Every week this season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will continue to publish the Big Central and New Jersey Power Rankings.

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

The rankings use the official NJSIAA Strength Index values calculated by Gridiron New Jersey, which updates them on each team’s page on a weekly basis. Our rankings use the official SI calculations as of October 7, 2024.

With St. Thomas Aquinas losing in overtime at Paramus Catholic, the Trojans fall this week to No. 4, with Ridge taking over the top spot. Somerville’s blowout of Summit propelled the Pioneers to No. 2, with Phillipsburg right behind.

Big Central Conference Power Rankings after Week 4

Meanwhile, in the state Top 25, the lone team in last week’s rankings – St. Thomas Aquinas – dropped out, but three Big Central teams joined. Ridge ascended to No. 12, while Somerville surged to 19, and Phillipsburg rejoined at No. 25.

Statewide, the top four remain the same, with Winslow at No. 1, followed by Bergen Catholic, Toms River North and Millville.

New Jersey Power Rankings – Top 25 after Week 4

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.

Every week this season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will continue to publish the Big Central and New Jersey Power Rankings.

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

The rankings use the official NJSIAA Strength Index values calculated by Gridiron New Jersey, which updates them on each team’s page on a weekly basis. Our rankings use the official SI calculations as of September 29, 2024.

While St. Thomas Aquinas stayed No. 1 in the Big Central power rankings, Ridge jumped over Phillipsburg into second, while Summit held at four, and Somerville took the No. 5 spot, with Bernards dropping to No. 8.

Big Central Conference Power Rankings after Week 4

Meanwhile, in the state Top 25, Phillipsburg droped out, falling to No. 28, while St. Thomas Aquinas fell from 10 to 14.

Statewide, Winslow’s win over previously No. 1 Millville puts Winslow at the top. Toms River North edged up one to second, while Bergen Catholic fell to three. Millville dropped to fourth, and Delbarton pulled up into the fifth spot.

New Jersey Power Rankings – Top 25 after Week 4

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.

Every week this season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will continue to publish the Big Central and New Jersey Power Rankings.

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

The rankings use the official NJSIAA Strength Index values calculated by Gridiron New Jersey, which updates them on each team’s page on a weekly basis. Our rankings use the official SI calculations.

Phillipsburg and St. Thomas Aquinas have flip-flopped this week, with the Trojans tops in the Big Central after the Stateliners’ loss to Ridge last Friday night.

Big Central Conference Power Rankings after Week 3

Meanwhile, in the state Top 25, Aquinas and Phillipsburg flip-flopped with the Trojans moving up from 20 to 10, and the Stateliners falling from 11 to 19.

New Jersey Power Rankings – Top 25 after Week 3

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.

Every week this season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will continue to publish the Big Central and New Jersey Power Rankings.

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

This week, our rankings have become official, as Gridiron New Jersey – which does official calculations of SI for the NJSIAA – has now begun updating Strength Index each week along with the UPR standings. Our rankings use the official SI calculations. And some of the changes this week are based on the fact that out-of-state opponents are back in the calculation formula for power points and OSI. We had not factored those in previously.

Phillipsburg and St. Thomas Aquinas remain Nos. 1 and 2 in the Big Central, but Bernards drops from third to fifth with a slight fall in SI value, while Ridge and Summit each move up a spot to three and four.

Big Central Conference Power Rankings

Meanwhile, the slight drop by Bernards left them out of the statewide Top 25, but this week Phillipsburg rose a bit. The Stateliners edged up from 12th to 11th, while the Trojans remain at No. 20 in the statewide rankings.

New Jersey Power Rankings – Top 25

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.

Every week this season, Central Jersey Sports Radio will publish the Big Central and New Jersey Power Rankings.

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

Please note, our calculations are unofficial, with all results based on scores reported to Gridiron New Jersey, which does the official SI calculations for the NJSIAA.

Phillipsburg moves to the top of the BCC Power Rankings, after a season-opening win over Westfield, while St. Thomas Aquinas falls to No. 2, even though their SI has not changed at all. That’s because they opened with two out-of-state teams the first two weeks, and games against non-NJSIAA member schools are not calculated for Strength Index, since there is no similar system in other states.

Big Central Conference Power Rankings

Meanwhile, three Big Central teams again are ranked in the Top 25 statewide, but this week Phillipsburg takes the top spot among teams from the Big Central. The Stateliners move from No. 19 to 12, two spots higher than St. Thomas Aquinas was last week.

The Trojans drop to No. 20, while Bernards rose two spots this week thanks to a solid win over Hillside, checking in at No. 23 statewide.

New Jersey Power Rankings – Top 25

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.

St. Thomas Aquinas, Phillipsburg and Ridge of the Big Central Conference all finished in the Top 25 of the final 2023 statewide power rankings, based on Strength Index values.

The Strength Index is used to calculate OSI, which is 60 percent of the state’s UPR formula.

Bernards – the only sectional champion this season out of the BCC – finished just outside the Top 25, placing 26th.

Central Jersey Sports Radio calculated the final Strength Index numbers, which are unofficial. Gridiron New Jersey performs the official SI and playoff calculations for the NJSIAA, but does not typically release final Strength Index numbers, though they do release them at the start of each season.

Below, you’ll find all 342 high school football teams in the state ranked by Strength Index, along with how much they rose or fell in SI from the start of the season:

With the 2023 high school football season now complete, St. Thomas Aquinas can add another line on its resume for the year: No. 1 in the final Big Central Power Rankings

Central Jersey Sports Radio debuted the new feature mid-season, using the NJSIAA’s Strength Index numbers, which are used as part of the playoff qualification formula to make a team’s OSI, which is 60 percent of a team’s UPR.

Our rankings are are based our CJSR calculations, using final scores reported to Gridiron New Jersey and NJ.com, as well as the official numbers that are frozen before Cutoff Weekend, as per Gridiron, the official state playoff calculator for the NJSIAA.

The numbers below represent the unofficial final Strength Index values, which will change at the start of 2024 based on the NJSIAA’s “centering” model, where all teams have their value raised or lowered by one third the distance to 60, considered the “midway” point in the SI system.

Thursday, we’ll unveil the full state rankings.

Below are the full Big Central final power rankings, including how much each team went up or down from the preseason through the end of 2024.