Though most did, not every Big Central Conference school opened the season in Week Zero, including three teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten. That includes Phillipsburg, which remains at No. 1, and with many others winning their openers, the top five remained the same thiss week.
Phillipsburg (0-0) typically doesn’t start in Week Zero since they have their big Thanksgiving Day rivalry game against Easton. The Stateliners open up at Westfield (1-0) Saturday at 1 pm at Kehler Stadium. The Blue Devils beat arch-rival Plainfield, 21-14, in their season-opener Thursday.
Somerville (1-0) holds at No. 2 after a 34-17 season-opening win at Schalick Friday night, behind three touchdowns and 120 yards from senior RB Aidan Bush. The Pioneers are back in action this Friday when they host Cranford (0-1) at 6:30 pm.
Woodbridge (1-0) remains in third, coming off a 14-0 season-opening shutout win over Union. They’ve won eleven straight against the Big Central Conference, and will visit Watchung Hills Friday for a 7 pm game against the Warriors, who they beat twice last season, the second time coming in the first round of the playoffs.
Bernards (1-0) won its opener, 27-15 over Cranford Friday, and stays in third in this week’s rankings. The Mountaineers have won 24 straight against the BCC – the second-best active streak in the league – and now will face the last league team to beat them. They visit Hillside Saturday at 1 pm, in a game you can follow with Marcus Borden on Twitter, with postgame reaction to follow on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
St. Thomas Aquinas (1-0) put up a ton of points in a 56-3 rout of Montclair Friday night in North Edison, behind 260 passing yards from Zymere Weaver, and giving new head coach Shamir Bearfield a win his first time out in grand fashion. This weekend, they’ll host Catholic Memorial of Massachusetts, which was 12-1 last season.
Moving up from ninth to sixth after a big non-conference win down at the Battle at the Beach was Old Bridge (1-0). The Knights were 21-7 winners over Cedar Creek, getting 168 rushing yards and three touchdowns from senior quarterback Brody Nugent. Old Bridge will visit Edison (0-1) at 7 pm Friday for the first of back-to-back road games.
Ridge (0-0) drops to seventh, having sat out Week Zero. The Red Devils and new head coach Jeff Sutherland play Friday at home at 7 pm when St. Joseph-Metuchen (0-0) comes to town in the season opener for both schools.
Piscataway (1-0) holds steady in eighth after a 31-14, come-from-behind win over Edison Friday night. The Chiefs will travel to play Bridgewater-Raritan Friday night at six, in a rematch of a game heard last year on Central Jersey Sports Radio that saw the teams combine for 100 points and four kick returns for touchdowns, in a 52-48 Panthers’ victory.
Making its debut this week is Elizabeth (1-0). The Minutemen impressed Friday night with a 42-7 road win at Linden in which junior quarterback Arique Fleming threw for 272 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for a fifth. Next up, Elizabeth gets Bayonne at home at Williams Field, 6 pm Friday.
Rounding out the group is New Providence (0-0), which held in tenth despite not opening up in Week Zero. The Pioneers will play Saturday at 1 pm at Governor Livingston in the season opener for bot schools, which you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Bookmark this link to listen!
Here’s the complete 2025 Bellamy & Son Paving Central Jersey Sports Radio Big Central Week Zero Top Ten:
Rahway (0-1) dropped out this week after a 35-33 home loss to Willingboro.
In the “Also Considered” category, Sayreville (1-0) got a nod after a 26-18 win at Colonia Thursday night. The Bombers got 150 yards rushing and four touchdowns from Shaun Jackson, and next host Linden (0-1) Friday at 7 pm.
Hunterdon Central (1-0) also merits a look after a 36-28 season-opening win at North Hunterdon Friday night. The Red Devils got 158 rushing yards from Reggie Osae-Aye in the win, and will visit Monroe Friday night at 7:00.
And St. Joseph-Metuchen remains in this category, having not played in Week Zero. They visit Ridge Friday night at 7 in the season opener for both schools.