Can Cherry Hill West Football Still Make the Playoffs?

Sitting eighth in South Jersey, Group 4 and with one more shot at scoring a last handful of power points before the cutoff, Cherry Hill West still has a good shot at making the football postseason for the first time in school history.

But the Lions could still use some help.

With at least two teams in striking distance, a win over the Irish would give West its fifth win of the season and drop one of its losses from the ledger, as only the top seven games are factored into the final points standings, per state regulations.

That would mean an extra 17 power points for the Lions in one shot, putting them at 92 points, and there are as many as 13 residual points floating out there, pending the outcome of at least five other games.

West could end up with as many as 101 power points, potentially leapfrogging multiple teams, but that would require some near-impossible scenarios, including 1-6 Seneca beating Timber Creek, to come to fruition.

In all likelihood, the Lions would end up with somewhere between 92 and 99 points if they beat Camden Catholic, making them a near-lock for a postseason spot.

But a loss doesn't mean the end of West's playoff hopes—Toms River East and Clearview sit just behind the Lions, but need either wins or a lot of help to get into the playoffs, and West still stands to pick up at least some residual points, no matter the outcome of the Camden Catholic game.

Both would need to lose for West to get in with a loss Friday night, though, and the Lions would need as much help as they could get.

South Jersey, Group 4 power points standings, with possible final totals in parentheses:

1. Timber Creek, 6-1: 131 (140-155)
2. Toms River South, 5-2: 117 (124-137)
3. Hammonton, 6-1: 108 (118-146)
4. Lacey, 5-3: 88 (92-98)
5. Kingsway, 5-2: 87 (92-123)
6. Moorestown, 4-4: 76 (77-89)
7. Shawnee, 4-3: 72 (76-98)
8. Cherry Hill West, 4-3: 71 (75-101)
9. Clearview, 4-3: 70 (78-103)
10. Toms River East, 2-5: 65 (66-93)