BR grid vs Piscastaway

Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s football team will focus on a “reset” when it seeks to rebound from its loss to Hillsborough High School on October 10.

And what better team to get back on track than none other than Bridgewater-Raritan’s old nemesis—Westfield High School.

Bridgewater-Raritan will place its 5-2 record and No.1 power-point ranking on the line when Westfield (3-4) visits Basilone Memorial Field on Friday, October 17. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

The game is the annual Senior Night, when the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Class of 2026 players will be recognized.

It was Westfield that defeated Bridgewater-Raritan in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 state playoff championship game in 2015, 2016,and 2017.

Since the 2014 state playoffs, Westfield has also defeated Bridgewater-Raritan three times in the opening round, including most recently in the first round of the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5 state playoffs in 2022.

“This is a big game and we want to have a reset,’’ Bridgewater-Raritan head coach DJ Catalano said on Monday, October 13. “We need to get back and play football as we know that we can.”

Coach Catalano and his staff have returned to the chalkboard on the heels of the 30-18 setback against Hillsborough on Friday, October 10.

He and his lieutenants are prepared for a Westfield team that will attempt to control the clock with a running game.

“They will try to attack us by running the football. We have to put them in third and long situations,” Coach Catalano said.

Westfield was also a victim of Hillsborough, which scored a 42-21 victory over the Union County school on October 4 in Westfield.

Elizabeth High School is the only other common opponent,

Bridgewater-Raritan defeated Elizabeth, 34-23, on Friday, October 3, in Bridgewater, while Elizabeth knocked off Westfield, 36-29, on Friday, September 12, in Elizabeth.

Westfield is coming off a 35-6 victory over North Brunswick High School on Friday, October 10, in North Brunswick.

A positive that came from Bridgewater-Raritan’s loss to Hillsborough was the return of senior quarterback Declan Kurdyla, who had been sidelined for two games due to a knee injury.

He completed 14 of his 29 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns against Hillsborough.

Kurdyla connected with Jack Cifuentes for a 48-yard TD and Evan Woodring for a 43-yard scoring pass.

Coach Catalano was pleased with the play of Cifuentes at tight end and linebacker, Miles Tofte at defensive end and Jack Madsen at linebacker in the loss at Hillsborough.

That defeat at Hillsborough, however, did not drop Bridgewater-Raritan from the No. 1 position in the North, Group 5 United Power Rankings, which determine the seedings for the state playoffs that will begin on Friday, October 31.