Group 1 Playoff Chase: A tale of two unbeatens, as New Providence plays for a top-seed, but Manville is stuck in the middle of the pack

For as much as the NJSIAA’s playoff formula does its best to balance competing ideas – getting the best teams in, but cutting down on travel – the Big Central Conference has two unbeaten teams in Group 1, but they are in very different circumstances.

New Providence (5-0) is one of the two top seeds in the North supersection, but Manville (6-0) is eighth overall in the South.

Some of that has to do with strength of schedule, and some has to do with the South having very strong teams. Manville’s OSI is a 39.64, while New Providence is at 54.10. Manville is boosted by its power point average; at 9.50, it’s fifth best in the section, but their OSI is ninth.

Table displaying football team standings and statistics for North 1 and North 2, Group 1, including wins, losses, ties, power point averages, and rankings.

New Providence is the only area team in the North, but they’re not guaranteed of anything yet. They’re just 2.4 points ahead of Kinnelon with three very winnable games, but none that should hurt them too much: Verona, Bound Brook and Delaware Valley. The fact that the Crusaders have been a pleasant surprise this year is a big boost, just as it’s been for Spotswood in Group 2.

A table displaying the standings for Central Group 1 and South Group 1 teams in a sports league, including columns for wins, losses, ties, power point average, OSI average, UPR, Northing, UPR rank, and N rank.

On the South side of things, we’ve got three Big Central teams in the hunt right now. Manville – should the Mustangs win out – are very likely to hold on to a top four spot in Central Jersey Group 1, and being one of the Northernmost teams in the supersection, will stay there regardless of what happens. At seven and eight in Central Group 1 are Highland Park (2-3) and Bound Brook (4-2).

The Crusaders have a brutal schedule the rest of the way. After Middlesex this week, they have two teams that have yet to lose a game: New Providence and Manville. Then again, losses may not kill them, but they have to at least beat the Blue Jays this week and maybe win one of two against either the Pioneers or Mustangs.

As for Highland Park, they have a big one Friday night at home against Roselle Park. They missed the playoffs last year at 6-3, so they can’t take anything for granted. There are even some three-win teams out of the picture who could bump them if they slip, including Maple Shade and Gateway (both 3-3) and KIPP Cooper Norcross (3-2). And who knows, maybe Middlesex (10th, 3.2 UPR out of the playoffs) could make a run. Highland Park likely has to win one of the next two – they’re at Manville next week – to stay in, as even a win at South River (0-6, SI 30.34) on Cutoff Weekend may hurt them.

Middlesex closes with Bound Brook home, JFK on the road, and home to Belvidere on Cutoff Weekend.