Softball: County tournaments shake up latest North Jersey Top 25 rankings

The county tournaments, so far, have proven that some teams belong in the Top 25 rankings, and others were ranked too high.

Wayne Valley, OK, I’m sold. You beat Passaic Valley three times and you’re in.

The Passaic County final and Bergen County quarterfinals are both on Saturday. The early forecast is so-so. Let’s not talk about that.

The Bergen County quarterfinals have a little bit of new blood. Paramus Catholic is in the quarters for the first time since 2018. The Paladins haven’t reached the semifinals since 2011. Ridgewood is in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019. The Maroons haven’t reached the semis since 2010, when they went all the way to the finals and lost to Indian Hills in an eight-inning classic.

Fair Lawn reached the quarters in 2022 (where it lost a thriller to Old Tappan) but the Cutters haven’t reached the semis since 2017.

And I get to throw out my favorite Bergen County stat, which is that IHA has played in every quarterfinal round since 1990 except for one (2019).

Could we get Indian Hills vs. IHA in the semifinals next weekend? It’s the 10th anniversary of one of the greatest Bergen County finals of all time, what I call “Devine Levine.” Madison Levine’s walk-off home run for Indian Hills to beat IHA, 5-4, in the 2014 final in Saddle Brook prevented IHA from a record fourth straight county title.

Top 25 rankings

1. Immaculate Heart Academy (18-2)

2. Ramsey (15-1)

3. Weehawken (14-1)

4. Ramapo (17-4)

5. Passaic Tech (14-6)

6. Ridgewood (14-4)

7. Indian Hills (13-7-1)

8. Rutherford (12-3-1)

9. Ridgefield Park (14-7)

10. Glen Rock (13-4)

11. Old Tappan (13-6)

12. Park Ridge (11-4)

13. St. Mary (10-5)

14. Wallington (15-2)

15. Hawthorne (13-3)

16. Passaic Valley (10-6)

17. Waldwick (12-5)

18. Paramus Catholic (12-8)

19. Wayne Valley (10-6)

20. West Milford (10-7)

21. River Dell (14-6)

22. Bergenfield (11-6)

23. Lakeland/Kinnelon (11-5)

24. Fair Lawn (10-8)

25. Bergen Tech (10-6)

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Softball: County tournaments shake up latest North Jersey Top 25 rankings