September 5, 2022
As usual, every season provides a shakeout of division foes with some school teams moving up or down based on the conferences criteria to provide competitive matches. This season, we see some teams changing conferences which is less common but certainly happens each year. Let’s take a look at some of the bigger changes…
For complete analysis on changes, go here… https://njpowerranking.com/2022/09/04/division-realignments-for-2022/
Rancocas Valley and Moorestown have jumped out of the BCSL and are new additions to the Olympic. Camden Tech also joins the Olympic as well as Camden Eastside and Bishop Eustace.
One of the more interesting moves was Washington Township jumping out of the Olympic and joining the Tri-County to go head to head with Williamstown in the newly formed Royal Division. The Tri-County was just one division last season and is now split in two, with the top tier being the Royal division and second tier being the Liberty division. The Royal should be super competitive with Williamstown, Washington Township, Kingsway, Clearview, and Gloucester Tech making up the five team division.
Shabazz and Golda Och have joined the SEC and will be playing in the Freedom Division.
The BCSL is down to 2 division from 3 last season. Northern Burlington jumped up into the Liberty and Sterling, Cinnaminson, and Pennsauken have settled into the Freedom.
The Big North will be renewing its rivalries as almsot all of the teams stay in the same alignment. Indian Hills has moved from the Freedom to the Patriot as the only change.
The Cape Atlantic saw 4 teams moving, Mainland and Cedar Creek going up to the American and Lower Cape May and Pleasantville dropping to the National.
The GMC added Iselin Kennedy to the Red division and dropped Piscataway to the White. Mother Seton and St. Thomas Aquinas moved up into the White Division and Perth Amboy slotted down to the White. Carteret is a new team that will be added to the Blue Division this season.
Beloved Charter has been added to the HCIAL and will be playing in the National Division. That is the only change in Hudson County.
The NJAC now has Morris Knolls in the top tier American Division. Pope John joins the National. Mountain Lakes and Parsippany Hills are on the move to the Liberty and Parsippany joins the Independence.
Lots of movement in the NJIC, most notably NJP’s preseason #1 Bogota moving to the Liberty along with Saddle Brook and Palisades Park. Lodi and Garfield join the Meadowlands and Paterson Charter and Hawthorne Christian are now in the Colonial. A new division has been formed called the National Division which will now house teams from three other conferences. The new division will be comprised of Rutherford, Lyndhurst, Secaucus, St. Mary’s (Rutherford), Harrison, North Arlington, and Weehawken.
Bogota is 10 rating points better than anyone in their new division. This could hurt their chances to be top rated in the NJP formula as schedule strength is such a major factor in the algorithm.
The Olympic American is stacked with Paul VI joining mainstays Cherry Hill East, Cherokee, and Lenape plus the new addition Rancocas Valley.
The SEC American will be very solid and super competitive with Newark Academy, Verona, and Livingston being joined by MKA and MSDA. Millburn and Caldwell round out a very strong top tier.
The Shore remained untouched as did the Skyland with just two additions to the Raritan division with Bound Brook and Warren Tech.
The UCC saw Governor Livingston rise a division to the Watchung and Union dropping into the Mountain. Johnson also dropped to the Valley.
This is how NJP sees each division winner based on its preseason rating algorithm:
BCSL Liberty: WWPS with Notre Dame and Princeton close behind
BCSL Freedom: A 4-way race in a very competitive division but we see Sterling at the top with Burlington, Florence and Collingswood battling.
Big North American: Fort Lee
Big North Freedom: Cammi Quirk of Ridgewood in her senior year will find a way to fend off Po and Northern Highlands. We do expect a resurgence from the Highlanders back to their traditional Top 20 form.
Big North Independence: We see this as a two team race between Fair Lawn and Wayne Valley with The Cutters rising to the top and Ash Kingsley have a bomb of a senior campaign.
Big North Liberty: Bergen Tech in command!
Big North National: What a Division!! This will be a dogfight between several top 20 teams. We have Old Tappan edging Tenafly and Demarest but either of three can take top honors and will be fighting to be the in the final top 5 in NJ.
Big North United: IHA will dominate.
Cape Atlantic American: We expect this to be a very competitive group with Absegami edging Mainland but Cedar Creek and Hammonton will be close.
Cape Atlantic National: Our Lady of Mercy should hold off LCM.
GMC Red: We love Old Bridge here to rise to the top over East Brunswick and Monroe.
GMC White: Different division but same story with Mother Seton and St. Thomas Aquinas battling for league honors. NJP favors the Setters!
GMC Blue: Timothy Christian
HCIAL American: What? Are we predicting that Hudson Catholic will not be on top? Has Union City caught up to the perennial champs? We think Yes.
HCIAL National: Ferris edging Hoboken.
NJAC American: Sparta and Roxbury are powers. NJP has Sparta in our Top 5 in NJ and we expect them to prevail. Rox will be right there. Is Mendham so depleted after losing Sarah Wilcock to beach volleyball? We still expect them to be near the top of the section group in the state tourney. WMC will be knocking on the door as well.
NJAC Freedom: NJP selects Jefferson to hold off Vernon and a strong Hackettstown team.
NJAC Independence: St. Elizabeth
NJAC Liberty: Madison should prevail. Kinnelon can always surge. And Par Hills is looking strong in scrimmages.
NJAC National: Strong division but NJP like Morristown.
NJIC Colonial: Glen Rock Panthers look like a likely winner here.
NJIC Liberty: If Bogota loses this division, we will eat a volleyball!
NJIC Meadowlands: Lodi Immaculate looks like a clear victor.
NJIC National: All fingers are pointing at Rutherford!
NJIC Patriot. NJP likes the Cavos of Emerson to edge Cresskill.
Olympic American: Paul VI is a top 5 in NJ as we expect them to win this very competitive division.
Olympic Patriot: Shawnee
Olympic National: Winslow
SEC American: Another division that will be super competitive with top tiered talent. The top three teams here are expected to be in the Top 20 in NJ. MKA has the best one-two punch on the attack in the state. But Newark Academy is equally as strong and has last seasons experience to build confidence. NA will prevail.
SEC Liberty: Montclair
SEC Colonial: NJP expects Payne Tech to roll past this group.
SEC Independence: Irvington
SEC Freedom: Newark Central in a wide open division.
Shore A North: Colts Neck looks like a clear favorite.
Shore B North: Vianney is expected to have a very strong year.
Shore B Central: PPB will edge Trinity Hall
Shore A South: We expect Southern to battling for a state title and should handle this talented group of teams.
Shore B South: NJP expects Barnegat to prevail over Donovan and Pinelands.
Skyland Delaware: Another elite division in NJ with numerous perennial standouts to content with. NJP thinks the “Hunterdon’s” will battle for the top with North edging Central.
Skyland Raritan: Delaware Valley
Tri-County Royal: Williamstown will again be a dominant force in the state and just has too many weapons to content with in this division.
Tri-County Liberty: Triton
UCC Watchung: Great division. Kent Place lost some firepower and Union Catholic’s youth movement will be tough to content with by the end of the season. Throw Westfield in there and you have the makings of real war in the Watchung. NJP picks Union Catholic to drive to the finish as an upset winner!
UCC Mountain: Union, Summit, and Linden are all talented teams who are used to playing against each other. Any one can take the top slot but Union dropping down should be in a great position to have a solid year and take the division.
UCC Valley: Dayton should hold off Johnson and Roselle Catholic.
Note: Many of the new schools who did not have programs last year have been given a 5 rating and are complete unknowns. These will be adjusted by the algorithm as the season progresses.