The pre-season poll run by Jacob Hardin-Bernhardt featured many strong New Jersey teams:
High Tech: It will be tough finding a replacement for Deepak Gopalakrishnan, who was one of the best players in the state for multiple years, but any team led by Max Brodsky will be a powerhouse in New Jersey. He is supported by Siddarth Shrivastava, Kevin Liu, and Shaswath Tiwari.
Ridgewood: Ridgewood faces a similar dilemma, losing Aum Mundhe, a dominant history/fine arts player. If Aiden, who has grown into one of the best players in the country, can find some sci coverage, Ridgewood will be able to contend on the national level.
East Brunswick A: East Brunswick loses senior Joshua Yi, but the backup from now junior Tanuj Chandekhar will be instrumental in keeping them in regional contention. Simon and Lily will bring along some superb coverage, coming off strong seasons in 2020-21.
JP Stevens A: While JP loses both Allen and Joey, which will sting, they keep three talented juniors in Kushal, Nishanth, and Sophia , and a rising generalist in Lauren Sun. They also bring up Mihir from John Adams.
Edison: Edison High School keeps their entire A team for their senior season, with potential to make a big splash in the regional circuit. While they were missing some literature coverage last year, the summer may have been enough to patch their single hole.
Millburn: While Millburn loses Ben Hu, which will be tough, they keep Zachary Turinsky, who put up impressive numbers at the tournaments he attended last year.
Livingston: It's the beginning of a new era of Livingston Quiz Bowl this year, as Rosa, Caro, and Veena have all graduated. Robert Wang, who graduated from Heritage Middle School, will be a big help in restarting the club.
JP Stevens B: JP Stevens B was a strong team last year, with Nishanth, Nilay, Lauren, and Tijil covering all subjects well. However, with the moving up of Nishanth and Lauren to A-Team, and Nilay's graduation, there remain significant questions about who the club will field for their second team. Regardless, with the depth of the Stevens team, it is likely that the B team will surprise with their strong performance.
East Brunswick B: East Brunswick B is the same, with the graduation of many seniors last year, and the moving of Simon to A Team, there are questions about who they will play. Regardless, we are in for a surprise, and there is no question that the team will improve heavily over the course of the season.