Alexie Moreira lines up for what would be the game-winning field goal as time expired in the North 2, Group 4 title game against Northern Highlands at Maloney Stadium on November 15, 2024. Phillipsburg won 13-11.(Photo: Marcus Borden)
With Friday night’s Cutoff Weekend high school football games all in the books, Central Jersey Sports Radio is updating the unofficial NJSIAA playoff standings as we head into Saturday action.
We’ll have further analysis late morning into the afternoon Saturday, with our 2025 “Playoff Projection Show” scheduled for 6 pm where we give our bracket projections. The full tournament for the public schools will be unveiled on Sunday by the NJSIAA via Gridiron New Jersey. We’ll have them shortly after. The brackets become official at noon on Monday.
NORTH GROUP 4
- Phillipsburg got the best-case scenario, even if we didn’t think this would be the result. Not only did they beat Bridgewater-Raritan at Maloney Stadium – and we figured a Mount Olive loss would get them to two, but not one, even with a Northern Highlands loss – they both took defeats Friday night, and it appears the Stateliners will get the overall No. 1 seed, and be the top-seed in North 2, Group 4 as a result, a chance to defend last year’s sectional title, won over Northern Highlands on a field goal by Alexie Moreira as time expired.
- A lot of teams juggled around here, as Montgomery‘s loss to Rahway dropped them back to eighth, while Woodbridge ticked up one spot to sixth, and they still have to play. They get undefeated multiplier St. Joseph-Metuchen on the road Saturday. They would get 70% for a loss to a Group D multiplier, but all the teams between them and Phillipsburg will be in North 1 Group 4, while the Barrons will be in North 2. So we think they max out at two in the section, and likely stay there.
- Ridge held in 9th and Westfield fell one to 15th, but they play Saturday at Kehler Stadium at 1 pm. We think they’re in, as even a loss to a good Ridge team and a Hackensack win wouldn’t knock them out.
- Despite a loss to Old Bridge, the Knights are strong, and Colonia pulled up from 11 to 10 in the supersection, but even with a Ridge loss, the Red Devils wouldn’t drop below the Patriots.
- Rahway clinched a playoff berth with its 28-7 win over Montgomery Friday night, heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. They went from a shaky 16 to a solid 13 in the supersection.
- With not many changes expected at the bottom, we think the field is mostly set, and it’s just a matter of the order. Right now, it looks like seven of the eight Big Central teams here will be in the North 2, Group 4 section, currently ordered with Phillipsburg at the top, followed by Woodbridge, Montgomery, Ridge, Colonia, Rahway, Newark Central and Westfield.
SOUTH GROUP 4
- No Big Central teams here, but Winslow and Brick Memorial both won and remain Nos. 1 and 2, which should be how they finish, since all the top teams played Friday. Hamilton is the only team in the running that hasn’t played yet, but at 17 – and with Princeton ineligible due to DQs – they just have to finish 17th to get in. They visit Ewing Saturday.
Discover more from Central Jersey Sports Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.