New Jersey football playoff preview: North 1 bracket

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Other bracket previews: South, North 2, Central, Non-Public.

North I Group 1
Game to watch: Hawthorne vs. Butler
Favorite: Mountain Lakes
Sleeper: Saddle Brook
Analysis: Butler and Mountain Lakes, which have a budding rivalry, could meet again in the semifinals. However, don't count out Hawthorne and its potent offense. The story of 8-1 Saddle Brook, which lost 19 straight games before winning its finale last year, is simply remarkable. The Falcons may get another shot at Wallington in the second round if they can get past Bob Valli and his well-coached Cresskill squad.

North I Group 2
Game to watch: Pequannock (Pompton Plains) vs. Lenape Valley (Stanhope)
Favorite: River Dell (Oradell)
Sleeper: Pascack Hills (Montvale)
Analysis: This bracket almost has two favorites, with River Dell and Lakeland both looking dominant through most of the regular season. With Mahwah, River Dell and Ramsey, there's a distinct Big North VI flavor to the group. Wallkill Valley and head coach Daryl Jones have two losses by one-point each, or they would likely be ranked higher. Ramsey got a tough draw with Pascack Hills as a No. 5 seed; Craig Nielsen's squad has notched some impressive wins.

North 1 Group 3
Game to watch: Ramapo (Franklin Lakes) vs. Paramus
Favorite: Northern Valley (Old Tappan)
Sleeper: High Point (Sussex)
Analysis: Unquestionably one of the deepest brackets in the state, there are several elite teams in the field. It's hard to not pick Wayne Hills as the favorite, given Chris Olsen's track record, but Northern Valley, with sensational Devin Fuller, gets the nod. Paramus signal-caller John Robertson could help Paramus make a run. High Point and Mount Olive are the only non-Bergen County teams in the bracket, and could surprise some people.

North 1 Group 4
Game to watch: Ridgewood vs. Montclair
Favorite: West Orange
Sleeper: Montclair
Analysis: This bracket features a great mix of some well-established coaches and some top young up-and-comers. North Bergen, which nearly handed Hudson County foe St. Peter's Prep a loss this season, is a dangerous No. 3 seed. Randolph was stellar in the Northwest Jersey Conferences this season. Be on the lookout for Montclair, which beat North Bergen and Union City and nearly knocked off West Orange in the regular season.