Holy Cross Prep Leads South Non-Public B Bracket
NJSIAA's 2026 Non-Public boys soccer state tournament kicks off Monday, Nov. 2, with six champions to be crowned over three weeks.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Soccer
NJ Advance Media released its bracket previews for the NJSIAA 2026 Non-Public boys soccer state tournament, which begins Monday, Nov. 2. The tournament will crown six state champions over three weeks.
Why it matters
The previews help New Jersey soccer fans track the sectional fields as the state tournament opens. Holy Cross Prep, the top seed in the South, Non-Public B sectional, is looking to improve on a 2025 sectional quarterfinal loss.
Season records and seeding for the top five South, Non-Public B teams show Holy Cross Prep at 14-4-1 as the No. 1 seed, ahead of St. Joseph (Hamm.) at 13-3-3 and Rutgers Prep at 13-7. The extraction does not indicate how each team will perform once the bracket begins.
The players
Holy Cross Prep
Holy Cross Prep is a Non-Public high school in New Jersey whose boys soccer program is seeded No. 1 in the South, Non-Public B sectional.
St. Joseph (Hamm.)
St. Joseph (Hamm.) is a Non-Public high school in New Jersey whose boys soccer program is seeded No. 2 in the South, Non-Public B sectional.
The details
NJ Advance Media is breaking down every bracket ahead of the state tournament, naming a favorite and contenders for each sectional title. In the South, Non-Public B sectional, Holy Cross Prep senior Erick Lopes has 26 goals and four assists, while St. Joseph (Hamm.) junior Chase Franklin has 16 goals and 10 assists.
Timeline
Holy Cross Prep lost to Ranney as the No. 9 seed in the sectional quarterfinals during the 2025 season.
The NJSIAA Non-Public boys soccer state tournament kicks off Monday, Nov. 2, 2026.
Six state champions will be crowned over three weeks following the Nov. 2 opening.
Season Trajectory
Holy Cross Prep enters the 2026 tournament as the No. 1 seed in the South, Non-Public B sectional after a 2025 season that ended with a No. 9 seed loss to Ranney in the sectional quarterfinals. The top seeding reflects a turnaround that sets up a closer look at whether the program can move past last year's early exit.
Fantasy and bracket players can use the top-five seeds and season records to set expectations for South, Non-Public B matchups. Erick Lopes's 26 goals and Chase Franklin's 16 goals and 10 assists are the individual numbers to watch as the tournament opens.
The takeaway
Holy Cross Prep's top seeding gives the program a chance to move beyond last season's sectional quarterfinal loss. Watch the early rounds of the South, Non-Public B bracket to see which contenders hold their seeds.
What happens next
The NJSIAA Non-Public boys soccer state tournament kicks off Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, and will crown six state champions over three weeks.
Further reading
For more coverage, see Soccer and the latest New Jersey high school sports reporting.
