Shore Conference Well Represented in State Football Bracket

The NJSIAA football tournament kicks off tomorrow and the Shore Conference looks to be well represented in the final battle for a title at the end of the season.

There are a few top seeds coming out of Monmouth and Ocean Counties including the Manalapan Braves who barreled their way to the top seed in the Central Jersey Group V tournament. After a successful regular season their playoff push will start with a game against fellow Shore Conference opponent Brick Memorial at home on Friday night.

With the Mustangs on the road to Manalapan the Brick Township Dragons will be home on Friday night as the top seed in Central Jersey Group IV. Their opponent to kick things off is the Pirates of West Windsor Plainsboro High School North. Other Shore Conference teams in that bracket include fourth seeded Middletown South who they could face in the next round, third seeded Colts Neck and sixth seeded Neptune. Seventh seeded Middletown North will have their hands full when they travel to second seeded Nottingham for a Saturday afternoon battle on the gridiron.

The Central Jersey Group III bracket features two Shore Conference teams included the second seed from Ocean Township and the fifth seeded Green Wave from Long Branch. In the Central Jersey Group II bracket the Bulldogs of Rumson-Fair Haven will host the eighth seed from Bordentown on Friday night. They are joined in the bracket by sixth seed Lakewood who will travel to Delran on Friday night looking to upset the third seed.

There are only six teams in the Central Jersey Group I bracket but it is a loaded field full of Shore Conference talent. The Blue Devils from Shore Regional are the top seed and will welcome Palmyra to town on Friday night. Asbury Park drew the fifth seed and will travel to South River on Saturday afternoon while the Garnet Gulls of Point Pleasant Beach will welcome Florence to town on Friday night.

The South Jersey brackets do not pack quite as much local power but Jackson Memorial drew the third seed in the South Jersey Group V bracket and will welcome Rancocas Valley to town on Friday night. Toms River South played well enough to earn the second seed in the South Jersey Group IV bracket and will welcome Moorestown to Ocean County on Saturday afternoon. They are joined by Lacey who as the fifth seed will head to Kingsway on Friday night to take on the fourth seed.

The South Jersey Group III bracket features a preview of a Thanksgiving Day classic as top seeded Manasquan welcomes the eighth seed from Wall across the border on Saturday afternoon. Central Regional will head to Delsea on Friday in the battle of the fourth seed against the fifth seed. A little further south Barnegat is the third seed in the bracket and will host Pemberton on Friday night.

For more information on the games check out nj.com or The Shore Sports Network.