Hawthorne went to Hershfield Park on Saturday and left with a playoff berth in hand after defeating Pompton Lakes, 10-7, in Pompton Lakes.
Hawthorne (5-4) closed out the regular season with three consecutive wins to make a late surge into the playoff chase.
Going into the weekend, Hawthorne was 17th in the North, Group 1 UPR standings heading into the weekend. Only the top 16 teams qualify for the state tournament, which begins next week.
Pompton Lakes (3-4) entered the weekend 19th, but was still in the mix for a final playoff spot with a win.
Anthony De Lallo helped preserve the win for Hawthorne with a fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter.
Hawthorne is unofficially projected to play Butler in the first round. Seedings and matchups will not become official until Sunday.
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