Phillipsburg will be playing in its first-ever state championship game on Wednesday night when it takes on South Jersey Group 4 State Champion, Winslow Township in the 2024 NJSIAA North Jersey Group 4 State Championship at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium. The Liners are looking to win their first state championship game in school history.
Liners Looking to Win 1st State Championship
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ—On Friday night, Phillipsburg will play in its first-ever state semifinal/regional championship game. The North Jersey Group 4 Champion Liners will take on another tough team from the West Jersey Football League’s, Winslow Township in the 2024 NJSIAA North Jersey Group 4 State Championship Game. Phillipsburg became the second Big Central school to win a regional championship/state semifinal and the first to play in a state final. A win tonight would give the state’s winningest program another accomplishment.
Game Specifics
| Date | Opponent | Time/Score | Location | Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, 4 Dec |  Winslow Township |
NJSIAA Group 4 State Championship L 0-35 |
SHI Stadium |
Game Venue – SHI Stadium @ Rutgers University
| Venue | Address | Map (Click for larger view.) |
|---|---|---|
| SHI Stadium | 1 Scarlet Knight Way Piscataway, NJ 08854 |
Watch Livestream at: NJ.com
Listen Live at: Central Jersey Sports Radio
Follow on Twitter at: @bradwsports
How They Got Here?
| Round |  | |
| First Round | Defeated Nutley (42-0) | Defeated Princeton (69-6) |
| Semifinals | Defeated Chatham (31-14) | Defeated Manalapan (49-8) |
| Sectional Championship | Defeated Northern Highlands (13-11) | Defeated Shawnee (32-8) |
| State Semifinals | Defeated Ramapo (35-6) | Defeated Millville (13-7) |
BCG Tale of the Tape – Phillipsburg vs. Winslow Township
| School | | |
| Mascot | Stateliners | Eagles |
| Conference | Big Central Conference – American Silver Division | West Jersey Football League – American Division |
| Head Coach | Frank Duffy (9th Year) | Bill Belton (3rd Year) |
| Career Record | 78-24 | 29-7 |
| Record | 11-2 | 13-0 |
| Conference Record | 6-1 | 10-0 |
| Division Record | 3-1 | 4-0 |
| Place in Division | Finished 2nd in BCC American Silver | Finished 1st in WJFL American Division |
| Region | North Group 4 | South Group 4 |
| Rank in Region | 2nd | 1st |
| Section | North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 | South Jersey Group 4 |
| Seed in Section | 1st | 1st |
| Points Per Game | 33.8 | 40.3 |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 13.6 | 6.6 |
| Shutouts | 3 | 4 |
| Point Differential | 20.2 | 33.7 |
| Largest Margin of Victory | 44 points (Defeated Union 44-0 on 10/18/2024) | 63 points (Defeated Princeton 69-6 on 11/02/2024) |
| Yards Rushing Per Game | 204.1 | 125.0 |
| Yards Passing Per Game | 133.7 | 209.5 |
| Total Yards Per Game | 337.8 | 334.5 |
| Run/Pass Ratio | 70% Run / 30% Pass | 54% Run / 46% Pass |
| Strength Index | 93.13 | 108.45 |
| Power Points | 15.75 | 15.67 |
| OSI | 65.15 | 73.13 |
| UPR | 1.8 | 1.4 |
| W-L Record in one score games | 3-2 | 1-0 |
| W-L Record vs. Playoff Teams | 11-2 | 10-0 – Beat Millville twice |
| Common Opponents | None | None |
NOTE: Although Phillipsburg and Winslow have no common opponents, the Eagles defeated Montclair in the Battle at the Beach (21-0) on August 30th. Montclair lost to Ramapo (24-14) on September 28th and West Orange (33-14) on October 10th. Phillipsburg defeated West Orange on October 4th (21-14) and Ramapo on November 22nd (35-6).
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 – Winslow Township
- QB/P Jalen Parker
- RB/OLB Roman Duckett
- RB/FS Karon Ali
- WR/CB Nyqir Helto
- WR/CB Cameron Miller
- WR/FS Marcus Upton
- WR/CB/FS/P Nakeem Powell
- WR/CB Jayden Poteat
- WR/OLB TJ Maddox
- LB Ausar Heard
- DL Robert Carstarphen
- OLB/TE Benjamin Carter Jr.
- C/G/DT Cayden Gray
- LB Josiah Bullock
- DT/DE Malachi Brown
- K Rashad Emanuel
Additional Facts – Phillipsburg
Phillipsburg is only the second school in the brief history of the Big Central Conference to win a state semifinal/regional championship game. The first one was also from the BCC’s American Silver Division, Hillsborough in 2021.
Unfortunately, Hillsborough didn’t play in a state championship game. The NJSIAA didn’t implement a state final game in all groups until the following year in 2022. The Raiders also finished undefeated at 13-0. Phillipsburg has lost two games including a 17-14 overtime defeat to arch-rival Easton on Thanksgiving.
The Stateliners are the winningest high school football program in the state of New Jersey with 748 wins in its 120 year history. Phillipsburg has also been one of the most successful teams in the short tenure of the Big Central Conference. The Liners are 44-10 overall, 37-5 in conference, and 17-5 in divisional play since the formation of the BCC.
Two keys to Phillipsburg’s chances will be control of the line of scrimmage and the health of star wideout Matthew Scerbo Jr. In the loss to Easton, the Stateliners were outmatched on both sides of the line of scrimmage, which is rare for them. In order to stop Winslow’s potent offense and stout defense, Phillipsburg will need to do better.
Scerbo Jr. left the game against Easton in the third quarter with a concussion. If he can play and is 100 percent physically and mentally, that is a huge boost to Phillipsburg’s chances.
Additional Facts – Winslow Township
This is only the second time that a Winslow Township football team will be playing a school from the Big Central. Several years ago, the Eagles opened up the season with a clash against Woodbridge in the 2021 Battle at the Beach.
Although the game was moved to Camden Catholic High School due to torrential rains and flooding at Carey Field in Ocean City that weekend, Woodbridge was able to come away with a hard-fought, 26-14 win. The Eagles finished 9-4 under then head coach Kenneth Scott.
The following season, Bill Belton became the head coach at Winslow. Belton played football at Penn State, where he was a running back. Belton is a football alum at Winslow as well. He was the first player in the history of New Jersey high school football to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush over 1,000 yards for two consecutive seasons.
At Penn State, Belton played both running back and wide receiver. His best season was in 2013 when he rushed 157 times for 803 yards, or an average of 5.1 yards per carry. Belton added 158 receiving yards for a total of 1,036 all-purpose yards. The following year, he rushed for 526 yards and had 201 receiving yards as a senior to finish with 1,763 all-purpose yards.
Before becoming the head coach at Winslow, Belton served as offensive coordinator at the school. The 13-0 Eagles are to South Jersey Group 4 in 2024 what Mainland Regional was to Group 4 in 2023. In a word, dominant. Winslow tallied a total of 524 points on offense while yielding only 86 on defense.
Winslow won the Central Jersey Group 4 Championship in 2021 and 2023. The Eagles have made 12 playoff appearances, reached 3 sectional finals and won the title each time. Winslow lost to Mainland in the state semifinal last year.
BCG’s Prediction
Winslow is more balanced offensively and stout defensively entering this state championship game. The Eagles’ run-pass ratio is 54% to 46% in favor of the run. On the other hand, Phillipsburg enters the game with a run-pass ratio of 70% to 30% in favor of the run.
Winslow has given up an average of less than a touchdown and an extra point per game. The Eagles have only yielded 6.6 points per contest and recorded four shutouts. Meanwhile, Phillipsburg has given up almost twice that amount and has three shutouts on the season.
Phillipsburg will need to keep Winslow’s offense off the field as much as possible. The Eagles are averaging over 40 points per game, and over 200 yards passing per game. The Stateliners will need to avoid giving up the big play like it did against Bridgewater-Raritan in its regular season finale.
The Liners will also need to control the line of scrimmage and time of possession with its potent run game, which has averaged over 200 yards per game despite being shut down against Easton on Thanksgiving. Phillipsburg will have its hands full.
Weather could also be a factor. A storm system is approaching from the Great Lakes. Skies have already been clouding up during the afternoon, and there is a wintry weather feel taking shape outside. The Alberta Clipper will continue to move in during the evening, and there’s a chance of snow showers before 10 PM according to the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly.
Prediction: Winslow wins 28-17.
