Boys Basketball – 2024 SCT Watch: Breaking Down the Field of the Shore Conference Tournament

The Shore Conference Tournament bracket will be built by Sunday and we're less than 72 hours away from knowing what the field looks like.

Why wait that long, though?

St. Rose will be the No. 1 seed, as well as one of the heaviest favorites heading into the SCT in recent memory, with only the 2018-19 Ranney juggernaut in the same class as these Purple Roses. When a top seed is this good, it creates what looks like two different tournaments in one. While there will good teams seeded at Nos. 2 and 3, the rest of the teams in the field would far prefer to take their chances against those teams than to have to deal with St. Rose.

That means the desirable seeds in this tournament will be Nos. 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18 and 19. Just about every single coach will be telling their division representative that they would like one of those seeds and would very much like to stay away from Nos. 8, 9, 16 and 17, perhaps even Nos. 4 and 5 as well.

There is a reason every team is likely to lobby for those spots: most of them have a legitimate argument to be seeded at a very wide range of spots outside of No. 1. The list of candidates for the No. 2 seed is growing by the day and with each spot moving down the list, the list of teams that could occupy the spot multiplies.

To sort through the 25 teams in the field beyond St. Rose (26 if Manchester qualifies on Saturday), the evaluation starts with the entirety of each team’s body of work, with head-to-head results and records vs. common opponents serving as the strongest tiebreakers. With the new division schedule, there are more head-to-head events to consider and while one might think that will add clarity, it might just muddy the waters.

With all that being said, it is time to take a stab at seeding this year’s tournament.

Through games played on Thursday, Feb. 1

1. St. Rose (21-1, 10-0)

Division/Crossover Wins: Point Boro, at Freehold Boro, Raritan, Long Branch, at Holmdel, Ranney, at Matawan, at Manasquan, Wall, at Neptune, St. John Vianney
Division/Crossover Losses: None
Non-Division Wins: South Shore (N.Y.), at Rutgers Prep, vs. Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.), vs. George School (Pa.), vs. Bergen Catholic, vs. St. Benedict’s, at Red Bank Catholic, vs. Ramapo, CBA, vs. Union Catholic
Non-Division Losses: Patrick School National
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Montverde (showcase)
Why They’re Here: St. Rose has dominated most of the other would-be contenders for the SCT championship and enter the week on an 21-game winning streak. The No. 1 seed is locked up and has been for a while now, if we're being honest.

2. Manasquan (16-4, 9-2)

Division/Crossover Wins: Holmdel, at Long Branch, at Freehold Boro, Neptune, at St. John Vianney, at Raritan, at Wall, at Point Boro, at Matawan
Division/Crossover Losses: St. Rose, Ranney
Non-Division Wins: Red Bank, College Achieve Asbury Park, vs. Marlboro, vs. Red Bank Catholic, vs. CBA, vs. Egg Harbor, at East Orange
Non-Division Losses: At Toms River North, vs. Camden Catholic
Before the Cutoff: vs. Roselle Catholic (showcase)
Why They’re Here: Manasquan looked like it might have wrapped up the No. 2 seed by picking up an impressive road win over East Orange -- currently No. 2 in power points among teams in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group IV field -- earlier in the week. Then the Warriors dropped a home game to Ranney on Thursday, which has created a real debate for the No. 2 seed where there did not appear to be one. With head-to-head wins over CBA and Red Bank, Manasquan is still the choice, but if Central beats 21-0 Haddonfield on Saturday and Manasquan can't come up with a win over Roselle Catholic, there would be an argument for the Warriors to sink to No. 4.

3. Red Bank (17-3, 9-1)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Marlboro, CBA, Howell, Manalapan, at Middletown North, Freehold Twp., Middletown South, Colts Neck, at Red Bank Catholic
Division/Crossover Losses: At Rumson
Non-Division Wins: Southern, Long Branch, Port Richard (N.Y.), Ranney, Lacey, Monmouth, Point Beach, Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Non-Division Losses: At Manasquan, vs. Red Bank Catholic
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: With a win at Red Bank Catholic in overtime on Thursday, Red Bank completed a 9-1 run through the North divisions of the Shore Conference. The only other team to match that was CBA and Red Bank beat the Colts head-to-head. Throw in some solid wins over Southern, Ranney and Scotch-Plains Fanwood and Red Bank has done its part in climbing to the No. 3 seed. If certain things break right over the next 24-to-48 hours, there is a case to be made for the Bucs as the No. 2 seed -- even with a loss to Manasquan on the résumé.

4. Christian Brothers Academy (15-4, 9-1)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Rumson, Middletown South, Colts Neck, at Middletown North, Red Bank Catholic, at Marlboro, Howell, at Manalapan, Freehold Twp.
Division/Crossover Losses: At Red Bank
Non-Division Wins: Vs. Mendham, vs. West Morris, Pioneer Academy, Ranney, at Shore, Patrick School
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Randolph, vs. Manasquan, at St. Rose
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Mainland (showcase)
Why They’re Here: Red Bank's win over RBC shoots the Bucs up to No. 3, which drops CBA to No. 4 because of head-to-head losses to both Manasquan and Red Bank. CBA's Battle of Barnegat showcase game Saturday against Mainland will be important because Central already has a win over Mainland. It probably doesn't affect CBA all that much -- the Colts likely don't fall any further than No. 5 -- but it could have a domino effect that propels Central into the top three and puts Manasquan at risk of dropping to No. 4.

5. Rumson-Fair Haven (15-4, 8-2)

Division/Crossover Wins: Manalapan, at Marlboro, Red Bank, at Freehold Twp., Colts Neck, at Middletown North, at Howell, Middletown South
Division/Crossover Losses: CBA, at Red Bank Catholic
Non-Division Wins: People’s Prep, Barnegat, vs. North Plainfield, at Rahway, at Long Branch, St. John Vianney, at Jackson Memorial
Non-Division Losses: St. Peter’s Prep, vs. Rutgers Prep
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Toms River North (showcase)
Why They’re Here: The Bulldogs only have losses to teams that are either ranked in the top 10 of the conference or are high-quality out-of-conference opponents. Rumson beat Marlboro on the road while Central lost to Marlboro at home on opening night – a result that is a distant memory for a red-hot Central team, but matters when breaking a tie between two even teams on paper. A showcase meeting with Toms River North at Franklin High School will be one of the games to watch on Saturday when it comes to seeding.

6. Central (17-3, 11-0)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Southern, at Barnegat, at Toms River South, Toms River North, Jackson Memorial, Lacey, at Pinelands, Brick, at Manchester, Brick Memorial, at Toms River East
Division/Crossover Losses: None
Non-Division Wins: At Lawrence, vs. St. John Vianney, Ranney, at Donovan Catholic, Mainland, Lacey
Non-Division Losses: Marlboro, at Toms River North, vs. Red Bank Catholic
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Haddonfield (showcase)
Why They’re Here: With a 13-0 record in January, Central is one of the Shore's hottest teams at the moment. The issue the Golden Eagles have fewer wins over teams in the top 10 or even the top 16 than the other teams challenging for a top seven seed. With that being said, all of their losses were early and wins over Toms River North, Mainland, Ranney and Donovan Catholic give the Golden Eagles a real case to be a top-three seed. If they Central can pull off a win over 21-0 Haddonfield on Saturday, that case might be too hard to deny.

7. Holmdel (15-2, 8-2)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Neptune, Ranney, St. John Vianney, at Wall, at Freehold Boro, Matawan, Point Boro, at Long Branch
Division/Crossover Losses: At Manasquan, St. Rose
Non-Division Wins: Middletown South, vs. Perth Amboy, vs. Woodbridge, vs. Sayreville, at Toms River North, Jackson Memorial, Freehold Twp.
Non-Division Losses: None
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Raritan
Why They’re Here: Holmdel has been one of the more predictable teams in the field, which is, strangely enough, what makes the Hornets hard to seed. Their only two losses are to St. Rose and Manasquan, but the only other wins over a team in the top 10 is at Toms River North. That is enough to keep them away from No. 8, but there are a few teams with more inspiring wins, which likely relegates Holmdel to the 5-through-7 range.

8. Red Bank Catholic (13-8, 5-5)

Division/Crossover Wins: Middletown North, Marlboro, at Freehold Twp., Manalapan, Rumson
Division/Crossover Losses: At Colts Neck, at CBA, Howell, at Middletown South, Red Bank
Non-Division Wins: Matawan, at Donovan Catholic, vs. Middletown South, vs. Central, Northern Highlands, vs. Red Bank, Hamilton West, vs. Ranney
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Manasquan, at East Orange, St. Rose
Before the Cutoff: Vs. St. Peter’s Prep (showcase)
Why They’re Here: If Holmdel is the most consistent team in the 2-through-10 range, RBC is the least. The Caseys have some great results on their résumé: Central, Rumson, Red Bank, Northern Highlands. On the other hand, the Caseys have also lost to Middletown South, got blown out by 31 at Colts Neck in December (albeit without two key players who are now healthy) and lost at home to a solid Howell team that resides outside the top 10. With back-to-back losses to Middletown South and Red Bank, RBC might need an upset win over St. Peter's Prep to climb out of the No. 8 spot.

9. Toms River North (14-5, 9-2)

Division/Crossover Wins: Brick Memorial, Pinelands, at Brick, Toms River East, Manchester, at Barnegat, at Jackson Memorial, Lacey, Toms River South
Division/Crossover Losses: At Central, at Southern
Non-Division Wins: Neptune, Colts Neck, Central, Manasquan, at Ocean
Non-Division Losses: At Toms River South, Holmdel, vs. Matawan
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Rumson (showcase)
Why They’re Here: Like RBC, Toms River North has some great wins (Manasquan, Central) and some puzzling losses (Matawan, Toms River South, Southern). Put it all together and the Mariners are a top 10 team, but one that will likely have to play on the road in the round of 16 if they can't pull off a Saturday win over Rumson at the Metro Classic.

10. Donovan Catholic (15-3, 8-0)

Division/Crossover Wins: Jackson Liberty, at Henry Hudson, Keyport, at Keansburg, at Asbury Park, at Monmouth, Ocean, at Shore
Division/Crossover Losses: None
Non-Division Wins: At Manchester, vs. Brick Memorial, vs. Manchester, Howell, vs. Robbinsville, at Toms River South, Middletown North
Non-Division Losses: Red Bank Catholic, vs. Toms River South, Central
Before the Cutoff: At Lakewood, vs. Point Beach
Why They’re Here: The Griffins have steadily climbed the ranks throughout the year and after recent wins over Toms River South and Shore, plus a win over Howell, they are pretty much settled in at No. 10, barring an unexpected loss before the cutoff.

11. Howell (12-6, 5-3)

Division/Crossover Wins: Middletown South, at Freehold Twp., at Middletown North, at Red Bank Catholic, Marlboro
Division/Crossover Losses: At Red Bank, at CBA, Rumson-Fair Haven
Non-Division Wins: At Neptune, Brick, vs. Holy Spirit, vs. Trenton, Toms River East, at West Windsor-Plainsboro South, Lacey
Non-Division Losses: At Jackson Memorial, vs. Mainland, at Donovan Catholic
Before the Cutoff: At Manalapan
Why They’re Here: With a win over Red Bank Catholic to start last week and another victory over Marlboro to close it, the Rebels are a lock for a home game, but might have stalled out on their push for the top 10 thanks to a 31-point home loss to Rumson on Tuesday. A head-to-head loss to Donovan Catholic also keeps the Griffins in that No. 10 spot for now and a head-to-head matchup with Manalapan right before the cutoff should settle the seeding of this cluster of A North teams.

12. Marlboro (10-7, 2-6)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Middletown South, Freehold Twp.
Division/Crossover Losses: Red Bank, Colts Neck, Rumson, at Red Bank Catholic, CBA, at Howell
Non-Division Wins: At Central, vs. Middletown South, vs. Colts Neck, Neptune, at St. John Vianney, at Allentown, at Princeton, at Piscataway
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Manasquan
Before the Cutoff: At Middletown North, at Ranney
Why They’re Here: The Mustangs have played a challenging schedule that has netted them some quality wins while also helping them avoid any bad losses. After Ranney shocked Manasquan on Thursday, Marlboro has a chance to add a quality win on Saturday, when they take the trip to Tinton Falls to play the high-riding Panthers.

13. Ranney (10-8, 7-4)

Division/Crossover Wins: Long Branch, at Matawan, Wall, at Raritan, Neptune, Point Boro, at Manasquan
Division/Crossover Losses: At Holmdel, Freehold Boro, at St. Rose, at St. John Vianney
Non-Division Wins: Jackson Memorial, vs. East Brunswick, vs. Tottenville (N.Y.)
Non-Division Losses: At Red Bank, at Central, at CBA, at Red Bank Catholic
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Marlboro
Why They’re Here: Ranney took an important step toward qualifying for the SCT by beating Point Boro on Tuesday, then kicked down the door on Thursday. The Panthers upset Manasquan, 67-64, on the road to officially qualify for the Shore Conference Tournament for the ninth straight season. With that win, Ranney also gives itself a great shot at a first-round home game. There are some losses that complicate Ranney's résumé, but many of them came while second-leading scorer Shaan Nayar was out with a knee injury from which he has since returned.

14. Manalapan (12-6, 4-4)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Middletown South, Middletown North, at Colts Neck, at Freehold Twp.
Division/Crossover Losses: At Rumson, at Red Bank, at Red Bank Catholic, CBA
Non-Division Wins: At Wall, vs. Perth Amboy, at Matawan, Jackson Memorial, at Asbury Park, at West Windsor-Plainsboro North, Lacey, Long Branch
Non-Division Losses: Manchester, vs. Woodbridge
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Howell
Why They’re Here: The Braves’ biggest win is on the road over Colts Neck and they have a loss to a Shore Conference team not currently .500 (Manchester). Other than that, Manalapan has lost to a quartet of top teams within the conference and been competitive with two of them (Red Bank and Red Bank Catholic). The Braves get one more chance to boost their profile before the cutoff, which will come against Howell at home.

15. Colts Neck (10-6, 4-4)

Division/Crossover Wins: Red Bank Catholic, at Marlboro, Freehold Twp., Middletown North
Division/Crossover Losses: At CBA, Manalapan, at Rumson, at Red Bank
Non-Division Wins: At Rahway, vs. St. John Vianney, Jackson Liberty, at Point Beach, Old Bridge
Non-Division Losses: At Toms River North, vs. Marlboro
Before the Cutoff: At Middletown South, vs. Lower Cape May (showcase)
Why They’re Here: Colts Neck has a cleaner résumé than Manalapan does, but the Cougars also lost to Manalapan head-to-head. Since starting 3-0, Colts Neck is 7-6 and could use a strong finish to the week after losing a 51-49 heartbreaker at Red Bank to kick off the week.

16. St. John Vianney (11-11, 8-3)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Matawan, Raritan, Point Boro, Neptune, Ranney, at Long Branch, Freehold Boro, at Wall
Division/Crossover Losses: At Holmdel, Manasquan, at St. Rose
Non-Division Wins: Middletown North, Pioneer Academy, at Williamstown
Non-Division Losses: New Dorp (N.Y.), vs. Central, vs. Colts Neck, vs. Middletown South, at Rumson, Marlboro, at Middletown South, at Snyder
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: St. John Vianney doesn't have that one big win that catapults a team toward the top 10 and the Lancers also have two losses to 7-9 Middletown South. With that being said, the Lancers have racked up some solid wins over the likes of Ranney, Point Boro and Freehold Boro, not to mention a near-victory against No. 2 Manasquan.

17. Freehold Boro (13-5, 6-4)

Division/Crossover Wins: Neptune, at Point Boro, at Ranney, at Long Branch, Raritan
Division/Crossover Losses: St. Rose, Manasquan, Holmdel, at St. John Vianney
Non-Division Wins: vs. Jackson Liberty, vs. Academy Charter, at Brick, Southern, Keansburg, Lakewood, Pinelands
Non-Division Losses: Freehold Twp.
Before the Cutoff: At Wall, at Shore
Why They’re Here: The results have been mixed over the course of the season, but the Colonials are on track to have a good record heading into the postseason and a talented roster. A win over Southern keeps Freehold Boro ahead of the Rams, but a loss to St. John Vianney keeps the Colonials on the road in this projected first round.

18. Southern (14-7, 7-4)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Brick Memorial, at Manchester, Lacey, at Brick, Toms River North, at Pinelands, at Toms River East
Division/Crossover Losses: Central, Barnegat, Toms River South, at Jackson Memorial
Non-Division Wins: At Atlantic Tech, Trenton, Fair Lawn, Long Branch, at Jackson Liberty, vs. Collingswood, at Freehold Twp.
Non-Division Losses: At Red Bank, Lenape, at Freehold Boro
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: Head-to-head losses to Barnegat, Toms River South, Freehold Boro and Jackson Memorial could wind up costing Southern a home game, which is a tough break for a team that has a win over Toms River North and some solid additional wins outside the conference.

19. Point Pleasant Boro (11-8, 4-7)

Division/Crossover Wins: Wall, at Raritan, Long Branch, Neptune
Division/Crossover Losses: At St. Rose, at St. John Vianney, Freehold Boro, Matawan, Manasquan, at Holmdel, at Ranney
Non-Division Wins: Bernards, Academy Charter, Jackson Liberty, Toms River South, Barnegat, South River, Point Beach
Non-Division Losses: Lacey
Before the Cutoff: At Brick
Why They’re Here: Point Boro inches up a few spots with the struggles of Toms River South and Barnegat this week -- two teams that Point Boro beat when both were hot. Games against Holmdel and Ranney to open the week represented a chance for Point Boro to climb, but after losing both, the Panthers look like they will be on the road in round one.

20. Barnegat (12-8, 7-4)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Brick Memorial, at Southern, Toms River South, at Jackson Memorial, Lacey, at Pinelands, Brick
Division/Crossover Losses: At Manchester, Central, Toms River North, Toms River East
Non-Division Wins: Jackson Liberty, Asbury Park, vs. Cape May Tech, at Lakewood, at Ocean
Non-Division Losses: At Rumson, vs. Bridgeton, at Seneca, at Point Boro
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Millville
Why They’re Here: When the lineup has been whole and healthy, Barnegat has proved formidable. The Bengals have beaten Southern and Toms River South and also played Toms River North tough in a loss. Wednesday's home loss to Toms River East, however, was a blow to the Bengals chances at hosting a first-round game.

21. Toms River South (12-8, 5-6)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Pinelands, at Manchester, Brick, Toms River East, at Southern
Division/Crossover Losses: At Lacey, Central, at Barnegat, Brick Memorial, Jackson Memorial, at Toms River North
Non-Division Wins: Lakewood, Toms River North, vs. Freehold Twp., vs. Toms River East, vs. Donovan Catholic, Shore, at Monmouth
Non-Division Losses: At Point Boro, Donovan Catholic
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: Toms River South hasn’t been the most consistent teams, although it has been more good than not. The Indians have wins over Toms River North, Donovan Catholic, Southern and Shore, while also dropping games to Lacey, Brick Memorial and Jackson Memorial while barely avoiding an upset vs. Pinelands. With the quality of wins, Toms River South had a shot at a first-round home game heading into the week, but Tuesday's loss at Jackson Memorial followed by a one-sided loss at Toms River North probably ended that discussion.

22. Henry Hudson (16-2, 8-2)

Division/Crossover Wins: Shore, Monmouth, at Keansburg, at Lakewood, at Asbury Park, at Jackson Liberty, Keyport, Ocean
Division/Crossover Losses: Donovan Catholic, Point Beach
Non-Division Wins: At Perth Amboy Magnet, University Charter, at Somerset Tech, vs. South Amboy, at South River, College Achieve Central, Academy for Urban Leadership, Thomas Edison EnergySmart
Non-Division Losses: None
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Pinelands
Why They’re Here: Henry Hudson’s only losses are to Donovan Catholic and Point Beach and the Admirals also have wins over Shore and Monmouth. The rest of the wins are against small schools and sub-.500 teams, so that is why a 16-2 team is seeded so modestly. The loss to Point Beach means Henry Hudson could drop if Beach beats Donovan Catholic on Saturday, but with an 8-2 division record and a big win over Shore, the Admirals are well clear of the bottom of the field at the moment.

23. Shore (14-4, 8-2)

Division/Crossover Wins: Keansburg, Asbury Park, at Monmouth, at Point Beach, Keyport, at Ocean, at Lakewood
Division/Crossover Losses: At Henry Hudson, Donovan Catholic
Non-Division Wins: Toms River East, Manchester, Central Jersey College Charter, Asbury Park, Lacey, at New Brunswick
Non-Division Losses: CBA, at Toms River South
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Freehold Boro
Why They’re Here: Shore has a pair of closes losses to Toms River South and Henry Hudson and the loss to Hudson came with senior standout Alex George injured and unable to play. The Blue Devils added a competitive loss to the résumé in losing to Donovan Catholic, but that probably doesn't warrant a jump over two teams that beat Shore head-to-head. A win over Freehold Boro to close out the week, however, could set up a jump in the rankings.

24. Toms River East (10-9, 7-4)

Division/Crossover Wins: Brick, Manchester, Lacey, at Pinelands, Jackson Memorial, Brick Memorial, at Barnegat
Division/Crossover Losses: At Toms River North, at Toms River South, Southern, at Central
Non-Division Wins: Jackson Liberty, vs. Wall, New Egypt
Non-Division Losses: At Shore, vs. Toms River South, vs. Manchester, at Howell, at Middletown North
Before the Cutoff: Vs. St. Joseph Hammonton (showcase)
Why They’re Here: The Raiders picked up their first win vs. a team with a winning record when they beat Barnegat on Wednesday, which also clinched them a spot in the tournament. Without much else to speak of and a head-to-head loss to Shore, this is about right for Toms River East and its chances to climb probably hinge more on Shore's result vs. Freehold Boro than anything Toms River East can do.

25. Monmouth (10-8, 6-4)

Division/Crossover Wins: Keansburg, Point Beach, at Keyport, at Ocean, at Asbury Park, Lakewood
Division/Crossover Losses: At Henry Hudson, Shore, Donovan Catholic, at Jackson Liberty
Non-Division Wins: Raritan, at Neptune, Academy for Urban Leadership, at Long Branch
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Allentown, at Red Bank, Toms River South, at Middletown North
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: With a win over Point Beach, Monmouth has a case to avoid the last seed. None of the Falcons’ other wins, however, are against a team with a winning record, but it is still enough to jump Point Beach at the moment.

26. Point Pleasant Beach (10-8, 6-2)

Division/Crossover Wins: At Lakewood, at Keansburg, Ocean, at Henry Hudson, at Keyport, Asbury Park
Division/Crossover Losses: At Monmouth, Shore
Non-Division Wins: Brick, Pinelands, vs. Asbury Park, Keansburg
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Lacey, at Lacey, Colts Neck, Long Branch, at Red Bank, at Point Boro
Before the Cutoff: At Donovan Catholic
Why They’re Here: Point Beach scored a big road win over Henry Hudson to give the Garnet Gulls a shot at the Class A Central title and to position themselves ahead of the Admirals in the seeding. In order to get there, though, Point Beach will have to knock off Donovan Catholic on the road, which would be a major development for multiple tiers in the seeding.

Still Alive

Manchester (9-10, 4-7)

Division/Crossover Wins: Barnegat, at Pinelands, at Brick, Brick Memorial
Division/Crossover Losses: At Toms River East, Southern, Toms River South, at Jackson Memorial, at Toms River North, at Lacey, Central
Non-Division Wins: At Manalapan, vs. Brick, vs. Toms River East, Neptune, Jackson Liberty
Non-Division Losses: Donovan Catholic, at Shore, vs. Donovan Catholic
Before the Cutoff: Vs. Absegami (showcase)
Chances to Qualify: About 50-50. Manchester's win over Brick Memorial at the buzzer on Thursday knocked the Mustangs out of contention and kept the Hawks' hopes alive after entering the week 7-10 with three games to go. Manchester will now face its toughest challenge of the gauntlet: a 14-4 Absegami team on a neutral court in Barnegat on Saturday, with a spot in the SCT on the line for the Hawks.

Eliminated

Middletown South (7-10, 2-7)

Brick Memorial (8-11, 4-7)

Current Projected Pairings

Opening Round

Tuesday, Feb. 6

(26) Monmouth at (7) Holmdel

(25) Point Beach at (8) Red Bank Catholic

(24) Toms River East at (9) Toms River North

(23) Shore at (10) Donovan Catholic

(22) Henry Hudson at (11) Howell

(21) Toms River South at (12) Marlboro

(20) Barnegat at (13) Ranney

(19) Point Boro at (14) Manalapan

(18) Southern at (15) Colts Neck

(17) Freehold Boro at (16) St. John Vianney

Round of 16

Thursday, Feb. 8

(17) Freehold Boro/(16) SJV winner at (1) St. Rose

(18) Southern/(15) Colts Neck winner at (2) Manasquan

(19) Point Boro/(14) Manalapan winner at (3) Red Bank

(20) Barnegat/(13) Ranney winner at (4) CBA

(21) TR South/(12) Marlboro winner at (5) Rumson-Fair Haven

(22) Henry Hudson/(11) Howell winner at (6) Central

(23) Shore/(10) Donovan Catholic winner vs. (26) Monmouth/(7) Holmdel winner

(24) TR East/(9) TR North winner vs. (25) Point Beach/(8) RBC winner