Tag: Williamstown

by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY:  Central Jersey Group 5 Semifinals: (1) Old Bridge 35, (4) Williamstown 0

Senior runningback Chase Rizzo scored on a touchdown run and a touchdown catch while junior quarterback Aiden Rios threw three touchdown passes – to Rizzo, Romeo Roman and Jordan Mercado – while running for another to power top-seed Old Bridge past fourth-seed Williamstown, 35-0, in the Central Jersey Group 5 semifinals.

The win means the Knights will face second-seed and unbeaten Rancocas Valley at home next Friday night at 6:00 for the Central Jersey Group 5 title. It’s Old Bridge’s second straight trip to a sectional title game.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Nick Hart call all the play-by-play live from Lombardi Field in Old Bridge, NJ, on November 6, 2026:

1st Half
2nd Half
by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge dominates mistake-prone Williamstown, 35-0, to earn second straight sectional final trip, behind 3 TD passes from Rios, 2 TDs from Rizzo

Top-seed Old Bridge took advantage of turnover-prone fourth-seed Williamstown, and the Knights wound up with a dominating 35-0 Friday night – heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – that sends them to the Central Jersey Group 5 title game for the second year in a row.

Senior runinngback Chase Rizzo carried 31 times for 171 yards, including a six-yard touchdown run, while also catching a ten-yard touchdown pass from senior QB Aiden Rios to open the scoring.

Rios also scrambled for a 37-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, while throwing three TD passes, one to Romeo Roman that deflected off his intended receiver, and another to Jordan Mercado with under four minutes to go to kick off a running clock.

Williamstown (7-4) committed five turnovers in the game – three fumbles and two interceptions – and two of those fumbles came on the first play of a drive, making it difficult to get any rhythm going offensively.

Old Bridge improves to 10-1 on the season, its second straight season of ten or more wins, equaling last year’s school record for victories, making this year and last their only seasons in school history – since the Madison Central/Cedar Ridge merger – with double-digit wins.

Old Bridge will host second-seed Rancocas Valley, which defeated third-seed Sayreville 42-0 down in Burlington County Friday night. That Central Jersey Group 5 title tilt will be played back at Lombardi Field in Old Bridge next Friday, mot likely at 6 pm.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Nick Hart with Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue, senior RB/LB Chase Rizzo and senior QB Aiden Rios, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!

by Mike Pavlichko

Old Bridge guns for second straight CJ5 finals berth when Knights host Williamstown Friday on Central Jersey Sports Radio

Call the Old Bridge football team the Cardiac Kids.

After a season-opening loss to a very good Shawnee club down at the Battle at the Beach on Ocean City, the Knights have won nine straight. But it hasn’t been easy.

It’s not easy for most teams, but Old Bridge has been on the bring a few times this year.

With a 23-8 lead on St. Thomas Aquinas at halftime on September 18th, a third-quarter field goal helped the Knights withstand a furious Trojan rally for a 26-24 win.

The next week, they trailed Piscataway at home, 26-0 at the half, before scoring 27 unanswered points to stun the Chiefs and win by one.

And last week, in the opening round of the playoffs for the top-seeded Knights, they needed a five-yard touchdown pass from Aiden Rios to Jordan Mercado with 15 seconds to go to survive and advance, 20-15, over the eighth-seed Lenape.

Now, it’s the sectional semifinals, as Old Bridge (9-1) looks to return to the Central Jersey Group 5 title tilt, where they lost last season to Washington Twp. out of deep South Jersey. Their opponent: fourth-seed Williamstown (7-3), and you can hear it live on Central Jersey Sports Radio Friday night at 6 pm, with pregame at 5:40. Mike Pavlichko and Nick hart have the call; click here to listen.

The Braves’ program has struggled the last few seasons, as this year will be its first time finishing over .500 since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. They won titles in 2012, 2018 and 2019, winning the South Jersey Group 5 regional championship in ’19, after falling in dramatic fashion to Sayreville in that very same game in 2018.

The winner will face either the third-seed Bombers (8-2) or second-seed Rancocas Valley (10-0). That game also kicks off at 6 pm, but down in Burlington County.

Williamstown has some tough losses to Pennsauken and defending “Central Jersey” Group 5 champion Washington Twp, as well as Northern Burlington. But, like Old Bridge, they’ve won some close games, and maybe more of them. Of their six regular season wins, four came by a touchdown or less, two – against Kingsway and Eastern – came by just a single point.

Senior QB Kristopher Foster thrown for 1,537 yards and 13 touchdowns, but also ten interceptions, while as a group they have rushed for just only 15 more yards than they’re passing, led by sophomore Sincere Ebanks, with 167 carries for 917 yards and nine scores.

Click below to hear preview interviews with both head coaches:

Old Bridge head coach Matt Donaghue with Mike Pavlichko
Williamstown head coach Brian Leary with Nick Hart
by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough continues to roll right into Central Jersey Group 5 title tilt, thanks to Michinard’s record 7 TDs

To be sure, there is plenty of excitement around Hillsborough High School these days, as the Raiders’ football team is having unprecedented success.

They are 11-0, and will host the Central Jersey Group 5 title game next Friday night, their first title game of any kind in 21 years.

But it’s fair to say little Hillsborough does surprises anyone these days.

That includes the score of their semifinal game against 5th-seed Williamstown Friday night, a 49-14 triumph that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated.

Then again, maybe they have some surprises left.

While Tyler Michinard has been a critical part of the Raiders’ success this year, not even he would have predicted he’d score seven touchdowns in a 49-14 win over the Braves. But that’s exactly what happened, setting a program single game record.

The win sets up a rematch of another regular season drubbing by Hillsborough, against third-seed North Brunswick, which they beat 41-0 just three weeks ago. North Brunswick erased a 14-0 deficit at second-seed Cherokee Friday night and stunned the Chiefs with a 34-21 win.

And here’s another surprise, another first for Hillsborough: next Friday night will be the Raiders’ first time ever hosting a state championship game.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Tim Catalfamo with postgame reaction from Noonan Field Friday night:

Hillsborough runningback Tyler Michinard
Head coach Kevin Carty, Jr.