Tag: power points

by Mike Pavlichko

Three area teams expected to earn top seeds when NJSIAA announces playoff pairings Monday

Old Bridge and South Plainfield – the two GMC Tournament finalists – along with Bridgewater-Raritan are expected to earn top seeds in the NJSIAA playoffs when the seedings are announced Monday.

Saturday was the cutoff date, with the top 16 power point results for all teams counting toward playoff qualification. And it appears 36 teams from the CJSR coverage area will qualify.

Here’s a section by section breakdown based on official NJ.com power point standings as of noon Saturday, when power points officially close, with projected first round matchups for all local teams qualifying:

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 4

Without a win in the GMC Tournament title game, defending sectional champion Old Bridge (18-7) might have ended up third, behind Manalapan and Jackson Memorial. But the Knights’ win over South Plainfield Saturday gave them 48 points, dropping an 18 from their score, netting them a gain of 30, and putting them in first by a single point over Manalapan (15-11), with a 516.5 to 515.5 point lead. If that holds, the Knights will get to defend their title as the top seed for the second straight year.

The rest of the standings show South Brunswick (13-12, 427) in fourth, directly above Monroe (12-9, 419.5). Next down the list is Sayreville (11-10, 396) in eighth, and after Hightstown (11-8, 379) ninth, it’s North Brunswick (9-11, 353), Hillsborough (9-13, 343) and East Brunswick (7-15, 338) one after the other. Montgomery (8-14, 326.5) checks in at No. 15.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (16) West Windsor-Plainsboro South at (1) Old Bridge
  • (13) Freehold Township at (4) South Brunswick
  • (12) East Brunswick at (5) Monroe
  • (11) Hillsborough at (6) Howell
  • (10) North Brunswick at (7) Marlboro
  • (9) Hightstown at (8) Sayreville

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 3

With only two area teams in this section, it appears neither have made the playoffs. Somerville (10-14) looks to have finished just outside the top 16 at 10-14 with 337 power points. So unless there turns out to be a discrepancy, opt-out (doubtful) or a disqualification among the top 16, the Pioneers will be out, along with JFK (8-14, 307.5, 19th place).

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 2

It looks like three area teams will make the playoffs here, with one more right on the edge in case anyone else drops out or there are last minute changes to the current standings.

GMC Blue Division champion Spotswood (18-3-2, 519) checks in at No. 2, well behind first place Governor Livingston, which is having a great year at 20-4, with 555 points. The Chargers made last year’s sectional final, falling to Rumson-Fair Haven, which is only 8-12 this season, and currently in 14th behind South River at 10-11 with 353 points. Two spots behind Spotswood is Carteret (17-6), which looks to be the fourth seed, but is just two points behind Wall (16-4, 504).

East Brunswick Magnet (9-9, 272) appears just outside the top 16, two points behind 8-14 Holmdel with 274 points.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (15) Manasquan at (2) Spotswood
  • (13) South River at (4) Carteret

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP 1

The top team here looks to be two-time defending champion Point Pleasant Beach (19-4, 463) by a mile over Shore (13-7, 397.5) and South Hunterdon (12-9, 378). Then there are two CJSR-area teams, GMC Gold Division Champion South Amboy (13-4, 358) and Middlesex (8-16, 352). The Blue Jays are young, but play a tough schedule in the GMC White and out of their division, leading to a high finish despite being eight games below the .500 mark.

After Riverside (11-8, 340) in sixth, Manville (10-8, 310) follows in seventh, then Henry Hudson (10-7, 291) and GMC Silver Division winner Dunellen (11-12, 275) just missing out on a first round home game in ninth. Further down, you’ll find Highland Park (8-9) in 14th place, and Somerset Tech expected to claim the last spot in 16th.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (16) Somerset Tech at (1) Point Pleasant Beach
  • (14) Highland Park at (3) South Hunterdon
  • (13) Keansburg at (4) South Amboy
  • (12) New Egypt at (5) Middlesex
  • (10) Palmyra at (7) Manville
  • (9) Dunellen at (8) Henry Hudson

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 4

Somerset County Tournament semifinalist Bridgewater-Raritan is atop the pack by a good margin, and should get the top seed. The Panthers are 21-3, with more wins than anyone else in the section, and have 618 points, a comfortable margin over second-place Scotch Plains-Fanwood at 570. Third is Ridge (18-7, 538), which also will be playing Monday in the SCT semifinals at TD Bank Park in Bridgewater. After Westfield and Phillipsburg, there’s Woodbridge (17-8) in sixth with 509 points.

After two more out-of-area teams in Hunterdon Central and Woodbridge, there’s Edison (14-11, 430) in ninth, with Watchung Hills (13-12, 417.5) right behind them.

In 11th place is defending sectional champion Bayonne, which beat Bridgewater in last year’s sectional final. The Bees are four points ahead of the next CJSR-area team, of which there are four in a row: Piscataway (11-9, 342) is in 12th, followed by Perth Amboy (8-15, 338), JP Stevens (8-15, 338) and Franklin (8-12, 299.5).

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (16) Union at (1) Bridgewater-Raritan
  • (15) Franklin at (2) Scotch Plains-Fanwood
  • (14) JP Stevens at (3) Ridge
  • (13) Perth Amboy at (4) Westfield
  • (12) Piscataway at (5) Phillipsburg
  • (11) Bayonne at (6) Woodbridge
  • (10) Watchung Hills at (7) Hunterdon Central
  • (9) Edison at (8) Elizabeth

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 3

There are only three area teams in this section, and two have qualified with South Plainfield looking like they’ll get the top seed, despite the Tigers’ loss to Old Bridge in Saturday’s GMC Tournament final. They’re in first at 19-5-1 with 572.5 points, ahead of second-place Randolph (17-8, 565). In fifth is Colonia (17-5, 508). North Plainfield (5-19, 241) finished two spots out of the running.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (12) Millburn at (5) Colonia
  • (16) Cliffside Park at (1) South Plainfield

NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2, GROUP 2

The only area team here is Bernards, and the Mountaineers appear to be a seven-seed at 8-12-1 with 351.5 power points.

Projected Local Matchup:

  • (10) Rutherford at (7) Bernards

NON-PUBLIC, SOUTH A

There are three CJSR-area teams in this section, and with only 12 teams, all will qualify if they want to. But with no school having fewer than six wins, we don’t anticipate any opt-outs. In that case, the top four-seeds in the 12-team field would have byes.

That said, Red Bank Catholic (16-7, 551) is the top-seed by a good margin over 15-7 St. Augustine (528), followed by CBA and Notre Dame. But Immaculata (14-6, 438) is just a half-point behind the Irish (12-10, 438.5), so any discrepancy could muddy whether the Spartans have to play in the first round Wednesday or get a bye.

Further down the list, Pingry (9-12, 303.5) is in ninth, followed by Camden Catholic (9-13, 274), then St. Joseph-Metuchen (6-18, 260.5). The Falcons went to the title game last year, falling to RBC, but have struggled this year with a young and inexperienced team.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (12) St. John Vianney at (5) Immaculata
  • (11) St. Joseph-Metuchen at (6) Donovan Catholic
  • (9) Pingry at (8) Paul VI

NON-PUBLIC, NORTH B

This one could be a little tricky to figure out from the bottom up. Any team that doesn’t opt-out would be in, with just 13 teams in the section. Wardlaw-Hartridge opted out last year at 1-14-1, and would be expected to do the same this year at just 0-11. But Timothy Christian tradtionally does not opt out. They are just 2-10 with 137 points, but played last year with a 5-12 record. Assuming they play, the top five teams in an 11-team field would get byes.

As of now, the standings have defending champion St. Mary-Rutherford in first at 18-7 with 473 points, followed by two CJSR-area teams: St. Thomas Aquinas (15-7, 445) in third, and Gill St. Bernard’s (10-11-1, 339.5) in third. After Montclair-Kimberley (8-16, 334.5), there’s Rutgers Prep (7-14, 303); the Argonauts lost at St. Mary in last year’s sectional final.

Projected Local Matchups:

  • (11) Timothy Christian at (6) Morristown-Beard (first round), winner at (3) Gill St. Bernard’s (second round)
  • (5) Rutgers Prep at (4) Montclair-Kimberley (second round)
  • (10) Golda Och/(7) Hawthorne Christian winner at (2) St. Thomas Aquinas (second round)

by Mike Pavlichko

Several GMC, Somerset baseball teams in the running for top seeds in state tourney

At least a half dozen teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference and Somerset County appear to be in serious contention for top seeds in the NJSIAA state tournament, with the cutoff three weeks away.

Saturday, May 18 is the last day games can count toward power points. Traditional power points are used, with the highest 16 values before the cutoff counting toward the standings. Teams that reach 16 wins generally can make up less ground on opponents, since wins are generally worth much more than losses, and at that point, wins generally wins up replacing other wins, rather than low point total losses.

Here’s a section-by-section look at all the teams in contention in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area. Analysis is based on results reported to NJ.com as of 9:45 pm April 26th.

Central Jersey Group 4: There are eight teams in contention here, and all are pretty good bets to make the playoffs, with a lot of baseball yet to play. Old Bridge (10-4) currently occupies the top spot, with 263.5 points, well ahead of second-place Manalapan (8-5). And area teams are packed in tightly here, all the way down to a three-way tie for tenth. Monroe (70-5) is 67.5 points behind the Knights, sitting in third, with Manalapan (8-5, 219) in them. After Jackson Memorial (8-4, 189), there’s South Brunswick well into the mix at 5-8, with 178 points. And after Hightstown (7-3, 173), five of the next six teams are from the CJSR coverage area. Hillsborough (5-8, 166) is in seventh, and followed by neighboring Montgomery (5-7, 151.5) and Sayrveille (5-7, 144). In a three-way tie for tenth are Princeton (5-6, 143), North Brunswick (3-8, 143) and East Brunswick (3-10, 143). Only 35 points separates the 5th-place Vikings and the potentially 12th-place Bears. Expect much to change here over the next three weeks.

Central Jersey Group 3: No one is in line for a top-seed here, with JFK the only area team inside the top 16. Allentown (9-4) has a narrow lead over Lawrence (12-1, 265) for the top spot, with the Mustangs (7-3) tied with Colts Neck (7-5) for ninth, with 149 points. Somerville – at just 3-7 – is only 30 points out of a playoff spot, but a win or two would improve their fortunes immensely. It’s not too late for the Pioneers to turn things around.

Central Jersey Group 2: Governor Livingston leads the group at 11-2 with 287 points, and right behind them is unbeaten Spotswood at 11-01, with 211.5 points. For the next area team, it’s all the way down to 12th for Carteret (8-3, 146). Also in the top 16 is East Brunswick Magnet (5-4, 110), while other area teams on the outside of the bubble have a shot if they can make some hay over the next few weeks. South River sits in 18th at 4-7 (102 points), while Metuchen (2-9, 96) is only 14 points out in 19th, and even Piscataway Magnet (4-4, 64) could get in with a run.

Central Jersey Group 1: Defending champion Point Pleasant Beach (12-0, 261 points) leads the pack, while Middlesex (4-8, 169.5) – which lost at home to the Garnet Gulls in last year’s title game – is in second. After South Hunterdon (8-3, 166), South Amboy (8-0, 154) is in fourth. The Governors are one of just two unbeaten teams – along with Spotswood – left in the GMC or Somerset County. Dunellen (8-4, 131) is not far behind in fifth. After Shore (4-5, 125.5) and Henry Hudson (5-4, 114) is Highland Park (6-4, 112) in eighth, followed by Riverside (5-2, 110) and Manville (5-5, 95). All the way down to 17th place, Somerset Tech (2-5, 67) is well in the running, just seven points back of 16th-place Keansburg (2-5, 74).

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: Defending sectional runner-up Bridgewater-Raritan (11-1, 325 points) is No. 1 in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, and No. 1 in this section as well, leading second-place Westfield (10-1, 289) by a good margin, but the Blue Devils have a game in hand in the win column, so that distance may be closer than it appears in the Panthers’ sideview mirror. Woodbridge (11-2, 268) stands in third, and he next local team is down in sixth, with Ridge (8-4, 229.5) followed by Edison (9-3, 219) and Watchung Hills (7-5-1, 198 points) in eighth. Further down, you’ll find Perth Amboy 4-7, 149) in 12th, then Piscataway (6-5, 143), Franklin (6-4, 136.5) and JP Stevens (4-8, 126) right down the line.

North 2, Group 3: Just 20 points separate the top two teams here: first-place Randolph (11-3, 325.5) and second-place South Plainfield, (10-3, 305.5), which leads the GMC’s Red Division at the moment. The only other area team in contention here is Colonia. The Patriots are 6-4, with 197 points, and in ninth place.

North 2, Group 2: The only area team in this section is Bernards. The Mountaineers sit in 11th at 5-4-1, with 134 points.

Non-Public South A: Even with its second loss of the season – which came right after its first this week – Immaculata (9-2, 238) is ahead by 20 points for the top seed over St. Augustine (10-1, 218). The next area team down is St. Joseph-Metuchen. The Falcons are just 3-0, with 126 points, and a very inexperienced team. Pingry (2-7-1, 84) sits in 12th.

Non-Public North B: Anyone who doesn’t opt-out in this 13-team section will make it, but we’re not sure everyone in our area will want to play. St. Thomas Aquinas is in second at 9-2 with 166 points, 76 behind No. 1 St. Mary-Rutherford, the defending sectional champ who’s 9-4 with 243 points. In fifth is Gill St. Bernard’s (3-7-1, 103), followed by last year’s runner up here, Rutgers Prep (3-6, 97). Timothy Christian (0-7, 37) and Wardlaw-Hartridge (0-6, 28) could opt-out.

by Mike Pavlichko

Middlesex girls may have earned top-seed in CJ1 with GMCT upset; at least 37 teams expected to qualify

While the Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball team has been in line for a top seed much of the late season when it comes to the state playoff standings, it looks like Middlesex may have played themselves into a top seed in Central Jersey Group 1 with its huge upset of JP Stevens in Thursday night’s GMC Tournament first round.

With today being the cutoff for the state playoffs, Central Jersey Sports Radio predicts 38 teams are in the state tournament, with three more on the bubble on the final day to qualify.

Here’s a look at the standings in all sections with CJSR-area teams, as of 11 pm Friday night, per NJ.com, which provides the official calculations for the NJSIAA. 

(Note: Many teams will schedule last-minute games on the cutoff date to improve their standing, and some games may not be posted on NJ.com or other schedule sites.)

Central Jersey Group 4: It looks like Hightstown (20-3, 518 power points) will be the top seed here, but Howell (15-7, 467) may not be safe from Monroe (15-8, 457) with the Falcons just ten points behind in third. Howell visits Southern (18-4) Saturday, while the Falcons have a big one against North Plainfield (18-4) in the GMC Tournament quarterfinal round at Spotswood High School. With both having 15 wins and the top 16 point values counting toward the standings, both can score a lot of points today. And though Jackson Memorial (16-5, 453) is just four points behind Monroe, they don’t appear to have a game Saturday. Depending on how things shake out, though, East Brunswick could climb up from No. 5 to a top four seed if they can beat Colonia (17-7) in the GMCT quarters Saturday. And South Brunswick (12-10, 435) could make a move, too, from sixth, with a win over Middlesex (14-11) in the GMCT quarters as well. Detect a theme here? The GMC quarterfinals will have some major implications on this section. The good news for East and South Brunswick is they likely won’t fall behind seventh place Princeton (14-6, 398), which is 37 points behind the Vikings. Old Bridge sits in eighth, which is assuredly the Knights’ ceiling, as they’re 82 points from the next team above them. But they might have to watch out for Middletown South (9-11, 307, 9th) and Northern Burlington (12-9, 304, 10th). We’re not sure if they can catch the Knights on residuals – it might be a longshot – but all three teams appear to be idle Saturday. Holding down 11th place is Montgomery (10-12, 293), and while they won’t have a shot at a top eight seed and a first round home game, they look locked in 11th or 12th, just two points ahead of Freehold Township (10-11, 291). North Brunswick (3-20, 213) is on the bubble at 16, but idle today, and only two points ahead of West Windsor-Plainsboro South (6-16, 211). WWPS plays New Egypt (9-9) today, so the Raiders may be doing some scoreboard watching Saturday.

Central Jersey Group 3: The top-seed may not be determined yet, with Ocean Township (19-3, 565) leading the pack, but just ten points ahead of second-place Ewing (18-5, 555). But Somerville (19-3, 531) in third is probably too far back to catch either. The good news is, they appear to be locked into third place, which would give them home court through at least the first two rounds, and staying out of fourth avoids the top seed – whoever it will be – until the sectional final. Fr the next area team, we go down to 12th place for Carteret (13-10, 306), whose ceiling appears to be right where they are. But they’re only seven ahead of Freehold Borough (10-12, 299), and 12 ahead of South Plainfield (11-11, 294). And here’s another bubble team, as JFK (4-18, 209) holds the 16-spot by a slim one-point over Brick Township (5-15, 208). Neither have a game on the schedule Saturday, and it’s unclear if this one could come down to residuals, so hold on your hats!

Central Jersey Group 2: New Providence is assured of the top seed at 22-3, with 672 points, and 118 ahead of the next team, Rumson-Fair Haven (15-7, 554). The highest CJSR-area team is Spotswood (19-4, 518), six points behind wall. We imagine they could take a big jump if they were to pull off the huge upset and knock off top seed St. Thomas Aquinas (18-7) in Saturday’s GMCT quarterfinals; it might even be enough to get them a top four seed, where they’re just 17 points behind Manasquan (18-4, 535). Metuchen (16-8, 483) won’t have that shot, even though they’re right behind the Chargers; we think the Bulldogs are actually locked in at No. 7. South River (17-6, 419) occupies ninth place but we don’t think they’ll be able to crack the top eight, and predict a ninth- or tenth-place finish. Bound Brook is in 12th at 13-7, with 376 points, and they look like a good bet there. The Crusaders visit Somerville (19-3) Saturday morning in the Somerset County Tournament’s second round. Piscataway Magnet (13-10, 239) is only one spot out of the playoffs, but a lot of points behind Monmouth (13-6) and Point Pleasant Boro (11-10), with those teams tied at 313 points.

Central Jersey Group 1: Looks like Middlesex (14-11, 411) played its way into the top seed with a big upset win over third-seed JP Stevens in the GMC Tournament first round Thursday night, leap-frogging over now second-place Dunellen (17-6, 394). The Destroyers played Sayreville Friday night and are off Saturday, so the Blue Jays look safe, in our eyes. And third-place Shore (12-8, 364) is too far back. In fifth and sixth, respectively, are Highland Park (10-10, 297) and Manville (9-13, 290), and we think they are at least safe bets to end up in the top six, but no higher. Further down, Perth Amboy Magnet (6-12, 199) is in a tight bunch of teams, just seven behind tenth-place Keyport (9-11, 206). But behind them in 12th is Henry Hudson (8-12, 195), followed by South Amboy (5-16, 183). We feel pretty safe in calling Woodbridge Magnet (3-16, 145, 15th) and Somerset Tech (1-16, 130, 16th) in the playoffs, with 3-4 STEMCivics (119), 11 points out in 17th place.

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 4: Plainfield (16-6, 510) should be the top seed here, followed by Bayonne (16-4, 491), before we get to the first CJSR-area team at three: Hllsborough (14-7, 462). But while they probably can’t get the two-seed, there’s the potential to drop to fourth, with JP Stevens just two points behind at 18-4, with 460 points. We think both will end up in the top four, even though it may not be assured. Woodbridge (13-11) and Franklin (12-11) are tied for seventh with 405 points, and we’re not sure how they’ll end up, but we believe one will take seventh and the other will take eighth; it could come down to potential residuals. Either way, we believe they’re safe from ninth-place Piscataway (11-11, 390), which is 15 points behind both. Ridge (9-4, 343) checks in at No. 13, tied with Irvington, and that could go either way, but these two should also be 13 and 14, in whichever order. Another bubble team is at 16 in Watchung Hills (5-15, 285). The Lady Warriors are just a point ahead of Union. But guess what? They square off with Ridge Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament second-round, so that could be a play-in game to the states for Watchung. They’re just one point ahead of Union (6-14, 284), which plays Irvington (10-10) Saturday. At 18 points back in 18th, we don’t think Perth Amboy (9-15, 267) will be a factor, even though the Panthers play Timothy Christian (14-6) Saturday.

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 3: Chatham is assured of the top seed here at 21-2, with 670 power points. And Colonia should be locked in there as well. They are 17-7, with 566 points, a good margin behind Chatham (94) but also holding a big lead over third-place Mendham (16-5, 518), so the Patriots would be assured of home court at least through the sectionals semifinals. North Plainfield (18-4, 495) has Monroe (15-8) Saturday in the GMCT quarters, but we’re not sure if a win would be enough to catch fourth-place Cranford and put them in the top four. The Cougars are 16-6, with 517 points, but appear to be idle Saturday.

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 2: It looks like the top-seed will be either Rutherford (16-5, 583) or Secaucus (17-5, 574), but the only area team here will start on the road. Bernards (11-12, 361) appears to be able to get no higher than its current tenth-place standing, but could finish as low as 11th with Dayton (11-8, 359) just two points back.

Non-Public North B: Defending state Group B champ Morris Catholic (21-0, 734) holds the No. 1 spot here – and won’t lose it – followed by Montclair Immaculate (20-4, 676), then Gill St. Bernard’s (20-3, 627). The Knights won’t make the top two, and will be in the top four, but whether they’re three or four remains to be seen. Gill has a 13 point lead over Saddle River Day (16-3, 614). Gill plays Hunterdon Central (14-8) Saturday, while SRD plays Holy Angels (14-5). Next, it’s Wardlaw-Hartridge (14-4, 346) in seventh, and most likely to finish thereabouts, while Mother Seton (10-7, 258) has enough room around them that the Setters should finish in their current position at No. 10.

Non-Public South B: Put it in the books for Rutgers Prep, with a record of 18-4, 656 points, 86 ahead of second-place Wildwood Catholic (21-2, 570). The Lady Argonauts are the two-time defending sectional champs here, and widely considered a favorite for a three-peat. Down at No. 8 in the (currently) 16-team field – you never know about opt-outs until the NJSIAA comes out with the brackets – is Timothy Christian (14-6, 361), but their standing could change one spot in either direction, nine behind Ranney (10-10, 370) and just four ahead of Bishop Esutace (11-11, 357). Timothy has Perth Amboy (9-15) Saturday, while Ranney picked up JP Stevens (18-4) Saturday, and Eustace has Haddon Township (14-6) Saturday. In 14th is Calvary Christian (5-10, 190), and they should finish there, or 15th.

Non-Public South A: The top-seed will be Red Bank Catholic (19-4, 661), but the next three spots are very much up in the air here on the cutoff date. St. Thomas Aquinas (18-7, 583) is in second, but just two points ahead of Trinty Hall (16-6, 581), and three ahead of fourth-place St. John Vianney (17-7, 580). The good news is all of these teams are squarely in the top four, it’s just the second, third and fourth seeds that need to be settled. Pingry (16-5, 545) is in fifth in what is now a 14-team field, with Mount St. Mary (12-10, 408) looking to be a solid 9-seed, while Immaculata (9-12, 329) appears to be locked into the tenth-seed.

by Mike Pavlichko

Montgomery has top-seed locked up in CJ4, South River and Highland Park on the bubble

Montgomery has the top-seed locked up in Central Jersey Group 4 heading into today’s NJSIAA cutoff date, with 34 teams projected to make the state playoffs from the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area.

And two teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference are likely involved in a play-in game today, as the winner of South River/Highland Park could make the playoffs as well, bringing the total to 35.

Here’s a look at the standings in all sections with CJSR-area teams, as of 11 pm Friday night, per NJ.com, which provides the official calculations for the NJSIAA. 

(Note: Many teams will schedule last-minute games on the cutoff date to improve their standing, and some games may not be posted on NJ.com or other schedule sites.)

Central Jersey Group 4: Montgomery (18-2, 581 power points) has a 100-point advantage over second-place Monroe (15-6, 481), an insurmountable lead with one game left. And with Old Bridge (13-9, 448) out of the GMC Tournament, the Knights have likely maxed out in third place, but fourth place Howell (15-7, 440) is just eight points behind. They play CBA in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals, though, and lost by 23 to CBA earlier in the season, so Old Bridge might be able to hang on here. North Brunswick (14-10, 437) is in fifth, but could drop, as they are just three points ahead of Manalapan (14-7, 434) and seven ahead of Marlboro (12-8, 430). Marlboro plays at Ranney Saturday afternoon, while Manalapan is at Donovan Catholic. We think the Raiders, however, will at least hang on to a top eight seed, getting them at least a first round home game. East Brunswick (12-12, 405, 8th) has enough to worry about Saturday as the 12th-seeded Bears take on 4-seed St. Thomas Aquinas without a top eight finish being on the line, too, in that game. But that’s their scenario. They’re 10 points ahead of Hightstown (13-11, 395), but they don’t appear to have a game scheduled Saturday. Tenth-place Sayreville (15-9, 392) appears to be in range, but they also don’t seem to have a game scheduled.

Central Jersey Group 3: Looks like Red Bank Regional (17-4, 564) will be the top seed here, and the highest-standing local team is Somerville (10-13, 383). The Pioneers are in ninth place, 20 behind Robbinsville (10-13, 403) for the eighth spot. It may or may not be possible for the Pioneers to get that eight spot with a win at Ridge (13-8) in the second round of the Somerset County Tournament Saturday afternoon. That would be a sizeable upset. Carteret (14-10, 326) is in 12th place, and is too far back to have a crack at the top eight.

Central Jersey Group 2: The top-seed here is a tight race, with defending Group 2 state champion Manasquan (17-5, 565) holding a slim seven-point lead over Rumson-Fair Haven (17-5, 558). ’Squan has Toms River North (16-6) and Rumson has St. Rose (22-2, No. 1 in New Jersey) in the Shore Conference Tourney quarterfinals Saturday. Spotswood (16-6, 418) looks like it’s maxed out at No. 5, but Bound Brook (15-9, 401) might be able to catch them from behind with a win over Pingry (15-4) Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament second round. Further down the list, Middlesex (13-11, 333) could go up or down, four points behind Johnson (11-7, 337) and 12 ahead of Roselle Park (9-13, 321), but they won’t have a crack at the top eight and should start the playoffs on the road. Metuchen (12-12, 287) sits in 14th, and we believe is in, but Monmouth (11-9, 285) is right behind them. We think South River (11-12, 265) has a shot to get in if the Rams can beat Highland Park Saturday, a game that should be worth about 22 points, but don’t forget, the lowest scores drop, so the net gain would be less They would have to catch 16th-place Hillside (8-15, 277), which is 12 points ahead in 16th. The Comets are scheduled to play Pemberton (9-14) Saturday, a game worth 30 points, before dropping their lowest value.

Central Jersey Group 1: Henry Hudson (17-4, 403) is currently in first here, but just ten points ahead of Shore Regional (15-6, 393). The highest CJSR-area team is Manville (11-11, 340). The Mustangs are eleven points behind 4th-place Brearley (10-6), which visits Robbinsville (15-8) Saturday. Sixth-place South Amboy is ineligible, which would put Perth Amboy Magnet (11-8, 304) in that spot. They hold a slim lead over South Hunterdon (8-12, 302), but should be assured of a top eight seed and a first round home game. Dunellen (11-11, 292) is in tenth – make that ninth with Amboy being out – and would this be four points out of eighth behind defending sectional champion Eagle Academy (11-10, 296), which has a Saturday game with Marion P. Thomas Charter (7-13), while Dunellen appears to be idle. Somerset Tech (7-15, 243) is in 14th (but will be 13th) and isn’t expected to move up, maybe down one notch. The question is, can Highland Park (6-15, 181) get in? The Owls are in 18th, but really 17th, 11 points behind Academy Charter (10-7, 202). A win over South River Saturday would be worth about 32 points, though the net would be a bit smaller.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4: We think Phillipsburg – one of the top public schools in the state this year – will be the top seed, at 20-1 with 607 points, 24 ahead of second-place Watchung Hills (16-6, 583). The Warriors shouldn’t be caught be Elizabeth (16-4, 525) in third, but Ridge (13-8, 516) is just nine points behind and has Somerville (10-13) Saturday at home in the Somerset County Tournament second round. Elizabeth is in the quarterfinals of the Union County Tournament and has Union (7-14) at home Saturday. Advantage Ridge in terms of power points available, by a few. Plainfield (15-6, 506) is just tenb points behind Ridge, but we think a Red Devils’ win would hold the Cardinals at bay. But the next four spots are tightly packed, and a lot could happen here, so we won’t get into scenarios. Franklin (12-10, 545) is in sixth, followed by Hillsborough (13-7, 65), Hunterdon Central (14-7, 486) and Woodbridge (15-6, 483) in ninth. Anything can happen here, we think, with just eight points separating those four teams. None of those teams should fall lower than ninth, we think. Then, going to the bottom, Bridgewater-Raritan (10-13, 394) is in 16th place, and we think they’re in, with a decent 20-point lead over 17th-place Bayonne (12-11, 374).

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 3: There’s a 19-point lead here for first-place Cranford (18-5, 573) over South Plainfield (17-6, 554), but with both having reached 16 wins, it’s unlikely South Plainfield can make a move here even with a win over Group 4 foe Monroe in the GMC Tournament quarterfinal round Saturday. Colonia (15-8, 529) is in third, and probably can go no higher, even with a win over Woodbridge Saturday in the nightcap of the GMCT quarters. But it would help them fend off Millburn (17-6, 520), which is just nine points behind but has already reached 17 wins, while Colonia has 15. That 16th win would net more points as it replaces a loss, while Millburn – which is at Fair Lawn Saturday – would likely be displacing a win.

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 2: Arts (out of Newark) appears to have the top-seed locked up. Bernards is the only area team in this section, and checks in at No. 7 with a 14-8 record and 449 points. They’re just a point behind 6th place Rutherford, and could catch them on residuals, but also are just four points ahead of Lyndhurst (16-7, 445). But they’re 39 ahead of ninth-place Caldwell (11-10, 410), so we think the Mountaineers will finish in the top eight and get a first round home game.

Non-Public South A: There’s a lot that could happen with the top-two here, with Christian Brothers Academy (16-5, 580) ahead of Union Catholic (16-6, 573) by a mere seven points. We don’t think Rutgers Prep (15-6, 557) can catch them, nor can fourth-place St. Joseph-Metuchen (17-7, 546) catch the Argonauts, but three teams are behind the Falcons and no more than six points back: Red Bank Catholic (14-10, 543) in fifth, followed by Donovan Catholic (18-4, 541) and Paul VI (15-8, 540). Pingry (15-4, 509) looks solid at No. 8. And how good is this section? The “last place” (13 place) team is Immaculata, which is 10-11, with 364 points. In the non-publics, that’s a solid team.

Non-Public North B: Morris Catholic (20-2, 589) looks like it has locked up the top seed, 39 ahead of St. Mary Rutherford (18-6, 550) heading into Saturday’s cutoff. St. Thomas Aquinas (14-9, 473) has hit its ceiling in fourth, and is probably safe from getting caught from behind by Roselle Catholic (11-9, 446) in fifth. But the Trojans could surely lock that up with a win over East Brunswick Saturday in the GMC Tournament quarterfinal round. Timothy Christian (15-7, 430) likely finishes no lower than its current place in sixth, and Gill St. Bernard’s (9-13, 333) looks locked in at sixth place. Wardlaw-Hartridge (5-13, 136) sits tied in last place with Golda Och (5-13, 136).

Non-Public South B: St. Rose is locked in here at No. 1 at 22-2, with 671 power points. Calvary Christian sits in second at 425, with a 17-3 record, and appears locked in at the No. 2 seed.

by Mike Pavlichko

Halfway to the state cutoff, what GMC and Skyland teams have a top seed in sight?

More than four weeks into the high school basketball season, we’re less than four weeks away from the NJSIAA cutoff and seeding meeting.

Saturday, February 10th is the cutoff date, with the seeds coming out the following Monday.

So far, we think at least a half dozen teams have a shot at a top seed, which would guarantee home court advantage right through the sectional semifinals. Some have a much better shot than others, but there’s still a lot of basketball to be played.

The top 16 point values count towards a team’s power point totals. Teams who have fewer than 16 wins in the weeks leading up to the cutoff generally can make bigger gains than a team that’s won 16 or more already. More wins for those teams tend to replace larger numbers than replacing the value for a loss.

Here’s a section-by-section breakdown of all sections with teams from the Greater Middlesex Conference and Somerset County, based on power point totals retrieved from NJ.com (which calculates official points for the NJSIAA) posted as of 1 pm Saturday, January 20th:

Central Jersey Group 4: There’s a lot of basketball to play here, but right now Monroe (11-3) is tied with Howell (10-2) at 282 points, both just 19 behind first-place Hightstown (11-2, 301). East Brunswick (8-5, 247), South Brunswick (6-6), and Old Bridge (5-9, 210) are behind them, but would have a huge mountain to climb. Sayreville – despite a 1-14 record – has 100 points and sits in 16th place

Central Jersey Group 3: The top spot is held by Ocean Township (13-2) at the moment, with 339 points, just 38 ahead of Somerville (11-2) with 301. The Pioneers might have a legit shot depending how the next few weeks play out. The next closest CJSR-area team in South Plainfield, sitting in 8th at 8-3 with 175 points. Carteret (7-5, 158) is in 12th, with JFK (1-13, 113) in 16th.

Central Jersey Group 2: No one from the area will get a top seed here, as New Providence leads the pack with 458 points, and fifth-place Metuchen is first from the CJSR-area at 10-4, with 291 points. Spotswood (9-3) has 246 points and sits in 8th, while South River (10-2) is just three points behind. They two were supposed to play in South River Friday night, but that game was moved to Saturday, the 27th, due to the snowstorm. Bound Brook (8-3, 203) sits in 11th.

Central Jersey Group 1: Heading into the weekend, two GMC teams head this section. Dunellen is 10-3 with 215 points, two ahead of Middlesex, even though the Blue Jays are just 7-8 (213 points). After Shore (7-5, 186) and New Egypt (8-3, 158), there are two other GMC teams who are close enough to crack the top four, though whether both can is a question mark at this semi-early stage yet. Highland Park is in fifth at 7-5 with 152 points, while Manville is 5-8, with 147 points. Further down the line, two teams that should safely be in are Perth Amboy Magnet (12th, 4-5, 83), South Amboy (14th, 3-9, 7-8). On the bubble in 15th is Woodbridge Magnet (2-9, 66) in 15th, and Somerset Tech, which is 0-8 with 47 points and just outside the bubble by eight points. Then again, even just one or two wins would probably bump that number up dramatically.

North Jersey, Section 1 – Group 4: Even though JP Stevens – having a real nice year at 11-2 – sits in third with 263 power points, they’re a long way from first place Bayonne (12-1, 337), but the Hawks are just six points behind Hunterdon Central (10-5, 269) with a lot of time left. That would at least get them home court through the sectional semis. The middle of the pack is stuffed with out local teams. In seventh is Hillsborough (7-5, 244), followed by Piscataway (7-6, 234), Woodbridge (8-6, 209), and Ridge (5-9, 206) separated by just 38 points. There’s another bunch toward the bottom of the top 16, with Edison (6-10, 172) in 13th place, followed by Franklin (6-9, 169) and Watchung Hills (2-10, 159).

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 3: Chatham sits in first at 13-1 with 384 points, and there are two GMC teams behind them where it’s possible they could make up ground. North Plainfield is close, but the Canucks (13-2, 344) have the same amount of wins as Chatham, so unless they pull off a huge power point win somewhere, that might be difficult to overcome. Colonia, on the other hand, is 10-5, with 314 points. Yes, they’re 73 behind, but they have three fewer wins. That means with three more wins, they would likely gain more points than Chatham or North Plainfield.

North Jersey, Section 2 – Group 2: The only CJSR-area team here is Bernards, which sits in 11th place at 7-5 with 199 points. The top team is Madison, at 11-2, with 336.

Non-Public North B: Defending champ Morris Catholic – which beat Rutgers Prep in the Group B state final last year – is in fifth, even though they’re 12-0. Gill St. Bernard’s (12-2) has 300 points and is in third, and probably won’t finish much higher – or lower – than that. Montclair Immaculate (12-3, 446) leads the section, and Saddle River Day (11-3, 396) is in second, 96 points ahead of Gill and with one less win. Roselle Catholic (8-3) is 53 points behind them. Other area teams in the section – which only has 16 teams, so everyone who wants to be in will be – include Wardlaw Hartridge (9th, 7-3, 146) and Mother Seton (10th, 6-2, 127).

Non-Public South B: It may not be a lock yet, mathematically speaking, but Rutgers Prep is a pretty good bet, the way they’ve been playing, to hold on to the top spot they currently hold, at 12-3 with 375 points. Behind them are Wildwood Catholic (13-1, 334) in second, and St. Rose of Belmar (11-4, 323) in third. Those are the only two with a slim hope to catch the Argonauts. Down at the bottom of the section are Timothy Christian (13th, 6-4, 129) and Calvary Christian (15th, 2-6, 76).

Non-Public South A: With a 10-4 record, St. Thomas Aquinas has 322 points, and is just 54 behind the two teams tied for first: Our Lady Of Mercy (14-1, 376) and Red Bank Catholic (11-2, 376). The Trojans might have a shot, especially with fewer wins than both of them. Only 14 teams are in this section, so everyone can make it. Pingry sixth is sixth at 8-3, with 242 points. Then Mount St. Mary (6-7, 185) is tied for eighth with Paul VI (7-4), followed by Immaculata in tenth at 6-5, with 180 points.

CORRECTION: This story was updated to say that a team’s top 16 power point games count toward the standings. An earlier version said it was 14 games.

by Mike Pavlichko

Revisiting baseball power points before Wednesday’s final games before the cutoff

Today – Wednesday – is the cutoff for the NJSIAA state tournament. Seeding will take place Friday with the top 16 power point teams in each section qualifying. The best 16 power point values on a team’s schedule count toward their power point total, but residuals only come from an opponent’s first 16 games.

Remember, a win today, doesn’t automatically add that value onto the total. If a team has 500 power points, and gets a win over a 16-win Group 4 school for 58 points (6 quality points for the win + 4 for the group + 48 residuals – three for each win) they don’t just get 58. You have to drop the lowest score among their top 16. So, if that lowest score is a 20, the net gain is 38. Since wins are worth much more than losses, teams with fewer than 16 wins heading into today (where their best loss might be worth 12 points) and playing a moderate opponent stand to gain more than a team with 17 wins (where their worst win may be worth 15 points). (See how it works in real life below with Woodbridge.)

Ultimately, we project 36-37 area teams will qualify for the state playoffs, with 36 already in, and Piscataway being the lone bubble team to make it 37. Of those, 12 are from Somerset County, and 24 (or 25) from the GMC.

With this being the final day for games to count toward the best 16, here’s a more focused look at each Central Jersey Sports Radio-area team’s positions, based on official standings and today’s schedule as published on NJ.com as of 1 pm Wednesday, May 17th:

North 2, Group 4

As expected, it looks like Ridge will get the top seed here at 20-3 with a power point total of 580.5. There’s too much ground for Bridgewater-Raritan (17-5, 526 points) to make up. And the Panthers should be in second, with a 30 point lead over Woodbridge (17-5, 496). They would gain 29 points for a win over Metuchen today, but dropping their lowest score – an 11 – only have a net gain of 18. The Barrons should be safely in third, ahead of Bayonne (10-5, 470.5), which doesn’t play today.

Edison (14-9, 416) currently sits in sixth, and probably can’t go higher, but they do play Robbinsville today, and might need a win to avoid dropping behind Hunterdon Central (11-8, 413) and/or Westfield (11-8, 406) All three teams play today.

Franklin (10-10, 353) probably can’t finish higher than ninth, where it stands right now, but three teams behind them are within 13 points: Scotch Plains-Fanwood (9-13, 350), Watchung Hills (8-12, 344) and Union (8-14, 340).

And then there’s Watchung Hills (8-12, 344), which could pick up 30 net points with a win over Marlboro today, and pass Franklin if the Warriors lose.

JP Stevens should make it (6-16, 249); the Hawks currently sit in 14th. But Piscataway likely faces a must-win game against St. Thomas Aquinas today – yes, a rematch of their first-round GMC game, which the Chiefs won 7-4. That would be worth 43 points, minus their lowest score of six for a net gain of 37. That could get them in alone regardless of what 16th place Newark East Side (7-13, 217) does, since a win over East Orange would only be worth 19, and a net gain of 13. The Chiefs also could pass Dickinson – which is off today, according to the NJ.com schedule – and end up in 15th.

Central Group 4:

We say Old Bridge (16-8, 605.5) is a lock as the No. 1 seed since the Knights can’t be caught by North Brunswick (17-5, 569). The Raiders play Colonia today but would only net five points with a win. And the Raiders should be locked in as a two-seed because the closest team to them is Jackson Memorial (16-6) with 495 points, 74 behind North Brunswick.

However, things are a bit unsettled for the three GMC teams in fifth, sixth and seventh. Monroe is fifth at 12-8, with 417 points, followed by Sayreville (13-9, 413) and East Brunswick (10-11, 401). The Bears are the only one of the three to play today, against Notre Dame, a game that’s worth 50 points, and a net of 41 (nine is EB’s lowest power point value right now).

South Brunswick (9-12, 343) has a big game against Lawrenceville today that could push them past idle West Windsor-Plainsboro South, which they trail by 11.5 points if they come up with a win.

Hillsborough (8-14, 310) sits in 13th, and visits Nottingham today at 5 pm. That game is worth 35 points with a win, for a net of 26, which could push them as high as tenth place, but at least eleventh.

North 2, Group 3:

Since the weekend, South Plainfield (13-12, 526) vaulted all the way up to third place from seventh, with quality wins over a pair of GMC division champions: Spotswood of the Blue and Sayreville of the White. The Tigers – idle today – could slide back a bit. Randolph (13-9, 525.5) is just a half-point behind South Plainfield.

Colonia (9-12, 291) would be hard-pressed to move up from 13th place, and may be locked in, with Nutley (5-13, 282.5) idle.

Central Group 3:

Somerville (12-8, 388) and JFK (12-10, 382) moved down a spot each to tenth and eleventh. The Pioneers visit Ridge today, while the Mustangs host Ocean Township, so they could swap places, but they appear to be locked into those two positions.

North 2, Group 2:

Bernards (14-8, 410) dropped two games this week, and dropped from third to fourth since the weekend. They’re idle Wednesday, but could drop further, behind Parsippany (13-6, 405) and/or Caldwell (12-2, 404). Both play one more game before the cutoff: Parsippany at Morristown-Beard, and Caldwell at Montclair, so it’s scoreboard watching time for the Mountaineers.

Central Group 2:

Since the weekend, South River (13-7,437) has jumped Spotswood (16-6, 434) into third place. Neither can take first or second, currently held by Rumson-Fair Haven (17-4, 637) and Governor Livingston (16-6, 512), but the Chargers could leapfrog the Rams again with a home win over Rahway today, which would be worth 30, and a net gain of 19. A win avoids the top-seed until the sectional final, but Governor Livingston was the Union County Tournament runner-up, losing 1-0 Monday to Cranford in the title game.

But the Chargers also may need to win to keep Carteret (15-6, 417) at bay. The Ramblers play Plainfield today, and a win may be just enough to boost them into third over not only Spotswood, but also South River.

East Brunswick Magnet (11-6, 347.5) should be in the field, 41.5 points ahead of Point Pleasant Boro.

Central Group 1:

Middlesex (12-7, 351) fell to third since the weekend, 19 points behind second-place Shore (11-10), with Point Pleasant Beach (17-5, 386) in first. The Blue Jays play Rutgers Prep today, a 31 point win, with a net gain of 20. There might be a slim chance they can catch Shore, if they lose at Manchester Twp. (8-9-1) today. Somerset Tech (11-6, 330) may fall just short of catching Middlesex even with a win today over Bound Brook; they currently sit in fourth., and likely won’t fall.

That’s because South Amboy (12-6, 306) in fifth is idle, and sixth-place Palmyra (10-6, 298) has STEM Civics today.

Yet, seventh-place Manville (11-7, 290.5) plays at 11th-place Dunellen (9-6, 213.5) today, and that’s worth 24 net points, so they could pass both Palmyra and the Governors, moving into fifth, with a win. The Destroyers could move up to ninth, though, with a win, worth 37 points – their lowest value is a loss to North Plainfield, worth zero points, so it would be a clean gain.

Non-Public North B:

St. Thomas Aquinas (14-8, 440) remains in second, healthily behind first-place St. Mary-Rutherford (16-8, 479) and likely won’t catch them even with a win over Piscataway today. And they shouldn’t be caught from behind by Rutgers Prep (11-13, 393), which plays Middlesex; a win leaves them well short.

Idle Gill St. Bernard’s (6-14, 268) will probably hold there, with Hawthorne Christian (10-8, 260) well behind them, and idle. Timothy Christian (5-10, 184.5) won’t go any higher than ninth, but an unlikely win today by Morristown-Beard (2-14, 177) over Parsippany could bump them down. Wardlaw-Hartridge (1-13-1, 99) is in last place, in 12th.

Non-Public South A:

St. Joseph-Metuchen sits in second at 17-7, with 565 points, 22 behind Red Bank Catholic (18-4, 587). The Caseys play Millburn (21-2) today while St. Joe’s has a doubleheader against separate teams: North Hunterdon at 4 pm and Cranford at 8 pm. A sweep by the Falcons and a loss by RBC might get Joe’s the top-seed.

Pingry (10-8, 372) likely can’t jump out of eighth over Paul VI, even with a win today over Hun, while Union Catholic (10-13, 367) behind them is idle. So, the Big Blue probably stay there. Immaculata (7-12, 321) likely also remains in tenth, 46 points out of ninth, and 84 points ahead of 11th place St. John Vianney (6-14).

by Mike Pavlichko

A look at girls’ basketball power points as we hurtle toward the NJSIAA cutoff

With the state tournament cutoff date just about two weeks away – Saturday, February 11th – a handful of teams in two sections are battling it out for top-seeds in the state tournament. We’ve got a section-by-section look below of where every team in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area – the GMC and Somerset County – stands heading into play on Monday, January 30th:

Central Jersey Group 4

This is one of the sections where the top-seed could be up for grabs, depending on the strength of schedule the next few weeks for South Brunswick and Monroe. While the first place team – Hightstown (16-2, 493 points) appears comfortably ahead – one has to remember that the top 16 games count toward power points. That means teams that have won 16 games, as Hightstown has, have little room to increase their total. But teams like the Vikings (13-5, 400) and Falcons (10-6, 390) have a lot of room to make up points. South Brunswick, for example, could pick up three more wins and make up significant ground. Will it be enough? We’ll see. Teams often add games late if they need them, so it’s probably too early to call at this point.

Elsewhere in the section, Old Bridge (11-7, 356) sits in sixth-place, and is a good bet to finish in the top eight, earning a first-round home game, but it’s not a sure thing for the Knights yet. Likewise for East Brunswick (8-9, 309), which is in ninth, but just nine points out of the top eight. North Brunswick is in 14th with a 4-13 record and 221 points, and Montgomery (2-16, 192) sits in 17th.

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Central Jersey Group 3

Of the four area teams in this section, half are solidly in. Somerville (9-8, 329) is in fifth, a long way from top team Ewing (17-2, 574). South Plainfield (9-9, 267) sits in 8th. Neither team is likely a lock for the top eight at this point.

Similarly, JFK (5-14, 217, 13th) and Carteret (7-12, 208, 15th) are on the right side of the bubble, but may need some wins to really sew things up. Three teams behind them are within 50 points, not an insurmountable obstacle if they can put a few good wins together these last two weeks.

Central Jersey Group 2

Four teams from the CJSR-area should make the field here, where Manasquan (15-4, 481) is the top team right now, with a narrow lead over New Providence (14-3, 479).

Spotswood (15-4, 406) is tied with Holmdel (13-6) for fourth, with Metuchen (13-6, 372) behind them. Then South River (9-10) and Bound Brook (7-8) are tied with Voorhees (9-7) for ninth, all at 308 points, and just three ahead of Delran (9-6).

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Central Jersey Group 1

All eight area teams are on the right side of things here, with Middlesex (13-4, 284) just 45 points behind section leader Shore (16-2, 429). That’s not an impossible hill to climb for the Blue Jays, who have a huge matchup with North Plainfield Tuesday at 5:30, which can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

As an example of how much a win can do when you haven’t yet hit the 16-win plateau, a win over the Canucks would be worth 45 points in their 18th game. With 17 in the books now, their lowest score of 6 points comes off, but one more win would knock off their next lowest score, a 7-point game (a loss to Woodbridge). That’s a net gain of 38 points and gets them closer. Knocking a loss off the schedule allows for a bigger gain than Shore, which already has 16 wins, and would only be knocking off a lesser-quality win from their power point total.

In any event, Dunellen (13-3, 329) is having a fine year, and checks in fourth, just 21 points behind Point Pleasant Beach (15-2, 350). Behind the Lady Destroyers are Perth Amboy Magnet (12-2, 314) and Highland Park (10-7, 297).

Further down the list, outside the top eight, is Woodbridge Magnet (6-9, 201) in 10th and Manville (5-10, 191) checking in at No. 11, unlikely to move up much more than that.

In 14th and 15th, but still likely to be in the field of 16, are Somerset Tech (3-10, 130) and South Amboy (1-13, 122).

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North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

Here’s another section loaded with teams from the CJSR coverage area. Bayonne (17-3, 534) is No. 1, with Elizabeth (19-0, 509) not far behind. With 17 wins already, Edison (17-2, 489) will be hard-pressed to make up that kind of ground, same for Watchung Hills (15-4, 485), which is only one win below the 16-victory threshold.

Right around that top eight bubble are three more teams: Woodbridge (10-8, 360), Ridge (10-8, 349) and Hillsborough (10-7, 342) are within 18 points of each other, but the last of them – the Raiders – are 34 points ahead of the next team back, 8-8 Union.

Toward the bottom, you’ve got Franklin (7-9, 257) – which is having an off year – and JP Stevens (7-12, 240) in 14th and 15th, respectively. They’re probably a good bet for the playoffs, especially with another win or two, and Perth Amboy (5-11, 227) could make a run with a win or two in the next few weeks.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

Just two area teams are in this section, and both are locks to be in the playoffs, but a little more murky as to whether they’ll be in the top eight. Colonia (10-9, 381) and North Plainfied (13-4, 362) are fifth and sixth, respectively. But there are four teams behind the Canucks within 20 points, including Governor Livingston (10-8, 350), Warren Hills (11-7, 348), Cranford (9-9, 347) and West Morris (11-4, 342).

Randolph (15-1, 536) is comfortably in the lead in this section.

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North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2

There’s just one area team even in this section: Bernards (12-5, 321) sits in 13th place, pretty much in the postseason, and still potentially a chance to reach the top eight. In fact, everyone is bunched up in this section, and anyone could see a lot of movement. To wit: the Mountaineers are only 34 points out of 6th place.

The top team at the moment is Secaucus (17-1, 541).

Non-Public North B

Of course, the top of the non-public sections are loaded with talent, and Gill St. Bernard’s, as a result, sits in fifth at 12-4, with 352 points. They’re just ten points behind Montclair-Immaculate (14-3, 361) in fourth and Morris Catholic (15-3, 371) in third, but likely won’t catch Lodi Immaculate (14-3, 493) in second or top team Saddle River Day (13-5, 536).

Mother Seton of the GMC checks in at 11, with a 3-10 record and 131 points.

Non-Public South B

Defending group champion Rutgers Prep sits in fourth in the section, at 13-3 with 354 points. They’re a long way from top-teams Wildwood Catholic (16-4, 529) in first and St. Rose (16-3, 525) in second, but no matter.

Calvary Christian (8-9, 239) and Timothy Christian (4-12, 187), sit in 9th and 11th, respectively.

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Non-Public South A

St. John Vianney leads the pack here pretty well, at 20-0 with 585 points. They’re the team to beat in New Jersey, but with no more Tournament of Champions, they’ll have to settle for the team to beat in Non-Public Group A.

Mount St. Mary (13-6, 474) is in fourth, but could make up some ground on third-place red Bank Catholic (18-1, 516), but probably not Trinity Hall (17-2, 535). St. Thomas Aquinas (15-4, 468) is right behind Mount.

Then, there’s Pingry (11-7, 378) and Immaculata (9-9, 279) checking in at No. 11, tied with Union Catholic (7-9).