Phillipsburg will be playing in its first-ever state semifinal/regional championship game on Friday night when it takes on Ramapo in the 2024 NJSIAA North Jersey Group 4 State Semifinal at Bellis Field. The Liners are looking to reach their first state championship game in school history.
Liners Looking to Punch Their Ticket to the State Finals
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ—On Friday night, Phillipsburg will play in its first-ever state semifinal/regional championship game. The 2nd-seeded Liners will host another tough team from the Super Football Conference’s Liberty Red Division, Ramapo in the 2024 NJSIAA North Jersey Group 4 Regional Championship Game. Phillipsburg is looking to be another Big Central school to reach the state finals in two weeks. A win tonight would put the Liners in the Group 4 State Final on the weekend of December 6-8 since they play Easton on Thanksgiving.
Game Specifics
| Date | Opponent | Time/Score | Location | Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 22 Nov |  Ramapo |
NJSIAA North Jersey Group 4 Regional Final W 35-6 |
Bellis Field @ Maloney Stadium | NJSIAA - NFHS Network |
Game Venue – Bellis Field @ Maloney Stadium
| Venue | Address | Map (Click for larger view.) |
|---|---|---|
| Bellis Field @ Maloney Stadium | 200 Hillcrest Boulevard Phillipsburg, NJ 08865 |
Watch Livestream at: NJSIAA on the NFHS Network
Follow on Twitter at: @bradwsports
How They Got Here?
| Round |  | |
| First Round | Defeated Nutley (42-0) | Defeated Randolph (47-27) |
| Semifinals | Defeated Chatham (31-14) | Defeated Ridge (28-27) |
| Sectional Championship | Defeated Northern Highlands (13-11) | Defeated Morris Knolls (35-28) |
BCG Tale of the Tape – Ramapo @ Phillipsburg
| School | | |
| Mascot | Stateliners | Raiders |
| Conference | Big Central Conference – American Silver Division | Super Football Conference – Liberty Red Division |
| Head Coach | Frank Duffy (9th Year) | Nick Guttuso (1st Year) |
| Career Record | 77-23 | 8-3 |
| Record | 10-1 | 8-3 |
| Conference Record | 6-1 | 7-2 |
| Division Record | 3-1 | 3-1 |
| Place in Division | Finished 2nd in BCC American Silver | Tied for 1st in SFC Liberty Red |
| Region | North Group 4 | North Group 4 |
| Rank in Region | 2nd | 5th |
| Section | North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 | North Jersey Section 1 Group 4 |
| Seed in Section | 1st | 3rd |
| Points Per Game | 35.5 | 30.5 |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 14.0 | 24.1 |
| Shutouts | 3 | 0 |
| Point Differential | 21.5 | 6.4 |
| Largest Margin of Victory | 44 points (Defeated Union 44-0 on 10/18/2024) | 24 points (Defeated Hackensack 38-14 on 10/18/2024) |
| Yards Rushing Per Game | 223.2 | 188.3 |
| Yards Passing Per Game | 159.5 | 203.8 |
| Total Yards Per Game | 382.7 | 392.1 |
| Run/Pass Ratio | 69% Run / 31% Pass | 65% Run / 35% Pass |
| Strength Index | 93.13 | 82.14 |
| Power Points | 15.75 | 12.50 |
| OSI | 65.15 | 60.34 |
| UPR | 1.8 | 5.0 |
| W-L Record in one score games | 3-1 | 3-2 |
| W-L Record vs. Playoff Teams | 10-0 | 7-3 |
| Common Opponents | Defeated Northern Highlands (13-11) and lost to Ridge (28-21) | Defeated Northern Highlands (25-23) and Ridge (28-27) |
Key Players – Phillipsburg
- QB/LB Jett Genovese
- RB/LB Sam Dech
- RB/OLB/CB Jah’Quil Dooley
- RB/LB Jayden Lucas
- RB/LB Charles Maina
- RB/LB Ziyahn McGurn
- FB/OLB Aedan Hywel
- WR/CB Felix Matos
- WR/DB Matthew Scerbo Jr.
- WR/DB Jaysen Blacknell
- TE/DL Luke Hywel
- TE/DE Justin Rojas
- OL/DL Jah’lil Dooley
- DL/OL Khalil Lewis
- MLB/G Elian Cuevas
- K/P Alexie Moreira
Key Players – Ramapo
- QB Casey Grusser
- RB Liam Hayward
- RB/SS Dylan Romano
- RB/DB Gino Gorga
- SB Salvatore Livoti
- WR/DB/P Tyler Ramiccio
- WR/CB Connor Pane
- WR Michael Ballan
- TE/OLB/K/P Charlie Wingfield
- MLB Zak Darwish
- LB Braden Macke
- LB Carter Cooney
- LB Alexander Kavallieratos
- LB Thomas Aaron
- DB/SB/WR Gavin Campozano
- DE Lucas Tragna
Additional Facts – Phillipsburg
Phillipsburg is not only the winningest football program in New Jersey with 747 wins in 120 years of games on the gridiron but also one of the most successful schools in the brief history of the Big Central Conference. In the first five years of the BCC, Phillipsburg has compiled an overall record of 44-10, a conference mark of 37-5, and a divisional record of 17-5.
In addition, the Stateliners have appeared in three straight sectional finals, won at least a share of two BCC division crowns, and garnered its first sectional title in 6 years. Phillipsburg enters this contest at 10-1 overall with its only loss to Ridge in Week 4 of the season (28-21) at Lee Field in Basking Ridge. The Liners have since won 8 straight contests.
Frank Duffy won his first sectional title in his tenure at Phillipsburg with the Liners’ last-second, 13-11 victory over the Highlanders of Northern Highlands in the North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Championship. Duffy has led the Stateliners to five sectional finals in his 9-year stint at the school.
Since 2012, Phillipsburg has appeared in a sectional championship game eight times. The last time the Stateliners had won a sectional crown was in 2014. Phillipsburg had completed a back-to-back by defeating Colonia in overtime in the 2014 NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 Championship at then High Point Solutions Stadium on the Piscataway campus of Rutgers University.
Additional Facts – Ramapo
The Raiders of Ramapo are looking to make a return visit to the Group 4 State Championship Game to complete some unfinished business. Last year, the Raiders reached the final only to be soundly defeated by Mainland Regional of Linwood, 56-0. In 2021 and 2022, Ramapo’s quest for a championship was halted by arch-rival, Northern Highlands.
The Raiders are coached by Nick Guttuso, who is the third coach at the school in the last four seasons. Legendary coach, Drew Gibbs passed away before the end of the 2021 season. Mike DeFazio served at the helm in Ramapo in 2022 and 2023, and compiled an overall record of 20-4.
Ramapo and Northern Highlands have played in six games against each other over the past four seasons. Those six games have been decided by a total of 22 points with two going to overtime. The most recent game was won by Ramapo in three overtimes on October 25th. Each team has won three games, but the Highlanders are 2-1 against the Raiders in the playoffs.
BCG’s Prediction
Both of these teams can put up big numbers. Phillipsburg enters the contest averaging 36.5 points per game while Ramapo is averaging 30.5 points per game. Both teams play selection is roughly 2 to 1 in favor of the run. However, Ramapo has run over 600 total plays versus about 400 for Phillipsburg.
In terms of total yardage, Ramapo appears to be more balanced with more yards passing than Phillipsburg. The Stateliners have more yardage rushing though. In addition, Phillipsburg’s defense has been better this year. The Liners have yielded 10 points per game less than the Raiders, and have had 3 shutouts versus zero for Ramapo.
Ramapo will provide another formidable test for Phillipsburg though. The Raiders have won both of its games against common opponents Northern Highlands (25-23 in 3 OT) and Ridge (28-27). Phillipsburg split both games with those opponents. The Stateliners lost to Ridge (28-21) while defeating Northern Highlands (13-11) at the buzzer last week.
Expect the weather to play a bit of a role in the contest as well. A vigorous storm system has pushed through and has brought a mix of rain and snow to the area. Mother nature may be an ally for Phillipsburg since the Stateliners are the better rushing and defensive team. This will be another nail-biter.
Prediction: Phillipsburg wins 17-14.
