The road to MetLife Stadium is getting shorter, and New Jersey high school football‘s postseason is already producing its share of surprises.
The opening round of the 2026 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association football playoffs eliminated half of the 160 public-school qualifiers, leaving 80 teams competing for 20 sectional championships and, ultimately, five public-school state titles.
Among the biggest developments was Deptford‘s 14-10 upset of top-seeded Hopewell Valley in Central Jersey Group 3. Trenton Central knocked off Southern Regional 34-29 in South Jersey Group 5, while Hawthorne edged Wallkill Valley 20-18 in North Jersey Group 1.
Other contenders left little doubt about their intentions.
Washington Township rolled past South Brunswick 56-14, Toms River North defeated Manalapan 42-7 and Camden shut out Barnegat 43-0.
The public-school playoffs now move into the sectional semifinals Friday, Nov. 6,…
Source: www.si.com — Read the original article
