NJSIAA Tournament: Group 2 Playoff Preview
Central Jersey Group 2
Shore Teams in the Field: No. 1 Manasquan, No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven, No. 7 Point Boro, No. 14 Holmdel, No. 15 Wall, No. 16 Ocean
Top Seed: Manasquan
Defending Champion: Manasquan
Favorite: No. 1 Manasquan. The Warriors have dominated this part since 2014, successful ten sectional titles in that time-frame together with the previous two seasons which additionally included Group 2 State Championships. Manasquan performed in essentially the most tough division in the state of New Jersey in the Shore Conference’s Class A North which included nationwide powers Red Bank Catholic and St. John Vianney, the latter of which the Warriors took right down to the wire in the Shore Conference Tournament. Senior guard Jordyn Hollawell leads the group in scoring at simply over 14 factors per recreation.
Jordyn Hollawell scored 5 factors in the 4th quarter towards Trinity Hall. 1/3/26 Photo by Patrick Olivero
Contender: No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven. Like Manasquan, the Bulldogs are a battle-tested group that additionally competed in the loaded Class A North. Rumson-Fair Haven received the Kevin Williams Christmas Classic early in the season and closed robust as they superior to the semifinals in the Shore Conference Tournament. Senior wing Erin Reid has been one of many high gamers in the Shore Conference averaging a double-double with over 15 factors and 10 rebounds a recreation. The Bulldogs are 0-2 towards Manasquan to date this season, dropping 53-41 and 64-44 in each matchups. Odds are they may have need to undergo the Warriors in the event that they hope to come back away with their first sectional title since 2013.
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Rumson-Fair Haven’s Erin Reid (Photo by Patrick Olivero)
Dark Horse: No. 3 A.L. Johnson. It is a bit uncommon to contemplate the third-seed a darkish horse, however the Crusaders haven’t competed towards as highly-regarded of a schedule as Manasquan or Rumson-Fair Haven. Having mentioned that, the varsity from Clark holds a powerful 21-3 file which incorporates numerous lopsided scoring outcomes. A.L. Johnson’s high scorers are senior ahead Alisia Hamm (5-foot-5), a Merrimack subject hockey commit who has over 1,000 profession factors, and senior wing Jordanna Tarentino (5-foot-8) who’s roughly 70 factors shy of her 1,000th profession level.
The Shore’s Bracket Breakdown: Ocean can have a particularly tough recreation having to journey to Manasquan in the primary spherical. The Warriors might be a heavy favourite towards each group in the bracket together with the winner of Delaware Valley/Spotswood and whichever of the 4 groups on their aspect of the bracket that advances to the sectional semifinals.
Similarly, Wall can have a tall job forward of them having to journey to Rumson-Fair Haven. The one constructive for the Crimson Knights is that they’re enjoying their finest basketball of the season having received their final six video games together with the Coaches Cup Championship.
Point Boro will host a Delran group that’s comparable in file albeit with no frequent opponents. The Panthers completed the common season robust successful towards Shore and Keansburg. They ought to have an excellent shot in the primary spherical which might virtually actually give them a crack at Rumson-Fair Haven in the second spherical.
On paper, it seems to be like a frightening job for Holmdel (9-15) touring to A.L. Johnson (21-3) nevertheless the Hornets file is a bit deceiving as they performed a really difficult schedule that included eight losses towards groups ranked the Shore Sports Insider Top 10.
The probably state of affairs is that Manasquan and Rumson-Fair Haven meet for the third time this season in the sectional last.
First Round
(16) Ocean at (1) Manasquan
(9) Spotswood at (8) Delaware Valley
(12) Robbinsville at (5) Bordentown
(13) Metuchen at (4) South River
(11) Gov. Livingston at (6) Piscataway Magnet
(14) Holmdel at (3) A.L. Johnson
(10) Delran at (7) Point Boro
(15) Wall at (2) Rumson-Fair Haven
Doug’s Predicted Champion- Manasquan
Nick’s Predicted Champion- Manasquan
South Jersey Group 1
Shore Teams in the Field: No. 6 Manchester, No. 13 Barnegat
Top Seed: Middle Township
Defending Champion: Middle Township
Favorite: No. 2 Cinnaminson. The Pirates completed the common season with a 26-1 file with their solely loss coming towards Cherry Hill West in a recreation they misplaced 41-36. Cinnaminson will get the nod over Middle Township as a result of the truth that Middle Township misplaced to Our Lady of Mercy 56-40 in the common season, a group in which the Pirates defeated 51-41. The Pirates performed one Shore Conference group in Shore, a recreation they received 60-44. Senior Shiloh Moore (5-foot-6), a La Salle soccer commit, is the group’s high scorer with 1,000 profession factors.
Contender: No. 1 Middle Township. The defending sectional champions rolled to the title final season successful all 4 matchups by double digits earlier than getting downed by Manasquan 60-42 in the Group 2 State Semifinal. The Panthers misplaced three contributors from final season, however return senior guard Reagen Powell (5-foot-8), a Caldwell University commit with over 1,200 profession factors. Powell and the Panthers at present have a 23-4 file on the season with two losses to personal colleges and two losses to varsities in bigger classifications.
Dark Horse: No. 4 Haddonfield. The Haddons enter the postseason with a 19-8 file which features a 56-54 victory over Our Lady of Mercy who defeated the part’s top-seeded group. Their lone Shore Conference opponent was a slender 37-35 victory over Central. The Haddons high scorer is freshman guard Sara Guveiyian.
The Shore’s Bracket Breakdown: Despite a 10-13 file, Manchester has a sensible alternative to do some injury in this bracket behind the terrific one-two scoring punch of junior guard Madeline Nolan and sophomore guard Jesse Sarana. The Hawks might be favored towards Sterling earlier than doubtlessly touring to Haddon Heights who has 10 losses.
Barnegat can have a tough matchup on the highway at Haddonfield. Barnegat misplaced to West Deptford throughout the common season, a group that Haddonfield routed twice this season.
First Round
(1) Middle Township- Bye
(9) Pleasantville at (8) Cedar Creek
(12) Gloucester at (5) Collingswood
(13) Barnegat at (4) Haddonfield
(11) Sterling at (6) Manchester
(14) Willingboro at (3) Haddon Heights
(10) Lower Cape May at (7) West Deptford
(15) Medford Tech at (2) Cinnaminson
Doug’s Predicted Champion: Middle Township
Nick’s Predicted Champion: Middle Township