The NJSIAA officially released its football classifications for the 2016 season on Friday. Below are the new state groups involving Shore Conference teams.

There are a handful of major changes involving Shore teams, including Central Jersey Group II champion Raritan moving up to Central Jersey Group III to join a bracket that already included five Shore teams. Central Jersey Group III now has three returning state championship teams: Raritan, Rumson-Fair Haven and Cranford, which moved down from North 2.

Colts Neck has moved from Central Jersey Group IV to North 2, Group IV where it joins fellow Shore Conference teams Long Branch, Middletown North and defending champion Middletown South.

After being in South Jersey basically forever, Toms River East and Toms River South have moved to Central Jersey Group IV in another bracket loaded with Shore teams. The Raiders and Indians join Class A South rivals Brick, Brick Memorial and defending champion Jackson Memorial, along with Freehold, Jackson Liberty and Neptune.

Perennial contender Piscataway moves to Central Jersey Group V where Manalapan is expected to once again compete for the title. The Braves and Chiefs will also meet in the regular season.

In Non-Public Group III, St. Joseph (Montvale) is back in while Delbarton moves up to the dreaded Non-Public Group IV. Donovan Catholic, 2014 champion Red Bank Catholic and 2015 finalist St. John Vianney are the Shore Conference’s teams in Non-Public Group III.

The full list can be found below with Shore Conference teams in bold.

 

NJSIAA 2016 FOOTBALL CLASSIFICATIONS

NORTH 2, GROUP IV

Colonia

Colts Neck

JFK-Iselin

Long Branch

Middletown North

Middletown South

Montgomery

North Hunterdon

Phillipsburg

Princeton

Sayreville

Scotch Plains-Fanwood

Summit

West Windsor-Plainsboro North

West Windsor-Plainsboro South

Woodbridge

 

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP V

East Brunswick

Edison

Franklin

Freehold Township

Hillsborough

Hunterdon Central

Manalapan

Marlboro

Monroe

New Brunswick

North Brunswick

Old Bridge

Perth Amboy

Piscataway

South Brunswick

 

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP IV

Allentown

Brick Memorial

Brick

Burlington Township

Freehold

Hightstown

Jackson Liberty

Jackson Memorial

Moorestown

Neptune

Northern Burlington

Nottingham

Pennsauken

Toms River East

Toms River South

 

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP III

Carteret

Cranford

Ewing

Hopewell Valley

Lawrence

Matawan

Monmouth

North Plainfield

Ocean

Rahway

Raritan

Red Bank

Rumson-Fair Haven

Somerville

South Plainfield

 

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP II

Bernards

Bordentown

Delaware Valley

Delran

Hillside

Holmdel

A.J. Johnson

Lincoln

Manasquan

Metuchen

New Providence

Point Boro

Roselle

South River

Spotswood

 

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP I

Asbury Park

Burlington City

Florence

Highland Park

Keansburg

Keyport

Manville

Maple Shade

Middlesex

New Egypt

Palmyra

Point Beach

Riverside

Shore

South Hunterdon

 

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP V

Atlantic City

Cherokee

Cherry Hill East

Eastern

Egg Harbor

Howell

Kingsway

Millville

Rancocas Valley

Southern

Toms River North

Trenton

Vineland

Washington Township

Williamstown

 

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP IV

Absegami

Bridgeton

Central

Cherry Hill West

Clearview

Cumberland

Hammonton

Highland

Lenape

Mainland

Ocean City

Shawnee

Timber Creek

Winslow

Woodrow Wilson

 

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP III

Camden

Delsea

Deptford

Hamilton West

Lacey

Lakewood

Manchester

Oakcrest

Pemberton

Pinelands

Robbinsville

Seneca

Steinert

Triton

Wall

 

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP II

Audubon

Barnegat

Cedar Creek

Cinnaminson

Collingswood

Haddonfield

Lindenwold

Lower Cape May

Middle Township

Overbrook

Pleasantville

Sterling

West Deptford

Willingboro

Woodstown

 

NON-PUBLIC GROUP III

Bishop Ahr

Bishop Eustace

Camden Catholic

DePaul

Donovan Catholic

Pingry

Pope John

Red Bank Catholic

St. John Vianney

St. Joseph (Montvale)

 

NON-PUBLIC GROUP II

Dwight Englewood

Gloucester Catholic

Holy Cross

Holy Spirit

Hudson Catholic

Immaculata

Marist

Mater Dei Prep

Montclair Kimberly Academy

Morris Catholic

Morristown-Beard

Newark Academy

Queen of Peace

St. Anthony

St. Joseph (Hammonton)

St. Mary’s (Rutherford)

 

Football editor Bob Badders can be reached at badders@allshoremedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bob_Badders. Like Shore Sports Network on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest video highlights. 

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