Anastasia: NJSIAA did St. Augustine no favors

With an 8-0 record in early November, the St. Augustine Prep earned the No. 1 seed in the 2015 Non-Public 4 state tournament.

The Hermits hosted St. Joseph of Montvale in the first round.

The home game was a big deal for the Hermits. It was a big deal for students and teachers on the secluded campus in Richland, Atlantic County. It was a big deal for alumni and other supporters of the rapidly rising program.

Apparently, it also was a one-shot deal.

"Ridiculous," St. Augustine coach Mark Reardon said of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's latest effort to twist their rules and regulations to account for the superpower status of North Jersey programs such as St. Joseph of Montvale, Don Bosco Prep, Bergen Catholic, Paramus Catholic and a few others.

Starting this season, not only are nine teams guarenteed berths in the Non-Public 4 and Non-Public 3 state tournaments, but they also seem to be assured of all the top seeds, as well.

That's because as an incentive for teams to play those squads in the United Red and White divisions of the new North Jersey Football Superconference, the NJSIAA will reward opponents with extra power points for playoff consideration -- win or lose.

No North Jersey public school or South Jersey non-public school took the NJSIAA up on the offer, leaving those powerhouse teams to scramble for games and hardly alleviating the issue that has plagued North Jersey football for nearly a decade.

But here's one upshot of the new system: Because those teams play each other so often, they are all going to amass major power points.

It doesn't matter whether they win or lose the games. Play a team such as Don Bosco, and they will receive double the group-size power points, plus the total number of wins accumulated by the Ironmen at the cuoff date.

Play a team such as DePaul Catholic, and they will receive one-and-a-half times the group-size power points, plus the total number of wins accumulated by the Spartans at the cutoff date.

In other words, those teams can't lose when it comes to racking up power points.

And that means St. Augustine can go 8-0 again -- and the Hermits look capable, based on their 47-30 win over Southeastern Pennsylvania power Malvern Prep on Friday night -- and they still are unlikely to earn a top four seed in Non-Public 4.

"Listen, I don't care," Reardon said after his team's imposing victory. "But they (NJSIAA) don't care about our opinion . . .

"This is our home. Would I love to win a state title? Sure. But our kids are focused on playing teams around here. This is where they are from, those are the teams they want to compete against."

St. Augustine lost that game to St. Joseph of Montvale last year by a 28-0 score.

There's still significant distance between the Hermits and those powerhouse programs.

But the NJSIAA is not doing St. Augustine, Camden Catholic and other South Jersey programs that compete in Non-Public 3 and 4 any favors by stacking the deck against their chances of earning a home playoff game.

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Lenape in new group: The Indians almost always are grouped with the largest-enrollment schools in every sport.

But this year, Lenape football is in South Jersey Group 4 after spending the last four years in South Jersey Group 5, which was formed before the 2012 season.

"It's different," said Lenape senior Tim Montgomery, a top defensive back. "We're always used to being in the large group, always thinking, 'It would really be something to play Cherokee in the playoffs.'"

Lenape's move makes South Jersey Group 4 appear, on paper, to be deeper than South Jersey Group 5 this season.

Lenape was the No. 1 seed in in South Jersey 5 in both 2013 and 2014. The Indians were a combined 17-4 in those seasons.

Now, Lenape will be in South Jersey 4 with programs such as Timber Creek, Shawnee, Hammonton, Woodrow Wilson, Winslow Township and Bridgeton, among others.

And with Lenape and Shawnee in the same group, the school district rivals could meet twice this season -- in the state tournament and on Thanksgiving, perhaps in back-to-back games.

"It's going to be tough," Montgomery said. "We're looking forward to it."

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Games to watch: In addition to St. Joseph coach Paul Sacco going for his 300th win when the Wildcats visit Mainland, some other intriguing games this weekend include Timber Creek at Delsea, Camden at Camden Catholic, Cherokee at Shawnee, Collingswood at Haddonfield on Friday, and Highland at Woodrow Wilson and Paulsboro at Woodbury on Saturday.

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New site: St. Augustine's road game at Malvern Prep next season is likely to be played at Villanova University, Hermits athletic director Mike Rizzo said.

Rizzo said if the rivalry continues between the two Augustinian schools in 2018 and beyond, that both teams' home games are likely to be held at Villanova.

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This and that: Shawnee could get a big lift from senior quarterback Mike Shinske, who has rejoined the team after sitting out last season while recovering from a head injury. Shinske, a Penn State recruit for lacrosse, is a clever left-handed passer and speedy runner who is regarded as one of the school's top athletes.

Washington Township standout two-way senior lineman Dave Grosmick missed the team's scrimmage against Lenape on Thursday with an ankle injury but expects to be ready for Friday's season opener against Hammonton . . . In the scrimmage against Washington Township, Lenape senior defensive back Mike Doulong made the play of the night with a blocked field-goal attempt, scoop and 60-yard return for touchdown.

Overbrook could get a big boost from junior quarterback Xavier Martin, a talented transfer from Timber Creek. Martin's brother Tavian was a three-year starter at linebacker for Timber Creek . . . Senior Kyle Jones takes over for two-year starter Carlton Aiken as the trigger man for the Red Raiders' no-huddle spread. "I love this offense because it put so much responsibility on the quarterback," Jones said after a four-way scrimmage at Salem.

Cedar Creek two-way senior lineman Owen Bowles, a Rutgers recruit, said the team still is motivated after last year's South Jersey Group 2 title: "We're out to show people we weren't a fluke last year. We're still the hunters. We want to be considered one of the upper echelon programs in South Jersey."

Hammonton dual-threat quarterback Malachi Winters has picked up a scholarship offer from Army. "I went to a camp there (in July) and they offered," Winters said. "I haven't made up my mind yet but it's definitely something I'm thinking about. It (West Point) is a special place." . . . Camden Catholic has a young player to watch in 6-foot-2, 295-pound freshman Mekhi Bryant. "He ran the third-fastest shuttle time among all our linemen," Camden Catholic coach Nick Strom said.

Haddonfield senior Brendan Gilmartin has been impressive in his first season as the team's starting quarterback, according to coach Frank DeLano. The 6-foot-3 Gilmartin also is the team's top pass rusher, with 12.5 sacks last season . . . Cinnaminson should get some help from senior two-ay back Andrew Goshine, a transfer from Pennsauken and senior linebacker Dylan Thevanayagam, a transfer from St. Joseph's Prep. Thevanayagam must sit out 30 days under transfer rules.

-- Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com

-- Follow @PhilAnastasia on Twitter

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