Looking ahead to football’s Week 9

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Here are some key questions as we approach the playoff cutdown weekend, Week 9, of the South Jersey football season.

Question: What game has the best playoff implications?

Answer: How about Winslow Township (3-4) at Eastern (5-2) on Friday. According to gridironnewjersey.com, Eastern is holding the eighth and final SJ Group 4 spot with a power rating of 93, and the two teams immediately behind, Millville and Pennsauken, have already played eight games. (A team's first eight games are only considered).

An Eastern win should keep the Vikings ahead of two other 4-3 teams, Absegami and Mainland, who play each other this week. And an Eastern victory should also be enough to hold off another 4-3 team, Southern Regional. Southern, which lost to Mainland in the sectional final last year, is 4-3 with a power rating of 77. This week, Southern plays Howell, a Group 4 team with a 6-1 record. Southern would receive 28 points for a win. Eastern would receive 18 for beating Winslow Township. There are all sorts of residual points to consider, but Eastern still remains in the driver's seat.

As for Winslow Township, the Eagles must win to remain alive since teams have to have a .500 or better record to qualify.

Winslow Township will also need help. The Eagles currently have a power rating of 62 (according to Gridironnewjersey.com). Beating Eastern would give Winslow Township 25 points. Pemberton (4-3) is tied for the No. 7 with Highland. Both have 87 points, but Highland has already played eight games. Highland has to hope that everybody directly below the Tartans lose this week.

Manchester Township (4-3) has 81 points.

Winslow needs Pemberton and/or Manchester Township to lose to even have a realistic chance. Pemberton faces Woodrow Wilson (4-4), and Manchester Township meets Jackson Liberty (3-4).

Kingsway (3-4, 71 power rating), Cherry Hill West (3-4, 66) and Pinelands (4-3, 63) are also alive. Kingsway would receive 25 points for beating 6-1 Glassboro. West would receive 15 points for beating 2-6 Northern Burlington and even a win likely won't be enough for the Lions. Pinelands would earn just 12 points for beating 1-6 Central Regional.

No matter how one looks at it, Winslow Township has its work cut out just beating Eastern, but if that happens, the Eagles will surely be scoreboard watching. One thing is for sure, with a QB as dangerous as Winslow Township's Bill Belton, there are plenty of Group 3 teams probably hoping that the Eagles don't qualify.

Question: Here's our weekly question about Camden Catholic. Can the Irish (4-3) get in the Non-Public Group 3 playoffs with a win over Bishop Eustace?

Answer: It appears so. Currently the Irish are ninth with 81 points, 15 behind No. 8 Bishop Ahr and 20 behind Eustace, which is fifth with 101 points.

Beating Eustace (6-1) would earn the Irish 27 points, so it would come down to residuals as to whether Camden Catholic leaps ahead of Eustace. It's also possible that Eustace could be in even with a loss. Holy Spirit (6-1, 99 power rating), Delbarton (5-3, 98) and Bishop Ahr (6-1, 96) are directly behind Eustace and ahead of Camden Catholic.

Holy Spirit meets 7-0 St. Augustine and would earn a playoff spot with a win. A win over the Hermits would earn the Spartans 31 points. Delbarton has already played its eight games and can only earn residuals. Bishop Ahr plays Group 2 Matawan (6-1) and would earn 26 points with a win.

Question: What's up with SJ Group 2?

Answer: This is cutoff weekend. In SJ Group 2, all eight teams with four or more wins have already qualified because everybody else in the field has more than four losses.

The qualifiers are Delsea, West Deptford, Haddonfield, Cinnaminson, Bridgeton, Willingboro, Buena and Woodrow Wilson.

Question: Is there any suspense in SJ Group 1?

Answer: Actually, the suspense will be in who wins Group 1 more than who qualified. With Penns Grove beating two-time defending champ Glassboro, this Group looks wide open. Those two will contend and so will Woodbury and Paulsboro. Woodbury has already beaten Paulsboro and looks like a team ready to make a serious run.

As for the qualifers, Glassboro, Woodbury, Paulsboro, Penns Grove, and Haddon Heights are already in.

Four teams are vying for the other three spots. They are Pennsville (6-1, 72), Schalick (5-2, 70), Palmyra (5-2, 67) and Haddon Township (4-4, 67).

Haddon Township is in the worst position since the Hawks have played eight games. Pennsville would earn 13 points for a win over Pitman (2-5). Schalick would also earn 13 points for a win over Clayton (2-2), and Palmyra would earn 19 points for a victory over Florence (4-3). Haddon Township's most realistic chance is to have Palmyra lose to Florence and then to be able to overtake the Panthers on residual points. Still, Haddon Township remains a longshot to qualify.

Question: Anything else to look forward to this weekend?

Answer: Yes, there are some great conference races. If Eustace beats Camden Catholic, the Crusaders will win the outright title of the Burlco/Olympic National Division. Camden Catholic would earn a share of the title with Eustace with a win. Palmyra is the only team with an unbeaten mark in the Burlco/Olympic Freedom, but the Panthers face Florence and Burlington City in their final two regular season games and both have just one division loss.

Hammonton hosts Egg Harbor Township in a battle of unbeaten Cape Atlantic American Teams on Friday. St. Augustine would earn the Cape National title with a win at Holy Spirit on Friday. Meanwhile, Holy Spirit would clinch at least a tie for the title with a victory over the Hermits.

 


Contact staff writer Marc Narducci at 856-779-3225 or mnarducci@phillynews.com.

 

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