Nine CAL football teams reach playoffs – four get home openers

By TOM WILLIAMS

Nine football teams from Cape-Atlantic League schools seem to have qualified for the NJSIAA South Jersey playoffs after the results of today’s games.

Two teams qualified in Group 5 – No. 3 seed and defending champion Millville will host No. 6 seed Williamstown and No. 8 Vineland will go to No. 1 Lenape. In other matchups, No. 7 Eastern will be at No. 2 Rancocas Valley and No. 5 Cherokee will go to No. 4 Howell.

Absegami qualified in Group 4 as the No 5 seed and will go to No. 4 Shawnee. Other first round games will include No. 8 Pennsauken at No. 1 Moorestown, No. 7 Highland at No. 2 Burlington Township and No. 6 Hammonton at No. 3 Central Regional. Bridgeton missed qualifying in Group 4 by one power rating point.

Ocean City qualified in Group 3 as the No. 5 seed and will travel to No. 4 Delsea. Other games in Group 3 next weekend are No. 8 Seneca at No. 1 Timber Creek, No. 7 Deptford at No. 2 Woodrow Wilson and No. 6 Lakewood at No. 3 Lacey.

Two CAL teams qualified in Group 2 – No. 4 Cedar Creek will host No. 5 Willingboro and No. 8 Pleasantville will go to No. 1 West Deptford. Other Group 2 games are No. 7 Cinnaminson at No. 2 Camden and No. 6 Haddonfield at No. 3 Sterling in a re-match of a game played today.

In Non-Public 4, St. Augustine Prep, the No. 8 seed, will travel north to play No. 1 Bergen Catholic, a team ranked No. 25 in the nation by MaxPreps.

Two CAL teams qualified in Non-Public 2 – No. 1 St. Joseph will host St. Mary and No. 2 Holy Spirit will host Gloucester Catholic.

Buena failed to qualify in Group 1 by six power rating points.

These final power ratings, seedings and first round matchups will be officially confirmed or changed tomorrow (Sunday) following a meeting at the NJSIAA office.

Teams that do not qualify for the playoffs will be assigned a consolation game on Thursday or Saturday. The semifinal round of the playoffs will be on Nov. 17-18 with each game played on the field of the highest seeded participant. The championship games will be played Dec. 1-3 on neutral fields to be announced.