Tag: Union

by Mike Pavlichko

Plainfield takes championship at Jets Nike “11-On” 7-on-7 Tournament in Florham Park; Bridgewater-Raritan, Union also shine at two-day competition

All three Big Central Conference participants made it to Day Two of the New York Jets’ “11-On” 7-on-7 High School Football Tournament up at the team’s Atlantic Health Training Center in Florham Park, with Plainfield winning the championship out of the entire 16-team field defeating Curtis (NY) of Staten Island Saturday afternoon, 32-8, in the finale.

The Cardinals got a good look at some of their skill players, and played especially good defense at the event. In three games of Saturday’s round-robin playoffs to determine the teams that would play for the title, Plainfield allowed just 19 points, the fewest of all eight teams who made it to the championship bracket. And they got a good look at the future under center, as rising sophomore Tyree Huff threw some tight touchdown passes, with his brother, rising seniors Tymir Huff, Makai Talley, and rising sophomore Kiion Jones getting on the board.

Plainfield also had an interception to stall Curtis’ opening drive of the game, courtesy of rising junior Jaylen Fosten.

Watch highlights of Plainfield’s 32-8 win over Curtis (NY) in the Nike 11-On High School Football Tournament at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, NJ:

Here’s audio from champion Plainfield, as well as Bridgewater-Raritan and Union, with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the field with the head coaches:

Plainfield head coach Donald Jones and rising senior Makai Talley with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko
Union head coach Barris Grant with Alec Crouthamel
Bridgewater-Raritan head coach D.J. Catalano

Big Central results…

Here’s how each of the three Big Central teams fared in the tournament.

FRIDAY – POOL PLAY

Plainfield, 3-0 (Pool C Champions):

  • Beat Curtis (Staten Island), 29-20
  • Beat Montclair, 33-7
  • Beat Paramus Catholic, 17-8
Plainfield gets set to run a play in Saturday’s opener of the Jets Nike 11-On 7-on-7 Tournament in Florham Park on June 27, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Union, 2-1 (Pool D, 2nd place)

  • Beat Caldwell, 19-17
  • Lost to Monsignor Farrell, 29-21
  • Beat DeWitt Clinton (Bronx), 20-12

Bridgewater-Raritan, 2-1 (Pool B, 2nd place)

  • Beat Midwood (Brooklyn), 25-0
  • Beat Passaic, 20-17
  • Lost to Fairfield Ludlowe (CT), 24-8
Bridgewater-Ratitan head coach D.J. Catalanto talks to his team after their opening game Saturday in the Jets Nike 11-On 7-on-7 Tournament on June 27, 2026 in Florham Park NJ. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

SATURDAY – PLAYOFFS AND CHAMPIONSHIP

Plainfield, 2-0-1 in Green Bracket (Champions)

  • Tied Union, 6-6
  • Beat Bridgewater-Raritan, 28-5
  • Beat Ramapo 17-8
  • Beat Curtis (NY), 32-8

Union, 2-0-1 in Green Bracket

  • Tied Plainfield, 6-6
  • Beat Ramapo, 24-18
  • Beat Bridgewater-Raritan, 26-14
Union takes on Plainfield in Saturday’s opener of the Jets’ Nike 11-On 7-on-7 Tournament on June 27, 2026 in Florham Park, NJ. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)

Bridgewater-Raritan, 0-2-1 in Green Bracket

  • Tied Ramapo, 24-24
  • Lost to Plainfield, 28-5
  • Lost to Union, 26-14

How it all worked…

High school 7-on-7 tournament rules can vary from event to event. In the Jets’ tourney, touchdowns are worth six points, but with no linemen or kickers, PATs are like a two-point conversion, except that teams could go for one with the ball spotted on the five-yard line, or go for two from the ten. A three-and-out on defense was worth three points, while a defensive stop otherwise is worth two. An interception was worth three. All games were 21 minutes with a running clock, with tagging in place of tackles, played solely on one end of the field.

The 16 teams were divided into four pools, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to Saturday’s round of eight. Those were divided into two additional pools, the Green Bracket and White Bracket. Each had four teams, and after another three round-robin games, the winner of each bracket qualified for the championship.

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2026: St. Joseph still team to beat in American Gold Division, but has a lot to replace

Having swept the Big Central Conference’s American Gold Division each of the last two seasons, one would have to consider St. Joseph-Metuchen a team that will at least be right back in the thick of things in 2026, but there will be work to be done for Bill Tracy and his program, with some key talent lost to graduation.

Their next best competition could very well be Elizabeth, with senior QB Arique Fleming back for his fourth year as the starting signal-caller for the Minutemen. Westfield – coming off a 4-6 season under first-year head coach Matt Andzel – also will look to make strides, as will Union, which went 3-8 last year with a very young club under Barris Grant, who left Hillside for the job.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the American Gold 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.

St. Joseph-Metuchen Falcons (8-2, 3-0, American Gold Division Champions)
Head Coach: Bill Tracy, 5th season (25-15)

  • Week 0: bye
  • Week 1: Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Week 2: at Westfield*
  • Week 3: at Elizabeth*
  • Week 4: Phillipsburg
  • Week 5: at Delbarton
  • Week 6: at Piscataway
  • Week 7: Union*
  • Week 8: at St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Week 9: Donovan Catholic

St. Joseph put up big numbers last year, but some key players who posted those numbers are gone. Senior dual threat quarterback Justin Scaramuzzo threw for 1,212 yards and 12 touchdowns – with just one pick – while leading the team in rushing with 580 yards, while senior wideout Reggie Bropleh had a team-best 522 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Only 70 of 1,604 rushing yards are back, and 206 of 1,215 receiving. And while they’ll lose senior Michael Wellett III (5 sacks), Tommy Kwiatkowski (4 sacks) and Jason Gross (team-best 8 sacks) on defense, others like Jack Cummings (3 1/2 sacks) will be counted on. Always strong coaching when Bill Tracy is running the show, and that helps.

Elizabeth Minutemen (5-5, 2-1, 2nd place American Gold)
Head Coach: Eugene Kline, 2nd full season (9-9)

  • Week 0: at Carteret
  • Week 1: at Plainfield
  • Week 2: at Union*
  • Week 3: St. Joseph-Metuchen*
  • Week 4: at Ridge
  • Week 5: Linden
  • Week 6: Hillsborough
  • Week 7: at Westfield*
  • Week 8: Somerville

It’ll be one last go-round for Arique Fleming, a true team leader who has been the starting quarterback and matured in leaps and bounds since his very first start in the 2023 season opener as a freshman. He tossed for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns a season ago, while also leading the team with 551 rushing yards. And with four of the five receivers who each caught at least 200 yards’ worth of passes last season coming back, Fleming will have plenty of options. The defense should be solid, too, with key players like defensive back Eric Cespedes (2 INTs) and and linebacker Isaiah Butler back as well.

Westfield Blue Devils (4-6, 1-2, 3rd place American Gold)
Head Coach: Matt Andzel, 3rd season (9-12)

  • Week 0: Scotch Plains-Fanwood
  • Week 1: at St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Week 2: St. Joseph-Metuchen*
  • Week 3: at Union*
  • Week 4: Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Week 5: at Woodbridge
  • Week 6: at Ridge
  • Week 7: Elizabeth*
  • Week 8: Plainfield

Matt Andzel embarks on his third season as head coach, and gets a tough schedule out of the gate with the two non-publics – St. Thomas Aquinas and division foe St. Joseph – back to back in Weeks One and Two. And the crossover slate doesn’t get any easier with North 2, Group 4 champion Bridgewater-Raritan and a trip to Ridge also on the slate. QB Cole Weidler returns; he began 2025 as the starting quarterback but was replaced by Jordan Walsh when top receiver Ezno Ferrera went down to injury, and the team began to run the ball more.

Union Farmers (3-8, 0-3, 4th place American Gold)
Head Coach: Barris Grant, 2nd season

  • Week 0: at Edison
  • Week 1: at Watchung Hills
  • Week 2: Elizabeth*
  • Week 3: Westfield*
  • Week 4: at Hillsborough
  • Week 5: at Plainfield
  • Week 6: Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Week 7: at St. Joseph-Metuchen*
  • Week 8: at Linden

Barris Grant’s first season resulted in an immediate boost of one win for the very young Farmers, but they are poised to take the next step this season. Take their starting quarterback, for example. Elijah Bryant was just a sophomore, but threw for 1,259 yards and five touchdowns, though he’ll want to cut down on the turnovers this season. The top runningback was a junior; Jamir Hall finished just shy of 1,100 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. The defense was a little more veteran, as seven seniors will graduate, but not all of them starters.

by Mike Pavlichko

Perth Amboy’s season for the ages comes to an end with loss to Union in North 2, Group 4 quarters

In its fourth season under head coach Donnie Reid, a Perth Amboy native who starred across the victory bridge at Cardinal McCarrick in South Amboy, the Panther basketball program reached heights it had not seen in a long time.

They won the GMC White American Division title, going 12-0 in division play, for their first title in 23 years. They Thursday night, they won their first state tournament game since 2015. Their 22 wins doesn’t happen every day in the Bay City either.

But all good things must come to an end, and while the future of the program is bright, and maybe next year will be even bigger in these parts, it did, indeed come to an end Saturday afternoon, as sixth-seeded Perth Amboy lost 69-30 at third-seed Union in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 quarterfinals of the NJSIAA state tournament.

Amboy took a 3-0 lead, then fell behind 8-5, and took an 11-10 lead into the second quarter, which is when things started to take a turn.

After the Panthers got an early bucket to make it 13-10, the Farmers went on a 9-0 run before Perth Amboy cut it to 19-16. But Union followed it by scoring the next 16 points to take a 32-16 lead that would be narrowed to a 14-point deficit at the break.

While that second run included four treys – Union couldn’t seem to miss, with Ezenna Asawabelem and Reed Flood each connecting twice from beyond the arc – head coach Donnie Reid said after the game that the Farmers’ switch to a zone defense is what really affected them.

In the end, the Panthers finish the season 22-5, and energized the city for the last two-and-a-half months. It’s a run that won’t soon be forgotten.

That is, until they pull of another one. And the way things are going with the Perth Amboy boys’ basketball program, that’s a distinct possibility.

Click below for postgame reaction from Perth Amboy head coach Donnie Reid with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Cutoff Weekend Group 5 Playoff Update: Bridgewater-Raritan could earn BCC’s only overall No. 1 seed; Plainfield, Rahway face “play-in” scenarios Friday night

It’s Cutoff Weekend in New Jersey high school football, and we’re taking a look at the playoff scenarios for every Big Central team in contention.

This week, Strength Index values are locked in, and out-of-state opponent SI values also have been updated by Gridiron New Jersey, which does all the official calculations of the NJ UPR formula for the NJSIAA. And we’ve double- and triple-checked our own standings to make sure they match with Gridiron’s.

We’ll have another update to the standings after Friday night’s games – yes, there are Thursday games, but none in the BCC, and we’ll only update if there are significant changes.

And, of course, Central Jersey Sports Radio will have its annual “Playoff Projection Show,” airing LIVE on Saturday at 6 pm. Mike Pavlichko hosts with analyst Marcus Borden, and they’ll run through all the projected brackets. Plus, you’ll hear from some of the league’s coaches as well.

Here’s our breakdown of the Group 5 supersections. We won’t be getting into how the brackets look just yet, but we’ll do that with our update after Friday night’s Week 8 action. Click the supersection header to see the official standings on Gridiron New Jersey.

NORTH GROUP 5

  • Bridgewater-Raritan: The Panthers (6-2) have a shot at the overall No. 1 seed here, but it won’t be easy. They would have to beat Phillipsburg (6-1) on the road Friday night and have West Orange (currently No. 1, 6-2) lose at 5-3 Bloomfield the same night. But even a Bridgewater loss might keep them there. Piscataway (7-2) visits Monroe (1-7) and the Chiefs just can’t gain enough from that game to put them in the fold for a top seed. Even Elizabeth at four overall can’t get much higher. So we think the Panthers are locked in as the top-seed in North 2, Group 5, it’s just a matter of whether they’ll edge out West Orange for the top-seed overall, which would mean they could host a group semifinal, if they got that far. Incidentally, their six wins are the most the Panthers have had since 2021 under Scott Bray, and a seventh win would be their best total since finishing 2017 9-3, with a trip to the North 2, Group 5 finals, the last of three straight they made, falling to undefeated Westfield all three times.
  • Piscataway: Even with losses by Bridgewater-Raritan and West Orange, we think the Chiefs (6-2) are maxed out at No. 3, so they should be the two-seed in North 2, Group 5. A loss could drop them to fourth, maybe lower depending how Passaic Tech and Union City do. Either way, they should start out at home, playing on Saturdays as they always do.

  • Elizabeth: If things break right for the Minutemen (4-4), a win over Union (1-7) coupled with losses by West Orange, Bridgewater-Raritan and Piscataway could get Elizabeth as high as three overall, which would earn them a two-seed in the North 2, Group 4 section, with the Panthers first and Piscataway third, then Linden fourth, making it an all-Big Central top four there. A loss would be tragic, potential dropping them to around eight overall, and on the road for a first-round playoff game. That’s quite the swing. But if the Minutemen fancy themselves a playoff team, they should handle the Farmers.
  • Linden: Sitting at 12, the Tigers (3-5) have Plainfield (also 3-5) at home Friday. Just on its own, that keeps them at 12. A win could move them to around ninth overall, while a loss could drop them to 14, but they should be solidly win. Behind them are three teams that have no business making the playoffs, including 5-2 Morristown, 1-7 Montclair and 1-7 Union. And those last two won’t even qualify if they don’t get to two wins (and it’s unlikely they will).
  • Plainfield: The Cardinals get in with a win over Linden, which would bump them all the way up to 12, not counting any other scores. But still, with Bloomfield at 13 and Linden at 14 – and we already counted a loss for them, there’s really no one who could catch them. With a loss? Well, they could back into the playoffs, thanks to those one-win teams. In that scenario, they would need Columbia (3-5) to lose to Union City (4-3), and for Union and Montclair to lose – leaving them each with one-win and ineligible – and they would get in. We can’t remember another scenario since the advent of the NJ UPR system in 2018 where a team got in from 18 because of two teams that didn’t meet the win requirement, but that’s what would happen here.
  • Union: A win over Elizabeth (5-4) should get them in, moving them to around the 12th position in the field of 16. But at 1-7, they must win that game. Two wins is the NJSIAA minimum to qualify.

SOUTH GROUP 5

  • Sayreville: We don’t think the Bombers have a path to a No. 1 seed, thanks in part to last week’s loss to Montgomery. They come in at 7-1, with a 3.6 UPR. Ahead of them is Atlantic City (7-1, 2nd) and Washington Twp. (8-0, 1st). Assuming Sayreville beats St. Thomas Aquinas (5-3), they can’t catch Washington Twp., even if they were to lose. And they’d be 0.2 UPR points behind Atlantic City. They’d need a loss by the Vikings, but since they play on Thanksgiving and have already played eight games, they’re idle this week. Now, the Trojans are a multiplier, but as of last year, teams only get bonus points if they lose; if they beat a multiplier, they get the normal points on the OSI side. That said, with a loss, they fall to four without any other games being considered, but it’s not the worst thing in the world. With Southern also above them, all three teams are from the south, Washington Twp. would get the top seed in Central 5, and Sayreville would be the two there regardless. But giving wins to Old Bridge and Rancocas Valley actually bumps them back up to third, mainly because Rancocas has Lenape (0-8) this weekend, and even a win would drop them and prop up the Bombers.
  • Old Bridge: The Knights are going to benefit from that Rancocas Valley drop, too, should they beat a solid (6-2) Colonia team at home Friday night. A loss and they drop to seven, and probably lock them in there. Why? Even if teams behind them win, there’s a gap from Old Bridge in fourth in the Central 5 section to Hillsborough fifth with five teams from the South in between the overall UPR standings. And the Raiders can’t catch them.
  • Hillsborough: Coming in at No. 13, the Raiders (3-5) have been hot and cold this season. At 1-4, they reeled off a couple of back-to-back wins, but fell off the wagon last week when Piscataway beat them at Noonan Field. A win Friday at Hunterdon Central (4-4) could get them around 11, while a loss could drop them as low as 15.
  • Hunterdon Central: The Red Devils look like they need to beat the Raiders to get in. That would put them at 15, with Trenton, Howell and Bridgeton behind them. They still might need some help from them. If all three win, Central is out. But Central can get in as long as two of the three teams lose. We think Franklin is out regardless. The fly in the ointment could be if Jackson (2-6) wins at Brick Memorial (6-2), but we think that’s unlikely. So here are the scenarios for the Red Devils, needing two of three losses by those three behind them. If Howell and Bridgeton lose, Central gets in at 15 and Hillsborough holds at 12. If Bridgeton and Trenton lose, Hillsborough is at 15, Central at 16, but they would jump the Raiders since they just beat them. If Howell and Trenton lose, Central gets in at 16, Hillsborough is at 12 again. Play-in games and scoreboard watching are what makes Cutoff Weekend exciting!

by Mike Pavlichko

2025 Big Central Preview: American Gold Division

Even though it’s got just four teams, the American Gold Division certainly packs a punch. Here’s our last look at the divisions in the Big Central in the 2025 preseason.

St. Joseph-Metuchen won the division in 2024, but struggled down the stretch, losing its last four regular season games and in the opening round of the playoffs after a red-hot, 5-0 start. This year, the goal is to finish, not just in games, but on the practice field, in the weight room – everywhere!

After a late start, getting hired over the summer, Matt Andzel and his staff at Westfield are looking at a bounceback year after going 5-6 with a Turkey Day loss to Westfield. They get to go right back at it when the teams meet this year in Week Zero.

Elizabeth got past the noise last year to finish at 6-5, and Eugene Kline – who came in as head coach mid-season – is back for a full year, with things feeling different around the Minutemen this summer.

Union was the only team that struggled mightily last year, with just two wins, but in comes Barris Grant after a nine-year run at Hillside where he practically minted major college recruits.

Click below to hear our preview of the American Gold Division from Big Central Conference Media Day:

by Mike Pavlichko

Marcus Borden’s 2025 Camp Caravan: Edison travels up to Union

Week two of the 2025 Big Central Camp Caravan pressed on Thursday for Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden, who journeyed up to Union County for a scrimmage between the Farmers – led by new head coach Barris Grant – and Edison.

Below is video from the August 21, 2025 scrimmage at Union High School:

Edison: Head Coach Matt Yascko with seniors Jacob Watkins (OL/DL) and Anthony Sarni (LB), along with junior Shaun Garland (RB/DE).

Union: Head Coach Barris Grant with seniors Nick Betrolotti (TE/LB) and Uyi Igiehon (DE), as well as sophomore Josiah Tims (WR/DB).

by Mike Pavlichko

Early look at Big Central Football 2025: St. Joseph’s Tracy is longest-tenured among American Gold Division skippers

With coaching changes at the three other schools in the Big Central Conference’s American Gold Division over the last two years, defending division champion St. Joseph will have the most veteran coach at their school when the 2025 season kicks off in about ten weeks.

Despite a 5-5 overall record, the Falcons ran the table in the American Gold, going 3-0 last season under Bill Tracy, who’ll be entering his fourth season as head coach in Metuchen, following an eleven-year run at Ridge from 2009-2019.

As for the others, Westfield will bring back second-year head coach Matt Andzel, while Eugene Klein – who finished out last season after John Fiore was let go mid-year – will enter his first full season. Barris Grant slides over to Union after a successful nine-season tenure at Hillside.

Here are the preliminary schedules for the American Gold Division teams – in alphabetical order – compiled from the official league schedule and other online sources to the best of our knowledge. Please note game dates and times may be changed without notice as the season approaches. Division games marked with an asterisk (*).

Elizabeth Minutemen (6-5, 1-2, 3rd place in 2024)
Head Coach Eugene Klein (4-4, 1st full season in 2025)

  • Week 0: at Linden
  • Week 1: Bayonne
  • Week 2: Westfield*
  • Week 3: at St. Joseph-Metuchen* (Sat)
  • Week 4: at St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Week 5: at Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Week 6: Morristown
  • Week 7: Watchung Hills
  • Week 8: Union*

Despite many distractions last year, Klein helped right the ship later in the year, as the Minutemen won their last three regular season games heading into the playoffs, and even won a state game, topping Morristown 34-33 before bowing out to Passaic Tech. They’ll return one of the top quarterbacks in the league in junior Arique Fleming, a dual-threat who led the team with 1,572 passing and 664 rushing yards last year.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (5-5, 3-0, American Gold champs in 2024)
Head Coach: Bill Tracy (17-13, 4th season)

  • Week 0: bye
  • Week 1: at Ridge
  • Week 2: at Union*
  • Week 3: Elizabeth* (Sat)
  • Week 4: Westfield* (Sat)
  • Week 5: at North Brunswick
  • Week 6: Phillipsburg (Sat)
  • Week 7: at St. Thomas Aquinas
  • Week 8: Woodbridge (Sat)
  • Week 9: Donovan Catholic (Sat)

The Falcons got off to a hot start last year, winning their first five games, but finished by losing their last five. They bring back quarterback Justin Scaramuzzo (1,953 pass yards, 18 TDs, 4 INT), who will be a senior, and that’s a big plus. They also have a number of young runningbacks returning. The defense returns players that were young, but inexperienced last year, and that should be a help to avoid a late-season swoon.

Union (2-8, 0-3, 4th place in 2024)
Head Coach: Barris Grant (1st season)

  • Week 0: at Woodbridge (Thursday)
  • Week 1: Hillsborough
  • Week 2: St. Joseph-Metuchen*
  • Week 3: at Westfield* (Sat)
  • Week 4: at Hunterdon Central
  • Week 5: Ridge (Sat)
  • Week 6: South Brunswick
  • Week 7: at Phillipsburg
  • Week 8: at Elizabeth*

After a dropoff last season under first year head coach Jason Scott, who got the job late when longtime mentor Lou Grasso, Jr, departed to take the AD job at Colonia, the Farmers will look to bounce back with an experienced head coach who knows Union County football in Grant, who sent numerous student athletes onto great college destinations while with the Comets. They’ll lose dual-threat QB Omalley King to graduation, but freshman Elijah Bryant threw for 273 yards last year in a pair of late-season last year, and he could compete to be a starter. The defense will need to improve upon a 26.7 point per game average.

Westfield (5-6, 2-1, 2nd place in 2024)
Head Coach: Matt Andzel (5-6, 2nd season)

  • Week 0: at Plainfield
  • Week 1: Phillipsburg (Sat)
  • Week 2: at Elizabeth*
  • Week 3: Union* (Sat)
  • Week 4: at St. Joseph*
  • Week 5: Hillsborough (Sat)
  • Week 6: at North Brunswick
  • Week 7: at Bridgewater-Raritan
  • Week 8: Ridge (Sat)

A transition year with a new coach, alum Matt Andzel, after the longtime head coach Jim DeSarno stepped down to become athletic director was a mixed bag last year, but this traditionally solid program should right the ship this year. While their top rusher and receiver both graduate, quarterback Cole Wiedler (761 pass yards, 11 TD) is back, but will need to cut down on the picks (10). No. 2 rusher Jordan Walsh (539 yards, 4 TDs) is back for his junior year. There are significant losses on defense, including senior linemene Zac Wragg (2 sacks, 3 TFLs) and Lincoln Meyers (6 sacks, 5 TFLs).

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillside’s Barris Grant departs Comets to take over storied football program at Union

Barris Grant – who led the Hillside football program for the past nine seasons – has left to become the new head coach at Union, after the Board of Education approved his hire Tuesday night.

Grant – who also will be a physical education teacher at the high school – replaces Jason Scott, who was there just one year after Lou Grasso stepped down to become the athletic director in his hometown of Colonia. The Farmers were 2-8 last season.

Grant had a record of 67-25 with Hillside, leading the Comets to three stellar seasons from 2017 through 2019, winning sectional titles all three seasons, and a regional title in 2019. Overall, Grant’s teams made four sectional title games.

The first of those years, Hillside went 9-3 and got the seven-seed in Central Jersey Group 2, then shocked top-seed Point Pleasant Boro at Rutgers, 20-13, to win the title.

They’d come back the next year to go undefeated in the 2018 regular season. In the playoffs, they were the top-seed in Central Jersey Group 2, and beat second-seed Manasquan for the title, 36-10. They would fall to Haddonfield, 17-7, in the South 2 regional championship at MetLife Stadium.

And then came the topper, the perfect 12-0 season of 2019.

Those Comets could put up points, while locking down teams defensively. They pitched six shutouts that season, only allowing double-figures twice, averaging 35.7 points per game in the regular season. They featured senior quarterback Nahree Biggins (1,083 yards, 12 TDs), while senior runningback James Louis led a 3,000-yard team rushing attack.

Seniors Anu Okungbowa and Akugbe Omokaro led a defense that registered 34 1/2 sacks on the season.

It all led to a third seed in South Jersey Group 2, and a sectional title with a 14-10 upset at top-seed West Deptford. The Comets then went on to with the South 2 regional championship at Rutgers over South 2 sectional champ and second-seed Cedar Creek, 25-3.

The 2022 team also reached a sectional final. As the two-seed in North 1, Group 3, they fell at top-seed Old Tappan in the title game, 28-14.

Union has won 11 sectional titles as a program, the most of any Union County school, and won its most recent title the same year Hillside and Grant won theirs, in 2019.

Grasso’s squad went 12-1 that season, earning the top-seed in North 2, Group 5, winning the section by virtue of a 42-28 victory over third-seed Clifton. They would fall, however, in the North Group 5 regional championship game at MetLife Stadium, 41-37, to Ridgewood, which lost the inaugural North 5 bowl the year before to Piscataway up at the Meadowlands.

Click below to hear Barris Grant talk about taking the head football coaching job at Union, and his impact at Hillside, with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

by Mike Pavlichko

Thursday Night Big Central Roundup: Somerville, Ridge, Piscataway win big; Scott gets first win as head coach at Union

With Yom Kippur landing on a Friday this week, it’s a long three-day weekend of high school football across the Garden State, and – of course – in the Big Central Conference.

Here’s a look at some of the key games on Thursday in Week Six, with full scores and the rest of the weekend’s schedule as well.

No. 2 Somerville 56, North Hunterdon 7: Terrell Mitchell scored four touchdowns in another romp for the Pioneers, this time over the visiting Lions at Brooks Field. Mitchell – a Wake Forest commit – opened the scoring with an 83-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, then added a 30-yard reception and a 75-yard run in the first quarter.

Along with two Josh Rodriguez touchdown runs, Somerville led 37-0 after the first 12 minutes of play, with the running clock going. Mitchell added a 60-yard run in the second quarter, while Justin Bowen and Leo Altomari also scored for Somerville.

The Pioneers are now 7-0, with the second quarter touchdown they allowed to North Hunterdon’s Cole O’Connor the first score they let up in three games, their previous two being shutouts.

The ‘Ville travels to Plainfield next Friday night, while the Lions (2-5) will visit East Brunswick (1-6).

No. 6 Ridge 41, No. 10 Hunterdon Central 13: In a battle of Red Devils, Ridge built up a 34-0 lead with a running clock before halftime, thanks to four touchdowns by Aiden Stieglitz, and a touchdown catch from Joseph Dachnowitz. Stieglitz scored on 48-, six- and 19-yard runs in the first quarter, and an eight-yard run in the second to activate the running clock.

Hunterdon Central got on the board in the third before Adian Siteglitz scored his fifth touchdown of the game in the fourth – on a six-yard run – while Hunterdon Central added one more score to make it 40-13, the final.

Ridge (5-1) has now won five straight games since a 37-34 loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen to open the season, and will visit North Brunswick (1-6) next Friday night. Central had a mini two-game win streak snapped, and will travel to Old Bridge (4-3) next Friday night.

No. 8 Piscataway 55, East Brunswick 0: The Chiefs pitched their second shutout in three weeks, while blowing past the Bears in a game where the running clock kicked in during the first half. QB Landon Pernell hooked up with Jahai Johnson on three first-half touchdown passes, in a win that moves Piscataway to 5-2 on the season; they’ll host Hillsborough (4-3) next Friday night. East Brunswick falls to 1-6 and will host North Hunterdon (2-5) next Friday night.

Union 35, South Brunswick 7: Jason Scott picked up his first win as Farmers’ head coach in a 35-7 win over the Vikings in Monmouth Junction. The win snapped a six-game losing streak, and puts Union at 1-6 heading into a home game with No. 6 Phillipsburg at Stewart Field next week.

Other Thursday night scores….

Friday’s Games:

  • Plainfield at Colonia, 6 pm
  • Linden at Perth Amboy, 6 pm
  • Newark Collegiate at Roselle, 6 pm
  • New Brunswick at South Plainfield, 6 pm
  • Edison at No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas, 6:30 pm
  • No. 5 St. Joseph-Metuchen at No. 7 Phillipsburg, 7 pm (Listen on CJSR)
  • Montgomery at No. 1 Woodbridge, 7 pm
  • Franklin at Sayreville, 7 pm (Follow Marcus Borden)
  • Middlesex at Bound Brook, 7 pm
  • Hillside at Carteret, 7 pm
  • Manville at Dunellen, 7 pm
  • Delaware Valley at Johnson, 7 pm
  • Highland Park at Roselle Park, 7 pm

Saturday’s Games:

  • Brearley at South River, 1 pm
  • Dayton at Spotswood, 1 pm
  • Rahway at No. 9 Watchung Hills, 7 pm
  • Governor Livingston at Voorhees, 7 pm

by Mike Pavlichko

You Choose! What will be our Friday Night “Bellamy & Son Paving” Big Central Game of the Week for Week 7??

We have two weeks left in the high school football season, and now we’re letting you tell us what you want to hear! That’s right. We want to know: What should be the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving for Week 7 on Friday, October 18th?

We’re giving you five options of games to choose from:

  • Hillsbrorough at Piscataway: Some pretty good football here. The Raiders play in the toughest division in the Big Central but need to keep winning to make the playoffs, while the Chiefs are playing for a first-round home game when they make the playoffs for the first time since 2019, pre-COVID.
  • Hunterdon Central at Old Bridge: Two solid teams, another Middlesex-Somerset County crossover, both jockeying for position in the bottom eight of the South Group 5 playoff chase.
  • JFK at Middlesex: The Mustangs might come into this one with three wins in a season for the first time since 2018, and looking for more, while Middlesex has done well under the tutelage of first-year head coach Bobby Swercheck.
  • South Hunterdon at Spotswood: The Eagles ore one of the better small schools in the Big Central Conference, while Spotswood may face a must-win to make the playoffs in the first night game on their brand-new turf!

Here are the rules!

  • Vote as early and often as you would like!
  • Share the poll on social media with your friends on Facebook and your followers on Twitter.
  • The matchup with the most votes will be the game we broadcast Friday night on Central Jersey Sports Radio, complete with pregame coverage with the coaches from each team, a live broadcast, and postgame recap on the site with reaction from the winning team’s coach and a standout player.
  • Voting will close at noon on Monday, with the winner being announced Tuesday on Twitter. (Follow us at @CJSportsRadio on Twitter if you don’t already!)

Good luck to your favorite team – vote early and often!

Note: In the event a game turns out to be unavailable for broadcast or for other any reason, Central Jersey Sports Radio reserves the right to choose an alternate game, if necessary, regardless of the final vote.