Football: Public playoff brackets with one week left in regular season
There’s one week left in the New Jersey high school football season for public-school teams, but the playoff picture is becoming clear.
Below is a complete look at what the public school brackets would look like if the season ended today. The brackets are determined by the United Power Rankings, a formula that combines power points and opponents’ strength index.
There are 32 teams that make the playoffs in each of the five groups. Those 32 are made up of the top 16 in each half of the state.
The top 16 teams in the North are “snaked” into either North 1 or North 2, while the top 16 teams in the South are “snaked” into either Central or South. So, teams currently listed in North 1 may end up in North 2 when the official brackets come out, and vice versa. Same with teams currently listed in Central or South.
The season concludes with the North champions playing Central/South champions in five state championship games in the days following Thanksgiving.
North 1, Group 1
(8) Belvidere at (1) Butler
(5) Boonton at (4) Glen Ridge
(6) Mountain Lakes at (3) New Providence
(7) Lenape Valley (2) New Milford
North 2, Group 1
(8) Weehawken at (1) Cedar Grove
(5) Pompton Lakes at (4) Wood-Ridge
(6) Park Ridge at (3) Verona
(7) Wallkill Valley at (2) Hasbrouck Heights
Central Group 1
(8) Clayton at (1) Woodstown
(5) Pennsville at (4) Riverside
(6) Woodbury at (3) Haddon Township
(7) Point Pleasant Beach at (2) Shore
South Group 1
(8) Audubon at (1) Glassboro
(5) Burlington City at (4) Middlesex
(6) New Egypt at (3) Schalick
(7) Manville at (2) Paulsboro
North 1, Group 2
(8) Lakeland at (1) Glen Rock
(5) Newton at (4) Becton
(6) Waldwick/Midland Park at (3) Ramsey
(7) Rutherford at (2) Hanover Park
North 2, Group 2
(8) Shabazz at (1) Westwood
(5) Caldwell at (4) Pequannock
(6) Madison at (3) High Point
(7) Lyndhurst at (2) Bernards
Central Group 2
(8) Gloucester City at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven
(5) Delaware Valley at (4) Willingboro
(6) Hillside at (3) Haddonfield
(7) West Deptford at (2) Wall
South Group 2
(8) Spotswood at (1) Camden
(5) Delran at (4) Johnson
(6) Metuchen at (3) Manchester Township
(7) Middle Township at (2) Point Pleasant Borough
North 1, Group 3
(8) Dwight Morrow at (1) Old Tappan
(5) Summit at (4) Passaic Valley
(6) Snyder at (3) Mendham
(7) River Dell at (2) West Morris
North 2, Group 3
(8) Weequahic at (1) West Essex
(5) Cranford at (4) Montville
(6) Wayne Hills at (3) Sparta
(7) West Milford at (2) Pascack Valley
Central Group 3
(8) Absegami at (1) Somerville
(5) Timber Creek at (4) Allentown
(6) Triton at (3) Ocean City
(7) Nottingham at (2) Burlington Township
South Group 3
(8) Barnegat at (1) Hopewell Valley
(5) Seneca at (4) Holmdel
(6) Oakcrest at (3) Ocean City
(7) Delsea at (2) Mainland
North 1, Group 4
(8) Watchung Hills at (1) Phillipsburg
(5) Westfield at (4) Wayne Valley
(6) Randolph at (3) Ramapo
(7) Nutley at (2) Morris Knolls
North 2, Group 4
(8) Colonia at (1) Ridge
(5) Newark Central at (4) Chatham
(6) Mount Olive at (3) Northern Highlands
(7) Rahway at (2) Woodbridge
Central Group 4
(8) Red Bank at (1) Millville
(5) Jackson Memorial at (4) Marlboro
(6) Northern Burlington at (3) Shawnee
(7) Steinert at (2) Brick Memorial
South Group 4
(8) Princeton at (1) Winslow
(5) Pennsauken at (4) Manalapan
(6) Toms River South at (3) Central
(7) Middletown South at (2) Middletown North
North 1, Group 5
(8) Passaic at (1) Ridgewood
(5) Irvington at (4) Piscataway
(6) Montclair at (3) Bridgewater-Raritan
(7) Plainfield at (2) Elizabeth
North 2, Group 5
(8) Newark East Side at (1) Union City
(5) East Orange at (4) Bayonne
(6) Morristown at (3) West Orange
(7) Linden at (2) Passaic Tech
Central Group 5
(8) Eastern at (1) Toms River North
(5) Kingsway at (4) Cherokee
(6) Cherry Hill East at (3) Hillsborough
(7) Edison at (2) Rancocas Valley
South Group 5
(8) Hunterdon Central at (1) Washington Township
(5) Old Bridge at (4) Southern
(6) Freehold Township at (3) Howell
(7) Franklin at (2) Atlantic City
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