10 Impact Players in Big Central Football Conference

The Big Central Football Conference launched in the 2020 football season. The Greater Middlesex Conference and Mid-State 38 Conference aligned to form the Big Central Football Conference featuring schools in numerous counties in the central part of the state. A ton of players have made strides and have posted major numbers despite the affect of the pandemic. Let’s take a look at 10 impact players in the Big Central Football Conference. <strong>Michael Miller, Somerville: </strong>Miller has been tremendous for undefeated Somerville and its high-octane offense. He has completed nearly 64 percent of his throws, and he leads the conference with 1,446 passing yards. Miller has thrown 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions, and he has found the end zone three times on the ground. Jaimen Bryant has been his top target with a conference-leading 30 receptions to go with 540 yards and nine scores. The Pioneers have looked unstoppable through six games, a lot of that due to Miller’s play, and with undefeated Woodbridge coming up in Week 7, Miller will need to continue his strong play for the Somerset County school to stay undefeated. <strong>Cookie Desiderio, Somerville: </strong>While Miller does the damage in the air, Desiderio takes the responsibility on the ground. The Somerville running back has been impossible to stop on his way to 1,213 yards and 20 touchdowns in six games. He is averaging 202.1 yards per game, and with his ability to fight for extra yardage and force his way past defenders, there is no simple solution to getting him on the ground. Desiderio’s top performances have come against Rahway where he ran for 301 yards on 32 carries with five scores, Warren Hills in a 293-yard, four-TD performance and Hunterdon Central in a 217-yard, four-score showing. Somerville has scored 41 or more points in every game thus far. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="27920" first="Ali" last="Lee Jr."], Woodbridge: </strong>The Woodbridge offense goes through Lee. While the Middlesex County team hasn’t given up a point since Oct. 23, Lee has been a force in the run game. He has run for 1,003 yards and 11 scores, with his biggest impact coming in a eye-opening 41-0 shutout win over Parsippany Hills where he ran for 264 yards on 25 carries and four TDs. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="27997" first="Charlie" last="Barth"], New Providence: </strong>If you’re looking for a two-way player who can make a difference, look no further than Barth. The experienced New Providence playmaker is second in the Big Central Football Conference in rushing with 1,186 yards and 16 TDs. He has reached over 200 yards four times. His impact on defense has been tremendous, too. Barth has a conference-leading 78 tackles, with 16 apiece in games against Roselle Park and Glen Rock. Barth has hit double-digit tackles in every game this season. <strong>Fatir Bell, Hillside: </strong>The Hillside senior has made a major impact in the Union County team’s 4-1 start. Receiving wise, Bell is second in the conference with 473 yards on 20 catches with six scores. The last two weeks have been particularly impressive. Bell has a combined nine receptions for 271 yards and four scores in wins over Johnson and Middlesex. Bell has been effective on defense as well, with interceptions against Roselle and Johnson, including a pick-six in the shutout win over Roselle. <strong>AJ Pena, Somerville: </strong>Pena, a veteran on the Somerville defense, has been tremendous with a conference-leading 10 sacks. That includes an incredible four sacks in a win over Old Tappan on Halloween. Pena has recorded in five of the team’s six games, and he has 33 tackles on the season. <strong>Khan-Yae Stevens, North Plainfield: </strong>Stevens has made an impact in a variety of ways for undefeated North Plainfield. He has scored a rushing TD, seven receiving TDs, a punt return for a TD and three of his five interceptions have went back for a TD. Stevens has often been in the right place at the right time. His five interceptions leads the conference, and his three interceptions returns came in three straight weeks in wins over Metuchen, Spotswood and South River. <strong>Thomas Amankwaa, Hillsborough: </strong>Amankwaa has been a top receiver in the conference with 453 yards on 20 receptions and four TDs. He has good hands and can get up to make a play. Amankwaa caught five balls for 92 yards and two scores in a close loss to Watchung Hills, and he’s coming off a six-reception, 212-yard performance against Ridge. <strong>Adam Elsais, North Plainfield: </strong>Elsais has 78 tackles on the year, which is tied for tops in the conference. The Canucks have proven to be a strong defensive unit, and Elsais has made a tremendous impact through six games. He has two forced fumbles and has recorded double-digit tackles in four of six games. The North Plainfield senior posted 18 tackles against St. Thomas Aquinas, 17 in a win over Middlesex, 16 against Spotswood and 13 most recently in a victory over West Milford. <strong>Jai Patel, South Brunswick: </strong>Patel is a national recruit out of South Brunswick as a kicker. He is 6-for-7 on field goals, with his longest being a 40-yarder, and he has been a perfect 21-for-21 on PATs. <strong>Honorable Mentions: Frankie Garbolino, North Brunswick; Caleb Salters, Hillside; [player_tooltip player_id="28054" first="Patrick" last="LePoidevin"], Bound Brook; [player_tooltip player_id="27957" first="Rashon" last="Bradford"], Rahway; Lucas Hudkins, Ridge; [player_tooltip player_id="27955" first="Matt" last="Quetel"], Phillipsburg; Mike Olivo, Ridge; Diante Wilson, Union; Aidan Governali, Voorhees; Derek Graichen, Brearley; [player_tooltip player_id="28034" first="Logan" last="Blake"], Delaware Valley</strong>