Tag: Skyland Conference

April 5, 2026April 5, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Through first week – and them some – these high school baseball teams have started the season red hot

The high school baseball season is already a week old, though a few got started a little earlier than most, but more than a few have started the 2026 campaign red hot.

Some were expected, others have turned out to be pleasant surprises.

And that could juggle our first in-season Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, the Week One edition of which comes out Monday morning.

Here’s a look at who’s gotten the season off to a great start after the first week or so or play in the Central Jersey Sports Radio coverage area, with a minimum of three games played..

GREATER MIDDLESEX CONFERENCE

Red Division

Edison: The Eagles are 3-0, and may have had the most success with the toughest opening schedule of all. It was their pitching that helped lock down their season-opening series with Central Jersey Group 4 finalist Old Bridge, picking up 5-2, and 2-1 wins last week. Of course, that’s no surprise looking at who Edison has on the mound: three D1 commits including Robert Roma (Wagner) and Connor Murphy (Monmouth) – who pitched against the Knights, and Dom Innocenti (Wagner) who went four solid innings against South Plainfield in a 5-4, eight-inning home win Saturday afternoon. But the bats can do good stuff, too. Murphy is one of then, already 4-for-8 on the year with two doubles, while Isaiah Lutz is hitting .444 with a double and two RBIs, both of which came against the Tigers, and the last of which walked it off with two outs and the bases loaded Saturday. The Eagles are back at it Tuesday at South Plainfield, then play equally red-hot Monroe (3-0) at home Thursday and away Saturday.
Monroe (3-0): The Falcons (3-0) already are a third of the way to their win total from last year, when they went 9-13. And they’ve got two wins over East Brunswick – a series sweep with 10-7 and 5-2 wins – plus a Saturday road victory, 6-2, over defending GMC Tournament champion St. Joseph-Metuchen. In the second win over the bears, junior Ben Faigin pitched five no-hit innings before being lifted and got the win. (Don’t forget, it’s early yet, and some pitchers the first few weeks are on fairly strict pitch counts from their coaches.) Faigin is also doing it at the plate, going 6-for-8 in the first three games with three runs batted in, and he’s walked four times, stealing seven bases already. It’s Monroe’s best start since 2022. The Falcons will close their home-and-home in Monroe Tuesday when St. Joe’s visits, before they play a Thursday/Saturday home-and-home with Edison.
South Plainfield: Despite a 5-4 loss in extras at Edison on Saturday, the Tigers are 2-1, and those two wins are nothing to sneeze at. South Plainfield crushed St. Joseph in Metuchen on Tuesday in the season opener, 11-1, then took a 6-2 decision at home on Thursday. Aiden McCarthy pitched the full five innings of Tuesday’s ten-run rule game, allowing just four hits and one earned run, while striking out five, and sophomore Andrew Bena, who blew up on the basketball court this winter, continued to shine on the pitchers’ mound in game two, throwing 6 1/3 and allowing just three hits and two earned runs while striking out eight. McCarthy and Dom Massaro also are tearing the cover off the ball, hitting .455 and .500, respectively, with McCarthy knocking in four runs, while the speedster Massaro – an outstanding football player, and the CJSR Special Teams Returner of the Year in 2025 – has four stolen bases already.

White Division

Middlesex: The defending state Group 1 champions and GMCT Final Four team swept Spotswood two games last week, 6-1 on Tuesday at home, 12-1 at “The Swamp” on Thursday, then beat Perth Amboy at home on Saturday, 4-2 to start the season at 3-0. Their two main arms are back this year, Chris Kozak for his senior year and Dominic Long for his junior campaign, and both got wins against the Chargers, with Kozak going the distance, Long going seven, with only Kozak allowing a single earned run. Then they got a solid outing from Dylan Ianiero for the win Saturday allowing four hits and just two unearned runs in six innings pitched. That means the Blue Jays have allowed just one earned run in three wins to start the year. Not too shabby. And, Middlesex is hitting .333 as a team, getting balance from up and down the lineup. Ianiero and Long are both hitting .571 (4-for-7) on the year, with Long also knocking in three runs and walking four times, while Sean Hughes has four runs batted in. After the series finale with the Panthers in the Bay City Tuesday, the Jays get South Brunswick at home, then away, in a Thursday-Saturday two-game set.
South Brunswick: New head coach and veteran GMC skipper Lou Urbano has brought a new mindset to the Vikings, and so far, all is looking good at 3-0. They scored a combined 21 runs in their season-opening series against Perth Amboy, which included a 13-2 home win Tuesday, and a n 8-6 road win Thursday. Then, it was a pitchers’ duel Saturday as the Vikings beat Sayreville at home, 1-0, behind four no-hit, shutout innings from starter Collin Perna in his second start of the season. The senior also got the win in Game One against Amboy, and in 8 2/3 innings pitched, has 14 Ks, six walks, and has allowed just three hits and one earned run. The Vikings close out the series with the Bombers in Sayreville Tuesday, before opening a road-home set with Middlesex Thursday and Saturday.

Blue Division

Carteret: Off to its best start since 2023, when they went 5-0, the Ramblers have won their first four, sweeping a pair from GMC Invitational finalist East Brunswick Magnet – 4-3 and 12-6 – then picking up a 13-8 win at North Plainfield Thursday, and am 11-1 non-conference win over Long Branch Saturday. As a team, Carteret is in mid-season form at the plate, hitting a scorching .365 as a group, with seven regulars hitting almost .290 or better. Junior Miles Ferreiras is hitting .533 (8-of-15) with six runs batted in, while freshman outfielder/pitcher Jose Parra has knocked in eight. Their pitching is on the younger side, too, with soph Jayden Luciano throwing two scoreless innings at EB Magnet Wednesday, then going the distance in the five-inning mercy-rule win over Long Branch, allowing just two hits and one earned run, while striking out ten. They finish up the home-and-home with North Plainfield Monday afternoon, then open a two game set with South River on the road Wednesday, and home Thursday.

SOMERSET COUNTY

Skyland Conference, Delaware Division

Immaculata: A home-and-home sweep of Hillsborough – 3-0 in their opener on the road Tuesday, then 3-0 again at home Thursday – plus a 5-3 win over West Essex – a North 2, Group 2 semifinalist a year ago – has the Spartans 3-0 after the first week of play. They’re not exactly tearing the cover off the ball – yet – but the pitching has dominated in the early going, allowing just the three runs to West Essex. Immaculata is off for Spring Break this week, then gets back into action with two against Bridgewater-Raritan the week after – home Tuesday at Diamond Nation and just up the road in Bridgewater Thursday, before an 11 am non-conference game Saturday morning against Delsea, which opens its season this week.
Ridge: The Red Devils are 3-0 after a trio of wins over all different teams last week. They opened Tuesday with a 7-4 non-league win at West Morris, then came “home” Thursday and beat Montgomery 11-1 out at Diamond Nation in Flemington, before getting past Rutgers Prep Saturday in Basking Ridge 4-0. There are some new names on the mound, as Dimitri Romer got the win against West Morris, while Matt Brievogel and Dillon Henderson picked up league wins; all three are juniors. At the plate, Ridge is hitting .299 as a team, but they’ve also worked out 17 walks in three games, adding in six hit batsmen. Four games are on tape this week, including a league home and home with Hunterdon Central Tuesday and Thursday, bookended by a non-conference home game against Randolph Monday and a Saturday morning visit to Warren Hills.

April 1, 2026April 3, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

INSTANT REPLAY: No. 2 Immaculata 3, No. 8 Hillsborough 0

Second-ranked Immaculata got three late runs – one in each of the final three innings – and a combined one-hitter from starting pitcher Cole Raymond and reliever Bryson Auten to beat No. 8 Hillsborough on the road on Opening Day 2026, 3-0.

Click below to listen to Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel call all the play-by-play live from Hillsbrough High School on March 31, 2026.

March 31, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

No. 2 Immaculata downs No. 8 Hillsborough in pitchers duel, 3-0 behind combined one-hitter from Raymond, younger Auten

Ryan Auten is the senior pitcher heading to Wake Forest, but it was his freshman brother, Bryson, who got the win Tuesday on Opening Day for Immaculata.

Cole Raymond made his first start, after coming out of the bullpen last season, and went 3 1/3 innings without allowing a hit or a run, and just three baserunners. But Bryson Auten got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the fourth out of the ‘pen, then finished things off for a 3-0 win for No. 2 Immaculata at No. 8 Hillsborough on Opening Day, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Bryson got the win – as the game was scoreless when he entered – thtrowing 3 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit, striking out six.

Early-season baseball in the Northeast is hardly pretty, but with a game-time temprature of 81 degrees, and a solid breeze that turned into a gusty wind from time-time-time, it was more like early May baseball, and the play reflected it, with both starting pitchers having good control.

Raymond struck out five and walked two, while Hillsborough starter Shane Borer – who barely threw more than six innings all year last year – went 5 2/3 innings, allowing just two earned rund on four hits, walking one and striking out five.

And the defense was solid, too, even though Immaculata was charged with two tough errors, neither of which came back to bite them.

Scoreless into the fifth, Immaculata got a run in each of the last three innings. In the fifth, No. 7 hitter Connor Quinn reached on a one-out double down thwe left field line. Owen Rivernbark walked, and Quinn moved to third on a 5-4 fielder’s choice, then came home on a wild pitch to leadoff hitter Luca Catanzarite.

In the sixth, Immaculata picked up another run on an RBI single up the middle by Brian Cilento, who drove in Nehemiah Diaz from third. He’d reached on a single, and stole second and third during Cilento’s at bat to earn him an easy trot home.

Then, in the seventh, the Spartans got one more for insurance. Quinn singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and later stole third. After Rivenbark walked, Gino Spigarelli grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to bring in Quinn with his second run scored of the game.

Hillsborough threatened in the fourth, getting runners on second and third, but ‘Lata brought in Bryson Auten to get out of the jam, and he did just that in his first high school pitching appearance, getting Samuel Malone to fly out to right, and Matt Battoglia to strike out looking to end the inning.

They had another chance in the fifth, with Anthony Guerrero reaching on a one-out walk, and evenutally advancing to third on a couple of wild pitches by Auten, but the freshman wound up striking out the side to escape unscathed.

Hillsborough (0-1) faces Montgomery Wednesday before visiting Immaculata (1-0) – which is off Wednesday – to finish the two-game set out at Dimaond Nation.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from Alec Crouthamel with Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust, pitcheer Bryson Auten and first baseman Conor Quinn, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:

March 31, 2026March 30, 2026 by Alec Crouthamel

Immaculata baseball opens Somerset County title defense with short trip to Hillsborough

It’s a tale of two units for Immaculata’s baseball team, with the 2026 season about to get underway.

The batters are young, the pitchers are old.

The defending Somerset County Tournament champions bring back a veteran pitching staff, while the lineup features some youth, with five of the nine projected starters sophomores or younger.

But don’t let the inexperience fool you. The Spartans have talent all over the roster and are ready to put it on full display to open the year. And it all gets started on Tuesday with a 15-minute drive down Route 206.

No. 2 Immaculata travels to No. 8 Hillsborough at 4 pm to get the 2026 season going, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel have the call, with pregame set for 3:45 pm; click here to listen.

Southpaws Ryan Auten and Cole Raymond lead a pitching rotation that does return plenty of production. Raymond enters the rotation for the first time after serving as a high-leverage reliever in 2025, and will get the ball on Opening Day. Auten — signed to pitch at Wake Forest next year — looks to continue to build on a terrific junior campaign as one of the area’s top pitchers.

Those two will be relied on for much of the starting work to begin, as senior righty Jackson Trego — who led the Spartans in innings pitched last year — eases his way back into the rotation after dealing with a shoulder injury. Once he makes his return, the pitching will be full speed ahead for Immaculata.

As for the bats, 14th-year head coach Kevin Cust described many of his young hitters as exciting, talented baseball players with plenty of potential.

The senior trio of Jackson Lewis, Connor Quinn, and Owen Schilling brings the lion’s share of experience, but there’s a lot of eyebrow-raising underclassmen as well.

Freshman Bryson Auten — younger brother of Ryan — is described as “a beast” and has some solid pitching chops in addition to a powerful hit tool. Second baseman Luca Catanzarite built up plenty of experience as a freshman last year, and now takes the role of the speedy and ultra-aggressive leadoff bat. Sophomore Brian Cilento put up over 800 yards on the gridiron as the Spartans’ starting running back, and now will take his talents to the diamond as a high-caliber athlete, and a “great addition” to the roster, as Cust put it.

And there’s plenty more talent up and down the lineup past just the ones listed. Immaculata looms as a Somerset County contender once again thanks to a veteran pitching staff that has played in plenty of big games, and a young lineup just waiting to realize its full potential after a strong offseason and preseason.

Both teams will kick things off on the final day of March.

Click below to hear Immaculata baseball coach Kevin Cust talk about the Spartans’ upcoming season and their opening day matchup against Hillsborough with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Alec Crouthamel:

March 30, 2026March 30, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

New-look Hillsborough baseball team opens 2026 season Tuesday when Immaculata comes to town

Talk about a senior exodus.

The Hillsborough baseball team that won the 2025 Central Jersey Group 5 championship as a nine-seed – knocking off top-seed Hunterdon Central in the quarterfinals in extra innings, then second-seed Old Bridge in the title game – looks very different in 2026.

Six players with at least 50 at bats have graduated, and only one pitcher who recorded a win last year returns, and Samuel Malone is likely going to be the every day catcher.

So, yes, Hillsborough head coach Matt Mosko – the Central Jersey Sports Radio Somerset County Coach of the Year last season – will have his work cut out for him trying to piece it all together. Focusing on what the certainties, though, Mosko believes he has a solid outfield – one of the strengths of the program under his tenure – and there are three senior pitchers, albeit light on experience, he’ll rely on, including Opening Day starter Shane Borer.

He’ll get the ball Tuesday when No. 8 Hillsborough entertains No. 2 Immaculata at 4 pm to get the 2026 season going, in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Mike Pavlichko and Alec Crouthamel have the call, with pregame set for 3:45 pm; click here to listen.

No one in Somerset County was truly dominant last year, or even in the GMC for that matter. The Raiders were 14-11 and won a sectional title. The Spartans were 17-8, and won the Somerset County title over Ridge, which finished 21-7, the only Skyland Conference squad to crack 20 wins.

Immaculata loses a ton to graduation as well, including big hitters like Jayden Campindica, Aidan English, Collin Kassai and Jayson Labrador. The last of those, Jayson, hit .365 last season, second only to his brother, Justin Labrador, who batted .370, and is back for his senior season.

The Spartans have more proven talent back on the mound, as top starter Ryan Auten is back for one ore go-round, while Jackson Trego (3-2, 1.66 ERA) is back as well.

Click below to hear Hillsborough baseball coach Matt Mosko talk about the Raiders’ 2026 season and their opening day matchup against Immaculata with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

February 25, 2026February 24, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Updated NJSIAA State Tournament schedule with boys’ and girls’ times for first round play

With the weekend snowstorm pushing back the first two rounds of the public sectionals in the NJSIAA state basketball tournament, most games stayed at the same times, just pushed two days later.

Monday, the NJSIAA postponed Tuesday’s first round for public sectionals in Groups 2 and 4, moving them to Thursday, when the quarterfinals were supposed to take place. That pushes the quarterfinals to Saturday, but keeps the rest of the schedule in tact, with semifinals still set for next Tuesday, March 3.

Then, on Tuesday, the state athletic association moved Wednesday’s first round for public schools in Groups 1 and 3 to Friday, the original date for the quarterfinals. That pushes the quarters back to next Monday, March 2, but the semifinals remain on Wednesday, March 3, with the rest of the schedule as originally planned as well.

No changes were made to the Non-Public tournament, with first round in the sectionals still set for this Thursday for Group A North and South; Friday will be Group B North and South.

Here’s the updated schedule of first round play for all sections where Central Jersey Sports Radio area teams are in the bracket:

BOYS’ BASKETBALL – FIRST ROUND

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Central Jersey Group 4

(16) Old Bridge at (1) Hillsborough, 6:30 pm
(9) Franklin at (8) Freehold Twp, 6 pm
(12) Hightstown at (5) Jackson Twp., 6:30 pm
(13) Edison at (4) East Brunswick, 5 pm
(14) Manalapan at (3) Montgomery, 5:30 pm
(11) Hunterdon Central at (6) Trenton, 5:30 pm
(10) South Brunswick at (7) Sayreville, 7 pm
(15) Princeton at (2) Marlboro, 6 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

(16) JP Stevens at (1) Piscataway, 7 pm
(9) Columbia at (8) Dickinson, 6 pm
(12) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (5) Bayonne, 4:30 pm
(13) Bridgewater-Raritan at (4) Plainfield, 7 pm
(14) Ferris at (3) Union, 6 pm
(11) North Star Academy at (6) Perth Amboy, 6 pm
(10) Ridge at (7) Elizabeth, 7 pm
(15) Westfield at (2) Linden, 7 pm

Central Jersey Group 2

(16) Bordentown at (1) Wall, 5:30 pm
(9) Robbinsville at (8) Holmdel, 5:30 pm
(12) Roselle at (5) Manasquan, 7 pm
(13) Spotswood at (4) Delaware Valley, 7 pm
(14) Governor Livingston at (3) Ocean Twp., 5:15 pm
(11) Monmouth at (6) Johnson, 7 pm
(10) Point Pleasant Boro at (7) Rumson-Fair Haven, 6:30 pm
(15) Delran at (2) Metuchen, 6 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

(16) Newark West Side at (1) Newark Collegiate, 7 pm
(9) Bernards at (8) Weequahic, 7 pm
(12) Hanover Park at (5) Hackettstown, 7 pm
(13) Rutherford at (4) Madison, 6 pm
(14) Snyder at (3) Ridgefield Park, 7 pm
(11) Becton at (6) Caldwell, 7 pm
(10) Hillside at (7) Voorhees, 7 pm
(15) McNair at (2) Lyndhurst, 6 pm

Non-Public South A

(9) Union Catholic at (8) St. Augustine, 4 pm; winner at (1) Paul VI
(12) St. John Vianney at (5) Red Bank Catholic, 5:30 pm
(13) Donovan Catholic at (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen, 7 pm
(14) Notre Dame at (3) St. Peter’s Prep, 6 pm
(11) St. Thomas Aquinas at (6) Immaculata, 7 pm
(10) Pingry at (7) Camden Catholic, 7 pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

(16) North Hunterdon at (1) Colonia, 7 pm
(9) Somerville at (8) Randolph, 5 pm
(12) Payne Tech at (5) Mendham, 7 pm
(13) Summit at (4) Warren Hills, 7 pm
(14) Nutley at (3) Millburn, 4:15 pm
(11) Cliffside Park at (6) South Plainfield, 6 pm
(10) North Plainfield at (7) Cranford, 7 pm
(15) Fort Lee at (2) Chatham, 7 pm

Central Jersey Group 1

(16) Keansburg at (1) Thrive Charter, 7 pm
(9) Bound Brook at (8) Henry Hudson, 5:30 pm
(12) New Providence at (5) Piscataway Magnet, 4 pm
(13) Roselle Park at (4) Shore, 4 pm
(14) South Hunterdon at (3) Middlesex, 5 pm
(11) Dunellen at (7) Manville, 7 pm
(10) Dayton at (7) South Amboy, 6 pm
(15) Perth Amboy Magnet at (2) Point Pleasant Beach, 5:30 pm

Non-Public North B

(9) Wardlaw-Hartridge at (8) Pioneer Academy, 4:30 pm; winner at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s
(11) Franklin School at (6) Montclair-Kimberley, 4:30 pm; winner at (3) Morris Catholic
(10) Koinonia at (7) Timothy Christian, 5 pm; winner at (2) Roselle Catholic

Non-Public South B

(9) Princeton Day at (8) St. Rose, 6 pm; winner at (1) Rutgers Prep
(12) Noor-ul-iman at (5) Bishop Eustace, 6:30 pm
(13) Moorestown Friends at (4) Doane Academy, 6 pm
(11) Calvary Christian at (6) Ranney, 4:30 pm; winner at (3) Holy Spirit
(10) Wildwood Catholic at (7) Gloucester Catholic, 5:30 pm; winner at (2) Holy Cross Prep

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL – FIRST ROUND

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Central Jersey Group 4

(15) Manalapan at (1) Franklin, 5:30 pm
(9) Sayreville at (8) Freehold Twp., 4 pm
(12) Monroe at (5) Jackson Twp., 4:30 pm
(13) Trenton at (4) Hunterdon Central, 5 p
(14) West Windsor-Plainsboro South at (3) Hillsborough, 4:30 pm
(11) Old Bridge at (6) Princeton, 4p
(10) Montgomery at (7) Marlboro, 4 pm
(15) Hightstown at (2) East Brunswick, 7 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

(16) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (1) Bayonne, 7 pm
(9) Woodbridge at (8) North Star Academy, 5:30 pm
(12) Linden at (5) Columbia, 4:30 pm
(13) Ridge at (4) Plainfield, 5 pm
(14) Perth Amboy at (3) Piscataway, 5 pm
(11) Union at (6) Elizabeth, 5 pm
(10) Watchung Hills at (7) Bridgewater-Raritan, 5 pm
(15) JP Stevens at (2) Westfield, 5 pm

Central Jersey Group 2

(16) Ocean Twp. at (1) Manasquan, 5 pm
(9) Spotswood at (8) Delaware Valley, 5:30 pm
(12) Robbinsville at (5) Bordentown, 5 pm
(13) Metuchen at (4) South River, 4:30 pm
(14) Holmdel at (3) Johnson, 5 pm
(11) Governor Livingston at (6) Piscataway Magnet, 4 pm
(10 Delran at (7) Point Pleasant Boro, 5 pm
(15) Wall at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven, 5 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

(16) Harrison at (1) Caldwell, 5 pm
(9) Ridgefield Park at (8) Snyder, 5 pm
(12) West Morris at (5) Rutherford, 4 pm
(13) Weequahic at (4) Voorhees, 5 pm
(14) Newark West Side at (3) Madison, 4 pm
(11) Hoboken at (6) Hackettstown, 4 pm
(10) Newark Collegiate at (7) Hanover Park, 4 pm
(15) Lyndhurst at (2) Bernards, 7 pm

Non-Public North A

(9) Oak Knoll at (8) Montclair-Kimberley; winner at (1) Morris Catholic
(12) Holy Angels at (5) Mount St. Dominic, 4 pm
(13) Newark Academy at (4) DePaul, 5:30 pm
(14) St. Elizabeth at (3) Pope John, 5:30 pm
(11) Kent Place at (6) Pingry, 4:15 pm
(10) Paramus Catholic at (7) Dwight-Englewood, 4 pm
(15) Morristown-Beard at (2) Immaculate Heart, 5:30 pm

Non-Public South A

(9) Princeton Day at (8) Union Catholic, 4:30 pm; winner at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(12) Our Lady of Mercy at (5) Trinity Hall, 4:30 pm
(13) Immaculata at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas, 4:30 pm
(14) Mount St. Mary at (3) Paul VI, 5 pm
(11) Notre Dame at (6) Camden Catholic, 5 pm
(10) St. Rose at (7) Bishop Eustace, 6 pm
(15) Donovan Catholic at (2) St. John Vianney, 5 pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

(16) Warren Hills at (1) Somerville, 5:30 pm
(9) Carteret at (8) Summit, 5 pm
(12) Randolph at (5) Chatham, 5 pm
(13) North Plainfield at (4) Cranford, 5 pm
(14) Orange at (3) Millburn, 7 pm
(11) Fort Lee at (6) North Hunterdon, 5:45 pm
(10 South Plainfield at (7) Mendham, 5 pm
(15) Cliffside Park at (2) Colonia, 5 pm

Central Jersey Group 1

(16) Dunellen at (1) New Providence, 4 pm
(9) Middlesex at (8) Shore, 6 pm
(12) Highland Park at (5) Brearley, 4:30 pm
(13) Henry Hudson at (4) South Amboy, 4:30 pm
(14) College Achieve Central at (3) Keansburg, 4 pm
(11) Florence at (6) Roselle Park, 5:30 pm
(10 Manville at (7) Thrive Charter, 5 pm
(15) Dayton at (2) Bound Brook, 4:30 pm

Non-Public South B

(9) Holy Cross Prep at (8) Doane Academy, TBA; winner at (1) Rutgers Prep
(12) Noor-ul-iman at (5) Stuart Day, 4 pm; winner at (4) Holy Spirit
(11) Ranney at (6) Moorestown Friends, 3:45 pm; winner at (3) Wildwood Catholic
(10) Calvary Christian at (7) Koinonia, 6:30 pm; winner at (2) Gloucester Catholic

MONDAY, MARCH 2

Non-Public North B

(8) Pioneer Academy at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 4 pm
(5) Eastern Christian at (4) Villa Walsh, Wednesday 4 pm
(6) Mount St. Dominic at (3) Hudson Catholic, TBA
(7) Roselle Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day, 7 pm

February 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA State Tournament Girls’ Basketball Preview: Schedules with times for first round, and a section-by-section breakdown for CJSR-area teams

This story has been updated after the NJSIAA Monday postponed Day One of the high school basketball tournament to Thursday. As of 6pm Monday, play in all other sections of the tournament remain “as is.” Check back with Central Jersey Sports Radio for the latest.

The 2026 NJSIAA state tournament gets underway this week for basketball, but as of now, a day later than originally planned. Groups 2 and 4 have had their opening round moved to Thursday, with quarterfinal play now pushed off to the weekend.

As of now, Groups 1 and 3 still will begin play Wednesday, In the non-public Sections, A North and South begin Thursday, and B North and South begin play Friday.

The good news is: there’s plenty of padding in the schedule to make it all work.

Sectional semifinal rounds take place the following week, with sectional finals for publics on Friday, March 6 (Groups 2 and 4) and Saturday, March 7 (Groups 1 and 3), all at high seeds. Non-Public sectional finals are Monday, March 9 at neutral sites.

Here’s a section-by-section look at the state tournament, with full schedules at the end of this story, organized by day.

Central Jersey Group 4

While Hillsborough is the defending champion (actually, they’ve won two-in-a-row, taking North 2, Group 4 the year before over Elizabeth) and they’ve had a good season, it’s Franklin that got the top seed here. The Lady Warriors will be coming off a loss to Rutgers Prep in the Somerset County Tournament title game, but led by Aleah Sunkins, they are very good, and had to knock off the top-seed in Non-Public South B – Gill St. Bernard’s, the defending SCT champion – to get there. They are good enough to make a deep run. And what;s more, with the Raiders on the other half of the bracket as a third seed, they could very well meet up in the finals. Franklin beat Hillsborough at home on January 6th pretty handily, 72-44, but were just 5-4 at the time under first-year head coach Jimmy Kreie. Since that win, they are 13-5.

Of course, East Brunswick is also in the bracket, the two-seed on Hillsborough’s side, and they could have something to say about that. The Bears made the GMC Tournament final, falling to St. Thomas Aquinas, 62-41. They also lost at Hillsborough on January 22nd, 70-52, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Honestly, anything could happen here.

Central Jersey Group 2

Defending champion Manasquan is one of few returning winners – at least in the sections we’re following – to earn a No. 1 seed this year, and they are the odds-on favorite in this section. South River earned a top-four seed, and gets a familiar opponent in 13th-seed Metuchen, though – inexplicably – they haven’t played this season. They did last year, when Metuchen was 21-5, and South River was 2-23, and Metuchen won big, but the Rams are much improved, so those results are probably quite irreleveant.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

Bayonne gets the top-seed here, and defending champion Westfield is the second-seed. Piscataway could be a contender here as the third-seed. They’ll get 14-seed Perth Amboy in the opening round, their first meeting with the Panthers in four seasons. The Lady Chiefs are good, but this is a tough section in which to make a deep run. Woodbridge also has had a good year and could make a run here.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

The Bernards’ girls have had a tremendous season, and started the season 10-0 before picking up their first loss against Roselle Park, and the state’s top scorer Sydney Smith, who’s still averaging 30 points per game. They should get through a good chunk of the bracket, with a potential semifinal matchup – if all goes chalk – against third-seed and defending champion Madison on their side of the bracket. Caldwell is the top-seed. and sits in the other half, while Voorhees is the four-seed; they’re a familiar foe, as the teams split two regular season meetings this year in the Skyland Conference Valley Division, which the Mountaineers won this year.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

The Somerville girls have had a fine year, and got the well-deserved top seed here, but second-seed Colonia has been very good, too. Both could make deep runs, and it could be a fun title game if they both get there. North Plainfield also could be a surprise team here, as could any with a player like Layla Gutierrez, who has gone off for 42 and 50 points on separate occasions this season, and is averaging 19.3 points per game.

Central Jersey Group 1

Defending champion New Providence earns the top-seed here, so Bound Brook – which got the two-seed – is on the other side of the bracket. The Crusaders (22-3) will get a young 15-seed in Dayton in the opening round, and anything but a run to the finals might be a disappointment. They are clearly good enough to get it done. Bound Brook hasn’t lost to a public school all year, with their only losses coming in the regular season to Union Catholic and Gill St. Bernard’s. They nearly knocked off eventual Somerset County Tournament champion Rutgers Prep in the semifinals, with a second-half rally falling short. Freshman Peytan Pugh has been a game-changer, and this group should be good for a while. Still, they should be in this thing a while.

Non-Public North A

The Pauldo twins may be gone, but three-time defending champion Morris Catholic is the No. 1 seed again and remains the favorite here to potentially meet two-seed Immaculate Heart in the finals. Pingry is here as a six-seed, and gets 11-seed Kent Place School in the opening round.

Non-Public South A

Defending champion Paul VI got the three-seed, and Red Bank Catholic has the No. 1 seed, with the only opening round bye here in a 15-team field, with St. Thomas Aquinas getting the four-seed. The seven-time defending GMC Tournament champions are looking for their first sectional title since they were Bishop Ahr, back in 1985. They draw 13-seed Immaculata in the opening round, and should get through to the semifinals, but they would meet the Shore Conference Champion Caseys there, as they’re in the same half of the bracket. And should they pull a major upset there, their likely opponent in the finals would be two-seed St. John Vianney. Tough to get by one, if not both. SJV is the top-ranked girls team in the state, and RBC two, but probably only until the next rankings come out; the Caseys beat Vianney by four in the Shore Conference Tournament final Friday night.

Non-Public North B

This is an eight team bracket, and the opening round isn’t until next Monday, March 2, although teams can play early if agreed upon, and it looks like one game already has been moved up to Wednesday according to their online schedule: 5th-seed Eastern Christian at Villa Walsh. Nonetheless, Gill Gt. Bernard’s (19-5) opens as the top-seed against eighth-seed Pioneer Academy (1-13). So they should easily win that one, then just need to get out of the semis against Villa Walsh or Eastern Christian before likely facing second-seed Saddle River Day or Hudson Catholic, which they beat on January 3rd in the Garden State New Year’s Ball in Newark, 49-42.

Non-Public South B

Very likely we get a rematch of last year’s final in this one. Rutgers Prep is the top-seed and has a first-round bye, as does the team that beat them last year in the sectional final down at Jackson Liberty H.S., second-seed Gloucester Catholic. Both have been excellent all year, and only need to win two games to get there, none against any competition they can’t beat/

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Please note that early-round dates and/or times could be affected by school closures due to the weekend blizzard. This list will be updated, if necessary, as any postponements are announced.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

(16) Warren Hills at (1) Somerville, 5:30 pm
(9) Carteret at (8) Summit, 5 pm
(12) Randolph at (5) Chatham, 5 pm
(13) North Plainfield at (4) Cranford, 5 pm
(14) Orange at (3) Millburn, 7 pm
(11) Fort Lee at (6) North Hunterdon, 5:45 pm
(10 South Plainfield at (7) Mendham, 5 pm
(15) Cliffside Park at (2) Colonia, 5 pm

Central Jersey Group 1

(16) Dunellen at (1) New Providence, 4 pm
(9) Middlesex at (8) Shore, 6 pm
(12) Highland Park at (5) Brearley, 4:30 pm
(13) Henry Hudson at (4) South Amboy, 4:30 pm
(14) College Achieve Central at (3) Keansburg, 4 pm
(11) Florence at (6) Roselle Park, 5:30 pm
(10 Manville at (7) Thrive Charter, 5 pm
(15) Dayton at (2) Bound Brook, 5:30 pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Central Jersey Group 4

(15) Manalapan at (1) Franklin, 5:30 pm
(9) Sayreville at (8) Freehold Twp., 4 pm
(12) Monroe at (5) Jackson Twp., 4:30 pm
(13) Trenton at (4) Hunterdon Central, 5 p
(14) West Windsor-Plainsboro South at (3) Hillsborough, 4:30 pm
(11) Old Bridge at (6) Princeton, 4p
(10) Montgomery at (7) Marlboro, 4 pm
(15) Hightstown at (2) East Brunswick, 7 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

(16) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (1) Bayonne, 7 pm
(9) Woodbridge at (8) North Star Academy, 5:30 pm
(12) Linden at (5) Columbia, 4:30 pm
(13) Ridge at (4) Plainfield, 5 pm
(14) Perth Amboy at (3) Piscataway, 5 pm
(11) Union at (6) Elizabeth, 5 pm Thursday
(10) Watchung Hills at (7) Bridgewater-Raritan, 5 pm
(15) JP Stevens at (2) Westfield, 5 pm

Central Jersey Group 2

(16) Ocean Twp. at (1) Manasquan, 5 pm
(9) Spotswood at (8) Delaware Valley, 5:30 pm
(12) Robbinsville at (5) Bordentown, 5 pm
(13) Metuchen at (4) South River, 4:30 pm
(14) Holmdel at (3) Johnson, 5 pm
(11) Governor Livingston at (6) Piscataway Magnet, 4 pm
(10 Delran at (7) Point Pleasant Boro, 5 pm
(15) Wall at (1) Rumson-Fair Haven, 5 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

(16) Harrison at (1) Caldwell, 5 pm
(9) Ridgefield Park at (8) Snyder, 5 pm
(12) West Morris at (5) Rutherford, 4 pm
(13) Weequahic at (4) Voorhees, 5 pm
(14) Newark West Side at (3) Madison, 4 pm
(11) Hoboken at (6) Hackettstown, 5:30 pm
(10) Newark Collegiate at (7) Hanover Park, 4 pm
(15) Lyndhurst at (2) Bernards, 7 pm

Non-Public North A

(9) Oak Knoll at (8) Montclair-Kimberley; winner at (1) Morris Catholic
(12) Holy Angels at (5) Mount St. Dominic, 4 pm
(13) Newark Academy at (4) DePaul, 5:30 pm
(14) St. Elizabeth at (3) Pope John, 5:30 pm
(11) Kent Place at (6) Pingry, 4:15 pm
(10) Paramus Catholic at (7) Dwight-Englewood, 4 pm
(15) Morristown-Beard at (2) Immaculate Heart, 5:30 pm

Non-Public South A

(9) Princeton Day at (8) Union Catholic, 4:30 pm; winner at (1) Red Bank Catholic
(12) Our Lady of Mercy at (5) Trinity Hall, 4:30 pm
(13) Immaculata at (4) St. Thomas Aquinas, 4:30 pm
(14) Mount St. Mary at (3) Paul VI, 5 pm
(11) Notre Dame at (6) Camden Catholic, 5 pm
(10) St. Rose at (7) Bishop Eustace, 6 pm
(15) Donovan Catholic at (2) St. John Vianney, 5 pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Non-Public South B

(9) Holy Cross Prep at (8) Doane Academy, TBA; winner at (1) Rutgers Prep
(12) Noor-ul-iman at (5) Stuart Day, 4 pm; winner at (4) Holy Spirit
(11) Ranney at (6) Moorestown Friends, 3:45 pm; winner at (3) Wildwood Catholic
(10) Calvary Christian at (7) Koinonia, 6:30 pm; winner at (2) Gloucester Catholic

MONDAY, MARCH 2

Non-Public North B

(8) Pioneer Academy at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s, 4 pm
(5) Eastern Christian at (4) Villa Walsh, Wednesday 4 pm
(6) Mount St. Dominic at (3) Hudson Catholic, TBA
(7) Roselle Catholic at (2) Saddle River Day, 7 pm

February 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

NJSIAA State Tournament Boys’ Basketball Preview: A look at all sections with CJSR-area teams, with complete first round schedules

The 2026 NJSIAA state tournament gets underway this week for basketball, and already we’ve had some schedule changes, as Tuesday’s opening round for Groups 2 and 4 has been shifted to Thursday, with the quarterfinals bumped to the weekend. Wednesday play remains untouched, for now, for Groups 1 and 3. In the non-public Sections, North and South A begin Thursday, while North and South B begin play Friday.

Here’s a section-by-section look at the state tournament, with full schedules at the end of this story, organized by day.

Central Jersey Group 4

Montgomery – the two-time defending champion in this section, and a Group 4 finalist last year – has some bulletin-board material for what it hopes is a long state tournament run. The Cougars (21-4) feel they got a bad break from the seeding formula, ending up No. 3 behind Marlboro and Hillsborough, with the Raiders getting the top seed. And they should feel that way. After all, they beat Hillsborough twice, by 16 on the road on January 13th, then again at home in the Somerset County Tournament, 53-38. All four losses this year have come to state-ranked teams: Rutgers Prep twice, and once each to Linden and now-SCT champion Gill St. Bernard’s. The Raiders did beat Rutgers Prep, but shouldn’t head-to-head count for something, too?

In any event, Montgomery is still the favorite here, and the team to chase. Hillsborough should be a contender to get to the title game, but a rematch with Franklin – which they lost to, 62-57, back on December 18, just three games into the season – potentially awaits in the second round if the Warriors can pick up a first-round road win at Freehold Twp.

Fourth-seed East Brunswick also should be a contender, and we could see a Bears-Raiders semifinal matchup for a trip to the finals if things go according to chalk. Sayreville is also very good, and the seventh-seeded Bombers could be a dark horse here.

Central Jersey Group 2

There are only a couple area teams here, and on opposite ends of the spectrum – and the bracket. Wall earned the one-seed here, while Metuchen got the two. The 23-4 Bulldogs will open with 15-seed Delran, and – if they advance – would get the winner of the 10/7 game between Point Pleasant Boro and Rumson-Fair Haven. They have a favorable path as the two-seed, with home court through the semifinals, if they get that far. Spotswood is on the other side of the bracket as the 13-seed, and they get Delaware Valley, the four-seed at 19-8, which beat Group 4 Hunterdon Central Friday night, 69-62 in overtime, for their first-ever the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament championship.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

What a brutal section! Two excellent state powers in Linden and Plainfield – the second of which won Group 4 last year – got the two- and fourth-seeds, respectively. GMC Tournament runner-up Piscataway gets the top-seed here, and after 16th-seed JP Stevens, they would get either ninth-seed Columbia or eighth-seed Dickinson. Linden, at least, is in the other half of the bracket from Piscataway, but the Chiefs – if they make it to the semifinals – would likely get four-seed Plainfield. They draw four-seed Bridgewater-Raritan in the opening round, which would be a huge upset for the Panthers if they pull it off. Bridgewater had won eight straight to start the season, then lost eight of their next 13, but have since won five straight, albeit not against anyone in the same stratosphere as the Cardinals.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

Bernards is the only area team here, and they’ll open up on the road with Weequahic. A win should pit them against the top-seed Newark Collegiate in the quarterfinals.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

Four-time defending champion Colonia got off to a 2-6 start, then went 14-2 the rest of the way heading into Wednesday’s GMC Tournament semifinals. They dropped that game to Piscataway, and in a state tourney tune-up, they lost Saturday at Northern Highlands, 57-54. But the bottom line is this team figured it out, after losing so many key players in the off season – the biggest of which were Aiden Derkack and R.J. Wortman – and have the horses to compete and get to another final. They could get last year’s title game opponent, Mendham, in the semis this time, if it works out, with the highest seed on the other side of the bracket being Chatham, the two-seed.

Don’t count out 6th-seed South Plainfield here; anyone who can knock off now-GMC Tournament champion St. Joseph-Metuchen – as they did, 55-54, at home on January 27th – has a chance to win a title. And if they get to the final, it could be against Colonia. And while the Patriots beat them in the North 2, Group 3 title game in 2022, and knocked them out in the semis in 2023 and 2024, the teams split this year. South Plainfield beat them on January 6th at home, 56-42, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. That was Colonia’s sixth loss in their first eight games. But the Patriots returned the favor in a GMC Tournament rematch, 51-48, in the quarterfinals. Round 3 anyone? In Colonia’s gym? Best playoff atmosphere in the GMC in that cramped, deafeningly loud gym? We’ll take it!

Central Jersey Group 1

Dominated by College Achieve Central two years ago, they’re no longer in the NJSIAA. Dominated by Thrive Charter a year ago, they’re still here, but likely not for long, under the NJSIAA’s playoff success formula, which moves non-traditional public schools to larger sections based on playoff wins and titles. That’s no solace to all the other tiny public schools in the bracket, like nine-seed Bound Brook, which will be on the road to open against eight-seed Henry Hudson, and – if they win – would likely have to go down to Trenton to face Thrive (formerly Trenton Catholic).

Manville also has had a fine season – they beat Bound Brook twice after having not beaten them in two decades – and gets the six-seed here, opening up at home with 11-seed Dunellen. But before they get a crack at Thrive, they’ll have to get by a strong second-seed in the semis, Point Pleasant Beach.

Non-Public South A

GMC Tournament Champion St. Joseph-Metuchen will open up as the four-seed here, hosting 13-seed Donovan Catholic in the opening round Thursday night. After that, they’d get the winner of five-0seed Red Bank Catholic and 12-seed St. John Vianney, then would have to beat the top-seed Paul VI before a potential final against two-seed CBA, which would be down at Lenape High School in Medford Lakes, a neutral site. No doubt it’s a gauntlet, and a big step up in the later rounds from what they play in the GMC. Time to really give the program a test in the first season back for Mark Taylor’s rejuvenated program.

Non-Public North B

Gill St. Bernard’s lost to Roselle Catholic in last year’s final, with a controversial ending that cost head coach Mergin Sina the first two games of the season. But whatever, he got his money’s worth, and it didn’t affect the Knights at all. With just two losses – to St. Peter’s Prep and Linden, neither of whom could they face in the states – and winners of 20 in a row, we should be looking at a rematch between top-seed Gill and the second-seeded Lions. Both have opening round byes, and should likely cruise to the finals. We’ve seen the Knights several times this year; they are no joke. They play big boy basketball. See ya in Paterson on March 9th, where Kennedy High School hosts the neutral site boys’ and girls’ North B finals.

Non-Public South B

And while Rutgers Prep may have lost three times to Gill St. Bernard’s this season – most recently in the Somerset County Tournament final Saturday, 84-73 – they’re very good, too. They got the top seed and a first-round bye with a 16-9 record, and could potentially face 8th-seed and defending champion St. Rose in the second round, if things go to chalk. It may not be easy – the state tournament never is – but anything short of a finals appearance would be a disappointment. If they get to the neutral court finals at Lenape, they should face either two-seed Holy Cross Prep or three-seed Holy Spirit.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Please note that early-round dates and/or times could be affected by school closures due to the weekend blizzard. This list will be updated, if necessary, as any postponements are announced.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

(16) North Hunterdon at (1) Colonia, 7 pm
(9) Somerville at (8) Randolph, 5 pm
(12) Payne Tech at (5) Mendham, TBA
(13) Summit at (4) Warren Hills, 7 pm
(14) Nutley at (3) Millburn, 5:30 pm
(11) Cliffside Park at (6) South Plainfield, 6 pm
(10) North Plainfield at (7) Cranford, 7 pm
(15) Fort Lee at (2) Chatham, 7 pm

Central Jersey Group 1

(16) Keansburg at (1) Thrive Charter, 7 pm
(9) Bound Brook at (8) Henry Hudson, 5:30 pm
(12) New Providence at (5) Piscataway Magnet, 4 pm
(13) Roselle Park at (4) Shore, 4 pm
(14) South Hunterdon at (3) Middlesex, 5 pm
(11) Dunellen at (7) Manville, 7 pm
(10) Dayton at (7) South Amboy, 6 pm
(15) Perth Amboy Magnet at (2) Point Pleasant Beach, 5:30 pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Central Jersey Group 4

(16) Old Bridge at (1) Hillsborough, 6:30 pm
(9) Franklin at (8) Freehold Twp, 6 pm
(12) Hightstown at (5) Jackson Twp., 6:30 pm
(13) Edison at (4) East Brunswick, 5 pm
(14) Manalapan at (3) Montgomery, 5:30 pm
(11) Hunterdon Central at (6) Trenton, 5:30 pm
(10) South Brunswick at (7) Sayreville, 7 pm
(15) Princeton at (2) Marlboro, 6 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

(16) JP Stevens at (1) Piscataway, 7 pm
(9) Columbia at (8) Dickinson, TBA
(12) Scotch Plains-Fanwood at (5) Bayonne, 4:30 pm
(13) Bridgewater-Raritan at (4) Plainfield, 7 pm
(14) Ferris at (3) Union, 6 pm
(11) North Star Academy at (6) Perth Amboy, 6 pm
(10) Ridge at (7) Elizabeth, 7 pm
(15) Westfield at (2) Linden, 7 pm

Central Jersey Group 2

(16) Bordentown at (1) Wall, 5:30 pm
(9) Robbinsville at (8) Holmdel, 5:30 pm
(12) Roselle at (5) Manasquan, 7 pm
(13) Spotswood at (4) Delaware Valley, 7 pm
(14) Governor Livingston at (3) Ocean Twp., 5:15 pm
(11) Monmouth at (6) Johnson, 7 pm
(10) Point Pleasant Boro at (7) Rumson-Fair Haven, 6:30 pm
(15) Delran at (2) Metuchen, 6 pm

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

(16) Newark West Side at (1) Newark Collegiate, TBA
(9) Bernards at (8) Weequahic, 7 pm
(12) Hanover Park at (5) Hackettstown, 7 pm
(13) Rutherford at (4) Madison, 6 pm
(14) Snyder at (3) Ridgefield Park, 7 pm
(11) Becton at (6) Caldwell, 7 pm
(10) Hillside at (7) Voorhees, 7 pm
(15) McNair at (2) Lyndhurst, 6 pm

Non-Public South A

(9) Union Catholic at (8) St. Augustine, 4 pm; winner at (1) Paul VI
(12) St. John Vianney at (5) Red Bank Catholic, 5:30 pm
(13) Donovan Catholic at (4) St. Joseph-Metuchen, 7 pm
(14) Notre Dame at (3) St. Peter’s Prep, 6 pm
(11) St. Thomas Aquinas at (6) Immaculata, 7 pm
(10) Pingry at (7) Camden Catholic, 7 pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Non-Public North B

(9) Wardlaw-Hartridge at (8) Pioneer Academy, 4:30 pm; winner at (1) Gill St. Bernard’s
(11) Franklin School at (6) Montclair-Kimberley, 4:30 pm; winner at (3) Morris Catholic
(10) Koinonia at (7) Timothy Christian, 5 pm; winner at (2) Roselle Catholic

Non-Public South B

(9) Princeton Day at (8) St. Rose, 6 pm; winner at (1) Rutgers Prep
(12) Noor-ul-iman at (5) Bishop Eustace, 6:30 pm
(13) Moorestown Friends at (4) Doane Academy, 6 pm
(11) Calvary Christian at (6) Ranney, 4:30 pm; winner at (3) Holy Spirit
(10) Wildwood Catholic at (7) Gloucester Catholic, winner at (2) Holy Cross Prep

February 8, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

Saturday is the NJSIAA cutoff date: We break down team-by-team where GMC, Somerset boys’ hoops teams stand

There’s only a week to go, but still a lot of basketball to be played when it comes to the push for the state playoffs.

Some will be playing GMC Tournament games this week, hoping for a deep run, while others will be playing regular season ball, but a few will have Somerset County Tournament semifinal games at Franklin this Saturday, with big power point values on the table.

All games up to an including Saturday will count, and the top 16 power point values will figure into each team’s ranking. Power points is a mixture of quality points, residuals, and the OOWP, Opponents’ Opponent Winning Percentage, a strength factor of sorts. Keep in mind, power points are an average, not a cumulative total, and as games are played, lower scores will drop off.

In that way, it’s possible that a loss won’t necessarily lower a team’s average. For example, if a team loses to a six-win team, and that’s their lowest score, it just won’t count toward the average. And if a team wins a big game, they may not necessarily gain that many points. Rather, they would gain the difference between that game, and a lower score that dropped off.

With that said, this will be our final full look at power points before the cutoff. We’ll take a look at the standings after Saturday and give our projections on Sunday, with the NJSIAA announcing the seeds and brackets next Tuesday. We’ll have those as well once they become official.

On to the breakdown! All analysis is based on NJSIAA power points as reported on NJ.com as of noon on February 8, 2026. Click the header on each section to go to the page for that section.

Central Jersey Group 4

Since our last update two weeks ago, the No. 1 and 2 teams have flip-flopped. Montgomery (19-3, 33.535) had trailed East Brunswick (18-5, 31.264) by 0.349 points, but now the Cougars are atop the section by 2.271 points over East Brunswick. Thei could come right down to the wire, and it’s even possible third-place Marlboro (15-4, 29.95) and fourth-place Hillsbroough (15-6, 29.262) could make a push for second, though likely not first; almost four points is tough to make up at this late stage of the game. Monty has a Thursday tilt with Hunterdon Central (10-12), and then, as the third-seed, will play second-seed Rutgers Prep (15-7) in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals at noon Saturday (live on CJSR). Both are big power point opportunities, with 36 for Central and 51 for prep before the OOWP is factored in. East Brunswick is locked into the GMC Tournament, done with its regular season, as they are the fourth-seed, have a double-bye, and await the winner of Tuesday’s preliminary round game between 21-seed JP Stevens (10-12) and 12-seed Piscataway Magnet (17-4). Neither are chopped liver in terms of power points, with St. Thomas Aquinas (9-13) awaiting Saturday at home in the quarterfinals should the Bears advance. Hillsborough has a massive game against Rutgers Prep (15-7) on Tuesday and has a non-conference matchup with Caldwell (15-4) Saturday. A split could lock up a four-seed, but if not – or even if they win out – they still might have to watch Jackson (15-4, 28.456) behind them, but probably not Trenton.

Right at the 8/9 line we have Sayreville (13-9, 23.242) and Franklin (9-12, 22.854). The ceiling for the Bombers is likely seventh, a spot occupied by Freehold Twp. (11-8, 24.906), just 1.664 points ahead of them. We think they probably won’t drop further than nine, but obviously top eight is the goal here so they can at least get one tournament game at the Bomb Shelter. Franklin, however, could be vulnerable down to 12, with Hunterdon Central (10-12, 20.949) in tenth, followed by Hightstown (10-14, 20.83) in 11th, and South Brunswick (12-8, 20.456) in 12th. Either way, most of that group will finish below the 8/9 line and open on the road. Edison (10-11, 19.472), right behind the Vikings, should be locked into a bottom eight seed, but we don’t think they’re quite a bubble team. They should be in.

The next interesting group is on the bubble. There are four GMC teams from 16 to 19: Old Bridge (7-14, 15.788), North Brunswick (6-16, 15.287), Monroe (5-16, 12.431) and New Brunswick (6-15, 12.247). The Zebras and Falcons are somewhat longshots, but North Brunswick and Old Bridge are separate by just 0.501 points, and that could easily flip-flop. Although 15th-place Manalapan (8-13) isn’t a lock either, so there’s a chance the Raiders and Knights could make it while the Braves miss. Too close to call at this point.

Central Jersey Group 2

First-place Wall (17-1, 33.672) just got knocked off by Colonia, and we’ll have more on what that means to the Patriots when we get to their section. The Crimson Knights had nearly a four-and-a-half point lead over Metuchen (19-2, 31.386) in second place in our last update two weeks ago, but that has shrunk to just 2.286. We’re still not sure the Bulldogs can make the jump from two to one, especially considering their GMC Tournament schedule. They’re the nine-seed, and open play Tuesday against 12-seed Timothy Christian (3-17). That won’t move the needle, and if they win, they get 8th-seed Old Bridge (7-14), not a big power point game even if they pull the upset. Should they advance to Saturday, and pull off the upset of the year over No. 1 St. Joseph-Metuchen, they might be able to do it, but boy, that’s a big ask. And Wall’s schedule isn’t exactly shabby. They open play as the two-seed in the Shore Conference Tournament Thursday against either 15th-seed Ocean Twp. (15-8) or 18-seed Colts Neck (11-9). Should they win that one, they would most likely get 7th-seed Manasquan (11-8).

From there, it’s all the way down to 12 for Spotswood (13-9, 21.761). They are almost assured of a bottom eight finish and an opening round game on the road, but they’re also not a bubble team. We think the Chargers are squarely in.

Not quite so for East Brunswick Magnet (10-12, 15.61), which sits in the 16th and final spot with a week to go. They will be hard pressed to move up to 15, where Governor Livingston (8-12, 18.321) sits, but could face a challenge at least from 17th-place Bordentown (7-12, 13.547). Others are likely too far back.

Central Jersey Group 1

A bunch of teams are bunched up here in the top four slots, but their movement might be a little limited. Thrive Charter (16-3, 30.331) is first, but it’s possible they may have to fend off Point Pleasant Beach (17-6, 28.349). Point beach may, in tunr, have to keep third-place Middlesex (14-7, 25.086) at bay, but the Jays won’t be able to get to No. 1. Likewise, they have fourth-place Shore (16-4, 24.346) nipping at their heels, while fifth-place Piscataway Magnet (17-4, 23.031) could have a crack at Middlesex, too. We think they’re safe from Manville (13-8, 20.281), which is in sixth – not 7th as shown in the standings – because the current 6th place team is Foundation Collegiate out of Trenton, which us undefeated, but has only played one game, 15 shy of the minimum to qualify.

But behind the Mustangs are a three teams that are close enough and could reach as high as sixth, so this is all too close to call as to who is going to make the top eight and earn at least one first round home game. Henry Hudson (15-6, 20.278) is in seventh, just 0.003 behind Manville, followed by South Amboy (14-5, 19.769) in eighth, and Bound Brook (15-8, 19.58) ninth. Only one of those three likely ends up outside the top eight, as Dunellen (11-12, 16.454) is probably too far back to catch any of them, sitting in 10th.

Near the bottom, Perth Amboy Magnet (8-10, 13.026) is on the right side of the bubble in 14th, potentially with a ceiling of 12, where they are just 1.005 points behind 12th place Keansburg, with South Hunterdon (8-12, 13.945) right in between them. Behind PA Magnet is New Providence (4-15, 12.877) in 15th and Central Jersey College Charter (6-10, 12.73) in 16th. But there are four teams within range behind them to look out for: Florence (7-12, 12.605, 17th), Keyport (10-10, 12.398, 18th), Brearley (6-11, 12.291, 19th), and Roselle Park (4-13, 12.269, 20th) all have a shot and are within 0.461 points of the top 16.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

Now 17-6 on the season, Piscataway (34.243) has surged to the top of a bunch that was tightly-packed two weeks ago, and remains so, just in different spots. Back then, it was Union, Bayonne, defending Group 4 state champion Plainfield, then the Chiefs. Those three are in the same order, just behind Piscataway. And they’ll all have big games coming up in county tournaments, too. But the Chiefs have more distance down to No. 2 where Union (17-3, 32.45) sits – 1.793 points – than separated all three teams ahead of them two weeks ago. Bayonne (18-5, 31.827) is in third, followed by the Cardinals (17-4, 31.376) and Linden (14-8, 31.198) in fifth.

Sixth-place Perth Amboy (20-4, 29.803) might have a ceiling of third-place, but it would be tough to jump all those teams. The most likely scenario is they end up outside the top four, but that would still give the Panthers – who are having a season for the ages around there, having won their first division title since 1993 – at least two guaranteed home games, should they win their opener.

Next, it’d down to 11 and 12 for Ridge (10-11, 22.487) and Bridgewater-Raritan (13-7). The Red Devils struggled early, dealing with injuries, but moved up two spots since our last update two weeks ago, when they were in 13th, while the Panthers have dropped five spots to 12. They had a brutal week right before our last check-in, but overall, are 3-7 since starting the year 10-0. Both should finish in the bottom eight. JP Stevens (10-12, 19.095) is all but assured of a spot, but even in 15th, there’s in a good place. The first team out, in 17th, is Phillipsburg (6-13, 16.289), a little under two points behind the Hawks, but based on their record, we don’t think they can move the needle enough to jump 16th-place Westfield (6-16) and JP Stevens. So, we think they’re safe.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

What a run by Colonia! The Patriots – who have won this section the last four years, and five out of the last six, making the title game each of those seasons – were sitting in eighth place two week ago. They were 7-8 then, are 14-8 now (32.079 points), and have stormed up to No. 2, no doubt helped by a 52-46 win at previously-unbeaten Wall Saturday. The Patriots are just 0.285 points out of first behind Millburn (18-4, 32.364). It’s now doable for Colonia thanks to their late-season rally.

South Plainfield (13-9, 23.942) dropped one spot in the last two weeks to sixth, and we think fifth might be their ceiling, not too far behind fifth-place Warren Hills (14-4, 26.644), but catching fourth-place Mendham (15-7, 26.946) – last year’s runner-up here – might be tough.

They might also have to look out for some teams behind them, including seventh-place Cranford (15-7, 24.859), Randolph (13-9, 24.72), and even ninth-place Somerville (14-7, 23.589). Right behind them is North Plainfield (12-11, 22.494), a potential threat to the Pioneers, but probably not to the Tigers. The ‘Ville and the Canucks may both have a shot at the top eight here, but Somerville is more likely.

Further down, JFK (11-12, 19.035) sits in 14th, and we think is pretty safe in terms of finishing in the Top 16. After Nutley (14-6, 18.225) behind them, Carteret (9-13, 17.44) is on the right side of the bubble, but has three teams behind them within one full point: Fort Lee (8-14, 16.674, 17th), Lincoln (10-10, 16.654, 18th), and North Hunterdon (7-12, 16.494, 19th).

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

Bernards (8-12, 19.117) is the only CJSR team in this section, sitting in seventh, and likely a top eight finisher, whatever Weequahic (13-7, 18.947) does, with Voorhees (8-11, 15.659) a decent distance back. Newark Collegiate (15-6, 29.715) is in first here, followed by Ridgefield Park (17-4, 27.782).

Non-Public North B

Other than Gill St. Bernard’s (20-2, 40.058) in first, this section is a mish-mosh of some really good teams in the top four, and the rest of the way mostly sub-.500 squads. It’s rough after Morris Catholic (17-3, 34.268), second, Roselle Catholic (16-6, 33.965), St. Mary-Rutherford (20.3, 32.221) and Morristown-Beard (12-7, 25.486). There’s not another team over .500 in the bunch, including Timothy Christian (3-17, 11.403) in seventh and Wardlaw-Hartridge (4-11, 9.273) in 10th. Besides them, would Saddle River Day (1-20, 9.912) in eighth opt-out? Then, Golda Och (5-7) won’t and Franklin School (Jersey City) (3-8) may not reach the 16-game minimum. And Hawthorne Christian (0-17) probably is out. We could see five or six teams of the 15 not even play here.

Non-Public South A

The top few spots are not settled, but right now it’s Paul VI (18-3, 40.387), Christian Brothers (19-3, 39.08), and St. Peter’s Prep (18-3, 37.169) first through third. Immaculata (16-5, 31.236) checks in at five, and they could catch Red Bank Catholic (16-6, 32.793), as could St. Joseph-Metuchen (21-1, 30.646) in sixth. We don’t think they fall below that, so it’s the Caseys, Spartans and Falcons fighting for that fourth spot, 2.147 points between them.

Further down, Pingry (11-7, 24.221) sits in tenth, with a likely ceiling of eight, where there’s Union Catholic (10-10, 24.898), followed by St. Augustine (13-10, 24.631). There’s just 0.677 between them

St. Thomas Aquinas (9-13) is right behind the Big Blue, but they’re almost five full points behind, a big ask at this late date. We don’t anticipate any dropouts here in what is a 14-team field, giving the top two teams a bye.

Non-Public South B

Rutgers Prep (15-7, 33.94), the second-seed in the Somerset County Tournament is a pretty sure bet to hold on to the No. 1 seed here, though they may still need to beat third-seed Montgomery Saturday in the semifinals (10 am live on CJSR) to do it. Holy Spirit (17-5, 31.633) is in second, and Holy Cross Prep (17-4, 30.651) may be too far behind to catch them. After that – factoring in St. Joseph-Hammonton being disqualified due to an early-January benches-clearing brawl against LEAP Academy – it’s all the way down to Calvary Christian (6-13, 10.703) in 12th. Noor-ul-iman (6-7) may not reach the 16-game minimum, so we think this should, at best, be a 13-team field, with the top three getting byes.

February 8, 2026February 8, 2026 by Mike Pavlichko

There’s one week to go before Saturday’s NJSIAA cutoff: Where do GMC, Somerset girls’ basketball teams stand in the playoff chase?

The NJSIAA Cutoff for games to count toward playoff contention is this Saturday, a busy day for the county tournaments in our area, as Somerset County holds its semifinals at Franklin, while the GMC Tournament will be in the quarterfinal round, with all games at higher seeds this year rather that neutral sites as in the past.

On to the breakdown! All analysis is based on NJSIAA power points as reported on NJ.com as of noon on February 8, 2026. Click the header on each section to go to the page for that section.

Central Jersey Group 4

Defending champion Hillsborough (15-5) has fallen to third, after going 1-3 since our last update two weeks ago, with losses to Bernards, Rutgers Prep and then Bound Brook Saturday in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals. The new No. 1 here is Franklin (13-7, 29.69), just a tiny bit ahead of East Brunswick (18-4, 29.494) in second. And the Raiders (15-5, 28.905) are not that far back. It should be noted that Franklin crushed the Raiders 72-44 on January 16th, even though they didn’t jump ‘Boro until now, while East Brunswick lost at Hillsborough, 70-52, back on January 22nd, in a game aired on Central Jersey Sports Radio. But, unlike football, head-to-head only matters if teams are tied, and that’s very rare with this power point system, which uses averages and rounds to three decimal points entirely for the purpose of avoiding ties. They happen, but not much. There might also be Hunterdon Central (14-7, 27.637) to worry about, but that’s likely it. The Red Devils may not be able to reach the top spot, but a lot can happen in any order. Hillsborough will have a little more flexibility than Franklin or East Brunswick in scheduling this week since they’re out of the county tournament. According to their online schedule, they have one game scheduled this week, Thursday at Morris Knolls (8-12). East Brunswick is locked in to the GMC Tournament first round on Wednesday, where they’ll play either 15-seed Carteret (13-8) or 18th-seed North Brunswick (4-18), then would be most likely to face 7th-seed Monroe (8-10) Saturday at home in the quarterfinals. As for the Warriors, they have Montgomery (10-9) at home Monday, then Mount St. Mary (7-11) on Wednesday before playing two-seed and defending champion Gill St. Bernard’s (17-4) Saturday in the SCT quarterfinals. The closest thing to a sure thing here is to say it’ll be a CJSR-area team starting the playoffs as a top-seed here.

Further down the list is New Brunswick (11-9, 19.914) sitting in eighth place. The goal is a top eight seed to earn a home game, and this one is very much up in the air. The Zebras’ likely ceiling here is seven, a spot currently held by Marlboro (13-7, 20.065). But there are three teams packed tightly behind them, and our take is that these five could end up in any order, all separated by just 0.716 points. That includes Freehold Twp. (10-10, 19.91, just 0.004 behind New Brunswick), Sayreville (16-4, 19.352) in tenth and Montgomery (10-9, 19.349) in eleventh. Any of these five, we believe, could finish in the top eight, but it’s likely only two of them will.

Down near the bottom of the top 16, we have Old Bridge (8-12, 16.181) and Monroe (8-10, 16.172) in 14th and 15th place, respectively. To us, they’re still on the bubble, but at least on the right side. Ahead of then, 13th place West Windsor-Plainsboro South (12-10, 16.216) is likely in that same situation. Behind them is Hightstown (9-12, 16.132), then Manalapan (12-7, 15.225) at 17 on the wrong side of the bubble, but less than one full point out of a playoff spot. That appears to be the group of five teams fighting for the last four playoff spots. Edison (6-15, 13.127) is in 18th, but they might be too far back to make it in one week, unless they can make a run in the GMC Tournament. The 11th-seed, the Eagles open up play on Monday against 22-seed JFK (6-18), and would likely face 6th-seed Woodbridge (15-6) on Wednesday in the second round, should they advance. Edison lost to the Barrons in their own Gene Haley/Jim Muldowney Memorial Holiday Classic, 70-54, after Christmas, but consider this: That was loss No. 6 in a stretch where they started the season 0-11, but they are 6-4 since, even avenging an earlier season loss to Old Bridge.

Central Jersey Group 2

Manasquan and Rumson-Fair Haven are the pretty clear-cut top two seeds at this point, but South River (18-5, 26.785) is in the mix for the No. 3 seed, despite sitting in fourth behind Johnson (17-2, 27.758), albeit less than one full point behind. Two weeks ago, we figured the Rams could pull up, and they did, gaining three spots in that span. We think they will end up three or four, as fifth-place Bordentown (14-2, 23.813) is nearly three full points behind, a lot of ground to make up this late in the game. Of course, it’s a little bit of “pick your poison” for the Rams, as ‘Squan (No. 9 in New Jersey) and Rumson are very strong teams. South River is locked into the GMC Tournament, at least for now. The 21st seed, they stomped 28-seed Wardlaw-Hartridge Saturday in the play-in round, and will visit 12-seed South Plainfield (7-16) Monday in the preliminary round. If they advance, they will probably lose some regular season games scheduled for this week, including Thursday against East Brunswick Magnet (8-10) and Friday against Edison (6-15). The Rams, at the very least, have a shot at the three, but probably finish no lower than four, giving them home court advantage at least through the sectional quarterfinals.

Piscataway Magnet (17-3, 23.623) sits in sixth place at the moment, 0.19 behind fifth-place Bordentown (14-2, 23.813) and barely ahead of seventh-place Point Pleasant Boro (11-9, 23.521). Those three are likely all jockeying for position among themselves, and could end up in any order, with just 0.292 points separating them, but more distance between the teams above and below them.

That would also leave Spotswood (13-9, 20.867) hoping to fend off some teams behind them to hold on to the 8th spot, a top eight finish, and at least one first round home game. The Chargers may not be able to catch Point Pleasant Boro, unless they were to win their first-round GMC Tournament game on Wednesday (they’re a five-seed, and could host 12-seed South Plainfield or 21-seed and arch-rival South River) and then knock off fourth-seed Colonia (16-2), their likely quarterfinal opponent – again, if they get there. There are probably three teams within reach of them, starting with Delaware Valley (10-10) in ninth, Delran (11-8, 20.123) in tenth, and Governor Livingston (8-11, 19.316) in eleventh.

Despite Metuchen (9-10, 15.251) being in 15th, looks like it should be in. That’s because the next team behind them, East Brunswick Magnet (8-10, 11.775) is 3.476 points back, a lot to make up. Then again, teams with fewer wins have more to gain with wins compared to those who have a lot. Still, we think the Bulldogs are in, but the Tigers are squarely on the bubble, even though it’s the right side of it. They have two teams behind them to fend off: Ocean Twp. (7-15, 11.501) and Monmouth (5-12, 10.385). We say the odds are likely better than half, maybe closer to two-thirds that Magnet makes it. The last two teams, Raritan (1-16) and Roselle (0-3) won’t factor in here.

Central Jersey Group 1

The gap has narrowed, but the top two teams remain in the same positions they were a week ago: New Providence (19-1, 34.749) first and Bound Brook (20-1, 33.35) in second. The top seed may not be out of the question for Bound Brook, and it would certainly help if the Crusaders, who are the fourth-seed in the Somerset County Tournament, could knock off top-seed Rutgers Prep (18-2) in Saturday’s semifinals (noon on CJSR). According to their online schedule, they have no other games this week, but that could change. The Pioneers only have Oak Knoll (10-8) scheduled this week, Monday at 5:30, so they could add some games as well.

South Amboy (15-5, 23.03) sits in fifth, but they might have a shot at a top four-seed. They’d have to catch Brearley (13-3, 24.172) ahead of them in fourth, and/or Roselle Park (14-5, 24.557) in third. The Lady Guvs are the 25th-seed in the GMC Tournament, and are locked in with the preliminary round Monday, where they visit 9th-seed Old Bridge (8-12), but remember, group points no longer count, so the Knights being a Group 4 school with South Amboy is in Group 1 doesn’t help them any. Then again, The Guvs could also fall back. Keansburg (17-0, 22.143) is not far back at six, nor is Shore (13-9, 21.992, 7th).

Middlesex (12-8, 19.886) and Manville (13-6, 19.362) sit in ninth and tenth, respectively, but they could have a shot at a top eight seed, and maybe both could get in. Thrive Charter (8-10, 20.789) is not that far ahead in eighth, and Shore might be reachable, too. But it’s likely niether falls lower than ten, as 11th-place Florence (9-9, 13.777) is more than five points back, an enormous hill.

The best Highland Park (7-15, 12.979) and College Achieve Central (7-8, 11.9) could do, in that case, is 11th, if they catch Florence, as the Owls and College Achieve sit 12th and 13th at the moment. There are also some tightly-packed teams behind them, including Henry Hudson (7-12, 10.579, 14th), Perth Amboy Magnet (4-10, 10.307) and Dunellen (3-18, 10.042), who could move up, but the Patriots and Destroyers are well on the proverbial bubble. A win by anyone behind them could make a bug jump since they have few wins; that includes Dayton (2-15, 9.978), Empowerment Academy Charter (2-7-1, 9.376), Point Pleasant Beach (3-18, 9.164) and South Hunterdon (2-17, 9.136).

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4

It’s likely going to be between Bayonne (18-3, 31.936) and Westfield (15-6, 30.506) at the top, then it’s down to Piscataway (12-6, 23.36) and Woodbridge (15-6, 20.914) at six and seven. Just like a couple of weeks ago, we think the Chiefs still could max out around No. 3, a spot currently held by Plainfield (11-10, 24.452), which is just 1.092 points ahead, with Columbia (14-6, 24.437) and Elizabeth (13-7, 23.528) ahead of them. A top four finish is within reach for them, but probably not Woodbridge, which is one spot behind, but with a big gap. And the Barrons will have to watch teams behind the, all in close proximity. That includes North Star Academy (10-11, 21.149, 8th), Watchung Hills (8-11, 20.146, 9th) and Bridgewater-Raritan (10-11, 19.836, 10th). Any of those could finish in the top eight, and a lot could change this week. It’s just too close to call for that group.

Further down, we’ve got Ridge (7-12, 14.618) at 14, followed by Perth Amboy (10-7, 14.506) at 15, and JP Stevens (8-11, 13.583). They are all on the right side of the bubble, but they are indeed on it. The next two teams might have a shot, but they’re we think only one of them has a chance to crack the top 16. That’s Newark East Side (7-8, 13.495), which is just a game below the .500 mark. Even though Phillipsburg is about 1.2 points out of 16th – generally not a terribly wide gap – they are only 3-14 (12.315). They have three games this week: Monday at Voorhees (13-5), Thursday against Cherry Hill East (11-11) and Friday against Mount Olive (4-16). The chances they win the first two are slim, and a win in the last of those may not be enough to move the needle. All that needs to be figured out to say Ridge is the safest, and we think the last two spots will come down to Perth Amboy, JP Stevens and East Side.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3

Colonia (16-2, 26.653) had a lead of 4.741 power points two weeks ago. But they were undefeated at the time, and have since gone 2-2. That, and a surge by Somerville (17-5, 29.004) – which went 5-1 in that same span, from 12-4 to 17-5 – has put the Pioneers on top by 2.351 points, a more than seven-point swing. Somerville’s time in the Somerset County Tournament ended Saturday with a loss by the eighth-seeded Pioneers to nine-seed Watchung Hills, and they have two regular season games this week against pretty good competition: at Bernards (17-3) Tuesday and at home against Voorhees (13-5) Thursday. They could even pick up another if they think they need it Friday or Saturday. Colonia, meanwhile, is locked into the GMC Tournament, where they are the 4th-seed and open play Wednesday in the first round against either 13-seed JP Stevens (8-11) or 20th-seed Highland Park (7-15). Our thinking here is that the top seed is in Somerville’s hands. It’s possible a win at Bernards Tuesday night could clinch it, although the Mountaineers also are playing to hold on to the No. 2 seed in North 2, Group 2. Colonia also could have to watch two teams behind them – Cranford (11-11, 24.717, 3rd) and Chatham (10-11, 24.365, 4th) – and that could come right down to the wire.

The next team from the CJSR area down the list is Carteret (13-8, 17,634). The Ramblers are in ninth, less than two points behind eighth-place Summit (19.464). That’s likely the only team within Carteret’s reach, since they are 15 in the GMCT and will open Monday against 18-seed North Brunswick (4-18), which isn’t likely to help them much, if at all. And if they do advance, they get second-seed East Brunswick, which is 18-4 and in contention for a top seed in Central Jersey Group 4. All that being said, never say never, but it’s highly likely the Ramblers don’t crack the top eight.

South Plainfield (7-16, 15.177) also is in a kind of n-man’s land. We think they’re fairly solidly in, even though it’s not a lock, as just about everything would have to go wrong for them to miss. It’s more tentative for 14th-place North Plainfield (4-15, 13.863) and 16th-place JFK (6-18, 13.495), with Newark’s Payne Tech (4-16, 13.604) in between them. While all are on the right side of the bubble, the biggest likely threats come from Randolph (6-12, 12.44), Rahway (4-14, 12.328) and even Warren Hills (2-17, 12.054) at 19, because at this stage of the game, just one win could be enormous when you only have two. Granted, the Blue Streaks have lost 13 straight, but if they can upset North Hunterdon (9-11) at home on senior night, that could be enough to drop JFK out for the time being. The Mustangs are the 22-seed in the GMCT and have 11-seed Edison (6-15) Monday, and if they win that one, visit No. 6 Woodbridge (15-6) Wednesday.

North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2

Not much change from last time, Bernards (17-3, 32.985) is still well behind first-place Caldwell (18-0, 38.284), but has expanded its lead over the team behind them, now Madison (16-3, 29.652). We think the Mountaineers are likely a two-seed, but they have a big one with Somerville (17-5) Tuesday at home, with the Pioneers playing to hold on to the top-seed in NOrth 2, Group 3.

Non-Public North A

The only area team here is Pingry (11-8, 23.702), and the Big Blue currently sit in 6th in what should be a 15-team field (all 15 in the section should make it) with Morris Catholic (16-5, 35.902) nearly three-points ahead of Immaculate Heart (16-3, 32.219) for the top-seed and an opening round bye.

Non-Public North B

Gill St. Bernard’s (17-4, 36.069) is the only CJSR-area team in the group, and they are in first-place by a wide-margin. They’ll hold on to it, and this should be an 11-team section, taking out those who don’t meet the 16-game minimum requirement.

Non-Public South A

As it was two weeks ago, it’s still between Red Bank Catholic (21-2, 47.621) and St. John Vianney (20-2, 44.071) for the top two seeds, even though the Caseys have a sizable lead this late in the game. Currently, St. Thomas Aquinas (17-5, 32.676) is in fourth, though they might have a crack at the No. 3 spot, currently held by Paul VI (16-1, 34.883). RBC has a home GMC crossover with Piscataway (12-6) Monday, and they will open Shore Conference Tournament play as the top-seed in the Round of 16 against either 17-seed Marlboro or 16-seed Point Pleasant Boro. Vianney won’t play again until that same round Thursday – unless they pick up another game in the meantime – when the two-seed faces either 18-seed Shore or 15th-seed Toms River South. Aquinas, however, also will have to watch teams right behind them, like Camden Catholic (16-4, 31.783) less than one full point behind, as well as Bishop Eustace (13-8, 30.989) in sixth and Trinity Hall (16-6, 30.471) in seventh. Further down, we have Immaculata (8-11, 17.154) in 14th out of 15th. All 15 will make it here, as it’s likely no one will drop out. The Spartans likely have a ceiling of 12 in this section.

Non-Public South B

Rutgers Prep (18-2, 38.04) has a decent lead here over Gloucester Catholic (17-3, 36.199), but not insurmountable. They have three more games this week: Tuesday at Montgomery (10-9), Thursday at Pingry (11-8), and Saturday – as the top-seed – in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals against 4th-seed Bound Brook (20-1), which you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. While the Argonauts should win the first two, they will be favored in the last of those, despite the Crusader’s record, simply by virtue of them getting the top-seed and Bound Brook the fourth. But make no mistake, a loss there – or in any of the three, really – could cost Prep. Not that it might matter much; unlike in the public sections, non-public finals are at neutral sites, so the only difference here might be what color jersey Rutgers Prep will wear if they make it to the finals at Jackson Liberty, where they lost last year to Gloucester Catholic in the title game.

Elsewhere, there are 15 teams in the section, but it’s likely some could opt out. For example, Timothy Christian has only played six games, lost them all, and opted out of the GMC Tournament. St. Joseph-Hammonton is 0-10 and Noor ul-iman is 1-6; both will be out because they haven’t played the minimum 16 to qualify per NJSIAA rule, which would leave this as a 12-team section, with the top four – including Prep getting byes. What does that mean for Calvary Christian (7-9, 12.305) in tenth and Wardlaw-Hartridge (5-11, 10.233) in 12th? Likely, Wardlaw finishes as the 12-seed, but Calvary could bounce up or down. They have Holy Cross Prep (9-11, 13.204) less than a point aheead of them in ninth and Doane Academy (9-9, 13.209) in 8th. Calvary got knocked out of the GMC Tournament Saturday in the play-in round by JFK, but they have two regular season games scheduled this week, both on the road: Highland Park (7-15) Thursday and Manville (13-6) Friday. If they could grab those, they might get to the top eight and get a first-round home game. More likely they split, and we think they could finish as high as nine, but they could drop with two losses.