How was your vacation? Mine was ok. But in August things are going to start to get real busy around Varsity Aces HQ. We will be getting ready for our soccer (boys and girls) and football preview sections, starting the Top 25 Countdowns for each sport.
I’m also considering a new 12 for ’13 feature, similar to the 12 for ’12 series I worked on last year. Coming up with 12 high-profile North Jersey senior athletes is an interesting challenge.
We also have a Title IX profile in the works, and I must say, it’s still a very interesting subject.
And there is football. And remember, everything you knew about the alignment for HS football is changed now in 2012. There are now five classes in each group – plus new leagues and conferences.
I did the 5 Group listing back in May, but here it is again in case you forgot. The state football finals this year will be Nov. 30 and Dec. 1st. Opening weekend is Sept. 7/8th.
NORTH 1
Group 1
Becton
Bogota
Boonton
Butler
Cedar Grove
Cresskill
Emerson
Hasbrouck Heights
New Milford
Park Ridge
Pompton Lakes
Saddle Brook
Sussex Vo-Tech
Verona
Wallington
Wood-Ridge
Group 2
Dumont
Elmwood Park
Glen Rock
Hawthorne
Hopatcong
Kinnelon
Kittatinny
Manchester
Newton
North Warren
Pascack Hills
Pequannock
Ramsey
Waldwick/Midland Park
Wallkill Valley
Westwood
Group 3
Bergenfield
Garfield
High Point
Indian Hills
Jefferson
Lakeland
Mahwah
Morris Hills
Parsippany
Pascack Valley
Passaic Valley
Ramapo
River Dell
Sparta
Tenafly
West Essex
Group 4
Belleville
Fair Lawn
Hackensack
Montville
Mount Olive
Northern Highlands
Demarest
Old Tappan
Paramus
Ridgewood
Roxbury
Teaneck
Vernon
Wayne Hills
Wayne Valley
West Milford
Group 5
Bergen Tech
Bloomfield
Clifton
East Orange
Eastside
Kearny
Kennedy
Livingston
Montclair
Morris Knolls
North Bergen
Passaic
Passaic Tech
Randolph
Union City
West Orange
NORTH 2
Group 1
Belvidere
Bound Brook
Brearley
Dayton
Dunellen
Glen Ridge
Harrison
Hoboken
New Providence
North Arlington
Ridgefield
Roselle Park
Secaucus
Shabazz
Weehawken
Whippany Park
Group 2
Caldwell
Central-Newark
Cliffside Park
Dover
Fort Lee
Hackettstown
Hanover Park
Lenape Valley
Lodi
Lyndhurst
Madison
Dwight Morrow
Mountain Lakes
Orange
Ridgefield Park
Rutherford
Group 3
Carteret
Chatham
Cranford
Newark East Side
Governor Livingston
New Brunswick
Nutley
Palisades Park/Leonia
Parsippany Hills
Rahway
Somerville
South Plainfield
Summit
Voorhees
West Side
And remember….the NJIC and Big North have new alignments for football as well.
Here is the NJIC, four divisions of 7:
Colonial: Elmwood Park, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hawthorne, Lodi, Manchester Regional, Rutherford
Meadowlands: Becton, Hasbrouck Heights, North Arlington, Palisades Park/Leonia, Saddle Brook, Queen of Peace, Waldwick/Midland Park
Liberty: Cresskill, Harrison, Lyndhurst, New Milford, Pompton Lakes, Ridgefield, Secaucus
Patriot: Bogota, Emerson, Park Ridge, St. Mary’s, Wallington, Weehawken, Wood-Ridge
Here is the Big North, eight divisions of 4/5 teams:
Freedom: Ridgewood, Hackensack, Passaic, Kennedy
Liberty: PCTI, Clifton, Fair Lawn, Eastside
Colonial: Wayne Hills, Paramus, Wayne Valley, Teaneck, Northern Highlands
National: Lakeland, Old Tappan, Tenafly, Demarest, Indian Hills
Independence: Ramapo, Pascack Valley, West Milford, Passaic Valley, Bergenfield
Patriot: River Dell, Westwood, Mahwah, Englewood, Fort Lee
American: Ramsey, Pascack Hills, Ridgefield Park, Cliffside Park, Dumont
United: Bosco, Bergen, St. Joseph, DePaul and Paramus Catholic
No, I didnt memorize all these, I keep a chart down by my desk. But this is a handy reference guide going forward.
I must admit, I haven’t been in the loop too much, watching the Olympics and everything. I did have a great chat with Ridgewood football coach Chuck Johnson early one morning on the boardwalk at the shore. I always run into somebody down there, its such a small world. Congrats to Rutherford for winning the 17U UGALS American Division title. I got a great picture of the team, but am still not able to post any pictures yet. Some kind of hacking issue. I hope we get that taken care of.
Did yall see the news on Quadree Hubbard?? I hope he is able to get a chance to play again somewhere.
I’m worried that Clifton may not field a gymnastics team – I havent heard if they have a new coach or what. My friends keep telling me Don Bosco star Alquadin Muhammad is heading to Alabama, but there is no official news there….I will have to ask him that myself, wearing my LSU hat when I do it.