High School Football Classifications Released

"This creates a greater opportunity for schools and for student-athletes," Jack DuBois, NJSIAA assistant director who is in charge of football, said following the approval. "It increases the number of teams playing in the playoffs from 128 to 160. At the same time, it eliminates 16 consolation games that schools didn't want to play anyway."

The proposal also allows teams with records under .500 to participate in the playoffs if they are needed to fill an eight-team bracket.

"We fill brackets in other sports that way, such as baseball and soccer," DuBois said.

The new groups expand the number of sectional champions in the state from 20 to 24. Here is a full list of the classifications entering the season, including the non-public schools.

North 1

Group V  Group IV Group III Group II Group I Bergen Cty VT - Hackensack Belleville Bergenfield Dumont  Becton, Henry P. Bloomfield Fair Lawn Garfield Elmwood Park Belvidere Clifton Hackensack High Point Glen Rock Bogota East Orange Montville Indian Hills Hawthorne Boonton Eastside (Paterson) Mount Olive Jefferson Hopatcong Butler Kennedy, J.F. Paterson Northern Highlands Lakeland Kinnelon Cedar Grove Livingston Northern Valley Demarest Mahwah Kittatinny Cresskill Montclair Northern Valley Old Tappan Morris Hills Manchester Regional Emerson Jr-Sr (Emerson) Morris Knolls Nutley Pascack Valley New Milford Hasbrouck Heights North Bergen Paramus Ramapo Newton Park Ridge Passaic Passaic Valley Ramsey North Warren Pompton Lakes Passaic Cty VT Roxbury River Dell Pascack Hills Saddle Brook Randolph Teaneck Sparta Pequannock Sussex Cty Vo-Tech Ridgewood Vernon Tenafly Waldwick/Midland Park Verona Union City Wayne Hills West Essex Wallkill Valley Wallington West Orange Wayne Valley West Milford Westwood Wood-Ridge

North 2

Group V Group IV Group III Group II Group I Bayonne Barringer Chatham Bernards Bound Brook Bridgewater-Raritan East Side Newark Cliffside Park Caldwell Brearley, David Columbia Ferris Cranford Central-Newark Dayton, Jonathan Edison Irvington Fort Lee Dover Dunellen Elizabeth Kearny Governor Livingston Hackettstown Glen Ridge Franklin Linden Matawan Hanover Park Harrison North Hunterdon Memorial (WNY) Palisades Park/Leonia Lenape Valley Hoboken Perth Amboy Millburn Parsippany Lincoln Metuchen Phillipsburg  Morristown Parsippany Hills Lodi Middlesex Piscataway Plainfield Raritan Lyndhurst New Providence Ridge Rahway Somerville Madison Boro North Arlington Stevens, John P. Scotch Plains-Fanwood South Plainfield Morrow, Dwight Ridgefield Union Warren Hills Summit Mountain Lakes Roselle Park Watchung Hills West Morris Central  Voorhees Orange Secaucus Westfield West Morris Mendham West Side Ridgefield Park Weehawken Rutherford Whippany Park

Central

Group V Group IV Group III Group II Group I Brick Memorial Brick Township Allentown  Bordentown  Asbury Park  East Brunswick Colonia Ewing Carteret  Burlington City  Freehold Township Colts Neck Hamilton North Clark, Abraham  Florence  Hillsborough Freehold Boro Hamilton West Delaware Valley  Haddon Township  Howell Hamilton East Holmdel Delran  Highland Park  Hunterdon Central Hightstown Hopewell Valley Hillside  Keansburg  Manalapan Jackson Liberty Lakewood Johnson, Arthur L.  Keyport/Hudson  Marlboro Kennedy, J.F. Iselin Lawrence Monmouth Regional  Manville  Monroe Middletown North Long Branch North Plainfield  New Egypt  Montgomery New Brunswick Manasquan Robbinsville  Palmyra  North Brunswick Pennsauken Middletown South Rumson-Fair Haven  Point Pleasant Beach  Old Bridge Princeton  Neptune Shabazz, Malcolm X  Riverside  South Brunswick Sayreville Ocean Township Snyder  Shore  Trenton W Windsor-Plainsboro South Red Bank Regional Spotswood  South Hunterdon  W Windsor-Plainsboro North Woodbridge Wall Weequahic  South River 

South

Group V Group IV Group III Group II Group I Absegami  Cherry Hill West  Barnegat  Buena  Audubon  Atlantic City  Clearview  Bridgeton  Cedar Creek  Clayton  Cherokee  Hammonton  Burlington Township  Cinnaminson  Gateway  Cherry Hill East Kingsway  Camden  Collingswood  Glassboro  Eastern  Lacey  Central Regional  Haddonfield  Gloucester City  Egg Harbor  Mainland  Cumberland  Lower Cape May  Haddon Heights  Jackson Memorial  Moorestown  Delsea  Maple Shade  Lindenwold  Lenape  Oakcrest  Deptford  Middle Township  Paulsboro  Millville  Seneca  Highland Regional  Ocean City  Penns Grove  Rancocas Valley  Shawnee  Manchester Township  Overbrook  Pennsville  Southern Regional  Timber Creek  Northern Burlington  Pemberton  Pitman  Toms River North  Toms River East  Pinelands  Pleasantville  Salem  Vineland  Toms River South  Point Pleasant Boro  West Deptford  Schalick, Arthur P.  Washington  Triton  Sterling  Willingboro  Wildwood  Williamstown  Winslow Township  Wilson, Woodrow  Woodstown  Woodbury 

Non-Public

Group IV  Group III Group II  Group I   Bergen Catholic Bishop Ahr  Bishop Eustace  Cardinal McCarrick, South Amboy  Don Bosco Prep Camden Catholic Gloucester Catholic  Hudson Catholic  Notre Dame 918 Delbarton Holy Cross  Immaculate Conception Montclair  Paramus Catholic 1133 DePaul  Holy Spirit  Mater Dei  Paul VI 840 Monsignor Donovan Immaculata Morristown Beard  Saint Augustine Pope John XXIII  Marist Newark Academy  St. Peter’s Prep Jersey City Red Bank Catholic  Montclair Kimberley 326 Queen of Peace Saint Joseph’s Metuchen Saint John Vianney  Morris Catholic Saint Anthony Seton Hall Prep Saint Joseph Montvale Pingry Saint Mary’s Rutherford  Saint Joseph’s Hammonton