Salaam Horne leads top-ranked St Joseph. Photo by Andy Lewis/contrastphotography.com

The 2014 NJSIAA football playoffs got started Friday, November 14. The Wire and Footballstories will be providing coverage every week.
Here are the lineups by Group and our predictions.

The South Jersey Group 1 playoff bracket featuring top-seed Pennsville (7-1) hosting Haddon Heights (4-4), the 7-seed Clayton (4-4) heading to Colonial Conference Patriot Division champ Paulsboro (6-2), Salem (5-3) hosting Penns Grove (4-4), and Gloucester City (6-2) hosting Woodbury (3-5).
Prediction: Pennsville

The South Jersey Group 2 playoff bracket may be the most talented overall for the public school Groups and the most competitive.
Cape-Atlantic League National Division champion Buena Chiefs (9-0) hosts the Shore Conference‘s Barnegat Bengals (7-2) , top-seeded and Wire No. Camden (8-0) hosting Collingswood (6-2), Colonial Conference Liberty Division champs Haddonfield (8-0) hosting Woodstown (7-1), and Glassboro (7-1) hosting West Deptford (7-1).
Prediction: Camden has too much overall talent not to prevail

The South Jersey Group 3 playoff bracket. Allentown (7-2) hosting Cumberland (3-5), defending champion Delsea (5-4) hosting Wall (2-6), Bridgeton (7-2) hosting Manasquan (3-5), and Central (6-2) hosting Oakcrest (5-3) (at Toms River South).
Prediction: The only team from our coverage area in Group 3 is Delsea and the Crusaders complete their remarkable turnaround and defend their title.

South Jersey Group 4 is loaded. This playoff bracket features four members of the West Jersey Football League National Division, including top-seed Timber Creek (8-0), No. No. 3 in the Wire Top 20. They host Winslow Township (2-7), 3 seed Hammonton (6-3) hosting Triton (5-3) and Kingsway (5-3) hosting division rival Clearview (4-4). Wire No. 2 Shawnee (8-0) hosts Mainland (3-5) to start the first round.
Prediction: Marquee final between Timber Creek and Shawnee produces a classic and the Chargers get their revenge over Shawnee…but it will be close.

South Jersey Group 5 playoff bracket features defending champion Cherokee, who has stumbled a few times this fall but could challenge Lenape for the title.
Wire No. 6 Lenape (8-0) starts by playing host to the Shore‘s Toms River North (5-4), while Rancocas Valley (6-2) hosts Millville (4-4). Cherokee (5-3) hosts Brick Memorial (6-3) and Atlantic City (5-3) heads to always tough Williamstown (6-2) in the first round.
Prediction: Cherokee upsets Lenape in second round, steals another title.

The Non-Public Group 1 playoffs might as well hand the trophy to the Wire’s No. 1 team St. Joseph (9-0) of Hammonton now. The Wildcats already have a first round bye before they face the winner of the Mater Dei (7-2) versus Morristown-Beard (6-3) game on Saturday. St. Mary (9-0) versus Morris Catholic (2-7) and St. Anthony (6-3) versus Marist (2-7) fill out the rest of the bracket.
Prediction: St. Joseph mercy rules entire bracket.

Group 2 Non-Public playoffs start with Delran’s Holy Cross (9-0) who will put their undefeated record on the line Friday night against Pingry (1-8). DePaul (5-4) hosts winless Gloucester Catholic (0-8), Hudson Catholic (7-2) and Immaculata (2-7) square off on Saturday, and the Cape-Atlantic League‘s Holy Spirit (3-5) heads to Montclair Kimberley (6-3).
Prediction: Chalk here as Holy Cross rolls.

Group 3 Non-Pubic is mostly schools outside of the Wire’s coverage area. Delbarton (8-1) takes a round one bye, before facing either Pope John (5-4) or undefeated St. John Vianney (9-0). St. Joseph (Mont) (6-2) host Camden Catholic (7-1) and Red Bank Catholic (8-1) hosts Bishop Eustace Prep (5-3) on Friday night.
Prediction: South Jersey will rule here as Wire No. 9 Camden Catholic takes title.

The Non-Public Group 4 playoff bracket may be the most talented high school football teams in the country. Four powerhouse teams are currently in the Top 25 in the U.S. with two former number ones according to MaxPreps. Top-seed Paramus Catholic (8-1) begins with a bye.
The Paladins then face the winner of the Don Bosco Prep (6-2) – St. Augustine Prep (7-1) match-up. Paul VI (6-2) heads to Bergan Catholic (7-2) on Saturday and St. Peter’s Prep (8-1) plays Seton Hall Prep (6-3) on Friday.
Prediction: We here in South Jersey are pulling for the Hermits of St. Augustine but Paramus Catholic is a monster, and will win.

South Jersey Top 20 High School Teams
1. St. Joseph’s, Hammonton (9-0)
2. Shawnee (8-0)
3. Timber Creek (8-0)
4. Camden (8-0)
5. Haddonfield (8-0)
6. Lenape (8-0)
7. St. Augustine (7-1)
8. Buena (9-0)
9. Camden Catholic (7-1)
10. Williamstown (6-2)
11. Glassboro (7-1)
12. Cherokee (5-3)
13. Holy Cross (9-0)
14. West Deptford (7-1)
15. Delsea (5-4)
16. Cinnaminson, (7-1)
17. Woodstown (7-1)
18. Kingsway (5-3)
19. Rancocas Valley (6-2)
20. Paul VI (6-2)

The next five (alphabetically): Atlantic City (5-3), Bordentown (6-2), Bridgeton (7-2), Burlington Township (6-2), Hammonton (6-3).

Email Al Thompson at the.magazine@footballstories.com