Many high schools in the Jersey Sports Now area will be entering new leagues this fall as the fallout from state-ordered realignment continues. But in terms of state tournament play, it will be pretty much status quo for JSN schools.

In terms of the NJSIAA's general classification, which covers a number of sports including soccer, basketball, baseball and softball, none of the JSN-area teams will change groups. The only shift will be for Mountain Lakes, which moves back into North Jersey Section 1, after competing in Section 2 last year. The Lakers remain a Group II team in the general classification.

A few local schools weren't far away from changing groups. Pompton Lakes is the second-smallest school in North 1, Group II this year. A Group I school for several years before moving up to Group II in 2008, Pompton Lakes could be heading back to the ranks of the smaller schools as soon as next year.

The story is different for Kinnelon, which was a Group I school in 2008-09. The Colts now appear firmly ensconced in Group II, at least for the general classification.

One school came fairly close to moving up: Wayne Valley is now the biggest school in North 1, Group III, and missed becoming a Group IV school by less than 20 students.

Football sees changes

The general classification does not cover a number of sports, which have their own groupings because fewer schools compete, with football being the most prominent of these sports. The football listing was revised three times to eliminate obvious errors, but now appears to be final.

Lakeland, which is the smallest school in North 1, Group III in the general classification, will drop to Group II for football. The Lancers were a Group II football team in the past, but spent the past couple of years in the extremely tough Group III section, and even made the sectional final in 2008. Now back with the smaller schools, Lakeland should have a much better shot at making a deep run in the states this fall.

Lakeland's gain, though, is Passaic Valley's pain. The Hornets made a surprising run to the North 2, Group III sectional final last fall. But the classification for this year moves Passaic Valley back to North Jersey Section 1. That will shift the Hornets into an extremely tough bracket which already includes the likes of Wayne Hills, Wayne Valley, and defending champ Ramapo. The final revision also places defending North 1, Group IV champion Roxbury in this already-brutal section.

With Wayne Hills seeing its state title run end last year, the only local defending sectional champion in football is Mountain Lakes. But the reclassification places a major obstacle in the way of the Herd's third consecutive North 1, Group I title. Cedar Grove, the defending champion in the North 2, Group I bracket, is moving to North Jersey Section 1 under the reclassification.

Cedar Grove is right on the border between the two sections, and moved back and forth with each revision of the classification. Assuming the third revision holds--and we have no reason to think otherwise--we can look forward to a possible showdown between the Herd and the Panthers in the state finals this fall.

Field Hockey

The classification for field hockey does not appear to contain any major changes that will affect local schools. The only JSN-area team that won a sectional title last year, Pompton Lakes, appears to have a solid chance to repeat in North 1, Group I.

Wrestling

While not every classification for winter and spring is public yet, the NJSIAA did release the listing for wrestling. For most local teams, it does not appear to signal any major change, which is bad news for many but good news for at least one.

The one section involving JSN-area schools which will see a shakeup is North Jersey Section 2, Group I. Defending champion Roselle Park will be shifted to Central Group I, as will another of the six teams that reached the sectional playoffs, New Providence. That would appear to open the door to the remaining teams, including Boonton and Whippany Park (although Caldwell, which drops from Group II to Group I, must be considered a serious contender as well).

Many of the JSN area's top teams remain in North Jersey Section 1, Group III, where they face a roadblock in High Point, one of the state's elite squads. Other teams from the powerful northwest corner of the state continue to present major obstacles in North 1, Group I. North 1, Group II appears more wide open, which is a benefit to only one local team: Lakeland, which fell in the sectional semifinals last year.

One team that clearly cannot complain is DePaul, which won the Non-Public North B title last winter, its first sectional crown in 17 years. The Spartans remain in that section, which does not contain any of the top parochial teams. If DePaul can achieve the necessary .500 record to reach the states, it would appear to have a solid shot at another banner.

-- Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now