a grand slam, while Louis Rizzolo hit a three-run homer and had a solid outing on the mound as third-seed St. Thomas Aquinas beat Rutgers Prep for a third straight year in the state tournament, picking up a 6-3 win over the second-seeded Argonauts. Aquinas will now visit top-seed St. Mary-Rutherford in the Non-Public North B final on Friday afternoon at 4 pm.

READ THE FULL GAME STORY HERE!

Click below to listen to Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from Somerset, NJ, on June 2, 2026:

by Alec Crouthamel

Rizzolo, Patel power St. Thomas Aquinas to 7-3 win over Rutgers Prep for third postseason year in Non-Public North B semifinals

Three straight years Louis Rizzolo got the ball against Rutgers Prep in the Non-Public North B sectional tournament.

And three straight years, the senior southpaw helped guide St. Thomas Aquinas to a playoff victory.

The third-seeded Trojans (13-14) went on the road to defeat second-seeded Rutgers Prep 7-3 in the semifinals, advancing to their second sectional final appearance in three years. The Argonauts (17-7) saw their season come to a close after another strong campaign.

Rizzolo and junior Nikash Patel applied much of the damage, with both of them going the distance on the mound and accounting for all seven runs on two homers.

Both came with runners on, as Rizzolo mashed a two-out three-run blast on the first pitch to open St. Thomas Aquinas’ scoring in the second inning, and Patel launched a grand slam to extend a one-run lead to five. The seven earned runs were the most all season for Rutgers Prep ace Li Perez, and just the second outing all year he allowed any earned runs.

The Argonauts struck first in the game, as Perez worked a shutout top half of the first to set up his offense well. Second baseman Matt Bilmes reached on an infield single and advanced on an error, before designated hitter Maddox Chu lined an RBI double to bring him home.

But the Trojans responded immediately.

Perez retired two of the first three batters, but freshman Justin Monterosso – one of four first-years in the lineup – worked a key walk on four pitches to flip the lineup card over and bring Rizzolo up in a big spot.

The senior came through, as a fast-moving fastball from Perez left the yard even faster off the bat of Rizzolo, instantly putting St. Thomas Aquinas ahead with a 3-1 lead.

Rutgers Prep brought a response of their own after that, as Bilmes scored his second run of the day on a sacrifice fly from Perez, but Rizzolo limited the damage to just a run after loading the bases, striking out first baseman Mason Cimini looking to end the trouble. Perez struck out the side and retired seven straight after allowing the home run, and it looked like the veteran-laden Argonauts were setting themselves up to get right back into the game.

But in the top of the fifth, the Trojans’ veteran power struck again.

Monterosso worked his second important walk of the afternoon, reaching to lead off the inning on a full count, and Rizzolo singled to set up another big inning. Catcher Adrian Sanchez worked a full-count walk himself to load the bases with nobody out. Then came Patel. Perez got off to a solid start, working a 1-2 count, but Patel got a breaking ball he liked and powered it the opposite way, sending the ball over the right-centerfield fence to take a commanding 7-2 lead.

Perez retired the next three batters to get out of the inning, but the damage had been done.

Argonauts catcher Ethan Nepomuceno launched a solo home run off Rizzolo to lead off the bottom half of the inning, but Rizzolo didn’t let another baserunner on in the inning, keeping the lead at four runs.

Senior reliever Peter Wheeler pitched the final two frames for Rutgers Prep, working around a hit-by-pitch to Monterosso and an intentional walk to Rizzolo to keep the score at 7-3.

Rutgers Prep had one final shot in the bottom half of the seventh. With Rizzolo up against his pitch count, he struck out Bilmes on four pitches, then shortstop Alex Perez on three. But Perez reached on a dropped third strike and wide throw from Sanchez for pitch 111.

But as the two have so many times, Patel picked up his starter, ending the game in just three pitches as Nepomuceno grounded into a 2-0, 4-6-3 double play to seal the win.

Rizzolo earned the win in 6 1/3 innings pitched, with three earned runs on six hits, with just one walk and 12 strikeouts. Perez was given the loss with seven earned runs in five innings, with five hits, four walks, and six strikeouts.

The Trojans will advance to the Non-Public North B semifinals for the second time in three years – they won it over the Argonauts in 2024 – and will face top-seeded St. Mary in Rutherford on Friday at 4 pm.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with St. Thomas Aquinas senior Louis Rizzolo, junior Nikash Patel, and freshman Justin Monterosso, as well as head coach Tom D’Agostino, about the Trojans’ semifinal victory over Rutgers Prep, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA State tournament resumes Tuesday after weekend hiatus, as three CJSR-area non-publics vie for a spot – and we have both games covered!

Last year, they met in the quarterfinals, two years ago for a sectional title in Non-Public North B.

St. Thomas Aquinas and Rutgers Prep will play for a trip back to that title game on Tuesday afternoon, while Immaculata will host Christian Brothers Academy out of Lincroft in the South B semifinals, with all three Central Jersey Sports Radio area teams looking to punch their ticket to a sectional title game.

And Central Jersey Sports Radio has you covered for all three as the state playoffs heat up.

Alec Crouthamel will be in Somerset to bring you live play-by-play of St. Thomas and Rutgers Prep (listen here), while Sean Newcomb will be reporting via Twitter on Immaculata out at Diamond Nation in Flemington. You can find game stories from both – along with postgame reaction – later in the evening at cjsportsradio.com.

Read through for capsules and links for more on Tuesday’s action, followed by Wednesday’s public semifinal schedule.

(3) St. Thomas Aquinas (13-4, 6-8 GMC Red) at (2) Rutgers Prep (17-7, 8-2 Skyland Raritan), 4:30 pm: The Trojans have ended the Argonauts’ season each of the last two years. In 2024, St. Thomas won 5-4 to claim its first sectional title in 18 years. Louis Rizzolo – one of their top pitchers now, but then just a sophomore – came on in relief to get a big out then tied the game with an RBI double as the Trojans had to come from behind for the win. STA would eventually fall to powerhouse Gloucester Catholic in the Group B final in Hamilton.

Last year, the two met in the quarterfinals – playing at Fred Cole Field in Old Bridge – with Rizzolo getting the W in a 6-1 victory over Rutgers Prep, before falling to Montclair-Kimberley in the semis.

Read Alec Crouthamel’s game preview here, including interviews with both head coaches.

Click here to listen to the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

(5) CBA (17-8, 7-3 Shore North A) at (1) Immaculata (22-5, 9-1 Skyland Delaware), 4 pm (at Diamond Nation, Flemington): This will be the first meeting between the schools since 2015, when CBA took a 14-4 win in the semifinals of this section. But that year, the records were basically flipped. CBA went 27-5 and finished the season on a 14-game win streak, taking the Shore Conference Tournament title and the Non-Public South A and State Group A title. Immaculata was just 15-3.

The Spartans will have everyone available for this one, pitching-wise, but the question is: who will head coach Kevin Cust go with? Cole Raymond got the start Tuesday in Immaculata’s regular season finale, a 7-0 win over Rutgers Prep, and pitched very well, allowing just three hits in six innings of work, striking out eight, and not issuing a single walk. We figure Raymond goes here, with Ryan Auten penciled in for a potential title game on Thursday, where they would face the winner of Tuesday’s other semifinal between third-seed Red Bank Catholic (18-8) and second-seed St. Augustine (20-7).

The Spartans have an incredibly balanced lineup, which is hitting .313, with all but one regular hitting .281 or higher. Sophomore Luca Catanzarite is leading the pack, hitting .424 with 19 RBIs and two home runs, while senior Owen Schilling is also tearing it up. hitting .342 with 19 RBI and three home runs.

CBA has won ten straight since a May first, 4-2 loss to Ranney in the Monmouth County Tournament, which left the Colts 7-8 on the year. Luke Grbic won the opener in the first round, 9-2 over 12-seed Camden Catholic, while Danny DiTullio got the W in a 9-2 road win at fourth-seed Union Catholic on Thursday. It should be Grbic back on the mound in the semis, which would line DiDtullio up for the final, should they beat Immaculata.

The Colts also can hit, batting .336 as a team, led by junior first baseman Michael Knox among the regulars, hitting .411 with 12 RBI and two home runs. Senior Jayden Matecjicka is hitting .407 with a team best 21 RBI and three homers. And overall, they’re about as balanced as the Spartans.

Follow Sean Newcomb on Twitter for updates.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3

Central Jersey Group 4 Semifinals

  • (4) Hightstown (18-7) at (1) Old Bridge (20-9), 5 pm
  • (7) Jackson Twp. (12-15) at (3) Hunterdon Central (16-13), 2:30 pm

Central Jersey Group 1 Semifinals

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

  • (5) Bridgewater-Raritan (13-16) at (1) Ridge (17-10), 4 pm (LISTEN LIVE)
  • (3) Watchung Hills (17-8) at (2) Bayonne (21-8), 4:30 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

  • (4) South Plainfield (16-11) at (1) Chatham (20-6), 4 pm
  • (3) Cranford (19-9) at (2) North Hunterdon (22-6), 3 pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 4: Non-Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

FRIDAY, JUNE 5: Public Sectional Finals (at higher seeds)

MONDAY, JUNE 8: Public State Semifinals (at higher power point values)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10: Non-Public State Finals at Bainton Field, Rutgers University

  • Non-Public A Final: 4 pm
  • Non-Public B Final: 7 pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 11: Public State Finals at Bainton Field, Rutgers Univeristy

  • Group 3 Final: 10 am
  • Group 4 Final: 1 pm
  • Group 1 Final: 4 pm
  • Group 2 Final: 7 pm

by Alec Crouthamel

Rutgers Prep and St. Thomas Aquinas face off for third straight year with Non-Public North B final berth on the line

Three things have been certain over the last three high school baseball seasons.

Death, taxes, and a playoff battle between St. Thomas Aquinas and Rutgers Prep.

This year marks the third iteration of the two teams facing off in the North Jersey, Non-Public B sectional tournament in Tuesday’s semifinal round.

The third-seeded Trojans (13-14) won the first two, taking the sectional title in 2024 and winning in the quarterfinals in 2025, but it’s a whole new season, with two very different teams. The second-seeded Argonauts (17-7) bring a lot of veteran experience to the table – including those losses in each of the last two seasons – and are battle-tested. St. Thomas Aquinas brings some of its own veterans, but also young talent that has progressed with more exposure to the big-game environment.

Will the third time be the charm for Rutgers Prep? Or will the Trojans end the Argonauts’ season for the third straight time? It all gets started with first pitch at 4:30 pm from Rutgers Prep, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Pregame starts at 4:15 with Alec Crouthamel on the call; click here to listen.

Eight of the combined projected starters – including both pitchers – faced off in the 2024 game, and 12 in 2025, so there’s not a lot of unfamiliarity, even in a GMC/Skyland Conference crossover.

But these are different teams from those that took the field 368 days ago. They’ve both overcome some bumps along the way, but have found themselves in recent weeks to make it within a game of a sectional final appearance.

The Trojans got off to a bit of a bumpy start, breaking in multiple newcomers to the lineup and getting the youth movement as much experience as possible. But since the calendar flipped to May, St. Thomas Aquinas has gone 7-4, including a 7-0 quarterfinal win over sixth-seeded Morris Catholic. Senior Louis Rizzolo and junior Nikash Patel – a dangerous pitching duo on their third year of postseason action together – combined for a one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in just 75 pitches, while four different hitters recorded at least one RBI.

The Argonauts have blazed a bit of a different trail in 2026, but still have overcome some obstacles. They won 11 straight games over a month-long span, but dealt with a 2-3 stretch over the next nine days, including an extra-inning loss to Bridgewater-Raritan, where the Panthers overcame a four-run deficit and outscored Rutgers Prep 10-1 after the second inning.

From there, though, the Argonauts re-found their focus, including a five-inning, 16-0 victory over tenth-seeded Pope John in the sectional quarterfinals. Star pitcher Li Perez was nothing short of spectacular, allowing just one baserunner and recording all 15 outs via strikeout, while the offense got contributions from all over, including two home runs and five RBIs from senior Maddox Chu.

Both aces – Rizzolo and Perez – will take the ball for the second straight year (Rizzolo also started the 2024 game while Perez played the field) and if both have their best stuff as they did in the quarterfinals, runs will be at a premium.

But with a trip to the sectional final on the line – each team’s first since that 2024 matchup – nothing in the past matters once Perez throws that first pitch of the game.

Click below to hear Central jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with both head coaches about their respective seasons and the upcoming matchup in the Non-Public North B semifinal:

St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Tom D’Agostino
Rutgers Prep head coach Larry Santowasso
by Mike Pavlichko

State Playoff Preview: St. Joseph-Metuchen, Pingry, Gill to open NJSIAA play Tuesday

Hard to believe, but it’s already state tournament time in high school baseball.

The county tournaments are (mostly) done – with the GMC still to be decided this coming Saturday after rain throughout Memorial Day weekend – and everyone is set to begin sectional play in the NJSIAA tournament.

Over the next three days, we’ll take a look at each and every matchup involving Central Jersey Sports Radio teams, starting with the non-public schools, which open play on Tuesday, save for those that have first round byes and are awaiting their first opponent, including Immaculata and Rutgers Prep. St. Thomas Aquinas has a bye, bit already has their opponent determined.

We’ll have a look at Central Jersey Groups 1, 2 and 4 on Monday, and North Jersey, Section 2, Groups 2, 3 and 4 on Tuesday.

NON-PUBLIC NORTH B:

(10) Pope John (4-18) at (7) Gill St. Bernard’s (9-11), 4 pm Tuesday: Though Pope John has taken the last three meetings – with wins in 2019, 2021, and 2024 – that most recent win over Gill is far enough back not to matter. The Lions play a very difficult schedule, including four losses to the two teams that squared off in the Morris County Tournament final, with Mount Olive (now No. 13 in the state) knocking off the statewide No. 1 – and they still are – Delbarton. Both teams are hitting about the same, hovering around the .270 mark, but Pope John has given up more runs, with a team ERA of 7.35, while the Knights are under five. Junior Gavin Bucceri leads the team in hitting, at .379, while senior Jack Markovich is hitting .297 with three home runs. The teams have one common opponent in Pingry; Gill swept them in mid-April, getting a 13-2 and a12-8 win, while Pope John beat the Big Blue a month later, 11-7. The winner will head to Somerset to take on second-seed Rutgers Prep (16-6) in the sectional quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals: (6) Morris Catholic (13-10) at (3) St. Thomas Aquinas (12-14), Thursday (TBA): Just about any team that comes out of the GMC Red Division is probably stronger than their record would indicate. After all, look who’s in the GMC Tournament final: the second and fifth-place teams. And both Old Bridge and Monroe are quite deserving. In fact, their strength of schedule almost certainly was a factor in how high the Trojans were seeded. This will be the first meeting between the teams going back at least to 2008, the last year for which records are publicly available online. They do, however, have one common opponent. St. Thomas lost at home to Montville last Saturday, 12-4, while Morris Catholic beat them two weeks earlier, 8-6. But the Crusaders also lost a preliminary round Morris County Tournament game to a near-.500 Morris Hills team, 9-1, while Aquinas made it to the GMC Quarterfinals, beating South Brunswick 3-2 to get there, then falling to second-seed Middlesex, 3-0. With an up-and-down lineup led by Louis Rizzolo, hitting .373 and a couple others over .300, the Trojans likely look to Rizzolo on the mound in the opener: he’s 6-0 with a 0.98 ERA. A first round bye here means a lot, with Rizzolo starting a quarterfinal game, that would also line him up for a potential title game start.

(2) Rutgers Prep (16-6): The Argonauts have a first-round bye, and will open play Thursday against either seven-seed Gill St. Bernard’s or 10-seed Pope John.

NON-PUBLIC SOUTH A:

(11) St. Joseph-Metuchen (6-16) at (6) St. John Vianney (15-9), 3:45 pm Tuesday: It’s been a challenging season for the defending GMC Tournament Champion Falcons, to say the least. While they graduated a bunch, there’s still talent – and many league coaches will attest to this – but there’s also inexperience. Of their five wins, two came in a back-to-back sweep of East Brunswick in early April, then later in the month they put together a three-game win streak, with victories over Toms River East in the Autism Awareness Challenge, Woodbridge and St. Thomas Aquinas. The followed that up with an eight-game skid – though five of those games were decided by either one or two runs – before beating Freehold Boro, 11-1, to come into the state tournament on a positive note. Also on the plus side, Luke Baranauskas has been back in the lineup for a few games now, after missing the bulk of April; he’s the team’s top regular, hitting .409, while Logan Ring is hitting .352 with 17 RBIs, and Luke Palermo is right behind him with 16 – and it’s no surprise those are key returnees from last season, though they’re still only juniors. Regardless, beating Vianney will be a tough task, especially on the road, with a pitching staff allowing over five earned runs a game. This will be their first meeting since at least 2008. The winner got to third-seed Red Bank Catholic (17-7) Thursday in the quarterfinals; the Caseys have a first-round bye.

(10) Pingry (10-4) at (7) Notre Dame (13-10), 4 pm Tuesday: This will be the first meeting between the teams since 2016, so there’s no recent history here, either. Common opponent advantage goes to the Irish, who beat Gill St. Bernard’s 6-1 in the Autism Awareness Challenge, while the Big Blue were swept by Gill, 13-2 and 12-8, the week prior. Pingry has lost four of five coming in, with defeats at the hands of Pope John, Franklin, Hillsborough and Rutgers Prep, but they are coming in off a 6-4 victory over Oratory Prep, which is 10-4 just like Pingry. The Big Blue is hitting close to .300 (.299), with junior Langston McDonald (.380, 12 RBI) leading the way, while sophomore Andrew Crowley has a team-high 18 runs batted in, while hitting .338 on the year. Nearly every Pingry team has a tendency to be pesky and give opponents fits, and expect little different here in what could be a toss-up. The winner will take a long drive on Thursday to play in the quarterfinals at second-seed St. Augustine (19-6, #12 in NJ), which has a first-round bye.

(1) Immaculata (20-5): The Spartans – coming off a 1-0 loss in eight innings to Watchung Hills in the Somerset County Tournament final Friday afternoon – have a first-round bye and will open play Thursday at Diamond Nation in Flemington against either eight-seed Donovan Catholic (6-15) or nine-seed Paul VI (9-13).