Softball: North Jersey Top 25 rankings as several teams battle for final spots

It’s usually not hard to determine the 25 teams to make up the North Jersey Top 25 rankings, but there were some difficult choices at the bottom of the list this week. I counted 28 teams worthy of consideration. Wood-Ridge, Glen Rock and Westwood just missed the cut. Fair Lawn too. I guess that makes 29.

Sometimes, the fun in the rankings comes in the middle range, and sometimes the tough decisions come at the end. This week was the latter.

The only new team joining this week is Paramus Catholic. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time the Paladins reached in the Top 25. It has to be at least five years.

West Milford stays in because it beat Indian Hills, that’s the biggest win for that program in a couple of years. Passaic Tech is much better than I thought and may be the team that gives Passaic Valley a fight in Passaic County.

Emerson is the last unbeaten team in Bergen County.

The top three stayed the same and most likely will for a while. Spoiler alert.

Records are through Saturday's games.

Top 25 rankings

1. Immaculate Heart Academy (6-1)

2. Ramsey (4-1)

3. Weehawken (6-0)

4. Passaic Valley (5-0)

5. Ridgefield Park (7-2)

6. Indian Hills (6-1-1)

7. Ramapo (5-2)

8. St. Mary (3-1)

9. Rutherford (5-1-1)

10. Old Tappan (3-3)

11. Bergenfield (3-2)

12. Hawthorne (5-0)

13. Waldwick (5-1)

14. Passaic Tech (6-1)

15. Ridgewood (2-1)

16. Emerson (5-0)

17. Lakeland (5-0)

18. Wallington (6-1)

19. Park Ridge (4-2)

20. DePaul (3-3)

21. Bergen Tech (4-3)

22. Pompton Lakes (3-2)

23. West Milford (3-2)

24. Ridgefield (3-3)

25. Paramus Catholic (4-2)

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Softball: North Jersey Top 25 rankings as several teams battle for final spots