2024 Shore Sports Insider Third Team All-Shore Football
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THIRD TEAM ALL-SHORE
OFFENSE
QB – Owen Robson, Jr., Middletown North
In his first year as the starter, Robson threw for 1,749 yards and 16 touchdowns with a 71% completion percentage for the Class B North champions. The all-division pick also ran for 113 yards and a score. He threw for 203 yards and a touchdown in a playoff loss to Shawnee and had 163 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Freehold Township that sealed the division title.
QB – Aidan Lunn, Sr., Manchester
A key player on the best team in Manchester program history, Lunn threw for 1,518 yards and 12 touchdowns while also running for a team-high 650 yards and 7 touchdowns. He finished as the school’s all-time leading passer with 3,907 yards and 36 touchdowns in his three-year varsity career. He also ran for 1,212 yards and 17 touchdowns in his career. He had 204 yards passing and 62 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns in a win over West Deptford that gave the Hawks their first state playoff victory in school history. He also helped Manchester win the Class C South crown for its first outright division title in school history. The coaches named him the Class C South Player of the Year.
RB – Shane Volante, Sr., Middletown North
Volante led the Lions with exactly 1,000 yards rushing to go with 10 touchdowns for a team that averaged 30.5 points per game on its way to winning the Class B North title and reaching the sectional semifinals. He had five 100-yard rushing games, including 158 and two touchdowns in a win over Non-Public B semifinalist St. John Vianney and 166 and a TD in a win over Freehold Township that clinched the division title. He was an All-Class B North pick by the coaches.
RB – Ahsere Woolfolk, Jr., Manalapan
The All-Class C North pick by the coaches led the Braves with 975 yards and 10 touchdowns on 154 carries. He had four 100-yard rushing games, including a career-high 174 in a win over Middletown South. Woolfolk will return next year with 1,575 career rushing yards.
RB – Nick Ruggiero, Sr., Central
Ruggiero was one of the Shore’s 11 1,000-yard rushers this season with a career-high 1,142 yards and 7 touchdowns to help the Golden Eagles go 8-2 and earn a share of the Class B South division championship.
RB – Colin Palumbo, Sr., Matawan
Palumbo averaged 9.7 yards per carry by rushing for 786 yards and 9 touchdowns. He was an All-Class B North selection by the coaches and is a returning All-Shore selection.
WR – Jack Viola, Jr., Middletown North
Viola had a breakout season to become the Lions’ leading receiver with 41 catches for 662. yards and 5 touchdowns. He also saw time on defense and kicked two field goals to help Middletown North go 8-2 and win the Class B North division title.
WR – CJ Yates, So., Central
Yates had a great debut season with 32 catches for 627 yards and 8 touchdowns plus two interceptions on defense to help the Golden Eagles go 8-2 and win a share of the Class B South division title.
WR – MJ Goins, Sr., Manchester
Manchester’s top playmaker caught 28 passes for 665 yards and 7 touchdowns (23.8 yards per reception), rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown, and intercepted three passes on defense as the Hawks went 8-3, won the first outright division title in program history (C South) and won the first state playoff game in program history.
WR – Daniel Zabora, Jr., Red Bank Catholic
The All-Class A North selection by the coaches caught 33 passes for a team-leading 534 yards and seven touchdowns to help the Caseys finish No. 12 in the Shore. He also had 58 tackles and one interception on defense.
OL – Robert Yakovchuck, Jr., St. John Vianney
Yakovchuck was the top lineman for a Lancers offense that averaged 32.6 points per game, rushed for 3,298 yards and 42 touchdowns and passed for 1,903 yard and 15 touchdowns. He helped pave the way for MVP Abdul Turay to rush for a state-leading 2,517 yards and 37 touchdodwns.
OL – Adam Murphy, Sr., Manasquan
The 6-foot-6, 270-pound senior helped pave the way for 1,100-yard rusher Ace Etienne on an offense that averaged 25 points per game. The All-Class C North pick by the coaches has signed with Colgate.
OL – George Walsh, Jr., Point Boro
Walsh excelled on both sides of the ball for the South Jersey Group 2 champion Panthers. He helped the Shore’s No. 4 scoring offense rush for 3,725 yard and 49 touchdowns and on defense he recorded 53 tackles, 4 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. His play helped Point Boro go 10-3, win a sectional title and finish No. 3 in the SSI Top 12.
OL – Andrew Klimovich, Sr., Middletown North
The senior captain was an All-Class B North pick for a team that won its first outright division title since 1983 and reached the sectional semifinals. He was a key cog on an offense that averaged 30.5 points and 343 yards per game.
ATH – Nicky Palmieri, So., Manalapan
Palmieri was an All-Class C North pick by the coaches for his debut varsity season in which he rushed for 475 yards and 9 touchdowns, caught a touchdown pass, made 65 tackles with three tackles for loss, and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
ATH – Xavier Nunes, Sr., Raritan
Nunes was a big-play machine for the Rockets, rushing for 660 yards and 8 touchdowns on an average of 10.6 yards per carry and catching 15 passes for 351 yards and five touchdowns. He was an All-Class C North selection by the coaches.
ATH – Frankie Serini, Sr., Holmdel
Serini was Jack Cannon’s No. 1 target in the passing game with 34 catches for 590 yards and 7 touchdowns for the Class C North champions. He had a season-high 133 yards and a touchdown in a win over Raritan. Serini also played cornerback, where he finished with 25 tackles and 2 interceptions.
K – Yianni Papanikolas, Sr., Toms River North
Papanikolas converted 54 of 56 extra points and was 3-for-5 on field goals with a long of 31 yards to help Toms River North go 14-0 and win its third straight Group 5 state title. He also played at tight end and along the offensive line for the No. 2 offense in the Shore. He set a state record this season with 180 career extra points made.
DEFENSE
DL – Lorenzo Tartamella, So., Red Bank Catholic
A burgeoning star with multiple Power 4 FBS offers, Tartamella was an All-Class A North selection after posting 52 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 blocked kick.
DL – Joe Grasso, Sr., Middletown North
An All-Class B North selection by the coaches, Grasso was one of the top defenders for a Middletown North defense that was No. 4 in the Shore allowing just 13.5 points per game. He recorded 37 tackles with 3 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. He was also a ferocious blocking tight end for an offense that averaged 3o.5 points per game and caught 14 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. His play helped the Lions go 8-2 and win the Class B North division title.
DL – Slav Kostenko, Sr., Marlboro
An All-Class A North selection by the coaches, Kostenko had 48 tackles, 1 sacks and 8 tackles for loss for a rugged Marlboro defense that faced some of the top offenses in the state. Marlboro went 6-4, reached the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals and finished the year No. 12 in the SSI rankings.
DL – James Lynch, Sr., Toms River East
Lynch was a two-way standout in the trenches and earned All-Class B South honors from the coaches.
LB – Danny Breen, Jr., St. John Vianney
The All-Class C North selection by the coaches was the Lancers’ leading tackler with 122 stops plus 3 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. His efforts helped SJV go 9-4, reach the Non-Public B semifinals and finish the season ranked No. 7 in the Shore.
LB – Dante Mortellite, Sr., Manchester
The senior linebacker led the Class C South champions with 105 tackles to go with a sack and a fumble recovery for a team that tied the school record with eight wins. He had 10 tackles against West Deptford in the program’s first state playoff win in history and a career-high 18 in a comeback win over Pinelands. He finished his career with 229 tackles.
LB – Brendan O’Brien, Sr., Shore
The two-way standout for the Class D North champions finished second on the team with 669 yards rushing and ran for a team-high 13 touchdowns. As a linebacker, he finished with 97 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and 2 sacks.
LB – Patrick McGonnell, Sr., Red Bank Catholic
McGonnell had 89 tackles, including a team-high 17 for a loss, along with 4 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception to lead a Caseys unit that allowed 17.4 points per game. He was named All-Class A North by the coaches.
LB – Jamie Gutridge, Sr., Red Bank Catholic
An All-Class A North pick by the coaches, Gutridge recorded a team-high 90 tackles and a team-best 5 sacks to go along with 8 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries for a Caseys defense that allowed 17.4 points per game. He also ran three touchdowns as a running back.
LB – Dylan Cohen, Jr., Wall
Cohen led the Crimson Knights with 108 tackles, 6 for a loss, along with 4 sacks for a defense that allowed 14.4 points per game. The All-Class C North pick by the coaches had 13 tackles in a loss to unbeaten Rumson in the Central Jersey Group 2 final and 11 tackles and 2 sacks against playoff qualifier Manalapan. He also ran for 350 yards and 5 touchdowns.
DB – DJ Carter, Jr., St. John Vianney
Carter was tied for second in the Shore with five interceptions and added 59 tackles to help the Lancers go 9-4, reach the Non-Public B semifinals and finish ranked No. 7 in the SSI Top 12.
DB – Zach Padilla, Sr. Howell
An All-Class A South selection by the coaches, Padilla had three interceptions, including one pick-6, and 32 tackles for a Howell team that finished No. 11 in the SSI Top 12 playing one of the Shore’s toughest schedules.
DB – Stephen Griffin, Sr., Barnegat
An All-Class C South selection by the coaches, Griffin tied for the Shore Conference lead with six interceptions and totaled 47 tackles to help the Bengals qualify for the South Jersey Group 3 playoffs. He added 263 yards receiving and three touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.
DB – Mekai Morse, Sr., Toms River North
Morse was one of several two-way standouts on a loaded Mariners team that won their third straight Group 5 title and finished 14-0. He made 89 tackles with 2 interceptions, 1.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles for the Shore’s No. 1 scoring defense. He added four total touchdowns as a wide receiver for an offense that averaged 37.6 points per game.
ATH – Matt Iulo, Sr., Holmdel
Iulo was an impact player as a runner, receiver and linebacker for a Holmdel team that went 8-2 and won the Class C North division title. An all-division selection by the coaches, Iulo ran for 460 yards and 7 touchdowns, caught 17 passes for 286 yards and 2 touchdowns, and totaled 53 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss and a defensive touchdown.
ATH – Liam Brosnan, Sr., Point Beach
The Garnet Gulls senior made school history as the first player to register back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons when he finished with 1,125 yards and 13 touchdowns on 208 carries. He had five 100-yard rushing games, including a career-best 217 and three touchdowns in a win over New Egypt that clinched Point Beach’s first state playoff berth in five years. Brosnan finished as Point Beach’s all-time leading rusher with 2,282 yards to go with 26 touchdowns. The All-Class D North selection also had 41 tackles on defense this season, seven for a loss.
ATH – Shawn Fowler, So., Brick Memorial
Fowler burst onto the scene in his first varsity season, finishing with 16 catches for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns at receiver and 42 tackles and a team-high three interceptions as a cornerback. He had two 100-yard receiving games, led by 139 and two touchdowns in a win over Howell. He also had pick-sixes on defense in wins over Donovan Catholic and Jackson Memorial. Fowler was an All-Class A South pick by the coaches.
P – Joe Muzzillo, Jr., Jackson Memorial
The All-Class A South pick by coaches at punter was a special teams weapon for the Jaguars. He averaged 40 yards per punt, converted 23 of 26 extra points, and kicked 5 of 6 field goals with a long of 36 yards. He delivered a walk-off 19-yard field goal when Jackson beat Long Branch 37-34 in a Week 1 thriller.
