Tag: Tom Roarty

by Mike Pavlichko

Veteran Colonia heads out to Phillipsburg for first meeting in a decade, with trip to North 2, Group 4 finals on the line

Last week, under the lights on a cold night in a do-or-die playoff game at Ridge, every time Colonia needed to make a play, a senior stepped up and delivered. 

Down 6-0 early and back on defense in the second quarter, senior R.J. Wortman’s pick-six helped give Colonia its first lead. Down 13-7 late in the first half, senior Julien Jones rumbled in from six yards out to tie the game just before the break.

Then, on the first drive of the second half, Wortman caught a short touchdown pass from senior quarterback Dylan Chiera to put Colonia ahead 20-13. Even when Ridge scored again early in the fourth quarter, senior Harsimran Mann blocked his second extra point of the night to keep the Patriots ahead, 20-19.

With Ridge driving to win late in the fourth quarter, it was Julien Jones again leading the charge on a fourth down stop on Colonia’s own 29-yard line to seal the deal.

Senior, senior, senior, senior.

The result: a 20-19 road win over the fourth-seeded Red Devils in the first round of the North 2, Group 4 playoffs and a date with top-seeded Phillipsburg Friday night in an all-Big Central sectional semifinal.

The Stateliners will present all types of challenges. For one, it’s an hour-plus bus ride west for Colonia on Friday afternoon. For another, Phillipsburg is 8-1, ranked 2nd in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, and their only loss is to No. 1 St. Joseph-Metuchen.

Last year, the Stateliners captured the North 2, Group 4 title over Northern Highlands on a 46-yard field goal by Alexie Moreira – who’s back this year – as time expired. Colonia head coach Tom Roarty called Phillipsburg “a top-five team in the state every year.”

At this stage of the season, though, experience is everything. And Colonia has it in droves. Dylan Chiera has thrown for over 2,185 yards and 22 touchdowns. R.J. Wortman has over 1,160 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns. Julien Jones has 6 touchdowns on offense and 8 sacks on defense. Harsimran Mann, George Simpson, and Yisrael Custudio all have double-digit tackles for loss. All are seniors. 

“Now we’re 7-3, but our three losses are to Sayreville, Woodbridge, and Old Bridge. They’re all in the second round of the playoffs, too,” said Colonia’s 13th-year head coach Tom Roarty. “I told the kids ‘Why not us?’ We have to believe we’re a good team and we’re just as good as anybody that we play.”

The senior-laden Patriots will have a huge opportunity to prove it and advance Friday night at Phillipsburg in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. You can hear the game live on Central Jersey Sports Radio with pregame at 6:45 and kickoff at 7:00. Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe will be on the call; click here to listen.

It’ll be the first meeting between the schools since they faced each other in the semifinals of this very same section in 2015, a 28-13 Colonia loss. They also played the year before in the finals at Rutgers, with the Patriots falling in overtime, 28-21, when a fourth-down pass play fell short of the line-to-gain.

Click below to hear Colonia head coach Tom Roarty preview the game with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe:

by Mike Pavlichko

Dylan Chiera, No. 9 Colonia look to keep it rolling in Friday night trip to Edison

Graduating a two-year starter at quarterback is always a challenge.

When that quarterback’s name is Jaeden Jones, and he happens to throw for 2,000 yards and run for another 3,000 during those two years, the challenge could appear almost insurmountable.

But not for head coach Tom Roarty and the ninth-ranked Colonia Patriots, who will look to improve to 5-1 when they visit Edison Friday night.

You can hear the Bellamy & Son Paving “Big Central Game of the Week” at 7pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with the pregame set for 6:45. Justin Sontupe and Dom Savino will call the action, click here to listen.

The Patriots have made the playoffs each of the last three years and appear destined for a fourth-straight trip. A big reason for the continued success: first-year starting quarterback Dylan Chiera, who has admirably stepped into that Jaeden Jones-sized void.

Through five games, Chiera has completed 62 percent of his passes for nearly 1,000 yards. He’s thrown 12 touchdowns against four interceptions.

Roarty attributes Chiera’s success to his preparation and his chemistry with the rest of the offense. It’s also been a big reason why Colonia has a 3-1 record in games decided by a single possession this season.

Click below to hear Tom Roarty preview Colonia’s Friday night Bellamy & Son Paving “Big Central Game of the Week” against Edison with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe:

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2024 GMC/BCC Camp Caravan: Colonia and Summit battle on the blue turf

Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden took his 2024 Camp Caravan tour of preseason practice to the blue turf of Colonia Friday morning as the Patriots scrimmaged against Summit.

You can find videos – including video highlights and interviews – from both teams below.

Colonia: Head Coach Tom Roarty, seniors Nick Stralie (FB/LB), Nygel Hill (WR/CB) and Roger Reyes (OT/DE), along with junior Dylan Chiera (QB)

Summit: Head Coach Kevin Kostibos and seniors Henrique Guicardi (RB), Ethan Lawton (RB/LB), Shane Walsh (RB/S), Samuel Morris (OL/DL/K/P) and Samuel Henry (G/DT)

You can now watch all the 2024 Camp Caravan videos on YouTube by clicking this link!

by Mike Pavlichko

Jones powers Colonia to 35-7 win over Rahway, likely playoff spot

It was considered a play-in for the playoffs and Jaeden Jones’ elevated his play one more notch.

Hard to fathom there was any room to even do that, as he’s having another stellar season. But Friday night may have taken the cake: 233 rushing yards on 21 carries (10.6 per rush!) and three touchdowns on his own Senior Night, while throwing for 137 more and two scores on just 3-of-5 tossing it.

The result was a 35-7 win for Colonia that looks like it will get them in the playoffs. They started the night as the 16th team in North Jersey Group 4.

Colonia (5-4) got out to a 13-0 lead on a pair of touchdown runs – eight and four yards – in the first quarter. Rahway got one back on a two-yard run by sophomore Andrew Avent, but that was all they would manage.

The Patriots scored two more TDs in the final 2:16 of the first half – a 57-yard touchdown pass and a 17-yarder to Nygel Hill – the second of which was a toss to the right coffin corner of the end zone by Jones that was tipped high in the air by the defender, who then lost sight of it. Hill didn’t and grabbed it a few feet away for the score.

Jones would an another touchdown run – 27 yards – in the fourth quarter to make the final score.

Rahway fell to 3-6 with the loss, and has now lost four straight, but the Indians may have a chance at the postseason. They’ll just have to sit and wait to see what happens elsewhere Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

Colonia should be in, it’s just a matter of where.

Follow us for updated standings late Friday night/early Saturday morning, plus analysis on cjsportsradio.com Saturday, then our live “Playoff Projection Show” sponsored by My Family Appliances on Route One South in Edison. We’ll give all out matchup projections with Marcus Borden as out live in-studio analsyt, and we’ll be giving away three $100 gift cards to lucky listeners from My Family Appliances.

Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Colonia QB/S Jaeden Jones and WR/CB Nygel Hill
Colonia head coach Tom Roarty
by Mike Pavlichko

Jones will run the show again for Colonia, expecting big things in ’23

The 2022 season saw quarterbacks as the top two rushers in the Big Central Conference.

One of them, Matt Sims of Brearley, has graduated. The other, Jaeden Jones of Colonia, is back to do it again.

The senior Jones, a quarterback and defensive back for the Patriots, is one of the league’s most electrifying players, and followed another dazzling QB, Josh Oluremi. In back-to-back years, they led Middlesex County in rushing, the first time it’s happened since at least the mid-90s, the furthest back we could find reliable statistics.

He’ll be a huge key for Colonia this year, which is coming off an 8-2 season and the inaugural Liberty Gold Division championship.

Their division isn’t easy, with Linden always in the mix, and Woodbridge expected to improve with a more veteran squad this year, but Colonia expects to be there again, and for good reason: they have all the pieces.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko’s interview at Big Central Media Days with Colonia head coach Tom Roarty and seniors Jaeden Jones, Joe Perosi, Logan Ramos and Tobi Popoola:

by Mike Pavlichko

Colonia solidifies playoff position, keeps pace as it cools off Summit, 28-23

With just one loss on the season – and to one of the top teams in the Big Central Conference – maybe Colonia deserves better than to be fighting for a top eight finish and a first-round playoff home game.

Then again, maybe it won’t matter.

That’s because the Patriots went on the road Saturday to face red-hot Summit – winners of three straight – and came out of Tatlock Field with a 28-23 win that kept them in 9th place – where they started the weekend – in the playoff chase.

QB Jaeden Jones – banged up a bit in the loss at North Hunterdon – scored four touchdowns in the game, of 52, 7, 5 and 6 yards.

Click below to hear postgame comments from Colonia head coach Tom Roarty:

by Mike Pavlichko

Oluremi has himself a night to power Colonia in 38-7 upset of No. 8 Edison

Head coach Tom Roarty calls it one of the biggest wins for Colonia in recent memory, and he’s probably right.

The Patriots – now 1-1 – knocked off No. 8 (tie) Edison (1-1) Friday night at home 38-7, thanks in large part to Josh Oluremi. A senior quarterback who has been starting since the middle of his sophomore year, he took charge against the Eagles wioth four rushing touchdowns, while throwing for another.

Then there was the defense, as Jake Ciencin racked up six sacks, and Jaeden Jones had a pick six for a score. Colonia also added a field goal.

Click below to hear Colonia coach Tom Roarty talk about the Patriot’s’ win over the Eagles: