Dean of GMC Coaches, Steve Mate, claims 500th career victory as Spotswood wins at Dunellen Spotswood won by 18, Tyler VanLeeuwen scored 17, and the Chargers won their 14th game of the season Thursday. But the number that really mattered last night was 500. Spotswood head coach Steve Mate - in his 31st season there behind the bench, and 35th season of coaching overall - won his 500th game when they beat Dunellen, 66-48 at the Faber School.

CONGRATS!! Dean of #GMC Coaches, Steve #Mate, claims 500th career victory as #Spotswood wins at #Dunellen. We talk about his long run and #500wins at the link! #Chargers #NJHoops

Marcus Borden’s 2025 Camp Caravan: Mike and Marcus wrap up two-weeks and eleven stops! The 2025 edition of Marcus Borden's Big Central Camp Caravan took coach to eleven different schools to see 19 teams, including six during Week One of practices, and another 13 at five different scrimmages in Week Two. So, who were some of the best teams and players he saw? What were his overall thoughts? Central Jersey Sports Radio's Mike Pavlichko talked down on the field at Hillsborough High School after Saturday's scrimmage against Elizabeth.

Marcus Borden's 2025 #BigCentral #CampCaravan: Mike and Marcus wrap up two-weeks and eleven stops.. at the link! #PerthAmboy #Montgomery #OldBridge #Aquinas #HunterdonCentral #Bernards #Colonia #NorthBrunswick #Carteret #Manville #Union #Edison #Dunellen #NorthPlainfield #Hillsborough #Elizabeth

Marcus Borden’s 2025 Camp Caravan: Dunellen travels to nearby North Plainfield Week two of the 2025 Big Central Camp Caravan continued Friday for Central Jersey Sports Radio high school football analyst Marcus Borden. This time, it was a visit to Dunellen, where the Destroyers and first-year head coach Phlip McGuane welcomed in their neighbors from up the road, North Plainfield. Below is video from the August 22, 2025 scrimmage at Columbia Park in Dunellen:

Next-to-last Marcus Borden #BigCentral #CampCaravan visit! #Dunellen at #NorthPlainfield. Interviews at the link!! #NJFootball

2025 Big Central Preview: Freedom Silver Division Our second divisional preview this season is the Freedom Silver, another six-team grouping of some of the Big Central Conference's smaller schools. It was a big rebound year for Belvidere, which finished 8-2 to win the Freedom Silver, following a 3-7 campaign in 2023. The County Seaters again are loaded, and should be right there again this year, but Middlesex could very well challenge them.

2025 #BigCentral Preview: Freedom Silver Division. We take a look at #Belvidere #Middlesex #Manville #SouthHunterdon #BoundBrook and #Dunellen with audio from last Thursday's #MediaDay! #NJFootball

Phlip McGuane, longtime Dunellen resident, past assistant, to take over as Destroyer football coach You could call Phlip McGuane a journeyman. But you could also call him an excellent football coach, even if he's coached in all three parts of New Jersey - North, South, and Central. (Yes, of course it exists!) Now, the man who has lived in Dunellen for three decades is taking over as the head coach of the Destroyer football program, after…

SMALL SCHOOL, BIG HIRE: Phlip #McGuane, longtime #Dunellen resident, past assistant, to take over as #Destroyer football coach. Story and one-on-one interview at the link! #NJFootball #BigCentral

Late coaching departures leave several Big Central schools looking for new football coaches Ridge, Linden, AL Johnson, New Brunswick, Dunellen and now St. Thomas Aquinas. Although that last one didn't last long. Most high school football coaches who decide to leave - or aren't brought back - depart in December or January, with new mentors coming on board in January, February or even March. But at one point this week, a half-dozen schools are in various stages of looking for head football coaches and it's already early May.

Late coaching departures leave several #BigCentral schools looking for new #football coaches. #Aquinas just made its hire, and we have the latest on #Linden #Dunellen #Johnson #Ridge and #NewBrunswick at the link! #NJFootball

Power Points Analysis: Metuchen continues to lead Central Group 1, but Middlesex inches closer We're exactly two weeks from the NJSIAA cutoff for the state playoffs - May 17th - and teams across the area continue to jockey for position in the standings. Here's a closer look beyond the numbers at where teams stand and what their chances are, based on NJ.com's official standings as of games played on May 2nd. For a full explanation of the new power point formula, …

Power Points Analysis: #Metuchen continues to lead Central Group 1, but #Middlesex inches closer. Plus #Manville #SouthAmboy #PiscatawayMagnet #SomersetTech and #Dunellen! #GMC #Skyland #NJSIAA #stateplayoffs #NJBaseball

East Brunswick Magnet holds off 7th inning Dunellen rally for 13-12 win; Hutchins collects three milestones in one game for Destroyers Next time you take a look at league standings in baseball, note that you'll see wins, losses, win percentages, division records, and runs for and against. One thing you won't see: style points. Good thing for East Brunswick Magnet, which saw a five-run lead nearly evaporate in the bottom of the seventh at Columbia Park in Dunellen Wednesday, but hung on for a 13-12 win.

#EastBrunswickMagnet holds off 7th inning #Dunellen rally for 13-12 win; #Hutchins collects three milestones in one game for #Destroyers. Audio and recap at the link! #NJBaseball #GMC #Tigers

Power Point Analysis: Metuchen leads Central Jersey Group 1, with Middlesex not far behind We are three weeks from the NJSIAA cutoff for the state tournament in baseball, and Central Jersey Sports Radio is wrapping up its first look at the standings, with a breakdown of how we think area teams will fare by looking at Central Jersey Group 1. For an explanation on the baseball power point formula, check out Thursday's story on the Group 4 playoff analysis by…

Power Point Analysis: #Metuchen leads Central Jersey Group 1, with #Middlesex not far behind. Plus a look at #Manville #PiscatawayMagnet #SomersetTech #Dunellen and #SouthAmboy! #NJSIAA #cutoff #stateplayoffs #NJBaseball

Dave DeNapoli steps down after nearly three decades as venerable Dunellen football coach Through tough times and good, and a bevy of both wins and losses, the one constant for Dunellen football for nearly 30 years has been Dave DeNapoli. But now, he's putting away the clipboard. DeNapoli announced his retirement from coaching on Twitter Thursday evening, after 29 seasons as head coach in the tiny Middlesex County town. He finishes his career with a record of 133-172-1 over that time span.

BIG COACHING NEWS: Dave #DeNapoli steps down after nearly three decades as venerable #Dunellen football coach. Story at the link, with audio and more details to follow. #NJFootball #BigCentral #Destroyers

Manville boys’ just a win away from second straight sectional finals appearance, after 56-37 state tourney win over Dunellen "The kids wanted a prime time game, and they got it" The atmosphere was electric in Manville's gym Saturday night, as head coach Bill Rooney's Mustangs - the four seed in Central Jersey Group 1 - topped fifth-seed Dunellen in an old-school, small-school battle, 56-37 in the sectional quarterfinals. The victory puts Manville a win away from its second straight trip to a sectional title game, and just its third overall.

GAME STORY with AUDIO: #Manville boys' just a win away from second straight sectional finals appearance, after 56-37 state tourney win over #Dunellen in CJ1 quarterfinals. Listen at the link! #NJHoops #NJSIAA #statetournament

Opening Night NJSIAA roundup: Top-seeded Colonia boys win, Dunellen wins all-GMC Silver matchup over Highland Park On the opening night of the NJSIAA state basketball tournament, the top-seeded Colonia boys were winners, along with nine other teams, four on the girls' side, five on the boys. One of the highlights was a 61-58 win for fifth-seed Dunellen over 12th-seed Highland Park in an all-GMC Silver Division state tourney matchup in Central Jersey Group 1. It was the Destroyer's third win this season over the Owls, the other two coming early in the season.

Opening Night #NJSIAA roundup: Top-seeded #Colonia boys win, #Dunellen wins all-GMC Silver matchup over #HighlandPark. Audio with #Destroyers HC Matt #Cianfrone, and all results plus Saturday's quarterfinal schedule at the link! #NJHoops #GMC #Skyland

Hayes-Durina leads Metuchen with 21 in 41-25 GMC crossover victory at Dunellen So what if there were no division title implications on the line this late in the season. Both the Metuchen and Dunellen boys' basketball teams were 11-3 overall heading into their Saturday matinee tilt at Faber School in Dunellen. The Bulldogs are a half-game behind first-place Piscataway Magnet in the GMC Gold, the Destroyers the same distance behind Middlesex in the Blue.

RECAP with AUDIO: #Hayes-Durina leads #Metuchen with 21 in 41-25 #GMC crossover victory at #Dunellen. Story and interviews presented by #Sportsplex at Metuchen at the link! #NJHoops #Bulldogs #Destroyers

Holiday hoops tournaments are an annual tradition, but who are they named after? Mike Shello. Anthony J. Cotoia. Clem Santy. The names have become familiar to many over the years for the Holiday Tournaments held the week between Christmas and New Year's, a bridge from the first week or two of the season to January first, when things really start to heat up for the month or so sprint to the county tournament seeding meetings.

Holiday hoops tournaments are an annual tradition, but who are they named after? Mike Pavlichko takes a look at some of the more prominent ones in our area. #Dunellen #Colonia #SouthPlainfield #Rahway #Livingston #NJHoops

Rick Fink back in the Roxy & Duke's days in #Dunellen , #NJ ! #music #singer #songwriter #concert #concerts #dunellennj