Football rankings: Big Central Conference Top 15, through Week 2

(Records in parenthesis)

1. Phillipsburg (2-0) – last week ranked No. 1 -- Phillipsburg used a mixture of flash and power to defeat Ridge 21-14 for the eighth-straight time, showcasing an old-school hook and lateral for a score on the last play of the first half. The Stateliners travel to North Hunterdon (0-3) on Thursday. P’Burg won last year’s meeting 48-21.

2. St. Thomas Aquinas (3-0) – last week ranked No. 2 – The Trojans continued to roll with a 35-0 win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood for their second-straight shutout. St. Thomas Aquinas, which has outscored opponents 118-7, travels to Summit (2-0) on Friday after winning 19-6 last season.

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3. Ridge (1-1) – last week ranked No. 3 -- The Red Devils posted a great effort against No. 1 Phillipsburg, but the Ridge hex continued against the Stateliners in the 21-14 loss. Ridge plays host to Hillsborough (3-0) on Thursday. The Raiders won last season, 21-11.

4. Hillsborough (3-0) – last week ranked No. 4 -- The Raiders led 7-0 at halftime and held on in a second-half shootout to top Bridgewater-Raritan 29-21. Big meeting at Ridge (2-1) on tap for Thursday. Boro won 21-11 last year.

5. North Brunswick (2-0) – last week ranked No. 5 – North Brunswick surged in the second half Friday, turning an 8-8 tie at intermission into a 23-16 win. The Raiders travel to Old Bridge on Thursday after winning 33-7 last season.

6. Bernards (3-0) –– last week ranked No. 6 -- The Mountaineers had their way with South River on Friday night, opening their BCC Patriot Gold schedule with a 42-7 victory. Bernards welcomes Voorhees (1-2) Thursday night, a team it has beaten four straight times, including 35-0 last year.

7. Montgomery (3-0) – last week ranked No. 7 -- The Cougars outlasted upstart Plainfield 23-14 last weekend, a key victory in the Liberty Silver race. Montgomery heads to Somerville on Friday night for its biggest test to date. The Cougars won 27-21 last year.

8. Hillside (1-1) –last week ranked No. 8 – The Comets rolled over Metuchen last weekend, shaking off an opening-week loss, and head to Roselle (0-2) on Friday, a team they beat 28-0 last year.

9. Watchung Hills (3-0) – last week ranked No. 10 -- The Warriors’ scheduled home game last Friday was moved to North Hunterdon on two hours notice, when lightning delays made it impossible to play at lightless Tozier Field. Watchung Hills won the game, 49-6, and will look to keep it going Thursday at Morris Knolls (1-1), a rematch of a game the Warriors lost 14-10 last year.

10. Sayreville (2-1) – last week ranked No. 11 -- The Bombers rebounded nicely from a loss to No. 1 Phillipsburg in Week 1 with a 55-0 win over New Brunswick this weekend. Sayreville travels to Edison (1-2) on Thursday, a rematch of last year’s meeting, won 14-6 by the Bombers.

11. Colonia (2-1) –– last week ranked No. 13 – The Patriots notched their second straight win, 49-6 over Woodbridge rival J.F. Kennedy, behind Jaeden Jones’s 204 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Colonia travels to Linden on Friday. The Pats won 28-25 last season.

12. Somerville (2-0) - last week No. 15 – The Pioneers scored their most impressive win of the year, 28-20 over St. Joseph-Metuchen in a game that featured a two-hour weather delay at halftime. Somerville looks to keep it going with a huge test this weekend, Friday night at home against Montgomery (3-0). The Cougars won last year’s meeting, 27-21.

13. Hunterdon Central (3-0) – last week not ranked – The Red Devils move into the Top 10 for the first time, fresh off a 21-14 topping of Elizabeth on Friday night. Central’s got another tough matchup on tap Thursday at Bridgewater-Raritan, which won last year’s get together, 14-7.

14. Summit (2-0) – last week not ranked—The Hilltoppers enter the Top 15 coming off a decisive 46-13 road thrashing of Cranford last Friday night. Summit, which beat Woodbridge 46-36 in its opener, will play host to second-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday, looking to avenge last year’s 19-6 loss.

15. Cranford (1-1) – last week ranked No. 9 -- The Cougars were blindsided by Summit at home last weekend, losing 46-13, and will look to shake it off this week, as Woodbridge (2-1) comes to town. Cranford won last year’s meeting, 35-28.

ALSO RECEIVING CONSIDERATION: Carteret (3-0), Union (2-1)

DROPPED OUT: Westfield (0-2), St. Joseph (1-1).

Simeon Pincus has been covering New Jersey sports since 1997. He can be reached at SPincus@GannettNJ.com. Follow him on Twitter @SimeonPincus

Andy Mendlowitz can be reached at AMendlowitz@GannettNJ.com. Follow him on Twitter @Andy_Mendlowitz

BIG CENTRAL CONFERENCE WEEK 3 SCHEDULE

Thursday, Sept. 14

A. L. Johnson at Metuchen, 2 p.m.

Watchung Hills at Morris Knolls, 3:30 p.m.

Elizabeth at Westfield, 4 p.m.

J.P. Stevens at Governor Livingston, 4 p.m.

Phillipsburg at North Hunterdon, 6 p.m.

Piscataway at Monroe, 6 p.m.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood at Rahway, 6 p.m.

East Brunswick at South Brunswick, 6:30 p.m.

Dayton at Manville, 7 p.m.

Delaware Valley at New Providence, 7 p.m.

Hillsborough at Ridge, 7 p.m.

Hunterdon Central at Bridgewater-Raritan, 7 p.m.

North Brunswick at Old Bridge, 7 p.m.

North Plainfield at South Plainfield, 7 p.m.

Sayreville at Edison, 7 p.m.

Voorhees at Bernards, 7 p.m.

Woodbridge at Cranford, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 15

St. Thomas Aquinas at Summit, 4 p.m.

Brearley at Roselle Park, 6 p.m.

Colonia at Linden, 6 p.m.

Perth Amboy at J.F. Kennedy, 6 p.m.

Dunellen at Belvidere, 7 p.m.

Montgomery at Somerville, 7 p.m.

South Hunterdon at Middlesex, 7 p.m.

South River at Bound Brook, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 16

Carteret at Plainfield, 1 p.m.

Highland Park at Spotswood, 1 p.m.

Hillside at Roselle, 1 p.m.

Union at St. Joseph-Metuchen, 1 p.m.

New Brunswick at Franklin, 4 p.m.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Football rankings: Big Central Conference Top 15, through Week 2