Tag: Westfield

by Mike Pavlichko

Both Big Central top-seeds advance, as Bridgewater-Raritan cruises past Linden, Phillipsburg blows out Newark Central; Woodbridge, Montgomery and Colonia also win in North 2, Group 4

The two Big Central Conference teams that earned top-seeds in the NJSIAA playoffs this season both won their opening round games handily Friday night.

Phillipsburg – the top overall seed in North Group 4 – won its first round game in the North 2, Group 4 section, blowing out eight-seed Newark Central at home, 55-14.

And Bridgewater-Raritan – the No. 1 seed in North 2, Group 5 – was a 35-6 winner over eight-seed Linden at Basilone Field.

Denzel Amoafo opened the scoring for the Panthers not even four minutes in with a 32-yard touchdown run, then after a Linden fumble late in the quarter, QB Declan Kurdyla scampered for 18 yards to make it 13-0. He then hit tight end Jack Cifuentes from six out, then ran another in from 17 to make it 28-0 with 5:52 to go before the half.

One more touchdown pass – eleven yards to Mikey Bratus – made it 35-0 at the break, a deficit the Tigers could not recover from, though they would get two second half scores with the running clock in effect for the final 24 minutes.

Bridgewater-Raritan (7-3) will host fourth-seed Union City (6-3) Friday night. The Soaring Eagles – who beat the Panthers 61-10 in the same round last year up at their place – edged five-seed Irvington at home Friday night, 21-14.

Click below for postgame reaction from Marcus Borden with head coach DJ Catalano and senior quarterback Declan Kurdyla, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

Meanwhile, out at Maloney Stadium, it was all Phillipsburg in this one, as the top-seeded Stateliners scored the game’s first seven touchdowns en route to a 55-14 win. Tyler Wargo scored twice on runs of five and eight yards, while Eddie O’Neill had a two-yard fumble return for a TD, and three others scored in the first half, including a Xavier Campbell-Graham 57-yard run, a six-yard run by Sincere Gilmer and a two-yard fumble return by Elian Cuevas.

Gilmer had a late 50-yard TD run in the fourth, while Thomas LaBella had a 14-yard run in the third quarter.

The Stateliners (8-1) will play fifth-seed Colonia (7-3) next week at home in one semifinal, after the Patriots topped Ridge, 20-19 on the road.

That game was a back-and-forth affair, with no one down by more than a touchdown throughout. After a scoreless first quarter, each team scored twice in the second to make it a 13-13 game at the half.

Jack Donley scored on a 44-yard touchdown for Ridge (5-4) to open the scoring, but the kick was blocked by Harsimran Mann. RJ Wortman answered with a 22-yard pick-six, Nick Pfenning got it back for the Red Devils on a seven-yard run, while Julien Jones tied it with a six-yard run, which also saw a blocked kick.

In the third quarter, Wortman scored again, this time on a four-yard run, and with a few minutes left in the game, Lenny Paolilo got Ridge within one with a 14-yard touchdown run that capped a long drive. But Mann came up big again, blocking the extra point.

“The second one was the biggest one I’ve ever seen,” said head coach Tom Roarty.

Click below for postgame reaction from Colonia head coach Tom Roarty with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

The other semifinal in North 2, Group 4 will feature second-seed Woodbridge (8-2) against third-seed Montgomery (7-3), a rematch of a game from three weeks ago that the Barrons won 41-31 in Somerset County. Second-seed Woodbridge topped seventh-seed Rahway (6-4), 21-7, while Montgomery was a 32-10 home winner over sixth-seed Westfield (4-6).

by Mike Pavlichko

The playoffs are here! More than two dozen Big Central public schools open postseason play this weekend, with 20 games on tap. Here’s Part One of our preview on Groups 4 and 5

It’s time for the playoffs!

We got through opening weekend in the sweltering heat of the late dog days of August. We didn’t really have much of a fall, but the weather mostly nice. And Cutoff Weekend last weekend saw some teams sweating it out, some disappointed, and others rewarded for their play during the season.

Now, it’s time to get it all going!

Here’s Central Jersey Sports Radio’s look at all the playoff games involving BCC schools this weekend, section by section in Groups 4 and 5, including game dates and times. Games are Friday, except where noted.

Find our preview of Group 1, 2 and 3 schools will by clicking this link.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 5:

  • #8 Linden (3-6) at #1 Bridgewater-Raritan (6-3), 6pm: The Panthers, after making the playoffs out of a strong division with no more than four wins each of the last three seasons, broke through in Year Three under the young, energetic DJ Catalano as head coach. And they survived two games without QB Declan Kurdyla, a Rutgers lacrosse committ whose season it was thought might be over after a lower body (knee) injury against Hunterdon Central in Game Four. It turned out to be not as serious as originally thought, and he was back three weeks later. A win over Piscataway – a two-seed in the same section – may have been their best of the year. As for Linden, Mark Ciccotelli’s took over for Al Chiola, and the Tigers struggled a bit out of the box, starting 0-3, and going 1-5 through their first six. But they won two of their last three, beating Perth Amboy and Carteret, then lost by one to a super-talented, if inconsistent Plainfield team last weekend. Follow Marcus Borden on Twitter for updates and we’ll have video postgame reaction late Friday night.
  • #6 Bayonne (6-3) at #3 Elizabeth (5-4), 6 pm: When you have a three-year starter like the dynamic Arique Fleming in quarterback – a three-year starter who’s still only a junior – you have to like the Minutemen and their chances. After a 2-1 start, they lost three straight, but have won three in a row over Morristown, Watchung Hills and Union, the win over the Warriors – on the road – being the most impressive. But Bayonne comes in hot, too. The Bees won just one of their first four games, but have reeled off five straight coming into the playoffs. But that one win they had early? It came over Elizabeth, 26-21, at Williams Field. Can the Minutemen return the favor?
  • #7 Plainfield (4-5) at #2 Piscataway (7-2), Saturday 1 pm: This is our Saturday “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving. Click here to listen, with pregame starting at 12:45. The Chiefs are looking like their old selves again, that is, a team that’s capable of winning a championship, even if they have to clean up some penalties and miscues. They and Plainfield both have talent over the field. Landon Pernell can get the ball to receivers like Josiah Zayas, who came back to the program from St. Thomas Aquinas, and Zaire Young can do things on the ground. Devin Thomas – the Plainfield quarterback is dynamic, having thrown for over 2,000 yard – with 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions – and leading the team in rushing at 466 yards. This is going to be a game with a lot of big plays. Read our full preview and hear from both head coaches at the link.

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 5:

  • #5 Hillsborough (4-5) at #4 Rancocas Valley (5-4), Saturday 12 pm: This is a tough draw for the Raiders, being on the road, but they’re also familiar with the West Jersey Football League, playing fellow Group 5 squad Washington Twp. in the Battle at the Beach down at Rowan back in August. That 43-12 loss came to a team that was 9-0, but don’t discount the Red Devils, even though they’re “just” 5-4. They have a run-heavy attack led by Jameer Bellamy (864 yards, 11 TDs), and have a sophomore in Michael Beasley and a junior in David Ogunsola who have combined for 22 1/2 of the team’s 29 sacks this year. Hillsborough will have to protect senior QB Devon Khurana – who already played the early part of the season with a broken pinkie – and will be challenged to get thousand-yard rusher Andrew Schwarz the numbers they’d like. Fun fact: This will be the third “Red Devils” opponent for the Raiders this year, who lost 28-7 to Ridge, but beat Hunterdon Central in Flemington last week, 33-8.
  • #6 Freehold Twp. (5-4) at #3 Old Bridge (8-1), Saturday 6 pm: The Knights have one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the area in Brody Nugent, the senior QB who has thorwn for 1,811 yards and 15 touchdowns, while rushing for a team-best 799 yards and 15 more scores. He’s a points machine for a team that has been perfect in the six games since they lost 28-21 at Piscataway on September 12th, a full month-and-a-half ago. Freehold Township had won three straight before falling to Manalapan last week. A pass-heavy offense that has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards between two quarterbacks could make this a very entertaining game, indeed.
  • #7 Trenton (6-3) at #2 Sayrveille (8-1), 7 pm: The Bombers rebounded from a 43-15 loss to Montgomery two weeks ago with a 33-26 win over St. Thomas Aquinas that ended their Big Central-record 35-game winning streak. Shaun Jackson has been the offensive weapon all season long, with 1,650 yards and 20 touchdowns on 162 carries. Almost on the nose, he touches the ball a little more than every other play. The Tornadoes have a more balanced attack, with junior QB Keith Williams throwing for 1,210 yards, and have won three straight coming in. This will be the Bombers’ first opponent from Mercer County since 2008, when they beat West Windsor-Plainsboro South in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals, before losing in the title game to Brick Memorial.

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4:

  • #8 Newark Central (6-3) at #1 Phillipsburg (7-1), 7 pm: The Stateliners get to defend their North 2, Group 4 title, and the beginning of theat defense starts with an explosive Blue Devil club out of Newark. They have a sophomore quarterback who has thrown for almost 1,400 yards in Zahyir Taylor, but while he’s thrown 14 touchdown passes, he’s also been prone to throwing picks, with nine on the season. This is a very balanced attack, but Central doesn’t play nearly the schedule Phillipsburg does. They are still humming along even after a 21-0 loss at St. Joseph-Metuchen a couple of weeks ago, with another sophomore QB in Dominic Bracco playing traffic cop with the ground game, which has reeled off nearly 2,300 yards and 30 touchdowns this season.
  • #5 Colonia (6-3) at #4 Ridge: (5-3), 7 pm: This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools, and both have had fine seasons. The Patriots had won four straight before a Cutoff Weekend loss to Old Bridge, but it’s also been the most comfortable Cutoff Weekend Colonia has had in the last few years, since they had a playoff berth already locked up coming in. It’s a solid senior group that has put up big numbers through the air, with Dylan Chiera tossing for 1,971 yards and 21 TDs with just two picks all season, and favorite target RJ Wortman already over a thousand-yards receiving. Ridge will need to keep an eye on Julien Jones, who has racked up nine of the team’s 19 sacks on the season. Ridge also had won four in a row before falling to Westfield last week This will be Colonia’s passing game against the Red Devils’ ground attack, which has amassed 1,802 yards on the season. They’ve run it 334 times compared to 114 passing plays. Oh, and their defense can get after it, too. They have five picks, one for a touchdown.
  • #6 Westfield at #3 Montgomery, 7 pm: The last meeting between these schools was ten years ago, as the schools finished a home-and-home that saw the Cougars win in 2014, the Blue Devils in 2015. That being distant history, the Cougars are a bit banged up right now after the Rahway game, in which senior QB Jack Kristjanson went down with what appeared to be a lower leg injury late in the game after a sack. They’ve got some big wins, over Somerville and Sayrville, and in overtime in their opener against a solid 7-2 Hopewell Valley squad. The Blue Devils, meanwhile, are looking for their first back-to-back wins of an up-and-down season. But if they can play like they did against Ridge last week, when they netted a 14-7 upset win at home – their first win over the Blue Devils since 2017 – they can pull this one off. Senior Jordan Walsh is the reigning Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Player of the Week, coming up with big plays late in that win.
  • #7 Rahway (6-3) at #2 Woodbridge (7-2), 6 pm: The side story here is that this is the “Russo Bowl.” Rahway head coach Brian Russo is a Woodbridge grad, won a state title there, coached there, and his son, Sean, is a senior wide receiver for Joe Goerge. The main storyline here is: this should be one damn good football game. The Indians were physical in a 28-7 upset win over No. 3 Montgomery last Friday night, a win that got them in the playoffs, and senior Andrew Avent – who’s now the school’s all-time rushing leader at 4,395 career yards and 79 overall touchdowns – can change the game in a hurry. But they can get to the quarterback, too, with the defense coming up with at least four sacks last week alone. The Barrons have been one of the best teams in the Big Central the last two years, with just one regular season loss, that coming to St. Joe’s a couple of weeks ago. Joshua Allen is also a great back; the senior has gone for 1,355 yards and 18 scores this season. Can they limit Rahway on the scoreboard? Though the Barrons have pitched two shutouts, those came against Union and Perth Amboy. But the rest of the schedule has all scored at least 18 points against them in every game.

by Mike Pavlichko

Westfield’s Jordan Walsh comes up big down the stretch, grabs final Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honor in 2025

Jordan Walsh is no stranger to being a go-to guy on his team. After all, he was the Borden’s Baller of the Year last season, representing the Westfield Blue Devils, a proud Union County program with a lot of history.

Well, Saturday at Kehler Stadium, he helped make some of his own, helping his team to a 14-7 win over Ridge, their first since 2017 against the Red Devils.

He didn’t know that before the game, but he knows it now.

Walsh had 153 all-purpose yards fo Westfield Saturday, rushing eight times for 72 yards with a five-yard touchdown, while also grabbing six passes for 81 yards. At safety, he had nine tackles and a pass breakup, but it was what he did on both sides of the ball in closing minutes – in just two plays – that was the difference.

First, with Ridge driving inside the Westfield 30-yard line, he made a big open field tackle to stymie the drive. Then, with the ball on their own five and trying to run out the clock on offense, he musted a 40-yard run to ice the game.

And his last run of the contest put him over 1,000 all-purpose yards for the season.

For his efforts, senior Jordan Walsh of Westfield is the Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week for Week Eight, Cutoff Weekend, the last of the season.

Logo of Bellamy & Son Paving highlighting the Big Central Player of the Week.

Westfield (4-5) earned a six-seed in the North 2, Group 4 playoffs, and will play an opening round game at third-seed Montgomery (6-3) this Friday night at 7:00.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko with Week Eight Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Jordan Walsh of Westfield:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Logan Stevens, Bernards: The senior carried eight times for 196 yards and three touchdowns – all long, of 81, 53, and 72 yards – in a 22-0 home win over Carteret Friday night. He also had a 35-yard catch, and at cornerback had an interception. In Stevens’ three varsity seasons, the Mountaineers never lost a regular season game, going 27-0 in that span.
  • Arique Fleming, Elizabeth: The junior quarterback was 20-for-24 for 248 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-23 win over Union. He also had all 13 rushing attempts by the Minutement, picking up another 90 yards and a score.
  • Dom Massaro, South Plainfield: A workhorse back, the senior scored four touchdowns and had 243 yards rushing on offense in a 42-14 win over JFK Friday. Then, on defense, he grabbed three interceptions, one for a touchdown, and also had 110 punt return yards, plus a touchdown on one that was called back.
  • Matteo Tramutolo, Voorhees: The top rusher in the Big Central this week, the senior carried 31 times for 208 yards and three touchdowns, helping rally his team from a 7-0 deficit before the half to win the 50th Milk Can Game between the rivals. The win helped clinch the Vikings’ first playoff berth since 2018. He also broke his own single-season school rushing mark, setting a new standard with 1,338 and counting, while also cracking the 3,000 mark for his career.

Other Notable Performances:

  • Rocco Federico, Brearley: The junior defensive end had four sacks, two TFLs and four total tackles in a 10-7 win at Dayton Saturday that got the Bears into the playoffs. Federico was part of a defense that made a goal line stand at the one as time expired to hang on for the W.
  • Evan Canica, Manville: The center and mike linebacker for the Mustangs had a “phenomenal” effort in a 49-7 win over rival Bound Brook for the Freedom Silver Division title. The had a fourth-down TFL that set the tone, ending the Crusaders’ first drive of the night, then had four solo tackles, two more TFLs and two sacks, as well as a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles. Offensively, he and the line paved the way for a 351-yard night, 210 of which came on the ground.
  • Andrew Avent, Rahway: The senior had 23 carries for 312 yards and a touchdown – with a long run of 67 – in a 28-7 home win over No. 3 Montgomery Friday night. At defensive end, he had three solo tackles, two assists, three TFLs, a half sack and three QB hurries against a high-powered offense.
  • Kellen Healy, South Hunterdon: The sophomore – one of the future keys to the program for the Eagles – had 15 carries for 103 yards, with two rushing touchdowns in a 26-0 win at Dunellen last Friday, to pick up South’s first win of the season. He also had a 35-yard interception return for a score in the game.

by Mike Pavlichko

Cutoff Weekend Friday Playoff Update – Group 4: Phillipsburg claims overall top seed, seven Big Central teams will be in North 2, Group 4

With Friday night’s Cutoff Weekend high school football games all in the books, Central Jersey Sports Radio is updating the unofficial NJSIAA playoff standings as we head into Saturday action.

We’ll have further analysis late morning into the afternoon Saturday, with our 2025 “Playoff Projection Show” scheduled for 6 pm where we give our bracket projections. The full tournament for the public schools will be unveiled on Sunday by the NJSIAA via Gridiron New Jersey. We’ll have them shortly after. The brackets become official at noon on Monday.

NORTH GROUP 4

A colorful table displaying the standings for high school football teams in North Group 4, including team names, wins, losses, points average, and rankings.
  • Phillipsburg got the best-case scenario, even if we didn’t think this would be the result. Not only did they beat Bridgewater-Raritan at Maloney Stadium – and we figured a Mount Olive loss would get them to two, but not one, even with a Northern Highlands loss – they both took defeats Friday night, and it appears the Stateliners will get the overall No. 1 seed, and be the top-seed in North 2, Group 4 as a result, a chance to defend last year’s sectional title, won over Northern Highlands on a field goal by Alexie Moreira as time expired.
  • A lot of teams juggled around here, as Montgomery‘s loss to Rahway dropped them back to eighth, while Woodbridge ticked up one spot to sixth, and they still have to play. They get undefeated multiplier St. Joseph-Metuchen on the road Saturday. They would get 70% for a loss to a Group D multiplier, but all the teams between them and Phillipsburg will be in North 1 Group 4, while the Barrons will be in North 2. So we think they max out at two in the section, and likely stay there.
  • Ridge held in 9th and Westfield fell one to 15th, but they play Saturday at Kehler Stadium at 1 pm. We think they’re in, as even a loss to a good Ridge team and a Hackensack win wouldn’t knock them out.

  • Despite a loss to Old Bridge, the Knights are strong, and Colonia pulled up from 11 to 10 in the supersection, but even with a Ridge loss, the Red Devils wouldn’t drop below the Patriots.
  • Rahway clinched a playoff berth with its 28-7 win over Montgomery Friday night, heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They went from a shaky 16 to a solid 13 in the supersection.
  • With not many changes expected at the bottom, we think the field is mostly set, and it’s just a matter of the order. Right now, it looks like seven of the eight Big Central teams here will be in the North 2, Group 4 section, currently ordered with Phillipsburg at the top, followed by Woodbridge, Montgomery, Ridge, Colonia, Rahway, Newark Central and Westfield.

SOUTH GROUP 4

Table displaying the standings for South Group 4 high school football teams, including win-loss records and performance metrics.
  • No Big Central teams here, but Winslow and Brick Memorial both won and remain Nos. 1 and 2, which should be how they finish, since all the top teams played Friday. Hamilton is the only team in the running that hasn’t played yet, but at 17 – and with Princeton ineligible due to DQs – they just have to finish 17th to get in. They visit Ewing Saturday.
by Mike Pavlichko

Cutoff Weekend Group 4 Playoff Update: Phillipsburg in play for a top-seed in North 2 section packed with Big Central squads; Rahway and Watchung Hills face “play-in” games

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 4 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 4

This is a very difficult supersection to nail down since there are a ton of Big Central teams here, just about every other team from three on down, with Phillipsburg there, Montgomery fifth, Woodbridge at seven, Ridge at nine, and Colonia 11th, with Westfield at 15 and Rahway at 16 heading into Cutoff Weekend. And the teams are tightly packed, too. There are so many ways this can go, with each team dependent on several others above and below them. We could very well end up with six or seven teams from the Big Central in North 2, Group 4, once it all shakes out by geography, so there’s a very good chance we get sectional champion here from the BCC.

  • Phillipsburg: Phillipsburg (6-1) has a tough one Friday night at Maloney as Bridgewater-Raritan (6-2) comes in, with Declan Kurdyla now playing his third game back at QB after suffering an injury earlier this season against Hunterdon Central. A win could get them the top seed if No. 2 Mount Olive loses, even if No. 1 Northern Highlands wins. But, they would not get it the other way around, with a win, a Highlands loss and a Mount Olive win. They need help to get there. And if both those teams above them lose, they could end up No. 1 overall with some other help. A loss, and the Stateliners dip to four, and could fall even further back if Montgomery wins at Rahway.
  • Montgomery: The Cougars (6-2) visit Rahway (5-3) in the “Big Central Game of the Week” presented by Bellamy & Son Paving Friday night at 7, with major playoff implications for both. If the Montgomery can win, and they get help from above, like losses from Phillipsburg and Ramapo, they can get as high as third overall, which would give them a two-seed in North 2, Group 4, guaranteeing home games for at least the first two rounds, into the semifinals. A loss could drop them to eight or lower overall, unless they get some help from the teams around them.
  • Woodbridge: With a win by the Barrons (7-1) at St. Joseph-Metuchen (7-0), Woodbridge could vault as high as fourth, but probably not any higher. But the Falcons are a multiplier, which is worth 70 percent of the SI value instead of 50 percent. That means a loss – on its own – keeps them at seven. We think, at the very least, Woodbridge is a two- or three-seed in North 2, Group 4.
  • Ridge: The Red Devils (5-2) are at Westfield (3-5) Saturday, and with the Blue Devils being a middle-of-the road team in terms of power points and SI, a win or loss doesn’t bump Ridge too far up or down. They should stay in the middle of the pack of 16 here, and likely begin the playoffs on the road; they’d have to pass Montgomery, but as we talked about, even a loss doesn’t kill the Cougars too much, so Ridge is a bit limited in where it can move. Should be a road team in the first round.
  • Colonia: The Patriots (6-2) should be in the playoffs regardless of what they do at Old Bridge (7-1) Friday night, since the Knights are a strong team SI-wise, and still give Colonia six power points even for a loss (their seventh win came in their eighth game, and only the first seven count for residuals). A win would be gargantuan, potentially moving them up to nine overall, and maybe higher if some things break their particular way, and they could even jump Ridge. With a loss, depending on the teams behind them, they likely won’t drop more than a spot or two, but even that might not move them in the North 2, Group 4 section.
  • Westfield: A loss to Ridge likely doesn’t hurt the Blue Devils too much, since the Red Devils are 5-2 and highly-rated in terms of SI. A win could pull them up to 12. We think they’re likely a seven seed – definitely a bottom four, first-round road team – in North 2 Group 4 unless some other games affect it.
  • Rahway: In the game we have on the air Friday night, the Indians (5-3) host Montgomery (6-2), and a win on its own gets them all the way up to 11th place. We don’t think there’s a way enough teams could pass them to knock them out, so we’ll call this a “play-in” for Rahway. But that also means if they lose, they’re probably out. They’d fall to 20 regardless of any other games, and would probably need a lot of help. It;s not impossible, they’d just need everything to break right ahead of them.
  • JFK: We tried a lot of numbers, but we think even if the Mustangs (6-2) beat South Plainfield (4-4) they can only get to 17 with a lot of help. It’s possible there’s a way, and it might be clearer after Friday night.
  • Watchung Hills: Don’t count out the Warriors (3-5), even though they start the weekend in 22nd place. Somerville is one of the top 35 SI teams in the state and has seven wins, so it’s a big jackpot if Watchung Hills can come up with a win. That may be easier said than done, but a victory could get them as high as 13 if things break right. We’re not sure if it’s a lock that they get in with a win, as they could still finish around 15 or 16, and if they finish 16 to Rahway’s 17, the Indians have the tiebreaker on head-to-head. But that’s if everything breaks wrong. Good chance they’re in with a win

by Mike Pavlichko

Group 4 Playoff Chase: Undefeated Phillipsburg 2nd overall in North Group 4, but in great shape for top-seed in North 2 section

As we continue taking a look at the playoff races here in New Jersey high school football with just three weeks left before the cutoff, the latest standings find Phillipsburg looking in very good shape in the North Group 4 supersection standings.

Though undefeated (5-0), Phillipsburg is second overall in the UPR standings, but that’s good enough for a top-seed. The Stateliners would get the North 2, Group 4 top seed, as the other No. 1 would be Northern Highlands, which is geographically further North, and would be the top-seed in North 1, Group 4. (That’s the team the Stateliners beat on a field goal by Alexie Moreira to make the state Group 4 final last season.)

A table displaying the standings for high school football teams in New Jersey, specifically for North 1, Group 4 and North 2, Group 4, summarizing wins, losses, ties, points per average, OSI average, UPR, Northern ranking, UPR rank, and N rank.

As with many of the other sections, all the Big Central teams are in what used to be their “natural sections,” which is North 2 Group 4. Phillipsburg leads the pack, and there’s a tight bunch of conference teams behind them, with Montgomery fourth overall, Ridge sixth and Woodbridge eighth, all seeded one through four in North 2. Then there’s Colonia at 5, but as we’ve talked about, they’re 11th in UPR overall, while Woodbridge (fourth in the section) is eight overall. So for Colonia to get a home game and jump to fourth in the section, they’d have to jump four teams to move up one spot.

Don’t forget to tune in to Central Jersey Sports Radio’s “Playoff Projection Show” as Mike Pavlichko and Marcus Borden go through the projected playoff brackets at 6 pm on Saturday, October 25th, Cutoff Weekend!!!

Westfield also is in the thick of things, but Watchung Hills is “on the bubble,” tied for 15th in UPR with Millburn. Hackensack and Garfield are close behind them. The Warriors close with a road game this week at Rahway, then home games with Elizabeth and Somerville. A win against either the Indians or Minutemen might get them in, since even a loss to a highly-rated Somerville probably wouldn’t hurt them too much.

Now, one might wonder why Woodbridge – undefeated – isn’t a top seed. While they’re 6-0 and Phillipsburg is 5-0, the SI values of their opponents dictate, and according to the formula, the Stateliners have a more challenging schedule.

A table displaying the standings for high school football in Central Group 4 and South Group 4, including team names, wins, losses, ties, point averages, and UPR ranks.

There aren’t any Big Central teams in the South 5 supersection, the only one in the state without any BCC teams. But this, again, is another well-balanced set of brackets. Each has four of the top eight teams. And the geography works out pretty good as well, with the longest trip from Middletown South to brick Memorial, while the furthest trip in the South might just be across the state from the Philly area to the Jersey Shore.

UPDATE: With Gridiron New Jersey’s update of out-of-state opponent Strength Index values Tuesday night, there was one change, as Middletown North and Shawnee flip-flopped. Pope John Paul II (PA) saw it’s SI go up, and since Shawnee played them, they jumped up to nine and Middletown North fell to 10. But it also underscores the change in seeding procedure this year. Since they are in separate sections geographically, and were the only two teams affected, they remain the fifth seed in their respective sections.

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough rallies from early 14-0 deficit to blow past Westfield, 42-21, behind Khurana’s arm, Schwarz’s legs (and defense)

To borrow a phrase from the late, great, legendary WABC disc jockey Dan Ingram, the Hillsborough high school football team’s Saturday got off like a “thundering herd of turtles.”

Translation:  It wasn’t going so well, giving up a long touchdown to Westfield in the opening play from scrimmage, and they were down 14-0 before the fans’ were settled in their seats.

Then, a funny thing happened.

The defense settled in, the offense found its groove, and when the teams went into the locker room at halftime, the Raiders had a 21-14 advantage.

In the end they got 134 rushing yards and four touchdowns from senior runningback Andrew Schwarz – who had just 15 and one score in the first half – and 257 yards passing from senior QB Devon Khurana.

Westfield scored just 20 seconds in on a 71-yard TD run by Luke Spaide.  Halfway through the period, QB Jordan Walsh’s ten-yard run had Boro down two scores.

Then, the Raiders woke up.  They forced turnovers on downs on defense, and they hit big plays on offense.

Devon Khurana hit his twin brother Shane for a 71-yard TD on the only play of the drive at 10:25 of the second period. 

Another quick drive in the next possession only needed three plays, capped by a nine-yard run by Schwarz at 7:49.

Then, a four-play, 75-yard drive nearly ended the half, with Shane Khurana grabbing a seven-yard TD catch with :28 left to make it 21-14 with the PAT at the half.

In the second half, it was more of the same. Schwarz added touchdown runs of four, 34 and 50 yards, and though Westfield got a late score, Schwarz’ final TD iced it with 6:02 to go, a scamper from midfield on the second play of the possession.

The win leaves the Raiders – who were in desperate need of a win – 2-4 heading into a huge rivalry game at home against Bridgewater-Raritan (5-1) next Friday night. Westfield (2-4) will visit North Brunswick (0-6) next Friday.

Click below for postgame reaction from Hillsborough seniors Devon Khurana and Andrew Schwarz, as well as head coach Kevin Carty, Jr., presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 1 Phillipsburg rolls in opener, blanking Westfield on the road, 28-0 behind 3 Dech TDs

Sitting out Week Zero, since they have their annual Thanksgiving Day game with Easton, Phillipsburg – like everyone else who waits to play – got an extra week of practice.

Whether it helped, or this is just what the Stateliners are, could be debated. But the result can’t be: a 28-0 win for No. 1 Phillipsburg in its opener over Westfield at Gary Kehler Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Senior runningback Sam Dech – who was the leading rusher on last year’s North 2, Group 4 title team with 790 yards and nine scores – reached one-third of that total Saturday afternoon, scoring three times.

The first came with 33 seconds to go in the first half capping a long drive to give P’burg a 7-0 lead. He got another from 54 yards out with 2:32 to play in the third, and his last one with 11:05 to play, a 95-yard run up the middle to the opposite end zone.

Tyler Wargo finished off the scoring with a three-yard touchdown run.

Dech finished 219 yards on 18 carries in the victory, which puts Phillipsburg at 1-0 heading into the second of back-to-back road games, next Friday at Hunterdon Central.

Westfield will travel to Williams field in Elizabeth next Friday for a battle of 1-1 teams.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from Phillipsburg senior runningback Sam Dech with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Sam Dech:

by Mike Pavlichko

Gameday with Marcus Borden: Week 0

The 2025 high school football season begins today, and it’s time to talk about it with Marcus Borden!

The majority of Big Central Conference teams open up this weekend, and we talk about our Bellamy & Son Paving Big Central Game of the Week, featuring Spotswood at Middlesex in the Chargers’ first game with their brand-new lights.

Also on the show, Coach Borden talks about the games he’ll be covering this weekend down at the Battles at the Beach, with Hillsborough taking on Washington Township on Friday, then Old Bridge battling Cedar Creek on Saturday, both at Rowan University in Glassboro. We also take a quick look back at the 2025 Big Central Camp Caravan, talk about the big numbers out for Dunellen football, and some other key Week Zero games around the league!

Click below to listen to the Week Zero edition of “Gameday with Marcus Borden”:

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: