These last twenty-four hours have been interesting and I have done a lot of thinking.
I was thinking #1 ranked St. Peter’s Prep would be getting ready for their game with Bergen Catholic this Saturday, but had to play Seton Hall Prep yesterday. No big deal. Only the most loyal Seton Hall Prep supporter would think their team had a chance with a 2-3 record.
But something happened: Seton Hall Prep beat St. Peter’s Prep in overtime.
After that loss, there is no way I can keep St. Peter’s Prep at the top spot. The next logical thing would be to move #2 Delbarton to the top spot and they are undefeated.
But Delbarton has no signature win. They have good wins against Don Bosco and DePaul, but those two are a combined 5-5. Their last three wins have been against teams that are not confused with Murderers Row in the Catholic school world. They were scheduled to play Bergen Catholic and St. Joe’s (Montvale), but their game with BC was canceled as the game was ready to start last weekend and their Joe’s game was also canceled. It would have been a good opportunity for a signature win, but we will never know.
Bergen Catholic is next in line with a 4-1 record, but they lost to Don Bosco the week before. Bosco had a 1-3 record heading into the game, but it is a rivalry game and the unexpected happens. The Ironmen deserved to win the game because they made the plays when it mattered most and was much more energetic than Bergen.
This is the predicament I am in.
The fact is it is hard to find a great Catholic school team in recent years. There is no Don Bosco team of 2002, 2006, 2009, 2011, or any of their top teams in the new millennium. There is no 1998 Bergen Catholic that resembles 1991, 1992, or 1998. Ditto St. Joe’s (Montvale) 1995, 1997, or 1999. Ditto 1994 and 2014 St. Peter’s Prep.
The only other undefeated team is Holy Spirit, a good team, but not on the level of the North Jersey guys.
For now, I will rank it the way I have it below. I don’t know which way I will go after this week; I will let things play themselves out.
A benefit of having my own website is this: I am the law! I can do whatever I choose and it is very easy to think outside the box. Nobody else has three polls: Catholic, Public Groups 3-4-5, and Public Groups 1-2.
4 – St. Joe’s, Montvale (5-2)
5 – Don Bosco (2-3)
6 – DePaul (3-2)
7 – Holy Spirit (7-0)
8 – Donovan Catholic (7-1)
9 – Red Bank Catholic (4-2)
10 – Mater Dei (5-2)
11 – St. Joe’s, Hammonton (6-2)
12 – St. Augustine (3-3)
13 – Seton Hall Prep (3-3)
Unranked – Delbarton (6-0)
Unranked – St. Peter’s Prep (4-1)
Unranked – Bergen Catholic (4-1)
Also (listed in alphabetical order by record): St. Joe’s – Metuchen (3-4), St. John Vianney (4- 4)