That headline includes one of our biggest pet peeve phrases: “if they playoffs started tomorrow.”

Well, of course they don’t. The NJSIAA state football playoffs start in two weeks, and Cutoff Weekend is still a week away. But with the new playoff seeding procedure of assigning teams to sections based on geography, things will look a little different this year.

Previously, the NJSIAA “snaked” brackets, where Team 1 would go in one section, Teams 2 and 3 would go in the next, Teams 4 and 5 would go with Team 1, and so on, such that no bracket would have too many high or low seeds.

But complaints about long travel times to some games, mainly in the South Jersey supersections, which covers about two-thirds of the state because the teams are much more spread out, led to this year’s changes. And mainly, they are keeping teams close to home.

In this update, contrary to the full supersection standings posted earlier, we have indeed broken any UPR ties and head-to-heads. By NJSIAA rule, in the initial field of 16 in each supersection, two main checks need to be performed.

• Break any ties in UPR. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head, followed by record against common opponents, OSI, power points, and then a coin flip. Simple enough.
• Break head-to-head ties. Starting from the top-down, make sure no team is directly below a team they beat. Did Team 2 beat Team 1? If not, then go down: Did Team 3 beat Team 2? If yes, Team 3 moves up. They can keep moving up if they beat a team directly above them. This is done all the way down to Team 17. If Team 17 beat Team 16, Team 17 gets in the playoffs, Team 16 is out. They can keep moving up, but once the 17th place team gets in, the field of 16 is set.

We’ve done this for all ten public school supersections, and also eliminated Weequahic and Princeton – taking the 17th place teams in those sections to fill out the brackets – as both are ineligible due to player disqualifications during the season.

With Thursday and Friday action in the books for Week Seven of the high school football season, we’re updating our unofficial playoff standings for all ten public school supersections, Groups 1 through 5.

Please note, we have not performed any UPR or top-down head-to-head tiebreakers. Note that teams in red are ineligible for the playoffs due to accumulating more than two disqualifications during the season, per NJSIAA rule.

Only four out-of-state opponents have residuals to give this week, but only Wheat Ridge (CO) has a reported score on MaxPreps, and they lost; Wayne Hills played them earlier in the season. We’re missing scores for Tottenville (NY) against Lincoln (for Manalapan and Wall) and Clarkstown (NY) vs. Eastchester (for Waldwick), as well as IMG (FL) for Winslow, but their game on MaxPreps has their opponent listed as a TBA (“Varsity Opponent”).

Haverford (PA) (for Plainfield) plays Saturday against Malvern Prep.

We’ll take a closer look at how the sections breakdown later Saturday morning.

Bridgewater-Raritan dropped from first to second, while Piscataway held in third, and Elizabeth climbed from six to three with a win Friday night. Linden likely clinched a playoff berth with its Friday win, and Union moved up, despite a loss to Phillipsburg. They would still need to beat Elizabeth to make the playoffs, even if they finish in the top 16, since two wins is the minimum set by the NJSIAA for qualification. If they lose, finish in the top 16, and Plainfield finishes 17, they would make it in the field at 16.

Despite a loss to Montgomery Friday night, Sayreville holds in third, but has St. Thomas Aquinas next Friday, which is a multiplier. So, they still may have a shot at a top seed. A win by Old Bridge moved the Knights up one spot, while Hillsborough‘s loss to Piscataway only dropped them one place. Franklin is a longshot with winless North Brunswick next week, holding at 18 with a win over Monroe, while Hunterdon Central fell two to 19th and could be a longshot, but next Friday at Hillsborough could be a play-in game for the Red Devils.

Playing winless Union hurt Phillipsburg, which won, but drops from second to third. But they could jump back up next week with a better Bridgewater-Raritan team as their Cutoff Weekend opponent. Montgomery climbed three places after powering past Sayreville. Woodbridge dropped one spot with a three-point home loss to Summit. Ridge won, but against winless North Brunswick, and they fell from seven to nine, while Colonia holds in 11th after a win, and Rahway dropped from 12 to 16 but has a game Saturday at winless New Brunswick. They get a stronger opponent next Friday night when Montgomery visits. Westfield held at 14 despite a loss to Bridgewater-Raritan. JFK climbed from 20 to 19, and is now 6-2, but still on the outside looking in, 2.8 UPR points away. We’ll have to dig deeper to see if their chances are slim or none.

There are no Big Central teams here. The top two remain the same, Winslow and Brick Memorial.

Summit holds in third after a 10-7 win at Woodbridge Friday, while Cranford drops two places after a loss to Colonia. Note that with Weequahic ineligible, the 17th-place team will get in here. Carteret moves up to 19 despite a loss to Linden, while South Plainfield‘s victory over winless South River dropped them from 19 to 22, and they’re out of the running.

Somerville‘s win over Plainfield helped them stay in fourth, but they may still have a shot at a top seed if they beat Watchung Hills away next week and get some help.

Bernards dropped from two to four after a home win over Governor Livingston. They might be out for a top seed, or else, it won’t be easy, even if they beat Carteret next week. Dayton fell to 16 after a victory over winless Dunellen; Brearley next week.

Johnson stays in 8th after a shutout win at North Plainfield. Voorhees dropped from 12 to 15 after its 7-0 win over Hillside, and they may not be locked in yet, with 1-7 North Hunterdon next week. Spotswood fell out of a 16th-place tie to 18 behind Camden Eastside, getting little help from teams around them after beating winless South Hunterdon. But the real prize is Roselle Park next Friday, since the Panthers are 5-2. Stay tuned.

New Providence hung on to No. 2 after a win over Bound Brook. Brearley is in 18th, and we’ll have to look closer, but we think even their Thursday loss to Metuchen may not have killed their chances yet, as they held their position and are just 0.6 UPR points away, getting 1.4 closer thanks to some help from other teams this week.

Manville drops to 12 after beating Highland Park, which climbed to No. 15, just 0.6 points out of a playoff spot. But we’re not sure they can hold it with a game at winless South River next Saturday. We think Bound Brook could get in with a win over Manville Friday, and maybe even with a loss depending on how everything else plays out.

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.

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.

NORTH GROUP 2

• Bernards: This is a tight race at the top, with Westwood holding a 2 UPR and Bernards and Shabazz tied at a 2.2 UPR. Nevermind Hoboken just two points back of them at 4.2, but this race is likely going to come down to next week. Westwood closes with two road games, at Ramsey (5-1) and River Dell (5-2). The Mountaineers have Governor Livingston (3-4) and Carteret (3-3), both at home. Shabazz has two at home: Kinnelon (7-0) and Verona (2-5). The difference-maker here is Bernards has a better schedule, so assuming everyone ins out, the Bulldogs could be the odd man out here.
• Dayton: With 4.2 UPR points separating Dayton at 14 from 17th place Lyndhurst (5-2), The Bulldogs should be in unless something crazy happens. And both are winnable games, at Dunellen this week, Brearley the next. Two wins here should lock it up. A split, and they could need some help.

SOUTH GROUP 2

• Johnson: The Crusaders are in good shape, sitting in eighth overall, fifth in the Central Group 2 section, behind fourth-place Bordentown, which is in sixth overall. Still, they’re only 1 UPR point behind the Scotties, so making a move isn’t out of the question, except for their schedule, which includes a road game at 2-4 North Plainfield this Friday, then a home game with 0-7 Perth Amboy. Even two wins might not be enough, but we’ll see how it plays out, and know much more after this weekend.
• Spotswood: The Chargers are tied for 16th with Point Pleasant Boro, both with a 16.4 UPR, but that’s the bad news. The good news is the schedule seems to favor the Chargers. Not that it will be easy. They visit South Hunterdon (0-6) this week, and have Roselle Park (4-2) at home next week. We plugged in two wins for them, and they could get up to 13 not counting any other games if Point Beach drops both their games, but even if they win, the Chargers still may be able to make it. They may be doing some scoreboard watching, but the teams around them have matchups the last two weeks we think favor the Chargers: no upsets needed. Then again, anything can happen, so we’ll be watching this one closely.
• Governor Livingston: This is going to be a tough one. For now, we think they only way they get in is if they win out, and that includes knocking off unbeaten Bernards this Friday night at Olcott Field. If that happens? Then we can talk.

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.

NORTH GROUP 3

Note that in this section, Weequahic and West Side-Newark (in red, above) are disqualified from the playoffs due to numerous disqualifications in a game earlier this season. While West Side isn’t in contention, if Weequahic finishes in the top 16, they would be out, and the 17th place team would get in.

• Summit: The Hilltoppers are just 0.8 UPR points from one of the top two spots, and the North 2, Group 4 top seed, but it’s not a matter of distance at this point, but who they play. Summit is at 7-0 Woodbridge Friday, then at 2-4 Scotch Plains-Fanwood. If they can beat the Barrons, they might have a shot, but they might need one of the teams ahead of them to slip up. West Morris is the closest, and in this case Summit just needs to top one of them. (Kind of like the two guys being chased by a bear in the woods. One says “I don’t think we can outrun him!” The other says “I only have to outrun you.”) West Morris is at 5-2 Roxbury this week, then hosts 6-0 Mount Olive next Friday. We think they have a better chance of dropping one of those, while Summit is more likely to lose to the Barrons than the Raiders. Then again, the Wolfpack could drop both; they’ve only played one other five-win team this year. We think if Summit wins both they have a shot. Split with a loss to Woodbridge and they need some help. Split with a loss to Scotch Plains, or lose both, they’ll be a two-seed or lower.

• Cranford: At 4-3, we think the Cougars are solidly in as they sit in 12th, so long as they beat Hillside on the road next Saturday. They can withstand a loss at Colonia, we think, but a loss to the Comets might be another story. Why chance it? There also could be a scenario where if South Plainfield jumps in they would geographically bounce the Northernmost team (West Essex) in North 2 Group 3 into North 1, which could move Cranford up into the fourth spot, giving them at least a first round home game.
• South Plainfield and Carteret: Weequahic being ineligible helps, as now all these teams need to do is get to 17 rather than 16. The Tigers are 2.8 UPR points behind Snyder, while the Ramblers are three full points back. Do they have the schedule to get them there if they win out? Also keep in mind, Paramus is 0-7 between these two and Snyder, so if they lose one of their last two, they’ll be out, unable to get to the minimum two wins needed to qualify for the postseason. South Plainfield has South River and JFK, both home, to close out, while Carteret has Linden and Bernards. Edge Ramblers on strength of schedule here, but this could be a fun race to watch.

SOUTH GROUP 3

• Somerville: The only Big Central team in this section, the Pioneers have a decent schedule down the stretch, but we’re not sure it’ll be enough to get them over the hump, 1.4 UPR points behind Cedar Creek, in second. They’ll end up in Central Group 3 regardless, as they are the Northernmost of all 28 teams in the supersection, so they can defend their 2024 sectional title whether they get a top seed or not. The ‘Ville’s final two games are against Plainfield at home Friday (6:30 pm on CJSR) and at Watchung Hills next week. Power points might be their hope, and some help from (the teams) above. A bigger question is: can they catch Holmdel? Due to the geographic breakdown this year rather than snaking, despite being in fourth overall, they’d be the third seed in CJ3. But you want that second seed for a potential home semifinal. Just 0.8 UPR points back, that might be a more realistic goal. But they’ll have to win out, and that won’t be a cakewalk.

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.

NORTH GROUP 4

• Phillipsburg: Despite Saturday’s loss to St. Joseph-Metuchen – which is a multiplier game – the Stateliners remain in one of the top two spots, in line for a top-seed in North 2, Group 4. No one else close to a top seed is more South than Phillipsburg, so if they do get it, not only would they be in a natural section, but there could be six other teams – seven total – from the Big Central in that field of eight! They have a one-point UPR lead over third-place Mount Olive, who would also lead North 2 Group 4 if they got a top seed. They have Bridgewater-Raritan home Cutoff Weekend, but Union this week – even with a win – could hurt them, as the Farmers have just one win. We’ll find out how much this week. But Mount Olive has 5-2 Wayne Valley this week, then is at 7-0 West Morris Cutoff Weekend, and that’s quite a more challenging schedule than the Stateliners. We think they drop at least one, so if P’burg can win both, they should lock up a spot. Stay tuned…
• Woodbridge, Ridge and Montgomery: The Barrons are tied for fifth overall, but after Northing sorting, they’ll go in North 2 Group 4 with the Red Devils and Cougars right behind them. This is going to be a tight battle, and yes, even though it’s Week Seven, it might be too early to tell how this will all shake out, with all kinds of scenarios. Who do they all close with? Woodbridge has Summit home, then plays at St. Joseph-Metuchen. Ridge is home to North Brunswick, then closes at Westfield. Montgomery has road games at Sayreville and Rahway. Of the three, Ridge might have the most harmful schedule, and even if Montgomery finished directly above Woodbridge, the Barrons would jump them in the head-to-head in the field of 16. For now, our predicted finish is Woodbridge, Montgomery, Ridge, in a scenario where all three win out. If anyone loses, that’ll change the math, and we’ll regroup next week.

• Colonia: The Patriots are directly atop Rahway in the field of 16, but there are three UPR points between them. We think Colonia controls its own future if they can win out over a couple of solid teams: Cranford at home this week, then next week at Old Bridge. If not, Rahway could make a push up. We think it’s highly unlikely, unless they get a lot of help – and we mean a lot – that Colonia jumps into a first-round home game position in the top four in North 2, Group 3. They’d have to jump from 11th to 8th overall to do that, as they’re 3,8 UPR points behind Montgomery.
• Rahway: Last week’s win over Watchung Hills got the Indians squarely back in the race, where they’re 12th overall, sitting sixth in North 2 Group 4 behind Colonia, and 1.2 UPR points and two slots ahead of Westfield. They may not catch them even if they win out, however, with winless New Brunswick on the schedule this Friday, in the Hub City. They host Montgomery (5-2) on Cutoff Weekend, though, and that could give them a jump. But maybe not enough to flip with the Patriots.
• Westfield: At 14th at 3-4, the Blue Devils, the good news is they have some good teams on the schedule where they can gain ground with wins. But they’re both challenging – this week at Bridgewater-Raritan, next week home against Ridge. They should stay in with a split, since those opponents are strong. Two losses and they might need help. Two wins and they are in. Pretty straightforward.
• Watchung Hills: The Warriors might have a shot, with two big games coming up, Elizabeth followed by Somerville at home. But they most likely need to win both.
• JFK: At 5-2, the Mustangs are in 20th. We don;t think they’re in it, at three UPR points out of 16th place, but we’ll get back to you after this weekend. Kennedy hosts Middlesex this weekend, then visits South Plainfield next Friday.

SOUTH GROUP 4

There are no Big Central teams in this section.

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.

NORTH GROUP 5

• Bridgewater-Raritan: Despite taking its second loss of the season, the Panthers stay in the top spot overall with what we call a “true” 1 UPR. That means they’re first in both OSI and traditional power points. With Westfield this week, and a road game at highly-rated Phillipsburg next week, even a win over the Blue Devils and a loss to Phillipsburg might be enough for them to finish in one of the top two spots. But remember, the overall top seed gets home field for the group semifinals, should they get that far. And with Declan Kurdyla back at QB after an injury that kept him out for two weeks – even though he played against Hillsborough, he may not have been at 100 percent – we like their chances to remain a top seed.
• Piscataway: A victim of having to play winless East Brunswick last week, the Chiefs’ 35-0 victory didn’t keep them from falling to third place in the overall field. They close with road games at Hillsborough and Monroe. We think a sweep still would have them max out at three overall, so we believe the best they can do is a two-seed in North 2, Group 5.
• Elizabeth: There’s not much room to climb here for the Minutemen when it comes to their section. They’ll be in North 2, Group 5, most likely, but the teams above them in the top 16 – Passaic Tech and East Orange – will be in North 1, so to make a move from third to second in the section, they would have to jump three teams, including Piscataway. That’s unlikely, even if they sweep their last two, at Watchung Hills this week and home to Union next week. The Farmers’ 1-6 record will probably keep them, at best, a third seed in their section, unless Piscataway trips up in a big way.

• Linden: Classic bubble situation here, but they control their own future. The Tigers’ win over Perth Amboy last week – their second of the season – means they’re now playoff eligible. They have two good teams to close with, at Carteret this week, home to Plainfield next Friday. A split should get them in, a sweep should guarantee it. Two losses could still work, but they’d need some help. Most likely, they’ll be a 7-seed in North 2, Group 5.
• Union: The Farmers are in 16th place – the final playoff spot – but they need another win to become eligible. If not, and the playoffs were today, that spot would go to No. 17 Plainfield. What are their chances? Their last two games are on the road, at Phillipsburg, then Elizabeth. Sure, a loss to Phillipsburg could boost them up, but again, they need two wins and only have one. A split either way should get them in.
• Plainfield: They might be in the best position of any 17th-place team in the state. They close at Somerville and Linden. Union is ahead of them but not yet playoff eligible, and if they lose their remaining two games, the Cardinals should get in. The next team behind them is Montclair, but the Mounties are 0-7 and would have to win out to get in. It’s unlikely they will, so we’ll count them out for now. That leaves 19th place Columbia most likely their only real competition outside of Union for their last spot. We think Plainfield makes it, so long as they split their last two.

SOUTH GROUP 5

• Sayreville: The Bombers are undefeated at 7-0, and just 0/2 points behind Washington Twp. for one of the top two seeds, and a No. 1 seed in Central Jersey Group 5. As it is now, they’d be second there behind Washington Twp., while Atlantic City would get the South Jersey Group 5 top-seed. Sayreville may have the upper hand here, with a stronger schedule in Montgomery and St. Thomas Aquinas, the second of which is a multiplier if the Bombers lose that game next Friday night. With a split either way, we think the Bombers have a shot at the top seed. With a sweep, we think it’s as close to a lock as you could get. We’ll know more, for sure, next week.
• Old Bridge: The Knights sit in the fourth spot right now in the Central Group 5 section, and likely won’t jump Rancocas Valley at third. We think they’re pretty well locked in to a four-seed in that section, and are well-protected from Hillsborough, which would be fifth, but is five spots behind Old Bridge in the overall standings. Now, that’s assuming they continue to win, as they have been at 6-1. They have two tough tests: this week at Hunterdon Central, next week home against Colonia.
• Hillsborough: As mentioned above, they’re mainly out of reach of Old Bridge, so they likely will finish in the bottom four of the Central Jersey Group 5 section. They’ll have to watch the three teams behind them, however, as Toms River North, Freehold Twp., and Howell are all right behind them in the overall field of 16. The Raiders close with Piscataway at home Friday, and at Hunterdon Central next week, and their best to stay at five in CJ5 is to win out, but they could hold on with a split if they get some cooperation from the teams behind them.

• Hunterdon Central: This is a really solid section, with no team in the top 16 having fewer than three wins with two games to play. That’s one reason why the Red Devils (4-3) find themselves at No. 17 this week. Their schedule won’t hurt them, with two solid teams to close out, and both at home: Old Bridge, followed by Hillsborough. That last one could be a “win-and-they’re in” game for Central. They could have to win both to get in, but we’ll know a lot more after this week. If they had to split, Old Bridge is the bigger prize, with more wins (more residuals) and an SI value that’s about ten points higher.
• Franklin: The Warriors are just in 18th and only three UPR points back of the 16th position, but their last two opponents do them no favors, as Monroe (home this week) and North Brunswick (away next week) are a combined 1-13, worth only a total of 15 power points at the moment. And they won’t be able to jump much in OSI either. Barring something wacky happening, we don’t think Franklin has a shot here, even with a sweep of the Falcons and Raiders.