FOOTBALL RESULTS: Big Central Conference and area roundup for Week 1
SATURDAY'S RESULTS
Spotswood 21, Belvidere 18: Anthony Christian rushed for two touchdowns and Trey Lazar threw a 67-yard halfback pass to Brandon Bandoy as the Chargers improved to 2-0. Christian, a senior running back, rushed for 84 yards on 11 carries and quarterback Evan Baureko added 80 rushing yards on 14 carries. He also threw for 78 yards (7-of-16). Brandon Bandoy led the way with 97 receiving yards on two catches. Anthony Sileo had two receptions for 10 yards, Quin Esser had a catch for 18 Yards and Lazar had three catches for 19 yards. Belvidere fell to 0-1.
Game Story:St. Joseph wins over opener
South River 28, Metuchen 21: Sophomore tailback Darius Armstrong had a breakout game as the Rams won their opener on the road. Armstrong rushed for 190 yards on 24 carries with an 69-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and the wining 11-yard score in the fourth quarter. Junior QB Parker Lane in his debut as the fulltime starter threw for 115 yards (2-for-7) and a pair of touchdown passes to Joseph Lepore for 43 and 55 yards. Metuchen fell to 1-1.
Dover 31, Pingry 7: Freshman quarterback Ryan Moye connected with sophomore Rafferty Harris on a 73-yard touchdown pass as Pingry dropped its opener on the road. Running backs Henry Pyne, Jorge Cabezudo and Christian Fassnacht all battled for yards on the ground. Defensively for the Big Blue, Reilly Cavanaugh, Jason Weaver and Pyne all good games.
FRIDAY'S RESULTS
Rahway 21, Linden 20: Amir Robinson threw two touchdown passes to Kyle Hall and Rahway withstood a late Linden rally for the home win in both teams’ openers. After Linden QB Tequan Thomas scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter, Rahway responded it to tie it 7-7 on Robinson’s 26-yard pass to Hall. In the second quarter, Robinson again connected with Hall for a 7-yard scoring pass. Lidne responded with Thomas’ 53-yard run to tie it 14-14 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Rahway took the 21-14 lead on a 4-yard run by Andrew Avent. In the fourth, Linden’s Alex Donic rushed in an 8-yard TD to make it 21-20. Linden couldn’t convert the extra point on a bad snap and Rahway emerged with the win.
Game Story:Bridgewater-Raritan rallies past Union
Game Story: Phillipsburg football takes advantage of Sayreville miscues to win season-opener
Game Story:North Hunterdon cruises past Cranford to get second win of the season
Game Story: Hillside wins openerHillside finishes strong to defeat Bernards
Montgomery 28, Franklin 14: Michael Schmelzer threw two touchdown passes to Matt D’Avino for five yards each and Brady Post rushed for two touchdowns as Montgomery rallied for the road win in the opener for both teams. Tied 14-14 at halftime, Post scored on a 3-yard run with 5:40 left in the third quarter. Schmelzer then connected again with D’Avino for the 2-point conversion and the 22-14 lead. Post sealed the win with a 10-yard scoring scamper with 55 seconds left in the game. Trey McFadden kicked two extra points in the win. Having interceptions in the win were Joe Rossman, Zach Schick and Nino Spera, while Post had a fumble recovery and a sack. Additionally, Zach Schick knocked down two passes.
For Franklin, Xavier Henderson scored on a 36-yard run and Quasim Ashford had a 17-yard TD run. Fher Lujan had two extra points.
Colonia 34, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 24: Jaeden Jones’s playmaking skills was on display as he rushed for three short touchdowns and threw an 81-yard TD pass to Patrick Miller. Jones, who played running back and receiver the last two seasons, was switched to QB this year. Friday, he scored on TD runs of 4 and 5 yards. Jeffrey White added a 5-yard TD run for the Patriots (2-0). Scotch Plains-Fanwood fell to 1-1.
Woodbridge 34, Summit 27: Antonio Rosato accounted for five touchdowns and AJ Bosch caught three TD passes as Woodbridge (1-1) broke a tie in the third quarter for the win. Rosato rushed for over 100 yards and threw for over 200 yards and connected with Bosch for scores of 55, 5 and 5 yards. With the game tied 21-21 in the third quarter, the senior QB rushed for a 30-yard score to give Woodbridge a 28-21 lead. Summit (0-1) scored with about three minutes left, but couldn’t convert a 2-point conversion as the Barrons held a 28-27 lead. With 30 seconds left, Rosato broke for a 70-yard TD to make it 34-27. Woodbridge stopped Summit for the win.
Delaware Valley 20, Roselle 17: Senior quarterback Jack Bill scored on a five-yard run with just under 3:00 left in regulation and it proved the winner, as Delaware Valley (1-0) escaped with a win in a wild back-and-forth affair at Roselle.
Patrick Garlinghouse eight-yard touchdown run opened the scoring, but Bill missed the PAT. The Rams (0-1) then kicked a field goal, and the game was 6-3 headed into halftime.
The Terriers increased their lead to 13-3 in the third quarter on a 10-yard TD pass from Bill to Enzo Badalamenti, but Roselle closed the gap to 13-10 on an 80-yard kickoff return by Nafee Finney. The Rams then took a lead on Emmanuel Lyles rushing score to go up 17-13. Bill then tallied the winner to give Del Val the opening-day win,
Lyles finished with 90 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries for Roselle, while quarterback Nazir Baker was 12-for-21 for 165 yards through the air.
Watchung Hills 17, Westfield 7: Brayden Kelly collected an interception and two fumble recoveries, and David Labib and Connor Krauth scored touchdowns, and Watchung Hills improved to 2-0 with a hugely impressive win over Westfield at Tozier Stadium.
Westfield (0-1) opened the game with a TD on its first drive, as Dylan Wragg ran one in from three years out and Henry Hipscham added the kick. The Warriors got even in the second on a seven-yard Labib run and a Riley McCann extra point, and took a 14-7 lead in the third on a 15-yard TD catch by Krauth from Dylan Kelly and another McCann PAT. The kicker provided the final margin in the fourth with a 41-yard field goal.
Wragg finished with 65 yards, while Trey Brown rushed for 65 yards for the Blue Devils.
Carteret 13, Perth Amboy 0: Tyrece Parrott bolted for two touchdown runs of 7 and 18 yards as Carteret won the annual rivalry games that goes back to 1927. Perth Amboy now leads the series 49-44-2. In the win, Napoleon Williams had four sacks and kicked the extra point. Eric Thompson and Jahad Thompson each had an interception in the shutout. Carteret improved to 2-0 and Perth Amboy is 0-1.
South Plainfield 33, J.F. Kennedy 13: Pat Smith had a big game as South Plainfield won its opener. The junior scored three touchdowns via a run, catch and a kick return. Additionally, QB Joe Moroney added two rushing touchdowns in the win. J.F. Kennedy fell to 0-2.
Hunterdon Central 17, Piscataway 0: Junior quarterback RJ Hart threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, and the Hunterdon Central defense forced three turnovers, holding Piscataway without a point, as the Red Devils improved to 1-1. Trevor Fisch caught four passes for 87 yards and a score, while Joseph Valentino caught seven passes for 49 yards and a TD in the win. Brian Kolody was 2-for-2 on extra-point tries, adding a 44-yard field goal in the third quarter. Ian Lucas grabbed an interception for Central, while Michael Carbo and Devon Falvo each recovered Chiefs fumbles.
Manheim Central (PA) 44, Immaculata 43 (2 OTs): Quarterback Mason Geis threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns, and Martin Wantong ran for 79 yards and three scores, but Immaculata dropped a wild double-overtime game in Pennsylvania. Cameron Chadwick caught three passes for 107 yards and two scores for the Spartans (0-1), while Jackson Roberts made three receptions for 83 yards and a TD. Will Grabko kicked a 25-yard field goal for Immaculata, which had a chance to win the game in the second overtime, but it’s 2-point conversion pass was incomplete.
Elizabeth 23, Plainfield 22: Josh Penick ran for 56 yards and a touchdown, and the Elizabeth defense picked up two turnovers and blocked a punt it recovered for a touchdown, as the Minutemen escaped, despite being outgained 328-178 by the Cardinals in what was the opener for both teams.
Ibn McDaniel opened the scoring in the first quarter, recovering a blocked punt in the end zone, and the score remained 8-0 until the third quarter when Vito Tropeano extended it on a one-yard TD run and a Penick connection with Lucas Martinez for the 2-point conversion.
Plainfield cut the deficit to 16-6 on a 13-yard scoring pass, but Elizabeth responded with a 55-yard Penick TD run and a Luis Beltran kick to make it 23-6.
But the Cardinals weren’t going down without a fight, getting a 57-yard passing TD at the end of the third, plus a 2-point run, and then a 49-yard passing score late in the fourth quarter and a passing conversion to get within 23-22.
Plainfield then recovered an onside kick and drove inside the Elizabeth 30-yard line, but a strip sack by Jaquy’ri Williams was recovered by Daivon Davis to end it.
South Hunterdon 42, Roselle Park 8: Bode Dunn ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns and Edward Cooper rushed for two more scores and South Hunterdon cruised past Roselle Park in the opener for both teams. Tanner McCaffery threw a 39-yard TD pass to Thomas Warms and Brayden Hinman returned a punt for a touchdown to account for the rest of the Eagles’ trips to the end zone.
Somerville 42, Old Bridge 33: Mike Miller threw two touchdown passes and scored another, and Terrell Mitchell ran in a pair of second-half scores and Somerville outlasted host Old Bridge in a barnburner. Somerville (1-1) notched the first two scores of the game, getting a Hashym Hobbs-Harris run and a Wes Hack TD reception to go up 13-0. The teams then exchanged touchdowns the rest of the way.
Chase Insabella also caught a touchdown pass for Somerville, which had last week’s opening game declared a forfeit after outscoring Mastery Charter 31-7. That makes this, technically, the first win for first-year head coach Ian Pace.
Brady Cavallaro threw touchdown passes to Thomas McAleavey and Luke Triantafillou, while Dan Hannessey ran in a pair of scores for the Knights (0-1).
Voorhees 33, North Plainfield 12: The Vikings shook off last year’s 1-9 season with an impressive opening-day win. The Canucks, who went 6-4 last year, fall to 0-2.
Edison 43, J.P. Stevens 0: Sophomore running back Nyekir Eato had a breakout game by rushing for four touchdowns as Edison won the Edison Township rivalry game. The Eagles (2-0) now lead the series 26-25-4. Eato rushed for scores of 42, 49, 5 and 38 yards. Additionally, Jon Baio caught a 57-yard TD pass from Anthony Calantoni, Quyuir Heywood scored on an 8-yard run and Edison got a safety with a Sebastian Vera tackle in the end zone. Selbin Sabio kicked five extra points.
Middlesex 27, Bound Brook 0: The Blue Jays opened began the Phlip McGuane Era with a win. McGuane, who previously coached at a handful of school including South Plainfield, implemented a Wing-T from a triple-option and the versatile players responded with the win. Middlesex also won last year’s game against Bound Brook 27-19. It was also the opener for the Crusaders.
Dayton 14, Dunellen 8: In the past three seasons, this meeting featured high scoring games. Friday, it was a low scoring affair as Dayton (1-0) has won three straight against the Destroyers (0-1).
Tenafly 42, Highland Park 6: After showing glimpses in an opening loss to Metuchen, host Highland Park dropped its second-straight against Tenafly (1-0) from the Super Football Conference Ivy Division.
THURSDAY'S RESULTS
St. Thomas Aquinas 49, New Providence 14: Jayden Young threw three touchdown passes and Benjamin Bussiere and Joel Marelis each scored twice to lead St. Thomas Aquinas to the road win. JJ Hinnant added an interception for the Trojans. Young, a four-year starter at QB, threw a 40-yard pass to Bussiere in the first quarter. After New Providence tied it 7-7, Marelis reeled off a 17-yard run to give the Trojans (1-1) the lead for good. Young added a 31-yard TD pass to Bussiere, and then a 4-yard TD pass to Sherief Guinyard in the second quarter to make it 28-7 heading into halftime.
In the third quarter, Marelis increased the Trojans lead to 35-7 on a 20-yard run. In the fourth quarter, Elijah Abass-Shereef bolted for a 64-yard TD and Chase Young scored on a 9-yard run to make it 49-7. Jack Joyce kicked seven extra points in the win. New Providence (1-1) added a late score.
Season preview: A collection of links to the entire 2022 Big Central Conference and local football preview package
Ridge 48, Monroe 0: Senior Jack Barisha had a big game as the starting quarterback by throwing for 233 yards (9-of-12) and three touchdowns in the big home win in the opener for both teams. Will Deady rushed for two touchdowns (10-62) and had four catches for 85 yards and a score. Patrick McCaffery scored on his two catches and had 90 receiving yards, while CJ Galusha had two catches for 46 yards. Aidan Stieglitz had three carries for 32 yards and a scored and Ryan Olivo had six carries for 49 yards. Defensively, Dylan Sweeney had a fumble recovery for a TD and Adam Meiner and Andrew Serluco each snagged an interception.
A.L. Johnson 42, Governor Livingston 6: Robert Gallagher threw three touchdown passes and Antwone Smikle scored on two big plays as host A.L. Johnson won its opener. The Crusaders led 28-0 after the first quarter as Gallagher threw a 52-yard TD pass to Ryan George and a 56-yard scoring pass to Smikle, who also bolted for a 63-yard TD run. Emilio Menicucci recovered a fumble in the end zone in the first quarter. In the second, Jason Greenbush caught an 8-yard scored from Gallagher and Ryan Volmut added a 7-yard TD run in the third quarter. Brett Makowsky kicked six extra points. Vincent Pisano had 10 tackles to pace the defense. Volmut had a team-high 73 rushing yards on seven carries, while Smikle had 68 rushing yards on six catches for 68 yards and two catches for 64 yards. Governor Livingston fell to 0-2.
Brearley 34, Manville 20: Manville's Danny Wildgoose threw for 110 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 62 yards and a score for Manville (1-1). Shawn Purcell rushed for 98 yards on 10 carries, including a 62-yard touchdown. He also had three receptions for 65 yards and six points. Brearley improved to 1-0.
Football predictions: Here are our beat writers calls for all the BCC action in week 1
THURSDAY GAME STORIES
North Brunswick football opens with win over South Brunswick
Hillsborough football continues winning ways in season opener
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Big Central Conference NJ football: Week 1 roundup
