New Jersey playoff preview: Rancocas Valley–Washington Township and Glassboro–West Deptford lead our state-title picks
T25PS10/30/20266 min read
Photo: David Nahan / Ocean City Sentinel; graphic: T25PS
Two potential state semifinals stand out in New Jersey: #91 Rancocas Valley Regional (NJ) against #71 Washington Township (NJ) in Group 5, and Glassboro against West Deptford in Group 2.
Each team must win its own section first. Washington Township is defending a Group 5 state championship, Rancocas Valley is unbeaten, and Glassboro and West Deptford have the production to make their potential meeting worth following. Group 4 has its own crowded race, with Atlantic City, Brick Memorial and Millville among the contenders.
Group 5: Rancocas Valley–Washington Township is the big one
Washington Township went 14–0 to win last season’s Group 5 state championship. Rancocas Valley enters this postseason unbeaten, with six shutouts. If both win their sections, two nationally ranked teams would meet for a place in the state final.
Rancocas Valley
#91 Rancocas Valley Regional (NJ) is 9–0 after beating Burlington Township 42–0 for its sixth shutout. The Red Devils host Jackson Township on Friday, October 30, at 6 p.m. ET.
In an October 29 statistical update, quarterback Zach Merhar had 1,622 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. Mikey McQueen had 543 receiving yards and 15 touchdown catches. David Ogunsola’s defensive totals included 93 tackles, 39 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks.
As Central Group 5’s No. 2 seed, Rancocas would face Sayreville or Vineland after an opening win. Top-seeded Old Bridge is on the other half. Sayreville or Old Bridge could end the anticipated showdown before Washington Township gets a chance.
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#71 Washington Township (NJ) beat Winslow 42–17 and St. Augustine 28–14. Against St. Augustine on October 23, Jalen Parker completed eight of 11 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns, adding 63 rushing yards and another score.
Washington Township hosts South Brunswick at 6 p.m. ET on October 30. Eastern Regional or Egg Harbor Township would follow. Southern and Toms River North are threats on the other half; Southern won their meeting 27–19.
Eastern is the upset possibility worth keeping in view. In an October 26 statistical update, A’Shaad Carter had 908 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Eastern’s 38–13 win over Northern Burlington shows its capability, but four straight losses explain the concern. The Vikings open at Egg Harbor Township, which has won three straight. They must reverse that trend before threatening Washington Township.
Elizabeth is unbeaten after a 29–14 win over Somerville and holds the top seed in North 2 Group 5. Ramapo, last year’s North 1 Group 4 champion, is the North 1 Group 5 top seed. Either could emerge from the North; winning a Washington Township–Rancocas semifinal would still leave a difficult state final.
Group 2: Glassboro–West Deptford could be just as good
Glassboro and West Deptford are not competing for the same sectional trophy. Glassboro is in Central Group 2; West Deptford is in South Group 2. Win those sections and they would meet in the state semifinal, with the winner facing the North champion for the Group 2 title.
Glassboro beat Camden 15–6 and closed its regular-season schedule with a 42–0 win over Ocean City. An October 28 statistical update credited Xavier Sabb with 57 catches, 850 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. They host Overbrook of Pine Hill, with Manasquan or Gloucester City next. Rumson-Fair Haven is a potential sectional-final opponent.
Point Boro can disrupt that plan. An October 28 statistical update credited Jake Clayton with 892 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 146 carries. Point Boro hosts Lower Cape May, then would face Sterling or Rumson. Seven-point losses to Toms River North, Southern and Brick Memorial suggest the Panthers are closer to strong opponents than their 5–4 record alone conveys.
West Deptford’s 28–0 win over Haddonfield and 22–0 win over Paulsboro are concrete reasons to trust its defense. An October 28 statistical update credited Cole Paskiewicz with 1,152 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. The Eagles host Haddon Heights, with Wall or unbeaten Monmouth next. Camden Eastside is another contender on the opposite half.
Westwood leads North 1 as its top seed. North 2’s fourth-seeded New Providence enters 7–1 after reaching sectional finals in each of the past two seasons. Those are credible opponents for whichever team survives the Central–South side.
Group 4: Atlantic City has already beaten key contenders
Atlantic City’s 36–30 win over Winslow and 35–14 win over Millville give the Vikings results against two of the teams that could stand in their way. Their No. 3 sectional seed does not tell the whole story.
Atlantic City opens against Hammonton, with Northern Burlington or Moorestown next. Brick Memorial or Millville could be waiting in the sectional final. The Central champion then faces the South champion before meeting the North winner in the state final.
In an October 29 statistical update, Marvin Burroughs had 1,463 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, while Kenai Austin had 644 receiving yards and nine scores. That passing production is a reason to take Atlantic City seriously beyond its recent wins.
A state semifinal could bring Winslow again, or South top seed Shawnee. Winslow has beaten Red Bank Catholic and Glassboro, so a rematch would be dangerous. From the North, Northern Highlands has beaten Ramapo and pushed Old Tappan within six; Roxbury is another contender.
Brick Memorial and Millville could collide sooner. Brick hosts Absegami; Millville hosts Pennsauken. Win both openers and they meet in the sectional semifinal November 6–7.
Brick’s October 23 win over Southern was 14–13. Shawn Fowler ran eight times for 83 yards and both touchdowns while making eight tackles.
Millville quarterback Robert O’Connor had 1,237 passing yards and 14 touchdown passes in the October 19 report; that is an older snapshot, not a claimed final regular-season total. Millville subsequently pushed Winslow to a 14–13 finish.
Our state championship picks
Group 2: Glassboro. We project Glassboro over Rumson-Fair Haven in Central and West Deptford over Camden Eastside in South, then Glassboro over West Deptford in the state semifinal. Sabb’s receiving production and wins over Camden and Ocean City support our state-title pick. Point Boro and Monmouth are threats to those sectional paths.
Group 4: Atlantic City. We have Brick Memorial advancing past Millville, then Atlantic City beating Brick in the Central final and finishing the state-title run. The wins over Winslow and Millville support that choice, but a Winslow rematch is a serious test. Millville is our surprise threat.
Group 5: Rancocas Valley. We project Washington Township over Southern in South, then Rancocas over Township in the state semifinal and on to the Group 5 title. The defense and Merhar–McQueen production drive the pick. Township’s signature wins are the strongest argument against it; Eastern is the sectional upset possibility.
Sectional finals are November 13–14, state semifinals November 20–21 and state finals November 28–29 at MetLife Stadium. Higher seeds host through the sectional final; the state-semifinal host follows the higher UPR ranking.
