The Westfield Blue Devils have won 11 straight meetings against Plainfield. The Cardinals will be looking to defeat Westfield for the first time since 2011. Westfield has won 16 of the last 17 meetings since 2006 and leads the all-time series 66-45-7.
Cardinals Looking to Snap 11-Game Losing Streak
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ – On Thanksgiving Day, Big Central Gridiron will head back up to Union County and Kehler Stadium in Westfield to take in the annual holiday rivalry game between the Blue Devils and the Cardinals of Plainfield.
Westfield won last year’s edition of this Thanksgiving rivalry at Hub Stine Field. It was the 11th straight victory for the Blue Devils over their arch-rival. Plainfield has not won since 2011. Westfield has won 16 of the last 17 meetings.
Both teams qualified for the playoffs this season and are looking to secure winning seasons with a victory today. A win over their arch-rival will also end the season on a positive note and serve as a great springboard into next season.
Game Specifics
| Date | Opponent | Time/Score | Location | Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thr, 28 Nov |  Plainfield |
BCC Crossover L 9-14 |
Kehler Stadium | Big Central Gridiron |
Game Venue – Kehler Stadium
| Venue | Address | Map (Click for larger view.) |
|---|---|---|
| Kehler Stadium | 745 Rahway Ave Westfield, NJ 07090 |
Series History: Westfield leads 66-45-7. The Blue Devils have won 11 straight. Plainfield’s last win was in 2011.
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BCG Tale of the Tape – Plainfield @ Westfield
| School |  | |
| Mascot | Blue Devils | Cardinals |
| BCC Division | Big Central Conference – American Gold Division | Big Central Conference – Liberty Gold Division |
| Head Coach | Matt Andzel (1st Year) | James Williams (4th Year) |
| Career Record | 5-5 | 60-59 |
| Record | 5-5 | 5-4 |
| Conference Record | 4-4 | 5-2 |
| Division Record | 2-1 | 3-1 |
| Place in BCC Division | 2nd in American Gold | 2nd in Liberty Gold |
| Section | North Group 4 | North Group 5 |
| Rank in Section | 11th | 12th |
| BCG Overall Rank | 15th | 13th |
| BCG Group Rank | 5th in Group 4 | 6th in Group 5 |
| BCG County Rank | 4th | 3rd |
| Points Per Game | 19.1 | 25.7 |
| BCC Rank – PPG | 37th | 20th |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 19.8 | 12.7 |
| BCC Rank – PAPG | 25th | 7th |
| Shutouts | 1 | 2 |
| BCC Rank – Shutouts | Tied for 13th | Tied for 9th |
| Point Differential | -0.7 | 13.0 |
| BCC Rank – Point Differential | 30th | 9th |
| Strength Index | 70.74 | 74.24 |
| BCC Rank – Strength Index | 14th | 9th |
| Power Points | 8.63 | 10.38 |
| BCC Rank – Power Points | 28th | 20th |
| OSI | 51.42 | 42.98 |
| BCC Rank – OSI | 12th | 25th |
| UPR | 11.4 | 11.8 |
| BCC Rank – UPR | 21st | 22nd |
| Yards Rushing Per Game | 115.9 | 146.7 |
| BCC Rank – Yards Rushing | 46th | 32nd |
| Yards Passing Per Game | 129.1 | 129.8 |
| BCC Rank – Yards Passing | 18th | 17th |
| Total Yards Per Game | 245.0 | 276.4 |
| BCC Rank – Total Yards | 34th | 24th |
| Run/Pass Ratio | 50% Run / 50% Pass | 58% Run / 42% Pass |
| W-L Record in one score games | 2-1 | 0-2 |
| Number of playoff teams played | 8 | 6 |
| Common Opponents | None | None |
NOTE: Although these teams didn’t have any common opponents, Plainfield played Somerville and lost (30-7). Somerville played Hillsborough and won (21-20). Hillsborough played Westfield and won 19-13.
Key Players – Westfield
- QB Cole Weidler
- QB/WR Jordan Walsh
- RB Blake Rudow
- RB/DB Nicholas Russo
- WR/DB Sebastian Magherini
- WR/K Enzo Ferrero
- WR/DB Nikolas Lukas
- TE/LB Colin Coyle
- LB Owen Williams
- DE Lincoln Meyers
- DL Zac Wragg
- LB Joe DiMattina
- OL/DL Jake Zemsky
Key Players – Plainfield
- QB/WR/DB Kamai Lowery
- QB/LB Ala-Meen Watkins
- RB E.J. Brown
- RB/LB Samih Howell
- LB Raymir Brighton
- WR Al-Khabir Bethune
- WR/DB Joel Cordoba
- WR/DB Jareel Calhoun
- WR/DB Sincere Williams
- WR/DB Tymir Huff
- OL/LB Darren Hester
- OL/DL Chantz Fitz
- RB/DL Jah’Quan Anderson
- K Jean Ramirez
Additional Facts – Westfield
Under first-year head coach, Matt Andzel, the Westfield Blue Devils enter this edition of their Thanksgiving Rivalry against Plainfield at .500. Andzel succeeded long-time head coach, Jim DeSarno, who is now the Athletic Director at Westfield.
Westfield got back up to .500 with a regional crossover/consolation victory over Middletown South (28-7) two weeks ago. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak. The Blue Devils have had an up-and- down campaign with solid victories over the likes of Elizabeth (37-16) and Bridgewater-Raritan (35-10).
The Blue Devils qualified for the playoffs in North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 and lost to sectional finalist Northern Highlands (21-0) in the opening round. Westfield has played a tough schedule with 8 playoff teams on its slate including Phillipsburg, Elizabeth, St. Joseph’s, Bridgewater-Raritan, and Middletown South.
Westfield is looking to win its 12th straight in this rivalry. The Blue Devils have won 16 of the last 17 meetings since 2006. A win today would give Westfield its third straight winning season and 4th in the last 6.
Several key players to watch for Westfield in this game on both sides of the ball are QBs Cole Wiedler and Jordan Walsh, RB Jake Rudow, WR/K Enzo Ferrero, WR/DB Sebastian Magherini, TE/LB Colin Coyle and LB Owen Williams.
Additional Facts – Plainfield
The Plainfield Cardinals will have their 3rd non-losing season in the last four years regardless of the outcome on Thanksgiving. Under 4th-year head coach, James Williams, the Cardinals have compiled a record of 21-20 entering this contest.
Prior to Williams’ arrival for the 2021 season, Plainfield’s last winning season was 2005 when it went 6-4. From 2006 to 2020, the Cardinals had a 29-116-1 record under five different head coaches. Williams served as the head coach at Roselle for 8 seasons. His career record is 60-59 over 12 seasons.
The Cardinals have qualified for the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. Before that, Plainfield won the 2022 NJSIAA North Jersey Group 5 Invitational Tournament. After playing the past two seasons in the BCC’s Liberty Silver Division, Plainfield moved up to the Liberty Gold, where it finished second behind Woodbridge.
Plainfield’s friendly confines of Hub Stine Field got an upgrade this season. A new turf field was installed and utilized for the first time in the Cardinals’ home opener versus Perth Amboy on September 20th. Plainfield became the 51st school in the BCC to have field turf installed. Spotswood became the 52nd on October 12th.
Several key players to watch for Plainfield in this game on both sides of the ball are QB Kamai Lowery, RB E.J. Brown, QB/LB Ala-Meen Watkins, WR Al-Khabir Bethune, and WR/DB Joel Cordoba.
BCG’s Prediction
Looking on paper statistically, you would think Plainfield would have a considerable edge. The Cardinals gained more yardage and ranked higher in the Big Central Conference in rushing and passing. Plainfield also averaged more points per game and was better on defense. The Cardinals outscored their opponents by an average of 13 points per contest to rank 9th in the BCC.
However, Westfield played in the stronger Big Central Conference’s American Gold Division and had eight playoff teams on its schedule while Plainfield had 6. Three of the Cardinals’ five wins came against teams with a combined record of 5-24. Meanwhile, three of Westfield’s five wins were against playoff teams.
The Blue Devils defeated Bridgewater-Raritan by 25 earlier this season. Westfield also only lost to Hillsborough on the road by six (19-13). Hillsborough was edged by the same Somerville team (21-20) that defeated Plainfield several weeks ago by three scores.
The weather may play a factor in this contest. Rain is forecast for all day on Thanksgiving. A coastal storm is expected to develop over the next 18 to 24 hours. There had been debate on whether it would bring some snow to Central Jersey. However, the storm system is expected to track more toward the north and allow warmer air to come in and keep the snow out.
Westfield has won each of the last 11 meetings in this series. Plainfield last won in 2011. The two schools didn’t play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Expect the Blue Devils to make it 12 straight. Finally, with Puryear at QB and the likes of Julius and Shymir Burgess at wideouts, the Rams have a more explosive playmaking capability.
Prediction: Westfield wins 24-13.
