GMC Gridiron–2010 Schedule

• September 10, 2010–Manchester Township @ South Plainfield, 7:00 PM
• September 11, 2010–East Brunswick @ Monroe, 7:00 PM
• September 16, 2010–South River @ Highland Park, TBA
• September 17, 2010–Metuchen @ Dunellen, TBA
• September 24, 2010–New Brunswick @ Bishop Ahr, 7:00 PM
• October 1, 2010–Woodbridge @ East Brunswick, 7:00 PM
• October 8, 2010–Piscataway @ Old Bridge, 7:00 PM
• October 15, 2010–Sayreville @ Woodbridge, 7:00 PM
• October 22, 2010–South Brunswick @ Old Bridge, 7:00 PM
• October 29, 2010–Metuchen @ Middlesex, 7:00 PM
• November 5, 2010–Sayreville @ Piscataway, 7:00 PM
• November 12, 2010–NJSIAA State Playoffs–Opening Round
• November 19, 2010–NJSIAA State Playoffs–Semifinals
• November 24, 2010–Thanksgiving Eve Game–Bishop Ahr @ Monroe
• November 25, 2010–Thanksgiving Day Game–South Brunswick @ North Brunswick
• December 2-4, 2010–NJSIAA State Finals

Note: This schedule is subject to change.

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–This week, reality began to set in across Middlesex County as well as the rest of the Garden State as school budget cuts that had to be made in the wake of voters rejecting school budgets by historic margins. Many schools in the Greater Middlesex Conference including Dunellen and Colonia had to eliminate freshmen programs for sports such as football as stated in an article from the Star-Ledger.

Colonia had to disband its freshmen football program due to a $47,000 cut in its athletic department while Dunellen had to cut its freshmen football team due to a $15,400 shortfall. DHS is getting nearly $700,000 less from the state in aid this coming school year. According to a April 15th survey of athletic directors around the GMC, Colonia, J.F. Kennedy, Middlesex, North Brunswick, Piscataway, South River, South Plainfield, Spotswood and Woodbridge stood to lose freshman programs. However, one of those schools got creative, and was able to save its freshmen programs.

South Plainfield, the hometown and alma mater of GMC Hoops, was able to save its freshmen sports despite a reduction in budget by 50 percent from approximately $200,000. According to another article from the Star-Ledger, the South Plainfield school district had its operating budget reduced nearly $8 million. Spending on school supplies such as textbooks were estimated to drop one third while expenditures for extracurricular activities was forecast to be reduced one sixth. SPHS Athletic Director, Mike Buggey, who has been at the post since the 1994-95 was able to create a new plan using money from retiring teachers salaries and a switch in insurance companies along with a strict budget. The plan saved freshman sports along with the swim team and winter track at SPHS.

The cuts in freshmen programs has affected the coverage of the GMC Hoops season opener between St. Joseph’s and Colonia as well as the annual Perth Amboy/GMC Freshmen Boys Basketball Tournament held in February.

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ–In an article in today’s Star-Ledger, it was reported that negotiations to hold state and sectional high school championships at professional and collegiate sites around the Garden State this fall have been put on hold as the NJSIAA is waiting to see how much it will be able to charge. The article states that the state’s governing body for interscholastic athletics is going to submit a request to State Education Commissioner, Bret Schundler, this coming Wednesday. The request seeks to charge the same prices for admission to these games as it did last year.

Prices would be $10 for adults and $7 for students and senior citizens at football championship games, and $7 for adults and $4 for students and senior citizens at championship games for girls volleyball, boys and girls soccer, and field hockey. Football championships are scheduled to be held at the new Giants and Jets Stadium (6 games), Rutgers Stadium (6 games), Kean University (2 games), and The College of New Jersey (2 games). In addition, sites for the soccer and field hockey championships are set to take place at TCNJ while volleyball championships are scheduled to take place at William Paterson. This is the latest episode in an ongoing struggle between the NJSIAA and State Assemblyman John Burzichelli of Gloucester.

Earlier this year, the NJSIAA suggested the possibility that the Tournament of Champions and Meet of Champions along with another state championship games may be eliminated. However, the state body was able to pass a $5.3 million dollar budget that included keeping the state playoffs intact. However, Burzichelli remains unconvinced that the NJSIAA has done enough, and that has created a stalemate that only leaves high school sports, its athletes, coaches, and fans left out.

• Dave Milewski–Sayreville–Rutgers
• Brandon Vitabile–Bishop Ahr–Northwestern
• Dante Weaver–New Brunswick–Temple
• Jawaun Wynn–Piscataway–Rutgers
• Blake Bascom–Monroe–Wagner
• Malcolm Griggs–Piscataway–New Hampshire
• Jeff Harvey–Bishop Ahr–C.W. Post

Here is how the revamped GMC will look next football season:

Red Division

• East Brunswick
• Edison
• J.P. Stevens
• Monroe
• Piscataway
• Old Bridge
• Sayreville
• South Brunswick
• Woodbridge

White Division

• Bishop Ahr
• Carteret
• Colonia
• J.F. Kennedy
• New Brunswick
• North Brunswick
• Perth Amboy
• South Plainfield

Blue Division

• Cardinal McCarrick
• Dunellen
• Highland Park
• Metuchen
• Middlesex
• South River
• Spotswood

Besides that, St. Joseph’s will play a junior varsity schedule in 2010 with varsity games in 2011. The only stipulation with that is the Falcons will play an independent schedule since the conference would realign again until 2012.

Former GMC Basketball Standouts Playing Currently In Division I

• Marqus Blakely–Vermont
• Mike Burwell–South Florida
• Sean Baptiste–FDU
• Vince Rosario–Central Connecticut State
• Brandon Hall–St. Peter’s
• Darren Smith–Penn
• Zach Rosen–Penn
• Marquis Jones–Rhode Island
• Dan Stonkus–NJIT
• Chris Matagrano–New Hampshire
• Mohammed Sanu–Rutgers (football)
• Shamar Graves–Rutgers (football)
• J.D. Griggs–Iowa (football)
• Brandon Smith–Michigan (football)
• DeJuan Miller–Oklahoma (football)

If there are any names that I left out, feel free to e-mail me at gmachos@gmchoops.com, and I’ll add them to the list. Thanks.

GMC Football–EA Sports Simulation–Week Eleven Results

• Sayreville 63–West Windsor-Plainsboro South 28
• Monroe 25–Ocean Township 21
• Florence 55–Metuchen 37
• Asbury Park 56–South River 7
• Bishop Ahr 63–Holy Cross 21
• New Brunswick 63–Raritan 35

GMC Hoops will be playing some more games in the upcoming days and weeks.

1. East Brunswick (2-0)–4 points
2. Woodbridge (2-1)–3 points
3. Bishop Ahr (1-0)–2 points
4. Dunellen (1-0)–2 points
5. Metuchen (1-0)–2 points
6. North Brunswick (1-0)–2 points
7. Sayreville (1-0)–2 points
8. J.P. Stevens (1-1)–1 point
9. Monroe (1-1)–1 point
10. Carteret (0-1)– -1 point
11. Colonia (0-1)– -1 point
12. Edison (0-1)– -1 point
13. Highland Park (0-1)– -1 point
14. New Brunswick (0-1)– -1 point
15. Old Bridge (0-1)– -1 point
16. Middlesex (0-2)– -2 points
17. Piscataway (0-2)– -2 points

As you can see, the site saw 17 of the 24 GMC schools that play football in 14 games covered this season.

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ–Here is an update on the performance of the Greater Middlesex Conference against teams from the Shore Conference in football this season. Over the first ten weeks of the season, the Shore was 39-22 in 61 games. In week thirteen, the schools of the GMC won two of the three games played against Shore foes on Championship Saturday. Monroe, the second seed in the Central Jersey Group III State Tournament pulled off a huge upset by knocking off top seed, and perennial powerhouse, Middletown South (30-10). In addition, East Brunswick avenged an earlier season loss by dethroning defending Central Jersey Group IV champ, Brick Memorial in their title game. Asbury Park got the lone win for the Shore by routing Highland Park (44-6) in the Central Jersey Group I Championship. In 64 games, the Shore compiled a record of 40-24 versus their Middlesex County foes. In addition, the GMC was outscored by the Shore, 1561-1060 including a 486-316 outscoring in week 9, and a 170-71 outscoring in all the games played on September 12th.

Breaking things down by Division, the GMC Red is 8-8 vs. their Shore Conference opponents following EB’s victory while the White is 7-6 after Monroe’s win. The Blue Division is 2-13 while the Gold is 7-13 following Highland Park’s loss. Red Division teams have been outscored by Shore teams 282-266 while GMC White teams have outscored their Shore counterparts by a 288-222 margin. Despite Bishop Ahr’s manhandling of Monmouth Regional and JFK’s bashing of Holmdel, the GMC Blue has been outscored by the Shore, 541-183 while the conference made of Monmouth and Ocean County schools have outscored GMC Gold opponents by a 508-323 margin. Both the Shore Conference, and the GMC won two sectional championships apiece with Asbury Park and Matawan winning CJ Group I and CJ Group II while Monroe and East Brunswick won CJ Group III and IV respectively.

Meanwhile, the breakdown of the Shore’s success by Division goes like this: Shore Federal went 5-1, Shore National went 7-2, Shore Liberty went 9-4, Shore Patriot went 8-5, Shore American went 7-7, and Shore Constitution finished 4-5. Raritan led the Shore in success with a 2-0 mark by a combined margin of 81-6. Matawan also was 2-0 with victories over Bishop Ahr (52-29) and New Brunswick (37-13). Howell had a solid mark against the GMC with a 2-1 record versus GMC competition despite a loss to Sayreville (21-12) with wins over Piscataway (26-14) on opening day, and Woodbridge in week two (37-7). Middletown North also finished 2-1 vs. GMC competition with victories over J.P. Stevens (12-7) and South Brunswick (15-8), but lost to Sayreville (21-0). Keyport/Henry Hudson also went undefeated against GMC foes with a 42-14 win over Metuchen and a 20-12 victory over Highland Park. Carteret, Colonia, and South Plainfield finished up 0-3 against the Shore while Highland Park went 0-4. New Brunswick and Piscataway ended up 0-2. Perth Amboy split against Shore teams by defeating Marlboro 38-0, and then losing to Colts Neck 7-0.

Speaking of Marlboro, the Mustangs were 0-2 against the GMC following a defeat in week two to J.P. Stevens. Looking at the Hawks, they finished 1-1 following an opening week loss to Middletown North and their win over Marlboro. Monmouth Regional went 2-1 vs. GMC including a 37-14 loss to Bishop Ahr, a 53-14 win over South Plainfield, and a last minute 23-20 victory over Highland Park. Cardinal McCarrick finished up 2-1 with wins over Mater Dei and Point Beach while Dunellen also went 2-1 with a loss to Red Bank, wins over Mater Dei and Keansburg. Kennedy was 1-2 with a win over Holmdel (51-14) losses to Red Bank (34-0) and Neptune (48-7). Monroe finished up 4-0 after beating Middletown South. Sayreville is 3-0 after beating Howell, Freehold Township as well as Brick Memorial. East Brunswick ended up 3-1 while Spotswood is 2-0.

This season in the various state tournament and consolation games, the Shore Conference played the Greater Middlesex Conference 6 times, and the GMC went 4-2. In those six games, the Shore still outscored the GMC by a margin of 111-110. Last year, the Shore won all four Central Jersey sectional championships with Asbury Park becoming the CJ Group I champ, Manasquan winning CJ Group II, Freehold Boro winning in CJ Group III, and Brick Memorial winning in Central Jersey Group IV. Only Piscataway earned a sectional championship for the GMC by winning in North Jersey Section 2 Group IV.