Shore Looking to Secure Playoff Spot

The Shore Regional football team control their own destiny this weekend, when a win Saturday would clinch them a playoff spot.

The Blue Devils are facing a must-win situation in their game against Metuchen Saturday if they want to secure a spot in the NJSIAA sectional playoffs. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. at .

Shore (5-2) needs a win to secure a playoff spot in Central Jersey Group I. The Blue Devils are in the eighth spot, four points ahead of Middlesex (5-2), which holds the ninth spot. If Shore loses, they’ll have to hope that Middlesex -- who hosts Cardinal McCarrick (1-7) Saturday -- does, too.

A maximum of eight playoff spots per section are available to teams with a .500 record or better through eight regular-season games. And those playoff seedings are awarded based on a points system that not only rewards victories, but rewards teams who play “tougher” competition in the form of larger schools.

Manchester, Point Boro, Point Beach, Shore and Toms River North all face must-win situations to make the playoffs.

Teams that do not make the playoffs play in consolation games, which the NJSIAA tries to pair up based on size, proximity and similar records.

For the teams that make the playoffs, the first round is next weekend, Nov. 11 and 12, and the second round is Nov. 18 and 19, with the higher seeds receiving home games. The sectional championships are held the weekend of Dec. 2, 3 and 4 – Rutgers, Kean, The College of New Jersey, Rowan and the Meadowlands.

At the beginning of the season the Shores's game against Metuchen was scheduled for Friday night, but it was moved to Saturday afternoon because of a combination of SATs and Shore’s game last weekend being pushed to Monday due to the snow.

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Patch will have a complete game wrap-up Saturday night.