It’s yet another week for Phillipsburg at No. 1 in the Big Central Power rankings, but Elizabeth has closed the gap a little from the No. 2 position.

The Stateliners held on to the top spot with a 42-31 win over St. Joseph-Metuchen Monday, in a game rescheduled from Saturday due to the weekend Nor’easter. The Week Five numbers saw Sayreville climb up from No. 9 into the top five after beating St. Thomas Aquinas Friday, moving all the way up to third, as Rahway fell from third to seventh after Friday’s loss to Cranford. Bridgewater-Raritan climbs two spots from six to four after a shutout win at Westfield Saturday afternoon.

No. 5 Piscataway edges down one spot this week to six after Friday’s 27-26 loss at Old Bridge, with the Knights climbing from ten to eight. And Cranford’s win over Rahway Friday raised the Cougars three spots into the nine spot, while Bernards’ win at Delaware Valley Friday put then in the ten-spot.

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, and is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See the methodology at the bottom of this page.

Rounding out the top ten, it’s New Providence up two spots to No. 8, Sayreville up two to nine, and Old Bridge falling one spot to No. 10. St. Joseph-Metuchen fell out of the top ten with its loss at Elizabeth Friday night.

Statewide, Don Bosco Prep and Glassboro remain Nos. 1 and 2, while Donovan Catholic edged up from six to three, and Red Bank Catholic climbed from nine to four, with Bergen Catholic staying put to round out the Top Five.

Again, no Big Central teams made the Top 25, but Phillipsburg – which last was in three weeks ago before a loss at Freedom (PA) of Bethlehem – climbed even closer. After going from 33 to 29 last week, the Stateliners climbed another five spots this week to 28 – just three spots from cracking the Top 25.

Here are other Big Central teams in the state Top 50:

• Elizabeth dropped one place from 35 to 34.
• Sayreville shot up from 65 to 36.
• Bridgewater-Raritan rose from 16 to 42.
• Piscataway fell from 39 to 47.

Rahway dropped out, falling from 37 to 54, and Somerville fell from 41 to 71 after a loss to Montgomery. That leaves five BCC teams in the Top 50, compared with six last week.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

Just as they have been all year long, Phillipsburg remains No. 1 in the Big Central Conference Power Rankings for Week Four, while Elizabeth and Rahway continue to make strides and have narrowed the Stateliners’ lead.

Despite a win over South Brunswick, Piscataway’s SI value fell, and big wins by Elizabeth and Rahway moved the Minutemen and Indians over the Chiefs to take the No. 2 and 3 spots, with Piscataway dropping to four. Somerville joined the top five, knocking out St. Thomas Aquinas, which dropped to six with the win, while Bridgewater-Raritan’s narrow win over Ridge pushed the Panthers down just a bit in SI, but they fell from three to six with the gains made by Elizabeth and Rahway.

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, and is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See the methodology at the bottom of this page.

Rounding out the top ten, it’s New Providence up two spots to No. 8, Sayreville up two to nine, and Old Bridge falling one spot to No. 10. St. Joseph-Metuchen fell out of the top ten with its loss at Elizabeth Friday night.

Around the state, there’s a new No. 1, after Winslow lost to St. Augustine, a defeat that also dropped the only team with an SI over 100 back below that mark, leaving Don Bosco Prep in the top spot. Glassboro pulled up to second, and St. Augustine made a massive jump with the win from 15 to No. 3. Winslow fell three spots to four, while Bergen Catholic dropped two spots to fifth, bouncing Donovan Catholic out of the top five.

Once again this week, there were no Big Central teams in the Top 25, but Phillipsburg – which was in it two weeks ago before falling out after a loss to Freedom (PA) of Bethlehem – climbed a bit closer, from 33 to 29 after a blowout home win over Hillsborough. Other Big Central teams made gains, too.

• Elizabeth shot up from 67 to 33.
• Rahway rose from 59 to 37.
• Piscataway checks in at 39, up four spots.
• Somerville is at 41, climbing 15 places.
• Bridgewater-Raritan fell one spot to 46.

Overall, that’s six Big Central teams in the top 50 in the state.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

Phillipsburg remains No. 1 in the Big Central Conference Power Rankings for Week Three, but there’s a New No. 2 in town.

Piscataway rose from sixth to No. 2 this week after a blowout of East Brunswick, while Bridgewater fell to No. 3 after a blowout win over Hillsborough. St. Joseph-Metuchen fell one spot to fourth, while St. Thomas Aquinas rose from No. 11 to No. 5

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, and is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See the methodology at the bottom of this page.

Rounding out the top ten, Somerville climbed four spots to No. 6, Rahway edged up one spot to seventh, dropping Elizabeth one to eight. Old Bridge fell from five to nine, while New Providence dropped six spots into the tenth position.

Statewide, Phillipsburg, which made its move into the Top 25 last week, fell back out to 33. Four Big Central teams are in the Top 50. Besides Phillipsburg, there’s Piscataway (43), Bridgewater-Raritan (45) and St. Joseph-Metuchen (50).

Atop the rankings, the lead is ever slimmer for No. 1 Winslow, but they are also the first team to crack 100 this season, and we’ve only played three weeks. Don Bosco narrowed the gap, but remains in second at 99.64, followed by Bergen Catholic, which rose eleven spots to third and knocked Glassboro and Donovan Catholic down to four and five, respectively.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

Once again, Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan remain the top two teams in the Week 2 Big Central power rankings – just as they did last week. And just like last week, there was much movement behind them.

St. Joseph-Metuchen – with a win over the Panthers Saturday afternoon, 43-36 – pulled up from No. 5 to No. 3. And while Bridgewater’s Strength Index rating fell as a result, it was not low enough overall to drop them in the rankings.

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, and is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See the methodology at the bottom of this page.

New Providence held at No. 4, while Old Bridge got its first win of the season and pulled up from 12th to fifth. Piscataway climbed four spots to No. 6 on the strength of a 28-14 win over a Somerville team that was rated higher than them. Elizabeth climbed four spots to seventh, Rahway edged up a spot to eight after knocking off Summit at home, Ridge went from 15 to 9 after a win over Sayreville, and Somerville’s loss to the Chiefs dropped them to ten.

Statewide, Phillipsburg made its move into the Top 25, the first team from the Big Central to appear there after no one did in the preseason or Week One. The Stateliners check in at No. 24 this week, a shade ahead of No. 25 Passaic Tech, going up six spots from No. 30. Bridgewater-Raritan had been knocking on the door at 32, but fell to 44 with the loss to the Falcons.

No. 1 Winslow saw its lead shrink a bit over Don Bosco Prep, from 5.58 points to 4.46, but continues to hold the top spot over the Ironmen. Glassboro remains in third, but Donovan Catholic surged up from nine to four with a 45-13 rout of St. John Vianney, while Shabazz moved into the five spot from six with a 13-0 whitewash of Passaic Tech.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan remain Nos. 1 and 2 in the Week 1 Big Central power rankings, but there was some movement behind them.

With a season-opening home win over South Plainfield, Somerville vaulted from five to three, jumping New Providence and St. Joseph-Metuchen, though neither team opened their season last week and will kickoff 2026 this weekend. And the Falcons will have a big game at home against Bridgewater-Raritan, a top five matchup.

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, and is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See the methodology at the bottom of this page.

St. Thomas Aquinas took a big jump up from 17 to six, helped by their season-opening win over Frank J. Macchiarola (NY) in Brooklyn as well as losses by teams ahead of them like Old Bridge, Bernards and Woodbridge. Manville also benefitted from those defeats, and a blowout of Keansburg, jumping from 14 to seven. Sayreville dropped two spots to eight, while Rahway was up three places to nine and Piscataway edged up one spot to round out the Top Ten.

Statewide, there are still no Big Central teams in the Top 25, but Phillipsburg checks in at 30 (up from 35), while Bridgewater-Raritan is two spots behind, up 12 spots from 46 after a season-opening win at Woodbridge.

No. 1 Winslow extended its lead a bit over No. 2 Don Bosco Prep, but a loss by Bergen Catholic dropped them from three to eight, while Glassboro took the Crusaders’ place at No. 3. Meanwhile, Brick Memorial shot up from 12 to four, and Paramus Catholic soared into the five spot from 14, as Washington Twp. dropped from five to 11 despite a win over Pope John in the Battle at the Beach.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

Just like they were at the end of 2025, Phillipsburg and Bridgewater-Raritan – both state sectional champions last fall – are the top two teams in the preseason 2026 Big Central Conference Power Rankings.

In the world of the NJSIAA’s Strength Index, values carry over from the pervious year, though they are re-centered toward a midpoint of 60 by one-third. That means a team rated a 90 (30 points away from 60) would get an 80 ranking (one-third of 30 is ten), while a team rated a 51 (nine points away from 60) would get a 54 ranking (one-third of nine is three).

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, and is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See the methodology at the bottom of this page.

New Providence – a sectional finalist last season – along with St. Joseph-Metuchen and Somerville round out the Top Five in the BCC. Sayreville, Old Bridge, Bernards, Montgomery and Woodbridge finish out the rest of the Top Ten.

Statewide, no Big Central team finished in the Top 25, with state Group 4 champion Winslow leading the pack, followed by Non-Public Group A runner-up Don Bosco Prep, Group A quarterfinalist Bergen Catholic, state Group 1 champion Glassboro, and state Group 5 champion Washington Twp.

Non-Public Group A champ St. Joseph-Montvale – which finished as the No. 1 team in the state in NJ.com’s final rankings – comes in sixth, while state Group 2 champion Camden begins the year seventh.

There were three Big Central teams that cracked the Top 50 however. Phillipsburg checks in at No. 35, while Bridgewater-Raritan is at 46, and New Providence is at No. 48.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

Though both teams saw their playoff runs end in the state semifinals, Phillipsburg remains No. 1 in the Big Central Power Rankings for Week 12, while Bridgewater-Raritan moves up one spot to No. 2, taking a slight lead over New Providence.

No one else moved as the Stateliners and Panthers were the only teams in action last week, and those top teams should hold, regardless of Phillipsburg’s outcome on Thanksgiving against Easton. The only other Big Central teams to play on Thanksgiving will be Roselle and Roselle Park, the last time it’ll be played on Turkey Day. Marcus Borden will have live coverage on Twitter.

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, which is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See methodology at the bottom of this page.

Statewide, Winslow remains at No. 1, but saw it’s SI drop below 110 after a 14-12 win in the Group 4 semifinals over Brick Memorial. Old Tappan edged up to No. 2, while Don Bosco’s win over Bergen Catholic in the Non-Public A semifinals moved the Ironmen up to third, while the Crusaders drop from two to four. Glassboro rose from No. 8 and jumped into the Top 5 with a 44-8 win over Burlington City in the Group 1 semifinals.

Phillipsburg remains the lone Big Central team in the statewide Top 25, and they dropped from 14 to 19 after the state semifinal loss to Ramapo. Two BCC teams should finish in the Top 50, with Bridgewater-Raritan at 48, and New Providence at 50.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

Phillipsburg’s win in the North 2, Group 4 title game kept the Stateliners atop the Big Central Power Rankings in Week 11, while Bridgewater-Raritan’s win in the North 2, Group 5 final moves them further up, and well into the Top 50 statewide.

New Providence held in second, despite falling to Cedar Grove in the North 2, Group 1 final, while Old Bridge dropped from fourth to seventh after a loss in the Central Jersey Group 5 title tilt. Summit edged down from 13 to 11 in the BCC rankings with a loss in the North 2, Group 3 final. Montgomery held at ninth in the league after falling to Phillipsburg.

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, which is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See methodology at the bottom of this page.

Statewide, Winslow is back at No. 1 for a second straight week, after the Eagles won the South Jersey Group 4 title, 53-14 over Millville. Their SI shot up to 111.61, slightly higher than the SI they finished with last year, at 111.39.

It’s also just 4.80 points behind the highest finishing Strength Index value since the formula first was used in 2019, set by Mainland following the 2023 season, when they went 14-0 and won the state Group 4 championship. Their SI that year finished at of 116.41, and Winslow potentially has two games to go to catch them: this week against Brick Memorial in the Group 4 semifinals, and the state final – should they beat Brick – against either Ramapo or Phillipsburg.

Winslow’s highest SI ever came last year, when they peaked at 112.03 after Week 10 play.

Speaking of the Stateliners, Phillipsburg remains the lone Big Central team in the statewide Top 25, as Bridgewater-Raritan’s win moved them from 50 to 41 statewide. Elsewhere, Don Bosco Prep dropped from two to four, while Bergen Catholic – which beat St. Joseph-Metuchen in the Non-Public Group A semifinals/first round – took their place, moving up from fourth. Old Tappan held in third, and St. Joseph-Montvale moved from eighth into the top five.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

A convincing 35-7 win over Colonia that put Phillipsburg in its fourth straight sectional final kept them atop the Big Central Conference power rankings in Week Ten, even though they dropped one spot in the overall state Top 25.

Around the league, two new teams joined the Top Ten, including Montgomery – which moved up from 12 to nine – and Bridgewater-Raritan, which shot up from eleven to five. Both won semifinal games this past Friday night, with the Cougars facing Phillipsburg in the North 2, Group 4 final this Friday at 7 pm at Maloney Stadium, and the Panthers hosting Bayonne in the North 2 Group 5 final at 6 pm.

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, which is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See methodology at the bottom of this page.

Note that Belvidere played Wilson Area (PA) this weekend, for which an SI number was not available, so Belvidere’s SI value remains unchanged this week.

Statewide, the flip-flop at the top continues, with Winslow back in the driver’s seat, switching places with Don Bosco. While Bergen Catholic remains in triple digits along with the two teams ahead of them, Old Tappan joined the “100 Club,” and passes the Crusaders into third. Ramapo holds at No. 5.

And for the second straight week, Phillipsburg is the lone Big Central team in the statewide Top 25, as they edge down one spot despite increasing their strength index, jumped by Camden, which went from 13 to ten.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.

Phillipsburg has returned to the top of the Big Central power rankings, following a 55-14 win over Newark Central in the opening round of the playoffs, while St. Joseph-Metuchen fell to No. 3 after a loss to Donovan Catholic back on Friday.

New Providence – still unbeaten after an opening round playoff victory over Secaucus – is up again this week, now in second. The Falcons fell to third, while Old Bridge stayed in fourth, and Manville’s first playoff victory ever moved them up to No. 5, ahead of Somerville, which was upset by Matawan in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group 3 playoffs, in a section they won last year.

The power rankings are simply based on the state’s Strength Index formula, which helps determine a team’s OSI, which is 60% of the UPR playoff formula. SI values and will change each week as games are played. See methodology at the bottom of this page.

Note that Belvidere played Wilson Area (PA) this weekend, for which an SI number was not available, so Belvidere’s SI value remains unchanged this week.

Statewide, the top three remain the same, with Don Bosco Prep, Winslow Twp. and Bergen Catholic in the same spots they were a week ago, while Old Tappan moves up from seventh to fourth, and Ramapo drops one spot to No. 5.

In the Big Central, St. Joseph’s loss to Donovan Catholic dropped them out of the Top 25, falling all the way from 14 to 43, while New Providence edged up from 35 to 33. That leaves Phillipsburg as the BCC’s lone rep in the Top 25, and the Stateliners climbed from 15 to tenth.

Strength Index Methodology: Team A and Team B are compared to find the difference between their rankings, which provides the Expected Result. The margin of the final score is figured in positive or negative terms compared to the Expected Result. The difference is divided by five, and the teams increase or decrease by the resulting number.

Example #1: Team A has an SI value of 80, while Team B has an SI value of 60. The Expected Result is +20 for Team A. When the game is played, Team A wins by 30. That is 10 points higher than the expected result. Than number is divided by 5, meaning Team A increases by 2 (Team A now has an SI of 82) while Team B decreases by 2 (Team B now has an SI of 58).

Example #2: In the same scenario, Team A defeats Team B by 20. That is the same as the Expected Result, no there is no change. Team A remains with an SI value of 80, while Team B retains its 60 SI value.

Example #2: Team A defeats Team B by 10. That is 10 points fewer than the expected result. Divide by 5 to get 2, but in this case, Team A drops by 2 points to 78 (because Team A “underperformed”) while Team B increases by 2 points to 62.

Out-of-State Opponent SI: Strength Index ratings for non-New Jersey teams are calculated by finding their MaxPreps national ranking, then averaging the SI ratings of the next New Jersey team above and below them in the MaxPreps rankings.