Tag: Johnson

by Mike Pavlichko

Cutoff Weekend Playoff Analysis: Group 2

It’s down to the final weekend of the regular season in high school football, and Cutoff Weekend is just days away. This week, Central Jersey Sports Radio will bring you exclusive, team-by-team analysis of all the playoff scenarios for the 57 public schools in the Big Central Conference.

It’s all brought to you by My Family Appliances on Route 1 South in the Wick Plaza, Edison.

And don’t forget to join us for our “Playoff Projection Show” on Saturday at 6 pm (moved to an hour later) as Mike Pavlichko brings you all the playoff projections, with analysis and commentary by Marcus Borden, live in studio!

With that, here’s a look at the Group 2 supersections, with all scores and playoff standings based on Gridiron New Jersey’s official calculations as of Sunday, October 15, 2023. Click on the heading to see the standings at Gridiron New Jersey:

NORTH GROUP 2

4. Bernards (8-0, 4.2 UPR): The Mountaineers are the only Big Central Conference team in this supersection. Even with a win over Governor Livingston (6-2) Saturday afternoon, and losses by the three teams above them (Westwood, Caldwell, and Rutherford), and then the three directly behind them, we think they top out at three, but most likely end up a No. 4. Should they lose to the Highlanders, the lowest they could drop is six, and that’s probably the extreme. Our best guess is a fourth or fifth place overall finish, but that’s a big difference: between a semifinal home game or a road game.

SOUTH GROUP 2

5. New Providence (4-4, 5.2 UPR): The Pioneers can bump up as high as a four-seed overall, but they need to win first on Friday night at Middlesex (6-1). Then, they’ll need a little help from Haddonfield and Pleasantville in the way of losses. The other teams in the top nine won’t matter; we think those are the only ones that can potentially jump them into fourth if others lose. With a defeat, however, they could drop as low as ninth if everything foes the wrong way for them with other teams behind them winning. Watch the Pleasantville (6-1) game at Middle Township (7-1), because they play each other, and a Middle loss keeps New Providence from dropping to ninth – and losing a first round home game – in the Pioneers’ doomsday scenario; that would leave them no lower than eighth. A Greyhounds loss and New Prov drops back to ninth.

9. Johnson (5-2, 8.8 UPR): The Crusaders’ meteoric rise was well-documented by us last week, and surprised us. The gist: On Friday, without even playing, everyone around them lost but one (Lower Cape May, which beat winless Buena) and ALJ skyrocketed from 17th to ninth place. That’s how bunched up teams were. By the time they scored a 48-0 road win over previously-undefeated Spotswood, they had jumped all the way to eighth, only to settle in ninth after the other scores came in. They jumped a grand total of eight places in one weekend, and now are firmly in the playoff picture. The Crusaders will beat winless South River (0-7) this week, so assuming that, we don’t think Johnson can move up. In fact, the best they can probably do is finish tenth. A loss, and the worst they can do is probably 13th. Basically, they played themselves in – and got some help – last week. Count Johnson in.

12. Delaware Valley (4-3, 14 UPR): At North Plainfield on Friday night, the Terriers should win that one over the 1-7 Canucks, even on the road. Looking at teams ahead of them, Monmouth (5-3) at Pinelands (5-2) is a toss-up, but we’ll give a win to the Falcons, Haddon Heights should beat a bad West Deptford team, and Johnson will beat South River. We think Del Val is going to end up around the 15th seed.

13. Spotswood (7-1, 14.4 UPR): Spotswood also benefitted from all those teams losing last week. That’s always a worst- or best-case scenario, but it never (or rarely) actually happens. But this time it did. And losing by 48 when Spotswood had an SI three points higher than Johnson also helped. The Crusaders’ SI value rose more than 10 points, so Spotswood got about five more points for a loss than they would have if they’d lost a one-point game. We’re going to try and find the best case scenario for the Chargers, but who knows if it will be enough? Certainly a loss against winless JP Stevens leaves them out, so we’ll assume a win. Delaware Valley should win at North Plainfield. If other games break wrong, Spotswood could end up in the 17 slot, but they could make it, too, barring a wacky residual showing up somewhere. Bottom line, they’re going to need some help somewhere along the way. If their luck continues and they get a smidgen of the help they got last week, they just might make it.

OUT: Roselle (18th, 18.8 UPR) looks to be out. Looks like a case of too little, too late for the Rams, who started 0-4, but have won three straight since. The problem is this week’s opponent – Belvidere – isn’t enough to move the needle into the top 16.

by Mike Pavlichko

Johnson blows out Spotswood, hands Chargers first loss, skyrockets in South 2 playoff chase with 48-0 road win

The AL Johnson Crusader football team woke up Saturday to a lot of good playoff news. Residuals from Friday night helped push them from 17th place all the way up to 11th.

Then, with a convincing 48-0 win at Spotswood – played in a nearly constant downpour – they moved up even more.

Without factoring in any other area games or residuals from Saturday, ALJ (5-2) rose all the way to eighth in the current playoff projections from Central Jersey Sports Radio, and we believe they’ve wrapped up a playoff berth, regardless of whether they host or go on the road in the first round.

But in what we figured might have been a must-win game for both schools to get in the playoffs, it looks like the Chargers (7-1) may still have a chance to make it, even by beating a JP Stevens team next week that will either have one or no wins after this Saturday’s contest at Metuchen.

Our unofficial playoff calculations peg Spotswood at 14, thanks to losses by teams that were behind them, namely Delran, Oakcrest and Monmouth, who are in 15th, 16th and 17th. Ahead of them, 13th place Raritan and 12th place Delaware Valley also lost Friday night. Collingswood also lost last night, and Lower Cape May won, but over a weak Buena team.

Regardless, Johnson dominated the Chargers right from the start, en route to a 42-0 lead and a running clock to start the second half.

Joshua Maltez-Torres returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Ryan George got a seven-yard touchdown run, then a six-yarder with just over a minute to go in the first half to make it 21-0 Crusaders.

The second quarter began just as the first one ended, with another Johnson score, this time a 44-yard touchdown pass from Robert Gallagher to Maltez-Torres, then another went to George midway through the quarter to make it 35-0. George ran in a second score with under three minutes to go before the break for a 42-0 Crusader lead.

Dylan Mulroy added a fourth quarter TD run to make the final 48-0

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 7 Friday night Playoff Analysis: Group 2

Through the end of the season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will be updating unofficial playoff standings following Friday night’s games. Full analysis after the weekend will come during the week as the official standings are released by Gridiron New Jersey.

Here’s a look at unofficial standings after games of Friday, October 13th in Group 2. Results are calculated using scores on Gridiron New Jersey as of 9:30 am on October 14th:

The only Big Central Conference team in North 2 is Bernards, and the Mountaineers stayed perfect last night with a 38-14 win over New Providence, while the other three unbeaten teams ahead of them also won. So, there was no movement among the top four, although the teams behind got a little closer.

Bernards had a 1 point UPR lead over Hanover Park in fifth, but now the fifth place team is Newton (6-1) just 0.2 UPR points behind. That makes the Mounties’ game at Group 3 Governor Livingston (5-2) next week a big one, worth 24 power points (their average is 15.71). We’ll see if they can hold on to their spot.

New Providence stayed in seventh with their loss to highly-regarded and undefeated Bernards, with their UPR dropping from 6.2 to 6.4, but their lead over the ninth place team has expanded. They had been ahead of Pleasantville by 2.2 UPR points, but now lead Haddon Heights and Middle Township – who are tied for ninth – by 3.4 UPR points.

Delaware Valley’s loss to a very good Hillside team still dropped them – likely due to some other results more than anything – but they are still in it, safely, we think, at No. 12.

Johnson – without even playing – made a huge jump from 17 to 11, thanks to some residuals. Even their OSI went up by teams they played rising in SI value based on Friday night. They visit Spotswood, which dropped from 12 to 13. The game is considered a must win for both teams, but it may be less so for Johnson considering their move already. Follow Marcus Borden for live updates by clicking here and we’ll fave a game story and interviews presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen on our site after the game.

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 7 Playoff Analysis: Group 2

With just two weeks of play left before the state playoffs are seeded, things are heating up in the playoff chase. Here’s our look at the Big Central Conference teams in playoff contention in Group 2 as we head into Week 7 of high school football around the state.

And, of course, don’t miss our “Playoff Projection Show,” scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, October 21st, when we’ll reveal our predicted matchups and seeds for the postseason. It’s all presented by My Family Appliances of Edison, which will be giving away three $100 gift cards during the show to lucky listeners!

All our analysis is based on Gridiron New Jersey’s official playoff calculations performed for the NJSIAA and listed on their website as of 11:30 pm on October 10. For full standings, click on each supersection’s header below:

NORTH GROUP 2:

4. Bernards (7-0, 4.2): What a bear of a group! The top four teams in the standings are all undefeated, with Westwood (1 UPR), Caldwell (2) and Rutherford (3.4) all 6-0, followed by Bernards at 7-for-7. They still have some teams close behind them in Hanover Park, Lyndhurst and Newton, all within two UPR points. Even if the Mountaineers win out – they have road games at New Providence this Friday and Governor Livingston next Saturday – we’re not sure if they will finish in the top 5. Lyndhurst and Rutherford are in the NJIC playoffs, and we don’t know yet who they will play next week. They could play each other, win or lose. Rutherford could face Lyndhurst for the NJIC championship next weekend, or they could play each other in a consolation game, too.

SOUTH GROUP 2:

7. New Providence (4-3, 6.4): The Pioneers have a little distance between themselves and the 8 and 9 teams, the ones they will have to stave off to finish in the top eight and get at least a first round home game. Tough one this weekend home to Bernards Friday night, then another good one at Middlesex next week. They might be okay with a split – specifically a loss to the Mountaineers and a win over the Blue Jays – but two wins should keep them on their home turf.

10. Delaware Valley (4-2, 13.2): It may be an uphill climb for the Terriers to a top eight finish, but it may not be impossible, depending how other teams around them fare and how the Strength Index values change this week. They host Hillside Friday, then visit North Plainfield next Friday. They need a sweep and some help, but we think it most likely they’ll be wearing road jerseys in the playoffs.

12. Spotswood (7-0, 13.6): Sitting in 12th sounds comfortable, but its not, due to the Chargers’ weak opponent in Week 8, JP Stevens, which is winless and has an SI value in the 20s. That makes Saturday afternoon’s home game against AL Johnson their play-in game. Assuming they beat JP Stevens, a loss to Johnson might leave them out of the playoffs. But a win should lock it up. It’s all on the line Saturday afternoon.

17. Johnson (4-2, 15): The Crusaders may be five spots behind Spotswood, but they also have a shot at the playoffs, and this one may be their playoff game, too. A loss this Saturday on the road against the Chargers puts them in the same position as Spotswood; ALJ visits South River. So, yeah, this might be it for Johnson, as well. Here are two more things to keep in mind: heavy rain is in the forecast this Saturday, and these last two weeks will be their only games on a natural grass surface all year.

by Mike Pavlichko

Week 6 Playoff Analysis: Group 2

Just three more weeks of games remain until the NJSIAA seeds the state playoffs, and Central Jersey Sports Radio is well into its team-by-team analysis of all the scenarios for all the Big Central Conference schools still in contention for postseason play.

All our stories are sponsored by My Family Appliances in Edison, on Route One South in Wick Plaza, which will be presenting out third annual “Playoff Projection Show” on Saturday, October 21 from 5-7, hosted by Mike Pavlichko with analyst Marcus Borden. And, My Family Appliances will be giving away three $100 gift cards to lucky listeners that night!

Scroll down for our team-by-team look at Group 2 schools in the North and South supersections, and click on the supersection name to go to Gridiron New Jersey for the official standings, as calculated by the website for the NJSIAA.

NORTH GROUP 2:

4. Bernards (6-0): The top four teams in this supersection all have what we call “pure” UPRs of 1, 2, 3 and 4. That means first place Westwood (6-0) is first in power points and OSI, Caldwell (5-0) is second in both, Rutherford (5-0) third and Bernards fourth. So they are bunched close enough together. Strength Indexes will continue to change the next two weeks, and a lot can happen with those four teams’ opponents, but right now, they’re basically battling it out with each other. A top-seed would guarantee home field through the sectional finals, and – new this year – the No. 1 overall seed means a potential home game in the group semis. (Last year, those were played at neutral sites, but now they go to the higher seeded team.) This week will tell a lot, as the Mountaineers should beat Bound Brook; the question is how much a victory over a one-win team with an SI of 31.19 will hurt them. Bernard’s OSI is almost 54, so that will bring them down. And they’ll only get 11 power points, which would bring down their 14.50 average. But they do have two stronger teams the rest of the way, both on the road. New Providence (3-3, 58.10 UPR) is next Friday, and then they visit Governor Livingston (5-1, 57.18) on the Saturday of Cutoff Weekend. Of the teams above them: Rutherford has two left against above-.500 teams; Caldwell has a 1-4 team in there, too; and Westwood has a bye this week followed by two middle-of-the-road to good opponents. Anyone can slip here, and that could give Bernards a shot, if they don’t trip themselves.

NORTH GROUP 2:

8. New Providence (3-3): The Pioneers are the highest team in the supersection from the Big Central, and we’re not exactly sure how on the “top eight” bubble they are. That’s because the next team back – Overbrook (3-2) – is four full UPR points behind them. That’s a lot of ground to make up: ten places in power point rank or seven OSI places. They should beat Metuchen at home this week, and may beat Middlesex the final week at Mountainview Park. Should they lose to Bernards, that still may not hurt them much. The Pioneers have a 47.12 OSI and Bernards is worth 40 as a loss, and might even go up by beating New Providence. Granted, they can’t lose their last three games, but they shouldn’t. They’re a good bet to get a home game.

11. Spotswood (6-0): Yes, the Chargers are undefeated, but appear destined to start the playoffs in some other town. But the bigger concern is this: if they don’t sweep their last three games, will they get in? That’s a good question. Spotswood got snubbed last year with a 6-3 record at the cutoff. They lost to Brearley, Roselle Park and Johnson, the latter by a 44-0 score. Both teams are better this year. Now, Spotswood should beat 1-4 Dayton this weekend up in Springfield. Johnson (4-1) will be a tough task at home next Saturday. And they should beat JP Stevens (0-6) the final weekend. And if they finish 9-0, they’ll be in regardless; by NJSIAA rule, no unbeaten team can be left out of the playoffs. But 8-1? With a their only loss to Johnson? Will it be enough? It might be too early to tell yet. Stay tuned…

12. Johnson (4-1): We’re a little less concerned for the Crusaders missing the playoffs, with a stronger schedule. They have Hillside and Spotswood on the road the next two weeks, then South River. So if ALJ and the Chargers both go 2-1 the rest of the way, we’d expect Johnson to move past Spotswood. How far? Likely not far enough to pick up a first round home game. They close with South River, but a win there shouldn’t hurt them much. All things being equal, Johnson – despite being behind Spotswood – is on slightly firmer footing heading into the final three weeks of the regular season.

13. Delaware Valley (3-2): The Terriers’ schedule the rest of the way out is more like Spotswood’s, but a loss to the best remaining team they have on the schedule – Hillside – would be better than a Charger loss to Johnson. So, like the Crusaders, we think they’re on better ground. That home game against the Comets comes in the middle of two road games: this week at South River (0-5) and the final weekend against North Plainfield (0-6). Del Val may need to win out as well. It depends on what some of the teams behind them do.

by Mike Pavlichko

Mid-Season Playoff Analysis: A look at the small schools heading into Week 5

We’ve reached the middle of the high school football season in New Jersey, and it’s time to start thinking about the playoff races.

Presented by sponsor My Family Appliances on Route One South in the Wick Plaza in Edison, here’s our look at where the smaller schools stand – Groups 1 and 2 – in the chase for the postseason heading into Week Five.

But first….

Playoff Qualification Primer

The NJSIAA uses the United Power Ranking (UPR) to determine where teams are seeded. Without getting into all the behind the scenes calculations and caveats, each team’s UPR is based on two factors: their rank in the supersection based on power points and on OSI.

Power points are an average and based on the traditional formula that’s been used – albeit altered from time-to-time – over the years. Teams get six points for every win, group points based on the group of the opponent, and residuals – 3 for every win by a team you beat, 1 for every win by a team you lost to.

OSI is the Opponent Strength Index, and average of all the opponents played. Teams get the full value of a team’s Strength Index for a win, half for a loss. A win over an opponent with an SI of 80 gets and 80, a loss gets you 40 points. SI varies based on results throughout the year.

Teams are ranked in each category. OSI values are worth 60 percent of the formula, power points 40 percent. That added number makes the UPR, with lower numbers better. The best UPR a team can have is a 1, which is first in both power points and OSI.

The UPR is calculated for the NJSIAA by the website Gridiron New Jersey. Central Jersey Sports Radio also does its own unofficial calculations throughout the season, and will unveil its playoff projections in our annual special broadcast, this year on Saturday, October 21 from 5-7 pm, presented by My Family Appliances in Edison.

North Group 2

The only Big Central Conference school in the North Group 2 supersection in Bernards, and the Mountaineers are in really good shape. They’re in second place overall, which means if the playoffs started today, they would be the top seed in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2.

Westwood is the overall No. 1 team at the moment, and they’d be the top seed in North 1, Group 1. Both teams are 5-0.

Caldwell (4-0) – which is on the state’s longest active winning streak, currently at 32 games – is not far behind Bernards, just 6/10 of a UPR point in back of them, while Hanover Park (4-0) in fourth is just one full point off the mark.

The Mounties’ schedule is about average for the last four games, with North Plainfield, Bound Brook, New Providence and Governor Livingston. Sure, they might have to win out to retain a top seed, but with that schedule, they should.

South Group 2

Currently, Pt. Pleasant Boro (4-0) and Rumson-Fair Haven (2-2) sit in the top two spots, with the highest-standing BCC team being New Providence checking in at No. 6. The Pioneers are 3-2 with a 6.4 UPR, and if they keep playing how they’ve been, have a really good shot at a first round home game in the playoffs. Their schedule is good, with three of the last four teams already having three or more wins (Johnson and Middlesex have three wins each, Bernards is 5-0).

Then, it’s down to 11th place for Spotswood, despite the fact the Chargers are 5-0. That’s partly a product of their schedule, which isn’t great throughout.

They already toughened up their schedule by dropping Bishop Eustace for their opener and adding Bordentown, but having Highland Park on the schedule hurt them, as does having JP Stevens on Cutoff Weekend.

Last year’s Chargers were 6-3 at the cutoff – missed the playoffs – and finished 7-3. Their losses were to Roselle Park, Johnson and Brearley. They’ve already beaten the Bears. The Panthers are this weekend and the Crusaders in two more weeks.

Win the games they should and Spotswood will be in the playoffs. Any loss along the road could make things dicey.

Delaware Valley (3-2) is right behind the Chargers, and is also a good bet to make the playoffs, though with their schedule, they should have a little more margin for error.

Can Johnson make the playoffs? Sure, why not. ALJ is 3-1, and out of the picture right now in 20th place, but they have three solid opponents the next few weeks before closing with winless South River. New Providence is this week and a road game at Spotswood comes in two weeks. Both are teams ahead of them in the standings at the moment, and even a split would do wonders for the Crusaders’ chances.

And even a loss to Hillside – which comes in the middle of those two games – would not be the end of the world. Johnson’s OSI is 36.43, and a loss to the Comets (76.25 SI) would get them 38.13 points. Inotherwords, a loss to Hillside is worth more than a win over South River.

North Group 1

Last year, Brearley held on to their standing enough to pick up a first-round home game, then hosted another thanks to a first-round upset by Kinnelon.

This year, it’s a different story for Brearley, which is 2-2, but finds itself in 15th place. There are a lot of .500 teams ahead of them, with the highest being in ninth. Again, we’re seeing the lack of small schools with quality records hurt the small schools that have playoff aspirations.

Their wins have come over Roselle Park and Dayton, a combined 2-6. The Bears might just need wins over two of their three strongest opponents remaining: South Hunterdon (4-1) this week, Middlesex and Dunellen (both 3-1) the last two weeks.

Roselle Park (2-2) is in an even worse situation than Brearley. They’re also .500, but stand in 21st place with a 21.2 UPR, 4.6 UPR points (not insurmountable) out of 16th place. Keep an eye on the Panthers here, who have an opportunity still with a huge game Friday night at home against unbeaten Spotswood (5-0), then go to Middlesex next week, and host Dunellen the week after.

South Group 1

The highest team in the standings heading into Week 5 is South Hunterdon (4-1). The Eagles are in good shape for making the playoffs, but not quite a lock for a first round home game yet.

They’ve only got three games left that count before the cutoff, with big rival New Hope-Solebury (PA) on the schedule for Cutoff Weekend. Out-of-state games don’t count for playoff calculations in either power points or OSI, so they will need to solidify their position.

One slip up the next three weeks could find the Eagles on the road in the first round of the postseason. Right behind them in eighth place is Middlesex (3-1). Their schedule is good after a home game with Belvidere this weekend, but they still will likely need to win out to clinch a top eight position and a first-round home game.

Go down to 13th place and you’ll find Manville, which is 2-3. Hard to believe that a couple of seasons ago, with six wins at the cutoff, they missed the playoffs. Here they are sub-.500 and well into the field.

We’d still consider them a bubble team for now, but at least they’re on the right side of it, with a 15.8 UPR, and 1.8 UPR points ahead of 17th place Pennsville.

A little further down is Dunellen (3-1). The Destroyers are having a nice season, and if they can stay healthy, could be a nudge in the playoffs – even more than they are to opponents in the regular season. And their schedule is strong enough that if they keep winning, they will do more than just tread water in the standings. A loss or two and they could be doing some scoreboard watching.

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by Mike Pavlichko

Road Trip: Some Big Central schools have a much longer drive than others to get to their first round playoff games

Going on the road is a challenge in high school football unlike any other, with all the logistical concerns that go along with it in terms of equipment, the size of the team, plus the bands and cheerleaders.

But for some schools, it’s a longer bus ride than others thanks to the NJSIAA’s playoff system, which abandoned pre-determined traditional geographical “sections” in 2018.

For that one year, rather than four sections in each group and the top eight in each making the playoffs, the NJSIAA took the top 16 teams in the North and South halves of the state in each group, but broke them up by Northing number. That at least resulted in the eight northern-most schools being together in a section, and the eight southern-most schools being in the other.

But in 2019, it shifted to the more admirable idea of “snaking” each 16-team field into two sections, regardless of geography, potentially resulting in long distance travel, particularly in the South groups. With fewer schools, its a geographical area that includes the southern two-thirds of the state in some cases, putting schools like Hunterdon Central of Flemington and Delaware Valley of Alexandria in “South” sections.

The result? Better bring a briefcase full of cash to pay for gas and tolls.

Here are the six longest trips – all over an hour – for Big Central teams playing on the road in the playoffs:

Elizabeth at Phillipsburg (1 hour, 10 minutes – 62 miles): This actually would have been one of the longer trips even before the playoff changes, in years where both were in the same playoff section, North 2 Group 4 or 5, and sometimes they were in the same playoff section. At least the bus driver should know this route, pretty much a back and forth straight shot down Route 78. Their last regular season meeting was at Williams Field in Elizabeth, a 19-6 win for the Stateliners. The last time the Minutemen went to Maloney Stadium was in 2013, a 41-19 loss to P’burg.

Montgomery at Northern Highlands (1 hour, 23 minutes – 62 miles): It’s either the back roads up to the 202-206 circle or sit through all the lights on Route 206 through Hillsborough at rush hour, then after that, a long trip up Route 287, getting off onto Route 208 and heading to Allendale. Hey, if it worked last year, stick with it; it’s the same matchup in the same place as last year for the Cougars. Dom Savino and I recall that trip well, when we went to cover Woodbridge in the North 2, Group 4 title game in 2019 (our last broadcast on terrestrial radio, and before the pandemic). It’s a long haul, but if you’re a fan, leave an hour early and stop at the Allendale Bar & Grill for a nice sandwich and beverage before kickoff.

New Providence at Willingboro (1 hour, 26 minutes – 78.9 miles): It’s further than Montgomery’s trip, but not much longer since it’s just about all highway driving, but it does require getting to the Parkway, then hopping on the Turnpike at Interchange 11 and taking the straight shot down to near Philadelphia. The Pioneers actually played Willingboro last year in the regular season, but the game was at New Providence. This one’s a long ride.

Somerville at Seneca (1 hour, 33 minutes – 64.6 miles): The way the Pioneers’ season was going up until two weeks ago, with a new coach and having won two straight games, they wouldn’t care right now if they played their first-round game in Baltimore at 9 am Saturday. But, they will have one of the longest trips in the state in the first round, going all the way down to Seneca. Where’s that, you ask? We had to look, too. It’s off Route 206 in Tabernacle. Aren’t you glad we cleared that up? Seriously, though, it’s a little more than halfway down 206 between Bordentown and Hammonton on Carranza Road. (Go about eight more miles to see the Carranza Memorial in honor of the “Lindbergh of Mexico, but make sure you have plenty of gas – read about it here.)

Johnson at Pleasantville (1 hour, 37 minutes – 103 miles): Forget the trip, this will be the Crusaders’ first-ever opponent hailing from South of Exit 91 on the Parkway. In the COVID-year, when Johnson managed just four games, they took a trip to Point Pleasant Beach, but that’s the furthest they’ve gone. Luckily, it’s a short trip to the Parkway, then up and over the Driscoll Bridge and a long haul down to the AC area.

Delaware Valley at Oakcrest (2 hours, 7 minutes – 107 miles): This is a mammoth trip. Even though it’s just four more miles than Johnson’s trip to Pleasantville, it’s another half-hour. Why? Well, the Terriers have to take a lot of back (but very scenic) roads to get to Route 31 alone, then head south down to the I-295 loop, go all the way around Trenton, then South on Route 206 through Hammonton (I’ve been on 206, it’s the road that never ends!) and onto the Black Horse Pike. Whew! It’s quite the haul, but it won’t matter if Del Val comes out with a win. No one would blink at that bus ride back!

Looking ahead…

Should 4th-seed Manville win its opening-round playoff game over 5th seed Shore – which will be just the Mustangs’ second-ever home playoff game – they would face the winner of the 8/1 game, featuring 8th-seed Penns Grove and top-seed Woodbury. If they Penns Grove (2-7) pulls the monumental upset over Woodbury (6-2), Manville would get the Red Devils at home next Friday night. But should the Thundering Herd take care of business, Manville would play on the road at 10:30 am, which is the listed start time on the Woodbury Athletics sports schedule site for next week, against opponent “TBA.” One would hope they’d move that game a bit later if they wind up facing Manville, since it’s a 60-mile, one-hour, 40-minute drive down from Somerset County. To safely get there 60-90 minutes before game time, they’ll be getting on the bus at 7 am. Ouch!

by Mike Pavlichko

A.L. Johnson’s big road win got them in the playoffs, now the Crusaders want to make some noise

Getting in the state playoffs is often a goal, sometimes just the first goal, of a high school football team.

For A.L. Johnson out of Clark, it had been a fairly regular occurrence, but a variety of factors ended a nice run the Crusaders had in 2019, when the team went 4-7. Entering this season, they team had not been back since.

But thanks to a huge 35-9 road win at South River this past Saturday that clinched a berth in the postseason, Johnson is back in the playoffs.

At 6-2, it’s a complete 180-degree turn from last year’s 2-7 season, and indeed from the combined 7-17 of the past three seasons. And as head coach Anthony DelConte explains it, that’s descriptive not just of the team’s record, but its positive change in attitude, mindset and focus.

Now, they’ll take that into a South Jersey Group 2 first round playoff game, when the fifth-seeded Crusaders visit fourth-seed Pleasantville (5-2) at 7:00 Friday night, looking for their first playoff win in four years.

Click below to hear Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko talk with Johnson head coach Anthony DelConte:

by Mike Pavlichko

South Group 2 Playoff Analysis: Delaware Valley, New Providence could host a playoff game, or end up near the bottom

Cutoff Weekend is less than 48 hours away, and Central Jersey Sports Radio is taking a look at every team in the Big Central to see where we think they’ll land in the playoffs.

We’re not looking at too many tiebreakers just yet, and even adding the few residuals to be had can make for infinitely more possibilities – although there are none up for grabs from any Big Central opponents at this point – so we’re not doing those either. But we are looking at where we think teams will fall in the top 16. Tune in to our Playoff Projection show Saturday at 6 pm on Central Jersey Sports Radio for all our unofficial pairings.

Below is our analysis, with each team’s current ranking in the UPR standings noted.

(Click here for official standings on Gridiron New Jersey)

Top Seeds: It looks like three teams are vying for the top two positions, and the two top seeds in the sectionals: Point Pleasant Boro, Rumson-Fair Haven and Raritan. Of those, Raritan is the only team not playing a multiplier this weekend. Point has St. John Vianney and Rumson has Red Bank Cahtolic. Raritan takes on 0-7 Holmdel, and the 5-2 Rockets should win that one easily. Haddonfield is the fourth team, taking on 0-6 Sterling, and while they stand in third at the moment, the multiplier effect means they won’t be a factor regardless of what they do. Assuming they and Raritan win, if Point and Rumson both lose to their multipliers, we believe the finish would be Raritan No. 1 and Point Boro No. 2, with Haddonfield third and Rumson fourth. If Point wins and, they’ll finish first, followed by Raritan. If Rumson wins, they’ll take Point’s spot, followed by Raritan. If both win, it’s Rumson No. 1 and Point second.

There will be a quiz later.

#7 New Providence: If the Pioneers beat Middlesex (4-3) at home Friday night, they could finish as high as No. 6, even if Delaware Valley – which is right behind them but has winless North Plainfield this week – wins. How? They need Gloucester City to lose, and either Willingboro or Pleasantville to lose. If Gloucester City wins, and either Pleasantville or Willingboro loses, we think the Pioneers finish seventh. And if all three win, we believe New Prov. is eighth. In any of those circumstances, they start the playoffs at home. If the Pioneers lose, we think the best they could do is a tenth place finish, and if all breaks wrong – unlikely, but mathematically possible – could end up as low as a 15. That would put them against top-seed Raritan or Point Pleasant Boro in the first round.

#8 Delaware Valley: With a win, and a Del Val loss, they could end up as high as sixth, if Willingboro, Gloucester City, Pleasantville and Cinnaminson lose. IF just those first three lose, they could end up seventh. And they may not be guaranteed a top eight finish if some of the others win as well. A loss, and they could end up at No. 16 if everything bad that could happen comes to fruition.

Last year, New Providence visited Del Val for a first round playoff game with Charlie Barth leading the Pioneers to victory. He’s at Rutgers now, but this year the tables could be turned. There’s a scenario where Del Val could finish 9th and New Providence 8th, which means the Pioneers would host this year.

For that to happen, Del Val and New Providence would both need to win, and the following: wins by Johnson, Gloucester City, and Pleasantville, as well as a loss by Willingboro. There could be other possibilities, too.

#11 Johnson: If the win, the Crusaders could finish as high as 11, we think, even with losses by Delaware Valley, New Providence, Willingboro and Pleasantville. With a loss, they could drop out completely, with a lot of teams bunched up. The deciding factor – due to discrepancies in power point average and OSI – could be two teams way above and below them if they lose and drop to 16. A Middle Township win over Pleasantville could boot them, as could a Delran win against Camden Eastside, which is the less likely of the two. So, for ALJ, it’s a “win and get in” scenario; that’ll take care of everything.

by Mike Pavlichko

UNOFFICIAL: Group 2 Playoff Standings Update

Bernards moves up, and Spotswood is eliminated in the playoff chase, according to Central Jersey Sports Radio’s unofficial calculations of playoff standings after Friday night’s Week 7 games. Here’s a closer look:

Bernards‘ win over New Providence Friday night helped the Mountaineers move up one spot in the standings into 8th place, the cutoff for getting a guaranteed first-round home playoff game, at least pending the rest of Saturday’s game action.

The main question is this: Will a win over 3-4 Governor Livingston be enough to keep them in the top eight?

The first and third teams had a little juggle at the top of the standings, even though all three teams won to improve to 7-0. It’s now Westwood, Rutherford and Caldwell, as Westwood and Caldwell flipped places from last week.

Spotswood would have needed to win its final two games of the season – over Johnson and JP Stevens – to make the playoffs, and even then might have needed some help. But a loss to the Crusaders cost them Friday night, so the Chargers are eliminated.

Elsewhere, going top down, Delaware Valley and New Providence hold in 8th and 9th, still in play for a home game in the first round, except that the Terriers are a bit more in play.

That’s because the Pioneers lost Friday night to Bernards, but that’s a “good” OSI loss that kept them steady. Del Val plays at Hillside Saturday. A win over a very highly-ranked Comets team could solidify a top-eight finish. We’ll have to see where everything shakes out this weekend with the other games yet to be played before we start running scenarios.

Johnson appears to be in, and a solid bottom eight team.

But can Roselle get in? They beat a “weak” Bound Brook team Friday night, and dropped from 16th to 17th – tied with Haddon Heights – as a result. Next week’s game at 0-7 Belvidere doesn’t do them any favors here, either.

Bottom Line: Del Val has a better shot at a top eight finish than New Providence, but it’s still in play for both. Johnson is in and should start on the road. Roselle is going to need some help and likely won’t control its own destiny next week.