The official pairings are out from the NJSIAA for the 2026 state football tournament, and – as projected by Central Jersey Sports Radio – 29 Big Central teams qualified. Two got top seeds – Elizabeth in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 got the overall North 5 No. 1 seed, while Old Bridge was the overall two in South 5, and will get the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group 5.
In fact, in Central Jersey Sports Radio’s bracket projections, we correctly seeded all 160 public school teams across all 20 eight-team brackets for the second time in the past three seasons.
The 29 teams the league is sending to the playoffs are the most since 2023, when 31 public schools went. The league’s first playoff year, 32 qualified, followed by 30 in 2022. After dipping to 208 in 2024, the league hit a low last season with just 25 public schools making the tournament. Although it did get two champions crowned.
Phillipsburg won North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 last season, while Bridgewater-Raritan won its first ever in four tries, taking the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 title. This year, the two are in the same section the Panthers won last season.
As always, in case there are any issues, discrepancies or other problems, the NJSIAA brackets become official at noon on Monday. Dates and times are set by the home schools right up through the state semifinals, with all games of the state finals set to take place on Thanksgiving Weekend at MetLIfe Stadium in the Meadowlands.
Scroll down for the full brackets, but in the meantime, some quick thoughts on the 2026 draw:
Longest droughts ended…
A couple of long droughts came off the board Sunday when the pairings were announced, though some have known they’d be in for a while.
Franklin got in the playoffs with a big win at Woodbridge Friday, and that snaps the longest active Somerset County postseason drought, with the Warriors’ last playoff appearance coming in 2012. That leaves North Plainfield and Pingry, who last made it in 2014.
Over in Union County, Dayton ended a 24 year playoff drought, with their last appearance also in 2012. (Ironically, current Woodbridge coach Joe Goerge has coached at both schools, Franklin and Dayton.) That leaves Scotch Plains-Fanwood as next up, dating back to 2014 as well.
Highland park is in the dance for the first time since 2010, and while that’s longer than the other two, not the longest in Middlesex County. That mark belongs to JP Stevens, which last made it in 2006. The Hawks finished the regular season at 2-6 at the Cutoff.
Below are the brackets, with last year’s champion in parenthesis. Days (Friday or Saturday) and times have yet to be announced:
GROUP 5 (Washington Twp.)
- North 1 (Passaic Tech)
- (8) Franklin at (1) Ramapo
- (7) Union at (2) West Orange
- (6) Bayonne at (3) Piscataway
- (5) Perth Amboy at (4) Irvington
- North 2 (Bridgewater-Raritan)
- (8) Linden at (1) Elizabeth
- (7) Union City at (2) East Orange
- (6) Ridgewood at (3) Phillipsburg
- (5) Bridgewater-Raritan at (4) Passaic Tech
- Central (Washington Twp.)
- (8) Lenape at (1) Old Bridge
- (7) Jackson Twp. at (2) Rancocas Valley
- (6) Vineland at (3) Sayreville
- (5) Freehold Twp. at (4) Williamstown
- South (Kingsway)
- (8) South Brunswick at (1) Washington Twp.
- (7) Trenton at (2) Southern
- (6) Manalapan at (3) Toms River North
- (5) Eastern at (4) Egg Harbor
Group 4 (Winslow)
- North 1 (Ramapo)
- (8) Carteret at (1) Roxbury
- (7) Woodbridge at (2) Northern Highlands
- (6) Summit at (3) Morris Knolls
- (5) Ridge at (4) Middletown South
- North 2 (Phillipsburg)
- (8) Watchung Hills at (1) Middletown North
- (7) Mount Olive at (2) Rahway
- (6) Montgomery at (3) Chatham
- (5) Garfield at (4) Teaneck
- Central (Brick Memorial)
- (8) Absegami at (1) Brick Memorial
- (7) Moorestown at (2) Northern Burlington
- (6) Hammonton at (3) Atlantic City
- (5) Pennsauken at (4) Millville
- South (Winslow)
- (8) Howell at (1) Shawnee
- (7) Toms River South at (2) Winslow
- (6) Clearview at (3) Bridgeton
- (5) Steinert at (4) Marlboro
Group 3 (Cedar Creek)
- North 1 (Old Tappan)
- (8) Paramus at (1) Old Tappan
- (7) Matawan at (2) Cranford
- (6) Wayne Valley at (3) Shabazz
- (5) Morris Hills at (4) West Morris
- North 2 (West Morris)
- (8) Weequahic at (1) West Essex
- (7) Parsippany Hills at (2) Wayne Hills
- (6) Somerville at (3) Holmdel
- (5) Montville at (4) River Dell
- Central (Holmdel)
- (8) Deptford at (1) Hopewell Valley
- (7) Barnegat at (2) Camden
- (6) Pleasantville at (3) Ocean City
- (5) Brick Twp. at (4) Burlington Twp.
- South (Cedar Creek)
- (8) Ewing at (1) Seneca
- (7) Red Bank at (2) Oakcrest
- (6) Triton at (3) Pinelands
- (5) Delran at (4) Timber Creek
Group 2 (Camden)
- North 1 (Westwood)
- (8) Hackettstown at (1) Westwood
- (7) High Point at (2) Caldwell
- (6) Hillside at (3) Rutherford
- (5) Vernon at (4) Lakeland
- North 2 (Shabazz)
- (8) Indian Hills at (1) Waldwick/Midland Park
- (7) Ramsey at (2) Hoboken
- (6) Hanover Park at (3) Bernards
- (5) Becton at (4) New Providence
- Central (Camden)
- (8) Overbrook at (1) Glassboro
- (7) Sterling at (2) Rumson-Fair Haven
- (6) Lower Cape May at (3) Pt. Pleasant Boro
- (5) Manasquan at (4) Gloucester City
- South (Haddonfield)
- (8) Haddon Heights at (1) West Deptford
- (7) Johnson at (2) Haddonfield
- (6) Ocean Twp. at (3) Camden Eastside
- (5) Wall at (4) Monmouth
Group 1 (Glassboro)
- North 1 (Cedar Grove)
- (8) Verona at (1) Newton
- (7) Belvidere at (2) New Milford
- (6) Hawthorne at (3) Wallkill Valley
- (5) Kinnelon at (4) Boonton
- North 2 (Butler)
- (8) Glen Ridge at (1) Cedar Grove
- (7) Pompton Lakes at (2) Hasbrouck Heights
- (6) Dayton at (3) Butler
- (5) Mountain lakes at (4) Wood-Ridge
- Central (Burlington City)
- (8) Pt. Pleasant Beach at (1) Paulsboro
- (7) Penns Grove at (2) Salem
- (6) Highland Park at (3) Woodstown
- (5) Clayton at (4) Audubon
- South (Glassboro)
- (8) Maple Shade at (1) Schalick
- (7) Gateway at (2) Delaware Valley
- (6) Burlington City at (3) Pennsville
- (5) Shore at (4) Manville
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