After shocking Phillipsburg last Saturday night, Cranford makes the biggest move up in the NJ.com Top 20 wrestling rankings this week. Click through the slideshow to see how high the Courgars climbed.

A look at New Jersey's undefeated girls basketball teams through Sunday, Jan. 8.

The winner made the purchase a Monmouth County Quick Chek

A Monmouth County convenience store sold a Jersey Cash 5 ticket for Monday's drawing worth more than a half-million dollars.

The only jackpot-winning ticket for Monday's $561,789 drawing was sold at Quick Chek on Wilson Avenue in Englishtown, state lottery officials said Tuesday.

Monday's winning numbers were 11, 15, 29, 32 and 33.

The jackpot swelled after four straight drawings were held without any ticket sold across the state matching all five numbers.

The top prize for Tuesday's drawing resets to $75,000.

As for the large, multi-state drawings, Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is worth $126 million with a cash option of $76 million. Wednesday's Powerball jackpot is $106 million. It has a cash option of $64.9 million.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Police arrested four men and charged them in connection with the stabbing.

KEANSBURG -- Four Neptune Township teens have been charged after a brawl Friday left a 17-year-old stabbed in the back, police said.

Police responded to a report of a large fight at 4:26 p.m. at the corner of Highland and Center avenues and found a 17-year-old Keansburg resident with a stab wound, police Chief James Pigott said in a statement posted on Facebook.

The teen was taken to Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel. Pigott did not state his condition.

Police learned that four suspects fled in a vehicle following the stabbing. With the help of Holmdel police officers, the four suspects were arrested in Holmdel in the area of South Laurel Avenue and Takolusa Drive, Pigott said.

Officers recovered the weapon used in the stabbing, Pigott said. 

Devon Lewis, 18, Dymar Holland, 18, and two brothers, ages 15 and 17, were arrested. Police did not release the names of the brothers because they are under 18. All four are from Neptune Township.

They were each charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, endangering an injured victim, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault with a weapon.

Pigott said the 17-year-old who was stabbed used to live in Neptune and had an ongoing feud with the suspects. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Authorities say the driver was heading north in the southbound lanes of Route 9 in Marlboro

MARLBORO -- Three people were injured when a motorist driving on the wrong side of the road in Marlboro early Tuesday morning hit another car, sending debris flying into the path of another vehicle, authorities said.

The crash occurred 12:32 a.m. when a silver 2005 Toyota Highlander traveling north in the southbound lanes of Route 9 hit a 2016 black Volkswagen Jetta near the Manalapan border, said Marlboro police Capt. Fred Reck.

Reck identified the driver of the Highlander as Sergey Yelizarov, 23, of Manalapan. After being pulled from his sport utility vehicle, Yelizarov was taken to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, Reck said.

A female passenger in the front seat of the Highlander was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Reck said. Both suffered injuries that were not considered life threatening, he said.

The driver of the Jetta, Kenneth Madge Jr., 28, of Freehold Township, was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune with injuries that also were not considered life threatening, Reck said.

The impact of the crash sent debris flying into the northbound lanes of the highway, damaging a 2010 gray Hyundai Genesis.

Route 9 south was closed until nearly 6 a.m. at the Union Hill Road overpass while the investigation continued, Reck said.

He said charges are pending.

The accident is being investigated by Cpl. Kenneth Marrone of the Traffic and Safety Bureau. Anyone with information about the incident can call Marrone at 732-536-0304.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The driver got out of the car before it became fully engulfed in flames, authorities said Watch video

HOLMDEL -- Traffic was tied up on the Garden State Parkway on Tuesday afternoon in Holmdel after a car caught fire in the express lanes, authorities said.

Trooper Lawrence Peele, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police, said the car fire was in the southbound lanes at milepost 116 at 3:01 p.m.

The driver of the car, a 2000 BMW 528, pulled over to the left shoulder and was able to get out of the vehicle before it became fully engulfed in flames, Peele said.

The cause of the fire did not appear to be suspicious, he said.

The scene was cleared about an hour later, he said.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Between 100 and 200 residents were evacuated as a precaution, authorities said

ASBURY PARK -- Emergency personnel in Asbury Park evacuated a neighborhood in the city Tuesday night when workers struck a gas main, authorities said.

Contractors working in the area of Mattison Avenue and Langford Street hit a gas main, causing a "significant leak" around 7:39 p.m., said Officer Michael Casey, spokesman for the city police department.

Casey said no fires or injuries were reported, but police officers and city firefighters evacuated homes in the immediate area as a precaution. EMS buses were brought to the area to provide shelter and warmth for the displaced residents, who numbered between 100 and 200, he said.

Some residents were brought to police headquarters for shelter, he said.

By 9 p.m., the leak was still ongoing and New Jersey Natural Gas crews were working to make repairs but, Casey said, it was not immediately known when service would be restored and residents would be allowed to return to their homes.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

"In a certain moment, the right song can start a fire," Springsteen said Tuesday

WEST LONG BRANCH -- Through 90 minutes at Monmouth University -- a mere fraction of his typical stage sets -- Bruce Springsteen touched on his youthful days playing at the Upstage Club, writing "Born To Run" just down the street in Long Branch, and how he still doesn't know how to control much of anything in a recording studio. 

But The Boss's most telling response Tuesday night was not to the "intimate conversation" event moderator and Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli, but to a fan, who asked him of the importance of political activism in music moving forward. 

Though President-Elect Donald Trump was not mentioned, by the fan or Bruce, on the same night as President Obama delivered a poignant farewell speech on TV -- and walked offstage to Bruce's "Land of Hope and Dreams" -- Springsteen was candid, thoughtful and thorough when discussing his views on the cross between politics and popular music. Below is his full response from Pollak Theater in West Long Branch: 

"I don't know, has anybody ever had their mind changed by a song? I met one kid who said it did, but only one. So, I tend to believe music is important to activism in the sense that it stirs passion, it stirs interest, it stirs curiosity, it moves you to question your own beliefs, it strikes straight to your emotions. And it stirs you up inside. After you've heard it, I think it marinates inside of you, and ends up coming out in your own energy.

There's a more basic way that if you listen to 'If I Had A Hammer' or 'Where Have All The Flowers Dawn,' these are things that are directly aimed at socially, politically conscious people and are important in the same way hymns are important in church. I think they play ... it makes us strong -- stronger in our beliefs. And in a certain moment, the right song can start a fire.

I wrote '41 Shots (American Skin)' and it successfully pissed people off for a while, I ran into people who didn't like me very much. Then there were some people who really liked what I did a lot. So, (music) can stir the pot. It can bring ideas to the fore, and it can create dialogue and conversation and create argument out of which hopefully comes some sort of small resolution of events.

It also documents things, it's historical in nature. If you go back to the great folk music of the '60s, or Woody Guthrie's music, not only is it beautiful but it's a document of events and how people fought and felt and experienced things at that time, it's very important to the way that we think and experience things, and if you read music from the '30s, Guthrie's music, and you can apply it today to many, many injustices -- injustice is injustice.

Bruce Springsteen in conversation with Bob Santelli, Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum at Monmouth University's Pollak Theatre Tuesday night. (Danny Clinch)  

Those things resonate down through the years and they keep people alive. The keep the singers' voices alive, they keep people like Joe Hill alive, they keep Martin Luther King alive, Malcolm X alive. Songs do have the capacity to translate and to communicate, and to sustain and serve. So I have a deep belief in pop music as a political force, is the best way I can answer that question."

Springsteen, 67, has been increasingly open in his criticism of Trump, telling Rolling Stone in September: "The republic is under siege by a moron. It's a tragedy for our democracy." Springsteen supported Hillary Clinton and performed at her rally in Philadelphia the night before the Nov. 8 election.

"The choice tomorrow couldn't be any clearer," he said.  

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Everything from the Upstage Club to his faith to political activism was on the table

WEST LONG BRANCH -- Perched in a blue leather armchair on an auditorium stage, Bruce Springsteen was candid, thoughtful, quick to joke and full of rock n' roll tales Tuesday night at Monmouth University, in an intimate "conversation" event.

The Boss spoke for 90 minutes, mostly with moderator and Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli, a Point Pleasant native who has edited several Bruce-centric books. The talk covered a large swath of his 45-year career, from his humble beginnings in Steel Mill, to detail on his upcoming album -- unfortunately, he gave no detail.

But the night's sold-out chat -- empty seats around Pollak Theater said otherwise -- came with some fresh news, that Springsteen has partnered with the University to launch the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, making the school the official archival repository for Springsteen's written works. The Springsteen Collection, opened Nov. 1, is already on campus and features more than 14,000 documents from his career.

Though the night was largely centered on Springsteen's musings, spurred by Santelli's questions and later inquiries from audience members.

Here are the 12 most telling, insightful -- or funniest -- quotes from the evening. 

BRUCE'S BEST QUOTES

On his and his music's intrinsic New Jersey identity:

"I just read an article in the newspaper that says that New Jersey remains the No. 1 state that people move away from! (laughs) After all my hard work ... but I made my living writing about moving away from New Jersey, so maybe that has something to do with it." 

On the origin of his "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J." album's postcard cover, a departure from Columbia Records' attempt to make him the "new Bob Dylan" --  but from New York City: 

"I was wary of that particular approach, so literally I was walking down the boardwalk in Asbury, and the postcard was there on a postcard stand, and I pulled it out. And I said, 'Yeah, I'm from New Jersey. Who's from New Jersey? Nobody. It's all mine."   

On his faith, and how it still fits into his songwriting today:

"I was raised Catholic, and it informed by writing very deeply, and it continues to this day. There's simply nothing I can do about it. When I go to the creative well, many of the images and stories and the parables and the myths come up from inside me. I'm not very religious today, but if I see a priest, there's a glint in the two of our eyes (laughs).

On the intersection of music and political activism and what it means going forward: 

"I tend to believe music is important to activism in the sense that it stirs passion, it stirs interest, it stirs curiosity, it moves you to question your own beliefs, it strikes straight to you emotions. And it stirs you up inside. After you've heard it, I think it marinates inside of you, and ends up coming out in your own energy. ... I have a deep belief in pop music as a political force." 

On Steel Mill, his predecessor group to The E Street Band, failing in San Francisco, after success at the Jersey Shore: 

"We thought we were big shots ... I had to get used to seeing people who were better than I was, and up until that time, locally I had really seen people who were better than I was (crowd laughs). So it came as a terrible shock!" 

And on the return journey, riding in the bed of a pickup truck on frigid nights, and knowing he needed to move on: 

"By the time I had defrosted my balls, I decided I was going to have another band." (laughs)

On the Upstage Club, a second-floor jam room in Asbury Park where Springsteen met many E Street members and rocked 'til dawn: 

"It was an unusual place ... the best musicians of the area ended up there, I don't know of another place like it anywhere in the country, that you could be 18, could be in there 5 a.m., and it was a fantastic place to network with other musicians and play with people from a lot of different backgrounds." 

On putting together the E Street Band in early-'70s Asbury Park, after race riots sunk the town's economy:

"(The economy) went down the tubes, but it made room for some things. (Asbury) was a bit of an open city. There were gay bars, the Upstage was still there, and you had a little more elbow room than in neighboring towns. So, many of the musicians were still there."

On handling his first bouts of fame, and appearing on Time magazine in 1975: 

"I had a big ego. I thought I was a complete phony, but of course I also thought I was the greatest thing you'd ever seen. The trick is you have to keep those two ideas in your mind at the same time." 

On the development of The E Street Band as a "family band": 

"I was building something, I wanted it to feel mythic. The way it wad James Brown and The Flames. Who were The Flames? These must be the people who hang out with James. Or Buddy Holly and the Crickets, those must be Buddy Holly's best pals. All of those bands with the "and" intrigued me because it was more than just the main protagonist, there was a community suggested."

On which '80s album -- "The River," "Nebraska" or "Born To Run" -- was most impressive.

"I always roll with 'Nebraska,' personally." *Though Springsteen made sure not to exclude his last '80s LP "Tunnel Of Love," which he called "very important," with great writing focus.  

On his creative process in 2017, and how he wrote after he had children:  

"You learn how to work very differently. (The children) have schedules ... you learn how to work around other people. You lose some of the artists' thing of being up in the middle of the night, it's 5 a.m., I don't care what time it is -- I'm the only person in the world. But you learn how to integrate yourself and find real life, and then your work life fits into that. Now I can write almost anywhere." 

On tips for Monmouth University students learning about recording music" 

"To this day I know next to nothing about the recording studio ... I've hired people who really know their s--t." 

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Jon and Tracey Stewart plan to open a working farm and animal sanctuary on a 45-acre farm in Colts Neck.

COLTS NECK - When Tracey Stewart finished giving her testimony in front of the township's planning board Tuesday night about the animal sanctuary and farm education center she hopes to open, none of the board members had any follow-up questions.

Her husband, actor and comedian Jon Stewart, however, couldn't resist. 

"I'd like to know how much this is going to cost me," the former host of 'The Daily Show' joked.

Nearly two hours later, the Stewarts' application for preliminary major site plan approval for the 45-acre Hockhockson Farm was unanimously approved by the planning board.

The culmination of the lengthy application process - which at least one board member told them after the meeting took longer than it should have - brought tears to Tracey Stewart's eye.

She said she was more excited about the future rather than being concerned about the past.

"It's one of those things like where after you give birth you forget about the pain. So right now I'm feeling really good and positive," she told NJ Advance Media.

While the approval process did take time, Jon Stewart praised the township's officials for being "great partners and collaborators" in the project.

"I'm just really pleased, not just with the outcome but also with the process of creating a project that would be amenable to what they do, but would still honor the spirit of the project," he said. "I thought the process itself was approached in a way in that really gave us great comfort in the investment of time and money we were making into the community."

Tracey Stewart, who is a best-selling author and animal activist, said the farm would grow crops as well as care for several rescued farm animals, including cows, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens.

The farm will host tours and educational programs - teaching about sustainable agriculture and animal care - for the public and schools on a reservation and invitation basis.

"As of tonight, we can finally give people an idea of when we will open, which is 2018," Tracey Stewart said. "And we can really get to work now and start hiring people and start making this a reality."

The Stewarts reportedly paid $4 million for the historic Hockhockson Farm on Route 537 east of Normandy Road in 2016. They initially planned to turn their Middletown farm into the sanctuary but shifted plans to the Colts Neck property. 

According to its Zillow.com listing, the 45-acre property features a circa 1777 manor home with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus two 2-bedroom cottages, a pool, pond, equine facility and arena, six barns, five pastures, five paddocks, and a farmstand area. The same family owned the home more than 200 years.

The Stewarts received permission from the board to host twice-monthly nighttime educational programs for 50 to 100 people, as well as up to six special events or fundraisers for 200 to 250 people annually.

However, in order to appease neighbors concerned about noise from those events, the couple agreed to host no more than four of those special events in a year. They also agreed to several requests from the planning board in order to help the application move forward.

"So much of the project is about community. So you want to the community that you are invested in to want you to be there and to be invested in it as well," Jon Stewart said. "You want it to be mutual love, not unrequited love."

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

NJ.com introduces the top 15 wrestlers in its pound-for-pound toughest wrestlers in N.J. rankings.

Which N.J. girls basketball players have reached milestones this season?

Police said two Ocean Township residents conspired to rob an Asbury Park resident outside an apartment complex.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP -- Two township residents, including a teenager, are accused of luring an Asbury Park resident to an apartment complex to rob him with an airsoft gun.

At around 7 p.m. Tuesday, a 22-year-old Asbury Park man, who police did not identify, went to the Middlebrook at Monmouth apartment complex to meet a friend, Ocean police Detective Lieutenant Timothy Torchia said in a statement.

As the man was waiting outside, he was confronted by another man who flashed a handgun and demanded the victim give him his backpack, cell phone and cash, Torchia said.

The robber ran away after the victim gave him the items, Torchia said. The victim then went to a relative's apartment in the complex and called police.

Local police and a K-9 unit from Deal searched the area but could not find the robbery suspect, Torchia said.

Detectives then learned that a 17-year-old Ocean Township woman who knew the victim conspired with a 20-year-old man, identified as township resident Royal Moore, to rob the man at the apartment complex, according to Torchia.

Police believe the weapon used in the robbery was an airsoft gun.

This is not Moore's first brush with the law. In March, he was accused of drunken driving and drug charges after he crashed into a parked car on Wickapecko Drive.

Moore now faces charges of robbery, possession of a handgun and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose. The 17-year-old woman was charged with conspiracy to commit a robbery and was released by police pending a juvenile hearing in family court.

Moore was taken to the Monmouth County jail. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

One resident was hospitalized following the blaze, police said.

TINTON FALLS -- A borough resident was hospitalized Tuesday after a fire ripped through her condo, police said.

The resident, a 63-year-old woman, made it out of her Karen Drive condo unit before it was severely damaged in the blaze, but was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment, Tinton Falls police Capt. David Scrivanic said in an email.

Scrivanic did not say how serious the woman's injuries were, or if she's still in the hospital.

Another resident of the condo, a 59-year-old man, was also present at the time of the fire and made it out safely, Scrivanic said. He did not receive any medical attention, the captain said.

The morning fire, which forced the evacuation of neighboring residences, was caused by a lit cigarette left on the back patio, Scrivanic said.

The fire prompted a large response from firefighters in Tinton Falls, Wayside, Asbury Park, Oakhurst, Wanamassa and Wall Township.

Photos of the blaze posted on Facebook by Wayside Fire and Rescue show flames shooting from the rear of the structure and a gaping hole in a room near the back porch. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

We've all enjoyed what winter has to offer at some point in our lives.

I have been going through photos for these galleries for a long time and it only now has occurred to me what makes vintage winter photos particularly special.

Look at pictures from other times of the year and you'll see people involved in a multitude of different activities in a variety of places with an equally diverse number of "toys."

Samuel Leeds Allen of Cinnaminson invented and patented the Flexible Flyer sled in 1889.Courtesy of Distejon 

But with the snow scene photos, there is a certain commonality; snow delivers a quiet sameness regardless of the locale.

People building a snowman? Looks pretty much the same everywhere. Sledding? Well, other than the fact that it's called sleigh riding in north Jersey, it looks the same.

Ice skating, shoveling, whatever activity goes with snow and ice, anyone looking at these photos would have little difficulty placing themselves in the picture. And, so many experiences were shared; plastic bags in boots to try to keep feet warm, adapting to fingerless mittens or the snow caked on winter clothes at the end of the day

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

In fact, we want to see you in your photos and hear from you as well. What was the best sledding hill in your town? Best lake or pond for ice skating? If you have photos taken before 1987, attach them as .jpgs and send them to the email address shown below, and we'll use them in the Part Two of this gallery next month.

Here's a gallery of vintage photos of wintertime in New Jersey. Want more? Click here and here for a couple of galleries from previous years.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

The girls basketball NJ.com Top 20 for Jan. 12

Two of New Jersey's all-time greats will try to help their teams win when Penn State hosts Rutgers Friday.

There are 21 wrestlers with ties to New Jersey in the NCAA rankings but only two are undefeated, four-time state champions.

Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano will always be linked by their unblemished high school careers, but for the first time in their collegiate careers, the two will be on opposite sides of the mat when Rutgers takes on Penn State Friday in State College, Pennsylvania. 

SLIDESHOW: N.J.'s nationally ranked NCAA wrestlers

While the duo never has and most likely never will square off individually, Ashnault's South Plainfield team defeated Bergen Catholic in the 2012-2013 season. At the time, Suriano was a freshman at Bergen Catholic. 

Suriano, now a true freshman at Penn State, is one of N.J.'s highest-ranked collegiate wrestlers, checking in at No. 3 at 125 while Ashnault, a redshirt junior, is ranked sixth at 141. 

How about the other 19? Check out the slideshow above to find to find out who they are, where they landed and whether or not they moved up or down in this week's rankings. 

Pat Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatLanniHS. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.

Who are the most highly-recruited football prospects in New Jersey as we move into the 2018 recruiting cycle? Find out inside.

NJ Advance Media presents the Jan. 12 update of the NJ.com Top 50, a ranking of the top 50 high school football recruits in New Jersey. Although the list encompasses the state's most highly-recruited prospects, grades 9 through 12, it is not specifically a list of the state’s top players, as that distinction is better reflected in our all-state and all-group teams, released in December of each year.

With so many talented players competing for just 50 slots, there is always a ton of competition for each and every spot. There is usually a good amount of movement in the year-end installation as on-field production and achievements play a factor in separating recruits clumped together throughout certain areas of the list, as well as breaking ties.

See below for a complete explanation of how we derived our selections. And click through the gallery above for updated photos of members of the NJ.com Top 50.

Breaking down the top 5

It's a senior affair as upperclassmen boast the top five spots in the 2016-17 season-ending NJ.com Top 50. This is the last hurrah for the 2017 class as they will be removed from the list moving forward, allowing the state's top underclassmen to fill the void vacated by college football's soon-to-be freshmen.

But the following seniors have truly left their mark and established themselves as a handful of the country's truly elite recruits.

Micah Clark — a 6-5, 270-pound four-star offensive tackle — led St. John Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.) the to a 10-1 record and berth in the Non-public Group 3 semifinals, where the Lancers fell to N.J.'s eventual team of the year, the St. Joseph (Mont.) Green Knights.

Clark set a firm edge, protecting both a pro-style and a dual-threat quarterback and pancaking opposition from his right tackle post throughout his senior campaign. He also displayed versatility in his situational defensive tackle role, accumulating 49 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles, while drawing double and triple teams, allowing fellow defenders to make plays.

His contributions earned him a first-team all-state selection and the distinction of the Shore's top offensive lineman. But best of all, it enabled him retain the top spot in the NJ.com Top 50, despite a number of strong performances by elite company throughout the state.

Also an explosive volleyball player, Clark went from the gridiron to the wrestling mat, although forced to cut short his season — currently 5-1 — as he's already signed his Big Ten letter and will ascend to Rutgers on Jan. 15 as an early enrollee.

"It's a dream come true just to see everyone support me through this process. I couldn't have asked for a better family than my SJV family and my own family and everyone coming out to support me," Clark said. "Just going to Rutgers on constant visits, getting a feel for the coaches and the players and really getting to connect with them and building that family bond. And with the fans of Rutgers, they really did it, too."

Paramus (N.J.) Catholic linebacker Drew Singleton — the state's top player two quarters ago — held on to the No. 2 spot despite missing all but one game in 2016 due to a torn ACL. But instead of holding his head, the four-star Michigan commit flourished in his leadership role and showed great determination to return to the field prior to the season's end. Although he'd never again play an active on-field role for the Paladins, the inspiration he provided played a role in PC attaining the 2016 Non-public Group 4 crown — defeating St. Peter's Prep 33-28 in the final — just one season after the team missed the playoffs altogether.

Meanwhile, The Hun's (Princeton, N.J.) Fred Hansard whipped himself back into shape and barely left the field in 2016. Now standing 6-3 and 305-pounds, the disruptive defensive tackle returned to his dominant ways after playing valiantly through injury as junior. Hansard accumulated 51 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries en rout to his third consecutive first-team All-Mid Atlantic Prep League selection, third consecutive MAPL title and second straight undefeated season. Also a Times of Trenton all-defense selection, Hansard further showcased his athleticism by running for a touchdown against rival Peddie School. Hansard, who flipped from Florida to Penn State since the last top 50 reshuffle, was also voted MAPL Defensive Player of the Year.

Cedar Creek's (Egg Harbor City, N.J.) Bo Melton fought through an injury-plagued start to the season to produce one of the stronger finishes the state has seen from a skill player over the years. The four-star and first-team all-state selection will leave for Rutgers this summer, coming off a campaign in which he led his team to a 10-2 record and  South Group 2 finals berth, where his team fell to West Deptford, 19-13. In 2016, the 6-1, 185-pounder caught 51 passes for 766 yards and nine receiving TDs to go along with 451 rushing yard and seven scores on the ground, leaving a strong legacy at Creek, which just began its program in 2011.

Rounding out the top five is 6-3, 205-pound athlete Markquese Bell who recently committed to Maryland during the 2017 Under Armour All-American game (which he participated in). After choosing to remain at Bridgeton his senior year, despite having an offer to transfer to IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Bell ended up a second-team all-state selection in 2016, accumulating 885 rushing yards and 7 rushing TDs, 210 passing yards and two passing TDs (5 INTs), 44 receiving yards, 76 tackles (three for loss), two INTs, one forced fumble, three pass break-ups and a 96-yard kickoff return TD in 10 games in which the Bulldogs went 2-8. Bell projects to a number of positions on bot sides of the ball, and although a bit raw, projects to play on Sundays.

Breakdown by position

There are six quarterbacks, four running backs, eight wide receivers, no tight ends, nine offensive linemen, nine defensive linemen, seven linebackers, six defensive backs and one athlete on the list.

FBS breakdown

There are 29 players on the list currently committed to FBS schools. The Big Ten leads the way with 16 players committed to schools within the conference.

From the collegiate level, Rutgers leads the way with the most selections overall, as 10 players on the list have committed to the school. Penn State, Pitt and Boston College boast three commitments, apiece. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has two commitments in the Ademilola twins.

High school breakdown

St. Peter's Prep and Peddie School lead the way with five selections apiece, while St. Joseph (Mont.) has four. And Don Bosco Prep has three, while Bergen Catholic, Paramus Catholic, Cedar Creek and Mater Dei boast two, apiece.

Class breakdown

The list is composed of 32 seniors, 16 juniors and two sophomores.

The next 10 (in no particular order)...

PG-Sr. T.J. Rayam, DT, Peddie; Sr. Marcus Valdez, DE, Don Bosco; Sr. Zach Feagles, P, Ridgewood; Jr. Elijah McAllister, TE, Rumson-Fair Haven; Jr. Vinny DePalma, LB, DePaul; Jr. Evan Stewart, S, St. Joseph (Mont.);  Jr. Tajadin Harris, WR, Palmyra; Jr. Matt Alaimo, TE, St. Joseph (Mont.); So. Joshua McKenzie, RB, Bergen Catholic; Fr. Jalen Berger, RB, Don Bosco

Honorable mention

PG Sr. Ryan Van DeMark, OT, The Hun; Sr. Liam Fornadel, OL, Don Bosco; Sr. Pete Nestrowitz, OL, Paramus Catholic; Sr. Javon Turner, WR, Paramus Catholic; Sr. Brendan Devera, LB, Wayne Hills; Sr. Jordan Scott, ATH, St. Joseph (Mont.); Sr. Devin Miller, TE, Metuchen; Sr. Rob Saulin, DL, Pennsville; Sr. Naijee Jones, CB, Timber Creek; Sr. Justin Davidovicz, K, Bridgewater-Raritan; Sr. Tony Brown, Jr., LB, Timber Creek; Sr. Chris DiTommaso, DT, Ramapo; Sr. Owen Kessler, DE, Westfield; Sr. Ja'Sir Taylor, ATH, Brick Township; Sr. Edward Isaiah Wingfield, WR, Lawrenceville; Sr. Chris Chukwuneke, RB, St. John Vianney; Sr. Elijah Barnwell, RB, Piscataway; Sr. L'Jeron Holder, WR, Manalapan; Sr. Tyler Parsons, CB, Woodrow Wilson; Sr. Jelani McCargo, LB, Woodrow Wilson; Sr. Jamaal Beaty, OL, St. John Vianney; Sr. Ryan Dickens, LB, Raritan; Sr. Jadan Blue, WR, Peddie; Sr.; Sr. Tyler Hayek, WR, Wayne Hills; Sr. J.P. Roane, WR, Deptford Township; Sr. Mike Ruane, LB, Rumson Fair-Haven; Jr. Lancine Turay, DL/OL, Irvington; Jr. Nick Dennuci, LB, Pope John; Jr. Evan Lovell, OG, Peddie; Jr. Clayton Scott, RB, Millville; Jr. Jackson Parham, WR, Hillsborough; Jr. Henry Pearson, TE, Paramus Catholic; Jr. Bartek Rybka, DT, Paramus Catholic; Jr. George Pearson, QB, Mater Dei (Middletown, N.J.); Jr. Kevin Brennan, ATH, Don Bosco; Jr. Shelton Applewhite, ATH, DePaul; Jr. Daniel Webb, ATH, Montclair; So. Rahmir Johnson, RB, Bergen Catholic ; So. Nyquee Hawkins, DB, Orange; So. Stanley King, TE, Woodrow Wilson

Scroll up for the Top 50 chart.

Methodology

The NJ.com Top 50 rankings take into consideration collegiate potential as reflected in FBS (formerly known as Division 1A) scholarship offers, the number and caliber of interested schools and prospect's potential at the highest level of competition. Hence, participants must have at least one FBS offer (better known as Division 1A) to qualify for the list.

Updates to the order of the list are made quarterly, each placing weight on different factors most relevant at the time of the update.

The final update representing the 2016-17 season (this one ) occurs following the football season, where individual and team success some of the top prospects in the state have attained on the gridiron plays a but more of a factor than in other updates.

The first update of the 2018 recruiting cycle occurs a couple months after National Signing Day (around April), and is a preliminary list of the top projected recruits in the state, following the departure of its top seniors.

The next update occurs at the conclusion of the spring evaluation period and is based on the caliber of recruiting attention and offers prospects receive, as well as off-season performances — the volume of camps and combines attended and outcome of those events.

The next succeeding update occurs at the conclusion of summer, as the high school football season commences. Most of the weight for this list is placed on the players’ accomplishments throughout the entire off-season – the offers they receive, camp/combine results and the overall improvements they've made leading into the season.

Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TodderickHunt. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.

Which teams are still undefeated?

New Jersey's high school graduation rate improved again in 2016. See how your school or district compares to the state's best.

TRENTON -- New Jersey's high school graduation rate improved again in 2016, despite a graduation scare in the wake of new requirements for standardized testing. 

Statewide, 90.1 percent of students graduated within four years, a slight increase over the 89.7 percent graduation rate for the Class of 2015. New Jersey has improved its graduation rate every year since 2011, when 83 percent of students graduated, the state Department of Education said. 

"We commend the efforts of our students and educators in achieving this tremendous accomplishment," acting Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington said.

Click here to use the search tool to find the graduation rate in any public high school, charter school or school district and compare it to others across the state.

County vocational schools with selective enrollment or special academies for a school district's top students posted some of the state's highest graduation rates, including more than a dozen schools with 100 percent.

The Class of 2016 was the first to graduate under new requirements for standardized testing. Students were asked to prove their proficiency in English and math on the new PARCC exams or through a variety of other tests, including the SAT and ACT.

Dismal passing rates on the computerized PARCC tests left some seniors scrambling to take alternative tests during the second half of their senior year to prove they were ready to graduate. By the end of the year, 91 percent of graduating seniors used at least one test other than PARCC to meet the state graduation requirements, in some cases because they weren't enrolled in a course that required a PARCC test. 

Future high school students, beginning with current eighth graders, will be required to pass PARCC, fueling concern that many students may miss the mark. 

The new requirements will "more honestly demonstrate a graduate's preparedness for college, career and community experiences beyond high school," Harrington said. 

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Carla Astudillo may be reached at castudillo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @carla_astudi. Find her on Facebook.