Softball: Previewing the state tournament in Morris and Sussex counties

The state softball tournament begins this week with opening-round scheduled for Wednesday.

A total of 24 teams from Morris and Sussex counties are represented in sectional tournament brackets. Here's a section-by-section look.

North 1, Group 1

It'll be difficult to unseat perennial contenders Cedar Grove and Wallington, the top two seeds in the bracket. Both Butler and Mountain Lakes will be tasked with doing exactly that. The Bulldogs are the No. 8 seed and will likely travel to Essex County to take on the defending Group 1 champions if they beat New Milford in the first round. As for Mountain Lakes, the Lakers are the No. 15 seed and would have to upset Wallington in the first round just to advance.

North 1, Group 2

The only area team in this bracket has an opportunity to win it all. Whippany Park might be the No. 4 seed, but the Wildcats reached the sectional final a season ago and have the strength to get back there again. In fact, it could be a case of deja vu if they get past first round opponent Bard. Seeds suggest Whippany would face No. 5 Verona, a rematch of last season's sectional semifinal. Whippany Park is also on the same side of the bracket as Weehawken, and a sectional-final rematch from last season is quite possible in the semifinal round this year.

North 1, Group 2

Six of the 16 teams in this bracket hail from Morris or Sussex counties. The two highest seeds among that group are No. 2 Jefferson and No. 5 High Point , which met one another in last season's sectional final.

Vernon draws High Point in the first round, their third encounter this season. High Point seeks a third win this year over Vernon to advance. The Vikings got close on May 9, but finished a run short. Jefferson draws Pequannock in Round 1, their first encounter since the Morris County tournament a year ago. The Golden Panthers are seeking an upset and their first win over Jefferson since the sectional quarterfinals back in 2016.

If Jefferson can make it through the first round, Lenape Valley might be looming in the second round. The No. 10 seed in the bracket split a pair of games with Jefferson this season but has momentum after a 4-1 win a week ago. The last area team in the bracket is Newton as the No. 14 seed. The Braves were under .500 entering May, but responded by winning a county tournament game and finished the regular season with a quality victory over Morristown Beard.

North 2, Group 2

Three teams from the area in this bracket will likely shape the outcome. No. 5 seed Hanover Park is a constant contender at this time of the season, but face an unfavorable draw with red-hot Becton as a first-round opponent. Still, the Hornets are as likely to reach the sectional final as anyone on the top half of the bracket. The intrigue comes in the bottom half.

Madison is peaking at the right time and is the No. 7 seed, set to host a New Providence team in the first round that struggled at the end of the regular season. It's very likely the Dodgers would face Passaic Valley in the quarterfinals, a rematch from their 13-inning marathon game from last season's first round. Also lurking in the bottom half of the bracket is No. 11 Hackettstown , which won four of its final five games in the regular season and is seeking revenge against Bernards for eliminating the Tigers in the first round of the playoffs two years ago.

North 1, Group 3

Leave it to the most intriguing bracket of the bunch to include the most teams from Morris and Sussex counties. Seven of the teams in this bracket are from the area and many of them are contenders to win it all. Morris Knolls reached the Group 3 state final a year ago and has looked strong enough to repeat that all season long, but they are not the top seed in this bracket, standing behind Ramapo. The Golden Eagles draw an old foe in Round 1 with Mount Olive, an old rival from the NJAC American division.

Parsippany Hills had a strong end to the regular season and, as a No. 10 seed, could provide an interesting test for Morris Knolls in the second round if it can take down Lakeland in Round 1. Get past that obstacle and one team that could pop up in the semifinals is Roxbury . Don't let the sub-.500 record or the No. 6 seed fool you. The Gaels upset Morris Knolls in the Morris County tournament. Also, it was Roxbury and Knolls that faced off in an entertaining sectional final last spring.

A trio of teams in the top half of the bracket take this complicated bracket and turn it on its head. Keith Dul has turned Morris Hills boys soccer into a dangerous playoff team in recent years and in his first season as softball head coach, the Scarlet Knights are hosting Northern Highlands and a chance for the program's first playoff win in a decade.

Sparta is the No. 9 seed and gets a playoff rematch with Bergenfield in Round 1 and likely with a matchup at Ramapo for the winner. But this is the playoffs and you can never forget about Montville , even as the No. 13 seed and losing seven straight to end the regular season. The Mustangs know how to find a way in the playoffs and won't be a simple exit.

North 2, Group 3

Not only has West Morris been a strong team all season, but the Wolfpack enter this bracket with the No. 3 seed and an undefeated record at home this year. That means West Morris likely won't have to go on the road until the semifinals against North Hunterdon, unless Mendham breaks up the bracket and pulls off a first-round upset. Mendham only has four wins this season and began the season 0-7, but among those wins were victories over Morris Hills and a Morris County tournament victory over Mount Olive.

West Morris isn't the only local team with strong chances of winning this bracket as Randolph stands on the other end as the No. 4 seed. The Morris County tournament runner-up could make history with a run to a sectional title, beginning by hosting Millburn in Round 1. Randolph expects to provide a challenge to top seed and Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament champion South Plainfield.

North 1, Group 4

Only one team from the area is in this bracket, but it could prove to be an important entry. Ignore the seeds as Morristown is the No. 12 seed. The Colonials travel to Fair Lawn in the first round, the same site as two years ago when Morristown pulled a first round upset as the No. 13 seed. The Colonials went on a run to the sectional semifinals that year and are hoping for a repeat performance in 2024.

North Non-Public A

The top five seeds all received first round byes, including No. 3 seed Pope John . The Lions have reached the sectional semifinals every season there was a state tournament since 2019, and this year will be no different if they can beat the winner of Newark Academy and Montclair Kimberley.

Also in the bracket is Morristown Beard as the No. 9 seed. The Crimson faces Holy Angels in a first-round rematch from two years ago with the winner facing top seed and Essex County tournament champion Mount St. Dominic.

North Non-Public B

Top seed Morris Catholic hopes to make it four straight sectional titles. The Crusaders have a bye in the seven-team bracket and will face either Gill St. Bernard's or Mother Seton in the semifinals. Morris Catholic has not lost a state playoff game on its home field since the quarterfinals of the 2017 tournament.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Softball: Previewing the state tournament in Morris and Sussex counties