What Do Proposed WJFL Alignments Mean Changes For Absegami?

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, NJ — A pair of teams with recent football success may soon be leaving the Absegami High School football team's schedule. Last week, the West Jersey Football League began meeting to discuss the divisional alignment for its next two-year cycle. Administrators were studying geography, program strength and school size to determine which teams will be grouped together for the next cycle.

The proposed alignment provided to the Courier Post wasn’t final, as members had until Nov. 16 to appeal any changes. If approved, Absegami would still play many of the same teams it plays in the West Jersey Football League's Independence Division.

It would continue to be in the same division as Ocean City, Oakcrest and Mainland. However, St. Joe and Cedar Creek may be replaced by Bridgeton and Egg Harbor Township, according to the report.

St. Joe has won 25 state or sectional titles since 1977, according to maxpreps.com. This season, the Wildcats are 10-0 and will play in the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 2 semifinals this weekend. St. Joe is potentially grouped with state powers Timber Creek and Millville, as well as Vineland and Atlantic City, according to the report.

Cedar Creek won the South Jersey Group 2 title in 2015, and played in the final last year. It faces West Deptford in a rematch of last year's championship game in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 2 semifinals this weekend.

Absegami made the playoffs this season, but fell in the first round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 4 playoffs on Friday night. Bridgeton a perennial playoff contender, was 5-5 this season. Egg Harbor Township was 1-8.

The proposal may be finalized by Thanksgiving, but schedules wouldn't come out until after the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) votes on a new playoff proposal.

As part of the "NJ United Playoff Proposal,” the regular season could be reduced by one game. Less games means teams will rely less on scheduling games outside their division.

A team in a six-team division, for example, would need to schedule just three games outside the division, as five games would be set for them automatically. Teams in five-team divisions would need to schedule four, as opposed to five.

The proposal would take the top 32 teams overall in a group, as opposed to the top eight in each section, the way it is currently handled. A new round would be added matching champions from different sections within the same group, but the regular season may have to be reduced by one game.

The West Jersey Football League consists of 94 teams divided into 16 divisions. Fourteen divisions currently have six teams, and two have five.

Pitman wasn’t included in the new proposal, as it has suspended its varsity football program.

Patch file photo