Emmons' Emphasis: 2026 N.J. public high school football playoff predictions

The Glassboro High School football team lifts coach Timmy Breaker after a 56-14 win over Cedar Grove in the NJSIAA Group1 state championship at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Friday, November 29, 2024. Joshua Guirguis for D2 Sports Network

The road to MetLife Stadium begins on Friday.

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's public high school football playoffs begin on October 30.

Throughout the sectional playoffs, the higher seed will host each game. Once Central Jersey champions are crowned in each of the public high school groups, those teams will play the respective South Jersey champions in each group's state semifinals. The North Jersey Section I winners will play the North Jersey Section II champions in the other semifinal in each group. The Central/South champion and North champion will play each other in each group's state championship. The state championships are scheduled for Saturday, November 28 and Sunday, November 29. Matchups are to be determined, and ticket information will be announced soon, per the NJSIAA.

The NJSIAA will crown seven (Groups I, II, III, IV, V, Non-Public A and Non-Public B) high school football state champions. It marks the first time all seven championships will be hosted at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

Here are group-by-group, round-by-round predictions by South Jersey Sports Zone's Kevin Emmons in each New Jersey public high school football group:

Group 1

Central Jersey Group 1

First round predictions:

(1) Paulsboro over (8) Point Pleasant Beach

(4) Audubon over (5) Clayton

(3) Woodstown over (6) Highland Park

(2) Salem over (7) Penns Grove

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Paulsboro over (4) Audubon

(2) Salem over (3) Woodstown

Sectional final prediction:

(2) Salem over (1) Paulsboro

South Jersey Group 1

First round predictions:

(1) Arthur P. Schalick over (8) Maple Shade

(4) Manville over (5) Shore Regional

(3) Pennsville over (6) Burlington City

(2) Delaware Valley over (7) Gateway

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Arthur P. Schalick over (4) Manville

(2) Delaware Valley over (3) Pennsville

Sectional final prediction:

(1) Arthur P. Schalick over (2) Delaware Valley

North Jersey Section 1, Group 1

First round predictions:

(1) Newton over (8) Verona

(4) Boonton over (5) Kinnelon

(3) Wallkill Valley over (6) Hawthorne

(2) New Milford over (7) Belvidere

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Newton over (4) Boonton

(3) Wallkill Valley over (2) New Milford

Sectional final prediction:

(1) Newton over (3) Wallkill Valley

North Jersey Section 2, Group 1

First round predictions:

(1) Cedar Grove over (8) Glen Ridge

(5) Mountain Lakes over (4) Wood-Ridge

(3) Butler over (6) Dayton

(2) Hasbrouck Heights over (7) Pompton Lakes

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Cedar Grove over (5) Mountain Lakes

(2) Hasbrouck Heights over (3) Butler

Sectional final prediction:

(1) Cedar Grove over (2) Hasbrouck Heights

Group 1 Tournament

Semifinals predictions:

(2) Salem over (1) Arthur P. Schalick

(1) Cedar Grove over (1) Newton

State final prediction:

(1) Cedar Grove over (2) Salem

Group 2

Central Jersey Group 2

First round predictions:

(1) Glassboro over (8) Overbrook

(5) Manasquan over (4) Gloucester City

(3) Point Pleasant Borough over (6) Lower Cape May

(2) Rumson-Fair Haven over (7) Sterling

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Glassboro over (5) Manasquan

(2) Rumson-Fair Haven over (3) Point Pleasant Borough

Sectional final prediction:

(1) Glassboro over (2) Rumson-Fair Haven

South Jersey Group 2

First round predictions:

(1) West Deptford over (8) Haddon Heights

(5) Wall Township over (4) Monmouth

(3) Eastside over (6) Ocean Township

(2) Haddonfield over (7) Arthur L. Johnson

Semifinals predictions:

(1) West Deptford over (5) Wall Township

(2) Haddonfield over (3) Eastside

Sectional final prediction:

(1) West Deptford over (2) Haddonfield

North Jersey Section 1, Group 2

First round predictions:

(1) Westwood over (8) Hackettstown

(4) Lakeland over (5) Vernon

(6) Hillside over (3) Rutherford

(2) Caldwell over (7) High Point

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Westwood over (4) Lakeland

(2) Caldwell over (6) Hillside

Sectional final prediction:

(2) Caldwell over (1) Westwood

North Jersey Section 2, Group 2

First round predictions:

(1) Waldwick over (8) Indian Hills

(4) New Providence over (5) Becton

(3) Bernards over (6) Hanover Park

(2) Hoboken over (7) Ramsey

Semifinals predictions:

(4) New Providence over (1) Waldwick

(2) Hoboken over (3) Bernards

Sectional final prediction:

(2) Hoboken over (4) New Providence

Group 2 Tournament

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Glassboro over (1) West Deptford

(2) Caldwell over (2) Hoboken

State final prediction:

(1) Glassboro over (2) Caldwell

Group 3

Central Jersey Group 3

First round predictions:

(1) Hopewell Valley over (8) Deptford

(4) Burlington Township over (5) Brick Township

(3) Ocean City over (6) Pleasantville

(2) Camden over (7) Barnegat

Semifinals predictions:

(4) Burlington Township over (1) Hopewell Valley

(2) Camden over (3) Ocean City

Sectional final prediction:

(2) Camden over (4) Burlington Township

South Jersey Group 3

First round predictions:

(1) Seneca over (8) Ewing

(4) Timber Creek over (5) Delran

(3) Pinelands over (6) Triton

(2) Oakcrest over (7) Red Bank Regional

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Seneca over (4) Timber Creek

(2) Oakcrest over (3) Pinelands

Sectional final prediction:

(1) Seneca over (2) Oakcrest

North Jersey Section 1, Group 3

First round predictions:

(1) Old Tappan over (8) Paramus

(4) West Morris over (5) Morris Hills

(3) Malcolm X. Shabazz over (6) Wayne Valley

(2) Cranford over (7) Matawan

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Old Tappan over (4) West Morris

(3) Malcolm X. Shabazz over (2) Cranford

Sectional final prediction:

(1) Old Tappan over (3) Malcolm X. Shabazz

North Jersey Section 2, Group 3

First round predictions:

(1) West Essex over (8) Weequahic

(4) River Dell over (5) Montville

(6) Somerville over (3) Holmdel

(2) Wayne Hills over (7) Parsippany Hills

Semifinals predictions:

(1) West Essex over (4) River Dell

(2) Wayne Hills over (6) Somerville

Sectional final prediction:

(2) Wayne Hills over (1) West Essex

Group 3 Tournament

Semifinals predictions:

(2) Camden over (1) Seneca

(1) Old Tappan over (2) Wayne Hills

State final prediction:

(1) Old Tappan over (2) Camden

Group 4

Central Jersey Group 4

First round predictions:

(1) Brick Memorial over (8) Absegami

(4) Millville over (5) Pennsauken

(3) Atlantic City over (6) Hammonton

(2) Northern Burlington over (7) Moorestown

Semifinals predictions:

(4) Millville over (1) Brick Memorial

(3) Atlantic City over (2) Northern Burlington

Sectional final prediction:

(3) Atlantic City over (4) Millville

South Jersey Group 4

First round predictions:

(1) Shawnee over (8) Howell

(5) Steinert over (4) Marlboro

(3) Bridgeton over (6) Clearview

(2) Winslow Township over (7) Toms River South

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Shawnee over (5) Steinert

(2) Winslow Township over (3) Bridgeton

Sectional final prediction:

(2) Winslow Township over (1) Shawnee

North Jersey Section 1, Group 4

First round predictions:

(1) Roxbury over (8) Carteret

(5) Ridge over (4) Middletown South

(3) Morris Knolls over (6) Summit

(2) Northern Highlands over (7) Woodbridge

Semifinals predictions:

(5) Ridge over (1) Roxbury

(2) Northern Highlands over (3) Morris Knolls

Sectional final prediction:

(2) Northern Highlands over (5) Ridge

North Jersey Section 2, Group 4

First round predictions:

(1) Middletown North over (8) Watchung Hills

(4) Teaneck over (5) Garfield

(3) Chatham over (6) Montgomery

(7) Mount Olive over (2) Rahway

Semifinals predictions:

(4) Teaneck over (1) Middletown North

(3) Chatham over (7) Mount Olive

Sectional final prediction:

(3) Chatham over (4) Teaneck

Group 4 Tournament

Semifinals predictions:

(3) Atlantic City over (2) Winslow Township

(2) Northern Highlands over (3) Chatham

State final prediction:

(3) Atlantic City over (2) Northern Highlands

Group 5

Central Jersey Group 5

First round predictions:

(1) Old Bridge over (8) Lenape

(4) Williamstown over (5) Freehold Township

(3) Sayreville over (6) Vineland

(2) Rancocas Valley over (7) Jackson Township

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Old Bridge over (4) Williamstown

(2) Rancocas Valley over (3) Sayreville

Sectional final prediction:

(2) Rancocas Valley over (1) Old Bridge

South Jersey Group 5

First round predictions:

(1) Washington Township over (8) South Brunswick

(5) Eastern over (4) Egg Harbor Township

(3) Toms River North over (6) Manalapan

(2) Southern over (7) Trenton

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Washington Township over (5) Eastern

(2) Southern over (3) Toms River North

Sectional final prediction:

(1) Washington Township over (3) Southern

North Jersey Section 1, Group 5

First round predictions:

(1) Ramapo over (8) Franklin

(4) Irvington over (5) Perth Amboy

(3) Piscataway over (6) Bayonne

(2) West Orange over (7) Union

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Ramapo over (4) Irvington

(2) West Orange over (3) Piscataway

Sectional final prediction:

(2) West Orange over (1) Ramapo

North Jersey Section 2, Group 5

First round predictions:

(1) Elizabeth over (8) Linden

(4) Passaic Tech over (5) Bridgewater-Raritan

(3) Phillipsburg over (6) Ridgewood

(2) East Orange over (7) Union City

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Elizabeth over (4) Passaic Tech

(3) Phillipsburg over (2) East Orange

Sectional final prediction:

(1) Elizabeth over (3) Phillipsburg

Group 5 Tournament

Semifinals predictions:

(1) Washington Township over (2) Rancocas Valley

(2) West Orange over (1) Elizabeth

State final prediction:

(1) Washington Township over (2) West Orange