Southern, CBA, St. John Vianney in same region in NJSIAA wrestling alignment

Shore Conference powers Southern Regional, Christian Brothers Academy and St. John Vianney will be paired together in Region 7 in the NJSIAA’s district and region wrestling alignment for the 2023-24 season, it was announced Thursday.

Southern, which finished as the consensus No. 1 ranked public school in New Jersey after it stormed to the NJSIAA Group 5 championship last season, will be in District 25.

Christian Brothers Academy, which finished ranked No. 2 in the Asbury Park Press Top 10 last season due to a 27-25 defeat to Southern, will be in District 27.

St. John Vianney, which was ranked No. 3 in the APP Top 10 and was defeated by Camden Catholic 33-29 in the NJSIAA Nonpublic B championship match, will be in District 26.

Also in Region 7 is traditional Group 1 power Paulsboro. Paulsboro is in District 28.

More: NJSIAA releases new wrestling district and region alignments: See them here

The Shore Conference will have teams in Regions 5-7 under the new alignment.

Shore Conference teams in Region 5, which include two-time defending Central Group 5 champion Howell in District 18 and two-time defending Central Group 2 champion Raritan in District 19, will have powerful Delbarton in its region.

Delbarton, the NJSIAA Nonpublic A runner-up the last two seasons, will be in District 17.

Shore Conference teams in Region 6 will have St. Peter’s Prep, which finished ranked No. 4 in the New Jersey Wrestling Writers Association Top 20 last season, in its region.

St. Peter’s Prep is in District 21.

SHORE CONFERENCE TEAMS BY REGION

REGION 5 (12)

DISTRICT 17: Middletown South.

DISTRICT 18: Howell, Middletown North.

DISTRICT 19: Raritan, Holmdel, Keansburg, Keyport, Marlboro, Matawan, Red Bank.

DISTRICT 20: Rumson-Fair Haven, Red Bank Catholic.

REGION 6 (21)

DISTRICT 21: Long Branch.

DISTRICT 22: Brick Memorial, Wall, Ocean, Brick, Manasquan, Point Pleasant Beach, Shore, Neptune, Asbury Park, St. Rose.

DISTRICT 23: Jackson Memorial, Donovan Catholic.

DISTRICT 24: Point Pleasant Boro, Jackson Liberty, Manalapan, Colts Neck, Freehold Freehold Township, Lakewood, Monmouth.

REGION 7 (11)

DISTRICT 25: Southern, Lacey, Toms River East, Toms River North, Toms River South, Manchester, Central, Pinelands, Barnegat.

DISTRICT 26: St. John Vianney.

DISTRICT 27: Christian Brothers Academy.

DISTRICTS ALIGNMENT

FOR SHORE CONFERENCE TEAMS

REGION 5

DISTRICT 17: Delbarton, Middletown South, Bound Brook, Franklin, Hopewell Valley, Manville, Montgomery, Princeton, West Windsor-Plainsboro North, West Windsor-Plainsboro South.

DISTRICT 18: Howell, Middletown North, Edison, Metuchen, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, Sayreville, Woodbridge.

DISTRICT 19: Raritan, Hillsborough, Holmdel, Keansburg, Keyport, Marlboro, Matawan, Red Bank, Rutgers Prep.

DISTRICT 20: Old Bridge, Rumson-Fair Haven, Red Bank Catholic, East Brunswick, Highland Park, Monroe, North Brunswick, South Brunswick, South River, Spotswood.

REGION 6

DISTRICT 21: St. Peter's Prep, Long Branch, Ewing, Hamilton East, Hamilton North, Lawrence, Notre Dame, Robbinsville, Trenton.

DISTRICT 22: Brick Memorial, Wall, Ocean, Brick, Manasquan, Point Pleasant Beach, Shore, Neptune, Asbury Park, St. Rose.

DISTRICT 23: Jackson Memorial, Donovan Catholic, Allentown, Bordentown, Burlington City, Burlington Township, Hamilton West, Hightstown, Northern Burlington, Riverside.

DISTRICT 24: Point Pleasant Boro, Jackson Liberty, Manalapan, Colts Neck, Freehold Freehold Township, Lakewood, Monmouth, New Egypt.

REGION 7

DISTRICT 25: Southern, Lacey, Toms River East, Toms River North, Toms River South, Manchester, Central, Pinelands, Barnegat.

DISTRICT 26: St. John Vianney, BCIT, Cinnaminson, Delran, Gloucester City, Holy Cross, Moorestown, Palmyra, Rancocas Valley, Willingboro.

DISTRICT 27: Christian Brothers Academy, Cherokee, Cherry Hill East, Cherry Hill West, Lenape, Maple Shade, Pemberton, Seneca, Shawnee.

DISTRICT 28: Paulsboro, Audubon, Camden, Collingswood, Haddon Heights, Haddon Township, Haddonfield, Paul VI, Sterling, West Deptford.

WHAT THE REALIGNMENT WAS BASED ON

The purpose of this district realignment was to try and balance the regions by separating the power schools, especially the nonpublic ones.

Realignment will now be done every year, instead of every two years.

The realignment formula is based on a system of 60 percent power points and 40 percent returning state qualifiers. Previous realignments had been based on 75 percent power points and 25 percent returning state wrestleback 3 participants or better.

The NJSIAA Wrestling Committee said this formula was a fairer ranking criteria.

The top eight non-public powers were separated and were assigned to each of the association’s eight regions based on their northing numbers.

NONPUBLIC POWERS ARE IN THE FOLLOWING REGIONS

Don Bosco Prep (Region 1, District 1); St. Joseph (Montvale (Region 2, District 5); Bergen Catholic (Region 3, District 9); Paramus Catholic (Region 4, District 13); Delbarton (Region 5, District 17); St. Peter's Prep (Region 6, District 21); St. John Vianney (Region 7, District 26); Camden Catholic (Region 8, District 30).

The 9-16 ranked nonpublic schools were placed in each of the eight regions based on competitive balance and their northing numbers.

OTHER NONPUBLIC POWERS AND THEIR REGION PLACEMENT

Seton Hall Prep (Region 1, District 3); St. Thomas Aquinas (Region 2, District 8); Pope John (Region 3, District 11); St. Joseph (Metuchen) (Region 4, District 15); Red Bank Catholic (Region 5, District 20); Donovan Catholic (Region 6, District 23); CBA (Region 7, District 27); St. Augustine (Region 8, District 32).

HOW PUBLIC SCHOOL POWERS WERE PLACED

"The top 32 ranked schools (both nonpublic and public were assigned one per district and represent the first line in the realignment. The second line in the realignment was assigned on based on northing number and competitive balance,'' the proposal that was presented in May to the NJSIAA Executive Committee by NJSIAA Wrestling Tournament Director Howie O'Neill said.

"All remaining schools will be assigned locally based on proximity to the host school and will strive to maintain both traditional rivalries, where possible and a competitive balance across each district within each region.''

PUBLIC SCHOOL POWER PLACEMENT

Warren Hills (Region 1, District 2); High Point (Region 1, District 4); Kittatinny (Region 1, District 4); Phillipsburg (Region 2, District 6); Mount Olive (Region 2, District 7); Delaware Valley (Region 3, District 10); Hanover Park (Region 3, District 12); North Hunterdon (Region 4, District 14); Hunterdon Central (Region 4, District 14); South Plainfield (Region 4, District 15).

MORE PUBLIC SCHOOL POWER PLACEMENT

Howell (Region 5, District 18); Raritan (Region 5, District 19); Old Bridge (Region 5, District 20); Brick Memorial (Region 6, District 22); Jackson Memorial (Region 6, District 23); Southern (Region 7, District 25); Paulsboro (Region 7, District 28); Kingsway (Region 8, District 29); Delsea (Region 8, District 31).

The realignment came after a 2022-23 season that saw wrestlers from nonpublic powers, especially those in the northern part of the state, dominate the district tournaments they were in. The NJSIAA no longer awards trophies to district team champions.

St. Joseph (Montvale), which was the consensus No. 1 ranked team in the state, had 13 champions in District 2 and all 14 of its wrestlers advanced to the Region 1 Tournament.

Delbarton had 13 champions and 14 finalists in District 9.

Bergen Catholic had 13 champions and 14 finalists in District 5.

St. Peter’s Prep had 11 champions in District 16 and all 14 of its wrestlers advanced to the Region 4 Tournament.

Paramus Catholic had 12 champions in District 6 and all 14 of its wrestlers advanced to the Region 2 Tournament.

Christian Brothers Academy had 10 champions, 11 finalists in District 21 and 12 of its 13 wrestlers advanced to the Region 6 Tournament.

There was public school dominance in the district tournaments, too.

Southern had 11 champions and 13 finalists in District 25.

Delsea, which was the consensus No. 2 ranked public school in the state, had 10 champions and 14 finalists in District 31.

Jackson Memorial, which was the Group 4 state runner-up, had nine champions, 11 finalists and 12 wrestlers advance out of District 24.

All eight medalists in the 120-pound weight class in the state tournament were from nonpublic schools.

However, teams like St. Joseph (Montvale), Delbarton, Bergen Catholic, Southern and Delsea were so talented they would have dominated any district tournament they were in unless they were paired with each other.

Just moving the pieces around is not likely to erase the dominance in the district tournaments by certain schools.

But, it appears, most of the districts are balanced as far as separating the powers and the regions are, too, except for maybe Region 7, which appears to be the toughest.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore NJ Wrestling: Southern, CBA, St. John Vianney in same region