East Football on the Cusp, West Needs Help in Power Points Race

When it comes to the playoff race, Cherry Hill’s football teams are still in the mix, despite rough starts to the season—but the next two weeks could decide both West and East’s fates.

Back-to-back victories have done wonders for the Cougars, who have bumped up the power points rankings over the past two weeks to move into eighth place, with 37 points, in Group 5.

If the season ended today, East would be in—but there are still three weeks before the cutoff date.

And the bad news is the road to the playoffs is about to get rocky and steep, as the Cougars face two teams with a combined 8-1 record over the next two weeks.

Undefeated Paul VI comes first in a home game for the Cougars this weekend, followed by a Saturday game at Washington Township next weekend, and with only two points separating the Cougars from a playoff spot and 10th place, a win in one—or both—seems almost a must, especially with a late bye week this year.

West, on the other hand, sits in 12th in Group 4, with 18 points, well behind the cutoff line, which stands at 34 points this week.

To catch Pennsauken and Triton, who are in a dogfight for a playoff berth, the Lions will need to start piling up some wins, and the good news is they can get a boost this week.

With Woodrow Wilson and its 0-4 record coming to town, West should get its second win of the season, and has a good chance to get a third against Bishop Eustace in Week 7.

The bad news is sandwiched in between those teams, when the Lions will have to travel to Moorestown. While the Quakers have lost two straight, they’ve lost to Group 4 powerhouse Timber Creek and had a chance to beat Cherry Hill East before seeing the game slip away on a blown punt snap.

A 2-1 run through this part of the schedule may not be enough for West, which could miss out on the playoffs without getting to .500. With Camden Catholic slated as the final game before the playoff cutoff, the Lions may need to be 4-3 going in just to have hope.