Tag: Watchung Hills

by Mike Pavlichko

Defending Somerset County Tournament champ Immaculata hangs on to get top seed in 2026 tourney

As was widely expected, defending Somerset County Tournament champion Immaculata – the No. 1 team in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the last five weeks – has been awarded to No. 1 seed in this year’s event by the county’s baseball coaches at the annual seeding meeting held at Immaculata High School in Somerville.

But the decision was a lot less certain heading in than it looked just a few hours earlier.

The Spartans were given the top seed despite a 10-0, five-inning loss at Watchung Hills Tuesday afternoon. That was their first Skyland Conference loss of the season; at 12-4, their other three losses came to Delbarton, Delsea and Winter Park (FL) in a Spring Break trip down South.

Watchung Hills – which got the two-seed – improved to 11-4 with the win, but has two league losses, 12-10 and 13-3 to Ridge, along with defeats at the hands of Notre Dame out of Mercer County and defending state Group 2 champion Governor Livingston. The two defeats at the hands of the Red Devils, who were swept themselves by Immaculata a couple of weeks ago, appeared to factor into the decision.

The Spartans are the first team to win the SCT title and be seeded No. 1 the following year since Montgomery did it nearly a decade ago. The Cougars won the SCT as the top seed in 2016, then were the No. 2 seed again the following year.

The top four seeds – which all get byes to the quarterfinals – were rounded out with Ridge third and Rutgers Prep fourth.

Teams five through ten get byes to the second-round. In order, they are Bridgewater-Raritan fifth, followed by Hillsborough, Somerville, Montgomery, Gill St. Bernard’s, and Franklin..

That leaves the final four seeds – 11 through 14 – to play a pair of first-round games, ideally scheduled for Friday, though teams will have some flexibility to play Thursday, if they’re able.

That includes Bernards at No. 11, followed by Pingry, Manville and Bound Brook.

Here’s the full 2026 Somerset County Tournament bracket:

Here’s the fill 2026 Somerset County Tournament Schedule:

  • First Round: Friday, May 8 at higher seeds
  • Second Round: Monday, May 11 at higher seeds
  • Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 14 at higher seeds
  • Semifinals: Monday, May 18 at TD Bank Park (1 and 4 pm)
  • Finals: Wednesday, May 20 at TD Bank Park (6 pm)

Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast the semifinals and finals live at cjsportsradio.com.

Watchung Hills pitcher Robbie Centamore throws a pitch.
by Alec Crouthamel

Full-lineup power propels No. 5 Watchung Hills to 10-0 run-rule win over No. 1 Immaculata

The afternoon of the Somerset County Tournament seeding meeting, each team in action wanted to put their best foot forward ahead of the postseason.

No. 5 Watchung Hills did that, and then some, against No. 1 Immaculata.

The Warriors (11-4, 7-2) bounced back from a 12-2 loss to defending Group 2 state champion Governor Livingston with a five-inning 10-0 victory of their own, giving the Spartans (12-4, 8-1) their first loss in conference play.

Senior pitcher and designated hitter Rob Centamore did his job on the mound and at the plate, going the distance with five shutout innings, while striking out seven batters and allowing just two hits. He also hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend the lead to 6-0, helping his cause even further.

First baseman Max Payne capped off a four-run fifth inning with a bases-loaded RBI single to close out the win. Watchung Hills would’ve batted around in the inning, had the game not ended with the hit.

The rest of the lineup production came from the bottom of the order, with the Warriors’ eighth and ninth hitters — centerfielder Chris Dorsi (two RBIs), pinch-hitter Bennett Dealaman (one RBI), and right fielder Sam Hunsinger (four RBIs) plating the remaining seven runs.

Dealaman was a busy man himself, courtesy-running for catcher Jacob Jaconski — who was plunked three straight times in his first three plate appearances through four innings — before stepping up to the plate himself in the fifth to drive in a run with a single.

Watchung Hills threatened in the first inning with runners on the corners and one out, but Immaculata pitcher Cole Raymond worked a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the jam scoreless. That came after the Spartans left a runner in scoring position in the top of the first with a one-out double from sophomore second baseman Luca Catanzarite, as Centamore left him at second base.

The Warriors got the job done in the second inning, though. The first five batters reached base against Raymond — with four hits and a walk — and Dorsi opened the scoring with a two-run bloop single. Hunsinger brought in two more with a single of his own to bring home the first four runs of the game. Jaconski recorded his second HBP of the game with one out, but another timely 4-6-3 double play ended the inning with a four-run advantage.

Centamore continued to deal, rendering Immaculata hitless from the first inning until the fifth inning, with two walks serving as the only baserunners. He helped his own case in the bottom of the fourth inning with the aforementioned two-run blast, a sky-high ball that just cleared the left-field fence at Frank T. Matullo Stadium. A groundout on the ensuing batter ended the inning, and worked through a shutout inning in the fourth before a pitching change.

Sophomore first baseman Andrew Wheeler moved over to the mound to take over for Raymond. He worked a flyout against second baseman Landon Pudlak, but the next three batters all reached, with back-to-back walks followed by an RBI single from Dealaman.

Immaculata then went to senior right-hander Michael Drelich out of the bullpen, but Watchung Hills kept on hitting. Hunsinger laced a double into the left-center field gap to plate two more runs to make it a nine-run lead, before Drelich worked a groundout to record the second out. That was the last out the Spartans would get, however, with the best of the order due up.

Jaconski worked a walk — without getting hit by the pitch this time! — and Centamore added a single to put runners on first and second with two outs. Payne ended it with his RBI single up the middle to send the Warriors home with an early victory.

Centamore earned the victory with five shutout innings, two hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. Raymond was given the loss in four innings of work, allowing six earned runs on seven hits, two walks, two strikeouts, and three hit batters.

How this affects Tuesday night’s SCT seeding meeting remains to be determined. Watchung Hills had been in the mix for a top-four seed for much of the recent weeks, and Immaculata was the favorite to be the tournament’s top seed. While Immaculata only has the one county loss, Watchung Hills’ two conference losses came to Ridge, which was swept by the Spartans.

It’s a Somerset County transitive triangle!

CJSR’s Mike Pavlichko will have the full bracket after the meeting — starting at 7:30 Tuesday night — at @cjsportsradio on Twitter/X, with a full story after.

All these teams can do is control what is in front of them, and the Warriors — now winners of seven of their last eight games since getting swept by the Red Devils in mid-April — did a good job of putting their best foot forward Tuesday.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk with Watchung Hills head coach Joe Tremarco and senior pitcher/DH Rob Centamore, presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

More movement in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, after No. 1 Immaculata and No. 2 Middlesex hold serve

The two two high school baseball teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten didn’t move at all this week, but most of the rest did.

And with division play mostly out of the way in the GMC, things could get really interesting this week with crossovers heading into Friday morning’s seeding meeting. Same in Somerset County with the last few games before Tuesday’s seeding by the league coaches.

Immaculata (12-3) remains No. 1, as it has been for the past four weeks, after a 3-0 week gone by. The Spartans picked up a Tuesday/Thursday sweep of Hunterdon Central, including a 4-1 home win Tuesday at Diamond Nation in Flemington, and a 14-0 road win just a mile or so away on Thursday. Saturday, they blanked Old Bridge 9-0 in the finale of Spotswood’s E4M showcase. Their last game before the SCT seeding will be Tuesday afternoon, a big one at Watchung Hills. It’s the first of two between the teams, but the only one before the meeting.

Then, it’s to the GMC at No. 2, where Midddlesex (15-2) remains in the same position as last week. The Blue Jays went 2-1, with a sweep of Colonia, both games 4-0 decisions, including a home win Thursday heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They lost Saturday at Westfield, 2-0, and have two big games this week, playing up against the GMC Red Division. They’ll welcome St. Joseph-Metuchen to Mountainview Park on Monday, and visit East Brunswick on Thursday. A win in either game could give the Blue Jays a strong argument for the No. 1 seed in the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Championship Tournament.

The other team that will be considered for that top-seed is Edison (12-4), which went 4-1 this past week. They blanked Woodbridge 1-0 Monday, then lost at St. Thomas Aquinas, 3-2, on Tuesday, before returning the favor with a 5-0 home win Thursday. Then, they played two on Saturday, first beating North Brunswick 15-4, then topping JP Stevens, 7-2. The Eagles have three games before Friday’s GMC seeding: Monday at Metuchen, Tuesday at home against East Brunswick, and Spotswood at home on Wednesday.

At No. 4 is Ridge (11-5), down one spot from last week after playing just one game, falling 4-3 at Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday. The Red Devils have lost four straight – including two to Immaculata and another at North Hunterdon – after starting the season 11-1. They will host Hillsborough on Tuesday.

In the five spot, it’s Watchung Hills (10-3), which re-entered the rankings at seven last week, and now is up two more spots after a 3-0 week. That included a 6-2 win over Hillsborough on Tuesday, an 18-8 win at Hillsborough on Wednesday, and a 6-2 home win Friday over South Plainfield. Monday, they get a crack at defending state Group 2 champion Governor Livingston at home, then host Immaculata on Tuesday less than four hours before the seeding meeting. They’re in the same division – the Skyland Delaware – but will only meet once before the meeting; their second is Thursday. Should the Warriors win, could that be enough – at 11-3, not counting what happens against the Highlanders, to earn a top-seed? Watchung Hills did lose twice to Ridge, and that could hurt them, but also consider if they beat GL how that might be seen by the coaches. It’s definitely not insignificant.

At No. 6 is Rutgers Prep (10-2). The Argonauts won their only game this week, an 11-1 drubbing of Phillipsburg, but they get a chance at two Skyland Conference Delaware Division teams before Tuesday’s SCT seeding meeting: Bridgewater Monday, North Hunterdon Tuesday. Both are on the road.

Colonia (9-5) falls two spots this week to No. 7 after an 0-2 week, both losses coming to No. 2 Middlesex. The first, on Tuesday, was a 4-0 home loss. Then, they lost on the road by the same score on Thursday, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. This week, they get crossover with a pair of Red Division opponents: Old Bridge Monday at home, then at St. Joseph-Metuchen on Wednesday.

At No. 8 is Old Bridge (9-8). The Knights went 3-2 in the week gone by. They started with a 10-4 loss to East BRunswick, but came back to sweep St. Joseph-Metuchen with a 5-1 road win Tuesday and a 9-4 home win Thursday, sandwiched around a 12-1 win at Monroe Wednesday. The finished up with a 9-0 loss Saturday to Immaculata in Spotswood at the E4M Showcase.

Back in at No. 9 after a week out is South Plainfield (8-8). The Tigers split two games this week, beating Monroe on Monday, 12-3, then taking a 6-2 loss Friday at then-No. 7 Watchung Hills. They visit Spotswood Monday and are at Monroe Wednesday looking for a series sweep, before entertaining JFK on Thursday.

And holding at ten is Carteret (12-3). The Ramblers went 2-0 this week, with a 12-2 win over New Brunswick on Monday at home, then a 15-1 road win against the Zebras on Wednesday. This week, they visit Perth Amboy Magnet Tuesday and host Highland Park on Thursday.

Monroe dropped out from No. 9 after a 1-3 week, leaving the Falcons at 8-9. They lost 7-6 on Monday at Toms River South, at South Plainfield on Tuesday 12-3, and 12-1 to Old Bridge at home on Wednesday, before snapping the skid with a 6-3 win Saturday at home over Colts Neck.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Five:

by Mike Pavlichko

Watchung Hills veteran Joe Ascolese promoted from OC to head coach of Warrior football program after departure of Rich Seubert

Joe Ascolese, the Watchung Hills football team’s Offensive Coordinator who has spent nearly two decades on the program’s staff over two stints, has been named the Warrriors’ new head coach, following the recent departure of Rich Suebert.

The move was approved Tuesday night by the Watchung Hills Regional High School Board of Education, according to Athletic Director Dan Root.

The 45-year-old Ascolese has been the team’s OC since 2019, and also was with the program as an assistant from 2005 through 2015. In between, he coached split ends, tight ends and defensive backs at A.L. Johnson in Clark.

He has also been a physical education and health teacher at Watchung Hills for more than two decades, and was named Watchung Hills Regional High School Educator of the Year in 2024.

This will be his first head coaching job.

Seubert stepped down in late March after a ten-year run leading the Warrior football program. He turned the program’s fortunes around in a few years, getting the team to .500 at 5-5 in 2019, and went 5-2 in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.

The Warriors’ best two seasons under his tutelage came in 2022 and 2023. The first of those teams went 7-3, while the ’23 squad went 8-3, with an opening round playoff win over Bridgewater-Raritan, just the program’s second playoff win ever. In 2023, Seubert was named Somerset County Coach of the Year by the Bill Denny/Rutgers Football Letterwinners Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.

Seubert’s squads finished 41-57 over ten seasons, and Athletic Director Dan Root says Seubert’s impact was felt more than just in terms of wins and losses, and Xs and Os on the football field.

“We were very fortunate to have him as our head coach for as long as we did,” Root told CJSR Saturday morning via text message. “He gave so much to the program, the school and the community, and for that I am incredibly grateful. I know that ultimately whatever he decides to do, he will be successful.”

Suebert was a starter on the Giants’ offensive line in their Cinderella Super Bowl XLII run that culminated with a 17-14 win over New England, the David Tyree “Helmet Catch” game. According to the Giants website, he played in 104 games for Big Blue with 88 starts over nine seasons after joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2001.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Joe Ascolese about taking over the Watchung Hills football program:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rough week for most of Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, but Immaculata remains No. 1

While the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten went just 14-13 in the past week, leading to additional volatility in the rankings, Immaculata remains at No. 1 for a fourth straight week, a position it’s held this year for all but the preseason list.

It was also a bit of a light week, with many games rained out on Saturday.

The Spartans (9-3) went 2-1 in the week gone by, with a pair of wins over then-No. 2 Ridge, 3-0 in Basking Ridge on Tuesday, and 6-0 at Diamond Nation in Flemington, on Wednesday, in a game heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. ‘Lata took a loss, though, on Friday, falling 8-1 at Delbarton, the top-ranked team in the state.

Meanwhile, Ridge (11-4) loses the No. 2 spot after their 1-3 week, which included those losses to Immaculata, and a Friday loss at North Hunterdon, 6-2. They opened the week with an 8-7 home win over Pingry on Monday.

That all opened the door for Middlesex (13-1) to move up to No. 2. The Blue Jays have won nine straight, including three games last week. After opening with an 8-3 win at JFK on Tuesday, Middlesex swept Sayreville with a 2-0 home win Thursday and a 9-7 road win Friday.

Edison (8-3) holds in the fourth spot after a 1-1 week. They opened it up with a 9-0 win at East Brunswick on Tuesday, but were no-hit in a five-inning loss to Woodbridge on Thursday, 14-0.

Colonia continues it’s rise, as the 9-5 Patriots move up a spot to No. 5 this week. After a 5-4 loss Tuesday at Spotswood, Colonia came back to sweep Perth Amboy,m winning 7-2 at home on Thursday, then again 6-3 on the road on Friday.

Rutgers Prep (9-2) shot up this week from ninth to sixth, after a 2-0 week that now has them on an eight-game winning streak. The Argonauts swept a pair from Somerville, winning 6-2 on the road Tuesday, then 5-0 at home Thursday. Prep also had its Saturday game at TD Bank Park against South Plainfield – originally scheduled to air live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – moved to later in the season, due to rain.

Watchung Hills (7-3) re-enters the rankings at No. 7, on the strength of a 2-0 week. The Hustlin’ Warriors were 6-2 winners at Hunterdon Central on Tuesday, then beat them back at home on Wednesday, 10-5.

In eighth is Old Bridge (6-6), down one spot after a split week. The Knights lost 4-1 Tuesday at South Plainfield, but came back home Thursday and beat Monroe, 9-5.

The No. 9 position goes to Monroe (7-6), which fell from No. 5. The Falcons were 0-2 in the week gone by, including an 8-1 loss on Tuesday at home to St. Thomas Aquinas, and a 9-5 loss Thursday at Old Bridge.

And holding in tenth is Carteret (10-3), despite a 1-2 week The Ramblers were 12-5 winners over North Brunswick on Monday, but then were swept two games by JP Stevens, including a 3-1 road loss in North Edison Wednesday, and a 10-0 home loss on Friday.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Four:

by Mike Pavlichko

Top four stay the same, led by Immaculata, Ridge, in Bellamy & Son Paving Week 2 baseball rankings

There was much more stability in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for Week 2 of the high school baseball season, with the top four teams remaining right where they are. There was minimal movement below that, with Monroe rising and Watchung Hills joining the rankings after a 3-0 week, knocking out Bernards.

Immaculata (5-1) holds at No. 1 after 1 2-1 week down in Florida playing teams from around the country. The Spartans beat Riverdale Baptist (MD) 6-0 on Tuesday, fell 7-2 to Winter Park (FL) Wednesday, then beat Proctor (NY) 13-12. They’ll return this week for a Tuesday/Thursday home-and-home with Bridgewater-Raritan.

Holding in second is Ridge (7-1), which got in five games this week, and won four of them. After a 6-4 win over Randolph at home on onday, the Red Devils lost 12-7 to Hunterdon Central on Tuesday. But they rebounded to split the Delaware Division series with a 9-5 win in Flemington Thursday, followed by a 12-8 win Saturday at Warren Hills. Sunday, they beat New Providence, 11-8

Middlesex (5-1) is the top GMC team in the rankings, holding at No. 3, and the first of three straight league teams all with the same record. The Blye Jays were 15-4 winners Tuesday at Perth Amboy, then split with South Brunswick. They lost 3-2 to the Vikings at home Thursday, but came back to win on the road Saturday, 6-2.

Next is Edison (5-1), holding at four. The Eagles went to 5-0 with a 10-8 win at South Plainfield Tuesday and a 7-1 home win Thursday over Monroe, but lost 2-0 to the Falcons on Saturday to split the season series, taking their first loss of the season.

Monroe (5-1) – which is tied with Edison for first in the GMC Red Division after their split – moves up a spot to fifth. Besides their games with Edison, they finished off a two-game sweep of St. Joseph-Metuchen on Tuesday with a 4-3 win, helping them go 2-1 in the week gone by..

Colonia (5-0) also moves up a spot – to sixth – as the GMC White Division leader went 3-0 in the past week. Tuesday, the finished off a two-game sweep of JFK with a 12-2 home win, then swept two from Sayreville with a 7-1 home win Thursday and a 13-3 road win on Saturday.

Down to seventh is South Plainfield (4-3), which went 2-2 in the week gone by. After taking their first loss of the season at Edison two Saturdays ago (before the most recent rankings) they lost their next two, 9-2 to Cranford, and then 10-8 at home again to Edison. But they bounced back with a two-game sweep of Woodbridge, including a 4-3 home win Thursday and an 8-5 road win Friday.

New to the rankings this week, Watchung Hills (4-1) enters at No. 8. The Warriors had a 3-0 week, including a 9-1 win at Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday, a 7-6 walk-off win over the Panthers at home Thursday, and a 12-2 win at Roxbury on Saturday.

South Brunswick (4-2) is down a spot to nine. After a 3-0 start, the Vikings dropped their first game of the year 5-1 at Sayreville Tuesday, but rebounded with a 3-2 road win Thursday, handing Middlesex its first loss of the year. But the Blue Jays earned a split Saturday, beating South Brunswick, 6-2.

In tenth is Carteret (6-1), which dropped one spot. The Ramblers beat North Plainfield Monday 2-1, then were 5-4 winners at South River Wednesday, before taking their first loss of the season at home to the Rams, 7-2, on Thursday.

Dropping out is Bernards (3-2), which was swept 11-2 and 16-0 by Gill St. Bernard’s in a two-game home-and-home, before rebounding with a 7-3 win Saturday at home over Franklin.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving H.S. Baseball Top Ten for Week Two:

by Mike Pavlichko

Watchung Hills “steals” walk-off, 7-6 win over Bridgewater-Raritan to sweep two-game set

Just when you thought you’ve seen it all, you haven’t.

Way back in the first inning of Watchung Hills’ Skyland Conference Delaware Division home game against Bridgewater-Raritan Thursday – heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – first baseman Max Payne did something he may never, ever do again.

He broke his bat – a metal bat – on what turned out to be an infield hit to the left side. Has anyone ever seen that happen? Probably not.

But he was outdone by how the Hustlin’ Warriors finished off the game.

After taking a 6-5 lead with five runs in the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers rallied in the top of the seventh to tie the game at six, forcing Hills to bat in the bottom of the seventh with the score 6-6.

Payne flied out to center, and Landon Pudlak popped up a foul ball to the first baseman. But with two out, Brody Griffith singled, and Brady Simo reached on a hard liner to third that was scored an infield hit. With a 3-1 count, centerfielder Chris Dorsi took a strike, as Griffith made a move toward third. That prompted a pickoff throw from catcher Michael Lobosco.

By now, Griffith was well on his way to third, but the throw couldn’t be handled at the bag by Connor Price, and it sailed to the fence, bringing Griffith home with the winning run, giving Watchung Hills (3-1) a 7-6 victory and a two-game sweep of BR following a 9-1 road win Tuesday.

The Warriors got on the board in the bottom of the first taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Pudlak, but Bridgewater got five in their half of the second on five hits. They did it with a two-RBI double by DH Stephen Pikulin with the bases loaded, then a three-run homer to left by Josh Moore – the first of his varsity career – during one of the few moments in the game when a steady wind died down. All five runs came with one out.

The Warriors got those five back in the fourth, taking a 6-5 lead, sending nine men to the plate in the inning. They loaded the bases when Brady Simo got hit by a pitch, Dorsi reached on an infield hit, and Sam Hunsinger got plunked as well. Stef DiGeronimo walked to drive in a run, making it 5-2 Panthers, and that was it for Bridgewater starter Kevin Kelly.

Gavin Butch relieved him, and went 3-2 on the next two batters before striking both out. But Payne cut the deficit to two with a hard liner to short that was ruled an infield hit, Pudlack drove in two with a line drive single to right to make it 5-5, and Payne scored on a wild pitch with Griffith at the plate to make it 6-5 Watchung Hills.

Jack Braswell, in his first pitching appearance of the season for Bridgewater-Raritan (1-3), took the loss, while the win went to the Warriors’ Lucas Sheehan, who also made his first appearance of the year, despite giving up the tying run in the top of the seventh.

Click below for postgame reaction from Alec Crouthamel with Watchung Hills head coach Joe Tremarco, pitcher Nick minettio and second baseman Landon Pudlak, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Alec Crouthamel

Watchung Hills looks for midweek sweep, 3-1 start in battle against Bridgewater-Raritan

As the ground continues to thaw — and the wind continues to whip, as it did Tuesday — Watchung Hills’ offense has stayed hot, on the way to a 2-1 start.

The Warriors have scored 22 runs in three games, an average of just over seven per contest. And they’ll take their solid play back home for a Thursday matchup against Bridgewater-Raritan. They already faced the Panthers once, a 9-1 victory on Tuesday, and are looking for the sweep as the season starts to get fully in swing.

Watchung Hills eagerly awaits the finale of the two-game home-and-home set. That’s a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with first pitch at 4 pm and pregame at 3:40, with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

The hitting and pitching stood out on Tuesday, as a classic pitcher’s duel between top arms Kellan Komline (BR) and Robbie Centamore (WH) set up a 2-1 game after four innings. But from there, both outings went in different directions.

Komline left the game after picking up two outs in the fifth, but the Warriors were already in full swing. They tacked on seven unanswered runs to end the game, as Centamore went six strong innings with 12 strikeouts.

Watchung Hills returns a key core of veterans after graduating a few of their top hitters from last year’s team. But it’s not like the new elder statesmen are filling new roles. This veteran group has seen a lot of varsity experience from a young age, and have developed under 13th-year head coach Joe Tremarco.

Centamore helps get everyone going both on the mound and at the plate. Stef DeGeronimo and Landon Pudlak — a junior and senior, respectively — continue their reign in the Warriors’ middle infield and are off to solid starts once again. Centamore and fellow senior Jacob Jaconski each pace the team with five hits in the early goings, and the lineup has produced at a high level, no matter who steps into the batter’s box.

On the pitching side, Watchung Hills is looking to a few veterans to fill out the rotation as an important secondary pitcher, including senior Isaac Russell. Centamore has thrown the lion’s share of innings so far, but won’t get the ball next after his stellar outing on Tuesday. In the bullpen, junior Caden Dias has emerged as a weapon out of the bullpen with three scoreless innings in the Warriors’ two wins so far.

As the sun continues to shine later, and the afternoons heat up, Watchung Hills looks to stay hot with its third win in four games to start the campaign.

Click below to hear Alec Crouthamel talk with Watchung Hills head coach Joe Tremarco about the first week of the season, and Thursday’s game against Bridgewater-Raritan:


by Mike Pavlichko

Bridgewater-Raritan still figuring things out as Panthers head up to Watchung Hills seeking series split

A look at the score from Tuesday’s 9-1 loss to Watchung Hills doesn’t quite tell the whole story of how that game went down.

It was a 2-1 game until Bridgewater-Raritan got dinked and dunked to the tune of four runs by the Warriors, and it ended up being a 9-1 final.

Maybe a more experienced team wins that game later in the season. Maybe without early-season pitch limits set by coaches so they don’t burn out arms in April, Kellan Komline goes a little longer.

They’re not excuses, but the reality of the situation. Then again, all you can do is get back on the horse, and try, try again.

That’s what the Panthers will do on Thursday afternoon when they travel up to Warren Township for the finale of the two-game home-and-home set against Watchung Hills. That’s a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with first pitch at 4 pm and pregame at 3:40, with Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel on the call. Click here to listen.

Komline is one of the biggest returning veterans. He’s 1-1 on the season, and has struck out 14, walking eight, while allowing five earned runs, seven total.

He and catcher and fellow senior Michael Lobosco are the only two full-time returning starters from last season. Lobosco hit .295 last year with eleven runs batted in. Komline threw 41 innings, with a 0.68 ERA, while hitting .272 at the plate, playing centerfield when he wasn’t on the mound.

And yet, this season’s top two hitters – yes, it’s early still – are freshmen. There’s Nick Spirra, who’s likely to start at second base Thursday, hitting .417 with a team-best five RBIs, while leadoff hitter Andrew Schmeider – a rightfielder with a “physicality you don’t see much in a freshman,” according to head coach Max Newill, it 4-for-8 on the year with three runs batted in, and already a team-high six walks.

That’s just what you want for a leadoff hitter. Now – with just five regulars hitting better than .200 – the Panthers hope that hitting truly is contagious, and will work its way down through the rest of the lineup.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Bridgewter-Raritan head coach Max Newill about the first week of the season, and Thursday’s game against Watchung Hills:

by Mike Pavlichko

Watchung Hills football coach Rich Seubert steps down after a decade leading the Warriors

After retiring from football with the New York Giants in his mid-30s with a Super Bowl ring on his finger, Wisconsin native Rich Seubert and his family moved to California for a few years, where he coached a little football at the high school level.

But eventually, he came back to the East Coast, returning to New Jersey, and started coaching the offensive line at Watchung Hills. One year later, in the summer of 2016, he was promoted to head coach.

Now, after ten years, Seubert has stepped down as the program’s mentor. Seubert said in a text message to Central Jersey Sports Radio Saturday morning that it was “just time to move on,” but notes he “loved his time coaching” and said he would continue to be around the area, since his daughter is a freshman at Watchung Hills.

Seubert inherited a 4-6 program from 2015, but the Warriors struggled early on, going 2-8, 4-6, and 0-10 in his first three seasons. Then, things turned around, as Watchung Hills got to .500 at 5-5 in 2019, and went 5-2 in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.

The Warriors’ best two seasons under his tutelage came in 2022 and 2023. The first of those teams went 7-3, while the ’23 squad went 8-3, with an opening round playoff win over Bridgewater-Raritan, just the program’s second playoff win ever.

In 2023, Seubert was named Somerset County Coach of the Year by the Bill Denny/Rutgers Football Letterwinners Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.

Seubert’s squads finished 41-57 over ten seasons, and Athletic Director Dan Root says Seubert’s impact was felt more than just in terms of wins and losses, and Xs and Os on the football field.

“We were very fortunate to have him as our head coach for as long as we did,” Root told CJSR Saturday morning via text message. “He gave so much to the program, the school and the community, and for that I am incredibly grateful. I know that ultimately whatever he decides to do, he will be successful.”

Suebert was a starter on the Giants’ offensive line in their Cinderella Super Bowl XLII run that culminated with a 17-14 win over New England, the David Tyree “Helmet Catch” game. According to the Giants website, he played in 104 games for Big Blue with 88 starts over nine seasons after joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2001.