Playoff picture

Most schools will be playing their fourth football games of the season this weekend -- halfway to eight and the cutoff number for the state football playoffs. This weekend includes a couple of games that will go a long way in determining where our schools will sit for the next few weeks. Central Jersey Group II and North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV are very intriguing to us because of all the local activity. Tonight, Rahway (3-0), currently the second seed in Central Jersey Group II plays at North Plainfield (3-0), currently the third seed in the section. Somerville (2-1) is 12th right now, but could move up a long way with a win against Group III Voorhees tonight. Governor Livingston is 14th and plays at Bishop Ahr in Edison. North Jersey, Section 2, Group IV is headed by the two schools who've played each other for the sectional title the last two years -- Phillipsburg and Piscataway. Phillipsburg, the top seed and defending champ, is 3-0 and currently the top seed. Piscataway, beaten by the Stateliners last year for the title, is No. 2 and also at 3-0. Piscataway beat Phillipsburg two years ago for the title. Piscataway will play at East Brunswick tonight and Phillipsburg plays host to winless Bridgewater-Raritan (0-3). Watchung Hills (2-1) is fifth in the section with Westfield (2-1) at six and North Hunterdon (1-1) at seventh. Union is eight followed by Franklin (1-2), which seriously needs a win at Immaculata tonight. Immaculata, by the way, is atop the state Parochial Group III field with a 3-0 record. South Plainfield (2-1), Scotch Plains-Fanwood (2-1) and Voorhees (2-0) are listed at five, six and eight respectively in North 2, Group III. Bound Brook (3-0), Manville (3-0) and Middlesex (2-0) are two, four and seven respectively in Central Jersey Group I. Brearley (3-0) and New Providence (1-1) meet Saturday afternoon in New Providence in a game the Pioneers need to move up in the North 2, Group I field. Brearley was beaten by Florence in the CJ Group I final last year at Rutgers. Brearley (2-0) is currently seventh and New Providence is 10th. New Providence was beaten by Verona in the North 2, Group I final last year.