by Alex Schwartz

It is state playoff time in the state of New Jersey. Five days from now, the NJSIAA sectionals will begin and hundreds of teams will be vying for a a number of different trophies, with the ultimate goal being a Tournament of Champions crown. Last year Trenton Catholic shocked the Garden State in its run to the TOC crown, defeating Camden Catholic in the championship.

For those unfamiliar with how the NJSIAA state playoffs work, the public schools are broken down into four groups, with IV being the largest schools and I being the smallest. Within the four groups there are four sections and the sectional champions play one another—North I vs. North II, Central vs. South, then the winner meet—to determine the state champion. For the non-public schools, there are two groups, A and B, and two sections within those groups.

The sectional champs within each group play each other to determine the group winner. The six teams who have won state titles then advance to the Tournament of Champions to determine the best team in New Jersey. Prep schools and independent schools are ineligible for the NJSIAA state tournament, meaning that teams such as St. Benedict's and Life Center Academy will not participate.

As usual, the most anticipated game will be Non-Public North B sectional final. Although the game generally ends up deciding who wins the TOC, this year it is even bigger. St. Patrick's and St. Anthony's are on a collision course for the game, which will determine much more than a sectional champion. It will likely determine the mythical national champion, as the bitter rivals are the consensus top two teams in the nation.

Without further ado, check out my projections for the 2011 NJSIAA state tournament. The opening round games in each bracket are not listed, but the winners of those games are the teams projected into the quarterfinals, though there are some teams with byes. To view all the brackets, click Here.

SECTIONALS

NORTH I, GROUP I
Quarterfinals
#1 Wood-Ridge over #9 Palisades Park
#5 Saddle Brook over #4 Wallington
#3 Cresskill over #6 Bogota
#2 Verona over #10 Becton

Semifinals
#1 Wood-Ridge over #5 Saddle Brook
#3 Cresskill over #2 Verona

Final
#3 Cresskill over #1 Wood-Ridge
North I, Group I Sectional Champion: Cresskill

NORTH II, GROUP I
Quarterfinals
#1 Dayton over #8 Hoboken
#4 Newark Vo Tech over #5 Dunellen
#3 University over #11 Roselle Park
#2 New Providence over #10 Bloomfield Tech

Semifinals
#4 Newark Vo Tech over #1 Dayton
#2 New Providence over #3 University

Final
#2 New Providence over #4 Newark Vo Tech
North II, Group I Sectional Champion: New Providence

CENTRAL, GROUP I
Quarterfinals
#9 Pt. Pleasant Beach over #1 Bound Brook
#4 Asbury Park over #5 Florence
#3 New Egypt over #6 South Hunterdon
#2 Piscataway Tech over #7 Burlington City

Semifinals
#9 Pt. Pleasant Beach over #4 Asbury Park
#3 New Egypt over #2 Piscataway Tech

Final
#9 Pt. Pleasant Beach over #3 New Egypt
Central, Group I Sectional Champion: Pt. Pleasant Beach

SOUTH, GROUP I
Quarterfinals
#1 Pitman over #9 Haddon Township
#5 Paulsboro over #4 Gloucester City
#2 Penns Grove over #7 Woodbury
#3 Lindenwold over #11 Schalik

Semifinals
#1 Pitman over #5 Paulsboro
#2 Penns Grove over #3 Lindenwold

Final
#1 Pitman over #2 Penns Grove
South, Group I Sectional Champion: Pitman

NORTH I, GROUP II
Quarterfinals
#1 Pascack Hills over #9 North Warren
#4 Elmwood Park over #5 Hopatcong
#6 Manchester Regional over #3 Mountain Lakes
#2 Pequannock over #10 Lenape Valley

Semifinals
#1 Pascack Hills over #4 Elmwood Park
#2 Pequannock over #6 Manchester Regional

Final
#2 Pequannock over #1 Pascack Hills
North I, Group II Sectional Champion: Pequannock

NORTH II, GROUP II
Quarterfinals
#1 Newark Central over #8 Cliffside Park
#4 Orange over #5 Rutherford
#3 Ridgefield Park over #6 Hackettstown
#10 Newark Tech over #2 Madison

Semifinals
#1 Newark Central over #4 Orange
#10 Newark Tech over #3 Ridgefield Park

Final
#1 Newark Central over #10 Newark Tech
North II, Group II Sectional Champion: Newark Central

CENTRAL, GROUP II
Quarterfinals
#1 Raritan over #9 Middlesex
#5 Shabazz over #4 Governor Livingston
#3 Rumson over #6 Carteret
#2 Ewing over #7 Roselle

Semifinals
#5 Shabazz over #1 Raritan
#2 Ewing over #3 Rumson

Final
#2 Ewing over #5 Shabazz
Central, Group II Sectional Champion: Ewing

SOUTH, GROUP II
Quarterfinals
#1 Lakewood over #9 Pt. Pleasant Boro
#4 Collingswood over #5 Medford Tech
#3 Cinnaminson over #6 Haddonfield
#2 Middle Township over #10 Lower Cape May

Semifinals
#1 Lakewood over #4 Collingswood
#2 Middle Township over #3 Cinnaminson

Final
#2 Middle Township over #1 Lakewood
South, Group II Sectional Champion: Middle Township

NORTH I, GROUP III
Quartefinals
#1 Tenafly over #8 Passaic Valley
#5 West Milford over #4 Old Tappan
#3 Pascack Valley over #6 Mount Olive
#2 Teaneck over #7 Ramapo

Semifinals
#1 Tenafly over #5 West Milford
#2 Teaneck over #3 Pascack Valley

Final
#2 Teaneck over #1 Teanfly
North I, Group III Sectional Champion: Teaneck

NORTH II, GROUP III
Quarterfinals
#8 Plainfield over #1 Somerville
#4 Rahway over #12 Irvington
#3 Mendham over #11 Colonia
#2 Newark Eastside over #7 Scotch Plains-Fanwood

Semifinals
#8 Plainfield over #4 Rahway
#2 Newark Eastside over #3 Mendham

Final
#2 Newark Eastside over #8 Plainfield
North II, Group III Sectional Champion: Newark Eastside

CENTRAL, GROUP III
Quarterfinals
#1 Colts Neck over #9 Princeton
#5 Hamilton West over #4 New Brunswick
#3 Burlington Township over #11Monmouth
#2 Neptune over #7 Freehold Boro

Semifinals
#1 Colts Neck over #5 Hamilton West
#2 Neptune over #3 Burlington Township

Final
#2 Neptune over #1 Colts Neck
Central, Group III Sectional Champion: Neptune

SOUTH, GROUP III
Quarterfinals
#1 Kingsway Regional over #8 Cherry Hill West
#4 Ocean City over #5 Central Regional
#6 Deptford over #3 Lacey
#2 Manchester Township over #7 Pemberton

Semifinals
#1 Kingsway Regional over #4 Ocean City
#2 Manchester Township over #6 Deptford

Final
#1 Kingsway Regional over #2 Manchester Township
South, Group III Sectional Champion: Kingsway Regional

NORTH I, GROUP IV
Quarterfinals
#1 Livingston over #9 Paterson Eastside
#5 Hackensack over #4 Roxbury
#3 Memorial over #6 Vernon
#2 Passaic Tech over #10 Paterson Kennedy

Semifinals
#1 Livingston over #5 Hackensack
#2 Passaic Tech over #3 Memorial

Final
#2 Passaic Tech over #1 Livingston
North I, Group IV Sectional Champion: Passaic Tech

NORTH II, GROUP IV
Quarterfinals
#8 East Orange over #1 Columbia
#4 Piscataway over #5 Franklin
#3 North Hunterdon over #6 Dickinson
#2 Linden over #7 Union

Semifinals
#8 East Orange over #4 Piscataway
#2 Linden over #3 North Hunterdon

Final
#2 Linden over #8 East Orange
North II, Group IV Sectional Champion: Linden

CENTRAL, GROUP IV
Quarterfinals
#1 Middletown North over #8 West Windsor-Plainsboro North
#4 West Windsor-Plainsboro South over #5 Jackson
#11 Montgomery over #3 North Brunswick
#2 East Brunswick over #7 Hillsborough

Semifinals
#1 Middletown North over #4 West Windsor-Plainsboro South
#11 Montgomery over #2 East Brunswick

Final
#1 Middletown North over #11 Montgomery
Central, Group IV Champion: Middletown North

SOUTH, GROUP IV
Quarterfinals
#8 Atlantic City over #1 Williamstown
#4 Lenape over #5 Winslow Township
#6 Eastern Regional over #3 Oakcrest
#2 Cherry Hill East over #7 Shawnee

Semifinals
#8 Atlantic City over #4 Lenape
#2 Cherry Hill East over #6 Eastern Regional

Final
#2 Cherry Hill East over #8 Atlantic City
South, Group IV Sectional Champion: Cherry Hill East

NON-PUBLIC NORTH A
Quarterfinals
#1 Seton Hall Prep over #9 Paramus Catholic
#12 St. Joseph's Montvale over #13 Union Catholic
#3 St. Peter's Prep over #6 Delbarton
#2 Don Bosco Prep over #7 Roselle Catholic

Semifinals
#1 Seton Hall Prep over #12 St. Joseph's Montvale
#3 St. Peter's Prep over #2 Don Bosco Prep

Final
#1 Seton Hall Prep over #3 St. Peter's Prep
Non-Public North A Sectional Champion: Seton Hall Prep

NON-PUBLIC SOUTH A
Quarterfinals
#1 St. Augustine's over #8 Bishop Eustace
#4 St. Joseph's Metuchen over #5 Christian Brothers Academy
#3 Holy Spirit over #6 Camden Catholic
#2 Paul VI over #10 Monsignor Donovan

Semifinals
#4 St. Joseph's Metuchen over #1 St. Augustine's
#2 Paul VI over #3 Holy Spirit

Final
#4 St. Joseph's Metuchen over #2 Paul VI
Non-Public South A Sectional Champion: St. Joseph's Metuchen

NON-PUBLIC NORTH B
Quarterfinals
#1 St. Patrick's over #8 Marist
#5 Gill St. Bernard's over #4 Dwight-Englewood
#3 Montclair Kimberley Academy over #6 Morristown-Beard
#2 St. Anthony's over #7 Hudson Catholic

Semifinals
#1 St. Patrick's over #5 Gill St. Bernard's
#2 St. Anthony's over #3 Montclair Kimberley Academy

Final
#1 St. Patrick's over #2 St. Anthony's
Non-Public North B Sectional Champion: St. Patrick's

NON-PUBLIC SOUTH B
Quarterfinals
#1 St. Rose over #8 Moorestown Friends
#5 Wildwood Catholic over #4 Gloucester Catholic
#3 Trenton Catholic over #6 Timothy Christian
#2 Cardinal McCarrick over #7 Holy Cross

Semifinals
#1 St. Rose over #5 Wildwood Catholic
#3 Trenton Catholic over #2 Cardinal McCarrick

Final
#3 Trenton Catholic over #1 St. Rose
Non-Public South B Sectional Champion: Trenton Catholic

STATES

GROUP I
Semifinals
New Providence over Cresskill
Pt. Pleasant Beach over Pitman

Final
Pt. Pleasant Beach over New Providence
Group I State Champion: Pt. Pleasant Beach

GROUP II
Semifinals
Newark Central over Pequannock
Middle Township over Ewing

Final
Newark Central over Middle Township
Group II State Champion: Newark Central

GROUP III
Semifinals
Newark Eastside over Teaneck
Neptune over Kingsway Regional

Final
Newark Eastside over Neptune
Group III State Champion: Newark Eastside

GROUP IV
Semifinals
Linden over Passaic Tech
Middletown North over Cherry Hill East

Final
Linden over Middletown North
Group IV State Champion: Linden

NON-PUBLIC A
Final
Seton Hall Prep over St. Joseph's Metuchen
Non-Public A State Champion: Seton Hall Prep

NON-PUBLIC B
Final
St. Patrick's over Trenton Catholic
Non-Public B State Champion: St. Patrick's

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Quarterfinals
St. Patrick's- BYE
Seton Hall Prep- BYE
Newark Eastside over Newark Central
Linden over Pt. Pleasant Beach

Semifinals
St. Patrick's over Newark Eastside
Seton Hall Prep over Linden

Final
St. Patrick's over Seton Hall Prep
Tournament of Champions Champion: St. Patrick's

Note- photo on left is of Michael Gilchrist and is from http://espn.go.com/; photo on right is of Myles Mack and is from http://www.northjersey.com/