Group 1 Playoff Chase for Week 7: New Providence in running for a top seed, Manville is in, while Bound Brook and Highland Park try to make their push

With the NJSIAA’s Cutoff Weekend for high school football next week in New Jersey, Central Jersey Sports Radio is taking a closer look at the race for the playoffs, including who’s in the running for top seeds, who’s in, who’s jockeying for position, and who has some work to do just to get in, or stay in the hunt.

We’ll break down each supersection, with individual team analysis for all Big Central Conference schools. Much will change this week, and we’ll have a clearer picture after Week 7 once Strength Index numbers lock in for next week.

We’ll have an unofficial update this weekend after Friday’s games, and another look after Saturday’s contests as we speed toward Cutoff Weekend. And don’t forget to tune in to Central Jersey Sports Radio’s “2025 Playoff Projection Show” at 6 pm on Saturday, October 25, with host Mike Pavlichko and analyst Marcus Borden.

Please note, we have not done any UPR tiebreakers – other than putting higher OSI teams first – and no top-down head-to-head changes either. Section standings are based on the Top 16 as shown here.

Also, these standings do not reflect Thursday night’s action, other than our note on Brearley below. We’ll have an unofficial update to the standings after Friday night’s action.

NORTH GROUP 1

• New Providence: The Pioneers are sitting in second place, which would give them the top seed in North 2, Group 1. Bound Brook’s resurgence (more in the next section) helps them down the stretch, win or lose, as New Providence has the Crusaders (5-2) at home Friday night, and a trip to Delaware Valley (4-3) next week. They might need to sweep, but we think if they do, they should hold on to a No. 1 seed. And that’s a huge plus, considering they reached the finals last year, but had to go to Cedar Grove, and lost 35-14.
• Brearley: The Bears’ hopes took a big hit with a 27-9 loss to Metuchen Thursday night, and they most likely have been eliminated.

SOUTH GROUP 1

• Manville: The 7-0 Mustangs sit at No. 8 overall, a product of their last three wins coming over South Hunterdon, JP Stevens, and Dunellen, all winless. But it gets tougher. This week, it’s Highland Park (2-4) and then at Bound Brook (5-2) next week, a game that will decide the Freedom Silver Division title. Even worse, due to the geographic seeding (no more snaking), an eight seed doesn’t guarantee a home game. Central teams are stronger here, so Manville is 6th in Central Jersey Group 1. The good news is, everyone above them is right in order, with Point Pleasant Beach at six overall in the supersection (5th in the section), Riverside fifth overall, Shore fourth, etc.
• Bound Brook: That game for the Freedom Silver division next week with Manville looms large. While Manville would be in, Bound Brook may need that one, especially if they fall at New Providence this week, though with the Pioneers 6-0 at the moment, even a loss may not kill their chances, as they sit in 14th. They may also want to root for Manville this week against Highland Park, with the Owls in 18th.
• Highland Park: Two spots out of a playoff berth – and just 0.6 UPR points behind the two teams tied for 15th (Clayton and Maple Shade) we’re not counting the Owls out yet, even with a loss to New Providence, a highly-rated SI team. We’ll know more after this week.