Boys Soccer NJSIAA Tournament Preview: The Shore in Groups 1 & 2

For the past three seasons, Delran has foiled the plans of two different Shore Conference boys soccer programs as they pursued overall NJSIAA state championships. The Bears handled Rumson-Fair Haven int he 2021 Group II semifinals and beat Holmdel in each of the past two Group II semifinals. Delran could again play spoiler for any number of Shore Conference contenders in Group II, only now the Bears will get a much earlier opportunity to do so.

Delran is one of five noteworthy programs — four of which are top-five seeds in the section — to move into Central Jersey Group II this season and the massive shift has created a super-bracket in Central Jersey. Along with the Bears, top-seeded Cinnaminson,  second-seeded Robbinsville and fifth-seeded Ocean moved into the section — Cinnaminson from South Group II and Robbinsville and Ocean from Central Group III. Allentown also moved in from Central Group III and although the Redbirds are a No. 16 seed, they have a proud soccer tradition.

All of those power programs join mainstays like Holmdel, Rumson, Wall, Manasquan, Bordentown and Governor Livingston to make one of the best pound-for-pound brackets in the entire state. Manchester and Barnegat, meanwhile, will try to take advantage of a depleted South Jersey field in Group II that will host the Central Jersey winner in the Group II semifinals, but will be facing a more battle-tested opponent.

It has been six years since the Shore has broken through with a Group II title, but one does not have to go back far in the record books to find a Group I champion from the Jersey Shore. The 2023 was Shore Regional’s breakthrough campaign, during which the Blue Devils won a second straight Central Group I title on the way to their first ever Group I championship. The Shore Conference options in Group I are limited – Point Pleasant Beach is the only other Shore team in the field — but Shore’s recent championship success gives the Blue Devils a chance to again represent the conference on the final weekend of the season.

Central Jersey Group II

Shore Teams in the Field: No. 5 Ocean, No. 6 Manasquan, No. 7 Rumson-Fair Haven, No. 8 Holmdel, No. 10 Wall, No. 12 Point Pleasant Boro, No. 15 Raritan
Top Seed: Cinnaminson
Defending Champion: Holmdel
Favorite: No. 2 Robbinsville

Dark Horse: Holmdel. A two-time defending sectional champion with the program pedigree of Holmdel is hardly a team flying under the radar, but even in an uneven season like this one, the Hornets have a chance to win another trophy. They have been through Class A North division battles as part of a schedule that has Holmdel ready to take on contingent of teams leading the Central Group II field. Holmdel is one of several Shore Conference teams that have a chance to win the sectional as a team seeded outside of the top four, including four programs that have won at least one sectional title since 2018.

Bracket Breakdown: Central Jersey Group II was already a strong section in recent years and the addition of two programs – Robbinsville and No. 4 Delran – make it one of the most loaded public sections in the state. Both teams are defending sectional champions, with Robbinsville winning the Group III title and Delran losing in the Group II title. Throw in No. 1 Cinnaminson, No. 3 Bordentown and Shore Conference Tournament semifinalist Ocean, and the section has an overwhelming number of legitimate championship contenders. Manasquan is a No. 6 team loaded with seniors and one year removed from losing in the sectional final. Rumson-Fair Haven is three years removed from winning the section and has beaten the likes of CBA and Toms River North, while Wall is two years removed from reaching the sectional final and beat Rumson, 4-0, earlier this season. As for Point Boro and Raritan, the final two Shore teams in the field will be up against it, but Point Boro is playing well heading into the state tournament and Raritan has played multiple competitive games against teams in this field.

Championship Prediction: Robbinsville over Delran. There are several championship contenders from the Shore Conference in this field and the only problem with that is that there are multiple contenders from outside the Shore as well. Manasquan has been itching at another shot at the sectional title since losing to Holmdel in last year’s final and this might be Manasquan’s best chance to win its first sectional title. The only issue is that the Warriors will have a daunting road to a championship that will have to go through second-seeded and one-loss Robbinsville. If Manasquan can find its way past Bordentown and Robbinsville to reach the final, the Warriors would be hard to stop, regardless of how far the Warriors might have to travel to win the title. The same could be said for Ocean and its draw on the same side of the bracket as Delran, Cinnaminson and Holmdel, as well as Rumson-Fair Haven and Wall landing on the side of the bracket with Robbinsville and Manasquan.

South Jersey Group II

Shore Teams in the Field: No. 3 Manchester, No. 12 Barnegat
Top Seed: West Deptford
Defending Champion: Delran (No. 4 in Central Group II)
Favorite: No. 2 Haddon Heights.

Dark Horse: No. 13 Cedar Creek. A 5-13 record does not suggest Cedar Creek is a team to fear, but the Pirates of Group III and IV teams from South Jersey and owns wins over Ocean City and Vineland. Cedar Creek has a lot of work to do, but the Pirates have played a tougher schedule than any other team on their side of the bracket, so they should be prepared for anything. One of those teams on that side of the bracket is Barnegat and while the Bengals did not play a schedule that stacks up with that of Cedar Creek, they have been competitive against every team on their schedule this season.

Bracket Breakdown: Manchester is the Shore’s best hope in this section and the Hawks just saw a seven-game winning streak snapped with an 8-0 loss to Central, but in the seven games prior, they showed they could go on a long winning streak. The competition standing in the way is not as overwhelming as it usually is in South Jersey Group II, where Delran has reigned as a dominant force for the past eight NJSIAA Tournaments, but West Deptford and No. 2 Haddon Heights have been the two best teams within the field all year.

Championship Prediction: Haddon Heights over West Deptford. Delran’s move to Central Jersey has created a major opportunity for the remaining teams in South Jersey Group II and the top two seeds are in the best position to capitalize. Manchester will have a chance to make a run, while No. 4 Sterling is a contender on the other side of the bracket.

Central Jersey Group I

Shore Teams in the Field: No. 1 Shore, No. 11 Point Pleasant Beach
Top Seed: Shore
Defending Champion: Shore
Favorite: Shore

Dark Horse: Point Beach. The Garnet Gulls have a favorable draw that gives the young Garnet Gulls a chance to make a run into next week. Point Beach has the second-best winning percentage of any team in the field – better than all of the top-four seeds – and has played some high-quality programs this year to get ready for this part of the calendar.

Bracket Breakdown: The top two seeds are well-positioned to reach the championship game. Shore is the defending Group I champion and many of the players who played key roles on last year’s team are back to try to repeat. The Blue Devils’ primary competition will be No. 2 Florence, although the Flashes head into the tournament 0-3-1 in their last four games. On the way to the final, Shore could run into College Achieve Central in the semifinal round, which would be a rematch of the 2023 sectional championship game – won by Shore in overtime.

Championship Prediction: Shore over Florence. Like Florence, Shore limps into the state tournament on a three-game losing streak, but the Blue Devils have put in the work preparing against teams that are better than what they will see in Central Jersey Group I. Shore will have to find its rhythm to win another overall group title but with the No. 1 seed and an experienced roster, a third straight Central Group I title is right in front of the Blue Devils.