Tag: Woodbridge

by Mike Pavlichko

Defending GMC, SCT champs St. Joseph-Metuchen, Immaculata open season at No. 1, No. 2 in Bellamy & Son Paving preseason Top Ten

It’s never easy to predict how any high school team – in any sport – will do from year-to-year, what with graduation losses and unproven talent. The year before can be a guide, but who knows who a new group will respond, or if a new coach will reignite a program that struggled the year prior.

That said, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish, and last year’s teams will mainly get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the preseason Bellamy & Son Paving High School Basketball rankings.

Defending GMC Jim Muldowney Tournament Champion St. Joseph-Metuchen will begin the year at No. 1. Though the Falcons (16-7) lose a ton of pitching – more than 134 out of 161 innings pitched by Joseph Barca, Richard Zangara and Domenic Erbafina – the bats may be able to carry them until second-year veteran skipper Dennis McCaffery sees what his young pitching staff has. The Falcons won the GMCT last year as a five seed, taking all four games in their final at bat, and they never led for a single at bat in the entire run.

Last year’s Somerset County Tournament champion holds in second place, Immaculata. At 17-8, they were also Skyland Conference Delaware Division co-champions with Ridge, and they’ll bring back a good amount of pitching. While they lose Rob Sikorski to graduation, their top two pitchers in terms of innings thrown – Jackson Trego and Ryan Auten, both seniors – return.

Ridge checks in at No. 3. Going 20-7 a year ago, the Red Devils lose ace Aidan Stieglitz but have a good chunk of returnees that should keep the Red Devils right in the thick of things, a year after sharing the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title with Immaculata, and reaching both the Somerset County Tournament and NJSIAA North 2, Group 4 finals.

The only Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team to win a state title last year, Middlesex begins the year at No. 4. The Blue Jays (23-5) were a GMC Tournament final four squad, and beat Midland Park to win the NJSIAA Group 1 title, their first since 2021. They bring back all but ten of their 193 innings pitched last year, led by senior Chris Kozak and junior Dominic Long.

Checking in at No. 5 is Edison, which is overflowing with quality pitching. The GMC Tournament runner-up Eagles (17-11) have four Division 1 commits. Pitchers Robert Roma and Dom Innocenti are set with Wagner, while Connor Muprhy is going to Monmouth.

No. 6 is Colonia, which went 23-5 a season ago, falling to South Plainfield in the North 2, Group 3 sectional title game. While Seton Hall-bound Colin Kroner returns to the mound, starter Cory Pascarella is gone to graduation and now playing at Monmouth, as is Matt Fasulo (.289, 19 RBI) at Rutgers-Newark.

At No. 7 is South Plainfield, which took some big graduation losses, including the middle of the infield (Dan Kapsch at short, Nick Irizarry at second). And of four pitchers for the North 2 Group 3 champion Tigers (18-11) who threw at least 15 innings last year and pitchers Kevin Penny, Aiden McCarthy and Mike Castagna are gone, more than three quarters’ of last season’s innings pitched.

Checking in at eight is Hillsborough. The defending Central Jrsey Group 4 champs were 14-11 last season, but lose a ton, including pitchers James Drinkwater, Brayden Fox (also an outfielder) and Krish Patel, as well as hitters like Andrew Advani and catcher Alex Reiling, among others.

In ninth is Old Bridge. The Knights were 18-11 last year as well, and made the Central Jersey Group 4 finals, falling to Hillsborough. They lose two aces in Justin Hascup and John Smith, with Brady Meyer the most experienced pitcher coming back. The lineup may have fewer question marks, but head coach Matt Donaghue always has a deep roster, it’s just a matter of experience.

And checking in at ten, it’s Woodbridge. the Barrons were 18-8 last year and GMC Red Division champs. They’ll take a hit losing pitcher Ryan Leach to graduation, but Kevin Arroyo returns after throwing 63 1/2 innings a year ago, with a 1.11 ERA and 62 strikeouts.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving 2026 Baseball Preseason Top Ten:

by Mike Pavlichko

Central Jersey Sports Radio unveils 2026 High School Baseball Broadcast Schedule featuring a dozen regular season games, plus County, State tourneys

With a dozen regular season games, plus coverage of the GMC and Somerset County Tournaments – as well as state tournament coverage to be announced at a later date – Central Jersey Sports Radio has announced its 2026 high school baseball broadcast schedule.

It all gets started next week, with our opener on Tuesday, March 31 at 4 pm between defending 2025 SCT champion Immaculata and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 winner Hillsborough. Then, after the calendar turns to April mid-week, we get state Group 1 champion Middlesex visiting Spotswood, on Thursday, April 2.

Coverage also includes two regular season games at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater – Montgomery vs Pingry on April 11, and Rutgers Prep against South Plainfield two Saturdays later – as well as the semifinals and finals of the Somerset County Tournament on April 18th and 20th, respectively.

The schedule includes three of last year’s SCT semifinalists, and all four of 2025’s GMC Tournament semifinalists, including a rematch of the title game between Edison and St. Joseph-Metuchen, and a rematch on the Invitational final between New Brunswick and East Brunswick Magnet.

Last year’s North 2, Group 3 winner South Plainfield also is on the schedule, as well as finalist Colonia.

Click here to see the full 2026 broadcast schedule.

by Mike Pavlichko

Another week of upheaval in Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ top ten, while Rutgers Prep on 12-game win streak stays No. 1

In the final Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten before the end of the year, Gill St. Bernard’s has edged up to No. 2, while Colonia and Bound Brook also rose.

Still at No. 1 is Rutgers Prep (18-2). Winners of 12 straight the Argonauts went 2-0 in the week gone by, picking up a Thursday win at then-No. 6 Hillsborough, 72-30, then taking their opening game in the Somerset County Tournament, beating Watchung Hills 73-30 at home Saturday in the quarterfinals. Prep, the top-seed, will take on fourth-seed Bound Brook this Saturday at noon at Franklin High School in the semifinals, a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Moving up a spot to second is Gill St. Bernard’s (17-4), by virtue of their head-to-head win over previously No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 67-62, back on Tuesday, a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They followed it up with a 66-40 won over Watchung Hills on Thursday, then a 67-46 win over Bernards Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. Second-seeded Gill will play third-seed Franklin in this weekend’s semifinals at 2 pm on the Warriors’ home court.

The loss to the Knights sent St. Thomas Aquinas (17-5) down one spot to third, coming off a rare 0-2 week. Their second loss cam Saturday at home to George (PA) 75-69.

Moving up one spot to four is Franklin (13-7). The Warriors lost Wednesday at Morris Catholic 63-51, but bounced back with a 70-50 win over Bridgewater-Raritan on Thursday, and a 54-33 victory over Pingry in the SCT quarterfinals. The third-seeded Warriors will play at home Saturday in the semifinals against second-seed Gill St. Bernard’s.

Bernards (17-3) dropped a spot to fifth after a 1-2 week. The Mountaineers started the week with a 55-11 win over North Plainfield, but followed it up with a 50-37 loss at Voorhees on Thursday night. Bernards was knocked out of the Somerset County Tournament by Gill St. Bernard’s on Saturday, falling 67-46.

East Brunswick (18-4) had a 3-0 week, and moves up a spot to six after winning five straight since a road loss at Hillsborough. The Bears won 78-47 Monday at Woodbridge, picked up a 73-59 win over Spotswood Tuesday, then were 37-22 winners at Middlesex on Thursday.

Checking in at No. 7 is Colonia (16-2), also up one spot, following a 1-1 week. They beat Monroe Tuesday, 48-45, but lost Wednesday at Piscataway, 60-54.

Bound Brook is also up one spot, to No. 8, after a big SCT win on Saturday. First, though, they beat Old Bridge, 57-24, on Tuesday, then routed North Plainfield 67-29 on Thursday before winning at Hillsborough, 54-47, in the county quarterfinals. The Fourth-seeded Crusaders will play top-seed Rutgers Prep at noon this Saturday in the semifinals at Franklin High School, in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Hillsborough (15-5) falls down to ten after two losses this week, and three straight overall. Granted, all three have been against top ten teams, with the most recent a 72-30 loss to No. 1 Rutgers Prep Thursday, and Saturday’s loss in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, 54-47 to Bound Brook.

And holding in tenth is Woodbridge (15-6). The Barrons lost Monday to East Brunswick, 78-47, then came back and beat Sayreville on Wednesday, 62-57, and won Friday at Carteret, 66-55.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 9:

by Mike Pavlichko

Finally, some movement in Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, as Franklin joins the mix, Bernards and East Brunswick rise

It couldn’t go on like this forever.

For three weeks, the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten essentially remained the same, but that’s not the case this week. A number of top ten teams played each other, necessitating a shuffle, with a win by Franklin propelling them into the Top Ten and forcing a reset of sorts.

The Warriors had beaten Hillsborough earlier in the season, but at the time, were just 5-4, albeit with two of those losses coming to Rutgers Prep and Gill St. Bernard’s, with the others coming to very good schools out of conference. But now, they have won nine of their last eleven, and we consider them worthy of the rankings.

Still, the top three remained the same, including Rutgers Prep (16-2) at No. 1. The Argonauts only had one game on a school day this past week, beating Gill St. Bernard’s 51-44 at home in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio to clinch the Skyland Conference Delaware Division title. They finished off a 2-0 week with a win Sunday over Trinity Hall, 63-53, in the Coaches Choice Shore Challenge at Holmdel, the Argonauts’ tenth straight win.

That same showcase was the site of St. Thomas Aquinas’ (17-3) only game this week, and they beat Rumson-Fair Haven 49-37 Sunday, for their eleventh straight win. They’ll be back at it Tuesday at 5:30 at No. 3 Gill St. Bernard’s (14-4), in a game you can hear live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, our final regular season broadcast of the season. The Knights played twice in the past week, beating Bridgewater-Raritan 76-45 Tuesday before the loss to Prep.

From thee to eight is where things shift around. Bernards (16-1) moves up three places to four, after beating then 57-55 back on Thursday. That was sandwiched between a Tuesday home win over Delaware Valley, 58-35, and a Saturday home win over Bridgewater-Raritan, 64-38, in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament. The 7th-seeded Mountaineers visit two-seed Gill St. Bernards in the quarterfinals Saturday.

Franklin (10-6) makes its debut at No. 5. The Warriors didn’t play this week, but beat Hillsborough earlier this year. Just 5-4 at the time, they’ve won nine of eleven and are 8-2 in the New Year, and make the rankings after Somerville dropped out.

Hillsborough (15-3) falls two spots to No. 6 after the loss to Bernards Thursday, 57-55, which followed a Tuesday home win over Ridge, 60-37.

East Brunswick (15-4) actually falls to seven, mainly due to Franklin’s debut and Bernards rising, but the Bears were 2-0 this past week. And their first win was huge, knocking off previously-undefeated Colonia 59-48 on Thursday. They also cruised past Edison 53-35 on Saturday.

Colonia (15-1) drops to No. 8 off a 1-1 week. After the East Brunswick loss, the Patriots rebounded with a 63-35 win over South Brunswick on Saturday afternoon.

Bound Brook (17-1) stays put at No. 9 on the strength of a 2-0- week. They beat South Hunterdon 71-19 on Tuesday, then beat Montgomery 55-20 in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament. The fifth-seeded Crusaders will visit four-seed Hillsborough Saturday in the quarterfinals.

And Woodbridge (13-5) also stays put, holding in tenth, on busy week. The Barrons went 3-1, with wins Tuesday at Highland Park, 66-53, and Wednesday at Metuchen, 58-43, before taking a loss at Piscataway, 51-43, on Friday. But they came back home Saturday and beat Perth Amboy, 64-41.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 8:

by Mike Pavlichko

Another solid week (25-2) for Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten again leaves no changes in Week 7 rankings

Maybe we’re just that good at picking them?

For the second week in a row, there was no change in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, with the combined records of last week’s ranked squads 25-2. The only losses were by No. 6 East Brunswick to No. 4 Hillsborough, and No. 10 Woodbridge to unranked Montgomery.

That means eight of the Top Ten teams went unbeaten in the week gone by.

That means it’s now seven straight weeks at No. 1 for Rutgers Prep (14-2). The Argonauts have won eight straight and were 3-0 in the week gone by. They were 70-17 winners over Ridge Tuesday, 66-27 victors over Bridgewater-Raritan Thursday, then beat Executive Education Charter (PA) at the More Than A Highlight Showcase at Franklin on Saturday, 65-35.

Holding at No. 2 is St. Thomas Aquinas (16-3), which hasn’t lost yet in 2026 and is one a ten-game win streak. The Trojans beat Saddle River Day Monday, 61-51, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, then picked up a Saturday win at Columbia, 83-45.

Gill St. Bernard’s (13-3) remains in third, on an eleven-game win streak, and also unbeaten in its nine games in the New Year. Tuesday, they picked up a 56-11 win over Montgomery, then won 75-30 at Ridge on Thursday, before beating Virginia Academy (VA) Saturday at Franklin in the More Than Just A Highlight Showcase.

Hillsborough (14-2) holds in fourth, winners of eight straight. They routed Phillipsburg at home Tuesday, 66-23, then won a Top Ten clash with No. 6 East Brunswick Thursday, 70-52, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Saturday, they crushed Union, 72-33 at home.

Holding at No. 5 is Colonia (14-0), the lone remaining team in the CJSR coverage area to be undefeated (and one of six remaining statewide on the girls’ side). The Patriots beat Passaic Tech Monday, 48-44, at the Jarel Lowery Showcase at Paterson Eastside, then came back Saturday with a 71-59 win over North Plainfield.

East Brunswick (13-4) remains at six, even after the 70-52 loss at No. 4 Hillsborough on Thursday. That defeat was bookended by a 57-16 win at South Plainfield Tuesday, and a bounce-back win at Old Bridge on Saturday, 59-41.

Bernards (13-1) remains in seventh, after a 3-0 week. The Mountaineers beat North Hunterdon at home Tuesday, 44-36, then won at Warren Hills Thursday, 55-29, and closed the week with a 29-26 home win over Mountain Lakes.

Holding at eight is Somerville (12-4). The Pioneers were 2-0 in the week gone by, beating in-town rival Immaculata at home Thursday, 50-40, then edging Princeton Day at home Saturday, 44-36.

Bound Brook holds tight at No. 9, sweeping three games last week. They won at Belvidere, 46-23, on Tuesday, then got a home win Thursday over College Achieve Central, 65-42, before picking up a 55-36 road win at Hunterdon Central on Saturday.

And standing pat at ten is Woodbridge (10-4), which opened the week Wednesday with a three-point loss at Montgomery, 55-52. But they bounced back with a 63-34 win at South Brunswick on Thursday, and a 68-32 home win over in-town rival JFK Saturday.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 5:

by Mike Pavlichko

Stability is the name of the game in Bellamy & Son Paving Week 6 Girls’ Basketball Top Ten

The boys have been all over the place.

The girls? Not so much.

It’s another week of few changes in the Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten, starting at the top. Just two teams moved this week, as most teams just keep on winning. In fact, the top five teams are on a combined 38-game win streak.

That starts with Rutgers Prep (11-4) at No. 1, on a five-game winning streak. The Argonauts won a Skyland Conference game Monday, beating Phillipsburg at home, 62-13. Then, they won two at the Rose Super Jam at Nazareth High School in Brooklyn, beating a pair of teams from Massachusetts. On Friday, they were 65-50 winners over Dexter, then beat Newman 59-47 on Sunday.

St. Thomas Aquinas (14-3) remains No. 2, winners of eight straight. The Trojans beat North Plainfield 104-49 on Tuesday, then Monroe 80-31 on Thursday – both at home – before picking up a 76-54 road win at No. 5 East Brunswick on Saturday.

Still in third is Gill St. Bernard’s (10-3). The Knights pummeled Mount St. Mary on Tuesday, 52-10, then were 58-33 home winners over Phillipsburg on Thursday, their eighth straight victory.

Hillsborough (11-2) is holding steady at No. 4, having won five straight. Tuesday, they beat Hunterdon Central at home, 58-42. Then they won at Mount St. Mary, 49-30, on Thursday, and Saturday at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 45-38.

Colonia (12-0) moved up to No. 5 this week, winning all three of its games: Tuesday, 46-37 at Middlesex – as heard live on Central Jersey Sports Radio – Thursday at home against South Plainfield, 60-28, and Saturday at Spotswood, 67-44.

Switching places with the Patriots is East Brunswick (11-3) – now at No. 6 – after a 2-1 week. The Bears beat South Brunswick, 63-27, on Tuesday, then won 56-54 at Piscataway on Thursday. But they had a four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday at home by No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas, 76-54.

Holding in seventh is Bernards (10-1), which took its first loss of the season on Saturday at home to Roselle Park, 67-52. Earlier in the week, they won 48-46 at No. 8 Somerville, then beat Immaculata at home on Thursday, 62-41.

Somerville (10-4) is still at No. 8, despite an 0-2 week. They lost Tuesday to Bernards, 48-46, then went on the road Thursday and took a 43-38 loss at Voorhees.

Bound Brook (12-2) is on an eight-game win streak after going 2-0 this past week. Tuesday, they beat South Plainfield, 62-33. Then on Friday, they beat Manville at home, 56-33.

And No. 10 Woodbridge (8-3) also held its place, losing the one game they played this week, Saturday at Elizabeth, 57-56, their second straight loss.

Below is the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week Six:

by Mike Pavlichko

Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten goes 29-3, leaving little change in Week 5 rankings

What happens when the top ten barely loses a game? Not much apparently.

There were only three losses in 32 games played this past week by the Bellamy & Son Paving girls’ basketball top ten, meaning very little change in the rankings.

It’s now five straight weeks at No. 1 for Rutgers Prep (8-2), which had two wins in a light week, 66-22 over Hunterdon Central on Monday, and 57-24 at Mount St. Mary on Thursday.

That’s followed by St. Thomas Aquinas (11-3) holding it down at No. 2, going 4-0 in the past week. They beat No. 5 East Brunswick 75-42 on Tuesday, then South Brunswick 68-23 on Thursday, and won 92-56 at Piscataway on Friday. Saturday, they beat St. Rose, 52-38, in the Coaches Choice St. Thomas Aquinas Challenge in North Edison.

Holding in third is Gill St. Bernard’s (8-3), which went 3-0 in the past week, beating Pingry 55-50 Tuesday, winning 65-33 at Hunterdon Central Thursday, then 70-39 at Thrive Charter on Saturday.

Hillsborough (8-2) held in fourth. The Raiders lost to Franklin, 72-44, on Tuesday, but came back to win two straight road games, 42-33 at Pingry on Thursday, and 55-17 at neighboring Montgomery on Friday.

East Brunswick (9-2) holds at No. 5. They also dropped their first game of the week – falling 75-42 to St. Thomas Aquinas Tuesday – but rebounded with a 44-40 win at Monroe Thursday, and a 59-46 victory against North Plainfield on Saturday.

Up a spot to seventh is Colonia (9-0), which swept three games in the week gone by. They narrowly beat Spotswood – their closest win of the year – 59-57 on the road Tuesday, then came back with a 51-35 win at Edison Thursday, and a 62-38 win over Old Bridge on Saturday.

Bernards (8-0) continues to win as well, but flip-flopped with Colonia to seven. They were 2-0 last week, beating Voorhees 40-39 Thursday, then picking up a 53-32 win over Hanover Park on Saturday.

Somerville (10-2) holds at No. 8 after a monster 5-0 week. Monday, they beat Science Park out of Newark on the road, 53-18, then won two more road games: 57-28 at Warren Hills Tuesday, and 52-44 at Delaware Valley Thursday. Then, they won twice over the weekend, 50-27 Saturday against Hopewell Valley, then 66-14 over South Plainfield in the Coaches Choice St. Thomas Aquinas Challenge in North Edison on Sunday.

Bound Brook (10-1) remains at No. 9 after a 4-0 week. They won 632-26 at College Achieve Central Tuesday, then beat South Hunterdon 60-18 at home Thursday, and Lawrence on Saturday, 61-36.

Woodbridge (8-2) remains in tenth. After a 73-55 win over North Brunswick on Tuesday, and a 64-27 victory at JP Stevens Thursday, the Barrons lost 61-44 to Monroe on Saturday to complete a 2-1 week.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 5:

by Mike Pavlichko

Little change in Week 4 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Top Ten, as first six all hold court

Despite the top two teams in the Week 3 Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten going 1-2 last week, Rutgers Prep and St. Thomas Aquinas held their ground in Week Four, with the top six remaining unchanged, but one new team joining the rankings.

For a fourth straight week, it’s Rutgers Prep (6-2) at No. 1. The Lady Argonauts lost to Red Bank Catholic Monday in the Kevin Williams Christmas Classic Showcase at Toms River North’s RWJBarnabas Health Arena, 59-42, then bounced back Friday with a win over South Bronx Preparatory (NY) 62-41 in the Garden State New Year’s Ball at Weequahic. But they also lost Sunday down at Jefferson University in Philadelphia to Cardinal O’Hara, 52-42.

Holding in second is St. Thomas Aquinas (7-3), which also went 1-2 in the week gone by. They dropped their first two: Monday to St. Mary-Manhassett (NY), 63-50, and to unbeaten Westfield, 52-48, on Tuesday in the Coaches Choice Holiday Classic at FDU-Madison. But the Trojans rebounded Saturday with a division win at Monroe, 70-23.

Still in third is Gill St. Bernard’s (5-3), which went 3-0 in the past week. At the Holiday Hoopfest at Paterson Kennedy, they closed out with two wins: Sunday over Roselle Catholic, 50-20, and Tuesday over Immaculate Heart, 53-46. They wrapped the week with a 49-42 win Saturday over Hudson Catholic in the Garden State New Year’s Ball at Weequahic.

Hillsborough (6-1) only played one game last week, and won it, Saturday at Linden, a 72-37 victory. The Raiders held in fourth.

At No. 5 again this week is East Brunswick (7-1). The Lady Bears won their final game at the Holmdel Holiday Showcase over their hosts, 58-40, on Tuesday, then beat Piscataway 71-43 Saturday before falling to St. Joseph by the Sea (NY) in the Coaches Choice New York/New Jersey Staten Island Challenge at Moore Catholic.

Holding at six is Bernards (6-0), the highest-ranked undefeated team in the Top Ten. The Mountaineers won three games this past week, winning the Artie Flaherty Holiday Tournament at Metuchen with a 49-34 win over Brearley Monday, and a 39-28 victory over the host Bulldogs on Tuesday. They also beat Verona at home Saturday, 42-31.

Up a spot to seven is Colonia (6-0), which is having a great bounceback year after going 7-20 a year ago. The Patriots swept two games to win the Charlie Dolan Holiday Tournament at Kearny. They beat Montclair 52-46 Monday, then the host Cardinals 69-46 on Tuesday.

Down a spot to eight – flipping with Colonia – is Somerville (5-2). the Pioneers lost Tuesday in the Holmdel Holiday Showcase to Colts Neck, 52-40, on Tuesday, but bounced back Saturday with a resounding 70-37 win at Koinonia.

Staying at nine is Bound Brook (6-1). After taking their first loss of the season Monday to Union Catholic, 62-53, in their own Crusader Classic championship game, they came back with a Saturday win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 60-50, then beat Staten Island Academy (NY) in the Coaches Choice New York/New Jersey Staten Island Challenge at Moore Catholic.

Spotswood drops out from its position at No. 10 after a 1-3 week left them 3-4 overall. They beat North Plainfield Monday at Edison in the Gene Haley/Jim Muldowney Memorial Holiday Classic, but then lost three straight. The first was to Woodbridge on Tuesday in their final game in the showcase, 70-67. Then the Chargers lost at Middlesex, 51-41 on Saturday, and 60-43 Sunday to Tottenville (NY) in the Coaches Choice New York/New Jersey Staten Island Challenge at Moore Catholic.

That puts Woodbridge (6-1) in the top ten on the strength of a three-win week. They beat Edison Monday, 70-54, in the Gene Haley/Jim Muldowney Memorial Holiday Classic at Edison, then topped Spotswood, and wrapped it up with a 70-42 blowout of South Plainfield on Saturday.

Here’s the complete Bellamy & Son Paving Girls’ Basketball Top Ten for Week 3:

Graphic showing the Week 4 rankings for the 2025-26 Girls' Basketball season presented by Bellamy & Son Paving, featuring team names, records, and previous rankings.

by Mike Pavlichko

It may be early, but there are some big boys’ games in the GMC this weekend

New divisional alignments and no guaranteed seeds in the GMC Tournament may give this year’s event a different look and feel, and while we’ve barely gotten the first week of play in the books in high school basketball for 2025-26, there are some games with big implications this weekend on the boys’ side.

Starting this season, the GMC abandoned the traditional Red, White, Blue, Gold and sometimes Silver Divisions for a National and American Division in the Red White and Blue – still with six divisions – plus mandatory crossovers to help scheduling.

The league also got rid of its longstanding seeding rule that division winners had to get one of the top seeds. When there were four divisions, each winner had to be among the top eight seeds. When the GMC added a Silver Division, it expanded that number, but now, that’s all gone. A Blue American Division winner could end up as the 20th seed if the committee – made of up ADs from each division and two coaches, chosen by the coaches themselves – sees fit.

That aim is to have more games against common league opponents that will make it easier for the committee to weigh each team’s resume. League games and crossovers now take on more importance than ever.

Here are some key games to watch Saturday on the boys’ side in the Greater Middlesex Conference:

No. 7 Sayreville (2-1) at Woodbridge (0-1), 12 pm

The Barrons took a tough 10-point loss to South Plainfield in their opener back on Tuesday, and now face a ticked-off seventh-ranked Bombers squad, which just dropped a five-point game at unranked East Brunswick Thursday night. (More on them later.) Senior Sam Jones has led the way, averaging 23.3 points per game with seven treys, and even his 18 – another 18 from Chidi Chukwurah – were not enough to overcome the Bears in a game that was neck-and-neck throughout.

Sayreville has a lot back coming off a 23-5 season, where they won the GMC White Division (11-1) over South Plainfield and were a GMC Tournament semifinalist as a three-seed, where they lost 73-62 to second-seed Piscataway.

Woodbridge would like to get in the win column, and a win over Sayreville could be a signature win in their pocket later on down the line, what the committee calls a “quality win,” against a team already “on the board,” or already “seeded.”

No. 5 Colonia (2-1) at No. 6 St. Joseph-Metuchen (1-0), 1 pm

The Patriots have won two straight GMC games after a season-opening 62-35 loss to St. Peter’s Prep in the NJBCA Tip-Off Classic at Montgomery last Saturday. They beat St. Thomas Aquinas on the road by ten Tuesday, 59-49, then topped Old Bridge 71-60 on Thursday night.

The Knights gave the Patriots a run for their money, jumping out to a 15-7 lead after one quarter, but Colonia stormed back with a 25-14 second period to take a 32-29 lead at the half. And, they trailed again 50-44 after three before rallying to win in the fourth. Sophomore Jayce Rodriguez – who’ll be called upon to do a lot more with the transfer loss of two-time GMCT MVP Aiden Derkack and early departure of R.J. Wortman to play football at Rutgers (he’s a January early enrolee) – scored a career high 32 points, including four treys.

Rodriguez, the son of head coach Jose Rodriguez, hadn’t scored more than 20 coming into this year, but had 26 in his last game, and is now averaging 25 points per game with 10 triples.

The jury is still out on the Falcons. While new (old) coach Mark Taylor has assembled an impressive group that expects to challenge for the Red American Division and a GMC Tournament title, they’ve gotten in just one GMC game, an 89-70 win at Old Bridge Tuesday in which the Knights led 19-18 after one quarter and trailed by just five heading into the final eight minutes.

Rutgers Prep junior Andrew Kretkowski scored 28 in the game, while Alijah Murphy added 21. For the Falcons, it’s probably not a matter of if, but when they officially turn the corner. One win does not a season make, but they certainly have the talent on paper. This is their first early test, and it comes against a Colonia team that took significant losses, but could also still compete for a title.

Old Bridge (1-2) at No. 4 Piscataway (3-0), 1 pm

Back to the Knights, they have dropped two straight since a 67-41 season-opening win over Eagle Academy. But, as mentioned above, they gave St. Joe’s a ride on Tuesday, and did the same against Colonia Thursday night. They jumped out to a 15-7 lead, then were down 32-29 at half. before taking a six-point lead into the fourth quarter that they couldn’t hold on to.

So, yes, Old Bridge has given two of the top teams in the GMC a ride in the first week of the season, and they’ll be hoping the third time’s the charm as they get 2025 GMC Tournament finalist Piscataway in the second of back-to-back Red American Division road games.

As for the Chiefs, they’re playing very well. They’re playing good defense and scoring an average of 86.7 points per game through their first three. Balanced scoring has been the name of the game, between Isaiah Fowler (53 points), Donald Nwaigwe (45) and Josh Lima (43). But the Knights have given teams runs, and the last thing you want to do is let an upset-minded team have some confidence. This one’s a mind game, and the Chiefs would do well to come out strong in this one, even on their (brand-new) home court.

South Plainfield (2-0) at East Brunswick (3-0), 6 pm

An early battle of unbeatens always proves to be fun, and this should live up to it. While the Bears have played an extra game, both have played a pair against the GMC; East Brunswick has wins over Monroe by 28 and Sayreville by five, while the Tigers have an 11-point win at Woodbridge, and a 38-point win over Monroe.

South Plainfield has been led by Andrew Bena, a sophomore scoring 23.5 points per game, while junior Boresa Jawula is averaging 13.5 and junior Justin Vaca is at 10.5 points per game. For EB, it’s senior Matt Mikulka scoring 20.3 points per game to lead the team, along with eight triples, by far the team leader so far.

East Brunswick is off to its first 3-0 start since they won their first four of the 2015-2016 season, when they went 18-9 and reached the GMC Tournament semifinals. They won four straight to start the prior season as well, but the last time they were 5-0? Well, that was an epic season.

That was 2012-13, when they upset St. Joseph in the debut of a future NBA star – maybe you’ve heard of him – named Karl-Anthony Towns in the season-opener in Metuchen. They won their first 15 games that year – including a sold-out rematch against the Falcons at home – until losing to St. Anthony in a one-off non-conference game in late January.

The Bears would reach the GMC Finals that year, and lose an epic to Joe’s, 66-63, in double overtime at Rutgers before winning the Central Jersey Group 4 title, and losing 51-49 in the state semis to Atlantic City.

by Mike Pavlichko

“Mature beyond his age,” A’Arrow Andrewz of Woodbridge earns CJSR 2025 Leadership Award

Joe Goerge has only been the head coach at Woodbridge for two seasons, but he’s already seen enough to know the kind of young man A’Arrow Andrewz is.

He’s an “exceptional leader” and “mature beyond his age,” Goerge says.

And that’s why he’s the winner of Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Leadership Award for 2025.

It all begins with commitment to the Barron program. Andrewz made 68 of 70 workout sessions, but they’re not in the afternoon after school; they’re at 6 am. And in 2025, he didn’t miss a single practice, from preseason camp right on through to the end of the season.

And for the youngsters, he’s there, too. “There have been numerous times where I see him pull a ninth or tenth grader to the side to support and encourage him when he sees they are struggling on or off the field,” Goerge says.

Goerge also is a man of faith, and he’s additionally impressed by the fact that Andrewz is the team’s student leader at Fellowship of Christian Athletes meetings, taking the lead at functions like their youth clinic, visits to elementary and middle schools, and the Operation: Christmas child toy collection.

He says Andrewz is among the best, and we agree.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel talk to Woodbridge senior A’Arrow Andrewz:

Honorable Mentions:

  • Jeffren Paulino, New Brunswick: The senior defensive tackle had just 14 tackles this season, along with ten TFLs, 2 1/2 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. That’s because he got hurt early on in the season, but rehabbed and pushed to get back in time for the season finale, a 36-0 home win over West Windsor-Plainsboro to snap the team’s 32-game winning streak. Says first-year head coach Geoff Chrisman: “He’s the reason our program still exists.”
  • Dylan Chiera, Colonia: A two-year A two-year captain, Chiera threw for 2,436 yards – the most among Big Central quarterbacks – and 23 touchdowns. He’s a two-year captain, and like Andrewz, leads Colonia’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Association
  • Mike Petses, New Providence: This recognition is more for his on-the-field efforts, but also off it, just closer to it than anything else. Head coach Chet Parlavecchio, Jr., says he really helped hold things together when A.J. Whitehead and others went down to injury, carrying the team to a win, and being a steadying force for the Pioneers, who reached a state sectional final for the second straight year.