Notre Dame is first to lose multiplier status in first year of new NJSIAA four-tiered system

The NJSIAA’s new way of looking at multiplier schools has had its first team lose that status.

Notre Dame of Lawrenceville is no longer a mutliplier, after losing twice this season to non-multiplier schools.

The Fighting Irish beat Bridgewater-Raritan in their opener, 40-38, but then lost at Timber Creek by three, and 47-21 to Hopewell Valley last weekend.

Notre Dame was a Tier D multliplier, and with the NJSIAA shifting it to OSI from power points this year, worth 70 percent of the Strength Index (SI) value toward OSI. Non-multiplier teams are worth 50 percent for a loss.

Tier A, B and C multipliers get demoted to Tier D with any loss to a non-multiplier, and Tier D teams are removed from the mutliplier list with one loss. That means Tier A, B, and C are removed after two losses.

That means Notre Dame lost its status with that Week 1 loss at Timber Creek. And Bridgewater now will get only 50 percent of Notre Dame’s SI value come cutoff weekend, not 70 percent.

Timber Creek and Hopewell Valley wouldn’t be affected, because beating a mutliplier garners no extra points.

Two other teams are on the proverbial “multiplier hot seat.”

Tier B multiplier Donovan Catholic is 0-2. But their first loss was August 30th at St. Augustine, which is also a multiplier. So, that doesn’t hurt them. But, a loss last weekend to Point Pleasant Boro knocked them down to Tier D. One more loss, and the Griffins are no longer a multiplier. The face five public schools between now and cutoff weekend, and on that weekend, they visit powerhouse Toms River North.

Holy Spirit is a Tier C mutliplier. Their opening loss was to Millville on August 30th, 35-0, a tough way to get demoted to Tier D status; the Thunderbolts have the highest Strength Index value in the state at 102.20. One more loss to a non-multiplier sends them packing, too. They visit Camden (3-0) this Friday night, and have three more public school opponents before cutoff weekend, with fellow multiplier St. Augustine sandwiched in between.

Locally, St. Joseph of Metuchen (Tier D) is 2-0 on the year, while St. Thomas Aquinas (Tier B) is 2-1, that lone loss coming to an out-of-state opponent, which also does not affect multiplier status.