By
Small-school football is in the spotlight the next two weeks when teams from the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference square off in the first conference playoff in state history.
Over the next two weeks, four teams will play for a conference championship while the leagues 24 other teams will play cross-over games based on their regular-season performances.
It all starts Friday, and here’s what you need to know.
WHO ARE THE FOUR PLAYOFF TEAMS?
• The four teams vying for the conference championship are Becton, Hasbrouck Heights, Pompton Lakes and Rutherford. All four teams went 6-0 to win their respective division.
• Here’s a look at the playoff bracket.
ROUND 1…WHO PLAYS WHO?
• Rutherford and Pompton Lakes will play for the North Division title. Rutherford was the winner of the Colonial Division while Pompton Lakes won the Liberty Division.
• Becton and Hasbrouck Heights will play for the South Division title. Hasbrouck Heights won the Meadowlands Division while Becton was the winner of the Patriot Division.
• Both games will be played Friday night at 7 p.m. Rutherford is hosting Pompton Lakes and Hasbrouck Heights is the home team for its game against Becton.
WHEN’S THE CHAMPIONSHIP?
• The winners of the Friday’s games will play for the conference championship the weekend of Nov. 4. The time, date and location are still to be determined.
CROSS-OVER GAMES
• The conference’s 24 other teams will play cross-over games based on their performances through the first six weeks of the season. What does that mean?
The team that finished in second place in the Colonial Division will play the second place team from the Liberty Division. The same goes for Meadowlands and Patriot Divisions.
• The rest of the schedule gets filled in accordingly. Follow this link for a complete schedule and a look at the cross-over games for the next two weeks and this link for a look at the playoff bracket.
