Here's every Shore team in the softball NJSIAA state playoffs
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The NJSIAA released the state playoff brackets for softball on Tuesday evening, and as expected the Shore is well-represented with teams in eight different brackets.
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Of course, none of the sections are more notable than the premier South Non-Public A bracket that features the two best teams in the state in St. John Vianney and Donovan Catholic. Local fans will get a first taste of that elite matchup in the Shore Conference Tournament final on Thursday as the two squads will square off for the title for the third time in the last four years. Notably, Donovan was able to leapfrog SJV in power points to take the top seed after some strong competition scheduled late in the season, but the Griffins suffered their first loss of the season in that process while the Lancers are still unbeaten.
In the public sections, the Shore only had one top-seeded team as Shore Regional is the favorite in Central Group 1. The public state playoffs will begin first on Tuesday, May 26 and the non-public playoffs will begin the following day on May 2. Although because of first round byes, Friday is when the action really gets going.
The lack of other one-seeds from the Shore is just the most recent example of the power point chicanery that has plagued state playoff seeding in a variety of different sports. But that reshuffling leads to some interesting potential storylines in this year's playoffs. Take a look at all the Shore softball teams in the state playoffs below.
Central Group 1
Manville (16) at Shore Regional (1)
Keyport (15) at Dunellen (2)
Henry Hudson (14) at South Hunterdon (3)
Keansburg (13) at Highland Park (4)
Roselle Park (12) at New Egypt (5)
Point Pleasant Beach (11) at Middlesex (6)
Central Group 2
Wall (15) at A.L. Johnson (2)
Manasquan (14) at Delran (3)
Point Pleasant Borough (13) at Delaware Valley (4)
Ocean Township (12) at Raritan (5)
Bordentown (11) at Holmdel (6)
Central Group 3
Moorestown (14) at Middletown South (3)
Westampton Tech (13) at Colts Neck (4)
Ewing (12) at Freehold Borough (5)
Brick Township (11) at Middletown North (6)
Brick Memorial (10) at Matawan (7)
Central Group 4
North Brunswick (14) at Marlboro (3)
East Brunswick (12) at Freehold Township (5)
Jackson Township (11) at Hunterdon Central (6)
Manalapan (10) at Montgomery (7)
South Group 2
Overbrook (15) at Barnegat (2)
Manchester (13) at Cedar Creek (4)
South Group 3
Absegami (11) at Toms River East (6)
Toms River South (10) at Triton (7)
Pinelands (9) at Timber Creek (8)
South Group 4
Toms River North (15) at Cherokee (2)
Lenape (13) at Southern (4)
Howell (10) at Central Regional (7)
South Non-Public A
Donovan Catholic (1) - Bye into quarterfinal
St. John Vianney (2) - Bye into quarterfinal
Union Catholic (6) at Red Bank Catholic (3) - Quarterfinal May on 29
St. Rose (9) at Paul VI (8) - First round on May 27
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Shore softball teams in the NJSIAA state playoffs