The 2016 fall scholastic season in sports will close its curtains this week when the NJSIAA football playoff championship games are staged at four major venues.
The four host sites for this week’s sectional playoff title games are MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, which is home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets; Rutgers University’s High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway; Kean University in Union; and Rowan University in Glassboro.
Seven area high school teams will compete for championships in games held Dec. 2-4. Five of those schools will be on display at Rutgers on Saturday, Dec. 3.
The first game kicking off on Saturday at Rutgers will be the Central Jersey, Group V final between Manalapan High School and Piscataway Township High School at 10 a.m.
This is a rematch between these teams that actually played on the same field this season. In that game at Rutgers, Manalapan rallied to score a 21-10 victory on Oct. 29. The storyline in that matchup was that these two teams could eventually meet once again in the state sectional finals. That phrase held true.
Piscataway enters with revenge on its mind, while Manalapan seeks to cap an undefeated season.
The North Jersey, Section II, Group IV title game between Sayreville War Memorial High School and Middletown High School North will follow at 1 p.m.
Sayreville knocked out Middletown North’s sister school, Middletown High School South, 42-28, in the semifinals, thus preventing an all-Middletown state sectional playoff final. Middletown South was the defending sectional champion.
Next up at Rutgers is the Central Jersey, Group V title game between Allentown High School and Brick Township High School at 4 p.m. Allentown eliminated the 2015 sectional champion, Jackson Memorial High School, 41-15, in the semifinals.
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School seeks its fourth straight state sectional playoff crown in the nightcap at Rutgers.
Standing in Rumson-Fair Haven’s path is South Plainfield High School in the championship game of Central Jersey, Group III. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
The focus will shift to Kean, where two area schools will vie for state titles on Dec. 3.
At 1 p.m., Mater Dei Prep will seek its first state sectional playoff championship when it meets Holy Spirit High School in the Non-Public Group II final.
Following that game will be the Central Jersey, Group I title game between Keyport High School and Asbury Park High School at 4 p.m.
