High school football in the Garden State isn't just a sport. It's basically a cultural event that shuts down towns from Bergen County all the way to the tip of Cape May. Now that the 2025 season has officially wrapped up and we’re sitting in the cold reality of January 2026, everyone is looking at the final new jersey high school football rankings to see who actually owns the bragging rights. Honestly, it was a year where the "Big Three" in North Jersey faced some of the stiffest competition we've seen in a decade.
St. Joseph Regional out of Montvale finished on top of most major analytics-based polls, and for good reason. They went 10-2, but those two losses were against absolute national powerhouses. If you’ve watched Lamar Best play quarterback, you know why they’re the gold standard right now. He’s arguably the most dynamic playmaker the state has seen since the Jabrill Peppers era.
Who Actually Won the Year?
When you look at the final new jersey high school football rankings, you have to separate the "Non-Public" giants from the "Public" schools. It’s two different worlds, really. St. Joseph Regional, Don Bosco Prep, and Bergen Catholic are essentially junior college programs in terms of talent and schedule.
Don Bosco Prep finished at 11-1, their only blemish being a dogfight against St. Joe’s. Bergen Catholic, usually the perennial favorite, had a "down" year by their impossible standards, finishing 8-3. But let’s be real—their 8-3 is better than 99% of the teams in the country. They still hammered teams like Delbarton 42-7 and took a one-point heartbreaker against the Green Knights.
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The public school side was where the real drama happened. For the first time ever, South Jersey pulled off a complete sweep of the state titles. That is massive. People up north always talk about the "Blue Bloods," but Camden High School made history by winning their first-ever NJSIAA Group 2 state title. They took down Shabazz 27-8 at Rutgers, and the energy in that stadium was electric.
The Top 10 Reality Check
If we’re looking at the pure numbers from the final 2025 season data, here is how the hierarchy shook out:
- St. Joseph Regional (10-2): The undeniable kings. Lamar Best is that guy.
- Don Bosco Prep (11-1): The Ironmen are back to being a national problem.
- Bergen Catholic (8-3): Still a factory of D1 talent, even with a few stumbles.
- Winslow Township (12-2): The Group 4 champs who proved South Jersey is for real.
- St. Peter’s Prep (8-3): Dominant in Jersey City, as always.
- DePaul Catholic (8-4): Played arguably the hardest schedule in the country.
- Hun School (8-4): They play a national schedule that most teams would hide from.
- Washington Township (14-0): The only undefeated team in the top tier. Absolute legends.
- Camden (12-2): A historic season that put the city on the map.
- Paramus Catholic (6-7): Don't let the record fool you; their strength of schedule was #1.
The Washington Township Perfection
Let’s talk about Washington Township for a second. You don't go 14-0 by accident. They averaged 38 points a game and put up five shutouts. That defense was a brick wall. Coach Mike Schatzman had those guys playing at a level that felt like a college program. They capped it off with a 28-point explosion in the second half of the Group 5 final against Passaic County Tech. Seeing those kids get honored in Trenton this month was a cool full-circle moment for a group that’s been playing together since the eighth grade.
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Washington Township's rise is a perfect example of why the new jersey high school football rankings can be controversial. Should an undefeated public school rank higher than a three-loss private school? Analytics like the MaxPreps "Strength of Schedule" say no, but the "Eye Test" says 14-0 is 14-0.
Recruitment and the 2026 Outlook
The rankings aren't just about wins; they're about the "next level" talent. New Jersey is currently a gold mine for scouts. Malachi Goodman at Paramus Catholic and Quincy Porter at Bergen Catholic are names you’re going to hear on Saturdays very soon. Porter is a 6-3 wideout who basically makes the game look like it’s on rookie mode.
As we look toward the 2026 season, the landscape is already shifting. The Hun School just announced they’re scheduling IMG Academy and St. Frances Academy for next year. That’s insane. They finished 2025 at #7 in the state, but with that kind of schedule, they’re either going to be #1 or they're going to be exhausted by October.
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Why the Rankings Matter (and Why They Don't)
Rankings are great for barbershop talk, but they often miss the grit of the smaller schools. Look at Glassboro. They went 14-0 and won Group 1. Are they better than a 6-loss DePaul? Probably not on paper. But they didn't lose a single game they were asked to play. That counts for something.
The NJSIAA’s move to have "State" champions instead of just "Sectional" champions has made these rankings much more legitimate. We finally get to see the best from the North play the best from the South. It’s settled on the turf at MetLife or Rutgers, not just on a spreadsheet.
If you’re looking to follow the new jersey high school football rankings as we head into the spring and summer camps for the 2026 season, keep an eye on the transfer portal—yes, even high schools have them now—and the coaching changes. Some of these rosters are going to look completely different by August.
Next Steps for Fans and Recruits:
- Check the tape: If you haven't seen the highlights of Camden's Talib Shakir or Washington Township's Cole Aquino, find them on Hudl. It's a masterclass in Jersey football.
- Track the transfers: The "Non-Public A" rosters usually shift significantly in February and March.
- Mark the calendar: The 2026 schedules are being finalized now; look for those "Battle at the Beach" matchups in August to see the new rankings in action early.