Atlantic Physical Therapy Baseball 2026 SCT Watch: Projecting the Field

Shore Sports Insider 2026 Baseball SCT Watch

Sponsored by Atlantic Physical Therapy

This week marks the start of the Shore Conference Tournament, so in lieu of the traditional Shore Sports Insider Top 10, we are projecting the SCT field, which will officially be seeded on Monday night.

The field is now set at 25 teams, with the top 24 teams in the Shore Conference according to power points, as well as all division champions qualifying for the tournament. Below is how the power points played out through the end of play Saturday, which marked the cutoff date to qualify for the tournament.

Shore Rank	Team	Power Points	NJSIAA Section	Section Seed
1	Rumson-Fair Haven (17-3)	32.047	CJ2	1
2	Colts Neck (14-7)	28.646	CJ3	2
3	Brick Memorial (13-6)	28.543	CJ3	3
4	Red Bank Catholic (14-4)	28.362	SJ Non-Pub A	3
5	Wall (13-6)	27.985	CJ2	3
6	Point Beach (12-4)	26.482	CJ1	3
7	Howell (11-8)	25.821	SJ4	4
8	Toms River East (11-8)	25.344	SJ3	4
9	Shore (14-5)	24.994	CJ1	5
10	Toms River South (13-6)	24.466	SJ3	5
11	Manalapan (11-10)	24.099	CJ4	4
12	Lacey (13-6)	23.941	SJ3	8
13	Red Bank (11-8)	22.986	CJ3	6
14	Ranney (9-9)	22.785	SJ Non-Pub B	4
15	St. John Vianney (12-8)	22.603	SJ Non-Pub A	5
16	Manasquan (10-7)	22.573	CJ2	9
17	St. Rose (13-5)	22.242	SJ Non-Pub B	5
18	Point Boro (11-7)	21.91	CJ2	11
19	Middletown North (10-8)	21.575	NJ2G3	6
20	CBA (9-8)	21.008	SJ Non-Pub A	6
21	Freehold Twp. (10-8)	20.086	CJ4	6
22	Southern (7-11)	19.284	SJ4	12
23	Marlboro (9-9)	18.811	CJ4	10
24	Barnegat (8-11)	18.635	SJ2	5
	Jackson (6-14)	18.223	CJ4	13
	Toms River North (8-10)	18.177	SJ4	14
25	Keyport (13-3)	17.451	CJ1	7
	Raritan (8-9)	17.201	CJ2	14
	Donovan Catholic (5-11)	15.253	SJ Non-Pub A	10
	Central (6-10)	15.224	SJ4	17
	New Egypt (6-10)	14.807	CJ1	10
	Ocean (6-12)	14.661	CJ2	15
	Lakewood (10-6)	14.559	CJ3	13
	Matawan (6-10)	14.388	NJ2G3	13
	Holmdel (6-12)	14.364	CJ2	16
	Pinelands (6-10)	14.194	SJ3	16
	Manchester (6-12)	14.183	SJ2	13
	Brick (4-15)	13.76	CJ3	15
	Monmouth (5-11)	13.465	CJ2	17
	Middletown South (3-13)	12.824	CJ3	16
	Long Branch (6-10)	11.748	CJ3	17
	Neptune (7-10)	11.51	CJ3	18
	Freehold Boro (3-15)	11.247	CJ3	19
	Henry Hudson (6-9)	10.567	CJ1	15
	Keansburg (5-11)	8.8	CJ1	19
	Asbury Park (0-12)	6.135	CJ1	20

Although power points are the determining factor in qualifying for the tournament, they will not be the primary means by which the tournament is seeded. A committee of seven coaches will vote on the seeds on Monday night and their consensus will determine the 2026 SCT bracket, which begins play on Wednesday with the opening round.

As for this exercise, power points were a secondary consideration when seeding the teams. While power points (which reward teams for beating opponents that win games) is the best method of measuring teams from around the state against one another, within the Shore Conference, there is an opportunity to dig deeper. Since the conference now aligns its divisions based on power points, the best teams from the prior year end up playing one another and the bottom teams in those power divisions don’t accumulate as many wins, therefore beating those teams is not as valuable as beating a division-leader from a lesser division.

As an example, Ranney won the Monmouth County Tournament, but is lagging in power points because playing beating the bottom of Class A North does not deliver significant power points, not to mention going 0-4 against a difficult out-of-division schedule during the regular season (Poly Prep, Pascack Valley, DePaul and Point Pleasant Beach).

With that in mind, the A divisions of the Shore Conference are treated as they were designed: as the divisions with the best teams from top-to-bottom. There are exceptions, but the county tournaments more-or-less proved the teams from the A divisions are indeed better on the whole and the best teams from the B and C divisions, while capable of winning on a given day, faced much easier division schedules. The committee may or may not agree entirely, but with the third-place Class A North team and the fourth-place Class A South team winning their respective county titles, the theory holds weight.

With all that said, here is how I have the field heading into Monday’s games.

1. Red Bank Catholic (14-4, 8-2)

Power-Point Rank: 4 (28.362)
Division Wins: Howell (2), Middletown South (2), Ranney (2), at CBA, Manalapan
Division Losses: CBA, at Manalapan
Non-Division Wins: At Jackson, Manalapan (MCT), Barnegat, at Brick Memorial, at Bergen Catholic, at South Plainfield
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Monroe, Howell (MCT)
Why They’re Here: Two of RBC’s four losses were lopsided defeats at the hands of Manalpaan and Howell, the latter of which was in the Monmouth County Tournament semifinals. The reason RBC still has the strongest case to be No. 1 is the Caseys are 2-1 against both those teams this season, plus 1-1 vs. CBA and 2-0 vs. Ranney. Last week’s win over Brick Memorial is the only loss the Mustangs have suffered in the last nine games, providing further weight to the Caseys’ No. 1 argument.

 

2. Point Pleasant Beach (12-4, 7-3)

Power-Point Rank: 6 (26.482)
Division Wins: Brick Memorial (2), Southern (2), Wall (2), at Jackson
Division Losses: Toms River East (2), Jackson
Non-Division Wins: At Brick, Pinelands (OCT), at Bayonne, Ranney, Point Boro
Non-Division Losses: Southern (OCT)
Why They’re Here: An 0-2 record vs. Toms River East and a quarterfinal loss at home to Southern are blemishes that could cost a team the No. 2 seed in a lot of years, but that has just been the nature of baseball in the Shore Conference this season. Besides, Point Beach does plenty to counter those losses. The Garnet Gulls swept Ocean County Tournament champion Brick Memorial as well as Wall during the regular season and bolstered their résumé this week with wins over Bayonne, Ranney and Point Boro.

 

3. Brick Memorial (13-6, 5-5)

Power-Point Rank: 3 (28.543)
Division Wins: Jackson (2), at Southern, Toms River East, Wall
Division Losses: Point Beach (2), Southern, at Toms River East, at Wall
Non-Division Wins: Manasquan, at Shore, at DePaul, Brick (OCT), Lacey (OCT), at Toms River East (OCT), vs. Toms River South (OCT), at Brick
Non-Division Losses: Red Bank Catholic
Why They’re Here: Brick Memorial is playing the best baseball of any team in the conference right now factoring in the numbers the Mustangs are putting up and which teams they are doing it against. Throw in a win over a loaded DePaul team that crushed Ranney last week and the case for No. 1 is not far-fetched. The head-to-head, however, has to matter, which is why the Class A South champion that beat Brick Memorial twice and the Class A North champion that beat the Mustangs just last week will likely be seeded in front of them.

 

4. Ranney (9-9, 5-5)

Power-Point Rank: 15 (22.785)
Division Wins: CBA (2), Howell, Manalapan, Middletown South
Division Losses: Red Bank Catholic (2), at Howell, at Manalapan, at Middletown South
Non-Division Wins: At Middletown South (MCT), at CBA (MCT), at Rumson-Fair Haven (MCT), vs. Howell (MCT)
Non-Division Losses: Poly Prep (N.Y.), at Pascack Valley, DePaul, at Point Beach
Why They’re Here: The next two teams in the seeding are in the back-half of the top 24 power-point list, but are pretty clearly victims of Shore Conference alignment. Because the Class A North teams beat up on one another and played hard out-of-conference schedules, the records are not robust and it is sapping the power-point totals, particularly for Ranney and CBA. Ranney won the Monmouth County Tournament by beating CBA for a third time, Rumson-Fair Haven and Howell, giving the Panthers some of the best wins on the board and a tournament championship to boot.

 

5. Christian Brothers Academy (9-8, 6-3)

Power-Point Rank: 20 (21.008)
Division Wins: Manalapan (2), Middletown South (2), at Howell, at Red Bank Catholic
Division Losses: Ranney (2), Red Bank Catholic
Non-Division Wins: At St. Augustine (Calif.), vs. Ocean City, St. Peter’s Prep
Non-Division Losses: At Eastlake (Calif.), at Point Loma (Calif.), at Birmingham Community Charter (Calif.), Hun, Ranney (MCT)
Why They’re Here: Even with the No. 20 power-point total in the Shore Conference, CBA has done enough to land in the top eight and the top-five status is defensible, to say the least. The Colts are 2-0 vs. Manalapan, own a win over Red Bank Catholic and handled Howell in the lone game the two teams played vs. one another. Last week’s 15-1 win over St. Peter’s Prep to go along with the 15-10 win at RBC a week earlier reveal a lineup that is heating up and while the pitching staff has not been 100 percent healthy all year, it remains deep and capable.

 

6. Rumson-Fair Haven (17-3, 11-1)

Power-Point Rank: 1 (32.047)
Division Wins: Colts Neck (2), Freehold Twp. (2), Monmouth (2), Ocean (2), Raritan (2), Middletown North
Division Losses: At Middletown North
Non-Division Wins: Barnegat, at Toms River East, St. Rose (MCT), Marlboro (MCT), Howell, Red Bank
Non-Division Losses: At Caldwell, Ranney (MCT)
Why They’re Here: The Bulldogs have a huge lead on the field in power points and while the head-to-head loss to Ranney and a loss to Middletown North calls into question whether they should be No. 1, a top four seed is a reasonable expectation. The only problem with that is a head-to-head loss to Ranney, which is a combined 0-3 vs. Point Beach and Red Bank Catholic. With that in mind, Rumson would have to jump CBA and Brick Memorial to get to No. 4 – not far-fetched as it pertains to CBA, but Brick Memorial has the more impressive résumé, despite the power-point disparity.

 

7. Howell (11-8, 4-5)

Power-Point Rank: 7 (25.821)
Division Wins: Middletown South (2), Manalapan, Ranney
Division Losses: Red Bank Catholic (2), CBA, at Manalapan, at Ranney
Non-Division Wins: At St. John Vianney, at Middletown North, Southern, St. John Vianney (MCT), at Wall (MCT), at Red Bank Catholic (MCT), at Lawrence
Non-Division Losses: At Rumson-Fair Haven, vs. Ranney (MCT), vs. Shore
Why They’re Here: A head-to-head loss vs. Rumson came in a game in which both teams were prioritizing other games, but it still has to be a tie-breaking between two teams that are in the same tier. The Rebels boast wins over Class A North foes RBC, Ranney and Manalapan and did some excellent work outside the division with wins over Wall in the Monmouth County Tournament and 16-win Lawrence. A 10-0 win over Lawrence Saturday snapped the Cardinals’ 10-game winning streak.

 

8. Toms River East (11-8, 6-4)

Power-Point Rank: 8 (25.344)
Division Wins: Point Beach (2), Brick Memorial, Jackson, at Southern, at Wall
Division Losses: At Brick Memorial, at Jackson, Southern, Wall
Non-Division Wins: Donovan Catholic (OCT), at Central, Toms River North (OCT), Colts Neck, Donovan Catholic
Non-Division Losses: Rumson-Fair Haven, St. Joseph Metuchen, Brick Memorial (OCT), Toms River North
Why They’re Here: Toms River East is the living example of how hard it is to sweep a team in a multi-game series. The Raiders have played seven teams multiple times and the only teams they have beaten twice are Donovan Catholic and No. 2 Point Beach. Those two wins over Point Beach are the reason Toms River East sits ahead of Wall and Manalapan, even with losses to non-SCT teams Jackson and Toms River North.

 

9. Manalapan (11-10, 5-5)

Power-Point Rank: 11 (24.099)
Division Wins: Middletown South (2), Howell, Ranney, Red Bank Catholic
Division Losses: CBA (2), at Howell, at Ranney, at Red Bank Catholic
Non-Division Wins: Vs. John Carroll (Fla.), vs. Edgewood (Oh.), Robbinsville, Manasquan (MCT), at Freehold Twp., Bayonne
Non-Division Losses: Vs. Northmont (Oh.), vs. Kings (Oh.), at Red Bank Catholic (MCT), Notre Dame, Colts Neck
Why They’re Here: This is where the rankings can get tough to parse. The Braves could slot behind Wall, Colts Neck and Toms River South, but this installment is giving them some respect for handling Red Bank Catholic and losing two other one-run games to the Caseys. Howell and Ranney are also quality wins, as are Robbinsville and Bayonne. The loss to Colts Neck makes things complicated, but outside of that result, Manalapan has the better standout wins without as many games that could be considered slip-ups.

 

10. Wall (13-6, 6-4)

Power-Point Rank: 5 (27.985)
Division Wins: Jackson (2), Southern (2), Brick Memorial, at Toms River East
Division Losses: Point Beach (2), at Brick Memorial, Toms River East
Non-Division Wins: Shore (MCT), at Manasquan, St. Rose, at West Windsor-Plainsboro South, Toms River North, St. John Vianney, at Toms River South
Non-Division Losses: Howell (MCT), Steinert
Why They’re Here: Just like Manalapan has the win over RBC without a win over CBA, Wall has a win over Brick Memorial, but a 0-2 mark vs. Point Beach. Wall tied Toms River East in the Class A South division standings so the Crimson Knights have a fair claim to the No. 8 seed, but the head-to-head loss to Howell in the MCT means the Crimson Knights’ ceiling is No. 8.

 

11. Shore (14-5, 9-2)

Power-Point Point Rank: 9 (24.994)
Division Wins: Holmdel (2), Marlboro (2), Matawan (2), St. John Vianney (2), at Freehold Boro
Division Losses: Red Bank (2)
Non-Division Wins: At Manasquan (MCT-Jarmusz), at Middletown South (MCT-Jarmusz), Pinelands, at Manchester, vs. Howell
Non-Division Losses: Manasquan, Brick Memorial, at Wall (MCT)
Why They’re Here: Owners of the Shore Conference’s longest winning streak (11 games), the Blue Devils are proving lately that they hang with some of the Shore’s best. They knocked off Howell in a regular-season meeting between the teams at ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood and lost competitive games to Manasquan ace Chase Kaplan and to Wall in the MCT first round. Two losses to Red Bank damage the résumé, but the fact that those games were the first series of the season makes those losses more palatable.

 

12. Manasquan (10-7, 8-3)

Power-Point Rank: 16 (22.573)
Division Wins: Brick (2), Central (2), Toms River South (2), Donovan Catholic, Point Boro
Division Losses: Toms River North (2), at Point Boro
Non-Division Wins: At Shore, Raritan
Non-Division Losses: At Brick Memorial, at Manalapan (MCT), Wall, Shore (MCT-Jarmusz)
Why They’re Here: The Warriors have hung around the Class B South division race and not only do they have a chance to clinch a share of the title Monday at Donovan Catholic with ace Chase Kaplan on the mound; they can clinch the division with two wins over fellow co-champ, Toms River South. Manasquan is currently 5-0 in games started by Kaplan and 5-7 in all other games, but those head-to-head wins over Toms River South have to be considered, as long as the teams are close in the seeding.

 

13. Toms River South (13-6, 9-3)

Power-Point Rank: 10 (24.466)
Division Wins: Brick (2), Donovan Catholic (2), Point Boro (2), Toms River North (2), at Central
Division Losses: Manasquan (2), Central
Non-Division Wins: New Egypt (OCT), Monroe, Point Boro (OCT), Southern (OCT)
Non-Division Losses: At Schalick, vs. Brick Memorial (OCT), Wall
Why They’re Here: There is an argument to be made the Toms River South should still be seeded ahead of Manasquan based on a better overall résumé, plus the fact that Manasquan’s success is closely tied to one pitcher who may not pitch in either of the first two rounds of the SCT. For the seeding to work in Toms River South’s favor, however, the Indians will have to climb a few spots clear of Manasquan, which would have been easier had they been able to knock off Wall on Saturday. Toms River South does not have any singular wins that stand out, but the overall consistency and a 3-0 record vs. Point Boro could be rewarded with a better draw when it comes time to seed.

 

14. Colts Neck (14-7, 10-2)

Power-Point Rank: 2 (28.646)
Division Wins: Freehold Twp. (2), Middletown North (2), Monmouth (2), Ocean (2), Raritan (2)
Division Losses: Rumson-Fair Haven (2)
Non-Division Wins: Vs. Pittsford Mendon (N.Y.), vs. Churchville Chili (N.Y.), St. John Vianney (MCT-Jarmusz), at Manalapan
Non-Division Losses: Marlboro (MCT), Point Boro, vs. Monroe, at Red Bank, at Toms River East
Why They’re Here: The power points say Colts Neck should be much higher and going by the ceiling of the Cougars’ roster, the power points might be onto something. The problem Colts Neck has based on more traditional résumé evaluation is a lack of noteworthy wins and several non-divisional losses to teams that will be seeded behind many of the teams Colts Neck would potentially jump. The loss to Point Boro makes it hard to argue for the Cougars over Toms River South, while a win over Manalapan will be weighed against losses to Marlboro and Red Bank. To Colts Neck’s credit, it did not stumble within the B North division, assuming we are not considering losses to Rumson a stumble.

 

15. Southern (7-11, 2-8)

Power Points: 22 (19.284)
Division Wins: At Brick Memorial, at Toms River East
Division Losses: Jackson (2), Point Beach (2), Wall (2), Brick Memorial, Toms River East
Non-Division Wins: Vs. Pinelands, at Jackson (OCT), at Point Beach (OCT), at Donovan Catholic, at Lacey
Non-Division Losses: At Howell, at Toms River South (OCT), at Middle Twp.
Why They’re Here: Toms River South and Colts Neck have been the steady B-division teams with a lot of wins, but not a lot of notable ones. Southern has been the total opposite. Although the Rams are four games below .500, most of those seven wins are impressive: two Ocean County Tournament wins (Jackson, Point Beach), regular-season wins over Brick Memorial and Toms River East, plus a win at Lacey, where the Lions are 10-1.

 

16. Point Pleasant Boro (11-7, 8-4)

Power-Point Rank: 18 (21.91)
Division Wins: Brick (2), Central (2), Toms River North (2), Donovan Catholic, Manasquan
Division Losses: Toms River South (2), at Donovan Catholic, at Manasquan
Non-Division Wins: At Colts Neck, Manchester (OCT), Barnegat
Non-Division Losses: Lacey, at Toms River South (OCT), at Point Beach
Why They’re Here: The Panthers are just about the complete opposite of Southern. They are 11-7, but outside of a road win over Colts Neck, are lacking the marquee wins to climb higher on the board, which is reflected in their power-point number. Colts Neck, Manasquan and Barnegat are Point Boro’s wins vs. tournament teams and the Manasquan win was not in a game started by Kaplan.

 

17. Freehold Township (10-8, 6-6)

Power-Point Rank: 21 (20.086)
Division Wins: Middletown North (2), Ocean (2), at Monmouth, at Raritan
Division Losses: Colts Neck (2), Rumson-Fair Haven (2), Monmouth, Raritan
Non-Division Wins: West Windsor-Plainsboro South, at Marlboro, Freehold Boro, at Toms River North
Non-Division Losses: St. John Vianney, Manalapan
Why They’re Here: There are teams with more noteworthy wins than what Freehold Township has to offer, but the Patriots have beaten two of them, hence their ranking ahead of them. Two wins over Middletown North and a finish in the Class B North standings ahead of the Lions are enough for Freehold Township to settle in one spot ahead of its division rival.

 

18. Middletown North (10-8, 5-7)

Power-Point Rank: 19 (21.575)
Division Wins: Ocean (2), Monmouth, Raritan, Rumson-Fair Haven
Division Losses: Colts Neck (2), Freehold Twp. (2), at Monmouth, at Raritan, at Rumson-Fair Haven
Non-Division Wins: Rahway, St. John Vianney, Holmdel, Long Branch, Barnegat
Non-Division Losses: Howell
Why They’re Here: Two losses to Freehold Township and splits with Raritan and Monmouth are keeping Middletown North from a better seed, but a win over Rumson is one of the best wins on the board beyond the Top 10. A win over St. John Vianney also helps the Lions, but it helps Freehold Township even more, considering SJV beat Freehold Township early in the season.

 

19. St. John Vianney (12-8, 9-3)

Power-Point Rank: 15 (22.603)
Division Wins: Freehold Boro (2), Holmdel (2), Marlboro (2), Red Bank (2), at Matawan
Division Losses: Shore (2), Matawan
Non-Division Wins: At Freehold Twp., St. Rose (MCT-Jarmusz), Manchester
Non-Division Losses: Howell, at Howell (MCT), at Middletown North, at Colts Neck (MCT-Jarmusz), at Wall
Why They’re Here: With six wins over teams that made the tournament, St. John Vianney has the kind of steady résumé that could be worthy of a home game. A loss to Matawan and two losses to Shore will go down as missed opportunities for SJV, which does not have a win like Middletown North has vs. Rumson. Outside of the losses to Middletown North and Matawan, all of Vianney’s losses are to teams in the power-point top 10.

 

20. Marlboro (9-9, 7-5)

Power-Point Rank: 23 (18.811)
Division Wins: Freehold Boro (2), Holmdel (2), Red Bank (2), Matawan
Division Losses: St. John Vianney (2), Shore (2), at Matawan
Non-Division Wins: at Colts Neck (MCT), at Monmouth
Non-Division Losses: At Rumson-Fair Haven (MCT), Middletown South, Freehold Twp., Toms River North
Why They’re Here: A Monmouth County Tournament win over Colts Neck is better than St. John Vianney’s best win, but the Mustangs lost twice to the Lancers and finished two games behind them in the standings as well. Two wins over Red Bank and the Colts Neck win should get the Mustangs into the Top 20 and if they need even more of a boost, a close, 4-3 loss to Rumson in the MCT quarterfinals should help their case.

 

21. Red Bank (11-8, 7-5)

Power-Point Rank: 13 (22.986)
Division Wins: Holmdel (2), Matawan (2), Shore (2), at Freehold Boro
Division Losses: Marlboro (2), St. John Vianney (2), Freehold Boro
Non-Division Wins: Mahwah, at Raritan, Colts Neck, at Keyport
Non-Division Losses: East Brunswick, at Lacey, at Rumson-Fair Haven
Why They’re Here: Two losses each to Marlboro and St. John Vianney and, perhaps, a loss to Lacey will serve as spoilers for Red Bank, which has three very impressive wins on its résumé. The Bucs swept Shore to open the season for both teams and also knocked off Colts Neck. Those wins could be enough to protect them from getting jumped by Lacey because Red Bank’s body of work is stronger than that of the team that won Lacey’s division.

 

22. St. Rose (13-5, 9-1)

Power-Point Rank: 17 (22.242)
Division Wins: Barnegat (2), Manchester (2), New Egypt (2), Pinelands (2), Lacey
Division Losses: At Lacey
Non-Division Wins: At Jackson, at Matawan, Neptune, Perth Amboy
Non-Division Losses: At Rumson-Fair Haven (MCT), Brick, at St. John Vianney (MCT-Jarmusz), at Wall
Why They’re Here: St. Rose does not have a better résumé than does Lacey and the two teams split their regular-season series, so there is a case for Lacey jumping St. Rose. The seeding committee, however, tends to honor clear division champions, which describes St. Rose after the Purple Roses finished two games in front of Lacey. They also have a very good one-two punch on the mound, so while that Lacey win is the only really noteworthy one St. Rose has, the Roses could still be dangerous once play starts on Wednesday. As for the prospect of jumping Red Bank, St. Rose also has a loss outside the tournament (Brick) to overcome.

 

23. Lacey (13-6, 7-3)

Power-Point Rank: 12 (23.941)
Division Wins: Barnegat (2), Manchester (2), New Egypt, Pinelands, St. Rose
Division Losses: At New Egypt, at Pinelands, at St. Rose
Non-Division Wins: Holmdel, Central, Brick, Central (OCT), at Point Boro, Red Bank
Non-Division Losses: At Brick Memorial (OCT), Southern, at Donovan Catholic
Why They’re Here: With wins over Point Boro, Red Bank and St. Rose, the No. 12 ranking at the Shore in power points and a 10-1 record at home, the Lions will feel cheated if the seeding breaks this way. Currently, they are dealing with three related problems: 1) St. Rose won the division; 2) St. Rose didn’t beat a tournament team outside the division; 3) Lacey has losses to Pinelands, New Egypt and Donovan Catholic. With three losses to teams that finished well outside the field and a second-place finish in the division, Lacey will be a hard team to place given that there is also a lot to like about the Lions.

 

24. Barnegat (8-11, 5-5)

Power-Point Rank: 24 (18.635)
Division Wins: New Egypt (2), Pinelands (2), Manchester
Division Losses: Lacey (2), St. Rose (2), at Manchester
Non-Division Wins: Vs. J.P. Stevens, Lakewood, at Ocean
Non-Division Losses: At Rumson-Fair Haven, at Toms River North (OCT), at Point Boro, at Red Bank Catholic, Raritan, at Middletown North
Why They’re Here: The Bengals are 0-8 vs. teams that made the Shore Conference Tournament and also have three losses to Shore teams that did not make it. There are some signs that Barnegat has been unlucky during the season and could be a dangerous No. 24 seed, but the Bengals will almost certainly be the No. 24 seed.

 

25. Keyport (13-3, 11-1)

Power-Point Rank: 27 (17.451)
Division Wins: Asbury Park (2), Henry Hudson (2), Keansburg (2), Lakewood (2), Neptune (2), at Long Branch
Division Losses: Long Branch
Non-Division Wins: Perth Amboy Magnet, Linden
Non-Division Losses: Red Bank, at Holmdel
Why They’re Here: The Red Raiders are division champions for the first time in over two decades and that earns them the right to enter the Shore Conference Tournament, even after falling outside the top 24 in powers points over the last week. With the No. 27 ranking in the conference in power points, 11 of its 13 wins coming vs. Class D North, and two out-of-conference wins over teams that are a combined 6-28, Keyport will come in as the No. 25 seed on Monday night.

 

 

First-Round Pairings

(25) Keyport at (8) Toms River East

(24) Barnegat at (9) Manalapan

(23) Lacey at (10) Wall

(22) St. Rose at (11) Shore

(21) Red Bank at (12) Manasquan

(20) Marlboro at (13) Toms River South

(19) St. John Vianney at (14) Colts Neck

(18) Middletown North at (15) Southern

(17) Freehold Twp. at (16) Point Boro

 

Round of 16

(17) Freehold Twp./(16) Point Boro winner at (1) Red Bank Catholic

(18) Middletown North/(15) Southern winner at (2) Point Beach

(19) St. John Vianney/(14) Colts Neck winner at (3) Brick Memorial

(20) Marlboro/(13) Toms River South winner at (4) Ranney

(21) Red Bank/(12) Manasquan winner at (5) CBA

(22) St. Rose/(11) Shore winner at (6) Rumson-Fair Haven

(23) Lacey/(10) Wall winner at (7) Howell

(24) Barnegat/(9) Manalapan winner vs. (25) Keyport/(8) Toms River East winner