State realignment affects MHS athletics

Cougars’ new foes in North Jersey, Section 2

By: Bob Nuse
   As Montgomery High continues to grow, there are going to be changes in the athletic program.
   This fall, the school was destined for change with its move from Group II to Group III. But no one in the athletic program could have anticipated just how much change the school was in for.
   When the NJSIAA announced its reclassifications for the 2003-2004 school year, Montgomery not only moved from Group II to Group III, but the school changed sections as well. Next year the Cougars won’t be playing for Central Jersey championships, but for North Jersey, Section 2 Group III championships.
   "It’s going to be different," said Montgomery girls’ soccer coach Jeremy Beardsley. "There are some schools in there that I don’t know a whole lot about. As coaches, we’re going to have to learn about a lot of new teams. We picked up some tough schools, but at the same time we avoided some tough schools that we would have had to go against if we were still in Central Jersey."
   When the NJSIAA decided to reclassify the state for state tournaments, it was done with the idea of finding balance in all sections and groups. With the new alignment, each section now has the same number of schools. The new classification affects state tournament play in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and outdoor track. Football and wrestling have separate classifications, while field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, swimming and volleyball have their own structure.
   Montgomery will be in Central Jersey Group III for football, but in the other sports it now has new foes to deal with. While the reclassification was done with geography in mind, none of the new sections is more far-reaching than the one Montgomery now finds itself in.
   North Jersey, Section 2, Group III has schools from nine different counties. The section includes Phillipsburg, Middletown South, Shabazz, Union Hill, Millburn and Mendham (for a complete list, see box on page 3B).
   "The schools will definitely have to travel, but the thing I say is let’s get there first," Montgomery athletic director Tony Maselli said. "Before we worry about who and where we play, we have to qualify. My first concern is with getting there. There will be some new opponents for us. And depending on how enrollments change, we could wind up moving.
   "If a school in North Jersey that is in Group IV moves down to Group III, it could force other schools to shift their section."
   Montgomery is the furthest school south in its section, falling just on the geographical line. If enrollments change down the line, perhaps the Cougars could move as well. But for now, they’re in with some new schools.
   "From a girls’ soccer standpoint, there are some pretty good schools like Scotch Plains, Mendham, North Hunterdon and Ridge," Beardsley said. "But at the same time, by not being in Central Jersey we avoid Princeton, Hopewell and Colts Neck, who all have good programs. I think we’ll find that in most sports. For every tough team you pick up, you have one you won’t have to face."
   The move will affect the cross country and track programs in that now they’ll not only face different competition, but they’ll travel a new venue.
   "For cross country, we’ll go to Warinaco Park now for sectionals instead of Holmdel," Montgomery cross country coach Jim Goodfriend said. "It will be a different site and the schools we’ll be facing will be different. In cross country, we should be OK. But in some of the sports it’s going to be tough with some of the schools that we’ll be going up against. Just moving up to Group III was going to be tough to begin with."
   Montgomery, Franklin and Ridge are the only Somerset County schools in the new section. In addition to those three schools, Colonial, Holmdel, Middletown South, North Hunterdon, Raritan, South Plainfield and Voorhees are shifting from Central Jersey to North Jersey, Section II.
   "I think it will be even more important now to play well and get a home game or two in the states," Beardsley said. "It will also make it tougher to get information on the other teams you might have to play because everyone is so spread out. With some of these new schools, you’re not going to know coaches who you can call to get some information on them."
   Of course, the same can be said in reverse for schools that will be facing Montgomery. Come state tournament time, the teams at schools such as Snyder, Orange and West Side might just be wondering where Montgomery is.
   "It should be interesting to see how it works out," Maselli said. "I know the whole thing was done with the idea of balancing the sections and having the same number of schools in each section. Some of the schools were affected by it more than others."
   Montgomery turned out to be a school that new alignment affected greatly. And it should make for some interesting state tournament games.