Tag: Watchung Hills

by Mike Pavlichko

Byrd sparkles on the mound, shines at the plate, as Watchung Hills hands Immaculata its first loss

The Watchung Hills baseball team wasn’t happy with its 8-5 loss to Immaculata back in April 10th.

The first four-and-a-half innings of their rematch were tense, with neither team leading by more than a run and Immaculata up 3-2 heading to the bottom of the fifth.

But that’s when the floodgates opened and Watchung Hills scored five runs to take a 7-3 lead. They added four more to go up by eight after six.  And though the Spartans scored twice in the seventh, the margin was enough for the Warriors to close out the game and win 11-5, handing Immaculata its first loss of the season, dropping them to 9-1.

Starting pitcher Ethan Byrd had struck out 12 batters all season in three starts, but fanned 10 Spartans Tuesday afternoon. And he also helped his case at the plate, with a pair of two RBI singles, one in the first inning and another in what turned out to be the decisive fifth.

Will Hunsinger hit two home runs in the game, a two-run shot in the five-run fifth,  and a solo shot in the sixth, when Watchung Hills added four more runs of insurance.  Both were line drive no-doubters to left field. 

Immaculata got on the board first with a two out single by Josh Thompson with the bases loaded, but they left the bases loaded when Owen Schilling struck out.

But the Warriors took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning when Byrd singled with one out, driving in a pair. Then, like ‘Lata, they left the bases loaded.

The Spartans then tied it up in the third. With one out, Jayson Labrador and Troy Rabosky singled back-to-back. On a double steal, the throw to get Rabosky at second was dropped by Jason Wu, the Watchung Hills second baseman, allowing Labrador to cross home plate from third.

Immaculata took the lead in the fifth. Capnidica led off with a walk and stole second. With two outs, Danny Ferguson hit a grounder to second that Wu booted, scoring Capindica, making it 3-2.

Then, the floodgates opened in the bottom of the fifth, as Watchung Hills batted around and sent ten men to the plate. Wu led off with a single, then Hunsinger lined a two-run homer to left of the first pitch to give the Warriors a 4-3 lead. After a Jacob Jaconski strikeout, Ethan Clayton singled, Max Payne walked and – after another strikeout – Jake Kierstad walked, too, to load the bases.

Ben Verbel walked to force in a run and make it 5-3, then Byrd came up and knocked in two more runs with another single to make it 7-3.

And in the sixth, the onslaught continued. Hunsinger lined another home run to left field to lead off, then Jaconski and Clayton singled, and Payne walked to load the bases. Brody Griffith flied to left, but when Jaconski tried to score on a tag-up, Rabosky’s throw from left field sailed over the backstop and out of play, allowing Clayton to score as well. A fourth run came in on a Jake Kierstead groundout to short, putting Watchung Hills up 11-3 heading into the seventh.

Immaculata got a couple of runs on a one-out, two-run homer by Rabosky, but that was as close as they would get.

Watchung Hills improved to 6-4-1, as Byrd got the win to improve to 3-1. Nick Giardina took the loss in relief for the Spartans, dropping to 2-1.

Click below to hear postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

Watchung Hills pitcher Ethan Byrd and centerfielder Will Hunsinger
Watchung Hills head coach Joe Tremarco
by Mike Pavlichko

Fourth-ranked and unbeaten Immaculata getting it done as same team produces different results

Last year’s Immaculata baseball team was young. The Spartans had just one senior and won nine games.

This year’s team – many of them the same players as a year ago, just bigger, faster, stronger and better – has equalled that mark of nine wins. But they haven’t lost a game yet.

One of just three undefeated teams remaining in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area – Spotswood (9-0-1) and South Amboy (6-0) of the GMC being the others – Immaculata puts that unblemished record on the line Tuesday afternoon when the Spartans (9-0) visit Watchung Hills (5-4-1) for a Skyland Conference Raritan Division game.

You can hear it on Central Jersey Sports Radio with pregame at 3:30 pm, and first pitch at 3:45, as Mike Pavlichko calls all the action. Click here to listen.

They key numbers to know, simplistic as it may sound, are batting average and ERA. This year’s team is hitting .348, a marked improvement over last years. .274 average. Troy Reboski is leading the team with a .538 average and 13 runs batted in, while Collin Kassai is hitting .520 and has knocked in eight runs.

At the same time, the Spartans’ team ERA is down from 4.44 to 1.84. And out of seven pitchers who’ve seen action this year, only three have surrendered a single run. Nick Bozzo, who gets the start Tuesday, is 2-0 with a 1.83 earned run average.

Click below to hear Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust talk about the 2024 Spartans and Tuesday’s trip to Watchung Hills:

by Mike Pavlichko

Bridgewater-Raritan stays at No. 1, while Immaculata climbs; Watchung Hills, Aquinas debut in Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Top 10

On the one hand, there was not a lot of upheaval. On the other hand, some more familiar faces are out, and some new faces are in the Bellamy & Son Paving High School Baseball Top Ten for Week Three.

Watchung Hills and St. Thomas Aquinas make their debuts in the rankings this week. It’s the Warriors’ first time in the top ten since Week 2 in the rankings’ inaugural 2022 season, while the Trojans are making their first-ever appearance.

Bridgewater-Raritan (9-1) remains at 9-1 after a 3-1 week, with their lone loss coming out of league play, a 11-7 defeat at the hands of West Morris. They shutout Hunterdon Central 60- on Tuesday, beat North Hunterdon 2-1 on Thursday to sweep the season series with arguable the No. 2 team now in the Skyland Conference, and rebounded off Friday’s loss with a 10-3 win over Egg Harbor on Saturday.

The next two teams, both from the GMC, hold steady with 3-0 weeks. Old Bridge (9-2) remains second with a sweep of East Brunswick, 40- and 8-2, this week, while the Knights beat Red Bank Catholic 6-3 Sunday afternoon in the Autism Awareness Challenge at North Brunswick Community Park. Monroe (7-3) holds in third, beating South Brunswick 8-0 on Tuesday, South Plainfield 3-2 Thursday, and Jackson Memorial 5-3 Friday in the AAC.

Moving up three places from seventh to No. 4 this week is Immaculata. The Spartans are the only undefeated team left in the Skyland Conference, and went 3-0 again this week, edging Pingry Monday 2-1, Rutgers Prep on Tuesday 3-1, and Hunterdon Central on the road Saturday 6-4. The Spartans visit new top ten member Watchung Hills Tuesday at 4 pm, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports radio by clicking here.

Holding in fifth is Spotswood. The Chargers are 9-0-1, off to their best start in program history, and went 3-0-1 this week. They won at Somerville 7-3 Monday – in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, then tied Marlboro at home 8-8 in a seven-inning game called due to darkness. Friday, they beat Paulsboro 10-6 in the Thank You Classic at Bellmawr, where head coach Glenny Fredricks picked up his 300th career win, then on Sunday, they topped South Brunswick 8-7 in the Autism Awareness Challenge, also heard on CJSR.

Woodbridge (9-1) remains in sixth, as the Barrons rebounded from a Tuesday home loss to Middlesex by a 4-3 score to beat North Brunswick 4-0 on Thursday, and East Brunswick 7-2 on Saturday.

South Plainfield (6-3) went 3-2 this past week, and moves up to seventh. The Tigers blew out North Brunswick on the road Monday, 37-6, then won 9-2 at Watchung Hills on Wednesday. They fell at Monroe 3-2 on Thursday, but came back to beat North Brunswick again 5-3 on Friday, before losing to Millburn 3-0 in the Autism Awareness Challenge on Saturday.

Edison (8-2) holds in 8th after a 4-1 week. They swept a Monday/Tuesday pair from JP Stevens, 11-0 and 13-0, then blanked Middlesex 4-0 on Thursday, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, as senior Jaxon Appelman came within an out of a no-hitter. After a Friday 7-6 loss at Perth Amboy, Edison rebounded Sunday with a 14-6 win over Barnegat in the Autism Awareness Challenge.

Watchung Hills (5-4-1) joins the rankings at No. 9. The Warriors had a 3-1 week, beating Franklin Tuesday 5-4, losing to South Plainfield 9-2 on Wednesday, then winning two in a row: Thursday at Montgomery 14-1, and Saturday 4-2 over Hillsborough. The Warriors host Immaculata Tuesday at 4pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio, a game you can hear by clicking here.

Also new this week is St. Thomas Aquinas at No. 10. The Trojans are 7-1, right behind Spotswood in the GMC Blue Division, and were 4-0 this past week. They swept a home/away two-game set with Metuchen, 6-0 and 7-1, then beat South River 12-0 on Saturday, before topping Voorhees 11-1 late Sunday at the Autism Awareness Challenge in North Brunswick.

Dropping out this week are No. 4 North Brunswick (3-7) and No. 8 Rutgers Prep (2-5). The Raiders went 1-4 in the past week, while the Argonauts were 0-3 in the week gone by.

Below are the full Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Baseball Rankings:

by Mike Pavlichko

Two titles propel Colonia to No. 1 in final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top 10 of the season

On the strength of two championships this season – the GMC Tournament and the North 2, Group 3 section in the states – Colonia is the No. 1 team in the final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten of the season.

Colonia finished 22-9 on the season, beating St. Thomas Aquinas to win its first full county tournament since 2015 (they won the Towns/Williams four-team pod in the COVID-shortened season of 2021). Then, after the sudden passing of assistant coach Danny Brix, the Patriots won their third straight sectional title, before their season came to an end in the Group 3 semifinals against Ramapo.

In second is Rutgers Prep, which won its second Somerset County Tournament championship in a row, and finished 20-7, also taking the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title.

Montgomery (25-4) finished in third, its four losses coming to just two teams. They lost to Rutgers Prep twice, once in the regular season, and then again by three in the SCT title game. They also lost to Lenape in the regular season, and in the Group 4 semifinals, after winning their first sectional title since 2014, taking the Central Group 4 title with a win over Monroe.

In fourth is St. Thomas Aquinas, which finished 17-12 and reached the GMC Tournament finals, falling to Colonia.

GMC Red Division champion St. Joseph-Metuchen checks in at No. 5, with a 19-9 record.

After Watchung Hills (18-8) and Monroe (19-8) in sixth and seventh, respectively, GMC White Division Co-Champion South Plainfield checks in at No. 8.

Hillsborough is in ninth at 15-9, with two teams tied for tenth: Ridge and Bernards, both of which finished 15-10, with the Mountaineers claiming the Skyland Conference Mountain Division title.

See the final Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball rankings for the 2023-24 season below:

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY – Somerset County Tournament semifinals: (2) Montgomery

Second-seeded Montgomery advanced to its first-sever Somerset County Tournament Championship game with a 53-40 home win against third-seed Watchung Hills in the semifinals on February 15th, 2024.. The Cougars got 21 points from Bohdan Bieketov and 15 from Steve Donahue in the win.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko call all the play-by-play live from Montgomery Township High School on Central Jersey Sports Radio:

by Mike Pavlichko

First time for Montgomery: Cougars drop Watchung Hills to reach first-ever SCT final

With a minute or so left in the game, the hugs started coming from Kris Grundy. First to his assistant coaches, then to his players. And a look behind the bench to injured Ethan Lin.

It was just a matter of the final 70 seconds or so ticking off the clock.

When the horn sounded, the second-seeded Cougars had a 53-40 win in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, putting them in the county title game for the first time ever.

It’s been a long journey at for Grundy, who’s had some great seasons, some okay seasons, and some not-so-good seasons – just like any other coach who’s spent nearly two decades at his or her school.

But this one feels special.

Bohdan Bieketov led the Cougars (21-2) with 21 points, his second career high in less than a week, while Steve Donahue added 15 – including 6-of-6 at the foul line in the second half – for Montgomery.

Watchung Hills (17-7) was led by Dean Smith with 12 points, and the Warriors hit seven treys in defeat.

The game was tight early, with Watchung Hills taking a pair of one-point leads in a first quarter that saw no one ahead by more than two. Monty extended its lead to seven at one point, and was up one with 0.9 seconds left before halftime when Jack Fromelt got a rebound and gave them an improbable four-point lead on a full court heave that amazingly hit nothing but net.

The game remained tight through the third quarter, before Montgomery pulled away in the fourth with a smothering defense, and Bieketov working his magic inside, thanks to good looks from his guards. The Cougars led by 14 at one points, and won by 13.

Click below for postgame reaction with Montgomery senior Steve Donahue and head coach Kris Grundy, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep boys still No. 1, Bernards joins final Bellamy & Son Paving rankings ’til season’s end

In the final Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten before the end of the season, there was no change in the top five, Rutgers Prep holds on to the No. 1 spot, and Bernards makes its debut at No. 9.

Rutgers Prep (14-5) had a 3-0 week, with wins over county opponents in Montgomery and Hillsborough to essentially lock up the top seed in the county tournament ahead of Monday night’s seeding meeting. They also beat Paul VI in the Holy Cross Prep Showcase on Saturday.

Holding in second is St. Joseph-Metuchen (16-6). The Falcons went 2-2 with losses to Linden and Arts (of Newark) sandwiched around a pair of wins over GMC Red Division foe St. Thomas Aquinas as well as Notre Dame of Lawrenceville.

A 3-0 week kept Colonia (14-7) at No. 3, with wins over Piscataway, St. Thomas Aquinas and Ewing.

Holding in fourth is Montgomery (16-2). Despite a Tuesday loss to Rutgers Prep, they came back to beat Somerville, then Hillsborough on Saturday, likely locking up the No. 2 seed in the Somerset County Tournament.

Also holding steady at No. 5 is St. Thomas Aquinas (13-8). The Trojans lost to Union Catholic and at St Joe’s, before rebounding with a win in the Battle by the Bay showcase over Universal Audenried Charter (PA).

Watchung Hills (15-5) climbs two spots to sixth this week, supplanting Ridge, which they beat last week, but it was sandwiched around two out-of-area losses, the first to a very good Phillipsburg team, the second to Millburn.

Holding at No. 7 is Monroe (14-5). The Falcons won their only game last week, beating JP Stevens.

Ridge (12-7) drops down to eighth after an 0-3 week, with losses to Bound Brook and two top ten teams in Watchung Hills and South Plainfield, both on the road.

Bernards (12-7) makes its debut at No. 9, picking up an 18-point win over South Plainfield, then a victory over Wallkill Valley, before losing at Hopewell Valley on Saturday.

South Plainfield (16-6) drops one spot to tenth, after a loss to Bernards, but the Tigers also had wins over Timothy Christian, New Brunswick and Ridge.

Dropping out this week was Hillsborough (11-7), which has had a tough go of late, dropping five of its last six games. The Raiders beat Pingry last week, but then lost to Rutgers Prep and Montgomery.

Below are the full Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Rankings for Week 8:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep, St. Joseph-Metuchen stay 1 and 2 in Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten

There is no change this week at the top of the Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Rankings for Week 7, the next to the last rankings before the county tournaments get underway.

Rutgers Prep, St. Joseph of Metuchen and Colonia all kept their positions at one, two and three this week while the rest of the teams moved around, though no one new joined the Top Ten, and nobody dropped out.

Rutgers Prep (11-5) had a 1-1 week, beating Hillsborough on the road Tuesday in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, to get a leg up on the race for the top seed in the Somerset County Tournament. The Argonauts fell Sunday to St. Peter’s Prep, 53-45.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (14-5) dropped a weekend game to Linden in the Investors Savings Scholarship Games at AL Johnson in Clark, but beat two non-conference opponents during the week, topping Union City and Delbarton.

Colonia (11-7) lost a non-conference game to Phillipsburg on Tuesday, but picked up two GMC Red Division wins the rest of the week, beating East Brunswick at home and Monroe on the road.

Montgomery (14-1) nudged up one spot from fifth to fourth, and has won seven straight since a loss to Lenape on January 6th. They picked up wins this week over Somerville, North Hunterdon, and another Saturday at the Jeff Coney Classic over Cherry Hill East.

Down a spot to fifth is St. Thomas Aquinas (12-6), which dropped a pair this week to St. Peter’s Prep and Union Catholic.

Up a spot to No. 6 is Ridge (11-4). The Red Devils sandwiched a loss at Phillipsburg with a pair of wins over Somerset County foes Watchung Hills and Gill St. Bernard’s.

At seven is Monroe (13-5) after the Falcons went 2-1 this past week, getting wins over Piscataway and Lawrence, then dropping a home game to Colonia.

Watchung Hills (14-3) is up a spot to eighth coming off a 2-0 week, getting wins over Voorhees and North Bergen.

South Plainfield (13-5) drops to ninth. They were 2-1 this past week with wins over Sayreville and at North Plainfield bookending a loss to unranked Woodbridge Thursday.

Hillsborough (10-5) had a rough week, losing three straight, including to Rutgers Prep on Tuesday, then at Franklin Thursday and on the road against Westfield Saturday.

Below are the full Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten Rankings for Week 7:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep remains No. 1 in Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, as Montgomery, South Plainfield, Watchung Hills edge upward

There was very little movement, and none at the top, in the Week 6 Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten.

Rutgers Prep (10-4) went 3-0 this past week, part of a stretch that saw Somerset County teams go 11-1, picking up wins over Immaculata and at Ridge, whose only two prior losses were to St. Joseph-Metuchen – the highest ranked team in the GMC – and Phillipsburg.

The Argonauts are followed by St. Joe’s in second at 11-4. The Falcons went 2-1 this week, starting with an 80-61 win over St. Thomas Aquinas on Wednesday to clinch the GMC Red Division, and ostensibly the top seed in the GMC Tournament. They followed it up with a 72-63 win at Colonia in their rematch with the Patriots, but fell Saturday afternoon to Elizabeth in a non-conference game.

Colonia (9-5) holds in third, after a 2-1 week that saw their loss to Joe’s bookended by a Monday win over Monroe, and a Saturday thrashing of South Brunswick.

St. Thomas Aquinas (12-4) maintains the No. 4 spot despite a 1-2 week. They beat Saddle River Day Monday, lost to St. Joseph on Wednesday, then fell to Newark Central in a Brick City showcase over the weekend.

Montgomery (11-1) moved up to fifth, flip-flopping with Hillsborough. The Cougars took a road win at Carteret, then beat state top-ten College Achieve Asbury Park 78-62 at home Sunday afternoon, in a game rescheduled from Friday due to snow.

Hilllsborough (10-2) also had a 2-0 week, winning at Hunterdon Central during the week and beating Governor Livingston at home on Saturday. The Raiders are 4-0 in the Skyland Delaware Division and have a huge clash at home Tuesday at 7 pm against No. 1 Rutgers Prep, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

In seventh is Ridge (9-3), which split a pair this week. They lost to Rutgers Prep Wednesday, but came back Saturday for a home win against Hamilton West.

South Plainfield (11-4) climbed from ninth to No. 8 with a 2-0 week that saw a pair of road wins over Perth Amboy and Edison.

Watchung Hills (11-2) also went 2-0 last week, and moved from tenth to ninth; the Warriors beat Bound Brook Monday and Franklin Wednesday.

Monroe (11-4) dropped to tenth after a 2-2 week; they were the only area team to fit four games in their schedule over the last seven days. They dropped their first two at Colonia Monday and at home to Old Bridge Wednesday, before bouncing back with a win at East Brunswick Thursday and getting a win at JP Stevens on Saturday.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 6:

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers Prep leads Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Top Ten; Colonia jumps Aquinas after win

For the second week in a row, Rutgers Prep took the top spot in the Bellamy & Son Paving Boys’ Basketball Top Ten, while Colonia flip-flopped with St. Thomas Aquinas after a Thursday win over the Trojans.

On the other end, Gill St. Bernard’s dropped out for the first time in the poll’s three-year-and-change history. They had been in the rankings for 32 straight weeks. The Knights were 0-3 this week and have lost five straight for the first time under head coach Mergin Sina, and overall since the 2007-08 season, in which Gill went 8-14, their last losing season.

Rutgers Prep (7-4) went 1-1 this past week, claiming a division win over Franklin Thursday, then falling to St. Benedict’s by ten Saturday in the Dennis Gregory Memorial Showcase at Caldwell University.

St. Joseph-Metuchen (9-3) stayed in the second slot after a 2-1 week themselves. They beat East Brunswick and Monroe on Wednesday and Thursday, then lost Sunday to St. Benedict’s at the same showcase as Prep.

Colonia (7-4) bumped up to third after a win over previous No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas – which falls to fourth this week. That was the Trojans; lone game of the week, while Colonia fell to Elizabeth Sunday in the Investors Savings Bank Scholarship Games.

There are two big games this week in the GMC involving those three teams. St. Joseph visits St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday night, while the Falcons host Colonia on Thursday.

Holding at No. 5 is Hillsborough (8-2). The Raiders beat Gill St. Bernards for the second time this season on Thursday, then lost to Caldwell Sunday, 52-51.

In sixth is Montgomery (9-1), which was the only Top Ten team this past week to go without a loss. The Cougars beat Pingry on Thursday, then edged Scotch Plains-Fanwood by five at the Investors’ Games.

Up two spots to seventh is Ridge (8-2), which went 1-1 with a victory over Hunterdon Central Thursday, but a loss to Phillipsburg on Saturday.

Monroe (9-2) falls from seventh to eighth after a 1-1 week. They lost to No. 2 St. Joe’s 53-46 on Thursday, but rebounded with a Saturday rout of South Brunswick.

At No. 9 is South Plainfield. The Tigers are 9-4 after a 2-1 week, with wins at New Brunswick and home over North Brunswick, before a defeat at Westfield Sunday.

And back in the rankings after a week out is Watchung Hills (9-2) at No. 10. The Warriors won their only game last week, beating Immaculata out of the Skyland Delaware Division.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Week 5 Boys’ Basketball Top Ten: