Shore Conference Football Postseason Matchups for Week 8 and Week 9
The Shore Conference Football Committee has released the postseason matchups for Week 8 and Week 9.
Teams were originally set to be placed into tier-based four-team pods and play a round-robin format over two weeks, as was the case last season, but that format was scrapped in favor of giving teams two games each without placing them into specific pods where winners and losers meet. This was done for a variety of reasons, including input from the coaches, to avoid teams playing each other for a second time, to create a more diverse and competitive schedule, and because of transportation issues at many schools.
Teams were matched up to create two competitive games using the United Power Ranking and Strength Index, matching up teams that have not yet played each other, and giving teams an opportunity to qualify for the playoffs if they have not yet done so.
Shore Conference President Will Sundermann also said there will likely be no Shore Conference postseason next year.
"It was great last year when, because of COVID, there was no postseason but the coaches committee said they'd rather know who is on their schedule and who they were are playing in order to get ready for the states," Sundermann said.
There were 43 Shore Conference football schools prior to this season. When Mater Dei announced it would not complete as a varsity team this season that number fell to 42. Point Beach, Keansburg, and Keyport requesting not to be included in the pods left the committee with an uneven number (39) of teams in which to organize pods, which creating scheduling issues.
Point Beach, Keansburg, and Keyport had previously opted out of the postseason pods and will play each other during Weeks 8 and 9.
Long Branch requested to have a bye in Week 8 and Brick Township requested to have a bye in Week 9.
Dates and times subject to change
Week 8
Friday, Oct. 22/Saturday, Oct. 23
Red Bank Catholic at Manalapan
Middletown South at Rumson-Fair Haven
Southern at Donovan Catholic
Middletown North at Wall
Manasquan at Point Boro
Central at Lacey
St. John Vianney at Toms River North
Freehold at Holmdel
Raritan at Asbury Park
Red Bank at Shore
Colts Neck at Howell
Marlboro at Toms River South
Matawan at Brick Memorial
Freehold Township at Toms River East
Brick at Jackson Memorial
Lakewood at Barnegat
Ocean at Neptune
Pinelands at Manchester
Monmouth at Jackson Liberty
BYE: Long Branch
Week 9
Friday, Oct. 29/Saturday, Oct. 30
Donovan Catholic at Red Bank Catholic
Rumson-Fair Haven at Long Branch
Lacey at Middletown South
Manalapan at Central
Toms River North at Southern
Asbury Park at Manasquan
Wall at St. John Vianney
Point Boro at Middletown North
Holmdel at Colts Neck
Shore at Raritan
Toms River South at Red Bank
Jackson Memorial at Marlboro
Howell at Freehold
Brick Memorial at Ocean
Toms River East at Matawan
Manchester at Freehold Township
Neptune at Monmouth
Jackson Liberty at Lakewood
Barnegat at Pinelands
BYE: Brick Township