2026 Shore Conference Boys Soccer Preview: Class A Central

In the current Shore Conference structure, the Class A Central division is set up as Monmouth County’s “second division,” with Class A North as the “first” division. Yet, in each of the past two seasons, a team from Class A Central has won the Shore Conference Tournament and in 2025, that team did not even win the division championship.

Manasquan beat out Middletown South for the regular-season crown in A Central, but Middletown South got the last laugh as the Shore Conference Tournament and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III champion. Middletown South and St. John Vianney have moved out of A Central and into A North, but Manasquan remains to defend its division championship against another deep pool of contenders.

To repeat as division champions, the Warriors will have to beat three other division champions. Freehold Township and Long Branch shared the Class B North championship and Ranney will take on a new division after winning the Class B Central crown in 2025. Throw in decorated programs from Ocean, Rumson-Fair Haven and Shore Regional – all of which have won an NJSIAA sectional title within the last decade – and Class A Central has the makings of a division that could claim more hardware in 2026.

In predicted order of finish

 

1. Freehold Township

Freehold Township spent two decades as the Shore Conference’s most consistent public school program, but over the last five years, consistency has given way to volatility, specifically in the head coach’s chair. This season, Freehold Township will be on its fourth head coach in six seasons after Mike O’Boyle was not rehired following a tumultuous 2025 season for the team. Two controversial red cards issued to the coaching staff in a loss to Monroe wound up disqualifying Freehold Township from the 2025 NJSIAA Tournament, but the Patriots rallied around their coach(opens in new tab) to win the Class B North division co-championship with Long Branch and reach the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2021.

O’Boyle landed at Red Bank Regional and in his place, former Toms River North standout and assistant coach Jeff Scheck takes over the Patriots program. Scheck inherits a talented group that has some experience back from last year, but will have to pick up a good deal of graduated production turned in by a quality 2026 graduating class. The defense loses a First-Team All-Shore defender in Bobby Lockard, but brings back a pair of proven backs in Lucas Torres and Brandon Doaman in front of second-year starting goalkeeper Giuseppe Romano. Senior Nick Henriques and junior Makai Alcide round out the new back line, which once again has the makings of a strength for the Patriots.

The four midfielders and two forwards in the starting XI all got a taste of varsity action in 2025, led by junior Chase Melcher coming off a strong varsity debut as a sophomore. Melcher will play up top with senior Jacob Doaman and junior Jack Manfredonia and Caleb Cone work the outside midfield. Senior returning Greyson Fitch and junior Eric Rjahovski will man the middle of the field to give Freehold Township another piece of the formation that combines a senior with a junior poised for a breakout. The talented junior group could hold the key to a special two-year run for the Patriots and they expect to start that run on opening night, Aug. 31 at Toms River North.

Freehold Township at a Glance

Head Coach: Jeff Scheck, first season
2025 Record: 12-9-1 (5-1, tied first in Class B North)
SCT Group: 2 (Southern, Holmdel, Jackson, Matawan)
Key Losses: Gino Castaneda (Midfield), Bobby Lockard (Defense), Gabe Bormolini (Midfield), Caine Massey (Midfield), Alex Rivera (Forward), Christian Gomez (Defense), Joao Dos Santos (Midfield), Matheus Lopes (Sr., Midfield), Jake Weiss (Defense), Charlie DelPrete (Defense), Sebastian Polo (Forward)

Projected Starting XI (With 2025 Stats)

Returning starters in bold

Giuseppe Romano, Jr., Goalkeeper (5 shutouts)

Lucas Torres, Sr., Defense

Brandon Doaman, Sr., Defense (1 assist)

Nick Henriques, Sr., Defense

Makai Alcide, Jr., Defense

Greyson Fitch, Sr., Midfield (2 assists)

Eric Rjahovski, Jr., Midfield

Jack Manfredonia, Jr., Midfield (2 goals)

Caleb Cone, Sr., Midfield

Jayden Doaman, Sr., Forward (2 assists)

Chase Melcher, Jr., Forward (5 goals, 4 assists)

 

Other Key Players

Francis Diaz, So., Forward

Julian Polo, Jr., Midfield

Sean McGuinness, So., Defense

Christian Blanco, Jr., Midfield

Ryan Rutledge, Sr., Forward/Midfield

 

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2. Manasquan

Beyond dynamic senior scorer Cruz Farkas, last year’s Manasquan team went into 2025 with mostly unknowns on the roster and under first-year head coach Zach Savacool, the Warriors won a highly-competitive Class A Central division with a lineup packed with juniors and sophomores around Farkas and fellow senior starters Quinn Juska and Landon Herbert. That leaves Manasquan with an experienced group returning for 2026 and although they will miss Farkas’s ability to create and finish on the attack, the Warriors have a blend of speed, size, skill and toughness among their returning starting group.

Junior Noah Noah Matuch and senior Adam Rodricks return as the second and third-leading scorers, respectively, from a year ago while senior Luke Byrne is also back in the midfield after a productive season. Seniors Myles Carstens and Kai Lomas and junior Jack Walther make up the other half of Manasquan’s front six, which will operate differently without Farkas, but still have the makings of a high-scoring unit with plenty of experience back.

Junior Travis Levey leads the defense as a 6-foot-3 centerback, keeping the Warriors strong in the air. Returning seniors John Visceglia and Alex Lapitzki further fortify the defense and junior Renzo Lucarelli steps in to cover one of the open starter spots. Senior Quinn Petrulla ties Manasquan’s balanced field group together with a proven goalkeeper coming off an all-division season as a junior. Manasquan will not have a singular clutch scorer like Farkas heading into the season, but the roster is deep and the Warriors will have a lot of ways to win games thanks to their experienced lineup.

Manasquan at a Glance

Head Coach: Zach Savacool, second season
2025 Record: 13-8 (5-1, first in Class A Central)
SCT Group: 1 (CBA, Central, Red Bank, Red Bank Catholic)
Key Losses: Cruz Farkas (Forward), Quinn Juska (Midfield), Landon Herbert (Midfield)

Projected Starting XI (With 2025 Stats)

Returning starters in bold

Quinn Petrulla, Sr., Goalkeeper (6 shutouts)

Travis Levy, Jr., Defense (3 goals, 1 assist)

John Visceglia, Sr., Defense (1 goal, 4 assists)

Renzo Lucarelli, Jr., Defense

Alex Lapitzki, Sr., Defense

Jack Walther, Jr., Midfield (1 goal, 1 assist)

Myles Carstens, Sr., Midfield

Luke Byrne, Sr., Midfield (3 goals, 6 assists)

Adam Rodricks, Sr., Midfield/Forward (6 goals, 5 assists)

Kai Lomas, Sr., Forward (2 assists)

Noah Matuch, Jr., Forward (7 goals, 3 assists)

 

Other Key Players

Maceo Manno, Sr., Midfield (2 goals)

 

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3. Ocean

Like the two other teams covered in this preview so far, Ocean has All-Shore talent to replace but enters 2026 with expectations buoyed by a strong, deep returning group. Brandon Costentino was a force for the Spartans last year and his production will be impossible to replace with just one player, but Ocean has the numbers to cover those 21 goals and 10 assists. Senior forward Connor Shaw and Nic Critelli also reached double-digit goals with 11 apiece last year and Shaw enters his senior year a four-year starters. With Cosentino in the fold last year, Shaw displayed his passing skills more than in either of his first two years and that dimension will serve the Spartans well this season, especially with another goal-scorer up top to complement him.

The midfield will be Ocean’s biggest question with three new starters around senior Edgar Escobar at the six. Escobar is now more than two year removed from surgery to repair a torn ACL and poised for his biggest season and will work with juniors Brody Shaw, Connor Turchyn and Amari Dunn, plus senior Wesley Johnson in the middle of the formation. Junior Joey Gervolino could also step up and play in the midfield, although he is more likely to work on the backline as an outside back.

The Spartans have a group of versatile defenders, with Gervolino in the mix and seniors Louis Vitale and Luciano Ibarra leading the way as returning starters. Vitale and Ibarri have experience at center back and figure to return to those spots, but Ibarra is also dangerous going forward and could find himself playing on the flank. Junior Alex Nettis rounds out the defense in front of another returning All-A-Central keeper in Matt Makower. An experienced defense could mean an improved defense, which would be one avenue for Ocean to take a step forward from a hot-and-cold team in 2025 to one that can contend for multiple championships this fall.

Ocean at a Glance

Head Coach: John Terlecsky, 10th season
2025 Record: 12-7 (3-3, fourth in Class A Central)
SCT Group: 3 (Toms River East, Lacey, Barnegat, Raritan)
Key Losses: Brandon Cosentino (Midfield/Forward), Lucas Renvoize (Midfield/Defense), Vernon Taylor (Defense), Brandon Johnson (Defense), Jon Williams (Midfield)

Projected Starting XI (With 2025 Stats)

Returning starters in bold

Matt Makower, Sr., Goalkeeper (6 shutouts)

Louis Vitale, Sr., Defense

Luciano Ibarra, Sr., Defense (4 assists)

Alex Nettis, Jr., Defense

Joey Gervolino, Jr., Defense/Midfield (1 goal, 1 assist)

Edgar Escobar, Midfield

Brody Shaw, Jr., Midfield

Connor Turchyn, Jr., Midfield

Amari Dunn, Jr., Midfield

Connor Shaw, Sr., Forward (11 goals, 7 assists)

Nic Critelli, Sr., Forward (11 goals, 4 assists)

 

Other Key Players

Wesley Joseph, Sr., Midfield

Logan Lettieri, Jr., Defense

Jack Toppi, Sr., Midfield/Defense

Avery Wigfall, Sr., Forward

Bradley Dainty, Sr., Defense

 

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4. Shore

Over the last three years, the Blue Devils have put the Shore in Shore Conference Coaches Cup. On the bright side, they have played in three straight Coaches Cup championship games, but have lost all three and would like to break through and earn a spot in the Shore Conference Tournament. With a deep, experienced roster and a far more forgiving draw in the SCT group stage, Shore looks poised for a return to the SCT, but that might be a footnote this season considering the potential of the roster.

The Blue Devils return four players who scored at least six goals in 2025 and the leading scorer among them was a surprise of sorts. Michael Ilvento moved up from his spot on the back line to score 10 goals playing mostly as a midfielder after Silvio Pessoa went down with an injury. Pessoa has put up steady numbers over the past two seasons, including six goals in 2025 before a midseason injury slowed him. Forwards Bryan Barbosa and Bryan Silveira also scored six goals each and Long Branch transfer Matheus Lopes joins the program coming off a five-goal season as a physical midfielder for the Class B North champion Green Wave.

Sophomores Hayden DeRosa and Rocco Bufano will be key contributors, with DeRosa in the midfield and Bufano on the back line with returning senior starters Shane Sullivan and Jackson Motzenbecker and junior newcomer Ryan Bennett. Shore coach Christian Pontier will also go with a sophomore in net after Juan Sanchez impressed in the lead-up to the preseason. With proven production on the bench as well, Shore is set up to handle the difficult regular-season schedule within Class A Central, compete for the top of the division, reach the SCT and hit the NJSIAA Group I Tournament with a chance to win a second state title in four years.

Shore at a Glance

Head Coach: Christian Pontier, 17th season
2025 Record: 13-7-1 (3-2-1, tied second in Class A Central)
SCT Group: 8 (St. John Vianney, Howell, Manchester, Keyport, Donovan Catholic)
Key Losses: Cooper Attaway (Forward), Madden DeRosa (Defense), Declan Drucker (Midfield), Henry Azzolini (Goalkeeper)

Projected Starting XI (With 2025 Stats)

Returning starters in bold

Juan Sanchez, So., Goalkeeper

Shane Sullivan, Sr., Defense

Ryan Bennett, Jr., Defense

Jackson Motzenbecker, Sr., Defense (1 assist)

Rocco Bufano, So., Defense

Hayden DeRosa, So., Midfield (1 assist)

Michael Ilvento, Sr., Midfield (10 goals, 4 assists)

Silvio Pessoa, Sr., Midfield (6 goals, 6 assists)

Matheus Lopes, Sr., Midfield (5 goals, 2 assists) – Transfer from Long Branch

Bryan Barbosa, Jr., Forward (6 goals, 2 assists)

Bryan Silveira, Jr., Forward (6 goals, 4 assists)

 

Other Key Players

Kosta, Vasilopoulos, Sr., Midfield (2 goals, 1 assists)

Brian Sisk, Jr., Defense

Gavin Neuhaus, Jr., Midfield (1 goal, 3 assists)

Jonah Eichenbaum, So., Midfield (1 goal, 2 assists)

Pedro Hernandez, Sr., Defense

Joseph Longo, Sr., Midfield

Sean O’Rourke, Sr., Midfield

Nick Bruno, Jr., Defense

Justin Cregle, Jr., Midfield

Ryan Cregle, Jr., Midfield

Dylan Dondero, Jr., Defense

Thomas Pragosa, Jr., Forward

Callum Spurrier, Jr., Midfield

Gavin Cavanaugh, So., Midfield

Ash LaPiana, So., Defense

Hila Vasilopoulis, So., Midfield

 

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5. Long Branch

Last year’s move from Class A North in 2024 to Class B North in 2025 was an unusual one for a Green Wave team that won the Central Jersey Group III championship in 2024 before getting “demoted” in division standing. After winning a share of B North in 2025, Long Branch climbs into Class A Central and will take a relatively inexperienced roster into battle this season.

Seniors Jordan Vieira, Carlos Rodas and Marco Volpe will be the leaders for the Green Wave as returning starters and classmates Dylan Rodriguez and Pedro Dias will help the cause as a seniors who scored two goals apiece last season. Rodriguez will link up with Volpe and junior Ricardo Portillo in the back of Long Branch’s formation, which will feature a combined eight goals between the trio of fullbacks. Junior Johan Toxqui rounds out the back four and senior Alex Zuniga will be tasked with replacing All-Shore goalkeeper Gerardo Rodas.

Seniors Sebastian Lobo and Julian Garcia will complement Rodas and Vieira in the midfield, with Dias and sophomore Rhandril Ruas playing at the top of the Green Wave attack. With Long Branch losing its top five scorers to either graduation or transfer, goal-scoring will be the question for the Green Wave in a tough Class A Central field, but there a long history of Long Branch replacing offensive talent and staying on the level with some of the Shore’s best programs.

Long Branch at a Glance

Head Coach: Bill Rohr
2025 Record: 15-5-1 (5-1, tied first in Class B North)
SCT Group: 4 (Manalapan, Toms River South, Middletown North, Monmouth)
Key Losses: Gerardo Rodas (Goalkeeper), Brandon Mendoza (Midfield), Chris De Oliveira Santos (Midfield), Marvin Oyuela (Midfield), Thomas Silva (Forward), Andre Rodas (Defense), Joao Dos Santos (Midfield), Matheus Lopes (Sr., Midfield; transferred to Shore)

Projected Starting XI (With 2025 Stats)

Returning starters in bold

Alex Zuniga, Sr., Goalkeeper

Marco Volpe, Sr., Defense (2 goals, 1 assist)

Ricardo Portillo, Jr., Defense (4 goals, 1 assist)

Dylan Rodriguez, Sr., Defense (2 goals)

Johan Toxqui, Jr., Defense

Sebastian Lobo, Sr., Midfield

Jordan Vieira, Sr., Midfield (1 assist)

Carlos Rodas, Sr., Midfield (1 assist)

Julian Garcia, Sr., Midfield

Rhandril Ruas, So., Forward

Pedro Dias, Sr., Forward (2 goals)

 

Other Key Players

Pedro Piatto, Sr., Midfield

Gefran Rodriguez, Jr., Midfield

Carlo Volpe, Jr., Defense/Midfield

Pavel Martinez, Sr., Defense/Midfield

 

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6. Rumson-Fair Haven

Few teams struggled to score as much as Rumson did during the 2025 season and yet, the Bulldogs finished with a winning record and seven of their eight losses were by a one-goal margin despite playing a Class A North schedule. There is some scoring to replace from last season, but no player on last year’s Rumson team scored more than five goals, so the bar to clear is not all that high for whichever player is ready to step up as the team’s top scorer.

Among the contenders to pace the Bulldogs on the score sheet are senior returning starters Kyle Winig and Avery Bellingcampi. Winig will run with sophomore James Wark and Aidan Dill at the top of the formation, while Bellincampi holds down the middle with fellow senior Christian Santos and sophomore Winston Jefferiss. Wark and Jefferiss are part of a promising group of underclassmen would could start to make an impact this season.

Speaking of underclassmen, freshman Soren De Bruijn is ticketed for a starting job on a new-look back-line for the Bulldogs. Frank Gripp will be the senior of the group, with juniors Quinn Guan and Nate Cerillo also moving into starting spots for a team that relied heavily on its back four and goalkeeper Jack DelPriore in 2025. Senior Brody Carr will have the honor of replacing DelPriore in goal this season and will try to keep the Bulldogs in games against another difficult division schedule and SCT group.

Rumson-Fair Haven at a Glance

Head Coach: Jeff Soares, eighth season
2025 Record: 10-8-3 (1-3-2, tied fifth in Class A North)
SCT Group: 6 (Marlboro, Brick Memorial, Freehold Boro, Pinelands, St. Rose)
Key Losses: Zach Halpern (Defense), Jack DelPriore (Goalkeeper), Bobby Tamashunas (Defense), Bobby Quaglia (Midfield), Sal Taddeo (Midfield), Charlie Gronaugh (Defense), Zach Winig (Defense), Alex Olan (Defense), Patrick Huber (Forward), Jack Duffy (Forward), Roman Cea (Midfield)

Projected Starting XI (With 2025 Stats)

Returning starters in bold

Brody Carr, Sr., Goalkeeper

Soren De Bruijn, Fr., Defense

Nate Cerillo, Jr., Defense

Frank Gripp, Sr., Defense

Quinn Gaun, Jr., Defense

Avery Bellincampi, Sr., Midfield

Cristian Santos, Sr., Midfield (2 assists)

Winston Jefferiss, So., Midfield

Kyle Winig, Sr., Forward (2 goals, 3 assists)

Aidan Dill, Sr., Forward

James Wark, So., Forward

 

Other Key Players

Matt Mousselli, Sr., Forward

Reese Goldstein, So., Midfield

Leeam Goldstein, So., Forward

Hayden Robby, Sr., Defense

 

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7. Ranney

Fresh off a history year for Ranney Boys Soccer, the Panthers move out of Class B Central for the first time ever and all the way up to a loaded Class A Central field. In 2025, Ranney won an outright division championship for the first time, won its first NJSIAA sectional title and graduated the program’s all-time leading scorer in All-Shore forward Eddie Magherini. The reward for that résumé is a significant step up in schedule quality with a team that does not look much like the one that collected all that hardware a year ago.

With the graduations of the top two scorers in Magherini and Tylor Yang, plus goalkeeper Jake Nagy and two quality defenders in Alex Lennon and Jack Fallon, Ranney will have some noteworthy holes to fill as it attempts to keep pace with a field of proven A-division teams. Braden Morin, Juan Torres and Miles Serrapica each put up substantial numbers a year ago, with Morin finishing third on the team in scoring, Torres playing a key role as a defensive center midfielder and Serrapica making an impact as a freshman.

Senior Trevor Davis and sophomore Alex Jovanis are also back as starters and junior Luke O’Hagan and sophomore Zac Levine both played key minutes as well. Jovanis and O’Hagan will be central defenders with junior R.J. Nimoh moving into a starting job at outside back. Davis and junior Matt Portnoy will be in the midfield mix and Levine will play up top as a target for Ranney’s experienced midfield. Sophomore Matt Hedden and senior Harry O’Neil are sharing the early reps in goal and O’Neil has field experience as well, giving the Panthers a solid foundation with which to make a very challenging leap to Class A Central this season.

Ranney at a Glance

Head Coach: Donny Gray, 10th season
2025 Record: 14-7-1 (6-0, first in Class B Central)
SCT Group: 5 (Colts Neck, Toms River North, Brick, Asbury Park)
Key Losses: Eddie Magherini (Forward), Tylor Yang (Midfield), Alex Lennon (Defense), Jack Fallon (Defense), Jonathan Laub (Defense/Midfield), Jake Nagy (Goalkeeper)

Projected Starting XI (With 2025 Stats)

Returning starters in bold

Matt Hedden, So., Goalkeeper

Harry O’Neil, Sr., Goalkeeper/Defense (1 goal, 2 assists)

Luke O’Hagan, Jr., Defense

Alex Jovanis, So., Defense

R.J. Nimoh, Jr., Defense

Trevor Davis, Sr., Midfield/Defense (1 goal, 1 assist)

Matt Portnoy, Jr., Midfield

Juan Torres, Sr., Midfield (4 goals, 5 assists)

Braden Morin, Jr., Midfield (10 goals, 8 assists)

Miles Serrapica, So., Midfield (3 goals, 4 assists)

Zac Levine, So., Forward (2 goals, 1 assist)

 

 

Class A Central Starting XI

Connor Shaw, Forward, Ocean

Bryan Barbosa, Forward, Shore

Nic Critelli, Forward, Ocean

Chase Melcher, Forward, Freehold Township

Silvio Pessoa, Midfield, Shore

Michael Ilvento, Midfield, Shore

Jordan Veiera, Midfield, Long Branch

Braden Morin, Midfield, Ranney

Travis Levy, Defense, Manasquan

Luciano Ibarra, Defense, Ocean

Matt Makower, Goalkeeper, Ocean