Sunday, December 05, 2010

Games I attended in 2010

09/10: Penns Grove at Glassboro - could be the best game I will see as BORO pulls out a one point victory

09/11: Washington Twp. at Winslow Twp. - great win for Winslow

09/17: Glassboro at Schalick - Boro showed offense and defense!

09/18: Haddon Twp. at Paulsboro - Paulsboro looked very good!

09/24: Glassboro at Gloucester - Gloucester showed more than Schalick di the week before

09/25: Deptford at Gloucester Catholic - GC gets a win! Deptford has problems

10/01: Pitman at Glassboro - Pitman showed more than most people expected

10/02: Woodrow Wilson at Gloucester Catholic - Wilson will compete with camden for Division title. Good at the skill positions but needs more line work.

10/08: Glassboro at Woodstown - BOR started off slow and turned in on in the third with a 35-0 lead.

10/09: College game - Maine at Delaware - Delaware is ranked #2 and this team looks like a champion!

10/15: Glassboro at Pennsville - PV is for real!!!

10/16: Collingswood at Paulsboro - Paulsboro turned it on in the 2nd half

10/22: Kingsway at Williamstown - not much defense, but a lot of offense

10/23: Haddon Heights at Woodbury - Woodbury showed that they are a very good team for Group 1

10/29: Camden at Delsea - Delsea got back on track and this game was never in doubt

10/30: Salem at Glassboro (Homecoming) (with Rowan Homecoming across the street)

11/05: Clearview at Cumberland - Cumberland clearly the better team and I am surprised they lost so badly to Kingsway!

11/06: Glassboro at Camden - strategy error cost the Bulldogs

11/12: Group 1 Playoffs (Gloucester at Glassboro) - Glassboro fell behind 6-0 and then ran off 40 straight points

11/13: Group 1 Playoffs (Schalick at Paulsboro) - Schalick played it close for a while

11/19: Group 1 Playoffs (Pennsville at Glassboro) - great game in 2 OTs

11/20: Group 1 Playoffs (Paulsboro at Woodbury) - Paulsboro rebounds after 3 straight losses to Woodbury and sets up a Boro vs. Boro final

11/24: Kingsway at Clearview - Clearview was ahead, but Kingsway scored last 2 TDs

11/25: Deptford at Glassboro - BORO played well in first half and sloppy in 2nd half.

11/26: Willingboro at Holy Cross - Great OT game!

11/27: St. Joe's at Hammonton - tied game going into the 4th

12/04: Playoffs - Group 1 final: Paulsboro at Glassboro - Glassboro totally dominates game

26 high school games and 1 college game

2010 - South Jersey overall rankings - Final - 12/05/10

2010 - South Jersey overall rankings 12/05/10

Traditional South Jersey only!!!!

My rules: NOTICE THE CHANGES!

1. No more than 6 from any one group or from all Non-Publics - the top 5 from each Group and one wildcard for 26 teams. Group 4 gets the wildcard again this week.

2. I have my own “ratings points” system (similar to power points, but not the same) and it is used to determine rankings of teams with same records that have not met on the field. The ratings have a small factor for large victories which equal having beat an opponent with one more win and the same bonus for an OT loss. There is a much bigger factor for the Group size of the opponent! Beating or losing to a team one Group higher equals adding one win to their record, so if a Group 1 team beats or loses to a Group 2 team with a 5-5 record, then it is like beating a Group 1 team with a 6-4 record. Likewise if a Group 2 team beats a Group 1 team with a 5-5 record, it is like beating a Group 2 team with a 4-6 record.

3. Playoff wins/losses count for more ratings points than regular season wins/losses, so teams advance higher in rankings the deeper they go into the playoffs. I also give more credit for a consolation game win as in most cases it shows the strength against a team of almost equal record from another conference. Although I would like to find a way to give more credit for playing in a tougher conference, this is a start.

4. If teams have same wins/losses and have met on the field, then the result of that game counts. If they met twice and split, then ratings points count. If a 3rd team with same record is between them in ratings points, then I revert to a “gut feeling” as to where to put the 3rd team.

5. In final rankings, no team can be ranked above a team that has 1 more win/1 less loss unless
ratings points are 10% higher and no team can be ranked above a team that has 2 more wins/2 less losses unless ratings points are 25% higher. If a team has 1 less win and same number of losses or same number of wins and 1 more loss, the factor is 5%, However if the two teams have met on the field then the winner may be ranked higher (I have to make that tough call on a “gut feeling”). Similar factors are used for other win/loss variations.

6. Teams that are disqualified from playoffs receive points as if they were in playoffs and beat lower seeded teams and lost to higher seeded teams (with an exception if the higher seeded team was upset by the team that took the disqualified team’s seed). Teams with byes get credit for a win also. Teams disqualified from or not participating in consolations receive same points earned by the team that I speculate played their “would have been” opponent. So, there are assumed wins and losses to be sure that every team has at least a 10 game rating. Playoff teams who made it to the second round have an advantage as they have 11 or 12 games. This ranks them higher, so playoff survival is a big factor and all champions should normally be in the final top ten.

7. Forfeits do not help/hurt opponents. On the field counts, but a small factor (as per rule #2) is given to the team that received the forfeit win and the team that forfeited cannot receive large victory points! If the state used my system, teams that received forfeit wins would not be helped making the playoffs and the teams that beat the forfeiting team would not be punished.

8. Once playoffs begin, I give credit to teams in playoffs in determining their ratings points and that affects their rankings. In all cases I assumed a higher seeded team wins in playoffs, so they can move up or down if the lower seed wins.

9. Beginning in 2011, the ratings will be based on games within the last year. When a team plays it’s first game, the previous year’s game against same opponent no longer counts (or the opponent that was replaced).



All undefeated and one loss teams are in the top 10 as there are only 7. All Group Champions are in the top 6.

1. Holy Spirit (12-0) – Non-Public #1 – way ahead in ratings points if they win the finals.

2. Cherokee (12-0) – Group 4 #1

That ends the undefeated - many of the teams below could beat or lose to a higher ranked team “on any given day”. 5 of the 8 teams (1 Group 1, 2 Group 2, 2 Group 3, 1 Group 4 and 2 Non-Public) I saw Thanksgiving weekend just didn’t seem to have the speed that I see in the top 5 Group 1 teams (that I see frequently) and a couple of Group 2 teams. So, anybody’s rankings are fickle as anything can happen when good teams meet!

3. St. Joe's (10-1) – Non-Public #2 – beat Hammonton more convincingly than Delsea, which helped prove my ratings points system – loss was by 35 points

4. Haddonfield (11-1) – Group 2 #1 – loss was by 3 points and they avenged it

5. West Deptford (11-1) – Group - 2 #2 – loss was by 8 points and they had previously beat that team – highest ranked 1 loss team without a championship – closest loss of Finals losers

6. Glassboro (10-2) - Group 1 #1 – Can’t put them higher with 2 losses – looked very good in finals as they were finally healthy, but overall season counts – losses were by a total of 10 points and they avenged one of the losses – they were ready for anybody in the finals - best line play of season! Two 1000+ yds. running backs!

7. Delsea (10-2) – Group 3 #1 – losses were by 69 points and they avenged one of them – highest ranked 2 loss team without a championship

8. Oakcrest (9-3) – Group 4 #2 – losses were by 87 points

9. Penns Grove (8-1) - Group 1 #2 – best team not in playoffs – a successful 2 point conversion (which they thought they made, but didn’t cry about) in game 1 and a Group Championship (for an undefeated season) would have moved them to #3!

10. Willingboro (10-1) – Group 2 #3 – loss was by 11 points


So, the top 10 is the top 2 Non-Publics, 2 Group 4, 1 Group 3, 3 Group 2 and 2 Group 1. 3 from Atlantic County, 3 from Gloucester County, 2 from Burlington County, 1 from Camden County and 1 from Salem County. Each group has their top 2 except for Group 3.

That ends the 1 loss teams, so they all made the top 10! All 9 finalists are in the top 12.

11. Paul VI (8-2) - Non-Public #3 - misfortune of being in toughest Group in state – big loss to Lenape keeps them out of top 10.

12. Paulsboro (9-3) - Group 1 #3 – the only finalist that I did not place at the top.

13. Woodbury (9-2) - Group 1 #4 – still a strong team for Group 1 and can beat many teams from bigger Groups! Only below Paulsboro because the playoffs count for more than the regular season.

The next 4 could be in order. They are stron teams that could probably beat several teams above them, but with 4 or 5 losses, they can’t be higher than this. AC has the most ratings points, but lost to Hammonton which lost to EHT which lost to AC. All of the next 4 have a lot of ratings points but not enough to jump the 2 loss teams above them as per rule #5. They just all have too many losses to be ranked higher. Hammonton and AC outrank EHT with better win-loss records and Hammonton beat AC. This is where the “gut feeling” is used to place Winslow.

14. Hammonton (7-4) - Group 3 #2 - with 4 losses they land here.

15. Atlantic City (7-4) - Group 4 #3

So, the top 15 is the top 3 Non-Publics, 3 from Group 4, 2 from Group 3, 3 from Group 2 and 4 from Group 1. 5 from Gloucester County, 5 from Atlantic County, 2 from Burlington, 2 from Camden County and 1 from Salem County. Each group has their top 3 except for Group 3 and they are right below.

16. Winslow Twp. (7-4) – Group 3 #3

17. Egg Harbor Township (6-5) – Group 4 #4 – despite 5 losses they had a ton of ratings points!

18. Williamstown (7-3) - Group 4 #5

Weak schedules hurt the next 2 in their ratings

19. Pennsville (9-2) – Group 1 #5 – looked very good until 2nd half of semi-final game and blown out on T-Day – edged out Holy Cross by .25 in my ratings points

20. Holy Cross (8-2) - Non-Public #4 – last of the 2 loss teams

21. Moorestown (7-3) - Group 3 #4

22. Cumberland (7-3) – Group 3 #5

23. Millville (6-4) – Group 4 wildcard

24. Camden Catholic (5-5) - Non-Public #5 – 8th seed

25. Camden (6-4) Group 2 #5

26. Lower Cape May (8-3) - Group 2 #5

8-3 team not under consideration: New Egypt

7-3 team not under consideration: Palmyra

Mainland would be 7-3 if not for forfeits, but would still not be ranked


Let me know of any typos please! I am half blind (should be a ref if I didn't have bad knees) and have fumble fingers when I type!

2010 - Group 1 Rankings - Final - 12/05/10

2010 - Group 1 Rankings - 12/05/10


1. Glassboro (10-2)

2. Penns Grove (8-1)

3. Paulsboro (9-3)

4. Woodbury (9-2)

5. Pennsville (9-2)

6. New Egypt (8-3) - Central Jersey Group 1

7. Palmyra (7-3) - Now in Central Jersey Group 1!

8. Schalick (6-4)

9. Audubon (5-5)

10. Gloucester (5-5) - losses are to playoff teams

11. Florence (6-4) - Central Jersey Group 1

12. Pitman (5-5) – wins over Wildwood, Woodstown, Salem and Lindenwold

13. Haddon Heights (4-6)

14. Salem (5-5) - wins over Wildwood, Clayton , CAMDEN and Overbrook

15. Overbrook (3-7)

16. Woodstown (3-7)

17. Lindenwold (2-8)

18. Haddon Twp. (2-8)

19. Burlington City (3-7) - in Central Jersey Group 1

20. Maple Shade (1-9)

21. Gateway (1-9)

22. Riverside (0-10) - Central Jersey Group 1

23. Clayton (1-9)

24. Wildwood (0-9)

2010 - Tri-County Rankings - Final - 12/05/10

2010 - Tri-County Rankings 12/05/10

Even though this conference no longer exists for football, I will continue to rank them at least for this year as they establish themselves in the West Jersey Football League.


1. Glassboro (10-2)

2. Delsea (10-2)

3. Penns Grove (8-1)

4. Pennsville (9-2)

5. Williamstown (7-3) – now gets Township on T-day

6. Cumberland (7-3)

7. Kingsway (6-4) – beat Cumberland, but Cumberland came on strong at end. Cumberland gets edge with 1 more victory and 0.25 more “ratings points” (as explained in overall rankings and smallest margin between any 2 teams). Toughest call in all of my rankings!

8. Clearview (4-6)

9. Schalick (6-4) – easier schedule than those above

10. Gloucester (5-5)

11. Gloucester Catholic (3-7)

12. Deptford (3-7)

13. Pitman (5-5) - beat Salem, Woodstown, Clayton and Wildwood

14. Salem (5-5) – beat Woodstown, Clayton, Wildwood and CAMDEN!

15. Woodstown (3-7)

16. Highland (0-10)

17. Clayton (1-9)

18. Wildwood (0-9)

2010 - Gloucester County Rankings - Final - 12/05/10

2010 - Gloucester County Rankings: 12/05/10


1. West Deptford (11-1)

2. Glassboro (10-2)

3. Delsea (10-2)

4. Paulsboro (9-3)

5. Woodbury (9-2)

6. Williamstown (7-3)

7. Kingsway (6-4)

8. Clearview (4-6) – despite losing to Washington Township, Clearview had a better overall season and outpointed WT by 5.25 “ratings points” (as explained in the overall SJ rankings). You can also look at it as Clearview beat Winslow and Cherry Hill East which both beat Township which beat the View.

9. Washington Twp. (3-7)

10. Deptford (3-7)

11. Pitman (5-5)

12. Gateway (1-9)

13. Clayton (1-9)

Update: 12/05/10

This weeks significant/interesting games: All Playoff Finals!

The undefeated:

Holy Spirit 14, St. Joe’s – Montvale 13 - Spirit showed me why I should rank them on top as they beat a perennial state power. This is not to say that others could not have done the same, but they did it and deserve credit.

Cherokee 33, Oakcrest 6 – Crest scored late to avoid shutout

The one loss teams:

Haddonfield 16, West Deptford 8 – Haddonfield pulls the upset and gives Camden County 1 champion

St. Joe’s 40, St. Mary’s 0 – St. Joe’s really had no competition in this group! Atlantic County has 2 champions.

Two loss teams:

Lacey Twp. 56, Delsea 7

Glassboro 36, Paulsboro 0 – Gloucester County has 1 champion

Three loss teams:

Oakcrest mentioned above

Paulsboro mentioned above

My top 5 for each public group: I have started a rating points system which is somewhat explained as to how I use it in the overall rankings. Possible wildcards (no more than 2 per Group) have higher ratings points than at least one top 5 from another Group. The one with the highest rating will get the wildcard.

(after Saturday 12/04)

Group 4:

1. Cherokee (12-0)

2. Oakcrest (9-3)

3. Atlantic City (7-4)

4. Egg Harbor Township (6-5)

5. Williamstown (7-3)

Possible wildcards:

Millville (6-4)

Shawnee (6-4)



Group 3:

1. Delsea (10-2)

2. Hammonton (7-4)

3. Winslow Twp. (7-4)

4. Moorestown (7-3)

5. Cumberland (7-3)

Possible wildcards:

Kingsway (6-4)

Woodrow Wilson (6-4)

Lacey Twp. is favored to win the playoffs.


Group 2:

1. Haddonfield (11-1)

2. West Deptford (11-1)

3. Willingboro (10-1)

4. Camden (6-4)

5. Lower Cape May (7-3)


Group 1: Any of the top 3 could end up my final #1

1. Glassboro (10-2) – bad decision on 4th down cost them game against Group 2 playoff team – one win against a top 4 seed – nice 1st round win and exciting 2nd round come from behind win

2. Penns Grove (8-1) - only loss to Glassboro (by 1 point) and has hammered everybody since – no wins against a top 4 seed – best team not in playoffs – remember that the blowouts are due to not having enough players to put in 3rd string. Very good team with limited number of players – loss to NJSIAA rules hurts – Salem County Champion!

3. Paulsboro (9-3)

4. Woodbury (9-2)

5. Pennsville (9-2)


New Egypt (8-3) just would not be able to hang with the above teams, but they were in the Central semi-finals.

Glassboro and Paulsboro avenged regular season losses on their way to the finals.


Non-Publics (all together):

1. Holy Spirit (12-0)

2. St. Joseph's (10-1)

3. Paul VI (8-2)

4. Holy Cross (8-2)

5. Camden Catholic (5-5)


Gloucester Catholic, St. Augustine and Bishop Eustace were not able to contend for these rankings this year.