More than two dozen CJSR-area teams to open NJSIAA state tourney play Thursday in Groups 2 and 4, including top-seeded and defending champion Hillsborough girls, Montgomery boys

The opening night of the state tournament has come and gone, with girls’ and boys’ teams from the CJSR-area getting underway in four playoff sections, but Thursday is a heavy slate indeed as the rest of the publics join the fray.

A total of 37 teams – 19 on the boys’ side, 18 on the girls’ – will tip-off Thursday afternoon and evening. Among them are the top-seeded Montgomery boys in Central Jersey Group 4, which won that section last year with a victory over Monroe in the title game. The Cougars and 16th-seeded Falcons will meet again, this time in the first round.

And on the girls’ side, top-seed Hillsborough opens play against 16-seed Long Branch. The Lady Raiders were champions last year, but in North 2, Group 4. They were moved into Central 4 this season under the newest round of classifications by the NJSIAA.

Here’s the schedule in all sections where CJSR teams are playing, with times for games involving local teams:

BOYS’ TOURNAMENT

Central Jersey Group 4
(16) Monroe at (1) Montgomery, 6 pm
(9) East Brunswick at (8) Hightstown, 6 pm
(12) North Brunswick at (5) Hillsborough, 6:30 pm
(13) Manalapan at (4) Old Bridge, 5 pm
(14) Franklin at (3) West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 6 pm
(11) Hunterdon Central at (6) Trenton
(10) Freehold Twp. at (7) Marlboro
(15) Edison at (2) Sayreville, 7 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
(16) Perth Amboy at (1) Plainfield, 7 pm
(9) Phillipsburg at (8) Linden
(12) Newark East Side at (5) Westfield
(13) Bridgewater-Raritan at (4) Piscataway, 7 pm
(14) Union at (3) Ridge, 7 pm
(11) Irvington at (6) Scotch Plains-Fanwood
(10) Bayonne at (7) Dickinson
(15) Woodbridge at (2) Elizabeth, 7 pm

Central Jersey Group 2
(16) Ocean Twp. at (1) Manasquan
(9) Robbinsville at (8) Delran
(12) South River at (5) Wall, 5:30 pm
(13) Bordentown at (4) Delaware Valley
(14) Roselle at (3) Holmdel
(11) Pt. Pleasant Boro at (6) Johnson
(10) Spotswood at (7) Metuchen, 7 pm
(15) Raritan at (2) Rumson-Fair Haven

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2
(16) Becton at (1) Caldwell
(9) Voorhees at (8) West Morris
(12) Hillside at (5) Hoboken
(13) Ridgefield Park at (4) Lyndhurst
(14) Weequahic at (3) Madison
(11) Bernards at (6) Hackettstown, 7 pm
(10) Snyder at (7) Newark Collegiate
(15) Hanover Park at (2) Rutherford

GIRLS’ TOURNAMENT

Central Jersey Group 4
(16) Long Branch at (1) Hillsborough, 4:30 pm
(9) South Brunswick at (8) East Brunswick, 6 pm
(12) Old Bridge at (5) Franklin, 6 pm
(13) Trenton at (4) Princeton
(14) Montgomery at (3) Hightstown, 4 pm
(11) Hunterdon Central at (8) Edison, 6 pm
(10) Marlboro at (7) Freehold Township
(15) North Brunswick at (2) Monroe, 4 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4
(16) Phillipsburg at (1) Bayonne
(9) Bridgewater-Raritan at (8) Elizabeth, 4:30 pm
(12) JP Stevens at (5) North Star Academy
(13) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (4) Columbia
(14) Ridge at (3) Plainfield, 5 pm
(11) Union at (6) Linden
(10) Watchung Hills at (7) Piscataway, 5 pm
(15) Perth Amboy at (2) Westfield, 5:30 pm

Central Jersey Group 2
(9) Spotswood at (8) Holmdel, 5 pm, winner at (1) Manasquan
(12) Piscataway Magnet at (5) Delaware Valley, 4 pm
(13) Governor Livingston at (4) Pt. Pleasant Boro
(14) Delran at (3) Bordentown
(11) Wall at (6) Metuchen, 5 pm
(10) Robbinsville at (7) Johnson
(15) Raritan at (2) Rumson-Fair Haven

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2
(16) Weequahic at (1) Caldwell
(9) Hanover Park at (8) Becton
(12) Newark Central at (5) Voorhees
(13) West Morris at (4) Bernards, 6 pm
(14) Hackettstown at (3) Rutherford
(11) Lyndhurst at (6) Science Park
(10) Ridgefield Park at (7) Snyder
(15) Newark Collegiate at (2) Madison