Trenton earns No. 1 seed in state bracket

The road to the Central Jersey Group IV sectional championship runs through Trenton.

The Tornadoes (17-4) were awarded the top seed when the NJSIAA unveiled the state tournament brackets Thursday. Trenton must win four home games in order to defend the title it won last year prior to falling to Shawnee in the Group IV state semifinals.

Elsewhere in CJ Group IV, ninth-seeded West WindsorPlainsboro North will play eighth-seeded Brick Memorial, 12th-seeded Hightstown travels to fifth-seeded Middletown South and 14th-seeded Princeton faces third-seeded Freehold Township.

Here’s the full openinground state schedule for local teams.

CENTRAL GROUP IV

16-Howell at 1-TRENTON, Feb. 25, 6 p.m. 9-WW-PN at 8-Brick Memorial, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.

12-HIGHTSTOWN at 5-Middletown South, Feb. 25, 7 p.m. 14-PRINCETON at 3-Freehold Twp., Feb. 25, 7 p.m.

CENTRAL GROUP III

16-NORTHERN BURLINGTON at 1-Wall, Feb. 26, 5:30 p.m.

12-Ocean Twp. at 5-EWING, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. 13-Red Bank Regional at 4-HOPEWELL VALLEY, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. 14-STEINERT at 3-Matawan, Feb. 26, 5:30 p.m.

15-LAWRENCE at 2-Neptune, Feb. 26, 7 p.m.

CENTRAL GROUP II

10-Piscataway Tech at 7-BORDENTOWN, Feb. 25, 5:30 p.m.

NON-PUBLIC A SOUTH

10-Bishop Eustace at 7-NOTRE DAME, Feb. 26, 7 p.m.

NON-PUBLIC B SOUTH

10-Holy Cross Prep at 7-TRENTON CATHOLIC, Feb. 27, 7 p.m.