For one local team the wait lasted until the absolute last minute.  But in the end, six Jersey Sports Now area teams qualified for the state playoffs as regular-season football games came to an end.

Based on our calculations, here are the qualifiers and their situations:

North Jersey Section 1, Group 3:

West Milford had to sweat it out this weekend.  The Highlanders could not add any more power points and had three football teams that could pass them.  If all three won, West Milford would have been eliminated.  The first two teams picked up victories, but a loss by Fair Lawn on Saturday night punched the Highlanders' ticket to the states.  The bad news?  As the #8 seed in the bracket, West Milford has to play top seed Wayne Hills, which hasn't lost a football game in nearly four years.

Lakeland knew it would likely be the #3 seed in the bracket, and that was confirmed by this weekend's sports results.  What the Lancers didn't know was who they would be playing.  The answer to that question:  Ramapo, a former powerhouse which won five consecutive games to earn a return to the football playoffs this season. 

Wayne Valley had previously clinched the #2 seed and that position was not affected by its Week 9 loss to DePaul.  The Indians will open at home in the first round against #7 seed Sparta.  A win in that game gives them another home contest, possibly against Lakeland.

North Jersey Section 1, Group 1:

Kinnelon knew it had to win to get in, and perhaps that pressure explains why the Colts made such difficult work of their football game against Boonton.  But they held on for a 28-25 victory, and the Colts ended up earning the #7 seed in the bracket.  As it turns out, Kinnelon will take part in an all Jersey Sports Now-area matchup in the first round...

Mountain Lakes made a dramatic comeback to beat previously-undefeated Cedar Grove, moving them up to the #2 position in the bracket.  The Herd had a strong chance to claim the #1 spot, but other football games didn't go as expected, so they stay in the second spot.  So it will be Mountain Lakes vs. Kinnelon in the opening playoff contest.

Pompton Lakes knew it couldn't move up or down from its #5 seed this weekend, so the Cardinals just had to wait to see who they would play.  The answer is Hasbrouck Heights, the defending sectional champion which knocked the Cardinals out in the first round last season, 35-7.  The Cards are an improved football team this year, but it's still a challenging matchup for Pompton Lakes. -- Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now