The 30 teams that have qualified for the Shore Conference Tournament will be seeded on Monday and yes, there is no clear-cut order for the top-five seeds. Shore Regional appeared to have an inside track at the No. 1 seed, but a tie against St. Rose and a potential 12-win Toms River South team now stand in the way of that possibility.

While there will likely be plenty of debate about the top few spots, there will be even more in the middle. There is very little separating No. 5 through the low-twenties and one of the reasons it will be so hard to decipher teams is because the divisions that looked good in the preseason have not performed well. That is going to challenge some preconceived notions that some in the seeding room (and some writing about those in the seeding room) have about Shore Conference soccer.

Chief among those preconceived notions is that A North soccer is a cut above the rest. That has been the case over the years and Manalapan restored A North dominance by winning the Shore Conference Tournament last year, but as far as this season goes, nothing that has happened to suggest A North has earned that reputation this year. Manalapan took care of its end by beating Lacey 5-0, but Middletown North – a team that is 1-0-1 against Manalapan and 2-0 against Freehold Township – is 0-2 outside of A North. Freehold and Marlboro have performed reasonably well outside of A North, but the only result that has come against a team in the field is Freehold’s draw against Jackson Memorial.

While A North has been a little more suspect than usual, Class B North has been disappointing outside the division. Division leader Wall has been good enough, going 2-1 with a 4-3 loss to Toms River North and wins over Manasquan and St. Rose – all SCT qualifiers. Red Bank also took care of its non-division business by beating Rumson-Fair Haven and Monmouth, although neither qualified for the tournament.

The real culprits in B North are Ocean, Long Branch and Colts Neck. Colts Neck does have a win over Holmdel, but lost to both Brick Memorial and Lacey, which give A South some major sway when it comes to arguing strength of division. Long Branch is 3-1, but wins over Rumson, Asbury Park and Monmouth do not move the needle much and a loss to Matawan is a missed opportunity to help B North against A Central. Ocean, meanwhile, has had more trouble than any B North team outside the division, with no non-division wins and losses to Brick and Shore.

With all of that in mind, there will have to be some subjectivity that goes into the seeding. There will be some accounting for talented teams that have underachieved, teams that have lost close games, and, of course, teams with a history in this tournament. There will be some falling back on convention along the way, for sure, but that is for the middle of the rankings. The top of the seeding – for the moment – is still very much up for discussion.

Senior Cole Allem and Shore Regional are in the thick of the battle for the No. 1 seed in next week's Shore Conference Tournament. (Photo by Matt Manley)
Senior Cole Allem and Shore Regional are in the thick of the battle for the No. 1 seed in next week's Shore Conference Tournament. (Photo by Matt Manley)
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Updated through games played on Oct. 18

1. Toms River South (11-2-1, 10-2-1)

Division Wins: Brick (2), Brick Memorial (2), Southern (2), at Jackson Memorial, Lacey, at Toms River East, Toms River North
Division Losses: Jackson Memorial, at Lacey
Division Ties: Toms River East
Non-Division Wins: At Holmdel
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Toms River North
Why They’re Here: Class A South grades out better than any other division in the Shore Conference based on interdivisional match-ups, so Toms River South has the edge on the No. 1 seed if it is a two-loss A South champion. Kudos to all involved for making sure the Toms River South at Toms River North game gets played before the seeding meeting, Once again, the A South championship game is stuck at 7 p.m. and seeding the tournament without an A South champion would have been will be tricky. Toms River South has done enough to be strongly considered for that No. 1 seed even without an official division championship, but the lack of an official title could hurt the Indians.

2. Christian Brothers Academy (10-3-1, 10-3-1)

Division Wins: Howell (2), Marlboro (2), Middletown North (2), at Freehold, at Freehold Twp., Manalapan, Middletown South
Division Losses: Freehold Twp., at Manalapan, at Middletown South
Division Ties: Freehold
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Holmdel
Why They’re Here: Enough teams have bad losses that CBA can climb to the top of the rankings despite a tie against Middletown South. The Colts are a classic case of the bad outweighing the good: CBA has beaten each team on its schedule at least once, which includes wins over Manalapan, Freehold Township, Freehold and two each over Middletown North and Marlboro. The Colts have a chance to nail down a solid case for No. 1 by beating Holmdel on Monday, but it's unlikely that CBA will have a better résumé than either A South champion, assuming Class A North and A South are viewed as equal divisions. Either A South champion wil have a better division record and both have one quality win outside the division, although CBA can match Toms River South's quality win by also beating Holmdel.

3. Shore (15-1-1, 12-0-1)

Division Wins: Asbury Park (2), Henry Hudson (2), Mater Dei (2), Point Beach (2), Ranney (2), Keyport, at St. Rose
Division Losses: None
Division Ties: St. Rose
Non-Division Wins: Middletown North, at Ocean, Rumson-Fair Haven
Non-Division Losses: South Plainfield
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Keyport
Why They’re Here: A tie against St. Rose and Manalapan's fall  from the top spot have knocked Shore from the No. 1 seed and it's unlikely the Blue Devils have enough to hang in a debate with the A South champion or CBA. They still, however, can stay ahead of Manalapan in the seeding on the strength of its win over Middletown North, which went 1-0-1 against the Braves. Shore also has a win over top-16 seed Ocean outside the division, so even though B Central didn't offer much competition, the non-division body of work is good enough to get Shore a top-four seed.

4. Manalapan (10-2-3, 9-2-3)

Division Wins: Howell (2), Marlboro (2), Middletown South (2), CBA, at Freehold, Freehold Twp.
Division Losses: At CBA, at Middletown North
Division Ties: Freehold, at Freehold Twp., Middletown North
Non-Division Wins: At Lacey
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: An outright division championship probably would not been enough to get Manalapan a bye at this point because the Class A South champion was going to end up with an edge in résumés anyway. Manalapan would have had to beat CBA and Freehold in order to get to No. 1, which would have been contingent upon the A South champion being seeded ahead of Shore. In any case, Manalapan will likely be the No. 4 or 5 seed and while that's a fall from the projected top seed that the Braves have been since the start of the year, it should not be a major concern. Manalapan has enountered some bad luck recently and is still playing well enough to feel good about its chances in this tournament.

5. Toms River North (10-3-2, 9-2-2)

Division Wins: Brick (2), Lacey (2), Southern (2), Brick Memorial, at Jackson Memorial, at Toms River East
Division Losses: At Toms River South, at Brick Memorial
Division Ties: Toms River East, Jackson Memorial
Non-Division Wins: Wall
Non-Division Losses: At Kearny
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Toms River South
Why They’re Here: Moving Monday's home game against Toms River South from 7 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. gives Toms River North a chance to sneak through the back door and steal the No. 1 seed. Toms River North no longer has a case to be the No. 1 seed now that Monday's game against Toms River South is once again at 7 p.m. The Mariners have been outside that discussion since losing to Toms River South the first time the two teams met on Sept. 30, but a win over its crosstown rival on Monday could have changed the landscape.

6. Wall (11-3-1, 9-2-1)

Division Wins: Colts Neck (2), Long Branch (2), Neptune (2), Red Bank Catholic (2), at Ocean
Division Losses: Red Bank (2)
Division Ties: Ocean
Non-Division Wins: St. Rose, at Manasquan
Non-Division Losses: At Toms River North
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: With a loss to Toms River North, Wall probably can't climb higher than No. 6, even as a division champion. The best thing that can happen for Wall is for Toms River North to beat Toms River South and for Holmdel to beat CBA, which might be the Crimson Knights a case to jump one of the A North co-champions and perhaps even Toms River South. Ultimately, though, the two losses to Red Bank will probably hurt Wall more than a loss to Toms River North, not because Red Bank is bad, but because currently only one other team in the projected top-11 has lost to a team twice. (Brick Memorial to Toms River South).

7. Jackson Memorial (10-5-2, 8-4-1)

Division Wins: Brick (2), Toms River East (2), at Brick Memorial, at Lacey, Southern, at Toms River South
Division Losses: Brick Memorial, at Southern, Toms River North, Toms River South
Division Ties: At Toms River North
Non-Division Wins: At Middletown South, at Rumson-Fair Haven
Non-Division Losses: St. Joseph Metuchen
Non-Division Ties: At Freehold
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Lacey
Why They’re Here: At 6-0-1 in its last seven and with a road win at Toms River South, Jackson Memorial is almost a lock for a top-eight seed, even with a loss to Lacey on Monday. Jackson Memorial's slump during the middle of the year was influenced by injuries, and while that does not always get teams a pass, following that lull up with this recent seven-game run is a good way to respond. Freehold's recent surge also boosts Jackson Memorial's résumé and it might be enough for the Jaguars to possibly move up a spot, although No. 7 is likely the best-case scenario for the third-place team out of A South.

8. Point Boro (13-2-0, 12-1-0)

Division Wins: Barnegat (2), Donovan Catholic (2), Jackson Liberty (2), Manchester (2), Pinelands (2), Central, at Lakewood
Division Losses: At Central
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Spotswood
Non-Division Losses: Old Bridge
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Manchester
Why They’re Here: Point Boro wasthe first team to win a division title and with Manchester the only team remaining on its schedule before the meeting and just a win over Spotswood on its list of non-division wins, No. 7 is probably the best-case scenario for Point Boro. In a Shore Conference that has been rife with parity, Point Boro has reeled off 12 straight wins and managed to stay consistent while most other teams have tripped up.

9. Brick Memorial (9-4-2, 7-4-2)

Division Wins: Brick (2), Southern (2), at Jackson Memorial, at Lacey, Toms River North
Division Losses: Toms River South (2), Jackson Memorial, at Toms River North
Division Ties: Lacey, at Toms River East
Non-Division Wins: At Colts Neck, at Howell
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Toms River East
Why They’re Here: Thursday's loss to Jackson Memorial drops the Mustangs to No. 9 in the seeding, but Brick Memorial can potentially secure a coveted top-eight seed by beating Toms River East on Monday. A loss would make Brick Memorial 0-1-1 against the Raiders, which would likely mean Central could jump the Mustangs for the No. 9 spot.

10. Matawan (11-3-0, 9-3-0)

Division Wins: Monmouth (2), Raritan (2), Rumson-Fair Haven (2), at Holmdel, at Manasquan, at St. John Vianney
Division Losses: Holmdel, Manasquan, St. John Vianney
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Manchester, vs. Long Branch
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: Matawan has moved around a lot in this projection over the last week and a lot of that is subjective. The Huskies beat a quality Long Branch side outside of the division and have now defeated each A Central opponent at least once after beating Manasquan on Friday. Central has a similar résumé to Matawan, so while division champions don't have to go ahead of non-champions from other divisions, Matawan should get rewarded for winning A Central when there is no clear difference between the teams. Matawan has been a feel-good story this year and feel-good stories with some good wins under their belt tend to get the benefit of the doubt.

11. Central (12-3-0, 10-3-0)

Division Wins: Lakewood (2), Manchester (2), Pinelands (2), Barnegat, Donovan Catholic, at Jackson Liberty, Point Boro
Division Losses: At Donovan Catholic, Jackson Liberty, at Point Boro
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Toms River East, at Brick
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Barnegat
Why They’re Here: With Toms River East doing some recent damage against quality opponents - mostly in the form of ties - Central's case for a top-10 seed is looking better and better, especially when coupled with a win over red-hot Point Boro. The one obstacle Central will face is that leading scorer Blake Czajkowski received a red card in the Golden Eagles last game against Jackson Liberty, which means he will be serving the second game of his required two-game suspension when the Golden Eagles take the field in the first round. While that doesn't change Central's prospects in the later rounds, it has a huge impact on the first round, especially considering teams like Holmdel and Long Branch are lurking in that 18-to-22 range. Central coach Rob Bechtloff has already defended his player, saying that the red card issued to Czajkowski - which came in tandem with a red issued to Jackson Liberty's Nick Pellegrino after an altercation between the two following a takedown on a breakaway - was unwarranted because he did not relatiate. If that is the case, Central could unfairly be facing an uphill climb in the first round.

12. Middletown North (6-6-3, 6-4-3)

Division Wins: Freehold Twp. (2), at Freehold, at Howell, Manalapan, at Middletown South
Division Losses: CBA (2), Marlboro (2)
Division Ties: Freehold, Howell, at Manalapan
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: at Shore, at Holmdel
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: The Lions have helped their own case by beating up on Manalapan and Freehold Township, but those results coupled with an otherwise pedestrian body of work have really damaged Class A North as a whole. Take away the Freehold Township and Manalapan games, and Middletown North is 3-6-1 with a minus-six goal differential and a 0-2 record outside of A North. Injuries to goalkeeper Scott Weigel and midfielder Dan Bennett have not helped, but that will help excuse teams that lost to a healthy Middletown North rather than help the Lions themselves. If not for Ocean's struggles outside of its division and Red Bank's corresponding losses to Ocean, Middletown North and Freehold Township would be in danger of missing out on a home game. As is, though, the results against Manalapan still carry enough weight to get Middletown North a game on its home turf.

13. Freehold Township (8-5-1, 8-5-1)

Division Wins: Howell (2), Marlboro (2), Middletown South (2), at CBA, Freehold
Division Losses: Middletown North (2), vs. CBA, at Freehold, at Manalapan
Division Ties: At Manalapan
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: Marlboro's inclusion in the SCT field is a boost to the Freehold Township résumé and the Patriots can use all the help they can get at this point. Middletown North's recent performance has not helped the Patriots and Freehold Township has hurt its own cause as well. A tie against Manalapan is a positive result, but a loss to Freehold gave back some of the momentum the Patriots might have been building. Freehold Township should not be in danger of losing a home game, but a ranking in the early teens could mean the Patriots get a difficult draw in the first round, which could include Long Branch, Holmdel or Colts Neck. That would be bad news for Freehold Township, but it would also be bad news for any team that has to face a motivated Patriots team.

14. Ocean (8-6-1, 8-3-1)

Division Wins: Neptune (2), Red Bank (2), Red Bank Catholic (2), Colts Neck, at Long Branch
Division Losses: At Colts Neck, Long Branch, Wall
Division Ties: At Wall
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: At Brick, at Montclair, Shore
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: There have been a fair number of people not affiliated with the Ocean program that have said the Spartans should not be penalized for losing to Brick on opening day with their best player on the bench due to injury. That is absolutely true, but the problem with that is, that loss has to be considered when it is a common opponent which hurts Ocean against Central and any of the A South teams. The Spartans have still done enough to earn a home game, especially considering that they have two wins over a Red Bank team that looks like a top-10 caliber team on talent.

15. Red Bank (10-3-1, 8-3-1)

Division Wins: Colts Neck (2), Neptune (2), Wall (2), at Long Branch, at Red Bank Catholic
Division Losses: Ocean (2), Red Bank Catholic
Division Ties: Long Branch
Non-Division Wins: Rumson-Fair Haven, Monmouth
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: Red Bank is basically attached at the hip with Ocean, and the two losses to the Spartans mean Red Bank can't be seeded ahead of them. The Bucs still have two wins over Wall which is enough to get the them a home game and might have been enough to crack the top 10 if not for Ocean's struggles outside the division. A non-division game against Matawan was moved from this past Thursday to Tuesday, which is a missed opportunity for Red Bank to climb. As is, the Bucs will likely be seeded in the low teens and give some top-five team fits in the round-of-16, assuming they can clear the first-round hurdle.

16. Freehold (7-6-4, 5-6-3)

Division Wins: Middletown South (2), Freehold Twp., Howell, Marlboro
Division Losses: CBA, at Freehold Twp., at Howell, Manalapan, at Marlboro, Middletown North
Division Ties: At CBA, at Manalapan, at Middletown North
Non-Division Wins: Vs. Red Bank Catholic, at Monmouth
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: vs. Jackson Memorial
Why They're Here: While Freehold is the most unlikely team in the field considering where the Colonials were three weeks ago, it also one of the more accomplished over the last two weeks. The Colonials have tied CBA, Manalapan and Middletown North while picking up wins over Freehold Township and Marlboro. In a lot of ways, they are the Toms River East of A North with all of their ties, and a tie against Jackson Memorial - which beat Toms River East twice - gives Freehold the nod over the Raiders for a home game.

17. Toms River East (7-5-3, 6-4-3)

Division Wins: Lacey (2), Southern (2), Brick (2)
Division Losses: Jackson Memorial (2), Toms River North, Toms River South
Division Ties: Brick Memorial, at Toms River North, at Toms River South
Non-Division Wins: At Manchester
Non-Division Losses: At Central
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Brick Memorial
Why They’re Here: Toms River East does not have any eye-popping wins, but a season sweep against Lacey puts them ahead of the Lions, as well as Colts Neck, which lost to Lacey. Freehold's inclusion in the field is likely to cost Toms River East a home game, because the only thing separating the two teams is that Freehold tied Jackson Memorial while the Raiders lost to the Jaguars twice. Toms River East has a case to be ahead of Ocean and Red Bank because of Ocean's loss to Brick, but Red Bank's two wins over Wall and Ocean's two wins over Red Bank are a little more than Toms River East has in its body of work. A win over Brick Memorial might re-open that discussion.

18. Lacey (8-8-1, 5-7-1)

Division Wins: Brick (2), Southern (2), Toms River South
Division Losses: Toms River East (2), Toms River North (2), Brick Memorial, Jackson Memorial, at Toms River South
Division Ties: At Brick Memorial
Non-Division Wins: At Barnegat, Jackson Liberty, Colts Neck
Non-Division Losses: Manalapan
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Jackson Memorial
Why They’re Here: The Lions have a win over Toms River South that could be a real résumé-booster, but a more recent 5-0 loss to the Indians and two losses to Toms River East might hold them back. Lacey can earn a season-split with Jackson Memorial to close its regular season and considering how hot Jackson Memorial has been, that could give the Lions a push going into the SCT.

19. Colts Neck (7-7-0, 6-5-0)

Division Wins: Neptune (2), Red Bank Catholic (2), Long Branch, Ocean
Division Losses: Red Bank (2), Wall (2), at Ocean
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Holmdel
Non-Division Losses: Brick Memorial, at Lacey
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Long Branch
Why They’re Here: The Cougars have a couple of solid wins over teams in the cluster of double-digit seeds, but have not been able to break through against the top teams on their schedule to this point. A loss to Lacey also limits how far Colts Neck can climb and with so many teams seemingly entrenched ahead of Lacey, a top-16 seed looks like a long shot.

20. Marlboro (8-7-1, 6-7-1)

Division Wins: Middletown North (2), Middletown South (2), Freehold, at Howell
Division Losses: Freehold Twp. (2), Manalapan (2), at CBA, at Freehold
Division Ties: Howell
Non-Division Wins: Red Bank Catholic, at Rumson-Fair Haven
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: The Mustangs are officially in and, as promised, they are projected to crack the top 20. Although Middletown North has struggled recently, the Mustangs will get some credit for sweeping the season series from the Lions, especially when compared to a Long Branch team with only two wins against teams in the field. Marlboro could still fall out of the top 20 if Holmdel beats CBA on Monday.

21. Long Branch (8-6-1, 5-5-1)

Division Wins: Neptune (2), Red Bank Catholic (2), at Ocean
Division Losses: Wall (2), at Colts Neck, Ocean, Red Bank
Division Ties: At Red Bank
Non-Division Wins: At Rumson-Fair Haven, at Asbury Park, Monmouth
Non-Division Losses: At Matawan
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Colts Neck
Why They’re Here: The Green Wave are looking at going into the Shore Conference Tournament seeding meeting with two wins over teams in the field, which means Long Branch could really a win over Colts Neck to strengthen its case. A win over Rumson gets Long Branch ahead of St. John Vianney and Holmdel for the moment, and a win over Ocean is a nice start to build a case for a home game. In order for Long Branch to get one, however, the Wave will need to win its last two division games and get some help.

22. Holmdel (8-6-1, 7-4-1)

Division Wins: Manasquan (2), Raritan (2), at Matawan, St. John Vianney
Division Losses: At Matawan, Monmouth, Rumson-Fair Haven, at St. John Vianney
Division Ties: At Rumson-Fair Haven
Non-Division Wins: Middletown North
Non-Division Losses: Toms River South, Colts Neck
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At CBA
Why They’re Here: The addition of a game at CBA on Monday is a real coup for Holmdel because the Hornets are essetially stuck at No. 22 and the only way out is a win over a top team. They are not going to drop with a loss and a win probably catapults them into the top 12, ahead of Middletown North and Freehold Township. That win would also boost Matawan's case for a top-eight seed and could give Colts Neck some power to climb as well, considering its win over Holmdel. While the Toms River South at Toms River North showdown is the biggest game on Monday's schedule, the Holmdel-CBA slate is the one that could most impact the seeding.

23. Manasquan (9-7-1, 6-5-1)

Division Wins: Monmouth (2), at Matawan, Raritan, at Rumson-Fair Haven
Division Losses: Holmdel (2), Matawan, at Raritan, at St. John Vianney
Division Ties: Rumson-Fair Haven
Non-Division Wins: St. Rose, Point Beach, at Jackson Liberty
Non-Division Losses: Neptune, Wall
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: Losses to Raritan and Matawan this week hurt Manasquan's chances to climb, but this spot is about as low as the Warriors can fall for the moment because of a head-to-head win over Jackson Liberty. Manasquan could move up if Holmdel knocks off CBA, but loss to one-win Neptune also will not help Manasquan, so the most likely outcome for the Warriors is the No. 23 or 24 seed.

24. St. Rose (11-3-1, 11-1-1)

Division Wins: Asbury Park (2), Keyport (2), Mater Dei (2), Point Beach (2), Ranney (2), at Henry Hudson
Division Losses: Shore
Division Ties: At Shore
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: At Wall, at Manasquan
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Henry Hudson
Why They’re Here: For St. Rose to kick its way out of the bottom-three of the field, it had to get something done against Shore and the Purple Roses came through with a scoreless draw. It is not the most impactful of results, but it does get Shore out of a game with a top-five seed and into one with a team on inner fringe of the top-10. With a head-to-head loss to Manasquan, this is as high as St. Rose can climb.

25. St. John Vianney (6-5-0, 6-5-0)

Division Wins: Raritan (2), Holmdel, Manasquan, at Matawan, Monmouth
Division Losses: At Holmdel, at Manasquan, Matawan, at Monmouth, Rumson-Fair Haven
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: There really isn't much to separate St. Rose and St. John Vianney at this point and the best explanation for Vianney falling behind St. Rose is the loss to Rumson and a record barely above .500. If Holmdel can beat CBA (see how big this game is?) then St. John Vianney will most certainly jump St. Rose again. Even without that result, the Lancers could still climb a few spots higher than No. 25.

26. Pinelands (8-4-1, 8-4-1)

Division Wins: Donovan Catholic (2), Lakewood (2), Manchester (2), at Barnegat, at Jackson Liberty
Division Losses: Central (2), Point Boro (2)
Division Ties: Barnegat
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Jackson Liberty
Why They’re Here: Point Boro and Central are the two Class B South teams that have separated themselves to some degree – Point Boro with its divisional dominance and Central with a quality win (Toms River East) outside of the division – and because Pinelands is a combined 0-4 against those two teams, the Wildcats are probably stuck at 26, especially after Jackson Liberty's losses to Point Boro and Central this week. A second win over Donovan Catholic lays a foundation for a potential argument for a No. 22 or No. 23 seed if Pinelands can also sweep Jackson Liberty.

27. Jackson Liberty (8-7-0, 8-5-0)

Division Wins: Barnegat (2), Lakewood (2), Manchester (2), at Central, Donovan Catholic
Division Losses: Point Boro (2), Central, at Donovan Catholic, Pinelands
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: Manasquan, at Lacey
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Pinelands
Why They’re Here: A win at Central makes Jackon Liberty’s résumé worthy of a higher seed than this, but an 0-2 record outside the division with a loss to Manasquan is holding them back here. Jackson Liberty can jump Pinelands by beating the Wildcats on Monday and a move up to No. 23 is not out of the question if things fall right.

28. Donovan Catholic (8-6-0, 7-6-0)

Division Wins: Barnegat (2), Manchester (2), Central, Jackson Liberty, Lakewood
Division Losses: Pinelands (2), Point Boro (2), at Central, at Jackson Liberty
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: North Brunswick
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Why They’re Here: The Griffins missed a chance to potentially climb to the fringe of the top 20 when they lost to Pinelands on Thursday. The loss also cements them as the No. 5 team out of Class B South and with only a win over two-win North Brunswick outside of the division, that profile will not get Donovan Catholic any higher than No. 27. St. Rose's tie against Shore could knock Donovan Catholic down in the seeds, but a win over Central makes the Griffins worthy of at least some consideration for a better position.

29. Point Beach (8-6-0, 8-5-0)

Division Wins: Henry Hudson (2), Keyport (2), Mater Dei (2), Asbury Park, at Ranney
Division Losses: St. Rose (2), Shore (2), at Asbury Park
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: At Manasquan
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Ranney
Why They’re Here: Point Beach and Asbury Park will come in at No. 29 and No. 30 in some order and with the Garnet Gulls winning the more recent meeting and winning the aggregate scoring 2-1, they probably get the nod for 29. There is not much to go on because the two teams have identical division résumés, so this will be nitpicking, regardless of how it turns out.

30. Asbury Park (8-8-0, 8-5-0)

Division Wins: Henry Hudson (2), Keyport (2), Ranney (2), at Mater Dei, Point Beach
Division Losses: St. Rose (2), Shore (2), at Point Beach
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: Long Branch, at Dickinson, at Ewing
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Mater Dei
Why They’re Here: If Asbury Park has a case for the No. 29 seed instead of the No. 30 seed, it is that the Blue Bishops played a tougher schedule outside the division relative to Point Beach. Either way, it is splitting hairs and the likeliest outcome is Point Beach getting the nod for a more recent victory.

Projected Byes
(1) Toms River South and (2) CBA

Projected First-Round Match-ups
(30) Asbury Park at (3) Shore
(29) Point Beach at (4) Manalapan
(28) Donovan Catholic at (5) Toms River North
(27) Jackson Liberty at (6) Wall
(26) Pinelands at (7) Jackson Memorial
(25) St. John Vianney at (8) Point Boro
(24) St. Rose at (9) Brick Memorial
(23) Manasquan at (10) Matawan
(22) Holmdel at (11) Central
(21) Long Branch at (12) Middletown North
(20) Marlboro at (13) Freehold Twp.
(19) Colts Neck at (14) Ocean
(18) Lacey at (15) Red Bank
(17) Toms River East at (16) Freehold

 

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