Football – 2016 NJSIAA Classifications
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.