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<p>The 2025 NJSIAA state playoff tournament is almost here. Check out our preview of which teams from the South Jersey, Group 1 bracket have the best chance to win their section and potentially punch a ticket to the state finals. <strong><em>NOTE:</em></strong> The public state tournament officially starts on Wednesday, November 5. The seeds will not be official until after the state seeding meeting, scheduled for this Wednesday, the 29th. <em><strong>(The top-seeded teams in the bracket are not expected to change)</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>Seeds</strong></p>
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<li>1- Haddon Heights (11-4-1)</li>
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<li>2- West Deptford (10-5-1)</li>
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<li>3- Haddonfield (7-6-4)</li>
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<li>4- Seneca (8-6-2)</li>
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<li>5- Barnegat (11-8)</li>
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<li>6- Sterling (7-7-2)</li>
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<li>7- Lower Cape May (9-6-2)</li>
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<li>8- Medford Tech (8-11)</li>
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<li>9- Pleasantville (7-9)</li>
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<li>10- Cedar Creek (6-10)</li>
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<li>11- Collingswood (9-9)</li>
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<li>12- Overbrook (9-8)</li>
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<li>13- Middle Township (5-9-1)</li>
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<li>14- Gloucester (7-9-1)</li>
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<li>15- Lindenwold (4-11-2)</li>
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<li>16- Pennsauken Tech (4-10-2)</li>
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<p><strong>Favorite</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Haddon Heights (11-4-1): </strong>Haddon Heights lost to third-seeded Haddonfield twice, split with sixth-seeded Sterling, and swept second-seeded West Deptford in the challenging Colonial-Liberty race. There's certainly no clear favorite in this bracket, but we'll narrowly give the edge to the top-seeded Garnets. Junior midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='163495' first='Allie' last='Agin'] has a team-high 10 goals this fall.</p>
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<p><strong>Contenders</strong></p>
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<p><strong>West Deptford (10-5-2):</strong> West Deptford swept third-seeded Haddonfield and sixth-seeded Sterling, but dropped both of its games against top-seeded Haddon Heights. The Eagles are hot at the right time and are riding a six-game winning streak. Challenging non-league matchups against Kingsway and Deptford await on Tuesday and Thursday before the start of the tournament. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='270609' first='Ella' last='Simko'] has a team-leading 16 goals and 11 assists for the Eagles this fall.</p>
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<p><strong><em>Haddonfield (7-6-4):</em></strong> The Haddons own seven wins this season under first-year head coach Christiana Ogunsami. Haddonfield lost to second-seeded West Deptford twice, defeated top-seeded Haddon Heights twice, and defeated and tied sixth-seeded Sterling. Sophomore Phoebe Freedman leads the Bulldawgs with six goals and six assists this fall. Expect the defending South Jersey Group 2 champs to make another deep postseason run.</p>
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<p><strong>Underdog:</strong></p>
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<p><em><strong>Sterling (7-7-2): </strong></em>The Silver Knights arguably have the best overall player in the bracket in senior midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='99877' first='Montgomery' last='Draham'], meaning you can't count sixth-seeded Sterling out. The Purdue commit has a team-high 17 goals for Sterling this fall. Senior goalie Madison Sims has locked down the net with 235 saves. Expect the Silver Knights to make a sneaky playoff run.</p>
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The 2025 NJSIAA state playoff tournament is almost here. Check out our preview of which teams from the South Jersey, Group 1 bracket have the best chance to win their section and potentially punch a ticket to the state finals. NOTE: The public state tournament officially starts on Wednesday, November 5. The seeds will not be official until after the state seeding meeting, scheduled for this Wednesday, the 29th. (The top-seeded teams in the bracket are not expected to change)
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