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Washington Township remains No. 1 in the New Jersey Super 25 rankings after extending its winning streak to 25 games as the NJSIAA playoffs heat up.
Passaic Tech debuts at No. 25 after shutting out previously unbeaten Elizabeth, while Piscataway enters at No. 24 after knocking off West Orange. Millville jumps in at No. 23 after defeating Brick Memorial.
Several sectional championship matchups this weekend will feature ranked teams going against each other, led by No. 4 Rancocas Valley vs. No. 19 Old Bridge, and No. 5 Old Tappan vs. No. 12 Shabazz.
Every week, voters from across USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey rank the Top 25 teams in the state. Here are this week's rankings:
The Bulldogs registered their third shutout of the season, 35-0, over previously-unbeaten and then-No. 20 Elizabeth in a North 2, Group 5 semifinal. Senior Ian McDuffie returned an interception 42 yards for a TD and 14-0 lead. Senior Randy Lewis rushed for 105 yards and two TDs and junior Bryce Longo ran for 102 yards and a score.
Patrick Novak booted a line-drive 29-yard field goal with one second left as the No. 3-seeded Chiefs upset second-seeded West Orange 38-35 in the North 1, Group 5 semifinals. Landon Pernell threw for 220 yards and four touchdowns, while Zaire Young had 203 combined rushing and receiving yards and two scores. Jahmir Snead snagged an interception in the win.
The Thunderbolts checked back into the sectional final with a 24-7 victory against Brick Memorial in the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinal on Friday. Millville rattled off the final 24 points, including three touchdowns by Reggie Holley (two rushing, one receiving. Jack Powers closed out the scoring with a 38-yard field goal. Two of Millville’s losses are by a point to Rancocas Valley and Winslow.
Evan Cotter rushed for 128 yards and three touchdowns, while Braxton Guerra and Reid Corino added 118 yards and a touchdown apiece as top-seeded Newton piled up 477 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground in a 56-10 victory over fifth-seeded Kinnelon in the North 1, Group 1 sectional semifinal on Nov. 6.
The Redwings extended their winning streak to seven games with a 35-14 victory over Bernards in a North 2, Group 2 semifinal. Senior Kyle Mercorelli passed for 212 yards and four TDs. Senior Devin McMillan rushed for 121 yards and his 2-yard TD in the first quarter was the first of five consecutive scores for a 35-7 lead.
The Eagles kept their unbeaten streak alive with a 99-yard drive in the game’s final minute to earn a 14-12 victory over Wall in the South Jersey Group 2 playoffs on Friday. Cole Paskiewicz finished off a hook-and-lateral play for the decisive touchdown, taking a pitch from Michael Joseph from the Wall 30. West Deptford overcame its first deficit of the season to advance to the sectional final.
The top-seeded Knights created five turnovers in a 35-0 win over No. 4-seeded Williamstown in the Central Group 5 semifinals. Justin Barkaszi pounced on two fumbles, Luke Mercil had an interception and recovered a fumble and Griffin Nugent snagged a pick in the shutout. Offensively, Chase Rizzo rushed for 186 yards with rushing and receiving scores, while Aiden Rios threw three TD passes and ran in another.
The two-time defending state champion Eagles needed a touchdown in overtime to prevail with a 6-0 win over upset-minded Bridgeton. Trey Alexander provided the walk-off winner with a 20-yard TD run in the extra period. It was Winslow’s second straight shutout in the postseason.
The Griffins are the No. 4 seed in the NJSIAA Non-Public B playoffs and had a bye last week.
The Panthers advanced to the sectional final for the fifth consecutive season with a 24-7 win over Ocean City on Friday. The team racked up six sacks, including two by Anthony Nelson with one resulting in a safety, and had an interception by Tristen Murray.
The Caseys are the No. 3 seed in the NJSIAA Non-Public B playoffs and had a bye last week.
The Spartans step into the Non-Public B quarterfinals as the two-time defending champions and No. 2 seed. Junior first-year starting QB Frank Morano has thrown for 1,605 yards and 14 TDs. Versatile senior RB Sean Nevers has rushed for 523 yards and six TDs. Senior Zach Wugman is part of a balanced defense that must step up.
The Vikings stormed into the sectional final with a 42-13 win at Northern Burlington on Friday. Junior quarterback Marvin Burroughs completed 12-of-19 passes for 285 yards and five touchdowns, including four in the first half as AC rolled into the intermission with a 35-6 lead. The team has won five straight games, registering 35-or-more points in each of those contests.
The Newark school broke the game open with four fourth-quarter touchdowns, rolling past No. 2 seed Cranford, 42-7, in the North 1, Group 3 sectional semifinal on Nov. 6. Quarterback Kariem Coston scored two rushing touchdowns, while Zykir Best returned an interception for a score as Shabazz advanced to its fourth consecutive sectional final.
The Patriots’ 28-11 victory over Somerville in a North 2, Group 3 semifinal marked their sixth consecutive victory holding an opponent to 14 points or less. Senior Chris Battaglia and junior Mike Berardi each had eight tackles. Junior Ethan Zacharski ran for 210 yards and a TD and caught a 60-yard score from senior James Wolf.
The two-time defending state champion checked into the Central Jersey Group 2 final with a 44-0 win over Manasquan on Friday. The Bulldogs have mauled both of their playoff opponents by a combined 85-12 score and have tallied 40-or-more points in seven games this season. Senior quarterback Charlie Foulke threw for three scores and rushed for a fourth while JoJo DeLecce ran for two touchdowns.
The Paladins are the No. 1 seed and clear favorite in Non-Public B. Senior RB Chukwuma Odoh leads the ground attack and rushed for 875 yards and eight TDs. Junior QB Rowan Martin, who regularly saw time behind injured sophomore Walker Snee, has the experience to lead the offense to the final. Junior RJ Mangan is a standout at linebacker.
The Hermits are ready to hit the field for the first time since a 28-14 loss to Washington Township on Oct. 23. Sophomore quarterback Dylan Dellanoce has thrown for 1,624 yards with 19 touchdowns and three interceptions. Cincinnati commit Roman Coney is 16 yards shy of 1,000 for the season and has rushed for 13 touchdowns.
The Crusaders open the Non-Public A playoffs as the No. 3 seed. Junior QB Trey Tagliaferri has thrown for 2,360 yards and 20 TDs. Senior Bryan Porter is North Jersey’s best big-play threat and has more than 1,800 all-purpose yards and 12 TDs. Others must step up. Sophomore LB Cruz Araujo keys defense that needs to show greater consistency.
The Green Knights open defense of their Non-Public A title as the No. 2 seed. Freshman QB William Mitchell has emerged to throw for 935 yards and 11 TDs and rushed for 282 yards and two scores. Senior WR Stalin Knowlden is a deep threat and caught 38 passes for 633 yards and 10 TDs. Junior LB Tahj Gray and the defense have played better of late.
The Golden Knights triggered a running clock late in the third quarter of a 43-21 victory over West Morris in a North 1, Group 3 semifinal. Senior Zach Miceli threw for 244 yards and three TDs, with scores of 60 and 50 yards to senior Leo Etter, and he ran for a score. Senior Nick Blanchard caught a 27-yard TD and ran for two third-quarter scores.
The Red Devils checked into the Central Jersey Group 5 championship game with a 42-0 rout of South Brunswick in the sectional semifinal on Friday. RV has registered 42-or-more-points in each of its last five games and has a West Jersey Football League-best 410 points on the season. Hakim Theresa Jr. rushed for five touchdowns for the second consecutive week.
The Ironmen are the No. 1 seed in Non-Public A and the key to their success is scoring late and winning their one-possession games. Junior RB Ca’Si Thomas has rushed for 1,045 yards and 14 TDs. Junior QB Carson Schoen has thrown for 1,295 yards and nine scores. Seniors LBs Mikahi Allen and Jack Hinspeter lead a stingy defense.
The Marauders should have chips on their shoulders after receiving the No. 4 seed in Non-Public A. Junior Zack Karelis has emerged as a dual-threat QB and run for 801 yards and seven TDs and thrown for 581 yards and six scores. Senior RB Abdul Turay is a big-play running and receiving threat. The defense needs to play better against top teams.
The Minutemen rattled off their 25th consecutive win in dominating fashion, knocking off Eastern, 52-21, in the South Jersey Group 5 semifinal on Friday. Township posted 45 points in the opening 24 minutes of play against Eastern. The team has 104 points in two playoff games and 385 total points for the season. Senior quarterback Jalen Parker threw for five touchdowns and rushed for a sixth score. Parker has 20 touchdowns in seven game this season, raising his state-record career total to 127.
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