Tag: undefeated

October 4, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

State’s “perfect” teams whittled down to 29, with nine left in Big Central; Summit, Manville put streaks on the line Saturday

Of the 29 teams left in New Jersey high school football with unblemished records, nine remain in the Big Central Conference.

How that translates in the postseason is anyone’s guess, but at this point of the season, it’s a remarkable number, considering how the rest of the state has gone.

The Super Football Conference has ten remaining unbeatens, with four going down Friday night and two more to play Saturday. The West Jersey Football league is down to five after four of its teams fell Friday. The NJIC has three, with one to play Saturday, and the Shore Conference has two.

Here’s a closer look at the undefeated teams left in the Big Central, and a list of the perfect squads remaining statewide:

BIG CENTRAL CONFERENCE:

Bernards, 6-0: The Mountaineers narrowly escaped Frank Jost Field with a 7-0 win over South Plainfield that extends its state-best active regular season win streak to 31 games, and its second-best Big Central streak to 29, five behind St. Thomas Aquinas. Last 3 games: at Summit, Governor Livingston, Carteret.
Manville, 5-0: The Mustangs have yet to play this week, traveling to JP Stevens for a 10 am game Saturday. Last 3 games: Dunellen, Highland Park, at Bound Brook.
New Providence, 5-0: With a big 46-7 win at Middlesex on Friday, the Pioneers will head out of conference next week before closing with two Big Central Conference games, one at home, the last one away. Last 3 games: Verona, Bound Brook, at Delaware Valley.
Phillipsburg, 5-0: The Stateliners needed a fourth-quarter touchdown to beat West Orange Friday, 24-20 to keep their perfect streak in tact. Last 3 games before the Cutoff: at St. Joseph-Metuchen (Saturday on CJSR), Union, Bridgewater-Rarirtan.
Sayreville, 6-0: The Bombers dominated up front and pulled away from Piscataway in the second half, for a 42-24 road win heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Last 3 games: at Franklin, Montgomery, St. Thomas Aquinas.

Spotswood, 6-0: The Chargers are in the thick of the playoff hunt, but if they keep wining, they’ll be guaranteed to get in no matter where they seed. They also could be in the hunt for a first-round home game. They beat Bound Brook Friday night, 36-7. Last 3 games: at Dayton, at South Hunterdon, Roselle Park.
St. Joseph-Metuchen, 5-0: The Falcons cruised past North Brunswick on the road Friday night, 42-7. Last 4 games: Phillipsburg (Saturday on CJSR), at St. Thomas Aquinas, Woodbridge, at Donovan Catholic.
Summit, 5-0: The Hilltoppers host a dangerous Somerville team Saturday afternoon at 2 pm. Last 3 games: Bernards, at Woodbridge, Scotch Plains-Fanwood.
Woodbirdge, 6-0: The Barrons were 41-0 winners over Perth Amboy in their second shutout victory of the season. Last 3 games: at Montgomery, Summit, at St. Joseph-Metuchen.

SHORE CONFERENCE (2):

Red Bank Catholic, 6-0
Southern, 6-0

WEST JERSEY FOOTBALL LEAGUE (5):

Burlington Twp., 6-0
Cherry Hill East, 6-0
Glassboro, 6-0
Paulsboro, 6-0
Washington Twp., 6-0

SUPER FOOTBALL CONFERENCE (10):

Belleville, 5-0
Don Bosco Prep, 5-0
East Orange, 5-0
Fort Lee, 5-0 (Ivy Division)
Hanover Park, 6-0
Hoboken, 6-0
Kinnelon, 6-0
Mount Olive, 5-0 (Saturday at Morris Knolls)
St. Peter’s Prep, 5-0 (Saturday vs. Seton Hall Prep)
West Morris, 6-0

NJIC (3):

Butler, 5-0
Rutherford, 4-0 (Saturday vs. Cresskill)
Wood-Ridge, 6-0

September 26, 2025September 26, 2025 by Mike Pavlichko

More than four dozen NJ football teams remain undefeated as regular season reaches midpoint; Big Central has ten perfect squads left

They surely won’t all maintain their perfect records through the end of the regular season, as many will play each other in the coming weeks as we head toward Cutoff Weekend and the 2025 playoffs, but as we head into Week Four of play here in New Jersey, there were 49 teams still yet to see a blemish on their record. (There are now 48, as Dickinson of Jersey City took its first loss Thursday night.)

Ten of those teams are in the Big Central Conference, spanning small schools and big.

There are also now 18 undefeated teams in the Super Football Conference, as well as 13 in the West Jersey Football League, three in the Shore Conference and four in the NJIC. None of the handful of independents are undefeated.

Here’s a closer look at the undefeated teams in the Big Central, followed by a list of those remaining perfect, by division, around the rest of the state.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (3-0): The Falcons are No. 8 in the Central Jersey Sports Radio/Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. They host Westfield (2-2) Friday night before going to North Brunswick, then facing perhaps the most challenging stretch of their season: Phillipsburg home October 11th (LIVE in CJSR at 1 pm), at St. Thomas Aquinas on the 17th, and home to Woodbridge the Saturday of Cutoff Weekend. The Stateliners and Barrons are both undefeated, while Aquinas is 3-1 and has won 33 straight Big Central Conference games. (Correction: A previous version of this story had the St Joe’s-Westfield game on Saturday. It is Friday night)
Phillipsburg (3-0): The BCC’s first-ever true state finalist hasn’t skipped a beat despite losing some significant parts to graduation, and the No. 1 ranking is theirs until they decide they don’t want it anymore. Right now, they’re the class of the Big Central, even though there are some very good teams behind them. The Stateliners visit struggling Hillsborough (1-3) Saturday, and their biggest two tests likely will be the aforementioned October 11th game at St. Joe’s, and a Friday Cutoff Weekend matchup at home against Bridgewater-Raritan, which could have QB Declan Kurdyla back from a knee sprain by then.
Bridgewater-Raritan (4-0): Obviously, both the No. 6 Panthers and Stateliners won’t be able to run the table, since they’re division mates and will meet in a few weeks, but Bridgewater has looked very good. They’ll be tested Friday night at Ridge (1-2) in their first full game without Kurdyla, who’s out at least three weeks before he’ll be re-evaluated, which also includes a home game with Elizabeth next week and a road trip to Hillsborough on October 10th. And their regular season closes out at Maloney Stadium on the Friday night of Cutoff Weekend.
Spotswood (5-0): The Chargers played Thursday night, and remained perfect with a 34-3 shutout win over Highland Park. Next week, they get a much-improved Bound Brook team (3-1) at home before heading to Dayton and South Hunterdon, before closing it out with Roselle Park. Spotswood sat in 17th place in the South 2 playoff standings before the win over the Owls, which will help them. But if they can finish unbeaten, they’ll automatically be in the playoffs, regardless of where they stand. That’s a distinct possibility.
Manville (4-0): The Mustangs’ toughest remaining game might be Highland Park or Bound Brook, the first of which is home, the second of which is on the road, in the regular season finale. This week, it’s a trip to South Hunterdon (0-3). The Mustangs have allowed just six points all season – a touchdown in their opener at Keyport – but since then have pitched three straight shutouts and the defense has logged 14 consecutive scoreless quarters.

Woodbridge (4-0): The No. 2 Barrons lost a lot, too, but also seemingly haven’t missed a beat. They travel to Linden (1-3) this week for a Friday tilt, then host Perth Amboy, but the schedule gets decidedly tougher after that. They’ll be at No. 10 Montgomery, home to Summit (also considered for the Top Ten) and at No. 8 St. Joseph-Metuchen on Cutoff Weekend. They should be heading into that stretch at 6-0, but how will they come out of it?
Sayreville (4-0): The Bombers have been very consistent all season. They scored between 26 and 28 points in three of their four games, and have allowed no more than 18 and no fewer than 14 points in that stretch, with wins over Colonia, Linden, Edison and Hillsborough. All but the Patriots are below .500 though, and after a home game with North Brunswick this week, the back-loaded schedule kicks in, with trip to Piscatway next week (on CJSR) a road game at Franklin on October 10th, followed by home games the next two weeks against No. 10 Montgomery and No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas.
Bernards (4-0): The Mountaineers lost all-world defensive end Thomas Diemar to a season-ending injury in the Delaware Valley game two weeks ago, but they still beat Voorhees in a battle of unbeatens on the road last week, 31-21. This week, it’s JP Stevens (0-4) at home, and their toughest matchup should come against a very good Summit team on the road, Saturday October 17th. The Hilltoppers have a mobile QB, and the test will be if the remaining healthy defensive players can limit Alex Schwark.
Summit (4-0): They’re not in the same division as Bernards, so, again, only one of these teams can finish undefeated since they face each other head-to-head. But the Hilltoppers’ remaining schedule is more challenging. After facing a tough Cranford team (2-2) this Friday night up in Union County, they host Somerville the week before Bernards comes to Tatlock Field, and then have a road game at Woodbridge the week after. Big tests.
New Providence (4-0): The Pioneers’ have looked very good this year, with a shutoout last week at Metuchen and a 42-7 win at Governor Livingston in Week 1. They get Roselle (1-2) at home this week, then visit Middlesex before an out-of-conference game against Verona, a home game with Bound Brook, and the regular season finale at Delaware Valley. Will that schedule – even if they go unbeaten – allow them to hold on to one of the two top seeds in the North 1 supersection? They have it now, but for how long?

Here’s a look at the rest of the leagues in the state, and their unbeaten teams:

Super Football Conference

4-0 Teams (12): St. Peter’s Prep, High Point, Dumont, Hanover Park, Northern Highlands, West Morris, Kinnelon, Hoboken, Old Tappan, Wayne Hills, St. Joseph-Montvale, Bergen Catholic
3-0 Teams (6): East Orange, Fort Lee*, Belleville*, Mount Olive, Boonton, Don Bosco Prep

West Jersey Football League

5-0 Teams (3): West Deptford, Paulsboro, Cherry Hill East
4-0 Teams (8): Washington Twp., Rancocas Valley, Glassboro, Burlington Twp., Delran, Burlington City, Sterling, Holy Cross
3-0 Teams (2): St. Joseph-Hammonton, Bishop Eustace

North Jersey Interscholastic Conference

4-0 Teams (2): Wood-Ridge, Glen Rock
3-0- Teams (2): Butler, Rutherford

Shore Conference

4-0 Teams (2): Red Bank Catholic, Southern
3-0 Teams (1): Holmdel

April 16, 2024April 15, 2024 by Mike Pavlichko

And then there were six: A look at the undefeated teams left in the CJSR coverage area

We’re officially two weeks into the high school baseball season – though some haven’t quite managed two weeks’ worth with all the rain we’ve gotten – and there are a half-dozen teams who remain unbeaten.

Some have received a lot of attention, like Bridgewater-Raritan, No. 1 this week, taking the top spot in the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten. Others, like South Amboy (4-0) or Piscataway Magnet (2-0) have not.

So, here’s a look at all six teams without a blemish on their records so far.

Bridgewater-Raritan (6-0, #1 ranking)

The Panthers had high expectations coming into the season, and so far have delivered with aplomb. They had a big season-opening win over Rancocas Valley, and beat state-ranked North Hunterdon 7-1 back on Saturday, a win that – coupled with Old Bridge’s second loss of the season – elevated them to No. 1 this week in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten.

The Panthers are hitting .304 as a team, and have three home runs already. And they’re getting it from a mix of veterans – one each from Devin Goldberg and JR Rosado – as well as others like Matthew Lehberger, a junior who hit his first varsity homer against Hillsborough on April 9th.

The team ERA is 1.97, with Owen Crimmins, Corey Rible and others looking sharp.

The Panthers have a big test Tuesday afternoon when they travel out to Flemington to take on Hunterdon Central, a 4:00 start.

Spotswood (7-0, #5 ranking)

The Chargers won their seventh straight Monday afternoon, beating Somerville 7-3 on the road in the teams’ first meeting since 2007. That’s a nice feat, but it’s getting to be old hat around “The Swamp.” After all, Spotswood won its first nine games last season en route to a 21-8 season, and a trip to the Central Jersey Group 2 final.

Seton Hall commit Carter Cumiskey has been lights out. He’s 3-0, only allowing his first earned run of the season Monday afternoon, giving him a 0.39 ERA (in 17 and 2/3 innings pitched) with a 3-0 record. He struck out ten Pioneers in the win, and – oh yeah – also hit a solo home run that led Somerville to intentionally walk him his next two at bats.

Meanwhile, Glenny Fredricks – now in his 20th season with the Chargers – is sitting at 299 career wins after Monday’s victory.

Everyone in the lineup is hitting, and Spotswood continues to do the little things well, the definition of a Fredricks-coached team. The Blue Division-leading Chargers have scored more runs than anyone in the league (75) and are outscoring their opponents 75-16 through seven games, a +59 run differential that’s also the best in the GMC.

The Chargers are back in action at home Thursday at 4 pm against Marlboro, where Fredricks will go for win No. 300 in his coaching career.

Woodbridge (7-0, #6 ranking)

Like Bridgewater and Spotswood, the Barrons returned a veteran group and also had high expectations for this season. So far, it’s all gone according to plan for Woodbridge. At +53, they’re second in the GMC in run differential, giving up just eight runs all year, the lowest of any team that has played at least three games. (Edison, right behind them in the GMC White, has only given up nine in six games; the Eagles are 5-1.)

Woodbridge has swept home-and-homes from Colonia, Sayreville, and JP Stevens, while beating Middlesex in their first meeting of the year on the road Monday, 4-3.

Senior Eddy Nunez – who burst on the scene as a freshman in the “COVID comeback” season – has thrown 19 innings, more than anyone on the staff, and struck out 27 (1.4 per inning) on the season. His ERA is a slim 1.47, while senior Shawn Kish has also been solid. So has Drew Lukachyk, who didn’t pitch much last year due to arm issues, but has returned to form this season.

Lukachyk is hitting .409 this year as well, and that’s not even the best average on a team that’s hitting an excellent .357 overall. Sophomore Xavier Diaz is hitting .471 and Kish – also a senior – is batting .429.

The Barrons host Middlesex Tuesday afternoon at 4, then entertain North Brunswick Thursday.

Immaculata (7-0, #7 ranking)

What a turn for Kevin Cust’s ballclub, whose best year since the COVID shutdown in 2020 was a 14-13 record two seasons ago, sandwiched between 9-win, sub-.500 seasons. This year, the Spartans are back in top form.

While they didn’t win their first seven that year, in 2018 Immaculata started 1-1, but then won 17 straight to go 18-1 in their first 19. That year, they beat Montgomery for the Somerset County title, then fell in the Non-Public South B final to Gloucester Catholic.

This year’s team opened up with three out-of-state foes – all wins – and now has won four straight since beginning Skyland Conference play, with all coming against Somerset County Teams in Montgomery on the road, then Watchung Hills, Franklin and Pingry at home. In their first seven, they’ve tossed three shutouts, and allowed two or fewer runs in five of those games.

The Spartans are tearing the cover off the ball, hitting .369 as a team, and led by junior Colin Kassai, who’s hitting .600 on the year – 12 for 20 – while senior Troy Rabosky is hitting .571 on 12 for 21.

Pitching-wise, they’ve given up 13 runs all year, and by scoring 66, have the largest run differential in the CJSR coverage area, let alone the Skyland Conference, at +63 on the season. Senior Josh Thompson has thrown 17 innings so far, with a paltry 0.41 ERA.

Immaculata plays Rutgers Prep Tuesday at 4, then travels to Flemington for a big test Saturday morning at 11:00 against Hunterdon Central.

South Amboy (4-0)

With all their wins coming in the GMC Gold Division, the Governors have swept their home-and-homes with Carteret and New Brunswick. While the Zebras are just 1-3, Carteret is 4-2, with their only losses coming to South Amboy, and the Ramblers are right behind them in the division.

While the pitching has been hit or miss, their offense has been more hit than miss. The Guvs are batting .329, with three regulars at .300 or better, including Weslyn Morel-Sanchez (.429), Benjamin Hernandez (.444) and Benjamin Smith (.545), who already has eight runs batten in on the season, plus the team’s only home run.

After a 19-7 win over New Brunswick on Monday – the Governors outscored the Zebras 30-10 in that home-and-home series – South Amboy visits the pristine field at East Brunswick Magnet for a 4 pm first pitch on Wednesday.

Piscataway Magnet (2-0)

Sure, it’s earlier for the Raiders than anyone else, having played two games – both GMC Silver Division opponents – but why not give the Raiders some pub?

It took them over a week to play their first game of the season, a 17-0 whitewash of Wardlaw-Hartridge. Then it was another six days before they got back on the field Monday to win at Perth Amboy Magnet, 8-7 in eight innings. The Raiders got two in the top of the eighth to break a 6-6 tie, then held PA Magnet to a run in the bottom of the inning to pick up the win.

Albeit through two games, Piscataway Magnet is off to a good start, hitting .382 as a team with four extra base hits (3 doubles and a triple). Freshman Kyla Malchiodi leads the way, hitting .750 (4 for 8) through two games with a team-leading nine runs batted in.

Senior Matt Baez got the win in the opener, tossing a complete game of five scoreless, one-hit innings, striking out 15 while walking only two in a ten-run rule win.

Their biggest test yet will come Tuesday when they visit GMC Silver Division leader Highland Park (3-1, 3-0 in the division) at 4 pm.

October 3, 2023October 2, 2023 by Mike Pavlichko

Perfect, so far: There are five undefeated teams in the Big Central, among 30 statewide

We’re coming into the home stretch of the high school football season in New Jersey, and five of the 59 teams in the Big Central are perfect so far.

And the good news is that none of them play each other – or could play each other – so all could run the table not only in the regular season but through the playoffs.

Of course, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. But here’s a look at all five teams, how they got here, and maybe where they’re going:

North Brunswick (5-0): They’re the only one of the bunch that hasn’t played six games yet this season, but the top-ranked Raiders have already gotten through the toughest part of the schedule, having beaten the likes of South Brunswick, Edison and Sayreville. Their defense has been stellar, allowing an average of 8.8 a game. That includes a 50-0 shutout of Franklin – their highest offensive output of the year – and a win at Old Bridge where the Raiders allowed only took a safety. New Brunswick and East Brunswick the next two weeks are a combined 0-12. Cranford in Week 8 is 3-2 at the moment, and likely to come in at 5-2 or 4-3 by then. The Raiders fell to the Cougars up in Union County last year, 34-14.

Montgomery (6-0): The 5th-ranked Cougars have been on fire all year long, thanks in large part to the combo of quarterback Michael Schmelzer, Jr., and his top receiving target Matt D’Avino, who have eight TD hookups this year, and have connected on 5 of their last eight touchdowns over the past two games. Like North Brunswick, they will be favored to win their next two games over North Hunterdon and Scotch Plains-Fanwood, who are a combined 1-11. But Linden on the road should be a real test. The Tigers are 5-1, with their lone loss to Woodbridge. They’ve won three straight since then, and have an immensely tough last three weeks. They’re at Summit Friday, and at Cranford next week before hosting the Montgomery on Cutoff Weekend.

St. Thomas Aquinas (6-0): The No. 6 Trojans again are doing it with a potent offense, and a nearly lockdown defense. They have posted four shutouts on the season, two years after tying a playoff-era Middlesex County record with seven. They have four more regular season games to play, since non-publics have an extra week before their playoffs start. Three of the next four are on the road, starting with Rahway this week. Then they host North Plainfield and visit Edison, followed by a trip to Somerville to play Immaculata. The way they’re playing, it’s definitely doable.

Bernards (6-0): The 8th-ranked Mountaineers are doing it the same way Aquinas is. They’re averaging 36 points a game while allowing 6.2 points a contest. That includes shutouts in their last two games. Their best win was a second half rally at Conant Street Park over HIllside, a 28-12 victory. This week they host Bound Brook, then two tougher matchups: at New Providence in Week Seven and at Governor Livingston on Cutoff Weekend. The Pioneers are 3-3, while the Highlanders are 5-1, and have picked up all those wins in a row since dropping their opener… to New Providence, 14-7.

Spotswood (6-0): The Chargers occasionally have broken out offensively, but they’ve been really good on defense, allowing just 22 points all season, with dour of their six victories coming via shutout. It hasn’t been the most challenging of schedules, which could hurt them on Cutoff Weekend. Their strongest remaining opponent is Johnson, which is 4-1 with a 61.12 Strength Index value. But the Chargers – who sit 11th in the current South Group 2 standings – may not be able to withstand a loss in that game because the other two opponents – Dayton (1-4) and winless JP Stevens – are going to bring their numbers down even with wins. They may need to finish 9-0 to get in the playoffs.

Here’s a breakdown of the remaining undefeated teams in the state, listed by conference, heading into Week 6:

Shore Conference (5):

5-0: Point Pleasant Boro, Holmdel, Jackson Memorial, Marlboro
6-0: Brick Memorial

West Jersey Football League (7):

4-0: Florence
5-0: Haddonfield, Timber Creek
6-0: Notre Dame, Mainland, Cinnaminson, Schalick

Super Football Conference (10):

4-0: Fair Lawn, Newark East Side
5-0: Caldwell, Ramapo, Weequahic, Old Tappan
6-0: Westwood, Passaic Tech, Roxbury, Cedar Grove

NJIC (3):

4-0: Weehawken
5-0: Rutherford, Park Ridge

October 12, 2022 by Mike Pavlichko

Big Central’s unbeaten four among 25 left statewide with two weeks to play

The number continues to get smaller with each passing week, and will continue to do so as we head toward the state playoffs.

There are 25 undefeated teams left in New Jersey high school football, with four remaining in the Big Central Conference. There were eight two weeks ago, a number that got cut into half, leaving four heading into last week’s Week 6, where all those teams won.

All four are 6-0 on the season: Phillipsburg, North Brunswick, South Plainfield and Brearley.

Phillipsburg and North Brunswick are on a path to earn top seeds in their respective playoff sections, and are both first in their supersections overall, with the Stateliners in North 5 and the Raiders in South 5.

A win for Phillipsburg this Friday night against Union at Maloney Stadium would put them at 7-0, their best start since 2019, when they won their first seven before losing to Westfield 21-14 in overtime in Game 8. That team was eliminated in the second round of the playoff and lost to Easton on Thanksgiving to finish 8-3, dropping twao of its last three games.

Continue reading →

October 21, 2021October 21, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

And then there were three: Aquinas, Hillsborough, Cranford carry the Big Central torch of undefeated teams heading into Week Eight

There are 23 undefeated teams left in New Jersey high school football, and the Big Central has three of them: St. Thomas Aquinas, Hillsborough, and Cranford. And all three have challenging games coming up the next two weeks.

Overall, there are 23 high school football teams in the Garden State with unblemished records. Only three are non-public schools; Aquinas (6-0) is joined by Bergen Catholic and Red Bank Catholic, both of which are 7-0.

Overall, the Shore Conference has four undefeated teams: including Middletown South at 5-0, while Long Branch and Point Pleasant Boro are both 6-0.

The West Jersey Football League has six. Gloucester City is 5-0, Nottingham is 6-0, and Ocean City, Woodbury and Delsea are all 7-0. Cedar Creek leads the state with the most wins, at 8-0.

The North Jersey Super Football Conference has eight teams unbeaten. East Orange, Caldwell and Dumont are all 6-0, but Dumont isn’t eligible for the playoffs, being in one of the Ivy “relief” divisions. Ramsey, Newton, Northern Highlands, Ramapo and Bergen Catholic are all perfect through seven games.

The North Jersey Interscholastic Conference has two perfect teams. Park Ridge is 6-0. Bogota is 4-0, and like Dumont, ineligible for the postseason, being in a “relief” division.

Hillsborough, No. 2 in the Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten, plays at winless Piscataway this Friday night, then comes back home for a date with No. 8 North Brunswick at Noonan Field on cutoff weekend, the Raiders’ last big challenge before the playoffs.

No. 4 Cranford plays the last two games of a three-game road stretch, continuing this Friday at Linden, and next week at Montgomery, which has won two straight after an 0-4 start and in striking distance of the playoffs in North Group 4.

St. Thomas Aquinas – in a three-way tie for tenth in the latest rankings – is 6-0 and hasn’t allowed a point all year. Whether the shutout streak reaches seven games will be determined Friday night, when the Trojans welcome Governor Livingston (0-6) to North Edison. But next week, they face a much stiffer challenge when they welcome a really talented Delaware Valley team to Trojan Country.

October 13, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

There are 30 undefeated teams remaining in New Jersey: How do the Big Central schools stack up?

After seven weeks of play (yes, we’ve only finished Week 6, don’t get us started about “Week 0”) there are 30 teams remaining in New Jersey without a single loss.

Five of them are in the Big Central, including Cranford (5-0), Delaware Valley (6-0), Hillsborough (6-0). St. Thomas Aquinas (5-0), and Woodbridge (6-0). That number will be reduced to four this weekend, after Woodbridge hosts Cranford Friday night on the Big Central Game of the Week driven by Autoland (7 pm on CJSR).

But we decided to take a closer look at those teams and how they stack up against the rest of the state.

(We skipped the two schools – Bogota and Dumont – who are in the NJIC and NJSFC divisions that include schools that requested “schedule relief” and therefore are ineligible for the postseason.)

Of the 28 undefeated teams eligible for the playoffs, St. Thomas Aquinas is the only one to have not allowed a single point all season long. The Trojans are 5-0, pitching shutouts in all five games, against Woodstown, Roselle, Spotswood, Johnson and Belvidere. Their remaining schedule includes a road game against Middlesex this weekend, a home game against Governor Livingston, then a huge test in the regular season finale, hosting Delaware Valley.

Aquinas leads the entire state with its five goose eggs.

Among undefeated teams, Ocean City and Central each have four, but have played six games. Woodstown (5-1) also has four shutouts.

The largest margin of victory among the undefeated teams also belongs to Aquinas, which is winning this season by an average of 41 points per game. And that’s including a 6-0 season-opening win over Woodstown, the Wolverines only loss this season. Five of their six games have been shutouts, four in their favor.

After Aquinas, there are three undefeated teams that have not allowed more than a touchdown in any game this year.

Ocean City, with its four shutouts, has not allowed more than seven points in its other two wins. Rumson-Fair Haven – with one of the toughest schedules in the state – has been even more impressive; the Bulldogs have only two shutouts, but have never allowed more than seven in a game. The same goes for Cedar Creek, the only seven-win team in the state.

The smallest average margin of victory of the 28 teams belongs to Middletown South. And 5-0, they’re the only team that has not scored more than 100 total points this year, outscoring opponents just 96-36, with an average margin of victory of 12.2 points.

Eight teams with unbeaten records have allowed fewer than 20 points in every game this year. In addition to Aquinas, Ocean City, Rumson and Cedar Creek, Middletown South, Delsea, Nottingham and Woodbury are on the list.

Below is the full list. Schools of the same group size are linked by color, starting with Group 5, working down to Group 1, then Non-Public A and B:

October 1, 2021October 1, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

Who are the eight undefeated teams left in the Big Central heading into Week 5?

As we head into Week Five of nine in high school football across New Jersey, there are dozens of undefeated teams remaining in the state – 52 to be exact.

Eight of them reside in the Big Central Conference.

The North Jersey Super Football Conference leads the pack with 19, including Immaculata, which is playing in the Independence Red Division after leaving the fledgling Big Central over a disagreement about their division and scheduling.

So who are these eight teams? Who’s having their best success in years? We take a closer look:

Hillsborough (4-0) ad Ridge (3-0): We put these teams together since they square off tonight in Basking Ridge, so one will have suffered their first loss of the season. The Raiders started 2019 with a 4-0 mark, and a win tonight would give them their best start since they won seven-in-a-row to start the 2014 season. That year, the Raiders made it to the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals, where they lost 28-6 to eventual champion Manalapan, which beat South Brunswick 21-7 for the title at Rutgers.

Each team has a Bellamy & Son Player of the Week to their credit. Thomas Amankwaa of Hillsborough won for his outstanding performance in a 21-14 overtime home win over Phillipsburg a couple of weeks ago, including two touchdowns, a two-point run and an interception on the Liners’ possession in OT that clinched the come-from-behind win. Ridge quarterback Mike Olivo was honored this past week, as he accounted for all seven of his team’s touchdowns (three passing, four rushing) in a 49-20 win over Hunterdon Central.

It’s the best start for the Red Devils under second-year head coach Andy West. Bill Tracy was at the helm when Ridge last won three straight to start the year; they went 6-0 to begin 2018.

Bottom line, this kind of start is nothing new for these ballclubs.

Woodbridge (5-0): The Barrons did this last year, and the year before.

In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, they went 5-1, only losing their final game, in the first week of pod play to Somerville in a highly-anticipated 1 vs. 2 matchup. The Barrons had been No. 1 all season, with Somerville working its way to No. 2.

The ‘Ville took a 39-26 decision at Priscoe Field, and then both teams’ seasons ended due to COVID and contact tracing.

Isn’t it great to see high school football back?

The year before, Woodbridge was 10-0 heading into the North 1, Group 4 title game, but lost 37-7 at Northern Highlands.

Cranford (3-0): The Cougars also got off to a hot start last year, beginning the year 3-0. But they were stopped by Woodbridge in their fourth game and finished 6-2, losing in their finale in pod play to St. Joseph-Metuchen.

Cranford has Scotch Plains-Fanwood at home tonight, then hosts Colonia next Friday, before traveling to the other side of Route One for what could be a battle of two undefeated teams at Priscoe Field on Friday, October 15th, in the Big Central Game of the Week driven by Autoland heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

If you’re looking for the Cougars’ next best start prior to last year, you’d have to go back to 2015, when Cranford ran the table at 12-0 and won the North 2, Group 3 title with a 50-23 win over Chatham at Kean University in Union.

Linden (3-0): Yes, make it three teams out of eight in what we felt heading into the season was one of the more balanced and competitive divisions in the Big Central, Division 4. In addition to Woodbridge and Cranford, the Tigers are unbeaten, and none of the three teams obviously have played each other yet.

It’s a nice turnaround for Linden, which managed just five games last year due to COVID and ended up 1-4. They had a 7-1 start to their 2018 season, but lost their opener before winning seven straight and dropping their last two.

This is their best start since going 7-0 to begin the 2014 campaign, which they finished 10-2, bringing home a North 2, Group 5 trophy; they beat Elizabeth for the title 27-20 at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands.

St. Thomas Aquinas (4-0): The Trojans are on a historic streak. It’s the first time they’ve had this kind of success in North Edison in quite some time.

Aquinas has not gone unbeaten in its first four games since starting the 1992 season 6-0-1, their streak stopped on November 7th of that year by Edison. (Fun side note: current Eagles offensive coordinator Matt Yascko had two touchdown catches in that game; the other went to Justin Garbolino, whose son Frankie is the QB at North Brunswick. Yascko’s son QB’s for Edison.)

They’ve not started a year with four straight wins since 1989, when the Trojans went ran the table in the regular season and finished 10-1, their lone loss coming in the Parochial South A final to Notre Dame, 9-6.

Look for a piece on the Trojans later today on cjsportsradio.com.

Delaware Valley (4-0): The Terriers got off to a 5-0 start last year, finishing 6-1 in the COVID-shortened campaign.

Del Val runs record to 4-0 with 40-7 cruise past Governor Livingston

A win tonight against a tough Bernards team would match that effort, and give them a shot at their best start since 2015 when they began 6-0. They also went 7-0 to start 2011 and 8-0 in 2003, finishing 9-1 with a playoff loss to Spotswood.

We got to see them early on against North Plainfield, and the Terriers looked impressive, nearly pitching the shutout before allowing a late touchdown.

Brearley (3-0): The Bears had an 8-2 year in 2019, and won eight straight games in that campaign, but after suffering a season-opening loss to out-of-conference West Essex.

They’re off to their best start since 2018 when they went 5-0, but their season-opening win was a forfeit by Highland Park, which didn’t have enough personnel to play the game. Going by true on-field wins, you’d have to go back to 2015, when the Bears won their first eleven games, and were the top-seed in the North 2, Group 1 playoffs.

They lost in the finals at Kean 34-12 to second-seed Hoboken.

What team has the longest active winning streak in Big Central play?

The answer to that question may surprise you.

Hint: it’s not any one of the undefeated teams we mentioned above.

The answer? It’s Bernards!

The Mountaineers are 3-1 this season, but their loss came to Penns Grove in the Battle at the Beach in Week Zero. Last year, after a season-opening loss to Hillside – which they avenged this year in the Rumble on the Raritan at Rutgers – Bernards won their final eight games to finish 8-1.

Of those, six came against Big Central opponents (the other two wins were against Monmouth and Immaculata). So, the Bernards winning streak in league is nine games.

After that, it’s Somerville and Woodbridge tied with 8 straight in league play (Somerville’s loss this season was to Northern Highlands).

Union – who’s only loss this season is to Millville, out of conference – has won six straight against BCC competition, while Del Val and Brealy each have won five-in-a-row.

November 14, 2020January 23, 2021 by Mike Pavlichko

No. 2 Somerville upends No. 1 Woodbridge to remain unbeaten, hand Barrons first loss

Everyone said Ali Lee Jr. of Woodbridge needed a lot of carries and a lot of yards to beat Somerville.

They forgot about Cookie Desiderio.

The pair rushed 32 times each, but Desiderio’s 270 yards were the difference for the Pioneers, who finished the game with 19 unanswered points, as No. 2 Somerville remained undefeated (7-0) with a 39-26 win over No. 1 Woodbridge, handing the Barrons (5-1) their first loss of the season, in the “Big Central Game of the Week” powered by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Desiderio ran for the first score of the game – a 50-yard touchdown dash – and added a 66-yard run, 1-run yard, and a 40-yard ramble – the latter two of which came on a three-TD run by the Pioneers to tie the game with 11:13 to play, take the lead with 9:28 to go, and put it away 1:52 remaining.

Somerville QB Mike Miller was 13-of-28 passing for 141 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while Jaimen Bryant had 9 catches for 128 yards as the Pioneers displayed a balanced attack.

Lee Jr. finished the game with 139 yards on 32 carries, and three touchdowns.

Click below to listen to the entire game:

1st Half

2nd Half