Summit High School football enters the 2026 season ranked No. 9 in the Big Central Conference preseason Top Ten, a nod to a program that won nine games last fall for the first time since 2018 and pushed deep into the state playoffs.

Central Jersey Sports Radio published the poll Monday, Aug. 24, with Phillipsburg holding the No. 1 spot. A Patch summary of the rankings described the Hilltoppers as a "well-coached, highly competitive squad" expected to contend again despite injuries that slowed the team last season.

What Summit did in 2025

The Hilltoppers went 9-3 and won the United Gold Division outright at 4-0, beating Cranford, Hillside, Carteret and Scotch Plains-Fanwood. They earned the No. 2 seed in the North 2, Group 3 bracket and won two playoff games before falling to top-seeded West Morris Central, 35-14, in the sectional final on Nov. 14, 2025.

The playoff run featured one of the season's most memorable moments. Sophomore placekicker Cooper Smoragiewicz drilled a field goal with seven seconds left to beat Warren Hills 24-21 in the opening round. Summit then blanked Colonia in the semifinals to reach the title game.

It was the program's deepest postseason run since 2018, when the Hilltoppers last won a sectional championship. The program holds 17 state titles and 35 conference championships, according to its official social media accounts.

The road ahead

Summit will again compete in the United Gold Division for 2026 and 2027, facing Carteret, Cranford and Scotch Plains-Fanwood under new BCC alignment. Phillipsburg and St. Joseph-Metuchen loom as the conference's top-tier competition.

Smoragiewicz, now a junior, is the only returning player confirmed by name in available records. The nature of last season's injuries and the full returning roster have not been detailed publicly.

The Hilltoppers' 2026 opener has not been announced. Summit will face Carteret, Cranford and Scotch Plains-Fanwood in United Gold Division play.