5/16/2012 - State Should Break Lax Tourney Into Sections
As I looked over the pairings for the upcoming boys lacrosse state tournament, Harry Shortway’s voice entered my head.
The veteran Vernon coach and I were talking the other day and he mentioned how much the sport has grown, but the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association still divides the teams that make the state tournament into just six groups for the entire state.
The public schools are lumped together from Group 1 to Group 4 and the Non-Publics are grouped into A and B with no geographic distinction like most sports in the state that are divided into the sections, North 1, North 2, Central, South, etc.
When the state lacrosse tournament was born there less than 20 schools that had lacrosse so it made sense to have one big tournament.
But the times have changed and have changed fast when it comes to lacrosse in New Jersey. The state has always been a hotbed for the sport at the prep schools and in certain locations like Montclair, Ridgewood, and of course, Mountain Lakes.
However, lacrosse has taken off and according to LaxPower, there are 186 varsity programs in the state. Former Sparta coach Pat Brennan told me when he first started coaching in the mid-1990s there were only 29 teams.
Wow.
And out of those 186 teams, 140 qualified for state tournament play this year, so now is the time to break lacrosse up into sections, just like the girls tournament.
The seeding is done according to LaxPower power points so geography is currently not a consideration. Yes, I know if you break it up by location, some sections will be much tougher than others.
But isn’t that the case with other sports? Plus, you reduce the travel involved. Case in point, Vernon, the 14 seed in Group 3, will host No. 19 Brick Township Saturday at 11 a.m. That is quite a hike for the Green Dragons.
Newton, the No. 29 seed in Group 1, will have to travel down the Shore to face fourth-seeded Rumson. Is that fair? And by the way, what a great job Brian Bennington of Newton has done in getting the Braves into the tourney in just their third year of varsity play.
Anyway, it is something the state should look at because lacrosse is just going to get bigger and better with the sport really starting to catch on in the Shore area and South Jersey.
And with sections, more teams can win a title and you could still go down to a group champ and have the Tournament of Champions. The only games that would be added would be state semifinals, and I’m sure the logistics for that wouldn’t be too hard to figure out.
As far as local teams in the state tournament, Vernon (11-8) will host to Brick Township (10-5) Saturday at 11 a.m. at VTHS. Vernon has been playing some nice lacrosse despite the 17-3 setback to Hunterdon Central in the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex tournament semifinals.
Moorestown (11-4) and Ridgewood (11-6), which just bumped off previously undefeated Summit 10-7, are the favorites to meet in the group final.
In Group 2, No. 15 Jefferson (9-10) will host a first-round game against No. 18 Morris Hills (8-8). Sparta (9-5), the No. 5 seed face No. 12 Gov. Livingston (12-5) in the second round.
Sparta has lost two straight, but the Spartans should advance against a Gov. Livingston team that just beat Lenape Valley 9-4.
Somerville (15-1) and Chatham (11-7) are the top seeds in Group 2 and should make their way through to the final.
In Group 1, No. 24 Lenape Valley (10-7) will face No. 9 Mahwah (9-5) in a Pooley versus Rizk Division battle. Newton (8-8) will play Shore power Rumson (15-0), Kittatinny (10-5), the No. 22 seed and battling numerous injuries, will travel to face No. 11 Bernards (12-6).
Group 1, as everyone knows who follows lacrosse, is a meat grinder with Summit (15-1), Morris County champ Mountain Lakes (12-4) as well as Kinnelon (9-8) and Glen Ridge (12-3).
This group is always a pick’em so it could be any of the teams I mentioned. I know, nice copout.
And in Non-Public A, Pope John (6-12), the No. 12 seed will travel to Jersey City to face No. 5 St. Peter’s Prep (12-5).
Don Bosco (16-0) is the favorite to win the title here but you can never count out Delbarton (11-5).
Below are the pairings for the entire state, so get out there and enjoy a game this weekend.
That’s it for now, see you on the sidelines.
The pairings have been released for the NJSIAA boys lacrosse tournament, which is scheduled to get under way Saturday.
The group championship games are set for May 30 and the Tournament of Champions state final is scheduled for June 9.
Seedings precede the teams.
GROUP 4
17-Watchung Hills at 16-Washington Township, winner at 1-Bridgewater-Raritan. 24-Freehold Township at 9-Southern. 25-Old Bridge at 8-Hillsborough. 28-TomsRiver North at 5-Eastern. 21-Absegami at 12-Lenape. 20-Brick Memorial at 13-Columbia. 29-West Orange at 4-Westfield. 19-Morris Knolls at 14-Cherokee, winner at 3-Hunterdon Central. 22-Egg Harbor at 11-Livingston. 27-East Brunswick at 6-Jackson. 26-Howell at 7-Montclair. 23-Randolph at 10-RancocasValley. 18-Cherry Hill East at 15-South Brunswick, winner at 2-Ridge.
GROUP 3
32-Steinert at 1-Moorestown. 17-Wayne Valley at 16-Mainland. 24-West Windsor-Plainsboro North at 9-West Windsor-Plainsboro South. 25-Roxbury at 8-Morristown. 28-Oakcrest at 5-Monroe. 21-TomsRiver East at 12-West Morris. 20-Fair Lawn at 13-Princeton. 29-TomsRiver South at 4-Mount Olive. 30-Old Tappan at 3-Montgomery. 19-Brick Township at 14-Vernon. 22-Clearview at 11-Millburn. 27-Hanover Park at 6-Montville. 26-Hightstown at 7-Shawnee. 23-Scotch Plains-Fanwood at 10-Kingsway. 18-North Hunterdon at 15-Colts Neck. 31-Jackson Liberty at 2-Ridgewood.
GROUP 2
17-Manasquan at 16-Demarest, winner at 1-Somerville. 9-Northern Highlands at 8-Lakeland. 12-Gov. Livingston at 5-Sparta. 13-Wayne Hills at 4-Seneca. 19-West Milford at 14-Allentown, winner at 3-Hopewell Valley. 11-Ramapo at 6-PascackValley. 10-Holmdel at 7-Mendham. 18-Morris Hills at 15-Jefferson, winner at 2-Chatham.
GROUP 1
33-Pascack Hills at 32-New Egypt, winner at 1-Summit. 17-West Essex at 16-Johnson. 24-Lenape Valley at 9-Mahwah. 25-Waldwick at 8-New Providence. 28-Shore Regional at 5-Glen Rock. 21-Pequannock at 12-Voorhees. 20-Red Bank at 13-West Deptford. 29-Newton at 4-Rumson-Fair Haven. 30-Barnegat at 3-Glen Ridge. 19-Delaware Valley at 14-Robbinsville. 22-Kittatinny at 11-Bernards. 27-Middle Township at 6-Kinnelon. 26-North Warren at 7-Caldwell. 23-River Dell at 10-Haddonfield. 18-Verona at 15-Madison. 31-Woodstown at 2-Mountain Lakes.
NON-PUBLIC A
9-Notre Dame-Lawrence at 8-St. Joseph (Met.), winner at 1-Don Bosco Prep. 12-Pope John at 5-St. Peter's Prep. 13-St. John Vianney at 4-Seton Hall Prep. 14-Paul VI at 3-St. Augustine Prep. 11-St. Joseph (Mont.) at 6-Bergen Catholic. 10-Red Bank Catholic at 7-Christian Brothers, winner at 2-Delbarton.
NON-PUBLIC B
9-Bishop Eustace at 8-Newark Academy, winner at 1-Montclair Kimberley. 12-Moorestown Friends at 5-Gloucester Catholic. 13-St. Rose at 4-Oratory. 11-Holy Cross-Delran at 6-Morristown-Beard, winner at 3-Pingry. 10-Dwight-Englewood at 7-DePaul, winner at 2-Immaculata.
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