Boys soccer state tournament preview & picks, 2024: Non-Public quarterfinals

The NJSIAA boys soccer state tournament is down to the sectional quarterfinals, and NJ Advance Media is breaking down every bracket in preparation.
The first round saw big wins and surprising upsets, so what will the next round bring?
Below, find our preview on all four Non-Public brackets.
8-Bergen Catholic (14-6) at 1-St. Benedict’s (16-0)
Bergen Catholic won its first round game over Oratory, 3-1, which runs the Crusaders’ winning streak to four games that includes a win over a then-Top 20 Montclair squad. Coach Pete Berkanish has tested his squad all season but no bigger test looms than this one against the state‘s and country’s No. 1 team in St. Benedict‘s. Back in the NJSIAA, the Gray Bees are vying for their first state title since 1991. They haven‘t played a game yet in the state tournament as they got a bye, but they beat Memorial 9-0 in a tune-up game before states. St. Benedict’s is a handful with three double digit goal scorers, led by Raymond Junior Diouf (21 goals, nine assists) and this is a team with very few, if any weaknesses or lapses, and they could be en route to another state title.
The pick: St. Benedict’s
5-Dwight Englewood (15-4-1) at 4-Seton Hall Prep (14-5-1)
Dwight Englewood was one of the winningest squads in the NJIC this season and added to that with a 3-0 win over St. Joseph (Mont.) in the first round, marking their second win in a row and third in their last four games. They have strong wins over Wallington and Pompton Lakes as well as an upset over Bergen Catholic in the Bergen County Tournament. Can they pull another one here? It‘ll be tough as they travel to West Orange to take on the state’s No. 10 ranked team in Seton Hall Prep, which beat Paramus Catholic, 10-0, in the first round. Seton Hall Prep won this section and the entire state last year, but a win on Friday would set the Pirates on a likely collision course with St. Benedict‘s yet again in next week’s semifinals.
The pick: Seton Hall Prep
11-Pope John (7-12-1) at 3-St. Peter’s Prep (18-2)
Pope John got to this point by routing sixth-seeded DePaul, 2-0, giving Pope John its first postseason win since 2012. The Lions have won two in a row and with two double digit goal scorers in Nicholas Acito (14 goals, nine assists) and Travis Heller (12 goals, two assists), they have several good scoring options. St. Peter‘s Prep, currently ranked No. 3 in the state, got a bye to the quarterfinals but has won seven in a row coming into Friday’s game, including a recent Top 20 win over Elizabeth, 2-1. Carteret transfer Anthony Bautista (19 goals, five assists) has been a star this year as have Philip Sayouwoh (six goals, 14 assists), Christian Pereira Velasquez (six goals, 10 assists) and goalie Anthony Novello (100 saves).
The pick: St. Peter’s Prep
7-Don Bosco Prep (14-5-1) at 2-Delbarton (18-0-1)
It‘s been a strong season for Don Bosco under first-year coach Casey Schick, who took over the Ironmen after spending time as an assistant the last few years. He won a state title at Glen Rock in 2018, so he knows what it takes to get a team to peak at the right time. The Ironmen have won two in a row, including their first round game over Newark Academy, 1-0. They beat Ramsey, Rutherford and DePaul during the season and were one of the few non-public teams to play St. Benedict‘s. Delbarton is ranked No. 2 in the state currently and is one of just three remaining unbeaten teams left in New Jersey. The Green Wave have a whopping +65 goal differential and have conceded just 11 goals all season.
The pick: Delbarton
9-Morris Catholic (3-16) at 1-Montclair Kimberley (17-3)
Morris Catholic has just three wins all year but managed to extend its season with a 4-0 upset over eighth-seeded Pioneer Academy in the first round, giving the Crusaders their second playoff win in three years. They‘ll have a tall task as they travel to Montclair to take on a state-ranked MKA team that is fresh and well rested after not having played a game since Oct. 30. The Cougars have 12 shutouts on the year, including one over Gill St. Bernard’s in the Prep B final.
The pick: Montclair Kimberley
5-Hawthorne Christian (9-7-2) at 4-Rutgers Prep (6-11-1)
Both teams got byes to the quarterfinals, with Hawthorne Christian‘s last game coming on Oct. 30, which was a 5-1 win against Pioneer Academy while Rutgers Prep’s last game came on Oct. 28 in a 6-3 loss to Dayton. Both sides will be well-rested coming into this one and neither team has a gaudy double digit goal scorer or playmaker, so this should be a fairly evenly matched tilt, though Rutgers Prep has an edge in its strength of schedule this season by playing teams like Voorhees, Delaware Valley, Franklin, Middlesex, Gill and others and being competitive with most of them.
The pick: Rutgers Prep
6-Timothy Christian (8-11-1) at 3-Wardlaw-Hartridge (10-4)
A GMC Gold Division showdown, these two got byes into the quarterfinals but have played each other once already this season, with Timothy Christian picking up the 3-1 win. The Tigers last played on Oct. 25, losing 6-0 to South Plainfield and have lost two in a row coming into the game, so if they can pull the upset and beat Wardlaw again, it should get them back on track. Wardlaw last suited up on Oct. 30 and beat Calvary Christian (Old Bridge), 3-1. The Rams have a double digit goal scorer in Al-Hammed Bell (12 goals, two assists) and Sevastian Castillo (six goals, 10 assists) has demonstrated his knack as a playmaker, so if the Rams can put their offense together, they could avenge that loss.
The pick: Wardlaw-Hartridge
7-Morristown-Beard (8-9) at 2-Gill St. Bernard’s (12-6-1)
While this section and group has been Gill‘s to lose over the last nearly decade-plus, Morristown-Beard comes into this game on a three-game winning streak, including 4-0 over Roselle Catholic in the first round, which was also their second shutout in a row. They played teams like Boonton, Morristown, Whippany Park, Mendham and Newark Academy and have a 15-plus goal scorer in Tommy Byrne (16 goals, seven assists). Gill, meanwhile, got a bye to the quarters and last played on Oct. 30, losing to MKA 2-0. Still, the Knights are one of the state‘s top teams and were a Top 20 team for much of the season. Between the gauntlet of a schedule they played with teams like Pingry, Hunterdon Central, Ridge, Princeton, Clifton, Delbarton, Voorhees and Bernards, plus their experience in this tournament and the play of guys like Alex Chyzowych, Dylan Palimieri, Felipe Zumbado and others, this is Gill’s section to lose until proven otherwise.
The pick: Gill St. Bernard’s
8-Paul VI (6-8-4) at 1-Pingry (15-3), 2
Eighth-seeded Paul VI advanced with a 2-1 overtime victory over ninth-seeded Immaculata. Paul VI, which opened the season going 0-6-1, has gone 6-2-3 in its last 11 games with losses to Cherokee and Vineland and ties against Lenape, Sterling and Seneca. Top-seeded Pingry, ranked No. 6, advanced to the final last year where it fell to Christian Brothers 1-0 in overtime. This year, the Big Blue earned a bye into the quarterfinals and is currently riding a seven-game win streak in which it has outscored opponents 28-3 with five shutouts.
The Pick: Pingry
5-St. John Vianney (12-5) at 4-St. Joseph (Met.) (13-1-2), 1:30
Fifth-seeded St. John Vianney advanced with a 5-4 shootout victory over 12th-seeded Camden Catholic after battling to a 2-2 tie. It was the second-straight win for St. John Vianney and fourth in six games after losses to Holmdel and Toms River East in the Shore Conference Tournament. St. Joseph (Met.) earned a bye into the quarterfinals as the fourth-seed. The Falcons have only lost one game this season – a 1-0 defeat at the hands of South Brunswick on Sept. 3. They have been undefeated since then and are coming off of winning their first Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament title since 2010. Nine of St. Joseph’s 13 wins have been shutouts, and they have won in twice in penalty kicks so far this season.
The Pick: St. Joseph (Met.)
6-Notre Dame (17-6) at 3-Christian Brothers (16-5), 2
These two non-conference opponents have faced off four times dating back to 2014, with Christian Brothers winning the last three, including a 5-4 victory in the final in 2021. Sixth-seeded Notre Dame advanced with a 3-0 victory over 11th-seeded Union Catholic, as the Irish won for the fifth time in six games after losing 1-0 to Princeton in the Colonial Valley Conference Tournament final. Christian Brothers earned a bye into the quarterfinals as the third-seed and is on the hunt for its fourth-straight South, Non-Public A title. Christian Brothers has gone 7-1 in its last eight games, with a 3-2 loss to Colts Neck in the Shore Conference Tournament final.
The Pick: Notre Dame
7-St. Thomas Aquinas (11-8) at 2-St. Augustine (19-1), 4
These two teams will meet for the first time since St. Augustine won 3-0 in the quarterfinals in 2015. Seventh-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas advanced with a 8-0 win over 10th-seeded Donovan Catholic behind a hat trick from Nelso Fuentes and two goals and one assist from Elias Araujo. The win snapped a three-game losing streak to the likes of Pennington, then-No. 16 Elizabeth and Monroe. St. Augustine, which last won a title in 2019, earned a bye into the quarterfinals as the second-seed. The Hermits, ranked No. 11, are coming off a shootout loss to Shawnee in the South Jersey Coaches’ Cup final. It was the first loss of the season for St. Augustine, which had won 19-straight games up to that point.
The Pick: St. Augustine
9-Holy Cross Prep (4-14-1) at 1-Moorestown Friends (9-7-1), 2
These two Burlington County Scholastic League Patriot Division opponents will meet for the third time this season. Moorestown Friends won the first meeting 5-1 on Sept. 6, then won 2-1 in overtime on Sept. 30. Ninth-seeded Holy Cross Prep advanced with a 2-1 win over eighth-seeded St. Rose. It was the second-straight win for the Lancers and fourth win in five games after going 0-13-1 to start the season. In those four wins the Lancers have outscored opponents 20-4 with two shutouts. Moorestown Friends, which advanced to the Non-Public B final last year and fell to Gill St. Bernard’s, earned a bye into the quarterfinals as the top-seed. The Foxes enter the tournament having gone 2-1-1 in their last four games with wins over Burlington Township and Palmyra, a 2-2 tie with Florence and a 3-2 loss to West Deptford.
The Pick: Moorestown Friends
13-Wilberforce at 5-Ranney (10-7-2), 2
Wilberforce, the 13th-seed, advanced with a 5-1, upset win over fourth-seeded St. Joseph (Hamm.). Fifth-seeded Ranney held off 12th-seeded Noor-ul-iman 6-5 in overtime behind four goals from Saeed Torres to advance. It was the first win in three games for Ranney, which had losses to Lacey and Neptune and a 2-2 tie with Point Pleasant Boro.
The Pick: Ranney
6-Princeton Day (6-13) at 3-Doane Academy (13-4-2), 2
Sixth-seeded Princeton Day advanced with a 2-0 victory over 11th-seeded Bishop Eustace. It was the second win – and second shutout – in three games for Princeton Day, which had lost four-straight from Oct. 15-23. Five of Princeton Day’s six wins were shutouts this season. Doane Academy earned a bye into the quarterfinals as the third-seed. Doane Academy has gone 2-1 in its last three games with a win over Thrive Charter and losses to Riverside and Maple Shade after starting the season 8-0.
The Pick: Princeton Day
7-Calvary Christian (Old Bridge) (9-10) at 2-Wildwood Catholic (14-4-1), 2
Seventh-seeded Calvary Christian defeated 10th-seeded Holy Spirit 3-1 behind a hat trick from AJ Mecke to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2021. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Calvary Christian, which had lost to Gloucester Christian, South Amboy and Wardlaw-Hartridge. Wildwood Catholic earned a bye into the quarterfinals as the second-seed. The Crusaders started the season 13-1-1 with eight shutouts before three-straight losses to Absegami, Cedar Creek and Hammonton.
The Pick: Wildwood Catholic
Lauren Knego may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her at @laurenknego.
Jake Aferiat can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him at @Jake_Aferiat.
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