Atlantic Physical Therapy Week 9 Shore Conference Football Previews and Picks
The road to a state championship begins this week as the 2026 NJSIAA public school football playoffs kick off across New Jersey, with teams looking to keep their seasons alive and move one step closer to a sectional title. Several teams that did not qualify for the postseason will compete in consolation games, while non-public school teams have one final week of regular-season action before beginning their playoff journeys next week.
This year’s picks and previews are sponsored by Dave Manzo and Atlantic Physical Therapy.
With more than 30 convenient locations throughout New Jersey, Atlantic Physical Therapy Center provides personalized, patient-focused care to help people of all ages recover from injuries, manage pain, and get back to doing what they love. Their licensed physical therapists offer individualized treatment, along with services such as sports rehabilitation, dry needling, cupping, kinesiology taping, concussion management, and a variety of wellness and performance programs designed to help athletes recover, perform, and stay healthy.
Whether you’re working your way back from an injury or looking to perform at your best, Atlantic Physical Therapy Center is committed to helping you come back stronger and more confident than before.
We thank Atlantic Physical Therapy Center for its support of Shore Conference football and Shore Sports Insider.
Now, onto our Week 9 picks and previews.
| Stump | Smith | Crouthamel | Yeserski | Manzo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THURSDAY | |||||
| South River at Keansburg | Keansburg | Keansburg | Keansburg | Keansburg | Keansburg |
| Keyport at Manchester | Manchester | Manchester | Manchester | Manchester | Manchester |
| Lacey at Middle Twp. | Middle | Lacey | Lacey | Middle | Middle |
| Colts Neck at TR East | Colts Neck | Colts Neck | TR East | TR East | Colts Neck |
| Florence at New Egypt | New Egypt | New Egypt | New Egypt | New Egypt | New Egypt |
| Raritan at South Plainfield | South Plainfield | Raritan | South Plainfield | Raritan | South Plainfield |
| FRIDAY | |||||
| Jackson at Rancocas Valley | Rancocas Valley | Rancocas Valley | Rancocas Valley | Rancocas Valley | Rancocas Valley |
| Free. Twp. at Williamstown | Williamstown | Freehold Twp. | Freehold Twp. | Freehold Twp. | Freehold Twp. |
| Trenton at Southern | Southern | Southern | Southern | Southern | Southern |
| Manalapan at TR North | TR North | TR North | TR North | TR North | TR North |
| Ridge at Midd South | Ridge | Midd South | Ridge | Midd South | Midd South |
| Watchung Hills at Midd North | Midd North | Midd North | Midd North | Midd North | Midd North |
| Absegami at Brick Memorial | Brick Memorial | Brick Memorial | Brick Memorial | Brick Memorial | Brick Memorial |
| Howell at Shawnee | Shawnee | Shawnee | Shawnee | Shawnee | Shawnee |
| TR South at Winslow | Winslow | Winslow | Winslow | Winslow | Winslow |
| Steinert at Marlboro | Marlboro | Marlboro | Marlboro | Marlboro | Steinert |
| Matawan at Cranford | Cranford | Cranford | Cranford | Cranford | Cranford |
| Somerville at Holmdel | Holmdel | Holmdel | Holmdel | Holmdel | Holmdel |
| Barnegat at Camden | Camden | Camden | Camden | Camden | Camden |
| Brick at Burlington Twp. | Burlington Twp. | Burlington Twp. | Brick | Brick | Brick |
| Triton at Pinelands | Pinelands | Pinelands | Pinelands | Pinelands | Pinelands |
| Sterling at RFH | RFH | RFH | RFH | RFH | RFH |
| Lower Cape May at Point Boro | Point Boro | Point Boro | Point Boro | Point Boro | Point Boro |
| Manasquan at Gloucester City | Manasquan | Manasquan | Manasquan | Manasquan | Gloucester City |
| Wall at Monmouth | Wall | Wall | Wall | Wall | Wall |
| Shore at Manville | Shore | Shore | Manville | Shore | Manville |
| Long Branch at Freehold Boro | Long Branch | Long Branch | Long Branch | Freehold Boro | Long Branch |
| St. Peter's Prep at RBC | St. Peter's Prep | St. Peter's Prep | RBC | RBC | RBC |
| SATURDAY | |||||
| Red Bank at Oakcrest | Oakcrest | Oakcrest | Oakcrest | Oakcrest | Oakcrest |
| Ocean at Camden Eastside | Camden Eastside | Camden Eastside | Camden Eastside | Camden Eastside | Camden Eastside |
| Point Beach at Paulsboro | Paulsboro | Paulsboro | Paulsboro | Point Beach | Paulsboro |
| SJV at Pope John | Pope John | Pope John | SJV | Pope John | SJV |
| Donovan at St. Joseph Met. | Donovan | Donovan | Donovan | Donovan | Donovan |
| Last week | 16-5 | 18-3 | 18-3 | 16-5 | 15-6 |
| Season record | 146-51 | 157-40 | 143-54 | 141-56 | 146-51 |
Previews
For this week’s NJSIAA public school playoff openers, Shore Sports Insider is taking a different approach to its weekly football previews. Instead of individual game previews, we have provided links to comprehensive breakdowns of every public school playoff section featuring Shore Conference teams. Each preview highlights the favorites, contenders, dark horses, Shore Conference teams’ chances, and key players to watch. Next week we will return to individual game previews.
