2024 Shore Sports Insider All-Shore Football Teams

Shore Sports Insider is proud to unveil its 2024 All-Shore football teams and season-ending award winners featuring the top performers from the 2024 Shore Conference football season.

Scroll down for bios and pictures of the First Team All-Shore selections and follow the links below for write-ups on the second and third-team picks, award winners and more.

 

*Second Team*

*Third Team*

*Final standings

*Final statistical leaders*

*Final Top 12 Rankings*

*Coaches All-Division Teams*

*MVP*

*Offensive Player of the Year*

*Defensive Player of the Year*

*Coach of the Year*

 

 

2024 Shore Sports Insider All-Shore Football Teams

 

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

QB – Owen O’Toole, Sr., Rumson-Fair Haven

The Shore Sports Insider Offensive Player of the Year, O’Toole concluded his three-year varsity career with a school-record 2,893 yards passing and 25 touchdowns to lead the Shore Conference on a team that finished 13-0 and won its first NJSIAA Group 2 title. He also ran for 194 yards and nine touchdowns, seven of which came in the state playoffs. He engineered the Shore Conference’s top scoring offense at 40.8 points per game. O’Toole finished No. 2 in Shore Conference history with 7,099 yards passing, becoming one of only two quarterbacks in Shore history to pass 7,000 yards. He also threw 68 touchdown passes in his career and ran for 15 touchdowns. He threw for a career-high 329 yards in a regular-season win over Donovan Catholic and for 325 in a win over Point Boro in the Group 2 semifinals. O’Toole was named the Class A North Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches.

 

QB – T.J. Valerio, Sr., Toms River North

Valerio made the most of his one year as the starter by throwing for a single-season school record 2,427 yards and 30 touchdowns while also leading the team in rushing with 841 yards and 8 touchdowns. He had a 73% completion percentage and only four interceptions on 191 attempts. In the undefeated Mariners’ run to their third straight NJSIAA Group 5 title he threw for 744 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 316 yards and a touchdown in five games. Valerio engineered an offense that averaged 37.6 points per game, second in the Shore Conference, and was named the Class A South Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches. He finished with 3,120 yards passing and 39 touchdowns and 1,303 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns in his career.

 

QB – Jack Cannon, Jr., Holmdel

After a strong sophomore season, Cannon took it to another level as a junior to stamp himself as the most prolific quarterback in school history. He had a single-season school-record 1,944 yards passing and 19 touchdowns with only three interceptions on 70% accuracy. He also ran for 1,075 yards and 18 touchdowns on an average of 7.4 yards per carry for the Class C North champions. He is already the school’s all-time leading passer with 3,123 yards to go with 30 touchdown passes. His 520 total yards in a win over Raritan are also a single-game school record. He will be one of the Shore Conference’s top returning players next season after leading the Hornets to back-to-back division titles for the first time in school history.

 

RB – Abdul Turay, So., St. John Vianney

The Shore Sports Insider Most Valuable Player winner, Turay exploded as one of New Jersey’s top running backs as a sophomore. He ran for a single-season school record 2,517 yards, one of the highest totals in Shore Conference history and the highest total in the state this season. Turay had eight games of more than 200 yards rushing with a high of 255 in a regular-season win over St. Joseph-Metuchen. He also had 37 touchdowns. He added 19 catches for 273 yards. Turay is also one of the Shore’s top safeties, as he finished with 81 tackles, 13 for a loss, 4 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He boasts offers from Boston College, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia and Northern Illinois.

 

RB – Kellen Murray, Jr., Rumson-Fair Haven

Murray made the leap from a contributor to a star this season with 1,581 yards rushing and a school-record 32 touchdowns on an average of 7.4 yards per carry for the Shore’s highest-scoring offense. He saved his best for last, rushing for 170 yards and three touchdowns in the Group 2 final victory over Shabazz that gave Rumson its first overall state title and first unbeaten season since 1959. He had seven 100-yard rushing games, including a career-high 212 and four touchdowns in a win over sectional semifinalist Manchester. He returns next season with 2,235 career yards rushing and 38 touchdowns on his resume.

 

RB – Mordecai Ford, Sr., Toms River North

An All-Class A South pick by the coaches, Ford was a versatile weapon for a team that finished 14-0 and won its third straight Group 5 title. He had 695 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns and caught 32 passes for 414 yards and 7 touchdowns. He caught three touchdown passes and a two-point conversion pass in a win over Union City in the Group 5 final. Ford finished his career with 1,445 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns.

 

WR – Jordan Angstreich, Sr., Rumson-Fair Haven

In his first and only season as a starting wideout, Angstreich had 68 catches for what is believed to be a Shore Conference single-season record 1,186 yards along with 13 touchdown catches. He had five 100-yard receiving games, including a career-high 10 catches for 205 yards in a win over rival Red Bank Catholic. He also had 10 catches for 123 yards in a win over Point Boro in the Group 2 semifinals. He finished his career with 82 catches for 1,348 yards and 14 touchdowns. He will continue his career at Middlebury College.

 

WR – Camryn Thomas, Sr., Toms River North

One of the top two-way players in the Shore, Thomas led the undefeated Mariners with 37 catches for 806 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also was a menace in the secondary as a top cover corner with 34 tackles and three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He had a pair of 100-yard receiving games, with a high of 141 in a win over Jackson Memorial in which he also had a 52-yard punt return for a score. Thomas also had two clutch interceptions in a comeback win over Kingsway in the NJSIAA sectional semifinals. He finished his career with 62 catches for 1,283 yards and 14 touchdowns.

 

WR – Nick Thomas, Sr., Rumson-Fair Haven

Another key cog in the Bulldogs’ dynamic receiving corps, Thomas had 52 catches for 847 yards and 9 touchdowns for the undefeated Group 2 champions. The All-Class A North pick had four 100-yard receiving games, including a career-high 128 on 11 catches in a win over Point Boro in the Group 2 semifinals. He also was a standout in Rumson’s secondary, finishing with 42.5 tackles and an interception for the undefeated Group 2 and Class A North champs. Thomas also had 26 catches for 300 yards and a touchdown as a junior.

 

WR – Nyzier Matthews, Jr., Brick Memorial

The explosive junior had 837 yards receiving and a school single-season record nine touchdown catches to lead the Mustangs. He had 31 catches for an average of 27 yards per catch. He had four 100-yard receiving games, with a high of 132 in a win over Donovan Catholic, and he also had 126 and a pair of TD catches in a state playoff win over Jackson Memorial. Matthews also played in the Mustangs’ secondary, where he had 35 tackles and three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

 

OL – Jaelyne Matthews, Sr., Toms River North

One of the top offensive line recruits in the state, the 6-foot-8, 330-pound pound Matthews has signed with Rutgers. He paved the way for an offense that averaged 37.6 points and 350 yards per game to help the Mariners go 14-0 and win their third straight Group 5 title as well as the Class A South title in the Shore’s toughest division. He also saw time on the defensive line, where he finished with 42 tackles, 7 for a loss, and had a pair of fumble recoveries in Toms River North’s win over Union City in the Group 5 final.

 

OL – Kai Pritchard, Jr., Donovan Catholic

The All-Class A South selection was a bright spot on a team that struggled against a brutal schedule. Universally lauded by opposing coaches, the 6-foot-5, 275-pound junior is the highest-recruited returning lineman in the Class of 2026 in the Shore Conference. He has offers from Boston College, Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, West Virginia, James Madison, Kent State and Liberty.

 

OL – Matt Smith, Sr., Rumson-Fair Haven

The top offensive lineman on the Shore Conference’s highest-scoring team, Smith (No. 56 above) was an All-Class A North selection by the coaches for the undefeated Bulldogs. He helped pave the way for 2,947 yards passing and 2,081 yards rushing for an average of 386.8 yards per game for a team that averaged 40.8 points per game. No team held Rumson under 26 points all season, as the Bulldogs won their first Group 2 title and finished undefeated for the first time in 65 years.

 

OL – Lou DiBiase, Sr., Point Boro

DiBiase missed three games after having to sit due to the NJSIAA transfer rule, but he made his presence felt in the Panthers’ run to the South Jersey Group 2 title. He was a key cog on an offensive line that paved the way for 3,725 yards rushing and 49 touchdowns for the No. 4 scoring offense in the Shore at 33.2 points per game. He was also a monster on defense with 72 tackles and a team-high 7 sacks, as well as 9 tackles for a loss. 

 

OL – Jaden Hadzovic, Sr., Pinelands

The 6-foot-6, 290-pound senior paved the way for 1,600-yard rusher Jaimin Parkinson on his way to earning All-Class C South honors from the coaches. He is headed to the Ivy League after signing with Princeton.

 

ATH – Rahmel Anderson, Sr., Lakewood

Anderson finished second in the Shore Conference with a school-record 2,244 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns for his second straight 2,000-yard season. He became Lakewood’s all-time leading rusher with 4,426 yards after piling up a state-best 2,182 yards as a junior. Anderson’s 356 yards rushing against Borden are a single-game school record and so are his six touchdowns in a win over Asbury Park. He had five games of more than 200 yards rushing and three games of more than 300 yards rushing. The latter total was the most of any player in the Shore. He was named the Class C South Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches.

 

ATH – Jason Lajara, Jr., Brick Memorial

In his first year as a starter, Lajara burst onto the scene with 2,009 yards passing, 18 touchdown passes and four interceptions while also running for a team-high 867 yards and 17 touchdowns. It was one of the biggest statistical seasons by a quarterback in Brick Memorial history. He had five games of more than 200 yards passing, including a high of 251 against Southern, and registered four 100-yard rushing games, highlighted by 143 against rival Brick. He returns as one of the Shore’s top quarterbacks next season.

 

K – Blake Caruso, Jr., Red Bank Catholic

Caruso was 3-for-5 on field goals, including the only field goals of more than 40 yards in the Shore Conference this season. He hit field goals of 37, 41 and 44 yards and finished 11-for-12 on extra points. He also had 35 tackles and an interception as a defensive back.

 

 

DEFENSE

DL – Blaise Boland, Sr., Toms River North

The Shore Sports Insider Defensive Player of the Year, Boland was a disruptive force for the Shore Conference’s No. 1 defense. He led the team with 115 tackles, 28.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks while also forcing five fumbles and recovering another one. He was at his best in Toms River North’s biggest games, finishing with a forced fumble and recovery in a playoff win over Kingsway, 11 tackles and 2 sacks in the sectional final against Rancocas Valley, 12 tackles, 2 for a loss in the Group 5 semifinals and 10 tackles, a sack and three tackles for a loss in the Group 5 final. He finished with 232 tackles, 20 sacks and 60.5 tackles for a loss in his career after an All-Shore season as a junior in which he registered 100 tackles.

 

DL – Eddie Slosky, Sr., Toms River North

The bookend on the other side of Defensive Player of the Year Blaise Boland, Slosky finished with 86 tackles, 19.5 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for the Shore’s No. 1 defense. He registered 178 career tackles, 37.5 tackles for a loss and 13.5 sacks.

 

DL – Brody Tooker, Sr., Middletown North

Selected as the Class B North Defensive Player of the Year by the coaches, the physical Tooker (No. 7 above) finished with 65 tackles, 12 for a loss, and 4 sacks for a Lions team that won its first outright division title since 1983. He had 11 tackles, 3 for a loss, and a sack in a win over Non-Public B semifinalist St. John Vianney, and nine tackles in a playoff loss to Shawnee. Middletown North’s defense allowed 13.5 points per game.

 

DL – Tanner Hynes, Sr., Point Boro

Hynes was a two-way standout in the trenches for a Panthers team that won the South Jersey Group 2 sectional title, went 10-3 and finished No. 3 in the SSI Top 12. He recorded 63 tackles with 6 sacks and 8 tackles for loss on a defense that was a top-15 unit in the Shore playing a challenging schedule. He was also one of the Panthers’ top offensive linemen who helped pave the way for 3,725 yards rushing and 49 touchdowns.

 

DL – Cirpiano Bodnar, Sr., Holmdel

The leader of the Hornets’ defense, Bodnar was a force up front with 8 sacks and 75.5 tackles for a team that won the Class C North title and reached the NJSIAA sectional semifinals. He had 11 tackles and a sack in a pivotal win over Wall in the division race and 8 tackles and a sack in a win over Manalapan that clinched the division title. He finished his career with 119.5 tackles.

 

LB – Cole Toddings, Sr., Barnegat

A Colgate recruit, Toddings was named the Class C South Defensive Player of the Year by the coaches. He finished with 123 tackles, 21 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks for a team that reached the state playoffs. He had a season-high 20 tackles in a win over Lakewood and 2,000-yard rusher Rahmel Anderson. Toddings is the school’s all-time leading tackler with 400 and he also had 73 tackles for a loss in his career. The coaches selected him as the Class C South Defensive Player of the Year.

 

LB – Austin Kiernan, Sr., Rumson-Fair Haven

The leading tackler on the undefeated Bulldogs with 124, Kiernan (No. 45 above) also had 9 tackles for a loss and a team-high 6.5 sacks for a defense that allowed 13.4 points per game. He finished with 13 tackles in a Group 2 semifinal win over Point Boro, 12 tackles in the sectional final victory over Wall and 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks in a win over Red Bank Catholic. He had 227 career tackles, 19 for a loss, and 13 sacks. He was named the Class A North Co-Defensive Player of the Year with teammate Jacob Tobias by the coaches.

 

LB – Jacob Tobias, Sr., Rumson-Fair Haven

Tobias was part of a strong linebacking group for the 13-0 Bulldogs, finishing second on the team with 121.5 tackles and leading the team with 14.5 tackles for a loss. He also had two interceptions, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He had a season-high 12 tackles in a playoff win over Delran, 11 tackles and a sack in a win over rival Red Bank Catholic, and 10 tackles in a win over Wall in the sectional finals. Tobias finished his career with 198.5 tackles, 24 for a loss, and three interceptions. He was named the Class A North Co-Defensive Player of the Year with teammate Austin Kiernan by the coaches.

 

LB – Jack Baker, So., Toms River North

Baker had big shoes to fill, but there was a reason he earned a starting job as a sophomore on one of the best teams in New Jersey. He debuted with a phenomenal campaign in which he recorded 106 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles for the undefeated Group 5 state champion Mariners, who boasted the Shore’s No. 1 scoring defense at 7.9 points per game. His 22 tackles for loss were tied for second in the Shore behind teammate and SSI Defensive Player of the Year Blaise Boland. In a 41-14 victory over Union City in the Group 5 state final, Baker recorded a season-high 14 tackles with two tackles for loss as the Mariners completed a 14-0 season to finish No. 1 in the SSI Top 12.

 

LB – Colin Obser, Sr., Point Boro

An All-Class A South pick, Obser followed up a strong junior season with another monster year. He had a team-high 129 tackles, 7 for a loss, and a sack for the South Jersey Group 2 champs. He finished his career with 263 tackles. Obser also ran for 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns and caught five passes for 138 yards and four touchdowns.

 

LB – Trey Tallmadge, Jr., Brick Memorial

Already the Mustangs’ all-time leader in tackles as a junior, Tallmadge fought through injuries to finish with 87 tackles, 8 for a loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception for the sectional semifinalists. He has 316 career tackles. Tallmadge also had a rushing touchdown and caught 13 passes for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns as a tight end.

 

DB – Nasir Jackson, Sr., Toms River North

Part of an explosive duo with Cam Thomas, Jackson was also one of the Shore’s top all-around players. He finished with 36 catches for 756 yards and 8 touchdowns at wide receiver, while registering 48 tackles, a team-high 6 interceptions and a fumble return for a touchdown as a defensive back. Jackson reeled in a 25-yard touchdown catch in the win over Union City in the Group 5 final. He had three 100-yard receiving games and had two pick-sixes on defense in a comeback win over Rancocas Valley in the South Jersey Group 5 final. He finished his career with 57 catches for 1,194 yards and 13 touchdowns along with 253 yards rushing and a touchdown. Jackson had nine career interceptions.

 

DB – Evan Ridgeway, Sr., Rumson-Fair Haven

The leader of Rumson’s secondary, Ridgway had 67 tackles and 4 interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He had an interception in a win over Red Bank Catholic, a pick-six in a victory over Donovan Catholic and an interception against Wall in the NJSIAA sectional finals. He was part of a defense that allowed 13.4 points per game for the Group 2 champions, who went unbeaten for the first time in 65 years.

 

DB – Royalty Riley, Sr., Central

A dynamic all-around player, Riley led the Golden Eagles with 4 interceptions in his first and only season playing on defense. The speedy senior also had a team-high 37 catches for 648 yards and 8 touchdowns for the Class B South tri-champs to earn all-Class B South honors.

 

ATH – Dylan Reitmeyer, Sr., Point Boro

A star two-way player for one of the Shore Conference’s top three teams, the fullback/linebacker ran for a team-high 1,196 yards and 18 touchdowns to earn All-Class A South honors. He had seven 100-yard games, including 110 against Group 5 champion Toms River North, 152 in the South Jersey Group 2 final against Camden, and 102 in the Group 2 semifinals against undefeated Rumson-Fair Haven. He also was second on the team with 108 tackles at linebacker, including three for a loss and a sack.

 

ATH – Brian O’Donnell, Sr., Middletown North

An all-around standout, O’Donnell had 28 catches for 298 yards and 6 touchdowns while also running for 158 yards and 7 touchdowns on an offense that averaged 30.5 points per game. As a safety, he had 48 tackles, 13 for a loss, for a defense that allowed 13.5 points per game. O’Donnell was an All-Class B North pick by the coaches for the division champs.

 

ATH – Jake Clayton, So., Point Boro

Another two-way star for the 10-win Panthers, Clayton took over as the starting quarterback in the triple option and ran for 915 yards and 7 touchdowns on an average of 7.6 yards per carry and also threw 8 touchdown passes on just 14 completions. He also had 46 tackles in the secondary along with two fumble recoveries and a team-high three interceptions.

 

P – Heath Reinhardt, Jr., Wall

Reinhardt was a standout punter, kicker and wide receiver for a Wall team that went 8-3 and reached the Central Jersey Group 2 final in a resurgent season. He averaged 35 yards per punt with nine punts inside the 20-yard line, went 3-for-5 on field goals with a long of 37 yards and converted 31 of 34 extra points, and was the Crimson Knights’ leading receiver with 344 yards and six touchdowns. He added 140 yards rushing and two touchdowns.