Seven local schools currently in line for playoffs
Heading into the final week of the West Jersey Football League’ s regular season, there is a chance that Mercer County will have two more playoff teams than last year.
Allentown, Ewing, Hightstown, Lawrence, Nottingham, Trenton and Steinert all sit in the top eight in power points for their respective NJSIAA groupings. The system calculates the best seven of a team’s first eight games, so none of these schools can do anymore to control their destiny thisweek.
In Central Jersey Group IV, Nottingham is locked into the top seed and would host its first two playoff games. Allentown is fourth and will host a first-round game only if Long Branch(6-1) loses to Free hold Boro (5- 3) Saturday.
And High ts town clings to the eighth seed in that bracket. But the Rams are only six power points ahead of Middletown South, which has only played seven games. So High ts town needs the Eagles (3-4) to lose to Wall (4-3) Friday inorder tomake the playoffs.
In Central Jersey Group V, Trenton ranks fourth and will host a playoff game if Old Bridge (5-2) loses to Sayreville (5-3) Friday.
In Central Jersey Group III, Steinert holds the third seed and is locked into hosting a first-round game. Ewing and Lawrence respectively hold the sixth and seventh seeds and will begin the playoffs on the road.
Friday
PRINCETON (0-8) AT ALLENTOWN (5-3)» A long season of injuries and hardships for the Little Tigers ends with potentially the biggest mis match of the season. Might the Redbirds approach the 80 points they scored against West Windsor North in 2015? EWING (4-4)AT HIGHTS TOWN (4-4)» The Rams have no control over their playoff fate at this point. But awin would clinch a regular season record over .500 for the first time since 2006. The programhas ended long winning droughts against Hamilton (1993) and Notre Dame (1977) this year. WW-PSOUTH (1-7)AT LAWRENCE (44)» The Cardinals came on strong after an 0-3 start to the season, winning four of their last five including a 35-0 rout of Robbinsville lastweek. NOTREDAME(2-6) AT LENAPE (6-1) » The Irish’s record doesn’t reflect howmany competitive games Notre Dame has been in this year. Sophomore Cortaz Williams, a 1,000-yard rusher, is a key building block for the future. ROBBINS VILLE (0-8) AT WILLINGBORO( Tough road game to end the season for the Ravens, one of only two win less teams in Mercer County.
Saturday
HAMILTON (3-4) AT NOTTINGHAM(71) » The Northstars’ winning streak stretched to seven last week with a 10-3 over time win in a rivalry game against Steinert. They’ll look to knock off their other Hamilton Township foe and secure eight wins for the first time since 2013 before making a run at the school’s first sectional title since 2012. HOPE WELL (1-7)AT TRENTON (5-3)» The Tornadoes stated a legitimate case as the best team in Mercer County last week by romping Allentown, 26-6. Inhis first season at the helm, Greg Hyslop has Trenton barrelling toward a return to the playoffs with four straight wins.