Week 7 Friday Playoff Update: Rahway drops from top two, Woodbridge appears to have clinched in North 4; Cranford still has chance at a top seed in North 3

With Thursday and Friday Week 7 play in the books, Central Jersey Sports Radio is taking a quick look at movement in the playoff standings based on results so far.

There are many Saturday games on the schedule that will change the standings again heading into Cutoff Weekend next weekend, although things will be a lot simpler once the Strength Index values lock in after this week.

You can find all our unofficial standings here.

This season’s playoff coverage – both leading up to and in the postseason – is proudly presented by Dayton Collision on Route 130 in South Brunswick! That includes all our analysis over the next few weeks, as well as our LIVE Playoff Projection Show, scheduled for Saturday evening, October 23rd, and tentatively set for 6 pm.

Below is a breakdown of Week 7 movement after Friday in the North Group 4 and North Group 3 Supersections.

NORTH GROUP 4:

• While Middletown North (6-0) remains at No. 1 overall, Rahway (7-1) dropped to fourth behind Friday night winner Roxbury (6-2) and Northern Highlands (4-3), which lost. BUt it’s still too close a race to call. Middletown North and Roxbury are “true” 1s and 2s, meaning North is first in both power points and OSI, and Roxbury is second in both. Northern Highlands is a 3.8 UPR, and Rahway a four. We don’t think Rahway gets a top eight seed, since they have Edison with a record of 2-6 and a 46.88 SI, which – even with a win, could drop the Indians even further. The question is, how much?
• Ridge (5-2), however, did not get hurt much by a 42-19 win over a one-win Hillsborough team, and stays in fifth for the time being, with a 6.2 UPR, a big jump from 4.6 last week. So, while they don’t fall in the standings, their road to a top four finish and a two-seed is tougher than it was before. But it’s likely not impossible, with a very good Old Bridge (7-1) coming to town next week, filled with a bounty of residuals and SI points.
• Summit (6-2) dropped three places to tenth after a 42-14 win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood Friday night, their UPR slipping from 8.0 to 9.0 in the process. The Hilltoppers host Bernards (6-2) next Saturday, however, so a top eight finish is hardly out of the question here.
• Montgomery (5-3) slipped one spot to 11, their UPR up from 9.4 to 11.6 (remember: lower is better). With Hillsborough (1-7) next week, we think they finish bottom eight and open the playoffs on the road.
• Woodbridge (5-3) climbed up a spot to 13th after a 41-14 win over Linden. That very likely clinched a playoff berth for the Barrons, who look solidly in at this point, and are firmly entrenched in the bottom eight.
• Carteret (4-4) dropped just one spot after a 24-12 home loss to undefeated Cranford, but their lead over 17th-place Watchung Hills is 2.6 UPR points, almost what it was last week, with a 3.0-point advantage. But the Warriors play Saturday at Plainfield (2-5), and even a win could set them back just a little. The big one to watch is next week’s game at Bridgewater-Raritan (6-2). The Ramblers have Monroe (4-4) at home. Could be some scoreboard watching on both sides here next week.

NORTH GROUP 3:

• Cranford (7-0) remains at No. 3 after a 42-14 win at Carteret Friday night, but a Wayne Hills (7-1) over Ramapo impressed the computers more, and put them at No. 2, while Cranford’s 0.4 UPR gap to the top two now has increased to 0.6 points. That will make the Cougars’ home game Friday night against Hillside (7-1) even bigger, and it definitely gives Cranford a shot here since Wayne Hills is at Fair Lawn (3-5). They could get to two, but they likely don’t challenge overall No. 1 Old Tappan (7-0).
• Somerville (5-3) fell from ten to eleven after a 20-0 win over Hunterdon Central Friday, and with their finale at undefeated Elizabeth here’s our take: First, that would be an enormous win for the Pioneers. Second, we’re not sure yet whether it’s enough to make up 3.2 UPR points to finish in the top eight, guaranteeing a first-round home game. Put it this way: Better that Somerville was moved up to the North this year, because it sure beats a long trek to South Jersey
• South Plainfield (4-3) dropped from 16 to 17 for the time being, but they still have to visit Governor Livingston Saturday afternoon, and they close with a high-residual/SI opponent in Perth Amboy next Friday night at Jost Field. That said, we’ll say conditions are favorable for the Tigers to make the playoffs, if they can capitalize. Certainly two wins gets them in, maybe a split depending on which way that split goes. They are just 1.0 UPR points behind Pascack Valley, which lost last night, but still moved ahead of them.