And the bye goes to ... the Robbinsville High boys' soccer team.
Not really a surprise there for anyone who has been following head coach Jeff Fisher's unbeaten Ravens this fall.
But it's still big news because that makes 13-0-2 R'ville the first squad to get the top seed for the new Colonial Valley Conference Tournament.
The CVC Tournament will take the place of the Mercer County Tournament beginning this season after the MCT was dissolved in the spring of 2023. No local prep schools or other outside squads will be competing in this tournament.
While the CVC's other 14 teams will open tourney play Saturday, the Ravens will wait until Monday to host the winner between ninth-seeded Princeton Day School and eighth-seeded West Windsor-Plainsboro South.
One slight twist in the seedings, which are determined by power points, is that Princeton High (9-2-3) got the second seed over Steinert (10-2-3).
Head coach Anthony Tessein's Spartans were the only team to put a blemish on Robbinsville's league record this fall with a 1-1, two overtime tie back on Oct. 1. A week later, Steinert shut out head coach Ryan Walsh's Tigers, 2-0, on the road, yet still it had to settle for the third seed because it has fewer power points than Princeton. Should the teams meet in the semifinal round 5 p.m. Thursday at Hopewell Valley High's Ackerson Field, that will make for a fine storyline.
The championship game is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, also at Ackerson Field.
As in the old MCT, there will be at least one round of consolation games, most likely taking place Tuesday.
Robbinsville (1), Princeton (2), Steinert (3), Notre Dame (4), Hopewell Valley (5), Lawrence (6), Hightstown (7), WW-P South (8), PDS (9), Trenton (10), Allentown (11), WW-P North (12), Nottingham (13), Hamilton West (14), Ewing (15).
WW-P North/Hopewell Valley winner vs. Nottingham/Notre Dame winner, TBA
Allentown/Lawrence winner vs. Hamilton West/Steinert winner, TBA
Trenton/Hightstown winner vs. Ewing/Princeton winner, TBA
Nottingham/Notre Dame loser vs. WW-P North/Hopewell Valley loser, TBA
Allentown/Lawrence loser vs. Trenton/Hightstown loser, TBA
Ewing/Princeton loser vs. Hamilton West/Steinert loser, TBA