Tag: Trey Lazar

by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood squeaks by JP Stevens to clinch first playoff berth since 2015

It was a close one, yet again, but the one thing the NJSIAA playoff formula doesn’t factor in are style points.

If that were the case, it could be a different story in Spotswood Saturday afternoon. Then again, the Chargers have never been about style, and more about toughness, grit and embracing an underdog mentality.

They may not have been the underdogs either in their game against JP Stevens, even though the Hawks are a Group 5 school; after all, they had lost 38 straight games coming into Chargers Stadium.

But the two played each other tight last year – Spotswood won 18-7 a year ago – and this Saturday was no different, a 22-18 win, but with one major difference: this one got them in the playoffs.

The Chargers had six wins at last year’s cutoff, but a weak schedule kept them out. It almost did this year, but they made it – at 8-1, and needing a win on the final weekend – but they made it, and entirely on merit.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Spotswood has unfinished business to take care of in 2023, seeking first playoff berth since ’15

In 2021, Manville had six wins at the cutoff and didn’t make the playoffs. They scheduled a good out-of-conference opponent in Keyport for Week Zero in 2022, beat them, had another solid year, and qualified for the postseason.

That’s part of the model for Spotswood, which had the same thing happen to them last year: six wins at the cutoff, but a snub by the NJSIAA’s playoff formula.

Head coach Chris Meagher dropped Bishop Eustace from the schedule, took on Bordentown, and the Chargers beat the Scotties 14-0 on the road last Friday night to open the season.

Now, if they can put together a solid year like they did last season, they just might make the playoffs this year. It would be the Chargers’ first berth since 2015.

Click below to hear Chris Meagher and Trey Lazar talk about Spotswood’s prospects for the 2023 season at Big Central Media Days with CJSR’s Mike Pavlichko: