Borden resumes Big Central Football Conference tour

MyCentralJersey.com high school football analyst Marcus Borden resumes his 10th annual Camp Caravan tour of preseason practices of the Greater Middlesex Conference’s 24 members that are in the Big Central Football Conference, as well as several of the league’s other programs throughout the 10 divisions beginning next week.

In addition, Borden will be covering scrimmages of Middlesex schools and other select Big Central teams throughout the preseason.

During each Camp Caravan stop, Borden will conduct video interviews with coaches, top players, tweet photos and video of drill work and provide some commentary.

Borden’s WEEK ONE Camp Caravan schedule can be found below.

Follow Borden on Twitter @bordenfb4ever for live updates with video clips, photos and insight from all practice sessions and scrimmages.

MyCentralJersey.com football beat writer Andy Mendlowitz and Borden are preparing an exhaustive Middlesex County preview package, which will include:

  • Previews of all 24 teams
  • Preseason top 10 team rankings
  • Preseason features and news stories
  • A 2022 master week-by-week schedule
  • A look back at 2021 final statistical leaders
  • And more

In addition, Borden and Mendlowitz will unveil their preseason All-Middlesex offensive and defensive selections by position, and each will make his respective Week One Pigskin Picks in advance of September’s season-openers.

MyCentralJersey.com football beat writer Simeon Pincus will partner with venerable sportswriter Harry Frezza and Donovan Hugel to provide in-depth previews of all the Big Central’s Somerset, Hunterdon, Union and Warren county teams,

Mendlowitz, Pincus, Frezza and Borden will collaborate with their colleagues across USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey on several items including a preseason Big Central Top 15, statewide preseason team rankings, preseason All-State selections by position and more.

Follow Andy Mendlowitz on Twitter at @andy_mendlowitz for Middlesex County coverage and Simeon Pincus on Twitter at @SimeonPincus for Somerset, Hunterdon, Union and Warren county coverage all season long.

Borden’s Camp Caravan schedule, which will be updated weekly to include Middlesex and Big Central remaining schools, features:

  • Monday, Aug. 8 at Sayreville, 8 am
  • Monday, Aug 8 at Highland Park, 3 pm
  • Tuesday, Aug. 9 at North Brunswick, 9 am
  • Wednesday, Aug. 10 at Middlesex, 8 am
  • Wednesday, Aug. 10 at South Plainfield, 1 pm
  • Thursday, Aug. 11 at East Brunswick, 7:30 am
  • Thursday, Aug 11 at Monroe, 6:30 pm
  • Friday, Aug 12 at St Joseph, 9 am
  • Friday, Aug 12 at St. Thomas Aquinas, 3:30 pm
  • Saturday, Aug 13 at Metuchen, 9 am
  • PLEASE NOTE: SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

A member of the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Borden was the head football coach at East Brunswick High School from 1983-2012.

Marcus Borden

Past president of the New Jersey Football Coaches Association and of the Greater Middlesex Conference Football Coaches Association, Borden’s impact on the game transcended Middlesex County and is still felt statewide.

Borden’s biggest impact, however, is as founder and director of the Marisa Rose Bowl (formerly Snapple Bowl for 25 years and Autoland Classic for a year), a charity all-star high school football game that has raised more than $736,000 since its inception 28 years ago. The game now benefits the Marisa Tufaro Foundation which helps children in need.

For his community service and contributions to high school football statewide, Borden was honored and appeared on the cover of USA Weekend Magazine as the national publication’s Most Caring Coach in 2004 and received the American Football Coaches Association’s prestigious Power of Influence award that same year.

For 30 years as East Brunswick’s head coach, Borden compiled a 143-142-1 record and was named division and/or conference Coach of the Year seven times (1984, 1985, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2009). He was also named state coach of the year once.

Borden led East Brunswick to Group 4 state championships in 2004 and 2009. He won five Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division titles and his teams appeared in the NJSIAA playoffs nine times.

MyCentralJersey.com football analyst Marcus Borden

Borden created and co-directed the Greater Middlesex Conference Football Coaches Association’s College Night, which ran from 1991 through 2003.

Borden previously coached at Lehigh University (1978-81), from which he graduated and was a member of the school’s 1977 NCAA Division I-AA national championships team.

After retiring from coaching in 2013, Borden has since volunteered as an analyst and sideline reporter with MyCentralJersey.com, covering the sport in Central Jersey with the same vigor and passion as other journalists across the state.

He has also been recipient of the Bill Denny National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award, the John Bateman “Winners for Life” Award, the Gatorade Coaches Care Award, the Children’s Specialized Hospital Under the Umbrella Gala Honoree, the United Way of Central Jersey Hometown Hero Award and the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities Presidents Award.

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